Start of the competition

Carlos was not in a good mood. Due to the mast falling, they had become the butt of the joke. Everyone in every bar and household must have been discussing them, especially his stumbling jump as the mast came down on him. While he had managed to evade, he had not landed in the most flattering position.

He was still rewatching some of the clips that had gone viral in Planet Tres' network. In the various social media outlets, people were busy poking fun at his and other's misfortune. He knew he shouldn't be blaming them, since if he was not part of the joke, he would be shouting this in a drunken stupor in some tavern. However, it still didn't feel nice to be the joke.

On that day, the various teams made their way to the stadium. This would be the first day of the match, and historically the bloodiest day. All teams would be placed in the arena.

Competition after competition, the grounds would change depending on the theme and scope of the challenge. This was a marvelous feat of engineering that consisted, among other things, advanced nanotechnology and material recompositing. 

This was the level of investment that the Tres family had put into the event. The opulence was also meant to boost the profile of the corporation, enhancing its image to the populace.

Soon, the rules of the competition were published. Every year, the rules would also change. They were meant to test the humans present and their ability to push themselves to the limit. It also enhanced the popularity of the competition and its competitiveness.

This year's theme was fire land. That was why they chose griffins as the mystical creatures used for the hunt. For the second event, the competition was going to be a race. All teams would have the same starting point. No one else was allowed into the grounds during the competition. Only the last 16 participants would make it to the next round.

As the teams and the spectators familiarized themselves with the rules, the commentators were taking their place. They had already read through the competition rules, and now they were busy explaining them to the listeners. 

Cooper was renown in the entertainment industry, both as a brilliant commentator and sports journalist. Gaining a position as one of the official commentators of the competition showed his fame and following. However, despite his lofty status, he still behaved humbly in front of the man who sat opposite him. 

It was customary to have a commentator paired up with an expert in the field. For the first match, Cooper was paired up with Henry Jackson. While his name was simple and did not have flare, it was still a household name in the planet.

Mr. Jackson had taken the competition by the storm. If people like Golden Kirin were famous, Henry Jackson more than quadrupled their fame. In terms of achievement, Henry Jackson had been the captain of the White Oak corporation's team for more than ten years. Before than, he had been the ace of the competition. 

Suffice it to say, no one in the entire planet knew more about the competition than he did. As commentator, he had both credibility and popularity. His baritone voice reverberated through the speakers, enhancing his manliness by a notch higher.

In fact, the man was over six feet tall, had bulking muscles, and that look of an expert. The kind that told a normal person that if the former took action, there was nothing they could do except wait for death. 

At that moment, the two were discussing the new rules that had been published. Henry Jackson was busy explaining why this moment was so important, "This is when all the strategies, all the plans either teams comes into play. Before this moment, no one knows what to expect. All you can do is prepare, be ready for anything." 

"Surely that's not possible, is it?" Cooper asked, pushing the conversation forward. 

"That is the point of the competition. This is about getting the best humanity has to offer, and at their peak conditions. It is a competition of who has the most endurance, the best strategy, the best team work, the top performer in the planet." Henry Jackson explained. "This is what these contestants have in store. A brutal competition of who is better than the rest, and who has the best support." 

"From the rules, it doesn't seem to hint at what to expect," Cooper asked, "what do you think it means." At the same time, those watching got to see the main rule of the competition.

Mission details

Capture a flag and take it to the designated location. First sixteen contestants to do this will proceed to the tournament.

"This is done intentionally." Henry Jackson said, explaining further: "The point of the competition is to make sure that the contestants do not know what to expect from the competition until they are already in it. Remember there are hundreds of participants, but only sixteen people will finish. This is the test." 

"Let us not forget, the high number of fatalities in the competition each year." Cooper added. 

"Exactly. Everyone in the competition knows that this is no joke. It is a life or death matter. It is going to be as lawless as possible, so they had better come prepared." Henry Jackson said. He had been responsible for quite a few deaths in his time. This was his justification.

As the conversation was going on, with millions listening, the arena ground had finished its transformation. The grand unveiling began. As the lights illuminated the grounds, millions gaped as they saw what was in store of the participants. Some grimaced, while others cheered. No doubt, this was going to be an interesting run. 

Unlike the viewers, the participants were still in the dark about what to expect. Standing at the starting line, Carlos inched closer to Haiser and whispered, "Tim, I think you made the right choice, leaving behind Felix." 

"Try telling him that," Haiser retorted. Of the twenty nine participants, Haiser, the team leader, had selected fifteen for the run. There was no limit to how many people that could be used, but based on previous viewing, using the entire team could be very detrimental, especially if they encountered unexpected losses.

"He understands," Joel added.