2154 The Achievements of Sarah and Kendrick
With the start of the Continental Tournament, the rankings of the competitors and bettors soon began to be updated, and points were awarded more frequently.
Due to the lesser appeal of some of the tests to the general public, some of the tournament's competitions were run concurrently, so it wasn't uncommon to see multiple tests running simultaneously during the first few days of the tournament.
The first few days of the tournament consisted of events that anyone could bet on, and there were fewer restrictions on who could actively participate in the competition.
The first few contests were enough to captivate many of the event's spectators, but they also guaranteed the first results for bettors of all backgrounds.
Minos and his allies scored their first in the first two days of the competition, securing a good result for their bets, but very much under the radar.
Most of the group's bets were focused on the main events of the Continental Tournament, so while they were doing well, they were currently losing out on points to many others betting on this competition.
At the same time as Minos's group was gaining its first points, their competitors were beginning to show their skills, winning individual or collective challenges and obtaining important resources for people of their level.
Sarah had participated in four tests in the first few days of the tournament, placing second in a comprehension and cultivation competition, first in a team resource fight, winning a strength test, and placing third in the race on the first day of the event.
He had participated in fewer races but had already achieved his first notable accomplishment: a battle royale against low-level Sages!
He had placed fifth in the other exam he had participated in. However, his result was still great, as he had contributed 100 points to Minos, something fantastic that was worth more than all of Sarah's victories!
As for the chosen ones from Sista and the Flowers Kingdom, they lost most of their contests, but together, they won three more victories for Minos' group.
Everyone had shown their skills and did not embarrass or take away from the good expectations of their groups at this event!
...
On the fourth day of the Continental Tournament, Sarah and Kendrick would finally be competing together, having competed individually in each of their tests so far.
Today, they would compete in only one race, the Endless Labyrinth, an area prepared by the elves for this edition of the Continental Tournament.
In this race, they were tasked with traversing a magnificent maze filled with traps and items that would easily cause conflict among the competitors.
At first, the idea of facing a maze might not seem too difficult, but there was a reason for the maze's name. It was a living maze powered by an ancient sentient plant from Elves Island that changed its paths and the location of special items every 30 minutes.
If you couldn't reach the end of the maze in 30 minutes, the shapes and paths of the maze would change, which could cause a duo trying to complete the race to move away from the right path!
That was a test of duos with a total of 100 teams competing.
Sarah and Kendrick had already heard how this competition would work and were currently at one of the 50 entrances to the maze, giving the 100 teams about to enter this area the same difficulty level.
Sarah looked at the other couple who were about to enter through the same entrance as her and Kendrick and saw the two people watching them intently.
"We have to be careful. Father said he set us up to win this race." She said to Kendrick. "Then be ready to fight at any moment. We won't let our father down."
"These two are middle-level Sages," Kendrick commented without looking at these individuals. "Do you think they will try to hinder us at the beginning of the test?"
"Anything is possible. Be prepared to fight if necessary." She said in a tone that only they could hear. "But from what I know of this exam, there's no point in fighting the others. There are traps around the maze that will try to kill us, and the main point is to reach its end."
"Yes, but the resources around the maze will pit competitors against each other." Kendrick pondered. "Also, it's possible that competitors will try to throw opponents against traps to slow them down."
"I know, but it's more likely to happen further into the maze. There's no point in wasting our energy once we enter this place." She said she was aware of the risks and how slippery humans could be. "We'll have to watch out for other duos, but it's more likely that our first opponent will be a trap."
"Hmm, how will we find our way to the end of this maze? It's not easy to complete this test in just 30 minutes. And after that, it will get harder and harder because we won't be able to use the known paths to eliminate the wrong ones." He commented to his sister as the clock ticked down to 3 minutes to start this test.
"I'll work it out with my skill. I'll have to familiarize myself with the area a bit, but I'm confident I'll find our way in the next three hours." She said, thinking of her innate ability to control gravity.
There was a critical detail in this test. At the top of the maze were arrays that made flight or spatial manipulation impossible, so there was no way to use these options to reach their destination.
But inside the maze, one could use whatever other powers one had to try to make their way to its end.
"Okay. So let's go through the maze and get you to recognize the area as soon as possible." Kendrick said, not interested in the valuable items that might be lying around but worried about the traps they would have to overcome.
As far as he knew, this was a test not suitable for those with cultivation below level 80. Since he was below that, he would have to worry twice as much about his upcoming journey!
Finally, the remaining time until the start of this test was over, and the 50 entrances to the maze opened, making room for the 100 groups of Sages to rush in.
No one wanted to fight once they entered the maze. Knowing that the corridors would change in less than 30 minutes, the competitors ran along the paths before them, eager to find the right one.
Soon, the first would find the valuable resources scattered throughout the maze, while others would stumble upon the traps strategically placed throughout the area.
Those who were less attentive or hurried would suffer a bit at the beginning of the test, as the first battles for resources began there.
Everyone thought that when they entered the maze, they would just focus on getting to the end. But when they came across items as valuable as Saint-grade medicines, many couldn't ignore them and fought to possess them!
