368 Chapter 368: Preparing for the Captain’s Match (1/2)

Before we knew it, the venue for the fifth match was announced to us via email, as usual. Surprisingly, it turned out to be…the metro.

\”So I'll be battling underground,\” Harrison Reed remarked when we all met up for a last-minute strategy meeting right after we received the email. By now, everyone knew the drill, and automatically headed to his room the moment we received the email. Having missed out the first three matches, I wasn't aware of this tradition, but Dong Fang Yue Chu made sure to stop by my room and knock on my door to get me to move out.

\”This looks like it's going to be difficult,\” Pearl Pang said worriedly, staring at the holographic map that was sent as an attachment along with the email. She spun it around and enlarged it for us to see. \”There's a lot of hiding places and shadowy spots to lay ambushes and catch the participants by surprise. Not to mention, these tunnels…they are so dark, so winding, and long…it's like a maze in there. A labyrinth where you can get lost forever.\”

\”Couldn't Harrison use that to his advantage?\” Cody Crosby suggested with a nonchalant shrug. \”Set up traps and spring ambushes on his opponents. That's what I would do.\”

\”That's precisely the problem.\” Lily Liam instead agreed with Pearl, also giving Harrison a concerned look. \”This sort of battlefield and sneaky style doesn't suit Harrison at all.\”

\”Sneaky style…oi!\” Cody growled, feeling offended. Lily quickly waved her hands frantically to placate him.

\”Sorry! I mean no offense! But you know what I mean. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way you fight, and relying on stealth, traps and surprise tactics are definitely valid methods in a map like this. Preferable, even. However, Harrison isn't the type to fight like that. We're in the same society, you know how Harrison fights, and what sort of magic he uses.\”

\”Holy magic.\” Theodore Hammond nodded thoughtfully, placing a finger on his chin. \”If he uses his holy magic in such a dark place, he'll practically be shining a beacon upon himself and painting a gigantic target over his head. He'll be attracing a lot of unwanted attention.\”

\”Exactly!\”

\”Just our bad luck!\” Craig Carlson cursed angrily. \”Of all the places to choose for the final match, they picked such a shady place! It's almost as if they are doing this on purpose!\”

Of course they weren't. Everyone knew that the tournament staff selected the venues for the tournaments randomly, without favoring one school over the others. As much as we hated to admit it, lady luck had chosen not to smile upon us this time.

\”Damn…if only the map I participated in was this…I would have done a lot better!\” Cody groaned as he leaned back.

\”It can't be helped.\” Surprisingly, it was Bu Fan who spoke up. The guy usually didn't bother joining the discussion and was always off in his own world, thinking about his own personal matters (and most likely his sister). Sometimes we even forgot that he was part of the team. He shrugged when he found himself scrutinized by nine pairs of eyes, totally not flustered by our intense gazes. \”They already specified that the last round would be between captains. We are not allow to swap another member in. whether we like it or not, Harrison has to participate in this round.\”

\”I don't think anyone is denying that,\” Sheila said, confused. \”Even if we want to, we can't just change the team captain without a valid reason.\”

Obviously they woudn't allow us to change the team captain now. Unless he had somehow been incapacitated, fallen ill or was terribly injured (which was no excuse since healing magic existed), or had urgent family matters that required him to drop out of the tournament suddenly, it was against the rules to change the captain in the middle of the tournament. Even if we could, there was little point. Someone who had already participated in the earlier stages was not allowed to participate in the other stages. Each member was only allowed to take part once. No member was allowed to repeatedly participate in two or more stages or the whole team would be disqualified. That meant that we couldn't just substitute Cody in for Harrison even if we somehow concocted a \”valid\” excuse.

Not that Harrison was having any of it. Being the dignified, responsible leader that he was, he maintained his own code of honor.

\”I will participate in this and I will earn us the points we need to qualify for the next stage,\” he declared firmly. No one was going to propose that we switch captain, no matter what Bu Fan might imply. Harrison wouldn't allow it. His pride demanded that he did his best, no matter the venue.

\”More importantly, we should think of how you will fight in the metro,\” I pointed out, bringing everyone back to the topic at hand. \”These tunnels seem like a death trap. It's tempting to hide in them, but the moment you use your holy magic, you'll expose your position.\”

Harrison nodded, pondering on my words. He tilted his head at me.

\”So are you proposing that I stay on the platform?\”

\”Uh, well…I guess so.\”

\”That seems like an obvious plan.\” Craig chewed on his lip. \”But won't the other participants also think along similar lines? That will get you stuck in one place, and Harrison might end up being cornered sooner or later.\”

\”He'll be cornered if he goes into the tunnels,\” Bu Fan scoffed.

\”Yeah, well…then what should he do?\”

\”The answer's obvious, isn't it?\” Bu Fan was trying not to roll his eyes as he sneered. \”Just beat up everyone who challenges him. Overpower them with overwhelming strength. It's not rocket science.\”

Everyone looked at him in disbelief. Easier said than done. If it was so easy, anyone would just do that. Unfortunately, Harrison wasn't some god mode Mary Sue who could steamroll 49 other participants by himself (or 40, considering that he only needed to be among the last surviving ten to get the bonus points). Actually, now that I thought about it, he didn't even need to survive until the very end. He just needed to get a decent haul of points.

Again, easier said than done.

While my teammates continued to debate and argue over possible strategies, I returned my attention to studying the map once again. For some reason, the map of the metro looked very familiar to me. I felt as if I had seen it somewhere before…

\”…eh?\”

Yeah, I was pretty sure I had seen this layout of the metro somewhere before. But I just couldn't place my finger on where exactly…

Then it hit me.

\”I know this place!\”

\”Really?!\” everyone turned to stare at me. Harrison, in particular, raised an eyebrow. \”You've ben to Aurora City before? You've used the metro before?\”