I waited for them to finish eating, and with a quick wave, we all set off for the Hall of Heroes. "You sure you don't want to squeeze in some training first?" I asked as we walked.
Lyra answered, "I think we should try signing up for a match as soon as possible. None of us did them yesterday, so the sooner we handle it, the less trouble we can get in."
I nodded. "Alright, but then cultivation after?"
"I wouldn't mind," Thea chimed in. "But what about the mission? I've only got a couple of days left to finish it."
"The one to hunt Pack Claws?" I asked. "What exactly do we need to do for that?"
"Bring at least three to the Grand Hall. Each one is worth 10 points, depending on their quality," Thea explained.
"So…I guess we can't blow them up." I lamented.
"Probably for some food stall somewhere," Sia added with a shrug.
After a little more back-and-forth, we arrived at the Hall and headed straight to the battles desk. The attendant barely glanced up as we approached.
"So," I started, deciding to summarize things quickly, "I got kidnapped and almost killed." I pointed to my friends. "They were out looking for me, so none of us got to do our battles yesterday."
She finally looked up, her expression flat. "Congrats on making it back."
"Um…thanks?" That's it? Really? Then again, considering a person's life here is worth a thousand points—if their murderer is even caught—I shouldn't be surprised.
"Just complete two matches," she said. "I won't penalize you since it was out of your control."
That was kind of her…or at least not as heartless as I expected. But, of course, I had to ruin the moment. "What if I'm lying?" I blurted.
She locked eyes with me, her gaze bored but unwavering. I immediately regretted everything. "Are you lying?" she asked, her tone making me feel like an absolute idiot.
"N—no! Of course not! Definitely kidnapped. Nearly killed. All true. Promise." Smooth, right? That had to sound believable.
I glanced back at my companions. Most of them had their heads down, faces buried in their palms. That had to be about something else… right?
The attendant sighed, a long, slow exhale, as if I'd personally ruined the nothing she was busy with before we arrived. "Orbs," she commanded, holding out her hand.
I handed her mine first, making a split-second decision to request a human fight first and assess my condition afterward. I still had two more beast fight for the month.
Behind me, Thea's voice cut through the moment. "When did you get so many points?" Her tone carried a mix of surprise and curiosity as she caught a glimpse of my orb, glowing faintly with the number 600.
My heart jumped at her question. My breath quickened without meaning to. "I—" The words crumbled before I could finish, fragments drowned by the memories flooding back. Images of last night slammed into me like a cold wave.
Then, her hand found mine. She squeezed gently, her voice soft but steady. "It's fine. Never mind."
I smiled at her, grateful, but the actions—my actions—from last night left a deeper mark than I realized. Whenever the images returned, they froze me in place, the weight of them difficult to bear.
The others finished signing up, and we waited off to the side for our names to be called. The hall was quiet here, only a handful of people loitering around. Most were waiting for their matches, their eyes fixed on their orbs or the distant hum of the arena terrariums. It struck me how few of us there were. Not nearly enough for everyone to be matched at the same time. And the elevators—there weren't nearly enough of those, either.
A thought struck me, and I turned to Thea. "Hey, Thea?"
"Yeah? What's up?" she asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice, probably still thinking about my earlier stumble.
"Are we going to have to fight each other in there?" I pointed toward the sprawling arenas, floating in their massive glass terrariums like suspended ecosystems.
She shook her head. "It's unlikely. Why?"
I gestured vaguely at the sparse crowd. "There aren't exactly a ton of people here."
"Oh," she said, laughing softly. "Sometimes I forget—you're not from here."
Sia, overhearing, paused her conversation with Lyra and Elric to chime in. "Those things?" She pointed to the elevators, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "They send you to arenas across the State."
"Wait," I said, frowning. "So, teleportation?"
"Basically," Sia replied with a shrug. "Sometimes you'll face someone from here, but it's rare. Unless it's a personal challenge."
I nodded slowly, my mind swimming with questions. Teleportation? What about the up-and-down motion we felt when we used them? Did they still physically move through space? Whose blessing made something like this even possible? The more I learned about this place, the more it felt like a chaotic blend of the fantastical and the medieval, simultaneously advanced and impossibly archaic.
Thea nudged me lightly. "Deep thoughts?"
"More like weird ones," I admitted with a small grin. "This place keeps finding new ways to confuse me."
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, our names were called in quick succession. "Good luck," I said, giving her a small wave as we headed to our matches.
The others waved us off absentmindedly, barely sparing a glance as they remained deep in conversation. I couldn't help but wonder—what were they talking about so intently?
I stepped into the elevator—or teleporter, or whatever it was—and settled into the center. Taking a deep breath, I focused on preparing myself for the match. One thing was clear: I couldn't use my force shotgun blast. With Elric's advice and my significantly stronger internal energy, it was far too risky.
Either way, this should be straightforward. According to Sia, Thea's agility stat wasn't far from mine, and she mentioned it was where most third-years left off. If that was considered impressive, taking care of a bottom rank opponent shouldn't be too difficult.
The door opened, revealing a rocky arena bathed in dim, artificial light. Across from me stood my opponent—a guy in gleaming metal armor, wielding a longsword and shield. He was the picture-perfect tank archetype, his gear bulky and practical.
The usual announcements followed, listing his status—tank class with some defensive blessing—and then mine, flashing the familiar Late Bloomer. I caught a brief flicker of confusion on his face at that which turned to obvious joy.
Finally, the announcer's voice rang out: "Begin."
I knew I'd been taught to hold my ground and wait for my opponent's move, but that advice was for fights on equal footing. The moment this guy started charging, I could tell this wasn't going to be one of those fights. His movements were painfully slow, his armor weighing him down like an anchor.
It wasn't just that my reflexes had improved—I was faster, sharper, almost hyper-aware. Watching him lumber toward me felt like a scene from a slow-motion replay.
I waited for him to close the gap, but boredom got the better of me. Circulating energy to the focal point in my right fist, I decided to test my strength. I rushed forward, meeting him halfway.
My punch landed squarely against his breastplate. I barely felt the impact before the armor crumpled inward like tinfoil. He flew backward with a grunt, crashing into the ground several feet away. His sword and shield clattered uselessly to the ground beside him.
"Oh man," I muttered, jogging over to his crumpled form. "Please be alive…"
My heart raced as I knelt beside him, pressing two fingers to his neck. Relief washed over me when I found a steady pulse. He was out cold but breathing. That was enough for me.
I stood, brushing dust off my pants, and glanced around, waiting for the announcement to call the match. But nothing came. The silence was unnerving. Was I supposed to keep going? That didn't make sense—this guy was clearly out.
"Are you serious?" I muttered under my breath. "He can't continue. What more do you want?"
Finally, the announcer's voice crackled through the arena, sounding unusually hesitant: "C—continuing to fight will result in severe punishment. Please exit."
"There it is," I said, exhaling as the tension in my chest eased. I turned and made my way toward the exit, sparing one last glance at my opponent.
The door slid shut behind me, and before I knew it, I was handed my ten points and another victory added to my soldier battles tally. Not bad for a quick match. Leaning against the wall, I waited for the others.
Before long, Thea emerged, but instead of heading toward me, she stopped at the battles desk. The attendant leaned over and said something I couldn't hear from my spot against the wall.
Concern prickled at the back of my mind. Jogging forward, I called out, "Anything wrong, Thea?"
The attendant turned her gaze on me with surprising intensity. "It's not your business, recruit," she said, her tone uncharacteristically sharp for someone usually so uninterested in… anything.
She then turned back to Thea, her voice softening slightly. "Nothing to worry about. Just enter again."
Thea gave me a reassuring smile, but the fear in her eyes told a different story. "Don't worry, I'll be right back," she said before stepping into the elevator.
I watched helplessly as the doors closed, sealing her inside. The uneasy feeling in my chest tightened. Turning to the attendant, I asked, "Can you tell me anything?"
"Go sit down," she commanded without looking up.
"Twenty points," I offered, desperate to get something out of her.
She scoffed, her attention still on whatever she was fiddling with under the desk. "You're way off the mark if you think I'll reveal anything about the State for some measly bribes."
"So it does have to do with the State?" I asked, catching the slip.
Her hands froze, and she glared up at me. "I am warning you. Go away. Now."
The chill in her tone left no room for argument. Reluctantly, I stepped back, pacing near the wall as I waited. My mind raced with possibilities, none of them comforting.
To my surprise, Thea returned before the others only after a short time. She emerged from the elevator with a bright smile on her face, jogging toward me.
"You okay?" I asked, scanning her expression for any sign of the earlier fear.
"Better," she said in a hushed tone. "A State representative wanted to speak with me."
"Is that good?" I asked, noting the difference between the fear she had earlier and her current excitement.
She shook her head, then quickly nodded. "It's usually very, very—very bad. But this time, they noticed my blessing. I'm still bottom rank, but the woman… she offered to sponsor me."
Her words didn't immediately click. "Thea… explain." My voice carried just a hint of exasperation—who could possibly understand what 'sponsorship' meant without context?
Rolling her eyes, she elaborated, "For now, she'll cover my—well, our—living expenses."
"You mean Miss Star's inn?" I clarified.
She nodded eagerly. "I told them where we're staying. She said she'd pay for the room, and if I prove myself further, well… she trailed off, but it can't be bad, right?"
I nodded, feeling a wave of relief. "Keeping an extra seventy-five points is definitely a good thing." Honestly, I'd been growing increasingly worried about how we'd manage to pay for the inn without making some drastic choices.
"Should we do our next match or just wait for the others?" I asked.
"Let's wait. I'm sure it won't take long," Thea said.
As if on cue, Elric emerged, looking a little worse for wear but far from beaten. Oddly, four other people followed close behind. Judging by their physiques and the attire they wore, they were all healers—and all girls.
The way they looked at him was different from his usual pop-star aura. This wasn't admiration or infatuation—it was reverence. Before, they might've loved him. Now? This was pure worship.
Elric waved them over, and they flocked to him like disciples to a messiah.
"Elric, you're going to make Sia and Lyra sad," Thea quipped, eyeing the group with a smirk.
He shook his head and laughed—a sound that, somehow, elicited an audible sigh from his entourage. "This was part of their idea. We pooled some points and paid for them to watch my match—"
"He's amazing!" one of the girls interrupted, her voice a squeal. She was younger than the others, probably newer than even us. "What kind of healer can move like him!" Her exclamation drew fervent nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest.
"Yeah…" I dragged out the word, still processing what I was witnessing. "He's great… Elric?"
He turned to me, all innocence. "What?"
Thea sighed. "Continue, please."
"Oh, right, sorry. I thought they might have more to say." The sheer arrogance—he loved hearing his own praises, didn't he? Turning back to the group, he smiled, the kind that could sell ice to someone living in a snowstorm. "Anyway, all of this is possible because of our guild. The Cultivators' Guild."
The girls exchanged hesitant glances, clearly skeptical. Their expressions betrayed what most people thought about cultivation—not worth the effort. Elric, undeterred, turned up the charm. "Trust me. I wouldn't fool any of you. If you're unsure, you can try the first technique. We'll sell it for—" He glanced at Thea, who whispered something under her breath, five points.
"Thirty points," he announced smoothly.
Thea inhaled sharply but didn't argue. I nodded—Elric certainly knew how to leverage his blessings.
One of the girls, a blonde with bright eyes, stepped forward. "We'll join your guild. If you say we can do all that, I believe you."
Elric's expression shifted to one of fierce gratitude, his voice dropping into an almost reverent tone. "Thank you so much, Mia." As he approached her, his gaze locked onto hers, and she practically glowed under his attention. "Sign the contract, and I promise it'll be worth it. I'll even show you my own techniques."
"I'll join!" another girl chimed in.
"Me too!" added a third.
The fourth hesitated for only a moment before nodding, "I'm in."
Elric's face looked like he might cry. I'd definitely recruit him for my next play. "Thank you so much," he said, his voice laden with emotion. "I promise I'll live up to your expectations."
And just like that, we had four new guild members.