Chapter 100: Only The Beginning (1/2)

The two wore a black and white hood, contrasting each other, signifying one being from the Republic of Orlan and the other from the Ilios Empire respectively. In the middle was a monster, a giant bee, hovering around and trying to attack with its stinger. The three danced around each other, avoiding the runes and trying to touch the box in the middle of them.

Arthur was a distance away, safely hidden behind a tree. After a few moments, the one from Orlan was eliminated after touching three runes on the ground, as Arthur noticed. The one from Ilios took the chance and grabbed the box, disappearing as well.

The box then crumbled. It seems a group was lucky enough to be teleported near this place and five already found the boxes. Arthur wasn't too worried, though. However, a sense of urgency did overtake him.

”Pss, Arthur, pss,” A slimy voice called out to him, making Arthur flinch and turn to the tree the sound came from. A lizard hugged the tree and was looking directly at him.

”Pss,” The lizard licked and there was a voice no longer, making Arthur doubt his hearing. ”Arthur, it's me.”

It talked again. Without saying anything, Arthur turned around and began to run. The runes were everywhere, but he got a general sense of how many there were. That's why he had an easier time fleeing. He was not about to answer a talking lizard in a godforsaken place.

”Wait!” The lizard was jumping from a tree to the other after him. Cold creeps covered Arthur's skin at this realization. ”It's Reece!” The lizard said, making Arthur's head blank and stop him in his tracks.

The lizard fell next to him, breathing laboriously. Arthur hesitated for a second before picking it up. As if it was a human, the lizard placed its hand on Arthur's finger and leaned in for support as it tried to catch its breath.

”Reece? Is it really you?” Arthur asked, doubtful. When the lizard gathered its breath, it nodded.

”Pss, this is one of my abilities. Sorry for scaring you like that, sweetie, pss.”

'Yup, it's Reece.' Arthur sighed. ”What are you doing here?” He asked curiously.

”Help you, pss. I've found Tyrin, pss.” His words made Arthur elated as he stuffed the lizard into his robe's inner pocket.

”I have no idea how you did it, but this is great. Where is he?” Arthur whispered to his inner pocket. Reece's sound soon came, with the same slime-like feeling it had earlier.

”East from here, pss. What are you going to do?”

”I'm not going to let him pass that easily.” Arthur thought the answer should be obvious as he headed east.

”He's with others, pss. They found a black box, pss.” The lizard answered, making Arthur increase his speed. Although he wasn't sprinting at his maximum speed, it was still dangerous to run like this in a booby-trapped place like the forest.

”Arthur, slow down. You'll get eliminated.” Reece warned, afraid Arthur was being impulsive again. Usually, contests would barely be able to walk in this place without triggering runes. However, Arthur was running.

”I can manage, now tell me where they are.” Arthur didn't explain further. Reece went quiet and Arthur stopped his running. ”Reece, I'm not being impulsive. I just want to teach that bastard a lesson.” He implored. Reece was silent.

Arthur didn't say anything further, since he was confident this time. He can stop them and run away; he was the only one who can do that without being eliminated. His ability was runes itself, this competition didn't post a challenge for him, only a stepping stone. If he lost in front of people who used artificial runes while his ability was about runes, he might as well give up his legacy.

”Senior brother, please.” Arthur gritted his teeth and used a cheap tactic. However, despite how cheap it was, how cliché it was, it still worked like a charm.

”Hehe, since my junior asked, I can't refuse, hehe, pss.” The slimy texture of his voice was far less creepy than his bashful laugh. ”Go straight through here and you'll find a cliff,” Arthur began to run again. He avoided the runes expertly despite the mental effort to avoid them all. ”The box is embedded in the cliff's steep side, and the group has seen it from afar and trying to get there.”