Chapter 164 - 166: The First Test

Chapter 164: Chapter 166: The First Test

The crowd erupted with the kind of chaotic, confused energy that came from hundreds of people all trying to process the same unfair rule at the same time.

Voices filled the clearing with questions and complaints and arguments that overlapped and intersected and created a wall of sound that made it hard to think.

"What? Slaves can’t participate?"

"That’s not fair!"

"My slave is strong! He can fight!"

"This is discrimination!"

Elder Jian raised his hand with the kind of patient authority that came from years of dealing with crowds and their complaints. The crowd went silent.

"Slaves are property," he said with his voice calm and firm and utterly without room for argument. "They are not adventurers. They are not members. They are not worthy."

He paused to let the words sink in.

"If you have a slave, they cannot participate. They can only watch. That is the rule."

The crowd murmured with the kind of unhappy acceptance that came from knowing there was nothing they could do to change the rules.

Daniel looked at Fluffy and Cheeky and Mittens and saw that their eyes were wide and their faces were pale and their bodies were tense with the kind of disappointment that broke his heart.

"Master," Fluffy whispered with her voice small and sad. "Fluffy can’t participate?"

Daniel shook his head. "No."

"But Fluffy wants to participate."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants to fight."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants to help."

"I know."

Fluffy’s ears drooped and her tail tucked and her whole body seemed to shrink in on itself with sadness and disappointment.

Daniel knelt beside her and looked at her with his expression soft and his voice gentle. "Fluffy," he said. "You can’t participate. But you can still help."

Fluffy blinked. "Fluffy can help?"

"Yes. You can watch. You can learn. You can support us."

Fluffy thought about it. "Fluffy can cheer?"

Daniel smiled. "Yes. You can cheer."

Fluffy’s ears perked up and her tail began to wag. "Fluffy will cheer!"

Daniel nodded and looked at Cheeky and Mittens. "You two as well," he said. "Watch. Learn. Cheer."

Cheeky nodded. "Okay."

Mittens nodded. "Okay."

Daniel stood up and looked at the others and Lyra and Paul and Brick Head. "All right," he said. "Let’s do this."

Elder Jian spoke again with his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.

"The first test," he said, "is survival."

The crowd went silent.

"You will each be given a card. The card will have a number. There are one thousand two hundred and thirty-six participants. Each number appears exactly twice."

He paused.

"Your goal is simple. Find the person with the same number as you. Defeat them. Take their card."

He paused again.

"You have five hours. If you don’t defeat your partner within five hours, you will be disqualified."

He paused again.

"Only half of you will remain. Maybe less."

The crowd murmured with nervousness and fear and the kind of tension that came from knowing that everything was about to change.

Elder Jian raised his hand. "Let the first test begin!"

Officials walked through the crowd with boxes filled with envelopes and envelopes filled with cards, and they handed an envelope to each participant one by one slowly and carefully.

Daniel watched and waited and was calm as the official reached him and handed him an envelope and he took it and opened it and pulled out the card.

It had a number. Seven.

Daniel smiled a warm and genuine smile. "Seven," he said. "That’s my lucky number."

He looked at the others and Lyra and Paul and Brick Head. "What did you get?" he asked.

Lyra looked at her card. "Twenty-three."

Paul looked at his card. "Eighty-nine."

Brick Head looked at his card and stared at it and turned it upside down and turned it right side up with the kind of deep concentration that suggested he was trying very hard to understand what he was looking at.

"I don’t know what this says," he said.

Daniel looked at it. "It says forty-two."

Brick Head grinned. "Forty-two! That’s my lucky number!"

Daniel sighed. "You didn’t even know what it said."

"I know now!"

Daniel shook his head with the kind of defeated resignation that came from knowing there was no point in arguing.

Elder Jian spoke again with his voice cutting through the noise.

"You have five minutes before you can start attacking. Use this time to prepare. To strategize. To find your partner."

He paused.

"Your five minutes start now."

The crowd erupted with people running and searching and looking for their partners with the kind of frantic energy that came from knowing that time was limited and the stakes were high.

Daniel didn’t move.

He just stood there with his hands in his pockets and his expression calm and his eyes curious.

Lyra looked at him with confusion on her face. "What are you doing?"

Daniel shrugged. "Waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For my partner to find me."

Lyra blinked. "What?"

"I’m going to sit here. And display my number. And wait for my partner to come to me."

Lyra stared at him with disbelief in her eyes. "That’s... that’s insane."

"It’s efficient."

"It’s lazy."

"Same thing."

Lyra shook her head. "You’re going to get attacked."

"I know."

"You’re going to get overwhelmed."

"I know."

"You’re going to lose."

Daniel smiled a cold and dangerous smile that did not reach his eyes. "I know."

He walked toward a tree and sat down and leaned against it and placed his card on his chest so that the number seven was visible for everyone to see.

He closed his eyes and waited with the kind of patient stillness that made Lyra want to scream and Paul want to sigh and Brick Head want to ask what was happening.

The minutes passed with the kind of slow, agonizing tension that came from knowing that at any moment someone could attack and everything could change.

And then it happened.

A figure emerged from the trees with a card in hand and a number that matched Daniel’s and a smile that suggested they thought they had found an easy target.

Daniel opened his eyes and smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.