Inside the room, all the individuals were seated, waiting for the person who would give them instructions.
Arin and the other three were just having small chats, and it was the same for the other students in the room. Though, they were only chatting with their companions, and not students from another Academy.
Not like they could be blamed, though. At this point, anyone apart from their companion was an enemy.
Finally, after a few minutes of waiting, a man entered the room. His broad shoulders and big build made him look imposing as he towered above them.
"Now, listen up," he began, his voice insanely deep, "the tournament is about to start, and the rules will be explained to you, but not by me."
They all nodded their heads as they watched him bring out a transparent orb from his pocket.
Suddenly, the orb lit up and he placed it in front of all the students. Within seconds, the light from the orb transformed into something like a transparent screen.
All the students that were gathered at the uncountable chairs and were still singing were shown on the screen, and even the sounds could be heard well.
The faces of important individuals were also being shown one by one, like the dukes and Barons of the Kingdom, the King, and even nobles from other Kingdoms who were specially invited by the King.
The man walked out of the room, leaving the students inside as they continued watching the screen.
Though, something kept bothering Arin.
'This orb is one of the special inventions made by a Magic Scholar, but in the novel, it wasn't used in this tournament. In fact, it was revealed at a later date, months after the tournament.'
'So... why is it present now?'
Arin couldn't wrap his head around it, but he decided to put it at the back of his mind for now.
Suddenly, from the screen, they all saw a man levitating in the air just above the battlefield where the fights would take place.
He had rough yellow hair and a cheeky grin on his face. The students also stopped singing and began pointing at the man.
"Haha!" The man laughed, finally gaining the attention of every single person in the arena city.
His voice was so loud that every single person heard him. There was no doubt that he was using something to amplify his voice, and he was also probably using his Wind Element to float above the battlefield.
Everyone finally stopped walking around and sat down because his appearance signified the start of the tournament.
As the arena finally became quiet, the man spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Nobles and commoners alike! Welcome to the Grand Inter-Academy Tournament!" the man roared, his voice met by a thunderous cheer from the crowd.
"Today, we bear witness to a showcase of talent, strength, and brilliance! Fourteen academies stand before us—Seven Mage Academies and Seven Warrior Academies—each represented by their finest students! Twenty-eight Mages and Twenty-eight Warriors!"
The crowd erupted once more, their enthusiasm like a living beast that surged through the air.
"But this is not just a battle of power," the man continued, his voice growing sharper, more commanding. "It is a battle of will, of wit, of perseverance! Only the most skilled shall rise above the rest!"
Arin raised a brow. "Seven Mage Academies and Seven Warrior Academies..."
"Strange, right?" Alex said to him.
"There's only two explanations for this," Tessa said.
Ron furrowed his brows. "What do you think?"
"Firstly," Tessa began, "maybe some Academies decided to drop out of the tournament."
"And secondly," she continued, "Maybe some sort of screening was done and some Academies were deemed ineligible to participate in the tournament."
Arin folded his arms. "I'm leaning towards the first reason."
"Same here," Alex said, and Ron nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the man had already continued. He extended a gloved hand toward the arena below.
"The pattern in which this tournament will be held will be vastly different from the way the past tournaments were held!"
Arin raised a brow, but he waited to hear what he would say next.
"It won't be just participants fighting against one another, instead, a new pattern has been added!"
Arin's eyes widened. 'What does this guy mean?'
In the novel, the tournament was done as usual, with the participants facing each other in a 1v1, but now, this announcer was saying something different.
'Something is definitely wrong...'
The students roared in excitement, ready to see some action.
"I know you all are curious, so without wasting time, let's get this tournament started!"
"The first stage of this tournament is called Woobie Goggie!"
"Huh? What the hell?"
"What kind of goofy name is that?"
"I really don't know what that means, but hell, I bet it's gonna be fun!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as the man continued.
"Now, I know the participants are hearing me, so listen attentively!" He exclaimed.
"An orb will be brought to that room, and from it, a teleportation array will be formed!"
And for the nth time today, Arin was shocked.
'The teleportation array wasn't revealed until almost a year after the tournament. W... What the hell is going on?'
The same broad-shouldered man walked into the room and dropped a pink coloured orb on the ground in front of the students.
Instantly, the orb lit up, and a pink circle was formed, with patterns inside it.
"Now, each team has to pick who will be the one to participate in this first stage of the tournament! You have two minutes to decide! And also, whoever is chosen to participate in this first stage won't be able to participate in the second stage!"
"Immediately you hear the sound of a bell, the person who was picked should step on the circle!"
Instantly, the students inside the room began talking to their teammates.
"I'll do it," Arin suddenly said before the other three could even say anything.
"We are all strong, but among the four of us, I have the lowest fighting capabilities," Arin continued. "And I'm sure the next stage will definitely be a fight."
"Hmm," Ron muttered. "You showed quite some neat tactics in the competition, and I think this stage will be related to that."
Tessa squinted her eyes. "That's true..."
Alex sighed. "Okay, then. Don't let us down."
Arin nodded. "I won't..."
The two minutes time had finally elapsed and a sound of a bell ringing was heard.
It was time to step on the circle.
As Arin was about to walk toward it, Tessa suddenly grabbed his hand, making him turn back.
She stared at him straight in the eyes before muttering, "Be careful, Arin..."
Arin nodded again. "I will. You all don't have to worry too much. I'll try my best."
Tessa smiled and nodded before letting go of his hand.
With that, Arin walked towards the circle with the others that were chosen by their teammates, making them 14 in total.
'I can't let go of this curiosity... I have to know what the hell is this new stage,' Arin thought.
'Things are already changing, and they are only two possible explanations for this.'
He stepped on the wide circle alongside the other 13 students, with his expression hardening.
'I'll adapt... I'll adapt to these changes...'