When Larna's breathing stabilized, he gazed at the entrance of the stadium in front of him. Below its big open arch, a flood of people passed by, wearing armor or extravagant clothes, their hair in abnormal colors.

  Larna lingered at the view. I still can’t believe all of this. He gulped, clenched his fist, and headed towards the entrance, lowering his head as he joined the crowd and walked into the stadium.

  The entrance led Larna facing an enormous circular platform, surrounded by seats distributed as in a football stadium.

  Larna found an available spot on the front seats and stepped towards it, but as he looked at the accumulation of people there, and their cheerful mood, he clenched his fists and stopped. Instead, he headed towards the empty last row. There, he would be more comfortable.

  Seated at the highest seats, nothing interrupted his sight but... I'm too far The people in the first rows were a blur. Larna tsked and bit his lips. What's the point then?!

  As Larna drowned himself in anguish, even the back seats started to fill with more people. Then the event started.

  [Welcome to the Ascension Event]

  Simultaneously with the sudden notification, people screamed with excitement. Larna straightened and clenched the arms of his seat. His heart accelerated, infected by the energy in the air.

  The center of the scenario opened, and a platform with a person on it ascended. Larna squinted, trying to take a better look at what he thought was a girl. Then a screen appeared in his view, displaying something like a TV recording that showed in detail everything in the scenario.

  Larna sighed in relief. Now he was capable of seeing the girl reaching the center of the arena as an idol would do and raise her hands. Her intense yellow short hair and pale eyes drew all the looks.

  “Welcome to the Ascension Event!” She didn't use any kind of amplifier, and still her voice was loud and hyped up everyone in the stadium.

  The platform ascended again, and someone else reached the stadium.

  By the shape of his pristine silver armor, Larna guessed he was a man. The only opening in the smooth armor was two slim lines in the place of the eyes, and contrasting with its noble look, he carried a silver scythe that perked above his shoulders.

  When Larna ended watching the knight, his heart stopped, and he darted around. The stadium was quiet.

  The idol smiled playfully, enjoying the tension in the atmosphere. She raised an arm and gestured to the knight beside her. "Playing the role of Defender on this Ascension Event, we have the honor of having with us the Medium Level Rank 3, Living Armor!"

  The stadium filled with applause as everyone greeted the silver knight.

  Larna didn't know the reason for the sudden tense atmosphere. He didn't even know what all this was about, but he could know that the people here respected the man standing on the platform.

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  Larna joined the claps. Just the fact of standing there in front of all those people was admirable.

  “Everyone of you will have the right to play the role of Challenger. The winners will ascend to the Intermediate Level." She closed his mouth, letting the silence settle, then smirked. "So who'll be the first challenger?!”

  The silence drowned the place. No hand rose, nor anyone stood on his feet.

  What would happen if... Larna entertained the idea of standing up among the crowd and heading to the platform with determination.

  Yeah, sure.

  Back to reality, Larna looked around. Nobody will dare? He sighed and smiled faintly. The possibility of returning home without spectacle was strong, but he couldn't blame the public. At least he would go knowing that there are more people like him.

  But contrary to Larna's speculations, a hand rose to the sky.

  A guy stood on his feet. He wore the same clothes as Larna, and a pair of metallic dual blades hung on his back. His red spiky hair paired with his blazing crimson eyes.

  When the idol saw him, her mesmerizing eyes shone. "We have a challenger!"

  Everyone in the crowd turned towards the first Challenger. His steps echoed in the silent stadium.

  Larna clenched his teeth, feeling pity for the guy. Nobody seemed to trust him. After all, based on his clothes, he probably was a novice like Larna.

  But to his surprise, a cheer broke the silence, and following it, more appeared:

  “Go for him, rookie!”

  “Yeah, show him!”

  “You can do it!”

  Suddenly, the stadium grew vivid again, everyone animating the red-haired young man.

  Larna knew why they cheered him. That guy is brave. Braver than all the ones seated.

  Good luck

  He lost. It was an instantaneous defeat. A swing of Living Armor's scythe was enough to end the fight.

  Larna suspected something like that would happen. But still, he had a slight hope because he had seen in video games pros who liked to use the defaults to be underestimated.

  But even with the sudden burst of adrenaline caused by the ushering of the people, the reality didn't change. That young man was a novice, and maybe that was his first fight. He probably knew that he was going to lose and still did it. What's his problem?!

  But at least that fight brought something positive. Following him, more people started to challenge Living Armor. They seemed to grow braver, motivated by the novice's example.

  However, everyone who stood on the platform was easily defeated by the pristine knight.

  Larna clenched his seat, and his feet shifted anxiously. He also wished to stand on his feet and raise his arm. So many people have done it. Why can't I?

  It was as if an invisible barrier restrained him, and despite his wishes, he didn't have the will to break through it.

  He struggled, he tried. But stopped when the idol's excited voice reached him.

  “Attention, everyone, we have a new Challenger! The newbie who had been defeating everyone on his way and reached the Novice Level Rank 1 in less than a month! Rising Shadow!”

  Larna's heart stopped when the screen in his view focused on the person called Rising Shadow. It's him.

  The stadium's pillars shook with the screams of people, while the guy who had fought Garuma before walked down to the platform without hesitation, his gaze fixed on his opponent.

  Larna’s eyes widened. And a smile was drawn on his face. This will be great.