"Is that kid crazy?! Is he asking for a death wish? Maybe he thinks Blain is a joke."
"Does that thing think he can beat Blain? What an expensive joke."
"He's literally going to lose that pretty face and pretty eyes. Someone should talk some sense into him."
Max could hear the whispers ongoing about his 'stupid' decision.
"I will fight you," He said once more, his confidence building up.
Blain remained silent as he gazed intently at the boy.
"Alright Mr, move into the ring," The holographic man said.
Max nodded before walking away from the audience to the ring.
"So you are?"
"Shadow_Demon," Max replied.
"Ok then, let's cast our votes."
As usual, screens appeared before everyone seated. When the votes stopped counting and the screens before the audience had disappeared, the results were shocking.
"Uh... this is one of a surprising and at the same time a funny result," The holographic man laughed nervously.
[ SHADOW_DEMON ] [ BLAIN ]
[ 1 vote ] [ 5,559 votes ]
"Kick his ass, Max! I know you can do it!..."
Hillary's voice was completely drowned by his heart beat and the thoughts that ran through his mind as his eyes bulged at the screen.
Player Name : [ Blain ]
Rank : [ Supreme Being/Bot ]
[ No. 2892 ]
Number of kills : [ 2999 ]
Special skill(s) : [ Ink Manipulation. All skills relating to Ink Manipulation ]
[ Next skill to be unlocked over the next 50 kills ].
Title : [ Artistic slayer god of Harbingers Of Death ]
[ General 13 of the 13th sect of one of the big three factions, Soldiers of the devil ]
[ Master of the familiar, Beast pen of the heavenly arts ]
Every inch of Max's being shattered into a million pieces. His already built confidence came crumbling down. He knew Blain was strong from the start but he had not expected him to be this strong.
"Let the game begin!"
"Wait!" Max shouted as if he would die if a second passed without him saying anything and his supposed fight happens with Blain. He bit his lower lip and swallowed the shame that suddenly overwhelmed him.
"I-I...I forfeit!" He blurted out. "I can't fight him. He's too strong for me and I'm not on his level.
"What?!"
Everyone was alarmed. What nonsense was the kid spewing from his mouth?
"Didn't you know that before you stood up feeling like some shit head god?" Someone from the audience shouted.
The shame he felt at that moment intensed as he stared hard at the floor wishing for it to open up and swallow him.
"He didn't really know that from the beginning because he's the special one. The one with the system, not so?" Blain said only to Max's hearing. The boy lifted his gaze.
"How did you know that?" Max was surprised. Did he have one too?
Blain scoffed. "I see you depend so much on the system and it has clouded your thoughts so much that you have forgotten the real weak you. I wonder what you've been feeling like for weeks, like the real deal, I guess. Did Monthenia's power get so much into your brain that you now think it's yours? Let me be frank with you, Monthenia's strength is based on the strength of its host. Currently it is at its weakest all because of its host right now. And let me guess, beasts have been hopping out of nowhere to come and ' seek your worth '."
He chuckled darkly.
"You see, those doing that are jobless set of creatures because right now I don't see anything worth seeking in you."
That line crushed Max's already fallen morale.
"I'm sure all these while you were feeling big with your number of kills which let me guess isn't even up to 50 kills, right?"
Max remained silent.
"Good. I think I know you more than you even know yourself. Take a look at my rank, I know you can see it, I just recently crossed the ranking of 3000s to breakthrough from the level of a mortal being to a supreme being. I might look strong to you but don't get it twisted, I am barely strong. Imagine players in the ranking of the top 49 ranked as gods, how strong would they be?"
"The game might have delayed player access but time here runs faster than it does in your world and there are skilled ones who can make it to the top in just 3 game durations. Let me just give you this one advice, don't think you're something right now because you are currently nothing, I don't think that kind of notification has ever popped up on your screen but I'm telling you now and one more thing, not until you beat me someday I'll never acknowledge your strength as the special one."
With that, Blain walked into an animated hole not far away from him. The hole closed up as soon as he fell into it.
"Booh! Get out from that ring, let real people entertain us!" People shouted from every corner.
Max slowly walked away from the ring and returned to his seat, his head kept down all the while but strangely there was a smile on his face, not the usual kind of reaction to expect from someone who had just been belittled. There was one more challenge left before everyone would leave.
The fight lasted longer than Blain and Michael Lance's. Once it was over, the giant doors opened and people began trouping out.
"Hey Max!" Hillary called from behind him.
Max stopped in his tracks only realizing now that he had been walking alone.
"Max."
She came to stand in front of him. "Don't feel bad, ok? I don't know what he might have said but don't feel bad."
He looked at her. "You know, I'm not this emotional kind of person but his words hurt the little guy right here," He smiled touching his chest.
"But they strengthened the guy up here," He tapped his head slightly.
"Why'd you even vote for me? You knew I couldn't hold a candle to him," He asked.
"I did because I believe in you," She replied.
"Thanks. I was never sad to start with infact I'm happy. At least I got to know something early," He said.
Hillary smiled. She didn't want to see him upset. If he was condemned for being weak, what would she have to say about herself?
"Well, you wanna eat out with me?" She innocently asked.
"Uh, is that a date?" He rolled his eyes, trying to hold in an incoming laughter.
She tapped him across the head playfully.
"Come on, you dummy."
[ Nikky Ole has sent you a friend request ]
[ Accept ] or [ Decline ]
' Nicole?' He thought.
[ Accept ]
[ You have accepted Nikky Ole's friend request ]
[ Do you wish to meet with Nikky Ole in person?]
'Yes.'
A familiar portal opened in front of both of them, stopping them from moving any further.
"We could walk you know," Hillary said to him.
"It's not me," Max shrugged.
Someone dressed in a blue robe stepped out from the portal and it closed behind him.
"Nicole?" Max found himself laughing.
"Come here my boy," Nicole pulled him into his arms. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Yeah...me too," Max's laughter soon turned unnecessary. Since he entered the game, Nicole had never even crossed his mind.
"And this is? Hillary?" Nicole suddenly noticed the girl staring at them as he released Max from his embrace.
"Hi...um... Nicole. Yeah Nicole," She waved.
"Hi," Nicole smiled and then returned his gaze to Max. "How'd you two get together? I can't believe you're with the popular girl now."
"I know right," Max continued laughing like he was being controlled by a remote as he stole several glances at Hillary who somewhat didn't look pleased with Nicole's presence. Probably because he was too loud.
"Ah well, Nicole we're going to eat somewhere. Care to join?" He asked.
"Sure let's go."
*. *. *.
"So how's it been so far in the game?" Max asked Nicole as they ate.
"Not what I expected. It's killing me," Nicole said.
"What do you mean?" Hillary asked.
"I literally want to go back home," Nicole sighed. "And I've been working on how to leave."
Max and Hillary turned their gaze to him.
"What do you plan to do?" They chorused.
"This," He pushed back the piece of clothing covering the device on his wrist. "I've been trying to destroy this."
"What?" Max asked in surprise.
"Look Max, if we don't act fast than we might be trapped here for as long as only God knows or even forever," Nicole replied. "What if destroying it will set us free? As far as we no longer have the device on I believe we won't qualify as players anymore."
Max shook his head.
"Nicole, you know it's just a probability. What if destroying the device will keep us trapped in here? Have you thought of the possibility of that happening?"
Nicole paused.
"I think you should listen to Max. Instead of trying out something none of us is certain about, I believe we should wait and look for a much more better idea," Hillary said.
"I'll listen to you guys for now," Nicole sighed.
"Thank you," Max smiled. "Now we just have to work together and survive."
"Wait, I thought getting eliminated twice gets a player out of the game. How'bout we try that?" Nicole's eyes radiated hope once again.
"Uh no one wants to go through pain twice," Hillary glared at him.
"But that should make things easier for us. We exhaust our lives and then boom! We're out of the game and back in the real world or do you two want to remain till you get stronger?" Nicole looked at the two in disbelief.
"Well, I came to learn something that I want to know more about and I'm going to stay longer," Max replied.
"I'll stay too," Hillary said. Even though she had begun to miss the life she hated back home, there were lot of things she wanted to experience in this world. She wanted to go on adventures and do things that would never even be possible in the real world.
"I can't believe you both," Nicole used his palm to hit his forehead.
"I'm going to remain here and believe me or not, I'm going to become the last man standing. I want to meet with the game creator," Max said with determination written all over him.