99: Forest of Traps

Forest of Traps

"We gather here,"2

Arthur could hear the voice coming from a person standing midair. Looking at him, he had a black bushy beard with a charismatic face. He wore the black and white robes of the association with a white shirt underneath it. At his words, the crowd filling the stands quieted down. 

It was then that Arthur could take a better look at the surrounding. Clouds surrounded them like a wall, the clear sky felt ever so close, and the stands where the crowds gathered were levitating a distance in the air. He, along with Emma and others, stood on a platform that could either be flying or suspended midair. His group, those that had arrived from Yalen, stood there on the edge of the platform along with several other crowded groups. 

When Arthur tried to peer over the platform's edge, a short distance away from him, he could only make out the outlines of forests and nearby mountains. 

"To witness the next generation proving themselves! Their talents! Their efforts! It's the chance for them to rise from the common masses!" The man spread his arms as the crowd cheered again. 

It was then that Arthur remembered reading about how tickets were sold like hot cakes for this competition. It might take a flight, but it was exciting to witness young people changing the world into their bidding on a flying platform in the sky. 

"Fear not," The man continued. "There shall be no causalities," He reassured. "As everyone from the younger generation is irreplaceable to us, The Runes Association! If anyone, for any reason, tried to take the life of his fellow apprentice, they would be eliminated!" 

The crowd cheered again. Arthur could see their excited faces, the anticipation, their flying salvia, and their fervent crowd mentality. Each nation cheered for their people, and each nation had a different color for its hood. 

The Yalveran Union enjoyed a golden hood, Janea took the green, Halin wore the blue, and the Ilios Empire assumed the white. These four occupied the Anera continent. As for the Akrena continent, Orlan wore black, Sourna wore cyan, and Thiria wore orange. The Theocracy of Shon didn't participate, again, in the Runes Apprentices Cup.

The robes with their different hoods, the clothes underneath it, and the skin tone of the participants all meshed together in a wide array of colors that Arthur almost felt dizzy by it. However, their hoods were pulled down for now, as they only had them when the competition starts for their nation to recognize them. 

"At first, we shall distribute the rings." The host announced and flocks of people started handing out rings. Arthur's turn soon came and he placed the ring around his finger, feeling the runes within. "These rings would be your identity, make sure not to lose it." The host said with an ominous grin. "They contain teleportation runes that would take you to the first region, Forest of Traps!" 

The crowd cheered again when they heard the name. The host gestured for them to calm down, but the cheering lasted for a few more moments before it died down. 

"As most of you know, a great Runes Master is one who's keen of runes themselves. That's why the first test would be of sensing runes. All of you would be transported into a forest, a gigantic one, I assure you." He scanned the thousands of contestants. "And you need to traverse the forest looking for a black-box. Once you touch the box, you pass! Each black-box can teleport five people only." 

He made it sound so easy that Arthur knew there was a catch, and so did others. From what Arthur read, the forest had the most elimination rate among contestants. 

"However," Of course, there was a 'however.' The bearded host continued. "The forest is filled with runes, invisible to the eyes! They activate upon touch, and if anyone activates more than three runes, they're teleported out!" He pointed away in a dramatic fashion that earned him a cheer from the crowd. 

"Of course, you can't just dwell and take your time." He shook his finger. "There are only two-hundred boxes in the forest! Make sure to move those legs!" The host grinned; his words obvious. Only a thousand contestants can pass this region. "Everyone, wear your hoods! Make your nations proud! Make sure to be nice to each other! Good luck!" He clapped his hands and the contestants started disappearing. 

"Good luck, Arthur," Emma grinned in his way. Roy and the others also wished each other luck before the world changed and the scenery was replaced by trees. 

Standing in the middle of the forest, Arthur had the impulse to start dashing right away. However, he knew better than that. The host's words about only the first thousand people passing were true, but they were also tricky. If everyone started dashing madly and searching, they would be eliminated in no time. 

He sensed the surroundings, using his perception and his 'link' to the world that allowed him to control runes. As he did, he started sensing a lot of runes around. And as he expected, the surroundings were filled in them. 

This test wasn't about detection as much as it was about patience, Arthur noted. If a Runes Master was impulsive and haste, he would be a failure since the profession itself was an arduous one. He remembered Ivy's words about how he lacked the patience to foresee things, and he sat down on the ground instead of bolting forward. 

His pretended to search in his pouch, but he was using the detection rune to search the surrounding. Even though the host said there would be no causalities, he said nothing about not getting hurt. When his detection rune scanned the surrounding, it revealed several lifeforms in a 500-meters radius. His Detection-II rune allowed him to spread and control the range as long as he invested mana. 

There were many lifeforms above ground and in the air. Arthur spent quite a bit of mana to find them, but it was worth it since he shouldn't need mana for this test. 

'Make sure to be nice to each other!'

The host's words were friendly, but they implied an unpleasant lack of rule. There was no rule in the competition that forbids obstructing others. Of course, the rules were only about taking someone's life, not obstructing them, or injuring them. Arthur was sure the ring on his finger would teleport him if he was grievously injured. 

Monsters roamed the forest, Arthur realized. So did humans, most likely to be contestants. In the short amount of time that Arthur tried to detect the surrounding, a few lifeforms already disappeared. 

'Eliminated?' Arthur frowned, but soon realized that most contestants needed a sharp perception and strong familiarity with runes to be able to sense their unique mana waves. However, he also realized that the host's warning had pushed them into rushing forward. 

Arthur stood up, his golden hood covering his face, as he decided on the best route to take. He took his first step forward as he started walking through the forest. As if the runes plastered themselves to his skin, Arthur felt their prominent existence like an extension of himself. 

He cut through the forest, avoiding the runes. There were runes on the trees, the ground, the rocks, and even some falling leaves that Arthur avoided. It was no wonder that the first region eliminated people the most, as one needed to have been close to runes ever since they were young to be able to perceive them appropriately.

Arthur kept his detection rune active, his hand always in his bag. If anything, the monsters were the biggest threat here even if they were all primitive-tier. 

If you encountered a monster, and it decided to attack you in a forest filled with runes, it would instantly amplify the difficulty. Even one wrong step would have you eliminated. The host said three runes meant an elimination. If you moved carelessly, even ten runes can be activated. 

The forest was eerily quiet, filled occasionally in the screams of someone before they were teleported out. The trees, old and gigantic, were ones Arthur could recognize. However, they had a black trunk and branches, with vibrant green leaves. Bushes, natural hideouts for runes, surrounded the trees with only a few paths for them to walk through. 

'Would it happen now?' Arthur wondered, avoiding a rune on a branch. He was getting used to it, and to be frank, it was quite easy for him. Ever since he received his legacy, runes easy to sense. However, his thoughts were elsewhere. 'Where are you, Tyrin?' He was burdened by the worries of a possible calamity. 

"It's mine!" A hoarse voice shouted from the distance. With his rune, Arthur could sense that a few people were there. He changed directions and headed that way. A safe distance away, he peered through the trees. In a clearing between the trees, a monster and two others were fighting as they avoided the runes. Arthur realized there was something on the ground beside them, a black object. 

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