From my brief glance over the two buildings where our game was hosted this time, I knew the rough layout of the area. Unless one of the others had spawned on either the rooftops or the connecting stretch of road, this gave me a slight advantage. I knew the scope of the playing field. At the same time, though, that …

As I watched Bihena play through her rounds, I began to get more of an appreciation for her talent in strategizing. I could tell that she hadn’t learned some of the secrets of the game yet, like how you could unlock special types of items by finding different resources. Even I hadn’t been aware of that until another Keeper told …

Bihena was calm as she watched a battle unfolding on the stage before her. As the Goddess of Battle herself, she had seen this scene too many times to count. People praying to her for victory on both sides of the field. Yet, she could offer support to neither, for doing so would always leave the other side with nothing. …

I didn’t bother to stick around to watch the final round between MeanGreen and MissTery. At this point, there wasn’t a lot for me to gain from watching fight anymore. I had already experienced firsthand the level of power that a first rank Keeper was expected to have, and then some. I’d have to ask Grimor, but those two were …

Even though I could guarantee myself a prize at this point, I couldn’t slack off. If I managed to get second place, or even the championship, my prize would increase drastically. However, at this point there were no new Keepers left. And even among the loser’s bracket, I could see the veterans showing their explosive strength. Battles were not lasting …

For my second fight, I was rather surprised to see that I had been paired up with another of the new Keepers. Things had become a bit more random now, as some of the other new ones that remained were being paired with veterans. Though, more importantly, the new Keeper I was paired up with was the same one that …

Once I saw the card magic system as an option listed in this game, I couldn’t help but somewhat give up on my ideas of winning. Not because it made me less confident in my chances, but because I felt the urge to experience what the card magic would be like once it reached a level usable in the games. …

This time, I knew more of what I was doing than the first time that I had been to one of these meetings. As the Keepers began to file into the gaming area, I took a closer look at the names on each door. With the knowledge of the games that can be bought on the market, I knew a …

For the last two days that I was waiting for the meeting, I spent most of them hanging out with the others. As I had suspected, the girls were just avoiding me to keep who was going with me as a surprise, and let me prepare in the meantime… Once Bihena revealed herself as the person accompanying me to the …

While I was rather glad to see that Alme Dien was taking the initiative to help the centaurs and halflings meet the other races, I couldn’t spare more than a passing glance at their progress every now and then while I trained myself. I had learned from the first Keeper meeting that I was a part of that the prizes …