Chapter 261 - 260 : The treasure hunt (1)

Chapter 261: Chapter 260 : The treasure hunt (1)

The first match of the Inter-Academy Tournament was about to begin.

Across the Golden Colosseum, excitement had reached its peak.

The enormous mana screens floating above the arena displayed the rules of the first event in brilliant letters.

[ First Match: Treasure Hunt ]

[ Location: Virtual Subspace Dungeon ]

[ Teams Per Academy: 1 ]

[ Members Per Team: 5 ]

[ Treasures Available: 4 ]

[ Objective: Claim a crystal and escape through the dungeon’s only exit. ]

[ Warning: Combat between teams is permitted. ]

The crowd erupted into cheers.

This was the first match of the tournament.

The first chance for every academy to establish dominance.

The first opportunity for its students to show the world that their academy deserved to stand at the top.

Every academy wanted to make a statement.

Every academy wanted to secure an early advantage.

And every academy wanted to seize control of the tournament from the very beginning.

For Celestias Academy, Arthur had chosen the team himself.

Arthur.

Victor.

Evangline.

Jasmine.

And Rubina.

All 5 were 1st-year students.

The lineup shocked many people.

It was rare for 1st years to participate in such a dangerous and strategically complicated event. It was even rarer for an entire team to consist of nothing but 1st years.

The Treasure Hunt was not only about raw strength.

It required experience, judgment, dungeon knowledge, team coordination, mana conservation, and the ability to fight other academies without losing the treasure they had worked to obtain.

Yet Arthur had still chosen 5 1st years.

Layla had waited until the others had left before finally voicing her concerns.

The meeting room was quiet.

Only Arthur and Layla remained.

Layla stood before him, her brown eyes serious.

"Are you sure about this, Arthur? We could add more experienced students from the 2nd or 3rd years."

She hesitated before continuing.

"I know Victor, Evangline, Jasmine, and Rubina are strong, but they don’t have enough experience for an event like this."

Arthur leaned against the table.

Layla continued, "And inside the Virtual Subspace, everyone’s physical strength and speed will be limited. Your advantage as a System user will be restricted too."

The tournament’s Virtual Subspace would suppress everyone’s physical attributes to a similar level.

Strength.

Agility.

Durability.

Mana capacity.

Even System users would be limited.

Their overwhelming stats would no longer provide the same advantage they possessed in the real world.

Arthur looked at Layla.

"I understand your concerns."

Layla waited for his response.

"But trust me. Our team is more than capable of handling this."

Arthur’s crimson eyes gleamed.

"By showing our capabilities in the first match, we can set the tone for the entire tournament."

Layla stared at him for several seconds before finally sighing.

"I trust your judgment."

A small smile appeared on her face.

Arthur returned it.

"I appreciate your trust."

He turned toward the exit.

Outside the meeting room, the selected team members were waiting.

Victor stood with his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent as always.

Evangline leaned against the wall, casually spinning her Desert Eagle around one finger.

Jasmine stood quietly, her hands resting loosely at her sides as she watched the events unfolding before her with a calm, unreadable expression.

Rubina waited slightly behind the others.

She had short hair hair, gentle dark eyes, and a quiet presence. Unlike the others, who radiated confidence or aggression, she seemed soft-spoken and nervous.

But Rubina was ranked 10th among the 1st years for a reason.

She was a talented healer, someone capable of keeping her teammates alive in situations where a single mistake could mean defeat.

Arthur looked over all 4 of them.

"Are you ready?"

They nodded in unison.

"Good."

───────────────

Arthur and his team entered the preparation hall near the Virtual Subspace Arena.

Several other students had already gathered there, most of them from the 2nd and 3rd years. Only a handful of 1st years had been selected by their academies.

Arthur looked around the hall.

"So Bryan from Martial Star Academy isn’t participating in this match?"

His gaze swept across the room before stopping on 2 familiar figures.

Ava and Eva.

The twins from Glacier Peak Academy stood together near the far wall. Their white-and-blue uniforms matched their pale hair and cold expressions.

When they noticed Arthur looking at them, both gave him skeptical glances.

They were still wondering how he knew about their secret technique.

Frozen World.

A technique they had practiced in secret with their father.

Arthur simply gave them a faint grin.

The twins frowned.

Then a cheerful voice suddenly came from the entrance.

"Is everyone ready for the first match?"

A white-haired woman walked into the room wearing a tournament management uniform. She carried herself with an almost carefree smile as her eyes moved across the gathered students.

Then they settled on Arthur.

She gave him a small smile.

No one answered her.

The students were too tense. The reality of competing against some of the strongest students from other academies was finally beginning to weigh on them.

The white-haired woman nodded repeatedly.

"I see. You’re all nervous about your first match."

She smiled brightly.

"That’s understandable."

Then she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Are you students worried because there are 10 teams but only 4 crystals available?"

The students exchanged glances.

The woman suddenly spread her arms.

"Can you not just steal the crystals from the other teams?"

Silence.

Her smile became mischievous.

"Why hunt monsters when you can hunt the teams instead? If there are no teams left, then all the crystals will be yours."

The competitors stared at her.

’She is not right in the head.’

The woman seemed to enjoy their reactions before leaning forward slightly.

"Ah, but there’s something the written instructions didn’t tell you."

Everyone’s attention returned to her.

"Yes, only the first 4 teams to claim a crystal and exit the dungeon will receive crystal points."

Her eyes gleamed.

"But eventually, all the teams will cross paths."

The room grew quiet.

"You will be forced to fight monsters..."

Her smile widened.

"...and each other."

Several students swallowed.

"It’s a battle royale for the treasures."

The white-haired woman spoke as though she were describing something entertaining.

"The only way to win isn’t simply to obtain a crystal."

She raised 1 finger.

"You have to keep it."

Her voice lowered.

"You must protect it from rival teams and make your way through the dungeon’s 1 and only exit."

The students’ expressions changed.

The dungeon had multiple paths.

They had assumed each route might have a separate escape.

But there was only 1 exit.

That meant the teams would eventually be forced together.

The final stages would descend into chaos.

Teams with crystals would be hunted.

Teams without crystals would have nothing to lose.

Alliances would form.

Alliances would break.

The strongest teams would be targeted.

The weaker teams would be crushed.

The woman smiled, clearly delighted by the tension she had created.

"Some of you still don’t have weapons."

She gestured toward a weapon section built into the side of the hall.

"Choose whatever you want from there."

Arthur immediately walked toward the weapons.

The others watched him curiously.

Rows of weapons were arranged along the wall.

Swords.

Spears.

Axes.

Shields.

Bows.

Crossbows.

Daggers.

Pistols.

Rifles.

Mana-infused weapons.

There was equipment for almost every kind of fighter.

Arthur examined them for nearly a minute before making his choice.

He returned holding a katana.

The blade was long and slightly curved, resting inside a black sheath.

Jasmine looked toward it.

"Do you even know how to use that?"

Arthur smiled.

"No."

Jasmine blinked.

Arthur rested the katana over his shoulder.

"I’m going to learn today."

Jasmine stared at him in disbelief.

Evangline burst out laughing.

Victor remained silent, his expression completely indifferent.

Rubina fidgeted nervously, unsure how to join the conversation.

The white-haired manager eventually clasped her hands together.

"Now, it’s time for all of you to enter the Virtual Subspace."

The students immediately became serious.

She looked around the room.

"The pain you feel inside will be as real as it can possibly be."

Her cheerful smile faded slightly.

"So be careful."

The students took slow breaths.

The woman flicked her fingers.

A large magic circle appeared beneath their feet.

Bright white runes spread across the ground before the circle activated.

One by one, the students dissolved into particles of light.

Then they vanished.

───────────────

Arthur opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was darkness.

Cold stone walls surrounded him.

Water dripped from the ceiling as a narrow corridor stretched ahead, illuminated only by blue mana torches mounted along the walls.

His body had materialized inside the Virtual Subspace Dungeon.

The air smelled damp.

Ancient.

And dangerous.

"Hello, hello. Mic testing!"

Evangline’s voice suddenly echoed through Arthur’s ears.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

The dungeon had a voice-chat system.

"Shut up," Jasmine said immediately.

Evangline laughed.

Arthur looked around.

Victor stood near the front of the group.

Jasmine stood in the center.

Evangline leaned against the wall, holding her Desert Eagle.

Rubina stood behind Arthur, looking around nervously.

Arthur opened his status window.

[ STATUS ]

[ Strength: ??? → 100 Temporary ]

[ Agility: ??? → 100 Temporary ]

[ Durability: ??? → 100 Temporary ]

[ Intelligence: 472 ]

[ Will: 420 ]

[ Vitality: 100 → 20,200 ]

[ Charm: 110 (-20) ]

[ Luck: 54 → 184 ]

Arthur frowned.

His physical stats had been heavily suppressed.

His strength.

His agility.

His durability.

All reduced to 100.

Arthur clenched his fist.

The difference was obvious.

His body felt weaker.

Slower.

Heavier.

Not weak by ordinary standards, but far weaker than his true self.

[ It appears all of your physical stats have been restricted, Host. ]

Arthur nodded.

’I can still make do.’

His crimson eyes sharpened.

’I just have to fight with greater efficiency.’

Arthur opened another panel.

[ Mana Capacity: ??? → 50,000 Temporary ]

His expression darkened.

His mana pool had been reduced from 3,000,000 to 50,000.

Arthur clicked his tongue.

’Whatever.’

He closed the window.

’It looks like my regeneration is restricted too. We have to complete this match with the mana we have.’

Victor spoke from the front.

"Considering our mana levels, we can’t afford to use our skills recklessly."

The team nodded.

No one knew how quickly their mana would regenerate within the dungeon.

Or whether it would regenerate at all.

Arthur wasn’t worried.

Every team faced the same restrictions.

That meant it wasn’t about who possessed the greatest power.

It was about who could use what they had most efficiently.

Arthur stepped forward.

"Listen up."

The team focused on him.

"Time is against us. We stay together and conserve mana."

Arthur looked toward Victor.

"Victor, scout ahead and report back."

Victor nodded once.

Arthur turned toward Evangline.

"Evangline, cover our flanks."

She saluted with 2 fingers.

"Got it."

Arthur looked at Jasmine.

"Jasmine, protect the group with your spells."

Jasmine nodded.

Finally, Arthur turned toward Rubina.

"Rubina, stay behind me. You’re our healer."

Rubina nodded nervously.

"O-Okay."

The group began advancing through the dark corridor.

Their footsteps echoed against the stone walls.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound of water falling from the ceiling mixed with the distant growls of creatures hidden deeper within the dungeon.

Then Arthur suddenly stopped.

Victor stopped at the same time.

The others immediately became alert.

Victor narrowed his eyes.

"Something is coming."

Arthur drew the katana from its sheath.

The blade reflected the blue light of the mana torches.

"Get ready."

From the darkness ahead, dozens of small figures emerged.

Green skin.

Sharp ears.

Crooked noses.

Yellow eyes.

Goblins.

They carried crude weapons.

Rusty swords.

Broken spears.

Wooden clubs.

There were dozens of them.

Evangline smiled.

"I’ll handle it."

She stepped forward and raised her Desert Eagle.

"Stop."

Arthur’s voice halted her.

Evangline looked over her shoulder.

Arthur pulled several magazines from his pocket and handed them to her.

"Use these."

Evangline frowned.

"What difference will that make?"

She looked at the magazines.

"And when did you even take those?"

Arthur smiled.

"I took them when the white-haired lady told us to choose weapons."

Evangline stared at him.

"You also took ammunition while choosing a katana?"

Arthur shrugged.

The goblins noticed them.

They growled.

Then they charged.

Victor raised his voice.

"Incoming! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"

Arthur pushed the magazines toward Evangline.

"Hurry up. Use them."

Evangline sighed.

"Fine. I’ll use them if you insist."

She loaded one of the magazines into her Desert Eagle.

"What difference can some bullets possibly make?"

She raised the weapon and aimed at the advancing goblins.

Then she fired.

Bang!

The sound was nothing like a normal gunshot.

It was more like a cannon being fired.

The recoil exploded through Evangline’s arm, throwing her backward.

"Bam!"

She crashed hard into the dungeon wall.

"Ow!"

At the same moment, the bullet struck the ground in front of the goblin horde.

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion erupted.

The corridor shook violently.

Jasmine immediately raised her hand.

An ice barrier formed around the team as the wave of heat and force slammed into it.

Cracks spread across the ice.

But it held.

The goblins had no such protection.

The single bullet exploded with enough force to vaporize the entire group.

Their bodies disappeared in the blast.

Weapons melted.

Stone shattered.

Smoke filled the corridor.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then the smoke began to clear.

Nothing remained of the goblins.

Not even bones.

Arthur threw his head back and laughed.

"It worked!"

His crimson eyes glowed with excitement.

’The experiment was a success.’

Arthur looked at the empty corridor.

’Compressing thermal energy to its absolute limit was the right call.’

His smile widened.

’The larger the container, the greater the impact.’

Evangline pushed herself away from the wall.

She winced as she looked at the Desert Eagle.

Then at the modified magazine.

Then back at Arthur.

Her eyes widened.

She could barely believe what had happened.

That single bullet had destroyed an entire goblin horde.

Evangline slowly walked toward Arthur.

"Arthur."

He looked at her.

She placed a hand against her chest.

"It looks like I’m in love."

Arthur smiled and immediately opened his arms.

"I knew this day would come."

He tilted his head.

"Let’s start with a kiss."