[Do you want to be the strongest?! The smartest?! How about being the sneakiest to conquer your opponents?! Then join the Arena to gain fame, fortune, and glory!]

  "God, can they dial down the volume on that announcement?! I don't think I can lower mine to the point of being deaf in the game!"

  That's one thing I can agree with Nelli. My ears would have exploded if that rang in real life. Then again, it's expected to be as hyped as any other patches. There is the first event outside of the surprising "potion restock" one to be officially sanctioned by the devs and mods of [Isekai]. Many players are already swarming the registration counters near the and the , while some who were registered prepared their equipment for the upcoming battles ahead. Despite the name being [The Arena of the Strong], there's no arena or stadium in . However, I can see several mage NPCs stationed near the registration counters. So I'm guessing they're there to transport the participants to a fantasy version of a simulated arena or something.

  Either way, most of the players gathered here looked strong. Not only do I see the usual fighter-type players such as martial artists, monks, knights, and barbarians, but also mages and rogue players, too. When they included "smartest" and "sneakiest" into their announcement, they weren't exaggerating. I'm guessing the devs wanted this PVP event to focus more on battle strategies than a survival of the fittest kind of fight. Then again, who knows what they're thinking for this fight?

  But the only missing in this event now is the main protagonist and...

  "More importantly, you said Qizuna is here for the co-stream! Did you lie to me just so you could watch this sweaty man's sport?!"

  I don't think I can keep Nelli's interest in it for much longer. Qizuna's co-stream is very real since there are no signs of AI-generated art that copies her thumbnails, and Lunar is the type to check the legitimacy of the announcement from his sister. But the worst thing Nelli has other than her stubbornness is her impatience. She always leaves the venue without bothering to see what it's about, and when she misses something important, she always chalks it up to being unimportant for a lady like her. And it's not only Lunar that is missing. Lyco is also AWOL, and I bet it has something to do with that guy's strange changes lately. This time, I can't let her leave immediately. I don't know how long they will arrive, but I have to fulfill my role to whatever plan that crazy strategist is cooking up.

  "Do you think I'm the type to lie? We might be aloof with her streams, but Lowry and I never lie about these announcements." It's true. Whenever something Qizuna-related comes up, we're obligated to tell her everything despite our separation.

  "True. But she's never the type to stream this barbaric event. The Qizuna I know promotes peace and cute tranquility!"

  If she only knew the other side of her through her Zatsu streams...

  "GAHHH!!! Sorry, we're late!"

  Speaking of the devil, here comes Mr. Werewolf Otaku on the clutch. He seemed panting from running, and his clothes seemed to be on the verge of tatters for some reason.

  "Well, look who's here," Nelli mutters. "What are you doing here, Lyco? Are you here to corrupt my dear sister with your dumb werewolf movies again?"

  "Hey, if I do that, th- I mean, she will give me another biased review of it again," Lyco explained. "But no, I'm also here to watch the event."

  Bias? I simply told him that some of them are kinda cringey and gave a decent critique of them.

  "Where's Lowry anyway?" I asked. "Did he disappear from again?"

  "Trust me. Just watch and you'll find out," Lyco answered. "I already tried talking him out of it, and he still insisted."

  "Wait, are you saying he's going to participate in that sweaty event? Alone?!" Nelli exclaimed. "I barely knew that guy's character, but didn't you say he only heals and gives out strategies in the backline? That's too risky for a guy like him!"

  That is true. But only if you didn't see the full fight in person. However, there are many types of players joining in. I'm not sure if he can last long before his encounter with the Vipers again. Well, he already surprised us with that [Duel] before. I feel like he's gonna surprise us with new tricks up his sleeve.

  "Trust me, it's better if you see it than take my word for it."

  I raised my eyebrow when he said it. "Okay...?"

  However, I hear Nelli sighing behind me. "Either way, I doubt it's enough to get my interest, despite Qizuna is co-streaming it. If you need me, I will b- Hello?"

  Before I could say anything, Nelli pushed me away and looked at the crowd of people leaving the counter. I turn around and to my shock, I see Lunar, who seemed to be smiling in his casual outfit of sorts. Honestly, I haven't gotten used to his new handsome look, and I see some girls fawning over him to the point they asked for an autograph. I'm surprised he kept his cool despite the number of girls around him. It would be irritating for an aromantic guy to deal with an unwanted harem, but he managed to ignore them calmly as if they were never there at all. Even when he's in the center of attention, he never lets any ladies get between him and his goals. I quietly watch him approach us while Nelli is still having her jaw drop from seeing his new look.

  "Glad you girls made it," Lunar greeted. "Sorry again for taking up much of your time."

  Nelli suddenly chuckles as if she's losing her marbles. "It's okay. I didn't know you knew my sister." She then raises her hand to him. "I'm Nelli, Hiromi's sister. But you can call me "smitten"!"

  I roll my eyes at her dumb attempt at flirting. He doesn't actually show it, but I can see him sighing in response. I am so sorry about her, Lunar.

  "Uh, right..." He then turns to me next. "I just registered for the event. The moment it starts, I'll be away from for the duration of the event."

  I'm guessing from his words that he learned of the event rules from the registration. So my theory about the simulated arena might come true.

  "Okay. But what about us? You did bring us here as spectators for an unknown reason, and you already made enemies with the [Viper Fangs]," I whispered so Nelli won't hear this topic. "What are you guys planning this time?"

  "If we explain everything, it would give you guys more headaches than your sister will ever get," Lyco answered. "But long story short, we're looking for some kind of [Quest Giver] and we need you to see if someone approaches you guys."

  I raise my eyebrow again. "Don't tell me you guys got caught up in something sketchy..."

  "We can't say much right now. But we're counting on you to locate them and gain as much information as you can," Lunar finished. "Just don't mention all of this to your sister and report back to me when the event is done. Lyco will be your support and backup in case something happens."

  "You heard the boss man," Lyco said while saluting with a grin. "I will be guarding you ladies for the duration of the event."

  I scoffed at his teasing. "Says the guy who can barely look Savior's muscle goons in the eyes."

  "Hey! I resent that!"

  Despite my suspicions, I sigh and turn to Lunar. "But okay. If you trusted me with this task this much, I guess you can't take no for an answer. But promise me you won't get reckless out there. It might be a PVP event, but there are some unsavory opponents out there."

  "I'm aware. I have a feeling I will need to deal with more than Savior's goons, so I made sure to get some extra training yesterday."

  He better. But when I look at Lyco, it seems like he's shivering at the mere mention of training. I don't know what the hell happened, but I know he didn't have a good time with it.

  "Since you're so confident with your current levels, then I won't stop you." I raise my fist to Lunar. "Good luck out there."

  "You, too, Hiro."

  Hiro. That's the nickname Lunar sometimes uses as a reminder of who I really am. It's a sign that he trusts me with this task. I still have reservations about this plan, but I won't let him down.

  "Oh. You're leaving already?" Suddenly, Nelli grabs Lunar's arm, cradling it like a pole or a body pillow. "Why don't you hang out with us? It's better than hanging out with those burly players."

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  This girl... Is she that dense?! Thankfully, Lunar isn't that guy and simply gingerly removes his arm away from her.

  "Thanks, but I'm already registered for the event. It would be rude for me to be late for the starting teleport." He turns towards the other direction. "If you excuse me..."

  "Hang on!" I mentally groaned at her persistence. "Can you tell me your name, at least? As a sign of good luck?" And she grins like a kooky stalker.

  "My name, huh? I did hide it for privacy, but..." To my shock, he responds to her question with a smile. "How about you find out during the event? But I can't make any promises."

  "Ooookay~"

  She waves goodbye while Lunar heads off to the starting point of the event. Something about her smile really creeps me out. Even Lyco, who is a werewolf aficionado who can take the body horror aspects of it, hides behind me just at the sight of her fangirl state.

  "I think we need to be worrying more about her than the Vipers."

  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have to agree with the otaku.

  So here I am. I managed to reach the starting point of the [Arena of the Strong] event. According to the organizers and the NPC who was in charge of the registration, the event will take place in another space located in a special simulation created by the devs. Lore-wise, it will be created by the mages in charge of environments to ensure the participants' safety by limiting their pain threshold and reviving them back in town when they're defeated. The arena in question consists of several habitats and biomes based on the current locations available in [Isekai's] current version. If that's true, there's a chance they might also make a biome based on the . If that happens, I wonder if they can simulate a full moon since time moves differently inside, so players with unique [Masteries] can take advantage of it. Then again, there's also a chance they might follow real time along with the current moon phase. Either way, I can't use the moon since it might expose me to the public since they're also watching it through a live feed inside and outside of the game via co-streamers. Regardless, it's an unknown territory from here, and I should expect the unexpected.

  As for the participants themselves, nothing seemed to pique my interest. Savior and the Vipers are here (obviously), and some independent fighters are also participating. However, the Vipers do not seem to be the only guild that will be participating. I see some uniformed players, including some familiar ones I know. More specifically, members from the [Force Blade] are also here for the event. Not all of them, including the guild leader, are here for the event, but I see some familiar faces from the articles.

  However, I noticed one outlier from the party. A young man wearing a green robe who is simply reading a book rather than chatting with his teammates or preparing his weapon and other equipment for battle. His face even screams "I don't want to be here right now" vibes, which makes me wonder why he's here in the first place. But his expression isn't the reason why I took notice of him. Rather, it's a quick glance of a blue mark peeking out of his neck along with his slightly gray hair and blue eyes that caught my attention, a combination of physical traits mostly available to the [Insignis Race].

  If he is one, then it's recklessly brave of him to participate in this combat-heavy event. I just hope some like-minded players would go easy on him.

  Or at least that's what I thought until he turned his gaze towards me. It seemed like he did not react to seeing me. But then, he suddenly smiled and saluted before going back to his book.

  Is he...wishing me luck? Man, he really is a man of mystery. I wonder if we might have a chance to fight face-to-face soon.

  [Hello! Fighters, magicians, and outwitters!]

  Huh.

  Everyone turns around to find the source of the voice. It turns out to be an eyeball-like magical drone wearing a hunting cap and a speaker below it. That's one way to get everyone's attention.

  [Thank you for participating in our very first event! With the event starting in about 5 minutes, let me remind you of the rules of this bout.]

  It then projects an image of a dome containing, as expected, biomes of different environments and habitats inspired by

  locations.

  [In this battle royale-styled event, you will be placed in a random area of the event map. If you formed a party beforehand, your location will be right next to one of your partymates, but they cannot reunite with them or create temporary parties during the first 30 minutes of the event. The objective of this event is to eliminate their opponents until only one remains or time runs out. Depending on the current state of the event, you are free to face your opponent 1-on-1 or 1-on-10, and if you're in a party, you are free to choose to fight your teammates if the surviving participants number is lower than 10.]

  I hummed while watching the demo video the drone provided to us. They managed to create some rules to balance out independent and party-aligned players in the event. This way, the first hour will focus more on independent battles while weeding out the weak.

  [However, to ensure fairness and an unbiased competition, a maximum of 10 players cannot surround less than 4 players in a battle. Doing so will force them out of the current one, and everyone in both teams will be scattered into random locations one by one. But if the number of players in each team (via a party or a temporary truce) is even, this rule won't apply to them. Also, all of the players' current locations will be briefly revealed during a 10-minute interval, so plan your locations ahead of time.]

  Looks like they thought this one out, too. By forcing the team out and scattering them, this avoids the possibility of unfairly defeating low-level players through quantity. Not only that, the location reveals ensure no campers are gonna take advantage of their locations. Which makes me wonder if they try shrinking the map in the end-game.

  [While you can use the biome's environment to your advantage, the main purpose of this event is to show your strength, teamwork, and creativity in battle. For this event, no monsters will be spawned on the map for the duration, and all of the hazards must be manually activated by players if they fulfill the requirements. If you possess a [Summoning Mastery], you can only summon a maximum of 2 [Elemental Spirits] in the field. The last person standing is considered the winner of the [Arena of the Strong].]

  Yep. Just like the rules that those organizers relayed to me beforehand. However, what they didn't mention is that the rules are subject to change during the event. The reason why is that they also put that disclaimer in the announcement post and social media posts prior, just in case. It might be there because this is their official event, and they want to ensure that the event is fair and exciting for the audience and participants alike. So if anyone tries to complain about the sudden changes, it's their fault for not expecting it sooner.

  [Now, to ensure all spectators experience the whole event, we have our partnered recorders (co-streamers) who will be aiding us in capturing all of the moments and actions from the arena. Additionally, we're also offering special [Diamond Eyes] to the guild's associates or with a special [Adament] price to other spectators!]

  Why do I have a feeling the Vipers will take advantage of those eyes during the event? I hope Lyco and Hiromi keep an eye on them, too.

  [Now, the time is 1 minute before the starting point. Participants, prepare your equipment and skills for battle!]

  Finally. Looks like it's time to start this event. By the looks of it, everyone is trying to cast some buffs on themselves and each of their party members. I would do the same, but...

  "Well, look who's here. The mutineer himself."

  Am I not surprised? I turn around to see Savior and his men approaching me with smirks on their faces.

  "I'm surprised you managed to show yourself in the arena event," Savior said with a sneer. "It must have been tough for you leveling one of your [Masteries] just to show off."

  And who says that? Your ego?

  "You're right. But I actually had fun with it," I respond with a smirk of my own. "It's a great learning experience for me, and it gave me great ideas for this event."

  "Heh... That's your way of saying you're scared of us, right? Just so you know, Ewa is eager for a rematch and this time, he doesn't need three hits to kick your sorry *ss."

  I expected as much. I might have pissed him off a little too far, and he might not be holding back on me this time around.

  "Odd... I was expecting you to declare that you will beat me in the event. Don't tell me you got cold feet?"

  Please don't get too pissed... I'm just making sure you won't hunt me down for the event...

  "Tch... Actually, I have other things in mind right now. So I'll just leave Ewa to you," Savior scoffed. "Besides, I'm sure you're not gonna survive for long. I know you're still the lousy Lowry, and you won't even make it to the top 50. H*ll, not even the audience will cheer for you as an underdog!"

  Geez... His put-downs are getting more lamer than before. I'm not even offended by it.

  "Hey, who is that guy Savior is talking to?"

  Oh? Looks like we attracted some eavesdroppers.

  "Is he part of the guild?"

  "I don't think so. He said he was a mutineer or whatever."

  "Him? Doing a mutiny on that guy? I can understand why with those scary guys around him."

  "I don't know. What he said about that [Insignis] guy... Is he talking about the [Dungeon Run] they kept raving about?"

  Savior smirks at their words. "See that? You're always be a criminal after y-"

  "Wait, does his name sound familiar to you?"

  "Oh, yeah! That guy, Lunar. That notice said an [Insignis] defeated a [Mad Bear] with a [Human] player, right?"

  What do you know? The moment I heard that, Savior's smirk quickly dropped into a frown while I showed my small smile underneath my cold fa?ade.

  "Yeah. And judging by his attire, he looks more like a brawler than a weak [Insignis] mage to me. I mean, have you seen his arms underneath his sleeves!"

  "Well, he has the same white hair as any [Insignis]. I'm actually excited to face him in the fight!"

  By the sounds of their murmurs, it seems like public opinion of me is 50/50. There aren't many players who support me for the events, but as long as Lyco and Hiromi are there supporting me in and out of the crowd, I'm confident I will see this fight through till the end. As for Savior, I doubt he has the same reaction as me.

  [20 seconds left.]

  "Tch... Don't think this is over, Lowry! You won't be smiling soon once my men kick you out of the event!" Savior declared. "Come on, it's time for us to prepare for the teleportation."

  With that, Savior and his men left me alone with Ewa, glaring at me before joining the others. At least there's one thing I can agree with him on: Not everyone will side with me. If I truly want to survive, I have to treat everyone as my enemy and choose my allies carefully.

  [10 seconds left.]

  Well, that's enough ruminating for now. The event is about to start, and I'm ready to dive into the depths of the arena.

  [3... 2... 1...]

  Let the games begin.