God of Destruction: Living Among Mortals

The next morning, Nova got out of bed with an hour left until the tournament started. He was told to arrive ten minutes before the tournament to get settled and ask any last-minute questions. He was very excited for his big day, yet also nervous. He knew that he had the potential to be something greater, to become one of the strongest, if not the strongest. He was going to try to be the strongest even in the mortal realm.

He got dressed, his casual attire. Marcus had given him some money after Nova had told him his story and how broke he was. Nova spent it all on food and a couple of new pairs of clothes. He wore his jacket, his necklace, his black pants, with these back shoes that complemented his dark avatar, so he bought them. They were plated slightly at the front; he didn't know why, but liked them anyway.

Then, he heard a sharp knock on his door, smiling as he realized the person he had summoned was right on the money. He opened the door to see Talia, who was excited, as the tournament was going to be broadcast live on TV across the entire world. Nova stretched, letting her in. The kittens rushed over to the door, greeting Talia as they recognized a familiar scent and face.

She played with them, as Nova requested her to take care of them, just until the tournament was over, which was not until night. He got ready, kissing his kittens and thanking Talia again, waving at her.

He left. He still had nearly fifty minutes remaining, but he was so excited that his adrenaline kept him from slowing down. His nervousness was converted into happiness, and he wasn't feeling nervous. He saw the city coming to life as people rushed over to their houses to watch the tournament.

The guild had overtaken the government, announcing that today was going to be a holiday dedicated to the tournament, so anyone and everyone was allowed to watch, without any Ads.

Nova passed block after block, finally reaching the guild ten minutes later. He rushed inside to see Adam already there, talking with Marcus, with security around them. Marcus didn't need security, but also didn't want to get his own hands dirty if he didn't feel like it. Hence, the security.

He rushed over to Marcus, the security stopping him, but Marcus told them to move aside, which they swiftly did, and Nova went to Marcus with big eyes, lips curled at the edges to show his wide smile. Veins were popping all over his body. Marcus touched Nova's hand, and it was burning, fueled with too much adrenaline.

Marcus gulped, praying for the other contestants. They all went towards one of the teleportation marks placed on the ground for contestants who were participating in the tournament. Nova and Adam got badges that represented who they were.

"There are about a million people of all ages participating in the tournament. And only about 128 will make it past the first round. Then only sixty-four. Then thirty-two. Then, when only sixteen are left, those are the ones chosen to join the guild. So, hopefully, you make it to the top sixteen."

The two stepped inside the teleportation mark, instantly teleporting to what looked like a waiting area. With a million voices all around them. Some were laughing too loudly, some whispering prayers, and some saying nothing at all. Everyone was happening simultaneously, which only boosted Nova's adrenaline, making him sweat at his temple.

The air felt warm, ashy, suffocating. Then, they saw it. Before them, beyond the towering panes of reinforced glass, the maze stretched out like a cell. It wasn't neat or symmetrical, just the opposite. It was guttural, with walls so massive that it would put Mt. Everest to shame. All the ways were made up of stone so dark, it almost felt like a blackhole, absorbing all the light, every single ounce and atom of light.

Some sections were draped in vines that shifted unnervingly, almost as if they could hear. Judging by how they were all pointing towards the waiting area, it was safe to assume that they could hear. And they weren't happy.

The maze went on and on; it made you question if there was an end. It felt like it was folding into itself, almost like it was a separate planet.

Nova went closer to the glass panel, seeing everything, memorizing everything. He was already constructing a plan to get out of the maze as soon as possible, as he saw monsters in the far distance. They didn't look bad, E-rank at best, but even that was a pain to deal with, especially since both of them were unawakened.

In the center of the maze was a giant volcano, active and ready to burst. It looked like it had been suppressed, angry, yet controlling itself for when the time was right. Nova realized that the volcano was the eye to escape.

It wasn't the final destination, but it was one of the pieces to it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have made sense to put it, as they couldn't have added anything else to flavor the already depressed looking dungeon.

Then, as the time elapsed, Nova and Adam stopped talking and smiling as they got to know each other. An announcement was made.

"Welcome, contestants, to stage one of the tournament. As you see before you, there is a giant maze. You must escape the maze. Only the first 128 may escape; the rest of you will fail, coming back to the guild. For the ones that do make it, you will be automatically teleported to stage two. I hope you all the best of luck, and may the games commence."

All the million people were split into sections of the maze. Everyone alone. They didn't say anything about the rules, which meant that there weren't any. That means that people could die. Nova didn't like that, since he had to find Adam as soon as possible to protect him.

He started running straight, hoping to see Adam as quickly and swiftly as possible; otherwise, those boys from yesterday would kill him if they saw him.