Return Of The Strongest Player

[New Message]

[Sender: Tower Administration.]

[Congratulations, those who have passed the first tier. For the second tier, all of you will choose teams of ten. There will be around 80 to 90 teams. All of you will then be teleported to a world in which heat rises as you near the center. Each person has to gather 10 gemstones spread across the world and reach level 3, the center of the world. The first 25 people will be able to become players. Extra gemstones can be used to exchange for items. Remember, there are only 1000 gemstones in the world, so only 100 people can even gather enough. Good luck!]

[Receiver: Arthur Solace (Newbie)]

Arthur gazed expressionlessly at the translucent, blue window that manifested before his eyes. His expression was dull, but internally, he commented on how subtle the Tower Administration was being.

He glanced at the other newbies before cracking a smile.

1000 gemstones, 100 possible players, 25 slots.

That was the crux of the game.

*

Once everyone had stepped into the portal, each newbie was spread out across the desolate world in which the game was being held. The sky was ashen, and the circulating air smelled of flames.

As Arthur's eyes opened, he took in the simplicity of the world.

This was Level 1, the outskirts of the desolate world in which the second tier was being conducted. After collecting 10 gemstones, Arthur simply had to reach Level 3 of the desolate world and become a player.

But he had to be quick.

'The concept of teams is worthless,' thought Arthur, cracking a smile. It was amazing how subtly the Tower Administration was manipulating the newbies. They had chosen teams before teleporting, but the newbies had instantly been separated from their allies.

This was done not only to even the playing field, but also to prevent too many battles during the initial phase of the trial.

Also, the fact that there were 1000 gemstones in the world, but only 250 of them could be used to become a player was concerning. The remaining 750 would either be carried in vain by other newbies, or harvested by the winners.

'They just want to spark more battles at the end,' thought Arthur. Preventing conflicts during the beginning, and triggering them during the latter phase. That was how the Tower Administration had decided to conduct the second tier of the second trial.

Sabotage.

The Tower Administration wished nothing but sabotage upon the newbies. By providing them with extra uses for gemstones if one possessed extra, they sparked the newbies' greed intentionally.

Now, it'd be difficult for even 25 people to become players.

'They truly want the best of the best,' Arthur commented inwardly, observing the world that lay before his eyes with a look of curiosity. There was no prejudice against the newbies. The Tower Administration simply only chose the prodigies.

The world was similar to the one in which Arthur fought the necromantic beasts. The infertile soil, the peculiar, squalid smell that radiated across the area, and the lack of any infrastructure as far as his vision could reach.

It was truly worthy of its name; A desolate world.

Arthur traversed across the world aimlessly, hoping to accidentally acquire a gemstone. However, his luck wasn't so amazing. But, what he did discover after a few minutes of searching was a valley.

The valley was not too steep. It was akin to a crater, but much, much larger and deeper. However, one could easily exit the valley by simply climbing one of the sides, the barriers of the valley.

It was the first form of natural obstacle that Arthur had witnessed.

And, it seemed like he wasn't the only one who managed to notice the valley. As Arthur looked into the valley, he spotted two people.

One was a fairly tall, dark-skinned man dressed in a bloody tank top. He wore black gloves and held a sword between his fingers. With a distressed expression, he stared at the man standing opposite to him.

The dark-skinned man had pitch black hair and caramel-colored pupils. He was quite muscular, and covered in sweat; probably due to battle and the heat that permeated across the atmosphere.

The desolate world sure was hot.

On the opposing side, there was a fair-skinned man with a beanie. Arthur wondered how one could wear a beanie in such weather, but didn't think too long about the subject. The fair-skinned man had slicked back, cyan hair that fell to the bottom of his neck.

He wore a warm sweatshirt for some reason, and held a halberd in his hands. It was truly an odd combination, considering the size of his body was quite tiny. Wielding a halberd with his size was like a baby swinging a hammer around.

Arthur observed for a few seconds, and realized they were fighting.

It was unusual for newbies to engage in battle for no reason. There had to be a reason for their battle.

'Ah, there it is,' thought Arthur, allowing a smile to blossom on his face. He glanced at the shining object in the middle of their battle, which seemed to resemble a purple diamond. It was a gemstone.

It was shaped like a cylinder but with sharp edges. It shone despite the dim lighting, emanating a purple aura.

It seemed the two were fighting because of a gemstone. Now, their battle made sense, considering there were stakes. The gemstones increased their chances of becoming a player, which was most likely their dream.

With erratic breathing and exhaustion creeping up, the two fought mindlessly for the purple gemstone, paying no mind to anything or anyone in proximity. Their absent-mindedness allowed Arthur to spectate from the shadows, granting him a ticket to the show for free.

It was an amazing deal.

As he watched the battle, his crimson eyes occasionally shone with intensity, and he prepared to strike. 

Divide and conquer.

The oldest trick in the book.

After a few minutes of waiting, it was time to strike.

The time was ripe.