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| General POV |
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[DAY 1]
Those words appeared on the screen as everyone watched all the participants scattered in various locations of the underground network.
It looked like most of the participants had chosen to explore the area near the entrance of the sewer tunnel, while others went deeper into the complex.
One of them photographed a rat crawling across a grate.
Most of the photos weren't remotely close to capturing an image of a Drut.
However, Arsol knew it would take a miracle before they got the hang of things. After all, the concept of taking photos of Druts wasn't exactly easy.
"NO!!! EEEEEEEEK!!! NO! NOOOOO!!!!!"
Julie Llamas screamed.
Everyone's focus instantly shifted to her as she fell flat on her butt, clutching her stomach. She held her hands to her mouth, trying desperately not to throw up.
Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide open. Her skin was covered in sweat.
She looked in horror at her armor, stained with fecal matter.
"You okay?" Arsol asked her softly through the speakers.
"Y-yes..." Julie replied with a shaky breath.
'Of course I'm not, damnit!' She thought angrily about herself. 'How could I have been so stupid to go through with this?'
The smell made her sick to her stomach. She felt nauseous just thinking about it.
"Are you... okay?"
Arsol repeated the question.
"I'll be fine," she answered, forcing a smile.
'What am I doing? I don't belong here. This is disgusting.'
As Arsol had expected, she wouldn't accept his offer if it meant she had to give up on the mission.
"Just try to hold it together for now. You'll get out of there sooner rather than later. But please don't let go of your device," he added.
Julie nodded slowly and sat up straight. Her breathing became less labored, and she wiped off the smears on her armor with a cloth.
She turned away and vomited again.
After five minutes of silence, Julie finally calmed down enough to look at the screen once more.
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The other players started to move around, exploring the surrounding areas. Some had already taken several photos of the Druts, while others hadn't managed to get any yet.
They still had over twenty-three hours before the portal closed. There was plenty of time to find the little creatures.
"Hey, guys, how do you feel right about now?" Arsol called out to them.
They all looked at each drone stationed above them. They positioned the cameras to monitor each drone individually.
"Tired..."
"Hungry..."
"Scared..."
"Disgust is more like it." Kamal said it bitterly.
Wyn walked up to Arsol, wrapped her hand around his arm, and leaned against him.
"Don't you just love my little gift, beloved? It's such a shame you couldn't stay behind and enjoy yourself with me." She winked seductively at him.
Arsol raised a brow at Wyn, but kept silent. He didn't want to draw attention to himself by getting too involved with the situation.
"Hey lovebirds! I've muted our mics; you're welcome," Ravus said from the back. "So... what are you two whispering about?"
"If you want answers, ask him yourself!" Without turning around, Wyn told Ravus.
Ravus snorted, "Could you at least be kind to me, Wyn? Please? Just a few days?"
Wyn smirked at him, "And why should I be nice to you, dear weak human? Do I really need a reason?"
Ravus rolled his eyes and said, "Because we're a team! Besides, we're close friends, aren't we?"
Arsol facepalmed.
"I can't believe I actually found someone who has nothing better to talk about than their own petty problems. What a waste of air!" Wyn sighed dramatically.
Cross-popping veins made their way to Arsol's forehead while watching their banter.
"That's because even while he's supervising the tournament, you're sticking to Arsol like a bad itch," Ravus retorted.
"Oh no! Don't tell me you're going to start whining like a little baby. That's so pathetic, you know?"
"Okay, then, if you want to whine, come at me! Let's see how much whining you can do when everyone knows who you are," Ravus challenged her.
Wyn glared at him menacingly and said, "You want to fight, you little human?! Then bring it on! And I will destroy you!"
"Wyntriel!! Ravus!! Knock it off!" Arsol hissed through gritted teeth.
Both Wyn and Ravus stopped mid-argument and turned around. They stared daggers at each other until Arsol cleared his throat loudly.
"You can't fight in here just because the audience can't see or hear us while we're here. Understand?!" He raised his voice louder as they continued glaring at each other.
"As you wish, Arsol," they replied simultaneously.
Arsol turned towards them and said, "Good, now focus on the task at hand. Ravus, could you do the honors?"
Ravus nodded and cast his gaze at the speaker, releasing his spell on the device and the barrier that surrounded them.
Arsol turned back towards the screen and watched the rest of the team leaders moving through the tunnels.
He smiled at the view. To him, it felt nice to see them so vulnerable.
"You're going to be here for another six days, guys," Arsol said, "so let's hope you get our heads screwed on properly by then. Oh, and one more thing..."
His voice boomed over the speakers. "If anyone wants to quit, just say so. We'll stop monitoring your progress. There won't be any penalties or anything like that."
Several team leaders looked at each other nervously.
"Tch!" Virgil Belmont spat out. "Why should we quit? If you can't handle this shit, why are we even doing this?"
The audience cheered at the sight of their favorite warrior standing up to me.
Virgil stood at about 6'8, which made him taller than most people.
His body resembled a tank, with broad shoulders, strong arms, and thick legs. He kept his short hair long enough to tie it back when necessary. A black leather vest covered his chest, while two swords hung from his back.
In addition to the weapons, he also wore a set of silver shoulder pads, which enhanced his strength and gave him additional protection. He also carried a shield strapped to his left arm, as well as a backpack filled with gear and potions.
Virgil's appearance was similar to that of the Nousen gods, minus the beard and horns. He was obviously very confident in himself, judging by his attitude towards everyone else. That being said, he was also a bit too aggressive sometimes.
"Because someone has to win, isn't that why you all participated?" Arsol answered calmly.
"This is a stupid game anyway. Virgil continued to rant, disregarding Arsol's question. "It almost feels like some sort of payback we're not aware of."
Arsol stiffly turned his gaze to Wyn, narrowing his eyes at her sheepish expression as he mouthed, "gee... I wonder how he could come to such an insane conclusion."
[Buzz!]
[Nina Avila has forfeited her spot in the competition. She has chosen to leave the competition and withdraw from the game. The remaining twenty-three team leaders have been informed of this decision, and they may continue without further delay]
[23/24]
The notification popped up on all screens, and the entire stadium went silent.
Everyone looked at Nina, who remained seated on the floor, staring at her feet. Nina's cheeks turned red, her body drenched in what appeared to be sewage water, and her mobile device was missing.
She didn't look angry, though; she simply looked ashamed and sad.
After several seconds had passed, Nina lifted her head and looked up at the screen.
Everyone could see the pain in her face and the shame in her posture. She looked down again and lowered her head.
"You did great, Nina," Arsol told her. "I'm sure you'll do better next time."
A small smile appeared on her face, but quickly vanished.
"Thank you, and I apologize to my teammates for failing you guys."
With a snap of Arsol's fingers, a blinding light engulfed her.
The sound of clapping filled the room, along with cheering, jeering, and applause.
[Views: 3,940,120,688]
A few seconds later, a light beam emerged from the stadium, and Nina came out.
She had her hair combed neatly, her clothes completely dry and clean, and an envelope securely strapped in her belt.
As soon as she reached the platform, Nina looked up at the trio and waved weakly.
They responded in kind, and a moment later, she walked over to her team members.
They hurriedly approached her and embraced her tightly.
"I'm sorry," Nina whispered into their ears. "It's my fault. I got careless and lost control of myself. This was my last mistake ever. Because of me, we all failed."
Snnf!
She burst into tears and hugged them even harder, burying her face against their chests.
"Shhh, it's alright! You don't need to feel guilty," one of her teammates said, holding her tight. "We really do understand. We know it wasn't your fault."
"I can't believe you're crying!" another added, wiping away the tears from Tanya's cheeks. "Don't cry, Miss Nina. Don't be upset; that was a nasty place to begin with. I wouldn't have lasted thirty minutes in there."
Another teammate wrapped his arms around her, trying to console her.
"We still have a dungeon to clear tomorrow, we're warriors, and that's what we do best, so let's focus on that," another said.
Nina nodded, then slowly released herself from the group hug, taking deep breaths and calming herself.
"Thanks, guys," she managed to say, her voice trembling.
Then, she and her team gave a final wave before walking back through the exit and heading home.
The audience watched her go with heavy hearts.
When the light faded from the exit, the scene shifted back to the sewers.
[Beep! Beep!]
[7 hours of time out initiated]
The notification beamed a red glow onto all screens.
It signified the mandatory seven-hour break each day for the participants to utilize the necessary supplies, food, skills, and abilities at their disposal. For rest, they could use their makeshift tents or other designated areas.
However, everyone watching expected the contestants to return to their mission once the countdown reached zero.
The visuals switched to using heat signatures to track the progress of the team leaders while giving a bit of privacy to those resting within their respective locations.
[Views: 2,270,770,708]
Arsol sighed heavily, rubbing his temples with both hands.
'The show's not yet over, yet the views are already dropping,' he thought to himself. 'This is going to hurt my ratings if each day is like this.'
Wyn's expression softened, and she placed her hand on top of his shoulder.
"Well, if there's anything we can help with, just ask," she offered kindly.
He shook his head, then straightened up and faced the screen.
"No, it's fine. We'll figure something out. As for now, we should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be rough; there's no doubt about it."
Arsol made one final announcement for the day: "Time to rest up, participants and my dear audience. See you in the morning!"