"We held this event, to help the next generation prepare themselves for what they are going to face in the world of Solterra," Theodore said. "I'm sure that your families have already prepared you to the best of their abilities. So, we will put those preparations to the test."
With a single clap of Theodore's hand the floor of the dancing area of the Event Hall parted to the sides, revealing an underground arena.
There were ten arenas in total, which meant that ten matches could be held at the same time.
The children of the different families had various reactions to this sudden change of events.
Some of them smiled with confidence, others felt bored, while some were very eager to show their might to their peers, hoping that it would impress them.
Others felt fear, anxiety, and doubt about what was going to happen next.
They didn't know what the Remingon Clan had prepared, but knowing that they were one of the Five Monarch Clans, whatever they had in store for the teenagers wasn't that simple.
"I'm sure that the majority of you think that we will be holding a sparring match," Theodore stated. "While that is also good, I believed that fighting amongst yourselves might cause grudges, and hostilities before you are even sent to Solterra.
"In order to prevent that from happening, what you will be fighting aren't Humans, but the Monsters of Solterra themselves. Worry not, we have only prepared Rank 1 Monsters, which are the Monsters that you will be facing in your First Wandering.
"Consider this as an initiation of sorts to the world that you are about to enter. As for your safety? Worry not. We have prepared Champions who will stop the battle if they deem that you are about to be seriously injured or, worse, die from the challenge.
"If you don't trust them enough to protect your lives, you can ask your Guardians to serve as your protectors instead. Remember this everyone, your safety is important to us. However, when you enter the world of Solterra, we will no longer be there to keep you safe.
"This challenge has a Points system, and those who have the highest points will get a prize. But, remember this, only the top 100 will be eligible for the rewards of this challenge. But, the top five will gain even greater prizes! As to how the point system will be computed, allow me to explain the rules.
"We have captured many Monsters, and you will be allowed to fight three of them. Each Monster has a corresponding point value, depending on their difficulty. You can fight them in a one-on-one battle, one versus two battle, or you can fight all three at once.
"If you choose to fight all three monsters at once, and win, their points will be multiplied by ten. While you can fight all three at once in order to get a high enough score to secure that you will be in the top ten, this is something that I don't highly recommend.
"All of you are still ordinary Humans, and your strength is still only so much. You only have one life, and you should cherish it while it lasts. So, without further delay, I hereby announce the start of the challenge!"
Loud cheers reverberated in the surrounding as the challengers all lined up to participate in the challenge.
However, just as the contestants were about to start the first round of battles, someone spoke up, which caught Theodore's attention.
"Excuse me, I have a question regarding the event!"
Everyone's gazes landed on the seven-year-old boy, who had a plate filled with muffins.
Leah, who was standing beside him, felt intimidated by the countless stares that suddenly turned in their direction.
Because of this, she subconsciously hid behind Thirteen, in order to shield herself from the unwanted attention
What she didn't know was that this action of hers made the Remington Clan wonder why one of their children was hiding behind the black-haired boy with green eyes.
"Ask away, little boy," Theodore said with a smile on his face.
However, he made a mental note to find the identity of this child, who didn't flinch away from asking a question of a Champion like him.
Not everyone could address him in such a manner, especially in the gathering that he himself had started.
"I have a question about the Monsters," Thirteen said. "Since they are Monsters, there is a chance that they might fight against each other when they are released at the same time.
"My question is this. What would happen if two of the Monsters killed each other and the contestant didn't do anything? Would that still be considered to be their win?"
"Oh, my, I didn't know we had a smart child here." Theodore was no longer offended by the sudden interruption of the seven-
year-old and even looked at him with amusement. "In the case that the Monsters kill each other, or are no longer able to battle, it will be considered the challenger's win."
"Thank you for the clarification," Thirteen replied.
Theodore smiled faintly and raised his hand to resume the start of the event.
Mikhail then glanced at his brother because he knew that Zion wouldn't do anything without a proper reason.
Suddenly, it hit him, making his eyes widen in shock.
'I understand brother,' Mikhail thought as he gave his brother a look of understanding. 'Thank you for your help.'
Seeing that Mikhail seemed to have understood his intention, Thirteen just smiled and returned to their table to eat the muffins that he had piled up on his plate.
Leah followed him back and sat on her chair while sighing in relief.
Elijahn and Vivian looked at their adorable daughter with smiles on their faces. Although they knew that she was spooked and embarrassed by what had happened earlier, they decided to not say anything.
Vivian even asked her daughter affectionately if she wanted to come with her to get some desserts.
Naturally, Leah nodded her head and followed her mother with a smile.
Gerald then glanced at his son, and gave the boy a thumbs up in his heart.
Just like Mikhail, he realized why Thirteen had asked a question. Now, he was looking forward to Mikhail's turn to challenge the Monsters of his choice, which he believed would be an interesting fight to watch.
