3 STRATEGY

"As you said, there were 98 competitors," Glax scratched his chin and made some rough calculations.

"So the math says that only those with more than 17 tokens are going to be eligible, if we were in a balanced game…"

Giving a sidelong glance, he saw Rasmus was paying attention. But something in his mate's expression told him it was difficult for the warrior to keep up with his estimate. Glax tried to be more detailed.

"Together, we have… 9 plus 16 plus the 2 that are around our necks. There are 71 tokens out there. If Proctius has 20 tokens like you said, he's the winner. If the game stops tonight, that's it. But, if I give you my 16, you'll become the winner, as you will have then 26 tokens. Unless there is a warrior who has managed to kill more than 26 people without anyone knowing it until now."

The thought that one person could kill 26 others in just 3 days conflicted with his modern mentality, which focused on respect for human beings. At the same time, he was aware that this person was a formidable predator; the apex of violence and the ability of his species, and that was impressive. But he returned to his logic.

"Most likely, there are some surviving warriors with a fair number of tokens. They will attack people with the same number of tokens as they do, as they will be easier to prey on than focusing on other predators like Proctius…" He nodded to Rasmus, who nodded back, excited, clinging to the easiest part:

"So this is what I should do, Glax? Go after someone who has less of a predator than myself and is holed up somewhere on the island?"

"But also..." Barely listening to Rasmus, Glax pondered, "if one of them manages to kill Proctius, he will have 20 tokens at once... Becoming the winner. Rasmus, is there a special prize for who is the winner?"

"Ah, well… Yes, and no. Officially, you only get a spearhead and a marriage with a krios woman." Rasmus pondered, scratching his head. "It is not like when it happened the first time. The hero who won the first competition married the emperor's daughter, and became the grand general of Stygia. But winning the Armoric Games and marrying a clan's lady... Your children will be krios. They may even claim their names in songs in the future. Anyway, how will I be the 'Famous Rasmus' if I stay in Valosia? Do you think I should go after the weaker guys or go after Proctius? You had said I had to wait. "

Glax tore off a long strip of his skirt, and tore it into even thinner strips. He intended to braid them while they were there.

"What are you doing?" the other warrior asked.

"I'm going to make some extra fake braids. I think if I get them dirty and wet they can look like real ones if they are mixed." 

That's exactly what he did.

"Isn't that cheating?"

"Oh, what's a little trickery in the fight for survival?" Glax winked at his new friend. "Look. I don't intend to deceive the judges, but our rivals. You saw how everyone runs away from that Proctius. He has many necklaces around his neck and this is a symbol of his superiority. Half of his fight is easier now, just because of that. This can work for us too."

"But I want more necklaces for real."

Glax could understand the hope of ascension through marriage, coupled with the recognition of being a formidable warrior, but… Was it really necessary to bring everyone together on an island to kill themselves?"

"What makes a noble woman marry a guy who wins the tournament? And why are there only six of them this year?"

"It's just… Wow Glax, it's usually you explaining things to me, not the other way around. I'm getting confused! But... A woman from our clan can only remain single until she is 22 years old AND if she has a good excuse for that. And only a few, who swear only to marry a winner of the Armoric Games, manage to go unmarried after 22 years! They do this when they think they are too special or too busy to get married." He shrugged.

"I think I understand." It wasn't worth discussing the customs, and he gathered all his strings, and pushed for Rasmus. "Okay, take this. You can have mine, I decided I don't want to get married." At the very least, it would be awful to marry a woman who was avoiding marriage.

Rasmus looked at him strangely. "No, because I can't let you be ashamed of not getting a single token, and hiding so you wouldn't be killed. If you ring the bell with no tokens, you will not only be considered a failure, but a coward. And you are nothing like that. "

"AW!" Glax couldn't help but exclaim at Rasmus's sincere words. He now regretted that the former Glax had not survived, and Matt had taken his place. But Rasmus looked like a nice guy. "Then keep half. We are taking care of each other, while we should be rivals," Glax said with a smile.

Rasmus's sidelong look made him look like a hungry wolf, and Glax frowned. "Hey! Why are you looking at me like that? We won't have to duel, will we?"

He sincerely hoped not.

Rasmus' surprised laughter echoed through the tunnel and Glax kicked him to shut up. The big man covered his mouth, while the paranoid newbie paid attention to the sounds outside. Practically all the island should have heard that scandalous and loud laughter.

And he heard a loud crack very close to the entrance. As if something had broken a branch. It was incredible, but Rasmus's laugh had scared something or someone approaching the cave entrance.

Glax was glad it wasn't the hypothetical bear.

His fingers wrapped around the handle of the small leaf-shaped blade sword, while he exchanged a look with Rasmus.

He couldn't deny what his racing heart denounced: he was scared. He was a young adult, fresh out of college, a totally urban person.

And he had learned an important lesson: his isekai had not come with martial skills included!

"Unfair world! Where's my cheat?!"

Rasmus had already gotten up and dashed out. Now he had the option to do the same, or to stay to buckle up his sandals... Like the coward he remembered he was. The guy who avoided the dark streets nearby college. The guy who outran thieves to defend a pair of sneakers...

A sword in his hand was a waste of character, as they said in their RPG table.

Sienna was much more courageous than he was.

Pressing the strongest sword in the handle and wrapping the hair strings around his neck, he launched himself out just as the sound of the banging against metal reverberated. Rasmus was facing a man who wore a spear and a shield.

Vapors rising from the warm soil formed a mist that hid them to their waists. Two more men, bald as Rasmus, approached out of the fog with cautious and bloodthirsty expressions, like wolves in a pack.

'They must have joined because they know they can divide our booty among themselves,' Glax realized, and his eyes darted to the guys' necks. He estimated each one had about 7 tokens.

The little he knew of strategy came from his endless online gaming sessions. While accessing the surrounding forest environment, his enemies approached.

The warrior facing Rasmus dodged his club and struck a side blow with the spear, while dropping the shield.

The feint had the desired effect, as Rasmus opened his guard to take advantage of his opponent's carelessness, and the other warrior drove the spear into his arm.

Glax winced in sympathy at the sight of his comrade being hit. It was at that moment that, at the top of an elevation, he saw the shadow of a fourth person, watching the combat.

Proctius!

"Hey, suckers, look who's here!" He pointed to the silhouette, deciding to outsource his part of the fight.

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Chapter Edited by the Mighty CeritusOrbis - Go check his incredible SciFi 'Ravens of Eternity'. Search it in your browser.