Chapter 87: Zero-leveled

Chapter 87

"Marlak, do you think this was done by the Dungeon?" Max asked.

"Yes," Marlak said.

"But why would the Dungeon influence me to defend something?" Max asked.

"I don't think you defended anything. You simply spoke the truth, which wasn't yours but the will of the person you represent," Marlak said.

"The will of a person I represent?" Max muttered as he looked at the identity slip, where the name was displayed.

Just as Max was checking the name and wondering about the things that had happened earlier, he suddenly heard someone calling his name. However, strangely, it wasn't his original name but the name he had been given in this world. The moment the name was called, his body instinctively turned toward the direction of the voice. There, amidst the crowd, a group of youngsters around his age walked toward him, waving their hands.

Max waved back, and the others, seeing someone being called, also turned around to see who it was.

"Yorick, I heard about the incident. Why would you act that way? Do you want to get arrested here and rot in an underground Dungeon?" a tall guy who seemed to be the leader of the group asked as soon as he reached Max.

Max silently stood there, not knowing what to do. This clearly showed that these people knew the person called Yorick. If he were to ask who they were, it could create some issues for the party. They had already caused a big commotion earlier, and people were still giving their party a side glance on the streets.

"Hahaha, you always behave like this. You act recklessly, and when questioned, you stand silently with an innocent expression. Okay, now forget about what has already happened and promise me that you will behave obediently from now on," the guy said.

Max nodded without any other option.

"Gerda, I told you to watch over Yorick. Where did you go? I heard that even the Captain got involved?" the tall guy asked, looking at Paula as he called her by that name.

"It's not his fault; the shopkeeper accused him of stealing," Paula said, though she also didn't know what to say or how to act in this strange situation.

"Still, we don't want to create any issues. You know the situation," the guy advised. "Okay, let's quickly move and register for the tournament."

Saying this, the tall guy quickly walked forward, and the group followed him. As they walked, everyone gave Max a condescending look.

'Who are this bunch of lunatics?' Max muttered.

Max was completely lost, wondering what kind of situation the Dungeon had put them in. His perspective on conquering Dungeons had completely changed. Why couldn't a Dungeon just be a Dungeon instead of some gimmick that put participants through these weird situations? He had to keep a low profile until he could understand the whole picture. After that, he would have the chance to do what was necessary.

However, the tall guy had mentioned a few important points. The first was some situation, and the second was that they were here for a tournament, which Max guessed was being held at the colosseum. But what kind of tournament was it, and why had they specifically come to another country?

Now, thinking about this colosseum tournament, he remembered that the Seven Lotus Kingdoms were supposed to participate in a Dungeon-clearing competition. These two events seemed to resemble each other very closely.

'Do these two have a connection?' Max thought.

There was a possibility that the Dungeon had read everyone's minds and placed them in this strange, similar situation, where young people travelled from one country to another to participate in a tournament.

Thinking this, Max quickly walked toward the group.

"Senior Paula, what do you think of the current development?" Max asked, and the others came closer to hear what he was saying.

"I am not sure, Max. What do you think?" she returned the question.

"I mean, doesn't the situation seem very similar to what we were about to face? Like going to another Kingdom to fight and strengthen the relationship between the two kingdoms?" Max said.

Hearing this, Paula nodded, and the others also heard him and began thinking about it.

"So, what should we do now?" Isabelle, who was walking close to Max, whispered.

"I think our objective in arriving at this place would be whatever these people came here to achieve through this tournament. So, we need to find out what that is and pursue it, which would eventually lead us out of this place," Max said.

After he finished explaining, everyone entered through a grand doorway that led into a large colosseum. They continued following the tall guy who had spoken to them. Since registration was still ongoing, the party followed the group so that it would be easier for them to register and find out what objective these people had come here to achieve without spending too much time trying to figure it out.

After entering the main gate, the group walking in front of them quickly took another path that led to a large hall inside the walls of the colosseum. The moment Max entered, he saw many people wearing yellow uniforms sitting behind tables and writing something, while people who looked like warriors stood in lines before the tables. It was a registration hall.

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"Okay, everyone, pick the shortest line and register your names in the divisions we already discussed," the tall guy said, giving Max a strange, long look.

'Discussed divisions?' Max looked at the identity slip, but he couldn't see anything about divisions. Was it a category of battles divided according to their levels? Max stood silently, thinking, while the tall guy shouted at him.

"Yorick, what are you doing? Go and register. There are fewer people in that line; go there quickly," the guy urged Max to register.

Seeing the guy urging him with a grim expression, Max quickly walked over and joined the line. The others also scattered and stood in different registration lines.

Max looked around the hall to see if he could find any details about these divisions, since he didn't want to register in a high-difficulty division. His current level was 5, so he doubted whether they had a division for someone like him, as Level 5 seemed too low to participate in the colosseum. Then again, he still didn't know the main purpose of this registration.

The line moved, and finally, his turn came. A young lady in her mid-twenties sat behind the table, writing something. After a few seconds, she finally raised her head and looked at Max.

“Identity slip,” she asked.

Max quickly handed over the slip, and she took it, giving Max a stare before continuing with the registration; however, that short stare told Max that something was strange.

'Did she find out he was from Kempen?' Max thought.

"Excuse me, ma'am, could you explain the different types of divisions available for registration?" Max asked, gritting his teeth.

He had thought that, considering everything that had happened since they arrived here, asking such questions would create unnecessary issues for him. However, he still needed to ask. Going in without knowing what he had gotten himself into would be disastrous.

The lady looked up at Max with a strange expression, as if she were seeing an alien from another world. Well, technically, he was an alien since he was from a different world.

"Aren't you from Kempen Country?" the lady asked.

"Yes, how do you know?" Max asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" the lady said.

"Obvious how?" Max asked.

The lady looked at Max once more with that same strange expression. What the hell was going on? What did she mean by 'isn't it obvious'? That answer hadn't seemed to come from her reading his country off the slip, but rather because she had somehow known just by staring at him briefly. This had happened with that shopkeeper as well, he had figured it out and made an issue out of nothing, and now this lady was doing the same. Did he have a horn or something on his head that made his origin so easy to identify?

"A participant from Kempen Country can only participate in two divisions. One is Solo Division, and the second is Group Division," the lady said.

"What other divisions are there besides these two?" Max asked.

"We have the Elite Division, A-List Division, Glory Division, Honor Division, and two more that wouldn't be related to you," the lady informed him.

"Why can't I participate in the other divisions apart from those two?" he asked, bewildered by this disparity. Compared to the other divisions, his available divisions seemed to be very low-level.

"That's obvious. Kempen warriors are inferior and cannot participate in those divisions," the lady said.

"Inferior?" Max muttered in confusion.

"So, I can't participate in anything other than Solo and Group?" Max asked.

"You can if you climb the ranks in these divisions and enter the top five. Then you can participate in the other divisions. But that hasn't happened in almost a century," the lady explained.

At that point, something clicked for Max. This could be the mission behind their visit here. Perhaps they needed to climb up through the Solo or Group Division, break the century-old tradition, and overcome the curse that "Kempen warriors were inferior." Once they achieved this, they could exit this world.

"Okay, thanks. I will participate in the Solo Division," Max quickly said.

"Are you sure?" the lady asked.

"Yes, of course!" Max confirmed.

"Very well, I have registered your name in the Solo Division."

The lady wrote something in the register and on his identity slip before handing it back to Max.

"All the best! You seem very different from the people I've met from Kempen," she said with a small smile.

"Is that so? What's the difference?" Max asked eagerly.

"You talk too much!" the lady said, signaling the next person.

Max exited the line with a bewildered expression after hearing her answer.

Once he had registered, he walked toward the party, who had already registered and gathered together.

"Senior Paula, what do you think of these divisions? Ultimately, we may need to reach the Honor Division or the two other divisions that were kept secret," Max asked.

"What are you talking about, Max? Which division did you register for? Show me your slip," Isabelle asked after hearing him ramble. She took the slip and inspected it.

"Max, go and change your division quickly," Isabelle said after checking the slip.

"Why?" Max was confused by Isabelle's words.

"Senior Paula, this idiot registered in the Solo Division, Zero-Leveled," Isabelle said.

"Max, why would you do that?" Paula asked, looking at Max.

"What is Zero-Leveled?" Max asked in confusion.

"Zero-Leveled means you have to fight your opponent without considering levels," Paula informed him.

"Which division are you all registered in?" Max asked.

"Group Division, Leveled," Isabelle said. "Now go and change your division quickly!"

Max was dumbfounded by this new leveled and Zero-Leveled subdivision, which the lady had clearly failed to explain to him. He quickly picked up the slip and returned to the same line. A flurry of thoughts ran through his mind during the short wait until he finally stood before the registration table once more.

"Ma'am, I would like to change my registered division from Solo Zero-Leveled to Group Leveled." Max handed over the slip.

"Registered divisions cannot be changed. You either participate or withdraw from the tournament!" the lady said without even looking at Max.

"Well, that's not fair!" Max said, still looking at the lady.

"I can't do anything. Move away from the line; participants are waiting to register," the lady said.

"Move, kid!"

A burly, middle-aged man easily pushed Max out of the line and stepped in front of the table.

"Solo Division, Zero-Leveled," the burly, middle-aged man said.

Max looked around the hall. People resembling the man who had shoved him aside as if he were nothing were lined up around him. He could only guess that everyone was there to participate in the Solo Zero-Leveled Division, meaning that he, at only Level 5, would have to compete against them. That was not fair at all.

"Did you change your division?" Isabelle asked as Max walked back.

"No, the lady refused to change my division," Max said.

While the group was talking, the tall guy and his companions walked toward them.

"Is everyone done with your registration?" the tall guy asked. "Yorick, show me your slip."

Max stood there silently, showing an innocent expression on his face. Noticing that Max wasn't ready to hand it over, the guy snatched the slip and checked it.

"What the hell is this, Yorick? Have you gone crazy? Why do you always defy the words of others? Why are you so adamant about participating in the Solo Division Zero-Leveled? Didn't you promise our elders that you would participate in the Leveled Group Division?" the tall guy asked, looking at Max.

Hearing this, Max stood there dumbfounded.