Points fluctuated rapidly as competitors began encountering monsters on the outskirts. Thought most of the rapid fluctuations happened at the bottom.

At the top, it was a different story.

"Monster kill rankings," Helmer read the first line." First... Igrad Neill, human, two hundred and thirty-seven points..."

He frowned. This had been beyond his expectations.

"You expected his highness to top the charts?" Beside him, Zelpher asked.

He glanced at him, then nodded.

"You mustn’t worry, the competition is only starting his highness will eventually claim his place."

Helther chuckled.

"You really believe in my brother."

"I have no choice but to believe. He has to win."

"I suppose you’re right."

The crowd looked at the number in awe. Humans sprang to their feet as they praised their representation.

Javier sat by the gates, his gaze focused on the rankings. A shiver ran through his body at the numbers.

Two hundred.

It was such a huge number that the average participant who belonged to the first two groups would reach after half a day of grinding without rest.

And here was some monster achieving it in just three minutes of the game. It was all just insane, a feat that deserves to be celebrated.

"Wow... a human too," he was amazed by the prowess of the man.

His eyes dropped to the second on the list.

"Second... Its miss Sandy!," he exclaimed excitedly," Sandy Glaris, dark elf, ninety-one points... as expected she knows the forest like the back of her hand."

Javier shook his head. Even though she wasn’t at the top, her feat wasn’t something to joke about.

There were people who’s name dissappeared on the list as every second passed. Those were the people who died the moment they entered the gates from the weakest monsters.

The numbers still reduced with each passing second.

"Wow.. this is crazy..."

The rankings were slowly being occupied by famous individuals, nobles, and hunter groups as the weak were slowly pushed down the ranks.

His eyes scrolled further down the kill count list until he came across a familiar name.

"Poller Diaz, sixty-six, fifteen."

Javier smiled the moment he saw his captain’s name. While it wasn’t the top rank, he was still far up and among the best.

"At least the captain is in the top twenty."

Beside him, another guard nodded." Better than most."

Their smile didn’t last long. The name dropped three places at once. Both of them frowned.

Shouts brought their attention back to the screen.

"Look someone jumped fifty ranks at once."

"What kind of monsters are they killing. "

"No... look at the points!"

The announcers exited voice thundered through from the screen. The man’s excitement could be seen as he pointed at the rankings to a specific name.

"Amazing unbelievable rise from participant Caius, the saint of the High elves."

"He had defeated an entire pack of silver-backed bears in under three minutes."

The crystal screen shifted again and the viewers finally saw him. Deep within the forest, surrounded by corpses stood Caius with Yander standing just outside the mountain of corpses circling him.

His expression was calm, and not a single wound could be seen on him. Around him, the trees were charred and only burnt ground could be seen.

The knight beside him swallowed.

"That’s impossible," Javier said to himself.

Before anyone could recover from the shock, his rank changed again.

Rank 10. seventy points.

The arena erupted.

"He entered the top ten."

"In just minutes. "

"This is insane. The other competitions at least lasted longer before the increase. "

Even nobles began leaning forward with interest, yet the two just glanced at the monsters and stepped further into the forest, towards the centre.

"Look, the captain moved down the rankings again," the knight beside Javier said.

His eyes widened in surprise, another name hadn’t suddenly joined the rankings.

"Five... Atheline Sunblade... eighty-eight points," he stood a step back in astonishment when he saw his highness name.

His name hadn’t been on the top-ranking list. He had read all the names on the rankings and he had not been there. He had almost forgotten their future king was participating.

"What!" He yelled when the rankings were updated again.

"Se... second... Atheline Sunblade... one hundred and eighty-eight points."

He almost fell over, his eyes widening at the sudden jump in the two-second difference. The points were enormous.

"Wow, folks it seems his highness has risen just as fast as the Flame prince. Racking up kill counts just as fast. What a sight!" The announcers shouted in excitement.

"And we have just captured the moment, when his highness made his kill counts jump."

Javier’s eyes immediately shifted to the first half where the announcers disappeared, and the captured footage was played.

It was dark for a moment, then Atheline came into view. He was standing atop a cliff deep within the forest. A wind barrier swirled around him preventing anything from getting close.

Even in that situation, he carried a calm authority that forced others to look at him.

"Wow... I thought he had failed when I didn’t see his name."

"I knew our queen wouldn’t choose wrong."

Excitement spread once more.

Below the cliff dozens of monsters surged, each trying to climb up. Massive horned beasts covered in black scales roared violently as they charged together.

Most of the participants would have fled the moment they saw such a group but Atheline seemed to be the one luring them.

He simply raised his arm and the wind gathered. Invisible blades condensed around him before exploding outwards.

SHIIING!

The forest trembled at that. The beasts that had been charging forward froze and for a brief second nothing happened.

Then, blood erupted everywhere and the bodies were split apart instantly.

Some monsters were sliced cleanly in half while others collapsed into pieces before they even realised they were dead.

The audience stared in stunned silence. Atheline lowered his hand casually as though he had merely brushed dust from his clothes.

The announcers nearly shouted in excitement.

"Incredible control over the wind element!"

"He eliminated an entire hoard instantly!"

The viewers erupted.

"Thats insane. "

"So this is how he did it!"

After those kills his points had skyrocketed to the top ten. Yet he never showed any outward reaction. His expression remained indifferent as he walked deeper into the forest.

"Those won’t give enough points, what gave the hundred points?" Someone asked, voice echoing in the quiet Court.

The answer came immediately since the recording seemed not to have ended.

At that moment, a roar echoed across the screen. The viewers froze.