Stell and Felix found themselves in a cramped room with eighteen other people, increasing the total number of players in the room to twenty.
Stell glanced around, observing the two benches. He was seated on one, beside Felix, with each bench accommodating ten people.
The room was dimly lit, with the only illumination emanating from a massive metal gate that was see-through.
As every single player looked through the door, they noticed a giant arena. Immediately, a name appeared in every participant's mind.
A Colosseum.
"We're likely emulating gladiators, but with superpowers." Anticipating a headache, Stell made some assumptions.
Hearing Stell's whisper, Felix grinned. "I always wanted to know what it was like being a gladiator."
"How they understand?" They heard a person speak loudly. Turning, every player in the room looked at the player that talked.
'No, it's not a player. That's a bloody giant!' Stell taught as he lifted his gaze. He was sure that the person was taller than 220cm (7'3).
Because he never saw a person so tall, he couldn't exactly guess his height.
"Holy!" Felix gasped. He didn't expect to meet a person that tall.
"The professor explained, idiot. Every exile is naturally taught the language in the classroom." A person next to the tall person answered, grumbling.
With the height difference, he looked like a dwarf in comparison.
"I see." The tall person nodded before turning his gaze to the players next to him. With a sweeping motion of his hand, he shifted the entire left row to the side.
Then, a message appeared in front of him.
[ Voting... ]
Stell was surprised at the happenings. With his guard up, he cautiously looked at the tall person.
Meanwhile, the voting stopped.
[ Decision: Infighting is prohibited. ]
[ Top comment: "Cool off, bozo." ]
Surprisingly, Stell could see the System messages. He was sure that it was because he was in Universal Entertainment.
The tall person snorted but refrained from pushing other players. He looked at the short person next to him. "Is insult?"
The shorter person pondered for a moment before responding. "No, it's not."
As if he ignored the short person, the tall person looked at the arena, disinterested in anything else.
Stell looked at the scene surprisingly, wondering what game he was in. The current game wasn't in any of the files he read through.
After some contemplating, he heard Felix whisper. "Is this the surprise one?"
Then, it clicked. "Yes. Surely." Stell nodded.
Among the numerous formats, there was a surprise format. Every week, a new and intriguing game would take that format's place.
Although the chances to participate in that format weren't negligible, they weren't that high either. That was why Stell didn't even consider it.
However, he obviously forgot the person next to him. With Felix, even the unlikeliest of possibilities could very well happen.
"Since we seem to be a team, how about we introduce ourselves?" A girl younger than Stell chuckled. She was on the tall man's right side, meaning that she wasn't one of the pushed victims.
Pointing at the tall person, she smiled. "Let's start with you."
The tall person didn't even glance at her. Instead, the shorter one answered. "He is Ta, and I am Berry Sombrery." He proudly announced.
"Ta. Got it." The girl nodded before continuing. "I am Maria. Let's go further left. Who are you?"
Maria had blue eyes and long blond hair. With her pretty face and youthful cheerfulness, she had made most of the men in the room uncomfortable.
Her disregard stunned Berry, making him grit his teeth. After the rest of the players introduced themselves, Felix's turn came.
"I am Felix, and this is Stell." He pointed at Stell. "We will be the winners here."
Wide-eyed, Stell stared at Felix in utter shock. 'This idiot just antagonized every teammate!'
With lowered head, he murmured. "Of course, everyone is competing. You don't have to bring it up."
He wanted to tell them that they didn't mean harm. That Felix was joking. But he couldn't. It was as if he would have gone against the natural principles. From the moment he realized their differences, Stell considered protagonists as gods.
No mere mortal can deal with gods.
Oh, how much he wished that he could. But he knew that it wasn't impossible. Everyone in the room had already noticed the power differences.
The young fifteen-year-old girl with a robe, the enormous Ta, and the casual Felix. Everyone else was just an extra.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen." They could hear voices traveling through the Colosseum.
"Today, we will be hosting the surprise format game! As everyone can already see, it is a mix of the battle royale and tournaments." Although they couldn't see where the voice had come from, each player could hear the cheers that erupted in the Colosseum.
Stell felt excitement. That was the thing he wanted. That was his wo-
However, as he began to feel excitement, he spotted Felix's joyful expression. A sigh escaped him, and his mood grew darker, plunging back into the abyss of despair and emptiness it had inhabited before.
"Hey, Stell! There are so many people spectating!" Felix nudged Stell as he looked through the gate.
"Yeah." Stell lowered his head, nodding.
Felix's eyes flickered slightly. Quickly, his happy expression returned as if it never left.
"Now, now." The voice appeared to be calming the audience. "We need to explain to our dear players what is happening, right?"
After a slight cheer, the voice continued. "Currently, there are sixteen groups. Each group will be fighting in a tournament style against other groups.
"Finally, once the final group was decided, there will be a surprise. Who knows, maybe every player will win."
Amid cheers, the voice declared, "Groups A and P, step forward."
Two gates swung open, and individuals began entering the arena.
"It wouldn't be a surprise event if good seeds weren't picked." The voice could be heard from a person that suddenly appeared in the middle of the arena.
"From the left side, we have a player code-named 'Rose'. Rose is a player with a unique Rose element! With her win streak, she is one of the favorites!"
As the crowd started cheering, Stell could feel his ears hurt. He could see Rose entering. She had red hair, a dress, and nails. Even her necklace was red.
Although she wore a dress, her warrior-like expression betrayed her seriousness and capability.
"From the right side, we have a player code-named 'Water'. With his skillful control of the Water element, Water has been able to win seven games in a row. It's suspected that he spent all five wishes on the Water element!"
As the referee shouted and the crowd cheered, the participants entered the stage.
With two teams of twenty people facing each other, the tension was high.
"And finally, let the game commence!" With a slash of his hand, the referee flew into the sky, allowing two groups to rush at each other.
As the first person slashed with a sword at the enemy player, the player blocked with a shield. Before the first person could even pull his sword back, another enemy stabbed him in the chest.
And just as that enemy stabbed the opponent in the chest, the person with the shield accidentally shifted his posture slightly, creating an opening for a new enemy.
The battle was utter chaos. Although each player had some skill, on the battlefield, that measly skill was almost negligible.
With every death, the arena looked less silent. With each barbaric slash, a person fell down.
Rose and Water waited for the battle to end.
"Why aren't you helping them?" Water looked at Rose curiously, intrigued by her choice. "It's not guaranteed that they will revive, you know?"
Rose shook her head. "I don't care. Just by looking at them, I can see that they are useless."
Pointing at a person that conjured a fireball, she explained. "See that guy? He is going to die soon."
And indeed, before the person could even throw the fireball, he was stabbed in the back. "They are overly reliant on their powers. Useless, if you ask me."
"True. Even the ones who use their weapons can't use them correctly." Water smiled.
After a few minutes, only two people were left, glaring at each other. As the heat of battle dissipated, they realized the two people who didn't fight.
Exchanging a glance, the two individuals then assaulted Rose and Water, targeting their own teammates!
The individual who attacked Rose stumbled, tumbling into a small garden that abruptly materialized. Screaming, he found himself engulfed in a bed of roses.
The person who attacked Water slipped, plunging into the water. The liquid moved strangely, enveloping his face and causing him to drown.
"You aren't half bad." Rose snorted, earning a smile from Water.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that the only players remaining are Rose and Water! How will the battle unfold? Who will emerge victorious? The unique Rose element or the skillfully controlled Water element? What other surprises lie ahead? Let's discover together!"
As the referee announced the final fight of the first battle, the Colosseum erupted into cheers.