Chapter 106 Escaping The Past [3]

"It's almost done."

I stood up and wiped the sweat from my forehead. Right now, I was preparing for when the attack starts.

The attack will start at 3:00 pm, when the sun reaches its peak.

Underworld was located inside Bermuda Island. The sun, the sky, the horizon, everything here was an illusion to make it look like we are above the ground, somewhere on Earth, when in reality we are underground.

The day and night were controlled and as such, the timing of sunset or dawn here doesn't match with the sunset and dawn in reality.

I was wearing different clothes with a different mask that I had as spares. In Underworld, almost everyone wears a mask. It was a normal thing here.

I had also turned my hair red with [Iridescence] and was using the harmonized energy to make myself disguise as an Lvl.11.

All to make sure no one connects me to Mr. Pepe.

-THE SECOND ROUND BETWEEN BATTLE SLAVE AND AESTRIX WILL BEGIN-

I turned to the hologram that was displaying the matches. These holograms were placed in the proximity of the stadium to show the matches.

"I'm done here. I should get going."

Putting everything back into the storage ring, I moved away from the stadium.

My work was going to take a few hours more, around the time when the fifth match will begin.

Though I don't think I will return before my match is about to start.

Half an hour later I sat on the bench, under a shade, on one of the busiest roads near the stadium.

I brought the black diary out of my ring.

All the participants in top-16 were taken to the prize room when I was unconscious. With the book, I was able to know the path and where the sentries were.

"The rough details are the same as in the novel. But with this, it's easier to know the minor details."

Leon had entered along with Isabell as someone who was going to raid this place. Both of them were carefully scrutinizing little details that might help them later.

"The first prize is a skill called [Multiply]. It can increase the number of attacks by 5 times?"

My brows jumped at the skill description.

"If it increases the number of attacks, will it increase the number of weapons I can construct at once?"

All my weapons are of Common-grade. This results in an obvious lack of powerful force behind each weapon.

Common-grade weapons aren't all that powerful if I use them as arrows.

But can't I compensate for power by increasing the number?

I can fire 8 weapons at once, 10 if I use cracks, so…

"50 weapons. With this number, I can cover for my lack of force behind each weapon."

I decided to take the skill if it was possible.

(What do you think Goliath Unit is trying to steal?)

Eth spoke the question I was also thinking. I had re-opened the connection after I calmed down, after talking with Leon.

([Multiply] is powerful but not enough to attract them. Do you think they know about the real use of 'Mermaid's Tear'?)

'Maybe. But if that's the case, I'll need to reach the prize room before them.'

'We'll need something to distract them. Something big.'

The third prize was an oval orb that can store energy and act as a portable battery for awakeners. I don't think it was something Goliath Unit.

',

'If only they told Leon what they would be stealing.'

(About Iris…)

Thump-

With each beat, the pain in my heart slowly started returning.

'…what are you talking about that? I ra-'

(You really don't believe you can implement your plan with the mess your mind is in now, do you?)

'I'm perfectly fine.'

(Among all the shops that were in our path, how many of them were selling Skill books?)

'Three'

(Zero)

"Haaa…."

(You need to sort the issue out before going back.)

"And how do you think I do that? Even thinking about her i-is…"

Thump-

(Iris and 'she' are not the same.)

"…how?"

The pain that was about to become unbearable stopped increasing. It was because I could tell Eth wasn't lying.

(As one of the heirs to Underworld and being Sword Maiden herself, Iris' every move and decision greatly affects everything.)

I nodded.

(If 'she' was Iris, she would have her past life memories. But everything is the same as it was in the novel.)

Eth's voice quivered when he said the word 'novel', but I didn't pursue the matter.

('She' only read the novel a few times, with her lack of knowledge. Shouldn't she have caused at least a few changes?)

The pain started slowly dying down.

Right. Iris was a character who had high importance in the novel, but as she was a villain, we only knew a few things she did in the background.

"Haa…You are right"

It still didn't make sense why they had the same face and same voice.

But Eth's argument was also valid.

And that was all I needed.

Iris wasn't 'her'.

The pain finally left.

(Will you go back now?)

I turned to the direction of the stadium.

"No, I'll only go back when my match is about to begin."

*

"Then, I'll be going."

'ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N ovelBi(n)',

Huntress waved her hand to send Isabell off for her match and turned to Leon.

"How is he now?"

"He is good, or so would I like to think."

Leon answered her and told her about how Nathan had been acting in the infirmary.

Due to [Domination Decree] being activated, few people were able to go close to Nathan after he blacked out from hyperventilation.

The only reason the doctor could diagnose Nathan was that he had a strong mentality and was able to resist the pressure.

Though the main reason was that the skill was performing at its minimum intensity. This was because, even if Nathan can channel ether unconsciously, he can only control small amounts of it unknowingly.

Channeling and manipulating large amounts of energy unconsciously was a feat only possible for those who had centuries of experience.

-THE THIRD MATCH BETWEEN SHOOTER SIE AND IMPENETRABLE IMORA WILL BEGIN-

A transparent blue dome enclosed the ground. It was a mana barrier made to block any attack that an Iota-rank can throw at it.

The battles between Iota-rank don't reach a level that can harm the audience. The mana barrier was placed to give a sense of security to spectators rather than protect them.

-SHOOTER SIE HAS SURRENDERED! IMPENETRABLE IMORA WINS THE MATCH BY DEFAULT-

"What? Why did she surrender?"

Baffled, Leon questioned. Huntress, who was standing beside him, answered.

"Sie is very weak in direct combat. Rather, her specialty lies in….."

Leon's ear perked up. He wanted to know what ability Isabell had to give her the name Seer.

The members of Goliath Unit use Prana to form cores. Because of this, they are weak in direct combat and can't even use magic.

But they have another advantage.

Prana is the life(soul) energy. Every time a Prana user level up, their soul is strengthened.

Soul strengthening means strengthening their stigma.

To put it in layman's terms. Goliath Unit's members were all one-trick ponies that train their one ability to the extreme.

"Sie, can see the 'paths'."

"What is that?"

Huntress shook her head.

"It is an obscure ability and we barely know how it works or what it does. It is because of this that she is ranked as the weakest member of our Unit."

"There is a ranking for the Unit? What will be my placement in that?"

"Not all members are combat oriented. The ranking is based on the utility of our abilities. As for you, you would be second last, just above Sie, or third last in the ranking."

Leon nodded his head.

He hasn't told them about his physique, so they believed that the reason he was capable of fighting aura users was because of his stigma.

-THE FOURTH MATCH BETWEEN BATTLE SLAVE…-

The matches continued.

In the next two matches, the battle slave brothers lost. This made the mage, the only battle slave to have won a match.

Now it was time for the 6th match.

-THE SIXTH MATCH BETWEEN MILKY MILLER AND VILE REAPER WILL BEGIN-

The gates opened, and Miller entered the stadium.