“That guy is fast.” His fragile mental state didn’t matter—his body reacted instantly and moved his legs before he could even process anything. He isn’t just quick to react, he’s fast at running too. In just a few seconds, he’s already far away.

  When I saw him escaping from the Golem, I only followed to see whether he would die or survive. I had no intention of intervening. Watching him use his daggers so cleanly and move so swiftly made me consider saving him. The only bad part was the stupidity of staying longer to injure that other monster. That was a dumb decision.

  If I were in his place, I would’ve kept running as soon as I could. I only saved him because I saw the Imperial School insignia. In the end, he was a lucky guy.

  I don’t plan to follow him, but if I run into him again in the future, I won’t help him. I won’t show mercy if he attacks me either. “Ramiro… I’ll remember that name.” Light feet and skilled hands. He might become someone noteworthy someday.

  I walk over to the golem behind me and pick up the two items that dropped to the ground. One is a medal of honor. Now I’m only one medal away from completing the three… I didn’t think it would be this easy, though if I look at it normally, it really isn’t.

  Neither medal was easy to obtain. This golem is clearly as strong as a Grade 4 monster, and that cave full of bipedal armadillos would’ve been difficult for anyone alone.

  Is this stage forcing participants to search for their teammates? That must be the only way to get these medals without much risk… or maybe I just have bad luck and keep running into harder situations. Who knows.

  The second item is a silver-colored rock. I use my Imra to force the object’s will and get its description.

  “Rock Camping Tent: Infusing mana into the object forms a powerful camping tent. It is made from the remains of a powerful golem.”

  As soon as I finish reading, I inject mana to see how it works. The silver rock spits out stones from inside, and in front of me a full camping tent made entirely of rocks forms—big enough for three or four people to sleep inside.

  “Nice.” I walk around the tent to inspect every detail. It’s really made entirely of stone. I punch it to test its hardness. Bad idea. I didn’t coat my strike with much mana or Imra. I almost broke the bones in my hand.

  I can hear Glia’s giggle from inside my cube. I roll my eyes, feeling how happy she is seeing me make a fool of myself. She hasn’t wanted to come out during the competition. She’s already in peak condition—right now she’s as strong as a Grade 4 monster without even evolving. It wouldn’t be fair for the other competitors to face her.

  I keep inspecting my new item. I gradually reinforce my fists to test its durability. I conclude the rocks are just as hard as the golem was. Not bad. Inside, the floor is smooth and warm. The only downside is the stiffness, but that can be fixed with a mat or something similar.

  This time I don’t feel cheated. It’s a pretty useful item. It has many uses in many situations. It only costs a bit of mana to maintain and even recharges itself if I don’t want to use my own mana. I’m pretty happy. I found something genuinely useful.

  I’ve looked up camping tents before. Prices vary wildly. Tents that can withstand a few hits from Grade 1 or 2 monsters are cheap and accessible to most people. The enchantments are basic and the materials common.

  If it’s a tent that can handle Grade 3 hits, prices skyrocket. Only wealthy people, nobles, or professional monster hunters with high income can afford those.

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  This tent is on another level. It can withstand hits from Grade 4 monsters. I can’t overlook how compact it is either—everything fits inside this small silver stone. The enchantments are insane. The price must be ridiculous. A luxury only very few can afford. I could buy something like this, but it’s always better when you get things for free.

  The Empire and Kingdom aren’t holding anything back. There must be even better items out there. I’m seriously thinking about collecting useful objects for myself. Some probably help with ranking up to Ruby, maybe improving Laws or gaining pseudo Laws. The possibilities are huge.

  The next few hours of wandering aimlessly were boring. I didn’t find anything interesting. I killed a few dumb monsters foolish enough to attack me. I chased a rabbit-like creature that was fast and agile. When I caught it, I almost lost my head to the three horns on its skull. I hit it once and left it half-dead on the ground.

  “What are my friends doing right now? Are they in trouble?” I’m worried about all of them, especially Brendu. This place is enormous. Finding her is like searching for a needle in a haystack. She won’t stay still either. She’s probably moving around too.

  There’s a small chance of finding her near a forest. Her wood affinity gets stronger around so many trees. That’s where she has the biggest advantage in combat. I hope she’s found someone from our group so they can protect each other.

  I rise into the air to gain height. I need a better view. When I stop up there, I still can’t see the end of this place. It’s impressive. This place is truly gigantic.

  I can see small explosions here and there. I can’t observe clearly from this height. I assume some participants are fighting each other or monsters. I have no intention of intervening unless attacked.

  I glide smoothly through the air until something interesting appears in the distance. It looks like a river or a lagoon. A huge circular body of water. In the middle, there’s a… desert-like area? My vision blurs when I try focusing on what’s on that patch of land inside the water ring.

  I descend quickly. I won’t fly straight there. I prefer walking. I might run into other participants or even a strong monster on the way.

  Damn birds won’t stop bothering me. Even strong Grade 3 ones don’t care. Every bird-type monster tries to peck or claw me. Stupid small-brained creatures. I complain while destroying them until they finally stop when I reach the treetops.

  What should I do? That was my first thought when I felt two people watching me from a distance. I act clueless like I didn’t notice. Even when I pretended to focus on a strange tree and looked sideways, I couldn’t see them. They’re covered by some kind of magic or item.

  They’ve been following me for minutes. I can’t sense their intentions, their Imra signatures, or even their mana. Either they’re extremely skilled or the item hides everything perfectly. I wouldn’t have detected them without Personal World. This ability never stops amazing me.

  Should I attack them? I’ve been thinking about it for a while. No… it’s not necessary. Better to pretend I don’t know. That way I can catch them off guard if needed.

  I speed up a little to reach my destination. Finally, after passing the last trees, I can clearly see the place.

  “What is that?” I can’t see anything past the water. There’s something like a curtain of smoke completely blocking my vision.

  I approach and try using Personal World. Luckily, the lake-ring isn’t too wide—about 150 meters. If I focus, I can cover that distance. But when my perception touches that strange mist, I get another surprise.

  It feels like touching something impossible to pass through. Like my perception hit an impenetrable wall. I try multiple methods to pierce it—mana of all types, my Laws, my Imra. Nothing works.

  I have the feeling that if I go physically, I can pass through. My instincts tell me the mist will let me through without problems.

  “Should I try my luck? Or investigate more first?” I take out a comfortable chair from my storage bracelet. At the same time, a bottle of water and a chicken sandwich appear in my hand. I think better on a full stomach.

  The two people are still watching me from the same distance. They must think they’re safe there.

  After finishing eating, I decide to walk around the perimeter. I’ll circle the water ring and see if I find anything different—or maybe other people.

  My thoughts were right. I can see a group in the distance. More than ten easily. Impossible they’re all from the same school. They must have met here and are just as curious as I am.

  I walk straight toward them. Some of them already spotted me and warned the others. I can feel every gaze locking onto me in less than a second. I don’t care. Now that I’m closer, I see they’re all gathered around a rock. That must be why they’re all here without fighting.