There was already one big difference between this round of matches and the previous one, the stands. When the three friends entered the arena, said difference became incredibly apparent.

  Where before, every section only had people of their own species, most of the stands now had a mix of them. The different species that were in each of the other stands weren’t many, but it was enough that it was noticeable by anyone who had eyes.

  “Look,” Stella said, pointing toward the elf’s side.

  Turning to look at the elven stands, Anna and Alex quickly caught on to what Stella was pointing out. Unlike the other stands, the elven ones still only held elves.

  However, they had made a visible difference. Behind the stands, where the fog wall had once stood, there was now a visible line of soldiers, perfectly lined up and preventing entry to their section.

  “I guess that confirms that they are a single force,” Alex commented, turning to look forward. “Look, even the one’s opposite of us have significantly more people.”

  “It makes sense,” Anna said, without turning since she already knew what he was talking about. “Everyone must be dying to know what’s underneath their robes.”

  Even though an entire round of matches had gone by, at this point, everyone was still oblivious as to what was underneath the worn robes. The most that people had been able to glean was the name of their species and that their fists were bandaged, with hints of blue showing underneath said bandages.

  Due to their low numbers, there was never more than one in any given match. And every opponent they faced failed to illicit enough of a response that they needed to remove their robes.

  Their victories came easy, and, because of the exact opposite of their situation, most of them matched against the elves or the beast folk. Their few numbers barely had matches against humans, and none of them were against people from Solace.

  “Can you guys guess anything from their name?” Anna asked.

  “From ‘azar?’ Nothing,” Alex answered flatly.

  “It means ‘random’ in Spanish.” Stella said. “But I doubt that’s of any help. Their culture and world being literal light years apart.” Looking in the direction of their previous seats, she found them already occupied. “Looks like our seats are taken.”

  “Good,” Alex answered. “We should do as everyone else and try to get to know the beast folk. I would love to know more about the azar, but other than them not rejecting people going over to their side, nothing about them seems particularly inviting.”

  “For one, we can probably stop calling them beast folk, can’t we?” Anna asked. “For all we know, their beasts look like us.”

  “Which is why we should get closer to them and ask.” Alex said. “Though, the name ‘sovaryn,’ should already be more than enough of an answer for us to know what to call them.”

  “Lead the way, mister personality,” Stella said, gesturing for Alex to lead the way.

  Even though the group was popular in school, it was more because of their individual personalities and not because they were all outgoing and sociable.

  Just like Stella and Anna had said, Eric attracted people merely by existing. Stella and Anna due to a combination of their looks and initiative, which caused people to be inspired. Marcus because he was always helpful, and some said that by proxy of being near Stella. Alex also had a certain magnetism that could be attributed to his looks and somewhat apparent wealth, but it also went beyond that. He was the only truly outgoing person in the group, and in this moment, he was returning to those roots.

  “Over there,” Alex said, pointing toward the other section.

  With little care as to who they sat next to, Alex pulled his friends toward a group of sovaryn that was composed of no more than three distinct species. A gray, short and furry one, that was a mix of wolf and dog; an orange, tall and slender feline; and finally, a heavy, pitch-black, bear looking one.

  This particular group of sovaryn was actually near where they had been sitting previously, just in a different section.

  Grabbing both Anna and Stella by the wrists, Alex pulled them toward his targets.

  ------------

  A short time before the announcement began, in the sovaryn’s section.

  Ed’s idea as to what to do in regard to his points was to consult other species about what they considered to be important and valuable. He was sure that, considering the different development that they had as a species, they would hold some different knowledge.

  It wasn’t like he was expecting anything groundbreaking, just something that he hadn’t considered.

  “Who knew that the more you ventured into the sovaryn’s section, the more cautious they would be,” he told himself. “Wait, now that I think about it, it seams pretty obvious.”

  If you considered that the only place that he actually encountered the sovaryn on the human section was near its edge, it makes sense that you would only encounter humans in the same sections on their side.

  The people that were more inclined to socialize probably drifted more toward the edge and those that were still cautious remained more on the inside. They might have even resorted to avoiding the edge sections entirely. Which would explain why I now find myself surrounded by people that refuse to help me.

  In his wonder, Ed ended up right in the middle of the sovaryn’s section of the tournament grounds, where most people didn’t even acknowledge him. However, he didn’t fault them, he could tell that there was something there, but he couldn’t identify what it was.

  Luckily, the store clerks and attendants still answered his questions, but there answers barely amounted to anything. The attendants were clearly keeping a sort of balance between what they knew and what the System allowed them to share. And the store clerks were keeping a similar balance between what they knew and what the attendants would allow them to share.

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  “That’s a lot of keeping things in check,” he muttered when he realized.

  That being said, there was knowledge that he was able gain from the sovaryn clerks, that he wasn’t able to get from the human ones. It wasn’t much, but it was helping to shape the ideal item that he would end up purchasing.

  “At this point, unless anything changes, an artifact seems like the best option,” Ed muttered to himself. “If I can’t get a great one, then I can at least get some cheap ones. At the very least, they’ll be great for Marcus and his endless research.” He paused, looking at the azar’s section. “Let’s see what more I can learn.”

  When Ed had just made it to the azar’s section, the announcement was already signaling the beginning of the next round of matches. So, without even the slightest opportunity to explore, he hurried toward the stands.

  As a whole, the azar were all huddled up toward a corner in the front, but you could still make out small groups of them.

  With a quick glance, Ed noticed that he wasn’t the only non-azar that had ended up in this section. Throughout the entire, mostly empty stands, were groups of humans and sovaryns.

  “Wonder what they’re here for,” Ed muttered.

  Not wanting to intrude, but also wanting to know more. Ed ended up sitting within the gathered group of azar in the corner, if only a few feet away. If the azar had any issue with him being there, then they failed to make it known. Instead, they barely reacted to his presence at all, not even turning to look in his direction.

  Soon, the arena was once more divided into a total of ten sections. But there was one difference this time around. This time, the walls weren’t foggy, instead, they were completely transparent. However, they were still obvious, shimmering and undulating, like water.

  When the first participants appeared in the arena, they were surprised by the sudden change in the barriers that were around them, but they quickly dismissed the difference. There was something in their eyes, a burning desire that drove them forward and with purpose.

  ----------

  “This might sound rude, but I believe, that when it comes to things that are rude or might come off as insensitive, its best to just ask,” Alex said, only pausing for a short moment, until he saw that the three sovaryn before him fully understood his words. “Are all of your people poor? Are these clothes the best your species can do? Or are there other factors that I’m failing to consider.”

  Anna hit Alex on the arm with the back of her hand, her eyes landing squarely on his. “What the fuck?” she said, her tone carrying a hint of surprise.

  “I know it might sound like an insult, or something near it. But I only mention it because it was the most obvious thing about them,” Alex said, his eyes unwavering. “Imagine that these clothes are the best they can make, and they come across a human settlement that promises to make them something better but at high prices, what—”

  “You’re jumping the gun,” Stella said, cutting him off. “You always let your mind run wild when you see someone you think could use your help. How about you just let them answer, and that way, we’ll know more about them.”

  The three sovaryn, who mostly looked at the three friends with amusement, finally broke their momentary silence—because it had only been momentary. Before Alex asked his question, they were exchanging stories about their first days of integration.

  Alex had hoped to glean something from the exchange, but they spoke in vague terms and nothing specific, which is what ultimately led to him asking so bluntly.

  “There’s no issue,” the feline said. Unlike how they were portrayed in the media, cat people didn’t have speech quirks. This particular sovaryn was named Silar, and she appeared to be the most outgoing of the three. “The truth is, that there is a deeper meaning as to why we wear these clothes.”

  “There is?” Alex asked, surprised. “Something other than what I mentioned?”

  “More, but also more mundane then it seems,” the bear sovaryn said. His name was Hirat, and unlike the other two, the three friends felt a certain pressure from him. It wasn’t obvious at first, but once they noticed it, it was impossible to ignore.

  “There is, but that is a topic for when we are better acquainted, for now,” the canine said, his voice merry. “Let us enjoy the matches, and hope that we can finally see what’s underneath those robes.”

  The canine’s name was Hisar, and apparently, he was the adopted child of Hirat. This very fact was something that gave Alex hope that they were a species that was more than worthy of being viewed as equals.

  That wasn’t to say that Alex was separating people into “worthy” and “unworthy” as if he was the maximum authority on the subject. In fact, even after seeing the elves’ actions, he still held out hope that their might be a chance for cooperation.

  The reason that Alex was assessing people was the same reason that Stella, Anna, Marcus and Eric all entered a situation with preconceived notions, the media that he had previously consumed.

  In most media, in order to create tension and suspense, their were always various factions with different interests. But that was only one possibility, it was the other possibilities that worried Alex.

  Interests, I can deal with, Alex thought. But fundamental, ideological differences are a different subject all together. What if their entire species belongs to a cult that despises technology? Or advancement of any kind? It would be better to get this kind of things out of the way first. Luckily, or unluckily, there appears to be a deeper reason for their situation. I won’t pry for now but, he glanced at Stella, who met his eyes, hopefully she can find out more.

  ----------

  The second round of matches had begun in full swing, the fighters coming out with a bang and ending the matches quickly. Soon the next batch of contestants had gotten their respective System message, inviting them to the underground area, if they wished.

  Once more, in a small alcove, there was a normal looking young man. He had not received the System message, he had simply entered the underground area, clutching his spear in trembling hands. His name was Jeff, and he was even more terrified then before.

  Unlike what Stella, Anna and Alex saw when observing the matches, Jeff found them all to be important. They all showed him that everyone else was better than him at everything. And the last match from yesterday… just thinking about thinking about it made cold sweat run down his back.

  Before the tournament, Jeff had believed himself to be chosen, to have been guided by destiny itself. When the integration began, he found himself within a dungeon, the entirety of a 32-story building. Many would have considered such a thing as bad luck, but not Jeff, he saw it as an opportunity.

  But his fantasies were quickly squashed and at many points he considered ending it. The number of monsters was too much, and the pain that they caused was beyond what he expected. But when he leveled up, he saw the world in a different light. Where once he only saw death, now he saw experience, at least until he hit a wall.

  The wall could be anything, a new area in the dungeon, a monster, and at times, a literal wall. Whenever he came across such points, he would once more consider ending it… until he leveled up again, and the world regained its color.

  Following this pattern of ups and downs, Jeff managed to clear the dungeon in its entirety. But there were consequences. Such a fragile mind could not survive without making concessions or breaking. And the way that Jeff decided to deal with the stress was by attributing everything to something greater, destiny itself.

  Upon exiting, he was sure that he and his 17 levels were the highest in the world. He was ready to fulfill his destiny and guide the masses toward prosperity. And for a while, he did such a thing.

  But Jeff, as a leader of the human race, had to face impossible challenges. Challenges like rations, security and basic human etiquette. And for Jeff, they proved insurmountable.

  People wouldn’t listen to him, no matter how much he protested and proved his might. His people kept claiming that they were beyond only needing strength, they needed more.

  As Jeff contemplated the nature of his people’s needs, an invitation was sent and once more, he was reassured of destiny’s plans.

  Jeff’s hopes were high, he was sure that after this tournament he would be hailed as a leader, proving that his might was right. And yet, here he was, cowering in an alcove, afraid to fight the monsters above.

  “I’m not wrong, they are. I’m not wrong, they are. I’m not wrong, they are.”

  “Are you sure?” a refined voice said.

  With a start, Jeff looked around, searching for the speaker. A primal fear overtook him, and he rose to his feet, turning inside the alcove.

  “You again?” Jeff asked.

  A light chuckle that caused Jeff’s immediate surroundings to vibrate was heard and the voice spoke once more.

  “Consider my offer, yet?” the voice said playfully as faint lettering glimmered along the walls and ceiling.

  If you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see, characters or plot points that you're curious about, please let me know in the comments. And if you can, please drop a rating or review, good or bad, I want to know how I'm doing and your feedback is the best indicator.

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