Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 220

The day after receiving Chris's permission to participate in the Betarion Empire-hosted "Great Martial Arts Tournament."

I logged into Astria Online with Chris and immediately checked the arena rankings. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Hmm...”

“What’s the problem?” Chris asked.

“The most reliable way to secure a spot in the tournament finals is by getting into the top 16 of this season’s arena rankings, right?” I replied.

“That’s correct.”

“How should I do that? It feels like it’s too late.”

I anxiously stomped my feet.

The problem stemmed from my habit of forfeiting matches as soon as they began to quickly complete daily arena quests.

Currently, my arena ranking was "Bronze."

In terms of standings, I was far down the list, practically scraping the bottom.

Of course, there was still time before the tournament finals. With a win-streak bonus, my rating points could climb rapidly. There were about two weeks left until the finals. If I played in the arena 24 hours a day every day, I might even break into the top 100 rankings. However...

“When you look at the arena rankings, the ratings jump significantly starting from the top 20. That’s where things get intense.”

“Yes, there’s a huge difference below that. It’s almost as if there’s a clear divide between players with finals-level skill and those without.”

“Now I get why Jukdae has been burning through his unused vacation days to grind the arena lately.”

Chris analyzed the rankings with me, examining the rating brackets.

As expected of Korea, a country truly serious about gaming. The top spots in the Asian server’s arena rankings were mostly dominated by Korean nicknames. While there were a few names that appeared to belong to Japanese, Chinese, or Taiwanese players, the vast majority were written in Hangul.

“Jukdae, Jo Hyunsu, Woo Gyeol. Oh, wow, even Mr. Hopkins? When did he manage to climb so high? ...And in 15th and 16th place, we have Park Jungkwon and Skada.”

“Mercenaries from both the Alfarion and Betarion Empires’ guild leaders are participating. And it looks like members of Skada’s raid party are competing too.”

“Everyone’s putting in a lot of effort. Well, considering the rewards, it makes sense.”

“Aren’t you joining, Chris?”

“Nope. I don’t have time for the arena,” she replied with a grin before pulling me into her arms.

“I’m too busy spending time with Rain.”

“R-right.”

Blushing slightly, I let myself be held for a moment before shaking my head vigorously. With a small pout, I «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» pointed at the rankings page.

“Anyway, the rating scores from the top 20 onward are ridiculously high. It’s physically impossible to catch up in the remaining time. Ugh, I should’ve decided to participate earlier.”

“Is it really necessary to make it into the arena rankings?” Chris asked, tilting her head.

“Huh?”

What was Chris talking about all of a sudden?

Only the top 16 in the arena rankings could advance to the tournament finals.

Chris minimized the arena rankings displayed in front of us and pulled up the Great Martial Arts Tournament event page.

“Look here. It says the finals will feature 32 players from each server. This season’s top 16 arena players and 16 additional qualifiers from preliminary matches. The preliminaries will be held near Betarion’s capital about a week before the finals. That’s just a few days away.”

“Oh...! You’re right.”

Indeed, the event page clearly stated that an additional 16 participants for the finals would be selected through preliminaries.

“Besides the usual PvP enthusiasts, plenty of hidden experts will show up. Of course, arena players have their unique experience, so most qualifiers will likely be eliminated by them in the finals.”

“This gives players ranked below the top 20 a chance too.”

“Exactly. So, what do you think? It’ll mean dealing with an extra hassle, but do you still want to participate?”

“Of course!” I clenched my fists and nodded firmly.

Making it into the top 16 in the preliminaries? That was nothing to me.

“After all, victory belongs to Rain~”

“Pfft, hahaha! What’s with those lyrics?” Chris burst out laughing at the tune I was humming while reviewing the event page in her embrace.

As I continued to examine the page, I discovered something new.

[Great Martial Arts Tournament! Special Event Announcement]

[Astria Online Live Event]

[Gocheok Sky Dome]

[August 11th (Saturday) and 12th (Sunday)]

[Two-day competition and event schedule]

[...]

“Huh. Chris, did you know about this?”

“...Did you even read the event page? I thought you knew everything when you signed up.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s hosted by the Betarion Emperor, so...”

“It’s a massive hybrid event, both online and offline. It’s no longer just an in-game event on the continent of Astria. Depending on the circumstances, participants might attend in person. Most finalists will probably show up at the venue.”

“I see...”

Staring blankly, I read the rest of the event page.

Everyone would be there.

Not just players on the continent of Astria, but people from Earth too.

Should Isulbi go to the event in person?

Chris seemed to be watching me closely.

“...I don’t particularly want to attend the event myself. Besides, you’re still using a wheelchair, so...”

“I’ll go.”

“Okay. I suppose you could—wait, what?”

Chris’s eyes widened.

“Isulbi wants to go to Seoul to see the Astria Online event.”

“Really? Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? ...Ah, Chris!”

“Oh no, oh no!” Chris suddenly hugged me tightly and started crying.

“Honestly, I really wanted to go! But your condition, sniffle, made me think... maybe you’d hate being stared at...!”

“I’m fine! Let’s go together!”

I did my best to console Chris.

I had nothing much to do until the preliminaries.

There was no need to grind the arena rankings or practice excessively.

Instead, I spent my time traveling leisurely with Chris across the central regions of the Astria continent, heading toward the Betarion Empire.

Though using teleportation scrolls to travel quickly was an option, I wanted to enjoy the scenery at a relaxed pace for once.

The season on Astria had turned to summer.

A soft, warm breeze skimmed over the emerald green fields, accompanied by the pleasant rustling of grass.

The vast, blue plains of the continent welcomed us warmly.

“This is Rosellia Plain, where we passed through as newbies,” I remarked.

“Yeah, it is! Look over there—the stream we played in!” Chris chuckled.

The continent I once roamed alone had gradually turned into a place filled with memories shared with Chris.

*

“Hmm.”

Finally, today.

The day of the preliminaries, a week before the finals.

I logged into the designated preliminary site near the Betarion Empire’s capital—a vast and open plain surrounded by an enormous, dense forest.

Why choose such an expansive plain as the venue for the preliminaries?

The reason became immediately clear through the sight unfolding before me.

A buzz of voices. A swarm of people.

“Unbelievable...”

A literal forest of people stretched across the wide green expanse of the plain.

The participants weren’t wearing any kind of uniform, nor were they arranged in neat lines. It looked more like a ragtag army encamped in disarray.

From my current position on a distant hill, I could see the chaos below, but if I were to step into that crowd, my small stature would vanish completely amidst the throng.

Everyone gathered here must be players looking to enter the preliminaries.

How many were there, exactly? Even with a conservative estimate, the number easily reached several thousand.

Since invitations were sent to all players eligible for the latest expansion area, there were no restrictions on entry beyond level requirements. This meant that not only were current arena rankers present, but also all sorts of random players.

“Wow...”

Crouching atop the hill, I observed the crowd below.

“Oh, look! There are kids here too.”

Among the preliminary participants, scattered here and there, were small, youthful players—short in stature and clearly quite young.

After Astria Online had its rating lowered to 12 and up, some young players had leveled up rapidly. Now, they too stood among the ranks of worthy adventurers.

Feeling a strange sense of pride, I wiped my nose with a finger and descended the hill confidently.

Quietly, I slipped into the edge of the crowd.

Without making a sound, I merged with the mass of people and ducked into the shadow of the person in front of me.

Wearing my adventurer’s hood pulled over my head, my small frame was perfectly concealed behind the broad-shouldered fighter in front of me.

It’s not that I was afraid of people—far from it. But avoiding unnecessary trouble was preferable. The life of a celebrity was exhausting.

I waited amidst the noisy crowd, unsure how much time had passed.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a resonant hum echoed across the vast plain.

The sound of magic activating.

On a hill slightly elevated above the crowd, a magic circle appeared, and from it emerged an enormous projection of a person, easily visible to everyone gathered.

The figure, as tall as a giant to the untrained eye, was clearly an illusion—a middle-aged man dressed in the unmistakable robes of a wizard.

“Oh, is that the Empire’s preliminary examiner?”

“That huge projection... is it a hologram? No, it’s illusion magic. Pretty effective. Makes sense to use something like this for a crowd this large.”

As murmurs rippled through the crowd, the projection began to speak.

[Greetings to all participants of the Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries. You, who are known as adventurers from beyond the stars, have gathered here. I am Crodein, the court wizard of the Betarion Empire, and the examiner for this preliminary round.]

It was undoubtedly the effect of magic. The wizard’s voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd and delivered his words clearly to each participant, explaining the rules of the preliminaries.

As the wizard continued his explanation, the players’ reactions varied. Some nodded knowingly as if they had anticipated this, while others appeared shocked, lost in thought.

“So, we have to fight in the Herba Forest on the right side of the plain until only 16 players remain?”

“No re-entry allowed if you leave the area. No other rules. This... this is...!”

The rules for the Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries were simple.

Participants would battle in the vast forest until only the final 16 players remained.

This was none other than the infamous ‘Battle Royale’ format.