Book 5: Chapter 59: Shortest Competition Yet


    <strong>The Stadium</strong>


    <strong>Now, unlike the previouspetitions, we get to see our belovedpetitors working in pairs to solve puzzles while being assaulted by monsters! </strong>King Oberon deres, feeling incredibly excited for thepetition. <strong>To see them ying whats basically a game together, sending monsters to attack each other and dy them from-</strong>


    <strong>Um, brother, </strong>Nyx suddenly says, interrupting the king and bringing his slightly annoyed gaze towards her.


    Before she even says anything though, he notices that the audience is going wild for something that isnt his words. So he turns to look through therge cube that makes up the arena.


    <strong>I dont think thispetition is going to go how you want it, brother, </strong>Nyxments, sounding unnaturally calm. Almost like shes suppressing how she would normally react.


    King Oberon briefly nces at her to find suppressed amusement on her face that has his eyes narrowing. Then he finally focuses on the onepetitor who could change the rules.


    And when he sees her, all of the excitement detes from his body, his jaw dropping open as he stares without saying a word. Meanwhile the audience continues going wild, apparently enjoying seeing their Princess break the Fae Kings spirit.


    On the screen, King Oberon sees Scarlet and her cousin, Aria, casually walking through the walls of each puzzle room after destroying them with the Red gue. Apparently not nning on bothering themselves with the puzzles.


    <strong>Is this even </strong>King Oberon begins, only to remember the exact winning condition that his mother set for the tournament.


    To reach the end of the puzzle house first.


    It never once said that they had toplete the puzzles.


    And if they finish right away, then the ten minute countdown will start, ending thepetition ten minutes after they pass to give a chance for second and third ce victors.


    But since ten minutes isnt even enough time to finish the first puzzle


    The king stares nkly for several seconds before ncing at his contracted partner, the Demon King. Just to find the Demon King covering his mouth and casually looking away from him. As if hes covering up hisughter.


    He slowly turns back to the cube again, only to look up at the main screen that is now activating to show Scarlet as she casually walks from one puzzle room to another, destroying each wall without bothering with the puzzles. Even devouring all of the monsters inside to raise her level some more.


    <strong>I give up </strong>he eventually mutters, a hint of despair in his words. <strong>The Red gue is unfair and should be banned from this tournament.</strong>


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    But <em>Your Majesty, </em>King Arkaz of the Demons states, hiding a snicker behind his words, your mother set the rules in ce, and we cant do anything about it.


    Such a shame, Nyx says, not even hiding her amusement anymore.


    The Fae King looks between two of the most trusted people in his life before muttering, Traitors


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    So as it turns out, thepetition didnt take very long. We won within just a few minutes of starting it.


    I even got quite a few levels out of devouring the monsters on the way to the end.


    Although I swear the Fae King looks depressed. Or is that just me?


    Tar snickers in my mind as he says, <strong>Its probably just you.</strong>


    But he keeps snickering like he was in the know about some joke that Im not aware of.


    Whatever. Doesnt matter.


    Although I do grow a little confused when I look over at Allen where he is sitting in the same ce he has been in the previouspetitions amongst the audience to find his fae seemingly talking to him, following which the man sends a sympathetic gaze towards the Fae King.


    I frown and tilt my head slightly, wondering just whats going on.


    Which just has Tar snickering.


    <strong>Lets just act like thatpetition didnt happen, </strong>King Oberon says without his usual bravado. Almost like hes sulking.


    Huh?


    Okay, seriously. What is going on?


    Tar just snickers without answering.


    Then the description and rules for the nextpetition appear above our heads without King Oberon doing his usual bbering about the fights and stuff in thepetition.


    I blink as I realize that there wasnt really much for him toment on. Arias idea of just going through the walls proved to work rather well.


    Something not many people know about Aria is that she has a perfect, or near perfect memory. So she memorized almost the entire cube when the king showed it to us before, apparently not thinking it would matter.


    And with that memory of hers, she just led me to which walls I had to break down and we eventually arrived at the end of the puzzle house.


    It did, after all, say that we just had to reach the end. And doing it this way made it so that the others didnt get any bonus points from clearing puzzles. Since they wouldnt have had the time to clear puzzles.


    So we ended up with the one hundred points while everyone else got nothing.


    A rather nice turnout, if I do say so myself.


    Tar continues snickering.


    Okay, seriously. Whats going on?


    He doesnt answer, so I let out a huff and begin reading the rules for the nextpetition. Only to blink in surprise after doing so.


    Interesting.


    <strong><em>Tower Defense</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Description:</em></strong><em> All of thepetitors will be ced within their own towers. They will then be able to ce a limited number of defenses around their tower, including traps and monsters to defend against the oing monsters that will be sent at them by the otherpetitors. Allpetitors will have a limited number of monsters they can send to attack otherpetitors without spending points, and allpetitors will have a chance to be the tower defender.</em>


    <strong><em>Rules:</em></strong><em> Directly attacking otherpetitors is not possible. Directly participating in the attack yourself is not allowed.</em>


    <strong><em>Goal:</em></strong><em> Have your tower core survive the longest.</em>


    <strong><em>Rewards:</em></strong><em> First ce gets one hundred points. Second ce gets seventy-five points. Third ce gets fifty points. And allpetitors may keep the points they rued throughout thepetition.</em>


    Isnt this just a tower defense game of sorts?


    <strong>I mean, it says it in the title of thepetition, </strong>Tar points out.


    You know what I mean.