Scarlet

Time passes as I continue devouring the minotaurs in the maze. A process that is rapidly shooting up both my level and my points. Even though there aren’t actually that many monsters in the maze.

Which makes sense in hindsight, considering that one minotaur gives as many points as getting first place in this competition gives.

Come to think of it, wasn’t there something mentioned about a multiplier? How do I know what my multipliers are?

Tar quickly answers from his spot on my shoulder as we fly, “Your multipliers will be shown after the first competition. When the points are being tallied for the public’s view.”

Wait, aren’t my points in the corner of my vision? Why would they need to tally them?

“It’s just for the crowd’s entertainment,” Tar answers, making me glance at him with a look. “Yes, this tournament is largely for entertainment purposes. You can blame Grandmother for that. She was big on entertaining herself.”

Right. That was one of the reasons for the System’s game-like form in the first place.

Almost forgot.

Hmm. Well, anyways, I return my full attention to what I’m doing as another monster finally shows its face. And then is devoured without a moment’s notice.

“Is that enough?” Tar asks, making me nod my head. “Good. I’ll be taking a nap now.”

I snort at that, but he’s not the only one.

Now that I’m familiar enough with the minotaurs, I can directly order the Red Plague to ignore anything that isn’t the minotaurs. So the other competitors aren’t in danger anymore. At least, so long as I keep moving.

So without any hesitation, I let out a massive flood of Red Plague that moves in a wave through the maze with me resting on top with a yawn, lying down on my back.

That’s an interesting night sky despite the fact that we’re supposed to be in a stadium. Wonder how it was made?

Somewhere else within the Maze

Aria calmly jogs through the maze corridor with her hair flowing behind her and a blue barrier of energy covering her body. One blocking any sound from making it out of the barrier. But after jogging for a while, only occasionally stopping to get the points from a loot box.

“You’re doing well, child,” her fae says with a motherly tone of voice, the fae having basically acted as her only mother figure until Scarlet appeared.

Although Aria still isn’t sure if she thinks of Scarlet as her big sister or her mother. But either way, she doesn’t know what she would’ve done if she hadn’t met her.

Then again, I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for her.

She continues jogging for a while, only to end up running into something when she’s about to turn the corner, sending her falling backwards with a yelp. But she quickly climbs back to her feet and readies her skills, only to pause when she sees the man standing in front of her.

The man looks to be about the same age as Scarlet and is wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts which she can tell are infused with skills and mana. Meaning they’re magi-tech.

Why someone would make shorts and a t-shirt into magi-tech armor is beyond her though.

“Oh,” she mutters, the man’s identity finally clicking in her mind. “You’re the void weirdo who would always train half naked in the Lion’s Heart Guardians University training hall!”

Anthony stumbles after hearing that, only having just regained his footing from their collision. Then he rubs the back of his head and asks, “Seriously? Is that how she described me?”

Aria shrugs and answers, “It’s how I remember you from her stories.”

The man opens his mouth to say something, only for a loud roar to echo down the corridor, sending both of the competitors into a panic as they begin to run away from the sound of the roar. But regardless of how fast they run, they soon feel the shaking of the ground as the roaring grows closer. And soon enough they find the maze guardian charging directly at them with its head down, ready to gore the both of them in two.

No! I can’t lose this quickly in the first competition!

Aria feels more than a little panic at the idea of disappointing Scarlet and losing so quickly. But right when the maze guardian is about to reach them, it suddenly stops moving and collapses, face planting into the ground.

Both Aria and Anthony stop running and turn around in confusion, only to find what looks like an illusionary bug person stepping out of the creature’s corpse. One that seems to fade and reappear over and over again.

The bug person turns their head to look at the two of them, only to turn again to find a vortex of blood appearing right next to them, following which Scarlet’s biological father appears from the vortex.

Aria feels uncertain as she stands face to face with two of the Demon Lords. But right when she’s in the middle of trying to figure out what to say, a loud ringing sound echoes throughout the entire maze, following which something falls from the sky, somehow ending up landing in the same corridor they’re in.

And when Aria identifies the creature, she feels a major chill run down her spine.

<|{Guardian} –Maze Guardian – Level 2133|>

“This must be the hidden secret Father mentioned,” Rowena says, making Aria nod her head in agreement as she slowly backs away from the massive creature.

Even the two Demon Lords next to her look incredibly apprehensive about fighting the creature.

Then, to her and the other three people alongside hers surprise, a large wave of what looks like glowing red blood suddenly crashes into the massive creature that happened to be crossing an intersection. And within seconds, the creature seems to dissolve into nothing but red ash.

Meanwhile Scarlet passes by on top of the wave while yawning. As if she didn’t even notice what had just happened.

And just as quickly as she had arrived, she leaves again, moving through a different way in the intersection and bringing the flood of what Aria’s been told is Red Plague along with her.

Silence fills the corridor as Aria, the two Demon Lords, and Anthony all stare at the red ash left behind in her wake.

Well, that’s Scar for you.

Then Aria begins jogging through the dungeon again, ignoring the others that are still staring.