Conquering The Novel

Erina finished reading the instructions, and the room was filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation.

"So, only 5 members can participate in this match," Ayla spoke thoughtfully.

"That's correct," Erina replied.

Ayla turned to Ares, "Who are the other 4 members that will be participating in this match alongside you, Ares? Should we go with the same lineup as match 1?"

"...I don't think it's a good idea to go with the same lineup as the first match," Claude spoke up abruptly.

Ayla raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?"

"Because we need some capable combat members for match 5 as well. Of course, if we perform well in this match, we will qualify for the semifinals and the results of the 5th match won't matter, but—" Claude said and paused for a moment. "But if, due to some unexpected event, we don't perform well in this match, then we should have at least one strong member capable of leading the team as a backup for the 5th match," he concluded.

!!

Ayla asked with an annoyed smile, "Are you saying I'm not capable of leading a team in a combat-related match, Claude?"

Claude nodded wasting no time, "Yes, I don't think you are capable enough."

"...."

There was a brief silence after that.

Ares spoke up, "Claude's concerns are indeed reasonable. Although I am confident about this match, we should still be prepared for unforeseen events. We need to make sure we have the right people in place for all matches."

Ayla just gave the both of them a blank stare. She couldn't believe that they were underestimating her capabilities.

"Who else will be participating in this match besides the two of us, Ares?" Livia asked firmly, indicating her intention to take part and leaving no room for objections.

Diana jumped in before Ares could respond, "I definitely want in on this match! Archers can be so effective. I can take out opponents from a distance like a swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, before they even know what hit them!" She mimed holding a bow and made sound effects, emphasizing her point.

"...."

Livia rolled her eyes and muttered, "Ares can use a bow as well, and there are other archers on the team who need to showcase their skills."

Diana frowned, "Well, the same goes for mages, Livia. Why don't you sit out this match and let others have a chance to prove themselves?"

Their argument was starting to build tension in the room, and the other team members were looking at each other nervously, not wanting to take sides.

"Okay, that's enough, you two," Ares interjected, shooting them a stern look.

!?

Tch—

Clicking their tongues, they turned away from each other, still annoyed.

After taking a moment to ponder, Ares finally spoke up. "Let me clarify the team lineup for this match," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "I'll be leading the team, and Diana, Livia, Emi, and Hiro will be participating with me."

The other members of Soreh Academy nodded in agreement, accepting Ares' decision without any further discussion.

However, Livia's dissatisfaction was apparent, "Dumb potato too?"

Ares nodded, "Yes, in fact, she is our most valuable asset in this match. Other teams will likely team up against us, and Diana's Archery skills can come in handy to take out opponents from a distance and secure some kill points."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement, while Emi and Hiro stepped forward nervously.

"Hehe, I knew you wouldn't overlook me," Diana giggled and moved to stand beside Ares, taking his arm. Livia, feeling a pang of jealousy, stepped forward to stand on the other side, taking Ares' other arm.

Their excessive display of affection towards Ares didn't go unnoticed by the other team members, and some of them had sour expressions on their faces. Claude, Erina, and Ayla were among them, clearly unimpressed by the display.

Despite the tension in the air, Ares remained unbothered by the girls' actions and just smiled at them both. The rest of the team just watched as Diana and Livia held onto Ares' arms.

"Alright, everyone, let's focus," Ares said, While Diana and Livia still clinging to his arms.

"Here's the team:

The team will be led by me, who will be the swordsman. Diana will serve as the archer, Livia as the mage, Emi as the defense mage, and Hiro as the shield bearer."

The team nodded in agreement, and Ares continued, "Let's all work together and do our best to win this match."

***

After a brief team discussion, Ares led his team into the VR room. As they entered, they saw that the five teams from Martial Star, Shadow Academy, Glacier Peak, Blitzerg, and Iron Fortress Academy had already gathered together and were deep in conversation. When Ares's team arrived, the others fell silent and appraised them with a critical gaze.

"I expected as much," Ares muttered under his breath.

Ares was aware of the high stakes involved in this match, and he knew that Iron Fortress Academy had no choice but to collaborate with the other four teams.

While Iron Fortress Academy had to prevent Royal Academy and Cherry Blossom Academy from performing well to avoid elimination, the other four teams were determined to stop Soreh Academy from qualifying for the semifinals.

But Ares didn't let their scrutiny faze him. He calmly scanned the room, making eye contact with the Cherry Blossom Academy twins, Ava and Eva, who acknowledged him with a nod. Ares returned the gesture with a friendly smile.

Clap—Clap

Suddenly, the sound of clapping filled the room as Professor Maya made her entrance with a huge grin on her face.

"Hello there, my dear students! Are you all ready to rumble?" Maya's voice was filled with enthusiasm and excitement.

No one replied, as usual. Maya shrugged it off and continued, "This match is crucial for every academy. For some, it's about preventing elimination, while for others, it's a chance to qualify for the semi-finals." She paused for a moment before grinning again.

"But enough with the boring stuff, let's get to the good part!" Maya exclaimed. "The rules are simple, really. You'll be teleported to a random location across the battlefield and will have to find your suitable weapons. Keep in mind that there's no option of selecting the weapons before teleportation, so you'll have to search for them across the battlefield.

And be warned, there are some special weapons scattered around that you'll be able to recognize easily. But getting attacked by them can cause a huge hit to your HP.

The battlefield will shrink every ten minutes, and the remaining teams will eventually meet in the end. The last surviving team gets the victory, securing 10 points," Maya explained.

She paused for a moment before grinning again, "But here's the fun part." Her tone shifted.

"As you all know, there are also points for killing your opponent members. However, there are some students who have a huge bounty on their heads, and killing them will get you a fruitful bounty of points." Maya's eyes sparkled with mischievous glee as she spoke.

As Professor Maya announced the bounty list, the room fell silent processing the new information. The bottom-ranked teams were excited at the prospect of earning extra points, while the top-ranking teams looked anxious.

The teams from Martial Star and Shadow Academy feared that if there was a high bounty on someone from their team, it was possible that the teams they were teaming up with would decide to backstab them to secure those easy points.

Maya spoke, her tone was that of a crazed excitement. "Hehehe~ And here's the bounty list!" She gestured towards the screen with a maniacal grin on her face.

[Bounty List!]

#1: ARES – 10 POINTS [SOREH ACADEMY]

#2: SMITH – 8 POINTS [SHADOW ACADEMY]

#3: LIVIA – 5 POINTS [SOREH ACADEMY]

#4: DIANA – 5 POINTS [SOREH ACADEMY]

#5: AVA – 5 POINTS [CHERRY BLOSSOM ACADEMY]

#6: AKIO – 5 POINTS [MARTIAL STAR ACADEMY]

#7: EVA – 5 POINTS [CHERRY BLOSSOM ACADEMY]

...

...

...

----

"Keep in mind, these points are based on your previous performance, and any student participating for the first time has a default of 1 point over their head," Maya clarified.

The room remained silent as the students contemplated the implications of the bounty list. The possibility of eliminating just three members from Soreh Academy for a whopping 20 points was a tempting prize for any team.

'If any team managed to eliminate them, they would quickly climb up the rankings like a rocket.' Everyone had the same thought

"...It's good we aren't participating in this match with the exact same lineup as the first match. If we were, I assume just eliminating our team would have given them around 30 points," Diana spoke, voicing her relief.

The others nodded in agreement.

Maya, on the other hand, was bubbling with excitement. "Isn't it nice? Aren't you all excited by this twist? Even the bottom teams who were just trying to prevent themselves from getting eliminated can climb to the top or even get directly qualified if they put up an impressive match. For like, they can just become bounty hunters!" Maya said, clapping her hands in enthusiasm.

The teams stared at her, knowing that while the prospect of winning extra points was exciting, the risks were equally high. One wrong move, and they could lose everything.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time and start the match immediately. We don't want to keep the audience waiting, do we?" Maya said, clicking a button she was carrying.

The eight VR rooms opened, each allocated for one academy, and the teams made their way to their respective rooms.

To be continued...