70 Unstoppable Obstacles

With the official shouting to begin the race, the racers ran through the obstacle course. Starting out simple, the first section was a narrow pathway, that had water on both sides. Running together, it was inevitable that some of the racers would fall into the water.

Vying for positions, the Rangers raced each other, as some of them got shoved or pushed into the pools next to the track. Falling aside didn't mean elimination, but it would slow them down, as they swam ashore.

Continuing on, the racers proceeded to the next section, a jumping wall. There was a rope off to the side, that the shorter competitors could use, but it would take them longer to run over and climb up. Activating as much speed as they could, several racers rushed up and launched themselves.

Different racers had different results. Those who were diligent and trained hard were rewarded with success, and those who weren't motivated or took shortcuts were taught harsh lessons by reality. Of course, life wasn't that uniform.

There were some lazy racers, who got lucky, while there were also some dedicated athletes, who simply had a bad day. While some made it, others fell down, but that's another part of the obstacle course. It was a test on their mental fortitude.

A few of them got angry and frustrated, but most of the racers got back up, inspired to try and jump even higher next time. Some of the shortest competitors had rushed to the rope, hoisting themselves up at a breakneck pace.

They already knew that the wall was simply too tall for them to jump, given its physical height. A true athlete couldn't let pride hold them back, attempting to jump over and over would only wear them down. Instead of being stubborn, they put that energy to better use, choosing to just race harder.

Two obstacles into the course, it was starting to take its toll on the competitors, with some of them showing the first signs of fatigue. Having passed the jumping wall, the racers moved on to the third obstacle.

A large pit was in front of them, curious as to how they would proceed, Zanir watched on from the stands. Racers approached the pit, grabbing onto the metal bars, swinging from one bar to the next. Now that he noticed, he could see several rows of metal bars next to each other.

Spaced apart, the metal bars would require upper arm strength to pass through, as well as coordination. It only took a few moments, for the first to fall. Missing his grip, he wasn't able to securely grasp the next metal bar.

Plummeting into darkness, a splash was heard, indicating that the Ranger was alright. Once one fell, others followed. Some ran out strength or missed their grip, while others were kicked by another racer.

Swimming, the fallen competitors had to climb all the way back up. Not only did it take a long time, but it burnt up a lot of their energy, making it much more difficult to win. Those that tried to push on past the odds met the rest at the final obstacle.

A large slanted section had been built, where they had to run uphill. Thinking it was simple for the final obstacle, Zanir was surprised when officials stated dumping rocks down the pathway. Not large enough to damage the racers, they would instead make it very hard to run on top of, causing people to lose their footing.

Watching the finale, he saw that only certain sections were flooded, giving the racers time to shift their course and move accordingly. Only those who failed to take notice of the upcoming sections would be caught off guard.

Finishing up the race, he saw several of the nearby people cheer, while others scowled, having lost money on their bets. Several of the racers and their coaches were gathered together after the event, casually chatting, they bantered about the race.

Bragging and offering each other advice, the group was familiar with each other. Approaching the group, Zanir made introductions and small talk. Since he was a merchant, they didn't ask him anything sports related.

Offering them some small advice, along with a few minor improvements, he quickly changed their minds. Not only did this young man know about sports, but he was good. Everyone looked to the experienced coaches, who were thinking about what he said.

Sensing that he had a knack, some of the athletes wanted to ask for his help. Knowing that this would be beneficial for his plans, he agreed to help them out, under one condition. Talented coaches were hard to come by, so they wanted to know what his terms were.

That was when he decided to pitch his idea. If it worked, he could end up making a lot more money. It would also help the Rangers get stronger, by improving their training. He just wasn't sure if they'd go for it.

"If you want my advice, the quickest way to improve your training is a better venue. Now, I know what your thinking. 'Where am I going to find another place to train?' Don't worry about that, I've got you covered!"

"It just so happens, that my company is in possession of a genuine dungeon core, that's right a genuine, bonafide, authentic, one hundred percent verified and tested dungeon. Get this, the course changes every day. You'll never have to run the same course twice."

After ensuring that it was directly under his control and that the monsters couldn't escape, the Rangers allowed him to set up the mother of all obstacle courses. Using a dungeon just for that was overkill, but if they had the dungeon, he thought it was worth trying.

Waving his dragon hand around, he enveloped the course in a green smoke, absorbing the obstacles and rearranging the area. Where there had been obstacles in a course before, the dungeon had stretched out.

Dressed in blue and red colored safety gear, the various monsters had giant padded bats. They would try to push the racers on some parts. If anything happened to them, they would only fall unconscious for about half an hour.

With death not being permanent inside the dungeon, the obstacles could be a lot more deadly. People could see menacing blades swinging in some sections, while others had blades that stuck out of the ground, rotating in alternating sequences.

People were speechless until one guy in the back yelled out.

"This is awesome!"