“Do we really have to fight?” Xander asked. He was standing in an open arena across from his opponent, a small kobold. The terrain was nothing like Rex or Nichols had described. It seemed they were right. The arena changed after every fight to keep things entertaining for the audience. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one viewed it, Xander didn’t excel in any certain type of environment. The arctic tundra that surrounded him offered no more of an advantage over volcanos or deserts. So long as nothing impeded his field of view, he should be able to fire arrows at any target.

“Yes? No? Davis isn’t sure. What will get Davis to win?” Davis said oddly. He twitched and looked around as if he was nervous about something appearing from above. Much like the other members of his party, Davis was a participant of the Genesis Program, but he was different from the others. Did he always behave this way? Was it the result of some skill from being a kobold? There was always the possibility it was just an act as well.

“Are you mad that we beat your team too?” Xander asked. He knew about the outcome of the previous two fights. He knew that the victor would steal the loser’s skill. Once a challenge was started, it was impossible to stop without conceding. Xander started to walk around the outer edge of the arena. Standing still while fighting a sniper was a recipe for disaster. Davis did the same, following Xander’s pace as they walked in opposite directions. The two made sure to never lose sight of one another.

“Mad? No. Davis just wants to win.” Davis said. His voice was earnest, even with the interesting speech pattern. He mumbled under his breath several times, but Xander assumed it was more incoherent nonsense. Both archers readied their bows. Vengeful or not, Davis didn’t seem interested in losing the fight. It seemed strange. He clearly wasn’t aligned with the other members of his team. Both James and Lizzy lost a skill, yet Davis seemed to be focused on winning for a separate reason.

“Why?” Xander asked out of curiosity. If he could convince the small reptilian humanoid to quit then he’d do so. Davis didn’t seem like the brightest member of The Heroes of The Voice. Xander may not have been a master liar, but he was confident in what little abilities he had. Persuading a kobold should have been easy. He slightly moved closer to the center of the arena, continuing to walk in a circular pattern. His bow remained in his hand with a firm grip. He’d let loose a volley of arrows the moment something went wrong.

“Money. Winner gets money. Money to buy beds.” Davis said. He looked at Xander as if the statement made sense. The kobold then proceeds to walk a tad bit faster. He expanded the radius of his walk, and Xander was forced to do the same. Both men were archers, so distance wasn’t an issue. Arrows were bound to rain when the fight started. The audience had always taken several steps back or sat higher in the stands.

“What does that even-” Xander tried to respond to his opponent’s statement. His sentence was stopped abruptly when he noticed a shimmer beneath his feet. It was a magic circle. The glowing icon grew in size. Its energy radiated as the light it expelled shined brighter. Xander wasn’t ready for an attack beneath him. He braced for impact.

Then, the magic circle exploded.

A plume of smoke rose after the detonation. It was a dense cloud that veiled everything within. Davis watched to confirm that his trap hit its mark. The skill he used, [Magic Mine], activated once someone stepped on the hidden magic circle. The skill was rudimentary. A person could easily spot a mine if they had the skill [Perception], but Xander didn't have that. He had no way to detect the mine, nor did he have any means of evading the blast. Davis was sure he hit his target. The pillar of smoke slowly dispersed, revealing that Xander was still standing.

“Sniper my foot! This guy is a trapper with a bow!” Xander thought to himself He tried to recall what people said about these heroes, but that information may as well have been useless. Most of his padded armor was charred, if not burnt to a crisp. His bow was still intact, but it wouldn’t survive another explosion. The same could be said about its wielder. Xander was breathing heavily. The sudden boom pushed him into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. He needed time to recover, but Davis wouldn’t allow that.

Davis nocked an arrow and fired at the shaded figure. Xander could only dodge. He didn’t have the energy to retaliate with his own volley. Fortunately, Xander was able to tell where each shot would go. He was able to expertly dodge each arrow despite their speed. Worried feet continued to propel Xander around the arena. He’d be able to recover after enough time, so he only needed to focus on evading the archer…

That is until the next mine was triggered. Xander peered beneath his feet. Another magic circle had appeared. Without enough time to think straight, Xander curled into a ball and clutched his bow for dear life. His body was then enveloped with yet another explosion, and smoke soon followed.

Davis waited for his victory message, but Genesis was eerily quiet. He quickly realized that the second mine wasn’t enough to finish the job. He slowly approached the blast site with his bow in hand. Based on how Xander was after the first blast, he was probably in shambles at this point. Davis continued his path, looking for his broken target. He stepped cautiously to avoid slipping on the ice beneath him. Wooden shards peppered the floor and brought delight to Davis. Xander had lost his weapon. He let out a soft chuckle, but his breath got caught between laughs.

No, someone was stopping him from breathing.

Davis reached around his throat and felt something large holding him. It was Xander, but when did he get there? Davis had almost perfect perception. Nothing should have been able to surpass it. Unfortunately for him, the skills [Unadorned] and [Stealth II] made for a deadly combination. The kobold desperately kicked and thrashed, but it was difficult to escape. Small creatures like Davis excelled through dextrous feats and traps. Even a human with moderate strength could hold him.

The two rolled on the ground for almost a full minute. Xander had a clear advantage, but Davis’s squirming made it impossible to secure a hold. Finally, he was able to pin the kobold to the ground. All that was left was to cut off Davis's airway until he fell unconscious. At least, that was the initial plan.

The sudden appearance of a new magic circle made things a tad bit trickier.

“NOTICE. YOUR CHALLENGE AGAINST ANOTHER PARTICIPANT OF THE GENESIS PROGRAM HAS ENDED. THE VICTOR MAY NOW TAKE ONE OF THE LOSER’S SKILLS.”