100 100 – First Stage
Next day, the adventurers gathered in a barren field, about fifty feet from a gigantic wall flanked by two cliffs.
“Hey, you!” Leonov pointed at Renee from a distance. “Because of you, I became like this!!!”
Renee stifled a laugh until her body shook. Although the man was no longer injured, the hair on his head had been shaved off. No magic can cure baldness.
“I think they’ve gone too far.” Lauren grimaced and looked at Leonov, who was pulled over by his friend.
Alain tapped Renee’s shoulder. “Good luck, Renee. We have to go now.”
Renee waved to her two friends who were leaving with the other people. The tournament was only for melee fighters, so Lauren and Alain didn’t qualify.
“Hmmm…. This situation reminds me of when we entered the contest to persuade a boy, Elise.” Yua looked around. “Perhaps the number of adventurers here is about the same as back then.”
“A boy?” Renee raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you went to the Algernon family resort. It’s a long way from here!”
“Well, our master is a god, Renee,” Yua replied with a smile. “Let’s say he used his divine powers to take us to different parts of the world.”.
“We’ve even been to the east, too,” Elise added.
Renee’s eyes started to shine. “To the east? Hey, I want to hear your story about that place….”
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Renee’s words were cut off by a shout from a man with giant crested hair. He wears shiny clothes that are very stand out. “Welcome to the first-ever Kozlov family tournament!”
Renee looked at the several crystal balls floating in the air, then whispered to Yua and Elise. “This is all entertainment for the rich. They’re watching us from somewhere.”
“Ah, it looks like those things are like drones used for filming.” Raymund made a guess.
“I beg your attention, please!!!” The announcer used a magic funnel to raise his voice, but the adventurers were still chatting about the crystal balls. “Hey, look, there’s a mermaid over there!!!”
The adventurers immediately fell silent, but they didn’t look in the direction the announcer was pointing at. They looked at the announcer himself.
Mermaids can’t live on dry land like that.
“Finally, I can get your attention.” The announcer cleared his throat. “Don’t mind the crystal balls. Think of them as decorations.”
One of the adventurers came forward. “Hey, those are the tools that will be stalking us! How dare….”
“Of course, the people who finance this tournament want to see you all, idiots! Get out of here if you guys don’t want to be seen as entertainment!” The announcer was starting to sound impatient. He cleared his throat again, then pointed at the giant wall in the distance. “I’ve become too lazy to make an opening. Let’s make this short. You have to pass various obstacles, and the eight people who finish ahead will become participants in the main tournament. The first challenge is that you have to get through that big wall.”
“I’d like to ask.” One of the female archers raised her hand. “Will the obstacles threaten our lives?”
The announcer chuckled. “Don’t worry. The Kozlov family will guarantee that you will stay alive.”
“Why can’t I believe what he said?” Renee hissed.
“Does that mean we might get seriously injured?” One of the other adventurers asked.
“Enough with the questions!” The announcer snorted again in annoyance. “We’d better start right now!”
“That’s right! This is no different from adventures! Risk will always be with us!” A muscular warrior replied while grinning.
The announcer glanced around at the adventurers. “Then why are you guys still here? I told you the competition has already started!”
The adventurers fell silent, still trying to understand the announcer’s last words. However, a rapid gallop resounded suddenly. Yua was already ahead, running with all her might.
The adventurers grumbled and ran along.
“Hahaha!!!” Leonov laughed like a madman and spread his arms. “I will beat all of you! I am Leonov…. Ugh!”
The man was hit by a crowd of people from behind. He fell down and could not do anything when his body was trampled on.
“I know we’re friends,” Renee spoke to Elise, who was running next to her. “However, I will not hold back. I will defeat you.”
Elise smiled. “Sure enough.”
“Then, bye!” Renee hastened her run to leave Elise. Mona, perched on the female warrior’s shoulder, barked at that.
Elise tried to catch up, but her speed was still far behind.
Meanwhile, Yua had already pulled out the iron claws in her palms. She jumped high, stuck the claws into the wall, then started climbing.
“You seem very excited, Yua.” Raymund chuckled.
The kunoichi smiled. “Well, my competitive spirit is sparking, sir. I want to win this tournament.”
“Reminds you of racing, huh?”
Several people followed. Some use two blades to climb, and others use ropes and anchors. However, most were confused because the walls were very smooth and had no cracks or anything to climb over.
Renee rubbed the wall while narrowing her eyes. “Aah, it’s made of soil.”
The woman closed her eyes, then two bumps grew on the wall. She jumped up and grabbed onto those.
“Yes!” Renee cheered with joy that her plan had worked. She used her earth elemental magic to spawn more bumps, then used those to climb up. In a short time, she had covered a few feet.
“Hey, she’s a melee fighter, right!?” One of the female adventurers shouted. “Why does she know elemental magic!?”
Some tried to climb using the bumps made by Renee. However, as soon as she found out about it, Renee removed those things from afar, forcing the people hanging on them to fall.
There are still many who are confused about how to climb. Elise is one of them. She just stood there staring at the giant wall.
“I’ll think of a way to get you through, Elise,” Raymund muttered. “You too, please think about an idea..”
The female warrior glanced around, and in no time, her attention was drawn to a woman who had separated herself from the other adventurers. That woman stood still with closed eyes and caught her breath.
Elise widened her eyes and came to the red-haired woman.
“Olga?” The female warrior couldn’t forget about the waffle seller.