For the past two days, I had been channeling mana into my human form, utilizing the dragon technique known as "shape-shift." Once the venue for the Quarioth was established, each participant received a marking and was bestowed with a game-orb. When the battle commenced, all contestants would be teleported to the arena through translocation magic.
As the start of the battle approached, my primary goal was to find a place to hide. It wasn't out of weakness; I simply knew that the other dragons would perceive me as at a disadvantage due to the elemental nature of the arena.
All that remained was to trust in my abilities and prepare for the challenges ahead.
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When the bright light enveloped me, I found myself in the hottest place I had ever experienced, surrounded by towering volcanic mountains. I had arrived in the fiery domain of Iraneal, and thus, the battle began.
This year, 16 dragons were participating in the Quarioth: 8 Fire Dragons, 6 Earth Dragons, and one each of Frost and Storm Dragons.
I materialized in the eastern part of the arena, and to my surprise, a follower of Bazan had also been teleported to my vicinity. Standing at only 6 feet in my human form, I gazed up at the massive Earth Dragon towering 100 feet above me—one of the largest dragons I had ever seen.
In seconds, he gathered an immense amount of mana beneath his feet and slammed it into the ground. The earth trembled, and I realized that my stealth plan would have to be abandoned if I wanted to escape.
Just then, a 40-foot Fire Dragon descended from the sky, engaging the Earth Dragon in combat. This unexpected distraction granted me the opportunity to slip away.
Half an hour later, I learned that the Fire Dragon, named Slyva, had been defeated by the Earth Dragon, Feira. With this victory, Feira ascended to the top of the leaderboard with 2 game-orbs.
My strategy was to lay low for the next five days and then seize the game-orbs from the top-ranking dragon. I discovered a cave and cast cooling magic around it, ensuring a comfortable refuge. Additionally, I set up surveillance magic to monitor the surrounding areas.
As the first day of the Quarioth came to an end, the leaderboard was as follows:
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**LEADERBOARD**
1. Feira – 3
2. Kasda – 2
3. Antares – 2
4. Tajin – 2
5. Persu – 1
6. Hejinmal – 1
7. Ksanath – 1
8. Hasen – 1
9. Konan – 1
10. Jeina – 1
11. Tamin – 1
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It seemed Feira had also taken down another Earth Dragon after his battle with Slyva.
"I'm relieved to have escaped that chaos," I thought to myself.
The following day, explosive sounds echoed throughout the arena, and I anticipated that fewer than five dragons would survive by dawn. However, my stealth plan was quickly compromised. Just hours before daybreak, the runner-up on the leaderboard charged toward my location, forcing me to confront him.