Poller increased his steps trying to catch up with him.

"Seriously your highness you shouldn’t try just helping anyone especially in this competition, " he started his tone almost chastising, "you’ll never know if they’ll try attacking you."

Poller didn’t notice that he himself was getting more and more comfortable around Atheline. He rarely socialised except with the guards under him.

Atheline’s lips slightly curved into a small smile out of his sight. He was interested in the man’s element. Space elemental manipulators were rare and most of them surrendered themselves to nobles since they got better pay and recognition but he seems to have found a rogue one.

From his official clothing, he already knew the man was a guard around the Spitting Harrows, which meant he was basically exiled for life. It wouldn’t hurt to have a space manipulator in his circle.

He had seen how space manipulators could become incredibly overpowered as they increase in rank. The ability to manipulate space itself wasn’t something to play with.

Lilith was the best example herself.

"Your highness...?" Poller called skeptically as he didn’t get an immediate response.

Atheline glanced back at him, brow raised.

"Yes... I’ve seen some participants killing each other earlier before I saw you," he remarked.

This stumped the man down with how nonchalant he was about the whole thing.

"And before you ask me, I didn’t save any of them. Heard it was something of a grudge, a fight to the death or something," he added dismissively," that’s not really my cup of tea."

Atheline stopped abruptly and turned but Poller ran straight into him forcing both of them to take a step back.

"What’s got you so preoccupied you’re not looking where you’re going?" He jokingly asked.

Poller laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I apologise your highness, I was lost in thought. "

Atheline chuckled softly.

"Happens to the best of us."

"But your highness, you’re walking so carefree in the forest what if a monster or something breaks your barrier and attacks you!?"

Rolling his eyes, Atheline turned and continued forward leaving the shocked Poller to hurriedly follow after him.

"Just be thankful that I saved you, stop yapping about a nonsensical hypothesis that would not come true."

Atheline rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache. He briefly closed his eyes and the small pain slowly dissipated.

"Yes, your highness. "

"Good. Now where do you wish to go?"

"I... I don’t know your highness... I don’t even know our current location," he said his voice lowered.

He glanced around but everything was just darkness and trees. The fact that they weren’t getting attacked didn’t make him comfortable at all.

"We’re heading to the outskirts, you were at the border. A few steps and you would have entered the centre," Atheline said," do you want to go back to the outskirts or you can stay around these parts. Most of the monsters here are mid-grade."

Poller’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe he had wandered so far off his planned area. His gaze stayed on Atheline’s back for a moment, just thinking about his escaped death.

If the greedmire hadn’t attacked him, something else would have.

"I’m not really sure... I have to kill monsters," he said in resignation his voice dying down at the last words when he realised his goal in joining the competition.

He could already imagine his current rank while the man in front of him was ranked second. There was definitely no way the third would have caught up to his rankings at the moment.

This was probably why Atheline was so carefree in the forest. He had no competition except for the top rank while here he was, pitifully falling down the rankings with each passing second.

’May be i should hold onto him,’ the thought passed through his mind but he shook it away,’ that’s despicable’

The man in front of him, had killed a high-ranking monster with one shot, showing his capability. He had immense power and could easily pass the competition.

And what about him...

The realisation came crashing down. His steps slowed down until they came to a stop. The lack of footsteps notified Atheline.

"What’s wrong?" Atheline asked him, a frown marring his face.

"I... I have to go kill, your highness. The outskirts will definitely be filled with other competitors. Is it okay if I could kill monsters around this area, " he quietly said, Atheline almost couldn’t hear him," You said only mid-grade would be found here?"

Atheline stared at him for a second too long causing the man to fidget lightly.

"I seem to be slacking off right now, while I am under a hundred, " he continued.

"What rank do you wish to obtain?" He asked.

"Uuh... One."

He met Atheline’s deadpan stare. He sighed a look of defeat on his face.

"Top twenty would be more than enough," he said, a depreciating laugh escaping him.

Poller was wise enough to admit defeat but only to Atheline, his saviour, while he had reluctantly accepted that losing didn’t mean he couldn’t find another way.

Being in the top twenty came with its own perk. Recognition and more opportunities. There was always next year, he wasn’t about to give up after so many tries.

"I joined this..." he stopped himself before he could blubber some more.

He heavily sighed when he felt Atheline’s stare. He didn’t know what it was but it didn’t feel right.

"Thank you for your help your highness but I’ve got to go.... " he said and turned to leave when the small image stone in his pocket fell to the ground.

He hurriedly picked it up. The same hologramic images appeared on the screen the stone recognising his Aether. He was just about to put it back in his pocket but stopped.

His eyes accidentally wandered and soon landed on the rankings, he paused. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

[Atheline Sunblade, 1251 points, rank 1]

He didn’t know how to feel as his eyes shifted to Atheline then back to the rankings. He rubbed his eyes vigorously trying to get rid of the illusion that was happening before him.

But nothing happened the rankings even jumped by a hundred more.

’What in the world’

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Atheline trying to decipher if the man had been a figment of his imagination, no, he was real.

How?

"How.. wasn’t it just six hundred an hour ago?" He asked particularly to himself but it sounded as though he was questioning Atheline instead.

How? Just how did the kill count jump by twice its previous amount in just an hour?