27 Let the games begin! [1]

A wave of damp warmth hit my face when I got spawned into the forest, although I would probably have called it a jungle if it was up to me. I was surrounded by gigantic trees, seemingly endlessly reaching up to the sky and other leafy greeneries like bushes everywhere. The forest was very much suited for hiding and using the environment to one's advantage.

My body got recreated with the exact same specs as in reality, all of my Skills very much usable and ready to go, but I didn't call out sub-me just yet. First thing first, I wanted to take a little stroll to enjoy the sights. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like my shackles had been severed, something I concluded was due to the fact that I was very much alone here, at least for the time being.

Taking up my scythe which was laying next to me on the ground, the only item I brought with me, I started my little trip, venturing through the thick bushes, making sure I didn't make too much noise.

"Kriik!"

After a couple of minutes of walking, I was standing on the edge of a small grove where I found the first monster I had ever seen. A small green creature who had his private parts covered by a dirty loincloth, scratching his ass with one hand while holding a wooden club with the other.

It was a goblin, but seeing it with my own eyes instead of in a game was remarkable. Seeing the dry skin, the wrinkles on its face and the pointy ears that seemed to have lives of their own made my heart feel a bit heavy. This wasn't just a bundle EXP, it was a living being, most likely also doing its best to stay alive!

'What am I thinking... This is VR in the first place...'

Yea, I might be a moron. However, the point was that seeing the creature I had slain millions of in the game with my own eyes was enlightening, showing me that I had to prepare myself to claim the lives of real creatures if I wanted to survive in this place.

Steeling my mind, I ran out of the bush I was hiding in, the scythe sitting comfortably in my right hand. "Krrik?!" Even though the small critter got a bit surprised at my sudden entrance, it didn't take long until it made itself ready for battle. "Krik!"

It raised its club, both hands pointing it outwards toward me, spreading his feet to make sure he stood steady. 'Why is he standing like he was a swordsman from a movie...' The goblin hadn't rushed at me like I thought it would, instead it stood its ground, patiently waiting for my approach. "Krik...(Is there really no other way...?)

"There is not. It's you or me, Krik. I'm sorry, but it has to be done... This world isn't big enough for both of us..."

"Krik! (Then so be it!)

We were fully understanding each other at this point in time. In this space, there were only us, both of us prepared to fight for what we believed in. There was no hatred, only two resolves bound to clash. "Here I come."

"Krik! (Come, young one!)"

I dashed forward, the blade of my weapon pointing down to the ground as I readied myself to launch my attacks. Suddenly, a spike of ice was launched at Krik, a sudden ambush that completely disregarded the honor of our duel. "Noooo! Krik!"

*BAM!*

"Kriiiik! (Urgh! Tell my children... I love them...)"

The life of Krik was extinguished in a matter of a second, his heart already pierced by the large spike of ice. Dropping my weapon, *Thud!*, I ran up to my enemy, thinking about how we got here. "Maybe if I just..."

"What are you doing, James...?"

A voice rang out behind me, a very familiar voice that I had now heard on multiple occasions during our lessons. A silver-haired elf with a rapier in her right hand. Adriana was the one who interrupted my sacred battle with my rival, the one who took his life with the move of a coward.

'Well, this is pretty embarrassing, isn't it?'

Although I had only been roleplaying a bit, I had gotten sucked into it to the point that my mind didn't hesitate for a second to grieve the ugly goblin who smelled like ass. Taking up my scythe again, I scratched my head, feeling self-conscious that she had seen my little play.

"Well, nothing really. Just enjoying myself?"

A frown appeared on her face, the facial expression that she was showing me the majority of the time as a result of one simple fact; She truly didn't like me. "There you go again. It seems like every time you open your mouth you manage to annoy me."

Shrugging, I didn't really have much of an answer to give her, "Well, maybe you shouldn't be so close to me then? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"What did you say...?"

Her eyes suddenly turned grim, as she raised her rapier with her right hand glowing in light blue, small shards of ice starting to appear around it. 'Did I piss her off? I just said she didn't have to force herself to be around me?' I just couldn't understand women. Sophie, Ms. Turner, Sarah, and Adriana were all pretty strange, making it hard for me to predict their reactions in a lot of situations.

Seeing Adriana getting ready for battle, I quickly began to prepare myself as well, as words didn't appear to be necessary anymore. It was a battle royale, after all.

"Here I come, heir of a hidden house...!"

Adriana dashed toward me, alas I had already made myself ready, There was no way she would be able to kill me, not after the hellish training I had committed myself to.

"Dome of Mist..."

****

[Adriana Pov]

"There is not. It's you or me, Krik. I'm sorry, but it has to be done... This world isn't big enough for both of us..."

"Krik!"

I had just arrived at a grove. Me and Trisha were currently separated, having already decided on a home base where we would meet up after surveying the area for a bit. The plan we had come up with was pretty simple, try to stealthily find where other students were and then try to create a makeshift map so we could make sure to map out our movement.

However, the sight in front of me made me unable to contain myself. It was just so fucking ridiculous. James was talking with a goblin, acting as if he could understand it. Not only that but he was also equipped with a goddamn scythe?! Was he just taking this whole ranking event like a joke?!

'No... That would mean I am a joke to him too...'

My pride didn't allow me to think that he was doing this without a plan, it would hurt too much thinking that someone of the same age as me could feel so confident in himself that he didn't have to worry at all.

"[Ice Lance]!"

I stood up and fired a spike of ice into the goblin, not wanting to see this abomination of a play anymore. Just before it would make contact with its target, James screamed, "Noooo! Krik!"

*Bam!*

'Is he serious? He can't be serious right?'

His acting was so good, as he reached out with his hand as if to try and save his enemy. "Kriiiik!" When the goblin let out his last cry before he died, I started to walk forward, ready to confront the black-haired youth of a hidden family.

However, I was completely ignored as he just ran up to the goblin instead, continuing to spout bullshit, "Maybe if I just..."

'That's enough...'

"What are you doing, James...?"

With my words as the trigger, he appeared to put himself together again, stopping the stupid act of his. "Well, nothing really. Just enjoying myself?"

I felt my face warp into a frown, as he just confirmed the fears I had earlier. He just didn't take any of this seriously. "There you go again. It seems like every time you open your mouth you manage to annoy me."

For some reason, he once again made me unable to uphold the dignity of a royal, making me stoop so low as to insult him. I knew it was beneath me, but I couldn't help it. There was just something about him that triggered me immensely.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be so close to me then? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"What did you say...?"

My heart turned black at his words. He had just verbally pinpointed my biggest insecurity, as well as the one thing I felt the most anguish about in my life. 'Did he just tell me that I shouldn't be at the academy?'

With my vision darkened, I raised my rapier and started to accumulate ice in my left hand. Too angry to speak, I was prepared to show him what I wanted to say with actions. 'I don't give a fuck if he is some heir to some random hidden family, I am royalty!'

"Here I come, heir of a hidden house...!" Dashing forward, ready to slay the vile man in front of me, I got surprised by what happened next. A huge cloud of mist emerged from James, completely covering him, making it impossible to see him. I reached out with my mana, trying to sense his mana signature, but it was completely gone.

Pointing my left hand out, I sent a flurry of icy winds to get rid of the mist. As the mist disappeared, the man was gone. "Fuck!"

****

[James's Pov]

'Holy shit, that was close!'

I was currently sitting in a tree watching the angry girl shouting profanities, furious that she hadn't managed to get me. However, my plan had worked wonders, all thanks to understanding one of the animals I wanted to be able to transform into.

'I wonder how mad she would get if she knew that the raven that was staring at her was actually me?'