The inside of the Valkyria Arena was as grand as the outside, and Kaizen walked through the long corridors, watching with curiosity as other competitors rushed by. The place was indeed huge, with gray stone walls and tall arched windows that let in natural light, but blocked out any intruders with thick steel bars. The corridors were filled with the sound of voices and the smell of food being prepared in the stalls scattered throughout the place. Apparently, the more select merchants had special permission to sell inside the arena.
Players were grouped together, some in shining armor, others in civilian clothes, but all wearing a magic bracelet like Kaizen's. Seeing these groups together, Psyker realized that the group round would probably not be as easy as it seemed. It was likely that many players would play in pairs, trios, or even larger groups when they met some acquaintances to increase their chances of advancing to the next round.
Kaizen felt a little intimidated at the thought of this almost certain possibility. He knew that he could handle a player of a higher level than himself, but there was no way that he could take on an entire group alone.
Besides, Kaizen had never imagined that the tournament would attract so many players from all over Midgard. There were very strong players that he had never seen in his entire life. At the same time, however, as he felt the tension building within him, Kaizen was excited at the possibility of competing against so many talented opponents. He could hardly think of how many levels he could climb by defeating them, or how many good items he could get.
Kaizen moved forward through the corridors until he reached a large hall at the end of the hall. The place was huge, with hundreds upon hundreds of competitors scattered about. People were talking and discussing battle tactics. Psyker was surprised to see so many people in one place, and wondered how the tournament organization managed to handle so many participants. He spotted a table of officials assisting competitors with questions and approached them.
pαпdα`noνɐ1`сoМ "Hi, I am a competitor. I would like to know where I can find information about the tournament rules and schedule," Kaizen said to the clerk behind the counter, thinking that the information he saw on the website might be wrong or incomplete.
The clerk, a brunette, smiled and picked up a flyer to give to Kaizen.
"Sure, here it is. This booklet contains all the information you need about the tournament, including the rules, the schedule, and the division of the competitors into groups." The attendant said as she handed the booklet to Kaizen.
Kaizen thanked her and began to leaf through the booklet. He found a map of the hall and saw that there were several training rooms available for the competitors to prepare for the matches. He thought it would be nice to explore a bit more with the time he had left, but before he could mingle with the other competitors, Kaizen felt that he was being watched.
Kaizen looked around and saw a tall, muscular man staring at him with a cold, hostile stare. The man had short blond hair and wore silver armor that accentuated his huge biceps. He was surrounded by other men who wore similar armor, but were much smaller. Kaizen stared back, wondering if the man was one of the tournament competitors or a guard.
"Hey, you!" The man called to Kaizen in a thick, authoritative voice. "Come here!"
Kaizen hesitated for a moment, but decided to approach the man to avoid trouble. This caught the attention of the other competitors, who recognized the muscular man in the same way they recognized Kaizen's mask.
"That's Draken, of the Sentinel Guild."
"Himself? He's scarier in person than I've heard."
"He's a legend. They say he once defeated an Elder Centipede."
"The same kind as the Bloody Lily? Wow, so he's really strong. However, since when does he know Kaizen?"
"What do you want? "Kaizen asked the man, staring at him without any fear.
"I want to know if you are the masked man they are talking about out there." The man said in a dismissive tone.
"I don't know. Maybe you are."
"You don't seem as strong to me as they say. Are you some kind of magician or thief? Why are you so thin?"
"It doesn't matter. I am a competitor like everyone else, if you want to find out what my class is, meet me on the battlefield." Kaizen replied truthfully when he realized that he wasn't one of the tournament guards, but just an idiot who had heard about him.
"Meet you on the battlefield?" The man laughed sarcastically, as did his companions, as if Kaizen had just told a joke. "Where do you think you are, man? This is a serious tournament where only the strongest and most skilled will survive. You don't stand a chance against me or any other real competitor."
"And who are you to judge?" Kaizen retorted, feeling his anger rise. "You don't know me or what I can do."
"I am Draken, leader of the Sentinel Guild!" The man introduced himself proudly. "We will one day be the best fighters in the world, and we will dominate this tournament! And you are just an insignificant insect that will be crushed in the first round!"
"Sentinels? I've never heard of you." Kaizen said with disdain. "And you don't intimidate me with your words or your looks. You think you're stronger just because you built your avatar a little bigger than normal humans? That's a sick joke."
"You should watch what you say, Kaizen." Draken said with a sly grin. "Because I'm going to make a point of facing you in this tournament, either in the arena or in the group phrase, and I'm going to show you what pain and humiliation is."
Kaizen felt a wave of psychic energy emanating from Draken, as if he was trying to intimidate him with his presence.
[Draken has used the Psychological Skill <Intimidate> on you].
Kaizen resisted the urge to retreat and stared into Draken's eyes. At the same time, he used <Copy Skills>.
[Copy Condition.
Destabilize Draken]
[You have met the conditions.]
[You have successfully copied Intimidate (B)]
"I gladly accept your challenge." Kaizen said with determination, using his latest skill.
Draken felt the effects of the skills at the same time, as Kaizen's amount of attributes was greater than his. A shiver ran down his spine and a feeling of fear entered his body. He hadn't expected Kaizen to be able to use the same skill as him, let alone be stronger than him. He immediately tried to hide his surprise and insecurity, but Kaizen noticed.
"What is it, Draken? Are you afraid of me?" Kaizen teased, using the skill to amplify the effect of his words. "Weren't you so confident and arrogant before? What happened?"
"Shut up, you worm!" Draken shouted, trying to control himself. "You don't know who you're messing with! I am the leader of the Guardian Guild!"
"I already told you, man. No one knows about your little guild. You're delusional if you think it's powerful. Your guild is a joke, just like you. You just have a bunch of wimps who follow you out of fear or interest, who don't even have the courage to protect you. Look back, you have no real friends or allies."
At that moment, Draken looked back and saw that all of his allies were also suffering from <Intimidate>.
"How dare you talk about my guild like that!" Draken said, feeling his anger rise. "You will regret insulting me, Kaizen!"
"I look forward to facing you in this tournament and showing you who the real worm is."
Kaizen used his <Intimidate> skill again, causing Draken to involuntarily take a step back. Kaizen seized the opportunity and turned to leave the hall, knowing that he had just dispatched a powerful and dangerous opponent, but also that he had shown a few hundred competitors that it was not a good idea to face him. He was determined to win this tournament and not let anyone underestimate him.
Kaizen put the booklet from earlier in his pocket and decided to go to one of the training rooms to prepare for the upcoming fights.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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