Twenty-one parties waited behind the starting line.
Rod could see Tessa three groups to his left and Evan farther back with a folded map already open. Golden Axe stood together near the right edge. Perrin had moved to a place with a clear view of the woodland track. Nobody wanted to spend the first minutes trapped behind people heading somewhere else.
The official read the final conditions without rushing. Competitors checked straps while listening. Rod kept his axe secured; drawing it at the start would do nothing except make the people around him nervous.
A small board above the gate showed eight empty places.
Lana glanced at it, then back at the western route. "We know where we're going."
Rod nodded. The guarded ruin offered a clear task: defeat its defenders, reach the inner room, and occupy the marked floor long enough for the station to recognize the party. The danger was visible in the description. So was the likely time saved by choosing a direct fight they could handle.
