KNOCK KNOCK
Alfred was lying on his bed when a knock came from outside. Slowly, he sat up and slid his feet into slippers decorated with cute pink Nepomon stickers.
"Hey, you're Alfred, right?" the man outside asked the moment Alfred opened the door. Alfred also noticed several participants walking in the same direction, some forming lines along the hallway.
"Yes, that's me. And you are?"
"My name's Kit, Universe 201. Pleasure to meet you."
"Uh, nice to meet you too," Alfred replied. "Do you need something?"
"Oh, right. It's dinner time. All participants need to head to the cafeteria now. You wouldn't want to play tomorrow's round on an empty stomach, would you?"
"Okay, then. Let me tidy up my bed first. You can go ahead—I know where the cafeteria is anyway."
"No, it's fine. I'll wait out here."
"O-okay." Alfred was suspicious at first, but Kit seemed like a pretty relaxed guy. He guessed that his own popularity had probably risen because of the stunt he did during the opening, which is why someone like Kit would try to befriend him now, though he didn't want to assume.
After a few minutes, the two left the room and headed toward the cafeteria, located several blocks away from the Champion's Dorm.
They soon arrived at an enormous structure shaped like a vast dome, towering high enough to brush against the dark clouds of the night sky. Its walls were made of thick glass, allowing those inside to view the outside while preventing anyone beyond from seeing in. It was the cafeteria. And the two slowly made their way towards inside.
At the entrance, a line of participants stood in front of a machine that scanned their eyes. A monitor beneath it displayed each player's universe number along with their facial data. Only after verification were they allowed to enter. When it was Alfred's turn, just like the previous day, the machine took noticeably longer to process him. This delay caused several participants behind him to grow impatient. Eventually, the scan completed, and the two proceeded inside.
After getting their food, Alfred scanned the area for an empty seat, noticing the hundreds, if not thousands, of circular red-wood tables scattered across the cafeteria. Yet he couldn't find a single seat available when suddenly Kit lightly patted him on the back. "Looking for a seat? Come, follow me."
Alfred nodded and began following Kit. They reached the far side of the cafeteria, where Alfred noticed a familiar figure seated at one of the tables.
The silver-haired woman was cleaning her knife while her meal rested on the table. She glanced in Alfred's direction and gave a brief wave. It was none other than Artemis.
"Sorry we took a while," Kit said clearly as he addressed her.
"It's fine," Artemis replied with a smile, something Alfred was seeing for the first time. As she looked more closely, she noticed Alfred approaching. "Why are you here?"
"Uh—"
"He's a friend of mine," Kit quickly interjected. "The table seems a bit large for just the two of us, so I invited him to join."
"Whatever," Artemis said with a shrug before immediately starting on her meal.
Kit glanced between them and asked, "Have you two met?"
"No, I just don't like his face."
"Ouch," Alfred muttered, his face cold as ice, his words clearly meant as sarcasm.
Kit laughed, a loud, unrestrained sound that carried through the cafeteria, lasting for what felt like at least forty-five seconds. When he finally stopped, he shook his head, still smiling, and moved to sit on the other side of the table. Slowly, deliberately, he placed his food in front of him, settling into his seat.
Alfred carefully sat beside Kit and was about to eat when he noticed Kit placing his right hand against his forehead and quietly chanting an incantation. Artemis paused mid-meal and waited for him to finish.
When Kit was done, he turned to Alfred, who was watching with curiosity. "Sorry about that. It's a prayer from our universe. We do it as a sign of respect for our food."
"Oh, I see."
"Shall we eat now?" Kit asked.
"Yes, of course."
The three resumed eating, finishing the beef soup, grilled pork, salad, and rice together.
When Artemis finished her meal, she bowed to Kit and left the table without saying anything.
Then a few minutes passed, and the cafeteria grew quiet as the majority of the participants had already left after eating. Then a group of around fifteen to twenty people arrived. They ordered food, taking large amounts of what remained, while the one in the middle wearing a prince-like outfit, his golden blond hair reflecting the cafeteria lights, walked confidently, not holding any tray. Alfred assumed his food was on one of the two trays a thin-looking guy beside him was carrying. He flicked his hand, and the men around him began pushing the tables together to create one large table.
The group began to sit down and placed their food beside them. But as soon as the blond guy started eating, the others did not follow, as if they were waiting.
"Why aren't they eating?" Alfred asked.
"I suggest not looking at them," Kit whispered. "It's better to keep your distance from that specific group."
"How so?" Alfred continued, while secretly still looking at them curiously.
"The one in the middle, his name is Prince Vinuya. During the first round, he chose to aid players instead of killing them, gaining their trust. That is why you see a group around him."
As Alfred and Kit were having their conversation, Prince Vinuya asked the thin guy for a glass of water. The guy remembered that there were no more bottled waters available, so he took a glass from the table and went to the tap. He filled it and made his way back.
"I don't understand. He seems to be a pretty nice person. Why should I avoid him?"
Then Kit noticed the thin guy returning with the tap water and said to Alfred, "You'll see…"
When Prince Vinuya began drinking a large portion of the water, he immediately started spitting it out. "What is this?!" he shouted, throwing the glass to the floor and shattering it into pieces. Some shards hit the thin-looking man's face, but he didn't flinch; instead, he bowed deeply.
"Forgive me, sir! I didn't know you couldn't drink tap water," he exclaimed.
Enraged, Prince Vinuya kicked him so hard that he flew to the side, crashing into another set of tables.
Alfred moved to intervene but was stopped by Kit. "Let's just go," Kit said.
As this was happening, Vinuya noticed Alfred standing and he quickly said, "What are you looking at?" he grinned before continuing, "You also wanna get beat up?"
The aura around his group felt heavy, as if they were ready to fight at a single command.
"No, forgive my friend's attitude, fellow participants. In fact, we're actually planning to make our way out. Sorry for bothering you," Kit replied as he bumped Alfred's head, causing the straight-postured Alfred to bend slightly in pain.
They slowly made their way away from the scene, while Vinuya and his group continued to stare at them.
As they reached the entrance, Alfred stopped midway, glancing back uncertainly.
"Are you going to help him?" Kit asked, looking at the way Alfred had stopped.
"I suppose," Alfred replied, clenching his fist but hiding it inside his pocket.
"Then go. It's your decision, after all," as he waved his hands, continuing toward the exit.
Without another word, Alfred dashed back toward the scene.
When he got there, he noticed the group was still around. They ate quietly, while the thin-looking man lay unconscious on the ground. Alfred immediately ducked behind a nearby wall, waiting for them to leave.
A few minutes later, they finished and left their trays on the table. Then Prince Vinuya suddenly placed his shoes on the still-unconscious man's face, grinning in amusement. The other members of the group followed as well with similar smirks. Then, without a word, they made their way out of the cafeteria.
When the thin-looking man finally woke up, he slowly stood and returned to his table, eating the remaining food left behind.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Wah!" The thin man jumped in surprise, nearly choking in the process. "Wh-what are you doing here?" he stammered.
"Just making sure you're still alive," Alfred replied. He moved the empty plates aside and sat down next to him, resting his hands on the table.
"I didn't ask for your concern," the thin-looking man replied, continuing to eat.
"Oh, you should be. Because I know a way for you to gain your boss's trust back," Alfred smiled as he started to leave the table slowly.
"Wait!" the thin man shouted. "What kind of way?"
Alfred smirked before softening his expression into that of a lighthearted guy. Then he turned and asked, "Can I at least know your name first? It's my way of knowing if you can be trusted."
"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" the thin man exclaimed. "But… my name is Robert."
"Pleasure to meet you, Robert. My name is Alfred Grov."
"Wait… aren't you the one Gaundfel called a loser, right?"
Alfred felt a surge of anger tinged by what he just heard but kept his composure. "So… are you just going to insult me, or do you still want the answers you need?"
"Right, I'm sorry! It's just that I need Prince Vinuya. He… he's my savior. He even promised me that I'd survive if I stayed with him," Robert said urgently.
"Alright then," Alfred murmured, sitting back down as he began his plan into motion.
---
It was the middle of the morning, and the Second Round was about to begin. All the participants were present in the arena, waiting for Gaundfel. The crowd was once again alive with loud cheers and the hungry cries of Nemopoms, eager for entertainment.
A few moments later, Gaundfel finally arrived at the podium. He didn't waste any time and began explaining the rules.
A few moments later, Gaundfel finally arrived at the podium. The Royal Guards had already placed a throne behind him, but he ignored it and strode to the edge of the podium, not wasting a single moment. He stood straight, his shadow stretching long across the arena floor, almost blocking the sun's rays, and began explaining the rules.
Then digital board above the arena lit up, displaying:
ROUND TWO: FLAG MASTER
Time Limit: 120 minutes
Participants: 7,970
"Now, let me explain the rules," Gaundfel exclaimed, his golden eyes narrowing slightly—he was clearly excited.
Gaundfel flicked his hands and below the arena seven flags appeared in front. The participants were still confused buy waited patiently.
"The game consists of seven teams, each represented by a flag that you see below: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.
"Before the game starts, every participant is called a Blank Player, meaning they do not belong to any team yet. To become part of a team, a participant must find one of the seven flags. These flags are scattered throughout the arena, and the first participant to take hold of a flag becomes the Flag Master."
The Flag Master is the leader of their team and can increase the team's size by tagging other participants. If a Flag Master tags an opposing Flag Master, the winner can only absorb the leader, and the defeated flag disappears temporarily before reappearing elsewhere in the arena, returning to the pool for any Blank Player to claim, while all of the defeated leader's team members return to being Blank Players."
"Members of a team can also tag other participants but cannot tag a Flag Master."
"Now, there are five temples scattered across the arena, each hidden within its own biome. These temples appear and disappear at specific times, so you must be attentive. They are strategic points where participants can place their team's flag."
"Once a flag is placed on a temple, the participant cannot switch teams and is no longer active in the game."
"Does this mean only five out of seven teams can proceed to the next round?" Alfred muttered to himself as he continued to listen.
"Once all five temples have been claimed, or when the timer reaches zero, the system will evaluate the teams and determine the three with the largest number of members. These three teams will proceed to the next round, while the remaining teams are eliminated."
"During the round, participants may use weapons and fight to defend their flags, attack rivals, or expand their influence."
"And finally, at the 60th-hour mark, there will be a surprise that can give you an advantage over your opponents," Gaundfel said with a smile. "But let's keep it a secret for now, shall we? We wouldn't want to ruin the fun."
"Citizens! Are you not excited?" Gaundfel shouted to the crowd.
The massive crowd erupted into a roar, their cheers echoing across the arena as banners waved and voices thundered in excitement. The air buzzed with anticipation, and the tension of the coming battle could be felt in every corner. Participants gripped their weapons tightly, eyes scanning the arena for the first glimpse of the flags.
"Then let the game begin!"