Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 80: Names, Part Nine

The stage was set.

Lianna’s dance partner stood by her side, the administrator, looking confidently at the other players ahead.

A couple of those players, people Lianna did not know of, stepped forward.

"You actually showed up? Didn’t you say you weren’t interested?" A man with light, blonde hair crossed his arms, looking down at the administrator mischievously.

"I changed my mind," she responded. "I heard a couple of interesting prospects from my guild were showing up and I said, "you know what? Why not?’ So, now I’m here."

"If we were actually going to be fighting each other, this would be so much more excitement. Just like old times, huh?"

"Indeed. And, the result likely wouldn’t change."

Lianna looked back and forth between the proud adventurers standing before her. Years of history were packed in their locking gaze. Two figures who were very much familiar with each other, but perhaps didn’t always see eye to eye.

"Ah, is this one of those subjects you speak of? Come on, you could at least introduce me."

"Very well," the administrator turned toward Lianna. "This is Alister Ranger. A high-ranking member of the Silver Blades."

Lianna’s eyes widened. Curious, she decided to check his status.

[As much as I want to keep to my principles... I really should get in the habit of checking people out more.]

Alister Ranger

MP: 400/400

---

STR: B+

END: B

DEX: C+

MYS: C+

L: F

Lianna’s eyes widened. Two things became apparent at that moment.

One, this man was definitely strong. Those ratings were very well-rounded.

And, two, seeing his status, that he made it as an accomplished warrior with this amount of power, put the buff Lianna and Enverna received from their proximity into perspective. For some reason, it took all this time up until just now for her to realize it.

[That buff we get is huge... Enverna almost has the stats of a legit, experienced player. Insane.]

"And former rival of your guildmaster. You forgot to mention that part," Alister added.

"Is it really a rivalry if you lose every time?" The administrator smirked at him.

"Yeah? Well, I won’t lose today."

"We’ll see about that."

At that point, the man walked away. The administrator turned back toward Lianna, though her eyes remained fixed on the competition.

"Remember, the point is to help me win whatever fight I take, Lianna. You can do so through the use of specific abilities or you can simply aid me in my fights yourself. Though, with your stats, I’m sure that wouldn’t be optimal."

"Got it."

"How are you feeling?" The administrator then asked, finally setting her eyes on Lianna once again. "On my end, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this... The excitement before a battle. Even if it is not a real one."

"I... I just hope I do well," Lianna responded.

"Is that all?" Lianna nodded. "That type of ’happy to be here’ outlook is cute, but in having such a simplistic mindset, are you not doing your fellow competitors a disservice?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it. Think about all the other players who, maybe, wanted to get into this competition more than anything else but weren’t able to because the registration limit was reached. You took a spot away from them. In my opinion, setting your sights so low is tantamount to spitting in their faces."

Lianna pulled back.

"I... didn’t think about that."

"You’ve got a lot to learn," the administrator said, shaking her head. "For now, though, let’s focus. Our battle is about to begin."

Lianna did take those words to heart, but even so, she wasn’t too sure about how she’d perform.

With the administrator’s faith weighing down on her shoulders though, and with Enverna’s eyes on her in the distance silently cheering her on, a flame was sparked within Lianna’s heart.

[This isn’t just for me, though. Even if I don’t win, I at least need to keep Zura from winning.]

The woman in question was standing ahead of her partner, holding up a shield. Her eyes strayed to Lianna’s for a brief moment. Lianna looked down at her amulet.

[Somehow, some way, I need to get that thing off her too.]

"Contestants," the announcer called out. "Put on your VR equipment. We want you going all out!"

The referee went and handed everyone some headsets.

[But, how will they-]

Four screens descended from the top of the stadium.

[Ah.]

"No equipment?" The administrator asked, looking back at Lianna. Lianna shook her head. "Hm."

She was clearly intrigued by that choice but didn’t ask anything else.

"Are you ready?" The announcer asked the players collectively. "Ready or not... Begin!"

And, just like that, the tourney commenced.

Obstacles erupted from the dirt, acting as walls and barriers to keep them from seeing each other.

[Ah, so that’s how this is. I’m guessing the combat portion will be the same.]

This was good, though. It would allow Lianna to make use of one of her main, Enverna-unrelated abilities.

Ambush - Passive

{Technique}

{Lesser}

{Class: Scout}

{Desc: The first attack you or your allies attempt on an enemy that has not seen you specifically yet has a 25% higher chance of landing and deals 25% bonus damage. This passive is maintained for every attack you or your allies attempt until the enemy sees you.}

{Note: Passive only activates when within 5 meters of an enemy}

She had picked up a few others, though. Hopefully, they’d be useful now.

"Well then, let’s see if we can find some enemies, shall we?"

Lianna helped speed that process up.

Using {Reconnaisance}, she looked through the walls.

"There’s another duo right over there," she pointed in their direction.

"Well done, Scout. Come on," the administrator said, walking in that direction with no hesitation.

It took no time at all to find their first opponents.

Two ladies stood before them, one holding a bow and the other carrying two maces.

Lianna used {Target Analysis} on them but was only able to get a cursory overview of their abilities, as they weren’t about to just stand still for a while.

"Remember, stay close and follow my lead," the administrator advised, her eyes keenly observing their opponents. The opposing duo exchanged glances, seemingly undeterred.

As they closed the distance, Lianna’s eyes scanned the environment, looking for potential advantages.

The fight kicked off immediately.

"Camouflage," Lianna muttered, and a subtle distortion enveloped her.

This was one of the new abilities she’d picked up before the tourney.

Camouflage - 1 minute cooldown

{Technique}

{Class: Scout}

{Desc: Allows the user to blend into their surroundings. Effectiveness increases or decreases with the user’s ability to remain still and the change in their surroundings.}

She blended seamlessly with the surroundings, becoming nearly invisible to the naked eye. The opponents exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of the sudden disappearance of one of their adversaries.

The administrator signaled to Lianna, and they split in opposite directions, flanking their opponents.

With a swift and nearly silent movement, Lianna advanced toward the adversary on the left. Her eyes focused on the opponent’s stats, looking for weaknesses. She observed a subtle detail.

[D+ Dexterity. Okay.]

A plan formed in her mind.

As she closed the distance, Lianna’s heart raced with anticipation. The administrator then engaged the other adversary, bringing out a pair of short, elegant blades. She deflected attacks with experienced grace.

Lianna took a deep breath and activated {Ambush}.

With a sudden burst of speed, she closed the remaining gap and delivered a precise strike to the opponent’s blind spot.

"What!?"

The attack landed with heightened accuracy and dealt increased damage, catching the adversary off guard. The dagger Lianna carried went straight through her back.

[Yes!]

Her target pulled away, healing herself up magically before trying to close the distance.

In that moment, Lianna saw something. The fierce determination in her opponent’s eyes. It burned so brightly, that Lianna almost stopped in her tracks.

[... Right. A lot of people probably wish they could be here, huh?]

Meanwhile, the administrator gracefully parried attacks, utilizing her mysterious skills to keep the other adversary occupied. She clearly wasn’t doing anything more than she needed to, settling for simple dodges and lazy swings.

The battle unfolded with a dance of strategic movements and precise strikes.

Lianna’s intermittent use of {Camouflage} allowed her to reposition without detection.

As the skirmish intensified, Lianna noticed a potential opening.

The adversaries, momentarily separated, presented an opportunity for a coordinated assault. She signaled the administrator, whispering "go in!"

She nodded, and they synchronized their movements.

Breaking her Camouflage, Lianna unleashed a flurry of attacks, drawing the attention of both adversaries.

They were slow, obviously, but she wasn’t trying to hit them herself.

She was the Support, after all. All she was trying to do was help.

The administrator seized the opportunity, a proud smile on her face as she rushed forward, blades thrust ahead of her.

The final moments of the battle unfolded with calculated precision.

With a swift and synchronized strike, Lianna jumped away, bringing her bow out of her Inventory in mid-air.

She couldn’t see her target, though.

[Where...?]

Her opponent wasn’t in sight.

If Lianna’s instincts were right, she was probably about to catch a knife to her back herself.

But, an idea came to her mind.

Lianna closed her eyes.

Then, she used {Through Enverna’s Eyes}.

She was suddenly seeing herself from her fiance’s perspective, seeing her own body on the screen.

And, to her right, around the corner and not behind her, was the enemy Support.

Lianna, eyes closed, aimed her bow, using Enverna’s sight.

Her target, the other support, hadn’t seen it coming.

An arrow flew through the air and landed in her neck.

She fell down, her virtual body disappearing immediately.

Lianna’s eyes opened. A smile found her face.

Both experienced players stopped, instantly.

"Crap."

"Good try," the administrator consoled her opponent. "You two fought well."

The announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, declaring Lianna and the administrator the victors of their skirmish. Cheers erupted from the spectators that Lianna could hear even though she was in this simulation.

But, this was only the beginning.

[One fight down,] Lianna took heavy breaths. [How many more will it take?]