The next morning, Nova got out of bed with only an hour left until the tournament began. He had been instructed to arrive at the guild at least ten minutes early so that he could get settled and ask any last-minute questions. Although he had plenty of time to reach the building, he had barely managed to stay in bed once he remembered what day it was.
He was excited, but a nervous feeling also settled in his stomach. Today was his first opportunity to prove himself in the mortal world. He wanted to become one of its strongest Adventurers, perhaps the strongest, but he understood that potential meant nothing without effort.
He dressed in the casual clothes he had bought with the money Marcus had given him after hearing how broke he was. Nova had spent it all on food and a couple of outfits. Mortal finances were still rather unfamiliar to him.
He wore his jacket, necklace, black pants, and matching shoes. The shoes were slightly plated at the front. He didn't know why, but he liked the design.
Nova adjusted his jacket and glanced toward the kittens. They were already awake, moving around the apartment as if they knew something unusual was happening. Smudge approached his feet and looked up at him, while the others followed shortly afterward.
A sharp knock sounded at the door.
Nova smiled. Right on time.
He opened it to find Talia, who looked almost as excited as he felt. She had been talking about the tournament ever since learning he had registered.
"Morning, Nova! Are you ready?" she asked, looking him over. "You look like you've been waiting for this all week."
"I have," Nova answered, stepping aside to let her in. "Though I didn't expect you to be this excited about it. You're not even participating."
"Of course I'm excited! The entire tournament is being broadcast live around the world. Everyone is going to be watching, and I get to tell people I know one of the contestants."
Before Nova could respond, the kittens rushed toward the door. They recognized Talia almost immediately and gathered around her feet, meowing for attention. She laughed and crouched down, letting them sniff her fingers before stroking their heads.
Nova had asked Talia to care for the kittens until the tournament ended that night. Leaving them alone for so long bothered him. Ever since finding them in the alley, he had become rather protective.
"There's food prepared for them," he said. "And water. They shouldn't need anything else, but if they do, you'll be here."
"Nova, I've looked after them before. They'll be fine. You should be worrying about your tournament instead of giving me instructions on how to feed kittens."
"I'm not worried about the tournament."
Talia raised an eyebrow. "Not even a little?"
Nova considered the question. "All right, a little. But it's the good kind of nervousness. I want to see what the other contestants are capable of. I want to struggle for something and find out how far I can go."
She studied him for a moment before shaking her head with a small laugh. "You have a strange way of looking at things, you know that? Most people would be hoping for an easy first round."
Nova knelt, kissed each kitten on the head, and thanked Talia again. Smudge tried to follow him toward the door, but Talia picked the kitten up.
"Go on," she told him. "We'll be watching. And don't do anything stupid just because you're excited."
"I'll try," Nova answered, which only made her look less reassured.
He waved goodbye and left the apartment.
He still had nearly fifty minutes before the tournament, but he struggled to walk at a normal pace. His earlier nervousness had turned to excitement, and his heart beat faster with every block.
Boston was already coming to life around him, though the atmosphere was different from an ordinary morning. People hurried along the streets, and many shops were preparing to close rather than open. The American Guild had become powerful enough to overtake much of the government's authority, and it had announced a holiday dedicated to the tournament. The broadcast would be available to everyone without advertisements, giving people another reason to stay home and watch.
He passed groups discussing their favorite contestants. Nova didn't recognize their names. For all his knowledge of existence, he knew little about Earth's most famous Adventurers.
He reached the guild about ten minutes later. Security personnel directed contestants through the entrances, while enormous screens displayed tournament information.
Nova entered and quickly spotted Adam speaking with Marcus. Several security guards surrounded them. Marcus hardly needed protection, considering his own strength, but he seemed to prefer having others deal with small disturbances whenever he didn't feel like getting involved himself.
Nova hurried toward them, only for a guard to step into his path.
"Contestants aren't allowed through here without permission," the man said, extending an arm.
"I'm with them," Nova replied, pointing toward Marcus.
The guard looked unconvinced, but Marcus had already noticed the commotion.
"He's with me. Let him through," Marcus called.
The guards moved aside immediately. Nova approached with a wide smile, his eyes bright with excitement. Adam looked at him, then at the veins standing out along his arms, and seemed unsure whether he should be concerned.
"You look a little too happy," Marcus observed. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Of course I slept. I just couldn't wait to get here."
Marcus reached out and briefly touched Nova's hand. His eyebrows rose at the warmth of his skin. Nova was practically burning with excitement, his body reacting to the rush of adrenaline.
"Good grief," Marcus muttered. "Remind me to pray for whoever gets matched against you."
Adam let out a nervous laugh. He was smiling more than he had during their first meeting, though he still kept his shoulders tense and his hands close to his sides.
"Are you nervous?" Nova asked him.
"A little," Adam admitted. "Actually, more than a little. There's going to be so many people. And I still haven't awakened."
"Neither have I," Nova reminded him. "And you heard what Marcus said yesterday. You have an excellent chance of awakening."
Adam glanced at Marcus, who gave a small nod.
"The sphere doesn't guarantee what happens today," Marcus said. "A ninety-eight percent potential is exceptional, Adam, but it doesn't replace judgment. You both need to pay attention once the competition starts."
They walked toward one of the contestants' teleportation marks. Both received badges identifying them as participants, which Nova examined with his usual curiosity.
"There are about a million people of all ages participating in this tournament," Marcus explained. "Only the first one hundred and twenty-eight to clear the opening stage will move on. After that, it'll go down to sixty-four, then thirty-two, and finally sixteen. Those sixteen will be selected to join the guild."
Adam stared at him. "Out of a million? Only sixteen?"
"That's right. So don't expect anyone to make things easy for you. Every person here wants one of those places."
Nova's smile widened. "That sounds perfect."
Marcus sighed. "Of course it does. Just remember, enthusiasm won't help if you don't think before you act. And Adam, don't let the size of the competition get into your head. Focus on what's in front of you."
Adam nodded, drawing a slow breath. "I'll do my best."
Nova and Adam stepped onto the mark. A moment later, the world around them shifted, and they were teleported into what appeared to be an enormous waiting area.
Voices surrounded them from every direction. Some contestants laughed too loudly, while others whispered prayers or stood silently. It was impossible to distinguish individual conversations.
The air was warm, almost ashy, and it felt strangely suffocating. Nova felt sweat gathering near his temples, though he couldn't tell whether it was caused by the temperature or his increasing excitement.
Then he saw what lay beyond the towering panes of reinforced glass.
A maze stretched across the landscape, its walls rising to an absurd height. The stone was so dark that it seemed to absorb light. Nothing was symmetrical. Corridors split apart and disappeared behind immense barriers, some seeming to fold back into themselves.
Vines shifted across some walls despite the absence of wind. They leaned toward the glass as if listening to the contestants, and Nova watched one withdraw into a narrow opening.
Farther away, he spotted monsters moving through the passages. From what he could judge, some appeared to be around E-rank. That was already dangerous enough for an unawakened contestant, especially one who was caught alone.
What caught his attention most was the volcano at the maze's center. Smoke rose from its peak, yet its eruption seemed suppressed. It towered above the walls, visible from almost anywhere.
There has to be a reason for putting something like that in the middle, Nova thought. It might not be the exit itself, but it must have something to do with escaping.
Adam joined him by the glass. "Do you think we're supposed to reach that volcano?"
"I think it's important," Nova answered. "Look at how the passages seem to stretch around it. If we're separated, try to move toward the volcano. It'll be easier to find each other if we're both heading for the same place."
Adam looked uncertain. "You think they're going to separate us?"
"With this many contestants? I'd be surprised if they didn't."
"Right," Adam murmured, staring back at the maze. "The volcano, then."
While they waited, Nova tried to memorize the corridors he could see.
As the remaining time passed, the noise in the waiting area gradually quieted. A voice sounded from above them, carrying clearly throughout the chamber.
"Welcome, contestants, to the first stage of the tournament. As you can see before you, there is a giant maze. Your objective is simple. Escape the maze. Only the first one hundred and twenty-eight contestants to reach the exit will advance. Everyone else will fail and be returned to the guild. Those who qualify will be teleported automatically to stage two. I wish you all the best of luck, and may the games commence!"
The announcement offered no further rules about monsters or fighting other contestants. No one had explained how serious injuries would be prevented.
Nova was eager to test himself, but Adam was unawakened, and the boys who had harassed him were competing too. If they found Adam alone, they might attack him. Even if disqualified contestants were eventually returned to safety, someone might suffer badly before being removed.
He turned toward Adam, intending to remind him of their plan, but the teleportation mark beneath their feet activated before he could speak.
When Nova opened his eyes, he stood alone between immense walls of black stone. The voices were gone. He looked around, but Adam was nowhere in sight.
He took one last look at his surroundings, chose the passage ahead, and started running. He needed to find Adam as quickly as possible, especially before those boys from the guild did.