"Isn't that the Magus?"
"That over there looks like Shinon, doesn't it?"
"What are these two doing here?"
"Are they planning to place bets?"
"That... doesn't seem likely... right?"
The surrounding players finally noticed the presence of Rozen and Shinon. After a moment of surprise, they quickly made way, no longer crowding around the two.
Shinon, however, paid no attention to this reaction. Her gaze was fixed on Rozen, her expression somewhat complex.
It seemed even Shinon hadn't expected to run into Rozen the moment she logged in.
Rozen hadn't anticipated it either.
Thus, he blurted out instinctively.
"Why is it you again?"
This was just a passing thought in Rozen's mind.
After all, since yesterday, he had kept running into Shinon.
Saying this suddenly was understandable.
However, Shinon's expression, which had been complicated, immediately turned stormy.
"Do you think I want to run into you?" Shinon said irritably. "I didn't expect to bump into you even while checking the odds. If I'd known..."
Her words were abruptly cut off by Rozen.
"If you'd known, you wouldn't have come?" Rozen said leisurely. "Even if you didn't come, it wouldn't change the fact that you lost yesterday to a player ranked below you. Today's odds are proof."
"You..." Shinon snapped, visibly annoyed. "And your odds are still higher than Yamikaze's, aren't they? If you hadn't forfeited in the fifth round yesterday, that wouldn't be the case!"
That was true.
Although Rozen's higher odds were the result of his voluntary forfeit and didn't really mean anything, the blemish on his record influenced the betting trends. Most players were less rational and simply followed the crowd, betting based on win records without understanding the players themselves. This caused Yamikaze to appear more favorable than Rozen.
But...
"I don't care about that," Rozen said with a shrug. "As long as I achieve my goal, the outcome of the BoB tournament doesn't matter to me."
This statement caught Shinon off guard.
"Your goal?" she asked reflexively. "What goal?"
Hearing this, Rozen smirked.
"Take a guess."
With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.
"Hey!"
Shinon snapped out of her daze and, almost instinctively, followed after him.
Wherever they passed, the other players stepped aside in a hurry, clearing a path for the two of them.
Together, Rozen and Shinon entered the presidential building, registered for the main tournament, and then headed for the elevator.
"What exactly are you scheming?" Shinon persisted.
"Does it have anything to do with you?" Rozen replied, exasperated.
Shinon's relentless questioning surprised him.
"Are you really that concerned about me?" he teased.
"Who's concerned about you?" Shinon shot back immediately. "I just don't want you messing up the tournament. What if you cause problems during the matches?"
The BoB main tournament rules were the same every year. After the thirty participants were selected from the preliminaries, they would be transferred to a single map for encounters and a battle royale.
The transfer locations were randomly determined, but each player would be at least 1,000 meters apart, ensuring no sudden confrontations right from the start.
As previously mentioned, this was ultimately a shooting game, requiring a wide map. If thirty players were placed in a narrow map, it would lead to a chaotic shootout, with over half the participants eliminated within moments. Such a battle royale wouldn't demonstrate skill or ranking and would lack entertainment value, so the officials wouldn't allow it.
As such, the main tournament map was a circular area with a ten-kilometer diameter, roughly the size of the 1st floor of Aincrad. It featured diverse terrains, including mountains, forests, deserts, and abandoned urban areas, giving players a variety of strategies.
However, with such a vast map and only thirty players, there was a risk of participants not encountering opponents throughout the match. Some might exploit this, hiding until the end to defeat the last remaining player and claim an easy win. To prevent this, all participants were given a tool called the Satellite Scan Receiver.
This device provided player locations on the map.
Every fifteen minutes, a surveillance satellite would pass overhead, and the receiver would update with the positions of all players. By touching a flashing point on the map, the character's name would be displayed, exposing every player's location at regular intervals.
Players had to use this information to plan their movements—whether to ambush, escape, relocate, or engage directly. This tested players' skills and decision-making abilities to the utmost.
So, surviving without engaging in combat until the end of the match was virtually impossible.
The thirty participants competed under such conditions until one victor emerged.
That winner would be crowned the strongest player in GGO, earning the best prizes and possibly attracting sponsorship deals from real-world companies. Fame and fortune awaited the champion.
But because of this battle royale format, the actions of a single player could influence the entire match.
Every participant's enemies were the other twenty-nine players. They had to remain vigilant of everyone, or they could fall at any moment.
Especially against someone like Rozen. Ignoring him could lead to significant consequences.
That was why Shinon kept questioning him.
And also...
(Was he referring to that cloaked man when he mentioned his goal?)
If that was the case, what was Rozen planning?
What would happen when two individuals who once fought seriously in a death game crossed paths in this tournament?
Shinon couldn't help but be concerned.
Unfortunately, Rozen had no intention of explaining.
"If you really want to know, be the first to find me after the match starts," he said.
With that, Rozen entered the elevator and pressed the button for the waiting area's floor.
Shinon followed him.
This time, however, she stayed silent, seemingly realizing Rozen wouldn't give her any answers.
The two arrived at the underground waiting area and entered.
"——"
Just like yesterday, the moment Rozen appeared, the entire room fell silent, as though the air itself froze.
The players all turned to look at Rozen, their faces filled with wariness and caution.
Rozen ignored them entirely, continuing forward.
Shinon followed closely behind.
And then...
"So, you're here?"
A familiar voice greeted them.