Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

"Weren't you a handful?" I ask, trying to catch my breath after a close call.

The forest around us is up in flames, and at my feet are two bodies with both their pins flashing red. One of them jumped out of nowhere in an accidental surprise attack, and admittedly, he caught me off guard pretty nicely. The bloke was hiding underground and tried to human-mole away when I launched my assault.

He is a true rat and probably would've sat out most of the fun if not for the line connecting my pin to something underground acting strange when I passed over him. A complete coincidence and terrible misfortune for him.

The other girl, however, decided to join the fray when spotting the ground behind torn up and trees falling in the dozens. She was one nasty fire mage. Firepower aside, which was considerable and mostly focused on concentrated explosion, she was fast. She hopped around on explosions like a bunny.

A well-aimed bolt of lightning got her, but man, did I have a few close calls… It was only the second, or… okay, third encounter, and if she simply decided to take me out first instead of the warrior, things would've taken a grim turn.

Good thing it looked like I was on the back foot in the melee.

"Let's not wait for any more uninvited guests."

We've made quite the ruckus, and I don't plan on tempting fate this early into the tournament. I'd rather win than go out blazing and early… Back into the trees I go, leaving the flames and crater behind like a good squirrel.

According to Melana, there are thirteen Blessed participating today, including Val and me. Lots of unknown factors, and I don't look forward to getting ambushed by any of them.

Now, with these two down and their pins in my pocket, I have the minimal three it takes to move on towards the center of the island. Craftier opponents, more varied terrain, way less ground to cover… And much more fighting.

In short, a scam.

And yet I still move towards that very same, invisible and impenetrable barrier, marked by the edge of the forest… Why is that? Why would the brilliant me make such a rash and tactically questionable decision?

I gotta admit, it was Victor's brainchild… but the idea itself is poaching. Why waste time and take repeated risks when others can do it for you? Scout for possible prey, lie in ambush, set up traps… Oh, I just love it.

Since I'm early by every measure and more than willing to abandon some caution in favor of gaining an advantage, I set out to find a suitable perch. For now, the forest is thick enough to adequately conceal my movement. Elves were specifically made for the forest, it's in our blood.

Experience is also important, and I somehow doubt many have spent more time scouring the wilds than me. I've literally lived out there for months…

Despite all my confidence, finding a suitable location turns out to be quite the challenge. The forest is impartial, concealing everyone and favoring no one. It's truly an equal ground for all to show their prowess.

"So, how about I make it just a tiny bit unequal?" I mutter and play around with my hair. "I've always been good at a specific type of gardening."

I'm about to betray my location utterly, but that's a small price to pay for gaining some semblance of control over the terrain. Not much effort is needed to set a few trees on fire and fan the flames until they greedily claim more and more of the woods.

Some might consider this a dirty trick, drowning the venue in smoke and fire, but those who aren't complete idiots might recognize a pattern. The patches of flames are small, scattered, and more of a warning than an actual threat.

Approach and risk a battle or avoid and play into my hand… It's a simple choice I'm gracefully extending to all who wish to continue the tournament.

With the stage set, I swiftly retreat into the greenery, right at the edge where the foliage unnaturally disappears and a long stretch of empty land dares the participants to pass. Whoever made this place was truly a twisted mastermind, and I hope to find their lecture in the coming years.

Before I can get too far, something else does a little ambushing.

When I step onto a branch, it lights up with gentle orange symbols. They spread down the entirety of the tree before I can blink and spread across the ground like a vile, insidious spider web.

I've been using Mana Perception all along, I'm no amateur… but this thing was simply disguised with absolute perfection. My weight can't even fully shift onto the branch before a burst of intense mana envelops the area.

The ground begins to shake and crumble, devouring itself at an alarming speed in a wide area. The trap is truly of a terrifying scale, but just a little sluggish. The foliage is too thick to fly in, so I'm left with the conventional method and quickly identify an ideal path.

With graceful steps, I jump over to the next tree, already falling below, then leap over to the next, and the next…

The endless maw below me is spreading, and I'm already under the ground level, when I finally reach the edge and get a grasp of some unsullied earth to follow my command. With magic, I escape in no time and sigh in relief when my feet find solid ground once more.

That was crazy…" I slump down next to a tree to catch my breath. "Who'd even waste that amount of mana to-" The moment my bum hits the ground, another, much smaller set of symbols lights up. "No way!"

A strong breeze slaps me away since moving my muscles would be too slow. Not a moment later, the foot of the tree goes up in a deafening explosion. As if triggered by the chaos, similar circles appear one after another. A chain reaction meant to eliminate all life.

There's just no stopping these overblown tricks.

To escape the cage of destruction, I take to the skies since my location is already very much revealed. A few precise bursts take me away from that convoluted death field before I land back on the ground and run as fast as my legs can carry me.

"So we've got a trapper on our hand." I mutter through ragged breaths. "And it's much worse than even Victor."

The bastard reading the odds is at least restricted by chance and his limited scope of divining the possibilities, but this one was different. At first, the inscription trapped me like a wide net, but that one wasn't meant to kill. I took the shortest and safest route to escape that abyssal quake… and that was probably designed like that intentionally.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Despite having just barely escaped, I grin like a maniac. "And here I thought bullish fighting was all there was waiting for me here… What a pleasant surprise!"

I've only fought small fry until now, sent from smaller nations or institutions barely qualifying for the tournament, but this one was something different. A moderately close call that made me break some sweat and keep me on my toes is what this is…

"It also played into my hand to a degree." I watch another patch of the forest catch on fire.

Frequent distant rumbles, smoke, and ringing clashes of metal prove that I'm not the only one busy. Fighting is what this tournament is all about, and everyone seems eager to prove themselves.

"Well, that's fine by-" A sneeze sends shivers down my body. "Damn smoke!" The skies are already turning gray, and signs of combat around me are getting scarce. "Time to get moving, it seems, huh, Val?"

My words make me pause and look around in confusion. No Valka anywhere, or illusion, or sneaky silhouettes aiming for my prize anywhere in sight.

"What a scary habit…" I shake my head. "I hope she's doing alright, though." Even alone, I still get moving, crossing the woodland rapidly, right at the edge of the flames.

Admittedly, I'm having a much easier time maneuvering by myself compared to when we move as two. Speed and destruction are my forte, and she is holding me back a little in both aspects… Although the advantages of her presence are undeniable.

And I like to have her around. Her presence is just… it feels reassuring.

Since the wall of flames is intimidating enough already to force everyone on a detour, I sit back and wait right at the edge of the empty zone. Sooner or later, people will be funelled this way and forced to confront either me or each other.

The time is ticking, and if my inner clock is not completely off, there should be about twenty minutes left. After that, the floor is lava, and everyone still wasting their time out here is automatically out.

Although I did create this chokepoint quite wide, never did I expect to see results this quickly.

The first gentleman arrives shortly, not making the fine lady wait and visibly approaching in a desperate hurry. His visage is that of a hunted beast, and his moves depict a desperate escape down to the letter.

So I just stay on my ass and observe.

Pouncing on everyone who passes through here was never actually the plan, and I'm not some mentally challenged battle junkie. Information wins battles… And firepower. And speed. And positioning, resources, and maybe a few other things.

The prey is promptly followed by the predators, as it is the law of the jungle. A pair of them, actually, which is firmly against the rules. Both Melana and Martha had warned us extensively about going against the spirit of this competition because the disqualification would be the least of our problems.

"Although now that they're a little closer…" I narrow my eyes, enjoying the show quite a bit. "Those two aren't herding the prey. They're racing for it!"

Even though no jabs are exchanged, their uniforms are different, and their movement is the exact opposite of well-coordinated. All three of them look ragged, and none of them are mages… which makes this a whole lot less interesting.

Unavoidably, they run out of forest after a short while and continue their chase through the barren patch. Now, without any obstacles restricting healthy competition, they finally began to exchange pleasantries.

Arrows, vibrant slashes of mana released from their swords, like some of those super inefficient garbage spells… Like seriously, why do they even waste their limited mana like that?

Then the first runner bumps headfirst into an invisible wall.

"Uhhh, that was nasty…" I groan in his stead and extend my distant pity. "It looks like he doesn't have enough pins yet. And they're catching up! This might get interesting." Like any common spectator, I cheer for the underdog, even though I should be down there to earn fame and whatnot…

Unlike regular spectators, though, I begin creating a ball of destruction. Flames condense and thrash between my palms, begging for attention as I watch the fight unfold. On a scale of dangerous to ten, I'd consider each of the a solid eight.

Outstanding compared to the average kid our age, great compared to most fighting students of the academy, and slightly below average when it comes to our combat team…

It is what it is. Underestimating opponents is a serious sin of the warrior, but I won't inflate their abilities just to remain cautious. I'm considered top-shelf even in a year above us, and this flimsy necklace alone won't change that fact.

Anyhow, it's adequate entertainment to watch them dance around for a while. All three of them have been trained well and fight to the bitter end. Clearly, their education had minor differences, focusing on either aggressive posturing, excessive battlefield control, and that despicable battle of attrition.

Each teacher has their own methods, no doubt.

"What is Melana like then?" It makes me wonder. "Aggressive for sure, deadly even… But I don't think she's trying to guide us in any specific direction." I keep weaving my spell offhandedly. "Maybe observation is her- Ah, they're finally finished!"

Two down and only one left standing. Pins are looted, and the ground eats its fill, meaning the last one standing is eligible to cross the boundary and keep on fighting. He fought hard, deflected arrows, and clashed swords… the poor soul.

With a flick of my wrist, the ball stretches itself into an arrow and shoots off into the distance. The power is only mediocre, and from this distance, I doubt I'll even land an accurate shot… I'm no sharpshooter, and neither am I delusional.

It's fast, though, and when it finally lands, the ground cracks and the entire area bursts into flames. On my scale of destruction, this is nothing more than mediocre… Enough to take him out, absolutely, but I do feel a little bad for playing dirty like this.

Minimal effort for maximum effect.

"You truly are the most wicked of them all…" A voice whispers from behind my back.

The worst thing is, I hadn't even noticed anyone sneaking up on me. My head whips around, and the earth awakens to my protection almost as if it were a part of my body. But when my eyes catch the mysterious person who caused my heart to skip a beat…

"You!" I mutter with utter joy and a smile fitting her mockery. It's fitting, after all. "Did you miss me?"

It's the glass girl wearing the colors of the Federation and showing no signs of concern. I sense no magic swirling in her presence, nor any ill intent in her eyes. It's almost as if I just bumped into an old acquaintance by chance, and we both wait for the other to open.

But I'm not falling for that.

She can lower her guard and act unthreatening all she wants, while I stick to Mom's method. A bolt of lightning leaves my body without a warning as my form greeting, quickly followed by tongues of flame to establish a tempo favorable for me. They all hit… And the glass shatters.

"How rude!" I hear the comment coming from among the trees.

My ears pick up on the direction right away, and I stomp. The earth flails like whipped-up waves, taking the vegetation along with it and turning the area upside down. This time, I do notice her dashing away, retaliating in kind by hurling thin discs on razor-sharp glass my way.

The ground beneath me is soft, so I'm left with arcane shields as my fastest solution. Since the solid mana is rigid and the glass is light, each blade bounces off like pebbles, but this was only the opening salvo. As if anticipating my response, a trio of javelins follows.

Premonition picks up on their trajectory right before my shields shatter, and I jump into the air, twisting my body to come out unscathed. I keep my eyes on my opponent all along, and throw a few more arcs of generously charged electricity her way. They're simply too fast for a Mage to dodge; however, before any of them can land, the girl appears a few steps to her right.

"I knew it, you just like me." She giggles when my feet touch the ground. "Oh, I'd love to appear right in your face and keep this going until one of us falls… But it's not the time, not yet. Don't you agree?"

It'd be a waste to have our battle this early, is what she means…

"True, but I don't like unpredictable factors around my turf." I answer, even though I completely agree. We need to make it look at least a little like we aren't just letting each other walk. "You ruined my fun."

I'd be surprised if a few stragglers weren't already on their way here, heated for battle and hungry for pins. My ambush is foiled, and this vixen alone is to blame. It's only right if she stays behind to clean up after this mess, then in my opinion…