After the first round was finished, the competitors exited the arena. One of the people working for the competition had to carry out the unconscious gulper eel, and the rest swam to the surface in order to take a short break.

During the intermission, Kota seemed to be speaking very loudly so that everyone around him could hear.

"Ah... those people on my team were not real men if they couldn't even survive a little bloodbath like this! We cannot allow weakness to be shown, or death will follow. Don't you think so, Ploritan?"

Ploritan glared intently at Kota, who was making light of the warriors who died in this fight.

His bloody hand, which had been sliced clean off, dripped. He needed to get it treated quickly.

While everyone here was in it for their own personal gains, it was also true that they died fighting for a chance to renew the village and mold it into their own version of what they thought was right, and that was not something to be mocked.

Many strong fishmen- 11 out of the 16 fishmen who were all chosen as the top 1% had died in this battle.

While one might argue that having the strongest fight each other in this bloodbath would weaken the overall strength of the fishmen, one could also say that the survivor would be purely bred- a warrior among warriors, and that this competition encouraged the fishmen to become stronger overall.

"I don't see why all these subordinates are so.... incapable!! If you're a subordinate of mine, and I give you an order- the question shouldn't be whether or not you CAN do it. You HAVE to do it. You don't have a choice, and you have to find a way. No matter how impossible the task, if I assign it to you then you should rise to the challenge and get it done."

Ploritan almost felt the need to slug Kota right here, even if he only had one hand to do it.

Kota had always taken up this sort of attitude.

That people only needed to have enough motivation, that people only needed to have enough grit, and they would be able to overcome any challenge. That if they had someone to protect... a family, or a loved one, they would give their all to ensure that that person was safe. As a result, he sent many off on impossible tasks on his own whims.

"If you shoot for the stars, then you'll land on the moon even if you miss.... I don't see why all these people under me always aim so low that they don't even hit the moon!"

"Are you sure it isn't that your expectations of others are simply unrealistic?", Ploritan barked, gritting his teeth.

"What are you talking about, Ploritan?! If you set your heart to it, you can do ANYTHING."

"You know that isn't true. People have limitations and if you expect them to do the impossible then you are only sending them to their deaths."

"Such a doubter, Ploritan.... such a nonbeliever in the strength of others... this is why you will lose to me in this competition..."

"My man just died, and you're telling me that I don't have enough faith in others? I don't want to hear that from you. Get out of my face."

"Don't be so cold, Ploritan. One of my personal men died as well, do you think I am rejoicing on the inside? My heart is CRUSHED from his loss. But you know what? I have to carry on his will, his legacy, and win this tournament for him."

Kota said this all with a smirk, as if he could care less about the loss of his subordinate.

Ploritan stormed away. He didn't want to speak with Kota any further, and he needed to get his hand treated.

"We'll settle this in the next round."

"I look forward to it."

After a medic stitched up his hand to the best of her ability, and stopped the profuse bleeding, Ploritan walked over to a waiting area with a number of tables with umbrella shades and sat down to relax during the break. There were a number of small restaurant stands serving food and drinks around. Many viewers were seated while eating and drinking, and it was somewhat loud from all the chatter.

A waiter brought Ploritan an orange drink in a wine goblet on a platter with a bendy straw in it.

"Ploritan, one of your fans has purchased this drink for you. Please accept it."

"Hah? One of my fans, eh? Then, will this fan test it for poison?"

Ploritan was no idiot, and he was not willing to simply drink anything he was offered.

Of course, he didn't want to reject the kindness of a fan, however he wouldn't be so easily deceived.

"I- I will ask the person."

The waiter went over to another table and whispered into the ears of a teenage goldfish-man. He was slim and covered with bright orange scales all over his body, and while he was young he was old enough to have received some sort of dirty job such as rigging the tournament for a large pay.

Ploritan sighed.

'Perhaps Kota is right... perhaps I don't have enough trust in others.... no, but it is that very doubt... that very distrust in others that has allowed me to successfully trade and communicate with the humans of the Empire. If I didn't have this distrust, I would have probably been easily deceived and the humans would have used me... perhaps even worse. Who knows? I could have been captured and sold as a slave! Even if he is a kid, I can't let my guard down.'

The goldfish stood up and made his way over to Ploritan. The waiter stood next to him, and the goldfish bowed down to Ploritan.

"I apologize for not considering your position in sending you this gift, and if you permit me to I will test it for poison."

The young boy swirled the straw of the drink to ensure it was uniformly distributed and poured a small amount of the drink into a plastic cup that the waiter had prepared. He gulped it down in a single shot, as if it was nothing.

"I too apologize for being so skeptical. Well then, thank you for the drink. I will enjoy it."

Ploritan took a sip of the drink himself.

It was delicious.

Nothing felt funny about it- it was just a regular drink.

'Perhaps I am too paranoid after all...'

----

After the intermission, it seemed that the gulper eel had regained his consciousness and all the remaining contestants were once more gathered to begin the next event.

Brot, Kota, Ploritan, and Hugior were the ones who had lived through the first round and managed to actually make it to the second. Among the ones who lost- only Joruk had survived after surrendering.

Ploritan knew well that the participants had been in this for their own gain, however he still felt his heart twist at knowing that so many had died- even if some of them were at his own hands.

Was this what it took to ensure peace and prosperity for the masses? Was this tournament really something so grand?

Ploritan had tried to avoid killing in the competition the previous year, however this year he was so overcome by the absolute need to win that he had compromised his morals.

Was he sad about this? No. He was simply doing what he needed to do. Even so, he pledged that he would respect the ones he killed and visit their graves later on to apologize.

The arena which had previously opened up from the ground had been shifted around during the intermission, and the opening was currently closed. The mechanical functions that went into the arena were truly mind boggling, however they were an ancient technology that had existed from ages ago, and this technology was simply mastered and perfected by the elders of the village.

Ploritan didn't understand how it worked, but it was amazing.

"And now, everyone, it is time to move onto the second round of this game!!! With only four contestants remaining, we are going to ensure that two are eliminated in this round!! Now then.... if you'll take a look at the arena...."

The narwhal pulled another lever before the arena opened, and the layout was completely different than before.

This time, the arena was a long rectangle shape with four lanes separated by walls. In each row was a long and treacherous obstacle course with all sorts of traps, jumps, and features. Each one was slightly different in it's individual components. Some pieces were on land, and others were under the water.

"This next event will be an obstacle course race!!!! The goal is simple- make it through alive, but be careful of the traps and ensure not to be delayed too much!! The first two to complete their individual course will be allowed to proceed into the third and final round. Each lane is slightly different, and they will be assigned to each competitor at random! Now then, let's get this show on the road!!!"

An assistant walked up to the four competitors holding popsicle sticks so that they would draw straws regarding which course they would be assigned to. They all had different challenges, so for some people certain traps would be easier to avoid whereas for others it would be harder, so the difficulty was roughly even however it could vary from person to person.

After selecting their sticks, the four stepped onto elevator-like platforms and rode down to their respective courses. When the platforms had reached the bottom, they were in a small room with a garage-like door which would open as soon as the games started.

"Brot fast! Brot will win!!"

Brot was having a lot of fun in his own mind. Some healing salves had been applied to his wounds and his skin was mostly restored to its previous condition, with a few bumps and kinks here and there.

"Please do not step off your platform until the conch sounds to indicate the start of the race!!", the announcer yelled. "Doing so will lead to disqualification!"

Ploritan took a runner's position and prepared to kick off. The garage doors slowly opened allowing him to see that his first challenge was a cliff with a set of netting hung from 2 poles on each side that he would have to climb across. It was like a monkeybar set, but with a net instead of bars, and over a pit.

'I have to be fast, but I also cannot allow myself to be caught in any traps... anyone who goes too fast in this competition will surely run to their deaths, and so I have more time to think and plan that one would originally assume. First I will make it across that netting, and then....'

After the cliff was a large wall which looked like he had to climb up. The wall was made of stone bricks, however some of them were pushed inwards so that he had ledges to place his hands and feet.

He couldn't see anything beyond the rock climb, and so his strategizing ended there.

"With this test, it seems to be all about quick reactions and decision making, as well as physical strength and endurance. I should be able to make it through so long as there aren't any traps along the way....'

The conch sounded.

Ploritan bursted off towards the beginning of the netting, grabbing it with his one remaining arm and swinging himself up to grab the netting with his feet.

After locking both of his feet within the netting, he swung from those feet like a pendulum and grabbed hold of the netting once more with his hand.

Ploritan was at a major disadvantage due to the fact that he had lost a hand. This challenge was not something that would be so easily overcome, but Ploritan understood what would happen if Kota became the chief, so he persevered and ignored the pain. His arm had been tied up before the break and healing herbs had been applied to it, so that soothed it a bit, however the fact remained that it wouldn't be easy to complete the course.

'Well, Kota is at a disadvantage as well due to not having a lung...'

Ploritan swung from one rung to another like a monkey before reaching the end of the netting and jumping down to the ground, landing on both feet.

There was no time to look down or have fear. He was in this to win.

'For the sake of the village... for the sake of Yuriel... and so that the Determined doesn't have to speak with Kota as the chief.... I can't imagine the disrespect he would show to her... the village might be destroyed even before the Empire attacks...'

Ploritan scanned the area in front of him to ensure that there were no traps, and noticed a trapdoor in his path to the rock wall. He swiftly went around it and made his way over to the wall.

Ploritan took a look at the wall before he grabbed onto one ledge with his working hand, and took a step with his foot. He wasn't sure how he would be able to tell which steps were traps.

The trapdoor had a light outline around the grassy land if was underneath, so he was able to see it if he was going slowly, but would the traps on a stone wall be so easily detectable?

Ploritan tried to inspect each footing as he slowly made his way up the tower, but none of them seemed irregular so far.

He placed his hand on one, then pulled his feet up to higher ones one at a time until he was around half of the height of the tower.

'I need to pick up the pace... who knows how far along my opponents are....'

However, as he thought this...

Click!

His hand hit a button on one of the nooks, causing a spear to propel out of the wall, grazing Ploritan's thigh.

'Agh! That was close... I need to be more careful...'

Ploritan slowed his pace as he checked each opening for any switches or traps.

He was nearing the top, however slowly.

'Just a little more...'

Click!

A switch was pressed just as he thought he was about to climb up on top, and the rocks of the tower began to shift.

The top section of the tower began sliding outward, extruding from the tower itself.

Ploritan held on for dear life so that he wouldn't fall off the piece of the tower that was sliding out in the direction of the starting location. If he fell from here, not only would he be severely injured, but he would likely not be able to climb the tower at all due to the overhang. It would be over.

"AGH!!!"

He dug his fin- which had hands almost like those of a bat or a frog with webbed feet- deep into the stone as well as grappling on with his feet as tightly as he could. He even used his handless stub to cling himself to the wall, and he could see blood seep into the bandages as he applied pressure to it, however he ignored the pain and continued grasping.

The movement of the tower then came to a stop.

Ploritan tried to lunge himself above the top, however he lacked the strength to do so.

'No! Just a little further! Come on!!!'

He tried to lunge himself again, but his strength was sapped.

He couldn't get on top.

'Ok... take it slow....'

He placed one foot to a higher ledge slowly, and placed his hand on the top of the wall.

'Just one piece at a time....'

He placed the other foot at a higher position, and pushed his upper body on top of the wall.

After doing this, he slid himself forward, out of breath.

"Huff... huff... I made it..."

Ploritan stood up slowly. This wasn't the time to be resting. He looked forward to the next obstacle to see...

A large body of water below the rock climbing tower.

"I lack the strength and then time to climb back down slowly... I need to make a dive for it..."

However, in the water, he noticed that it was only about 7 feet deep.

He was at a height of about 50 feet, so taking a dive from this height would probably hurt quite a bit.

What should he do?

There was nothing else he could do.

Ploritan jumped into the water, feet first pointing them towards the water.

Splash!

Crack!!

Ploritan's feet absorbed a large amount of shock upon hitting the bottom of the pool, however he was not ready to give up yet. At the worst it was a broken ankle. He could still swim, and he could trot along.

He started swimming to the end of the pool vigorously before noticing that there was a line of water mines in front of him.

He dashingly avoided the mines, with precision, swimming in a zig zag pattern before making it to the end of the pool.

Ploritan pulled himself out of the pool at the end, and noticed that he was at the edge of the arena.

There was another platform right ahead. He just had to make it there.

He emerged from the pool.

Crush!

His ankle was failing on him.

Ploritan began hopping on one foot in order to make it to the exit.

And he did.

Ploritan leaned against the wall on the platform. His foot was destroyed. His hand was severed.

He was in no state to fight.

It was almost guaranteed that he would lose in this next round.

"I suppose this is as far as I go.... who knows if I even beat the others? I can only hope that Brot will beat Kota... he may be an idiot, but if he comes into power then I might be able to stand by his side and influence him..."

The platform began to rise, and Ploritan bent the knee.

[Your time: 6:24]