Tournament - II

The crowd screamed as the announcer's booming voice echoed across the arena.

"SECOND ROUND... QUALIFIER STAGE, BEGIN!”

Ark and the other competitors teleported the wide tournament field, nerves and excitement mixing in the air. Each participant gripped their bow tightly, determined to prove their skill and secure a place in the next round.

The massive rocky field stretched far and wide, dotted with tall grass patches, jagged boulders, and broken wooden barricades left as cover. It looked less like a tournament ground and more like a battlefield prepared for war. Above, flags waved in the wind while villagers packed the stands, their cheers carrying into the arena.

The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, declaring the rules: sixty players would battle in this vast field, but only eight would advance. Tension rose instantly, every competitor realizing the harsh odds and sharpening their focus for survival.

Ark took a steady step forward, holding his bow firmly and thought. ‘60 competitors. There will be just eight left.’ He inhaled deeply. His calm eyes scanned the field as he said, "This isn't a game anymore.”

Unlike the first stage, which was simple target practice, this round demanded instinct, speed, and survival. Every participant carried a bow infused with special magical arrows. The announcer had explained: "When struck, your body will glow with the elimination light, teleporting you safely out of the field. No real harm, but defeat all the same."

Ark lifted his hand and whispered softly. His mana swirled gently, invisible to the audience, and he activated his scanning magic. In his mind's eye, the battlefield shifted. The grass concealed three competitors hiding to his left, another pair crouching behind boulders on his right. Farther ahead, movement. At least ten had already begun firing arrows at random targets.

So many... but reckless.

Behind him, a bow tie snapped with a sharp sound. Immediately, Ark rolled forward. He saw an arrow fly by his head and disappear into the grass. He turned without thinking, pulled his bow back, and let go. His arrow hit the ambusher's shoulder, shining in blue light. Before glowing and disappearing from the field, the competitor let out an outburst

"One down.”

Shouts erupted across the arena as eliminations triggered everywhere. Two fighters shot at each other in close quarters, both glowing moments later. A trio of archers formed a temporary alliance, cornering opponents from the high rocks. But alliances never lasted-when one lowered his guard, his so-called partner eliminated him instantly.

Ark stood his breathing while bending low in the grass.

Another presence approached from the right. He closed his eyes briefly, sensing with mana. Fast, confident footsteps. Dangerous. The moment the figure appeared, Ark loosed two arrows in quick succession. The boy ducked the first, deflecting it with his bow, but the second grazed his leg, glowing faintly. He swore, then disappeared in the elimination light.

The audience shouted Ark's name, impressed by his calm and accuracy.

But Ark knew this was only the beginning.

Suddenly, chaos erupted. A rain of arrows arced from the rocky ridge, forcing half a dozen competitors to scatter. The ridge was a strategic point, giving height and vision. Ark narrowed his eyes. So that's where the true threats are hiding.

He sprinted, weaving through flying arrows, and reached the cover of a stone wall. Three archers dominated the ridge, shooting down like hawks. Several fighters already lay eliminated by their teamwork.

Ark grabbing his bow. "Time to break that nest.”

Focused intently, he charged his arrow with mana and let it fly at the rock below. A portion of the ridge was broken when the arrow struck, causing a magical force to explode. The air was hazy with dust. Coughing and blinded, the three archers fell. Ark jumped onto the broken slope at that very moment, his arrows flying one after the other. All three disappeared in luminous defeat, one after the other.

Then the crowd was also shocked by Ark action.

The battlefield was much smaller now. Only twelve were left, strewn about the shattered grassland where sixty had once stood. Every survivor was skilled in moving with the hunters' cautiousness. Like lightning bolts, arrows flew through the air, each one bearing the sting of elimination.

Ark wiped sweat from his forehead. His heart pounded, but his focus sharpened even more. Twelve left... I need to be in the final eight.

He crouched low, exhaling slowly. I can't just fight recklessly. I need a strategy.

Ark's eye shifted to the boy he had previously noticed, a tall, sharp-featured young man full of confidence, as though fate had responded. Each arrow was released with blade-like precision, and his perfect posture shouted nobility. He smiled as though victory was already in his birthright, but instead of panicking like the others, he displayed reckless confidence. He was surrounded by a wild, dangerous energy that was unmistakably that of a noble son who had never experienced defeat.

Ark said. “ A noble child also a stupid and untalent attitude.

The announcer shouted, "ONLY TWELVE REMAIN-WHO WILL CLAIM THE FINAL EIGHT SLOTS?!"

The second stage had only just begun.

Then, Ark, bored of the tournament , decided to rest, then he went to the tree side and slept for a while.

Nearby, two boys fought, their arrows waving past one another, until one was hit in the chest and disappeared in a flash of light. On the other side of the field, two girls had teamed up and were standing side by side, firing accurate shots that swiftly took out two reckless rivals.

Another fighter, in a panic, let loose arrows everywhere; however, his carelessness backfired when one of the noble boy's accurate arrows hit him cleanly, instantly eliminating him. The clever aristocrat stood erect in the open, smiling as though no one could harm him, his confidence only adding to his imposing attitude.

Finally, when the dust settled, just eight competitors remained standing-including Ark.

The announcer raised his voice, booming with excitement. "The qualifier round ends! Eight competitors remain! Prepare yourselves-the final stage of the tournament begins now!”

The crowd erupted with cheers, their excitement reaching new heights as the tension grew. With only a few matches left, everyone knew the tournament’s climax was drawing dangerously close.