The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.
"How the hell are they back at full strength?"
"Did they use an item? A rare potion?"
"Or is their healer just that broken?"
No one knew for sure. Silphie, their priestess, sat on the sidelines, calmly sipping on another dessert. If she had been the one to restore them, she certainly wasn't in a hurry to brag about it.
Regardless of the reason, one thing was clear—Nyx's Guild was in perfect condition.
And that put the Elven Elders in a foul mood.
They had pushed for the match to start as soon as possible, believing that Horizon and his team would still be weary from their brutal fight against Wingless Valkyrie.
It was supposed to be an unfair advantage for Brotherhood Legion—a calculated move to ensure Nyx's Guild wouldn't have ti to recover.
But now, seeing them standing strong, fully restored, as if the last battle hadn't even happened, their carefully laid plans crumbled before their eyes.
And now, as the final match was about to begin, all eyes were on them.
Horizon's gaze locked onto Travis, who stood confidently on the opposite side of the arena, grinning as if victory was already in his hands.
The smug expression on his face was one Horizon had seen countless tis before—the sa arrogant smirk he had worn back in ARK, when things always seed to go his way.
But Horizon knew the truth.
Travis wasn't strong.
He had never been strong.
He wasn't like Horizon or the other powerhouses in this tournant. His strength didn't co from himself—it ca from the people he surrounded himself with.
Even now, he stood there, looking so sure of himself, not because of his own abilities, but because he had Brotherhood Legion behind him.
Typical.
Horizon's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, but his expression remained unreadable. This was fine. He had been waiting for this.
This ti, there would be no fake smiles, no false camaraderie.
This ti, he would face Travis as an enemy.
The arena shook with excitent, the air buzzing with anticipation as the host stepped forward, raising both hands. The magic amplifiers carried his voice across the entire stadium, making it boom like thunder.
"LADIES AND GENTLEN, THE MONT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!"
The audience exploded into cheers, their voices rging into a deafening roar.
"This is it! The FINAL MATCH of the tournant! TWO GUILDS have fought their way through battle after battle to reach this mont, proving their STRENGTH, their STRATEGY, and their WILLPOWER!"
The lights across the arena dimd as massive holographic displays flickered above the stadium, showcasing the victories of both teams.
On one side, Brotherhood Legion, the prestigious first-rate guild, known for their discipline, unity, and brutal efficiency. They had crushed every opponent that stood in their way.
On the other side, Nyx's Guild, the dark horse, the underdogs who had risen from obscurity, defying expectations and dismantling every challenge thrown at them.
"WHO WILL TAKE THE CROWN?!"
The crowd erupted again, the sheer volu vibrating through the ground.
Horizon could see the divided bets—so people still placed their faith in Brotherhood Legion, believing that a first-rate guild like them would never lose.
But many had hesitated to bet against Nyx's Guild after witnessing their performance.
"Enough waiting! ENOUGH BUILD-UP!" The host's voice rang through the stadium, full of excitent. "The final battle begins . . . RIGHT NOW!"
A loud rumbling sound echoed through the battlefield.
Horizon's instincts scread at him—sothing was wrong.
The mont the countdown hit zero, the ground beneath them trembled violently.
Massive arcane runes flared to life beneath their feet, pulsing with an ominous glow. Before anyone could react, the entire battlefield shifted.
"WHAT?!" Von shouted as the ground beneath him suddenly split apart.
Horizon barely had ti to move before a force beyond his control yanked him away, teleporting him to another part of the arena.
The sa thing happened to all of them.
One second, Nyx's Guild was standing together—the next, they were scattered across an unfamiliar battlefield.
The once-open arena had been completely transford.
Instead of a wide, open battlefield where strategy and teamwork could be fully utilized, they were now split into different bios, isolated from each other.
Horizon landed in a vast canyon, the sky above flickering with storm clouds. Jagged rock formations surrounded him, limiting his mobility.
In the distance, he could see Von on a floating island, surrounded by unstable platforms that looked ready to collapse at any mont.
Lydia had been thrown into a shadowed labyrinth, eerie mist swirling around her. The walls shifted and pulsed, warping as if they were alive, creating an endless maze.
Silphie . . . was nowhere to be seen.
But the worst fate belonged to Frigid.
The ice tank, who thrived in freezing environnts, had been thrown into the most hostile terrain imaginable.
A lava field.
Frigid slowly lted the mont he touched the searing rock beneath him. He barely had ti to react before a wave of unbearable heat slamd into his body, forcing him to shield his face.
Lava bubbled and churned around him, rivers of molten fire carving through the jagged volcanic terrain. Pillars of smoke rose high into the sky, filling the air with a thick, suffocating haze. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire
A lava geyser suddenly erupted to his right, spewing molten rock into the air.
Frigid cursed, leaping backward, his breathing heavy. His armor, designed for the cold, was working against him here. The ice magic that covered his body began to crackle and hiss, fighting a battle it could not win.
"This is bad . . . ," he muttered under his breath.
His entire skill set revolved around ice and frost. In this place, he was weaker.
And Brotherhood Legion knew it.
Horizon clenched his jaw as he took in the battlefield.
This wasn't random.
It was planned.
Looked like the Elven Elders really wanted them gone.
Nyx's Guild had been separated, while Brotherhood Legion could pick them one by one.
The Elven Elders had rigged the match.
They knew Frigid was an ice specialist, so they threw him into a lava field to make sure he was completely crippled.
They knew Lydia was a rogue, so they put her in a moving labyrinth to keep her from using her speed advantage.
They placed Von on unstable terrain where his gunplay would be limited by his inability to move freely.
And Silphie was missing entirely.
They wanted Nyx's Guild to lose.
Horizon exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on his sword.
Fine.
If this was how they wanted to play it—
Then he would win anyway.
No matter what.
Reviews
All reviews (0)