"Get ready to meet your fellow teammates," Genesis said as they all disappeared in an instant.
When they reappeared, Ning found himself in front of a massive black tower that seemed to go on for forever.
When Ning looked at it, certain information floated in front of it just as with the humans inside the city.
[1000]
'1000?' Ning stared at it with a confused look. 'What is 1000? Its name? Age? Its height?'
Ning didn't have any way of telling.
"Ning?" someone called him and he turned around. Only then did he notice that someone else was in the place as him.
"Nova?" Ning asked with surprise when he saw her. "Are you alright?" he asked. Then, he saw the rest of them.
Drake sat on the ground, clearly tired from the burning heat outside. "Why the hell did we have to come out here just to learn the rules of the competition?" he complained.
Next to him was a blue-haired man with a sword strapped to his belt. He looked around him and noticed Ning staring at him. Immediately, he frowned.
"No way you're my teammate, right?" he asked.
"I'm afraid that might be the case," Ning said, wondering why they were put together.
Next to the blue-haired man was a dark-skinned girl just a little shorter than him. However, she stood like she owned the world she stepped on.
Her bright yellow eyes were heavily contrasted by the pure red in her hair. It was so red that it could make men wonder if the color red originated when this girl was born.
She held a slight, proud smile on her face as she looked around. It was only then Ning noticed the armor on her body. It looked like normal clothes at first, but it was clearly metallic or at least made up of something incredibly durable and shiny.
"Is this our team?" she asked as if she were in the presence of her servant.
Ning looked around one last time. He, Nova, Drake, the blue-haired man, and the red-haired girl.
5 people. A team.
"Yes, it seems we have become a team," Ning said.
"Hmm," The girl said with an amused look. "I hope you little worms are helpful in whatever is happening."
The blue-haired man gave an annoyed look as he turned around. "I don't like her. She keeps calling me worm all the time," he said.
"And what is wrong with calling you a worm? You should feel proud to have been called a worm by me," she said.
"What's your name?" Ning asked.
"Derelicia Regalian Aeon Gondra," she said. "You may refer to me as Derel."
Ning was stunned at the long name. "And what can you do?" he asked.
"I am not revealing that, little worm. We may only end up being a team for this match. For, in the end, only one person can reign victorious of that fascinating ball of light he calls a system," she said.
Ning nodded. It was understandable that she didn't want to reveal her powers.
"And what is the word that shall distinguish you little worms from each other for me?" she asked.
"My name is Ning. I hope you can stop calling me worm," Ning said.
"Nonsense, what will I call you if not a worm, a—"
"I am Issilika," the blue-haired man interjected. "You may call me Issi."
Ning nodded toward him. "Let us forget our grievances and work together for this competition," Ning said. Issi hesitated for a moment before nodding his head in compliance.
"Look at you worms working together. This warms my heart," Derel said from the side with a bright grin on her face.
Then she turned her head towards Nova and asked, "What's your name, lady worm?"
Nova gave a stern look before saying, "it's Nova."
"Nova, huh? That's not a bad name," she said with a smile.
Finally, she turned her head towards the almost dead, pale-faced man and asked, "What's your name, dying little worm?"
"Drake," he replied in such a low voice that if Ning didn't know he spoke like this out in the heat, he would've suspected this to be his dying words.
"What was that?" Derel asked again. "This damn man still hasn't given us our powers back." She complained to the side.
"DRAKE!" Drake shouted as loudly as he could.
Derel's eyes suddenly went sharp. "Are you having a laugh, little worm?" she asked in a cold voice.
"What? No, that's my name," Drake said. "At least half of it."
"Your parents gave you that name?" she asked.
"Yes," Drake said in his dying voice.
"Hmm," Derel hummed a moment. "Not bad. You shall thank your parents for this as I shall call you by your name, Drake."
"As for the rest of you all little worms, I shall try to remember to distinguish amongst you when I speak," she said.
'The hell have I got myself into here?' Ning thought to himself. He looked at his group once again.
Nova still didn't look in anyone's eyes and was barely focusing on the conversation in front of her.
Drake lay on the ground as if ready to die. That or waiting for someone to grab him and take him to shade.
Neither of the two seem to be in any condition for whatever was coming up. If the next competition had anything to do with fighting, which it most likely did, Ning was sure they were screwed.
'I can only rely on Issi and Derel,' he thought. 'Well, I hope she's as strong as her words make her sound.'
Genesis appeared in the air after some time and started speaking again.
"I hope you have become somewhat acquainted with your new teams. I chose them based on who you spent the most time with," Genesis said.
Ning looked around at his group. "Well that makes sense at least," he thought. Derel was still an outcast, but he guessed she must have spent some time with Issi.
"Don't worry, you will have another hour to get acquainted. For now, let me tell you the objective of the next event," Genesis said.
"I call it... Defend the Tower."
