As I logged back into Quest, I noticed that Mia had a slight scowl on her face as she looked at May's new level. "How did you level up so fast without me?" Mia asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
May looked down sheepishly and apologized. "I'm sorry. I just really wanted to level up and I didn't want to wait for you to get back online."
I interjected, trying to defuse the tension. "It's okay, we can just grind together now and make up for lost time. Plus, the experience is split between us in a party anyway."
Mia nodded and the scowl on her face faded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just focus on getting stronger together. But May grind with me next time instead of Mark?"
Mia's face turn red as May asked why she wanted to grind with her instead of me. Mia hesitated for a moment before responding, "Because he's a higher level than us. Plus we-"
All three of us then got a message which read. "SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: TELEPORTING YOU TO THE COLOSSEUM."
We were then teleported to the Colosseum. I was immediately struck by its size and grandeur. The structure was made of white marble, with towering pillars that seemed to stretch up to the sky. The heat of the sun beat down on me as I sat down, and the sounds of the excited crowd filled my ears.
In the center of the Colosseum stood a large mage, his clothing adorned with intricate gold embroidery. Above his head, a banner proclaimed him as Admin: Ryan. To my left sat Mia, her eyes fixed on the admin as she eagerly awaited the start of the announcement. To my right was May, her hands clenched tightly together as she watched the proceedings with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"Wow, this place is amazing," Mia breathed, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Yeah, it's definitely something," I agreed, taking in the sights and sounds of the Colosseum.
May nodded, her eyes still fixed on the admin in the center of the arena. "I just hope we're ready for whatever he has in store for us," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness.
I reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's not like we're getting wiped so don't be nervous. It's probably an announcement for an event."
The admin then casted a circle of fire around him.
The fire was bright and hot, emanating an intense heat that could be felt even from where I was sitting. It was a deep, vibrant orange, almost red in color, and seemed to dance and flicker with an almost life-like quality. The flames were tall and fierce, reaching up towards the sky as if trying to touch the heavens. The sound of the fire was deafening, a constant roar that filled my ears and seemed to vibrate through my entire body. The smell was acrid and harsh, burning my nostrils and making me cough. Despite all this, I couldn't look away from the mesmerizing sight of the flames. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It felt so real.
"Welcome players of Quest." The admin said.
The admin's voice boomed through the colosseum, echoing off the walls and reaching every corner of the arena. It was deep and commanding, with a hint of malice that sent shivers down my spine. Despite the distance between them, the clarity of the admin's voice was impeccable, as if he was standing right next to us. It was almost as if the fire that surrounded him amplified his voice, making it louder and more powerful.
"Today someone has reached level 100. That is the current highest player level. That brings us to today's announcement. The first tournament for the Quest."
The crowd then cheered. The crowd's cheers were like a thunderous roar, echoing throughout the Colosseum. It was a cacophony of excitement and energy, with shouts and cheers blending together into a single, frenzied sound. The noise was almost overwhelming, causing the ground to vibrate beneath my feet. I could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air.
"This tournament is to show you guys that we are thankful for how many of you enjoy Quest as well as to expand our competitive experience."
As I looked over at May, I could see the recognition in her eyes. She knew exactly what Mia was thinking. "Don't do it, Mia," May plead. But Mia couldn't resist. She stood up and shouted to the crowd, "I WILL BE THE WINNER OF THIS TOURNAMENT." The crowd erupted into laughter at her bold declaration. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
Mia was not phased by the laughter she had already made up her mind.
The admin looked at Mia. "A bold statement but I like your confidence and excitement."
The admin then continued his speech. "Now then the tournament will be a battle royale. Our player base is just too massive to hold a tournament with a one-on-one or a team battle. That is why we chose a battle royale format because it would have a single winner in one match. Also in the past battle royales used to be very popular in gaming so we thought that we would revisit it. The winner gets a prize but nobody will know the prize but the winner. If the winner wants to share with others what they got they are free to do so."
The admin they typed something on a keypad. A message popped up which explained the rules and qualifications needed to enter. 1000 players will be selected in the battle royale. The only way to be selected is by achieving level 100. The first 1000 people to do so are entered into the battle royale. Everyone's level in the battle royale will be set to 100 until the tournament ends. A level 160 would become level 100 in the tournament but would regain their level 160 after it ends. The map is unknown and we spawn with whatever we have in our inventory. We can find extra loot in chests which grants us abilities or items which we would also keep after the tournament ends whether we win or lose. The tournament will begin the day after all 1000 people qualify.
"That is all for now players of Quest. Until next time." The admin said as he waved his hand. Everyone was teleported to where they were before.
"You guys got any plans this week?" Mia said with determination radiating from her eyes.
"No, but don't you have a job that you have to go to?" I said to Mia.
"Not anymore yesterday May and I quit our jobs to focus on earning money from this game because we would be slightly less money at first but we can earn more plus we enjoy this game."
I was shocked at what Mia had just said. "Why would you quit your job? That was a stupid decision because what happens if the government makes full-dive virtual reality illegal? What if the game dies down?" I yelled at her.
"Listen Mark. Our jobs are slowly being replaced by AI and robots. This is the only option we have and if this game does not work out I guess I'll look for whatever job I can."
I knew I was a hypocrite for being upset at them for using the game as their main source of income because I was doing the same thing.
"You know what if we are going to use this game as a source of income we might as well qualify for the tournament," I said as I sighed.
"If we are going to enter the tournament then we should all team until we are the last ones left." May said.
I looked at her and Mia. "Yeah, you're right to let's do that bat boss now so we can level up faster."
"Actually Mark I think we should level up alone for now. We would earn 3 times the amount of experience which would help us level up faster."
"That's true but are you too okay by yourselves?" I replied.
May pulled out her bow and Mia pulled out her sword and activated her claw fists in the other hand. "Look at us, Mark. We are a great team but I think each of us can handle getting level 100 alone."
"You're right we got this. We will meet up when each of us gets to level 100 though okay?" I replied.
Mia and May nodded.
As I put my hand on top of Mia's and May's, I could feel their excitement and determination. Together, we raised our hands and went our separate ways for the time being.
Mia walked with a spring in her step, her eyes shining with determination. May, on the other hand, seemed a bit more nervous, but I could tell she was just as determined as the rest of us.
As I walked, the scenery around us was breathtaking. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The grass was a vibrant green, and the trees were ablaze with the colors of autumn. In the distance.
Today was the day we started to take the game seriously.