Chapter 12: Sudden Turn of Events


    After a night''s rest, the second round of the elimination tournament began the very next day. The relentless pace was taking its toll on everyone, especially those who had been injured in the first round and were now forced to continue with their battered bodies.


    After some discussion, Han Ming, Wei''er, Dar, and Kaja decided to form a team. Dar recounted his previous encounter, and everyone agreed that sticking together would be safer. Kaja also expressed his gratitude to Han Ming and Wei''er. When he learned that Han Ming had given Dar one of his own tokens, Kaja immediately considered Han Ming a trusted ally.


    The number of survivors from the first round had dropped from thirty to just over a dozen, nearly halving the group. Surprisingly, Shadow didn''t question Dar''s presence, despite him being from another group. After collecting all the tokens, Shadow redistributed new ones—this time red instead of white.


    Their team''s combat capabilities were far from ideal. Although Wei''er had activated her water mark as a magic apprentice, her abilities were limited. Water magic had little offensive power, and her healing spells were only effective for minor injuries. Her offensive spells, like water arrows, were practically useless—hitting someone with one felt no different than poking them with a stick. Her defensive spell, a water shield, hadn''t been tested yet, but Han Ming doubted it would be very strong. He finally understood why water mages were so undervalued.


    Dar was in even worse shape. Despite Wei''er''s healing, he could barely walk or run normally. It was a miracle he was even functional.


    As for Han Ming, he was practically useless in a fight.


    That left Kaja. Han Ming hadn''t paid much attention to him before, but two words came to mind when he thought of Kaja: low-key. He rarely spoke, and his demeanor was somewhat gloomy. His most striking feature was his long black hair, similar to Han Ming''s. Han Ming had no idea what Kaja was capable of.


    And so, the makeshift team was formed. The four of them set out for the second round of the tournament.


    On the first day, they inevitably crossed paths with other members of their group. Fortunately, things remained peaceful—until a minor incident escalated into a full-blown fight with another trio.


    The opposing team consisted of two men and a woman, the latter being quite attractive. Initially, the two groups simply passed each other without much interaction. But then Dar opened his mouth and stirred up trouble.


    "Han Ming, look at that woman. She''s really pretty—tall and beautiful. But she didn''t even glance at us," Dar said.


    Han Ming sighed. "Yeah, she''s attractive. Beautiful people tend to be proud."


    The exchange itself wasn''t offensive, and the woman even seemed flattered. But then Dar took it too far.


    "Speaking of beauty, Han Ming, do you think pretty girls poop? They might look elegant, but they still have to squat and do their business, right? And do they use toilet paper? Probably. But you know, pretty girls often have longer nails. What if they accidentally poke through the paper and get their hands dirty?"


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    Dar even smirked and glanced at the woman''s hands.


    Wei''er blushed furiously, while Han Ming broke out in a cold sweat. Dar''s mouth was a disaster. This was not going to end well.


    Sure enough, the woman glared at them and shrieked, "What did you say? I''ll cut out your tongue!" Her two companions also looked ready to attack.


    But Dar wasn''t done. "And what about nose-picking? Do pretty girls pick their noses? Where does the snot go? Do they swallow it?"


    Han Ming couldn''t take it anymore. "Shut up, Dar! That''s disgusting!"


    Unfortunately, the other group thought Han Ming was in on the joke. The two men drew their weapons and charged.


    Han Ming groaned. Dar''s big mouth had gotten them into trouble again.


    Kaja, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly moved. In a flash, he appeared in front of the two attackers. Two dull thuds later, the men were sent flying, their weapons now in Kaja''s hands.


    Kaja tossed the weapons back to the groaning men, gave the woman a cold look, and returned to the group.


    Han Ming''s jaw dropped. Kaja was a true expert!


    The woman, furious, spat out a threat and dragged her companions away.


    Han Ming shook his head and pointed at Dar. "Can''t you keep your mouth shut for once? Why provoke them? And there''s a girl in our group—show some respect!"


    Dar shrugged and walked ahead. "She looked down on me. So what if I''m injured? She didn''t see me taking on three guys at once."


    Han Ming gave up and let it go.


    As night fell, the group camped behind a small hill.


    Under the starry sky, Han Ming reflected on his journey. Coming to this world had been a stroke of bad luck, but at least he had made some friends. He looked down at Wei''er and Dar, who were fast asleep, and felt a warm sense of camaraderie.


    "Can''t sleep either?" Han Ming asked Kaja, who was also awake.


    ...


    "Not in the mood to talk?" Han Ming tried again.


    ...


    "Alright then," Han Ming gave up.


    The next day, the group picked up the pace, heading deeper into the valley.


    The further they went, the quieter they became. A sense of foreboding hung over them. The first round had weeded out the weak, and the remaining competitors were anything but ordinary. No one knew what—or who—they would encounter next.


    Sometimes, fate has a cruel sense of humor. As evening approached, the group ran into the three men who had robbed Dar in the first round.


    The leader, a burly man, laughed when he saw Dar. "Well, well, look who''s still alive. I regretted not searching you properly last time. Guess you''ve come back to hand over your stuff again."


    Dar, seeing his enemies, charged forward without a second thought, cursing loudly.


    Han Ming and the others had no choice but to follow. Dar''s impulsiveness was going to get them all killed.


    The fight ended quickly. Kaja took down all three men with precise strikes to their necks. Han Ming was in awe of Kaja''s speed and efficiency.


    Dar, triumphant, kicked the bodies and bent down to collect their belongings.


    Just as everyone thought the battle was over, a searing fireball shot toward them from the distance.


    "Look out!" Han Ming and Kaja shouted, diving to protect Wei''er and Dar.


    BOOM!


    The explosion sent Han Ming flying like a leaf in the wind. His ears rang, and his vision blurred. He felt like his body was being torn apart. When he finally regained consciousness, he realized he had lost an arm. Blood poured from the wound as Wei''er desperately tried to heal him.


    Kaja and Dar had fared slightly better, having avoided the brunt of the explosion, but they were still badly shaken.


    "Han Ming!" Dar roared, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the two figures approaching.


    One of them, a man with a flickering flame in his hand, smirked. "Fire mage," Kaja muttered, his expression grim.


    "You bastard!" Dar, driven by rage, charged at the fire mage, ignoring the danger.


    The mage chuckled, his flame growing into a small fireball. "Foolish. Before you die, know this: my name is Kelvin. Die in shame, you insects."