Chapter 358: This one is for you

Chapter 358: This one is for you

It really looks like a fun event. Seeing so many people all around, some of them sitting on the grass in groups like they’re on a picnic, others occupy the benches surrounding the plaza, while still more watch from the terraces of their houses.

The four screens are more than big enough to see what's happening from that distance.

It’s just after midnight, and yet I don't think many people are sleeping, not with all the excitement over the event. It's an opportunity to compare themselves against others in the same situation. To group up and challenge them together without needing to worry about dying.

Maybe they can win and stomp in the face of some person from Hell difficulty that managed to annoy them. Maybe they can earn enough shards to buy a higher grade passive.

I can totally understand that.

(What have people been saying?) I ask through the link.

This time Dennis answers, (They are excited and worried. I don't think many people intend to challenge you, and Channeler and his harem are being careful, I think they’re saving most of their persuasive efforts until the third challenge.)

His brother follows, (They also know the challenges will be there later so they don't mind watching others try it first before wasting their shards.)

(Are they not worried about some early bird beating my Avatar?)

(Not that much,) Sophie notes. (Isabella checked the emotions around and most people are still scared of you, even with everything we tried. But the fear of missing out will probably kick in by the third attempt, and with a bit of help from our side, a lot of people will try.)

(You might lose! What level were you at the end of the third floor?) Aaron asks.

(Around 120, I think.)

(What? Are you serious?)

(Yes.)

(What the fuck.)

(Yes, what the fuck!) Dennis follows it. (There are people from Hell on the 5th floor who’ve barely reached 150, and you were 120 during the third floor?)

(Did you think I lost all those limbs just for the fun of it?)

(Do I have to answer?)

Little twerp, just wait.

(Anyway, I can't imagine my avatar losing, even if they have a few hundred people challenging me,) I say.

(But there are 231 people here from Hard difficulty, your avatar might not be able to face them all. They don’t have a [Restriction] and some of them are decent,) Sophie notes.

(It will be fine.)

(If you say so...)

With about Five minutes until the start of the challenge, the screens flicker before lighting up. A forest appears on the screen, pocked with a multitude of big clearings. The trees of the forest seem to be fairly normal in size, with vibrant green leaves, all the same variety of oak.

It's a bright day with few clouds in the sky.

My Avatar finally appears in the shot, standing in one of the clearings, unmoving, devoid of expression Though it feels different from my usual self. As if there were no glimmer of life behind his eyes.

The most interesting part about him is the colors. He looks as if he’s been drained of all vibrance. His skin, clothes, and hair look grayish. Only his glassy eyes retain their color.

So, third-floor.

Back then, I still didn't have my subclass and I didn't have my skill upgrades removed. I only had the Mana Circuit trait and my mana stat was around 400, and then doubled by my attribute upgrade. There was no [Regalia] or [Mana Domain] or [Infusion].

If I remember correctly, I had [Focus], [Mana Manipulation], [Perception], [Redistribution], [Armament], [Mana Surge], [Mana Infusion], and [Resonance].

As for my constructs, all I had were my Kinetic Mana Heart, Reinforcement, and Mantle. And most importantly, no epic passives.

It's interesting, I'm fairly certain there won’t be anyone in Hard difficulty at that level. There is something I think will happen after reading the rules of this event and if all goes as planned, I have no need to worry at all.

Three minutes remain and too many people start moving around, so I offer Lily my hand and place an anchor, before teleporting us onto the roof of a nearby house.

When a group of 10 Hard difficulty challengers find and attack him, he ignores their attempts at slowing him down and disrupting his mana. The Mantle takes care of that easily.

Flames close to him weaken and disappear and he moves at a much higher speed. The mace in his hand turns into a sword, the blade resonating and cutting through any barriers they make. It doesn’t matter if it was made from mana, stone, or wood.

Their skills fail to damage the Avatar as he disrupts them or blocks them with armor made of mana. Even now, he’s not going full out, he’s saving most of his mana, while he steamrolls through the attacking group.

Ten Hard difficulty challengers appear outside.

They launch their strike at range, bombarding him with attacks, but they’re either too slow or too inaccurate with all the smoke, then my Avatar rushes them. The flames in the forest die off as he passes by, his speed increasing further, as he pushes himself to the limit with kinetic energy.

He disrupts the barriers they try to stack, his flames rushing ahead. He concentrates them more and a laser-like stream moves through the battlefield, cutting multiple people apart.

Someone attacks him up close only for my Avatar to sling orbs he’s been spinning around himself at the attacker. A few of them get blocked, but the skin of the attacker is unable to endure more, and he soon succumbs to the barrage.

The following fight doesn't take that long, and my Avatar hunts down the remaining challengers, without once going full out, nor examining opponents' skills, or trying anything fancy.

Just like a machine, he mows through them, and when the last one appears outside.

The screen flickers, settling on one last shot of my gray Avatar standing in the burning forest before the screen turns off.

Channeler and some of his group were inside, also challengers, and now they move around, laughing and waving their hands, downplaying what my Avatar did.

They do it carefully, and I feel a bit of admiration. I think after a minute of that I would be drained of my social energy. Hmm, maybe there is a primordial version of it?

(I keep forgetting how scary you can be,) Dennis notes.

(You dumbass, he just nuked an army of monsters during the second event, how can you forget,) his brother replies for me.

(But look at him. You can’t feel any mana coming from him and other than looking around like a cat, he seems like a grumpy grandpa rather than a walking bomb. Then he does all this weird shit like the thing with Tent Creep. The more you know him, the more he feels like a very very grumpy grandpa who has trouble showing his emotions. That, or a cat.)

(Dennis,) I call.

(You fucked up, you dumbass,) Aaron immediately pokes.

(Yes?) Dennis asks carefully.

(This one’s for you, little jerk. Sophie?)

(Don’t you pull me into this, Nat. I'm not interested in childish...)

(A few days ago, Dennis said you have a smaller ass than Maya, but that he would let you squish his head in your thighs or something like that. I listened with only half an ear because I was practicing.)

Someone tries to destroy the connection with a very strong hint of panic. Over and over again, attempts are made to disconnect, but Sophie pushes them away, keeping the web and her connection to it alive.

I continue, (He also said group 4 girls have disappointingly small chests with the exception of Maya and maybe Tess.)

The attempts increase.

(Oh, he did?) Sophie's voice is cold.

(Yes.)

After that, the connection cuts off, the web having been silenced by its creator.

When I look to the side, Lily is staring at me with big eyes, “You are evil.”

“I didn't lie. They often sit around in the living room with Brainiac and Lootenant and forget that I'm there training. So I tend to catch a thing or two. You would be surprised to hear the things I’ve heard.”

Then I check the rewards.

Congratulations, your avatar was victorious in the 1st challenge! You have received 2,668 shards. The final reward will be delivered at the end of the 3rd event!

Not bad. Is this what they call passive income?