Conquering The Novel

Proceeding with our conversation, I followed Silvia to the arena, where the game would be staged, and she provided me with white assassin-type attire which has black stripes around the borders, and an ebony color mask to conceal my identity.

She had even prepared a new name for me to use in this match.

The name Silvia chose was "The Prince"...

"...."

Yeah, she didn't bother coming up with a different name for me and just termed me "The Prince."

But I didn't bother with the alias that she has chosen for me, and instead dressed swiftly in the attire she had brought for me.

However, because it was still time for my match to begin, she gave me a thorough rundown of the entire game.

To put it simply, the stadium will be transformed into a maze/labyrinth.

The rectangular, open surface of a stadium was said to be ideal for gladiatorial battle royals that would morph into a maze.

The stadium has a length-to-width ratio of 3:2, which is not particularly enormous.

To create a maze/labyrinth, huge walls were placed all around the stadium, separated by doorways.

The gladiators must advance through the maze by entering each door until they reach its center, battling each other along the way, and there are even some decoy doors, such doors may contain lethal traps.

As a result, the gladiators must be cautious of them as well.

The games' organizers built moveable benches on the upper floors and balconies of the exterior walls, as well as barriers at the ground-level entry points.

As a result, viewers were positioned above the battlefield, and combatant exits were sealed.

And Three enormous holographic screens focusing on a battlefield could be seen in the center.

As a result, thousands of spectators can watch the fights from their seats while relaxing.

***

The next point is that we can't carry our weapons, but weapons can be found randomly throughout the maze.

Their quality will be low, and they may break easily, but there is another option:

Spectators can donate coins to their favorite combatants online with the voting tab which is provided to them, and once the combatants have enough coins, the weapon will be delivered to them with magical flying drones.

There are also square-shaped wooden crates scattered throughout the maze, and after smashing one of them, healing, stamina, or strengthening potions can be found within, although only one can be obtained at random.

***

"You must be cautious of trap doors as well as possible ambushes, Ares. Some gladiators frequently ambush behind the entrance and kill opponents who enter through it, catching them off guard." Silvia informed me and went on.

"You don't have to worry about it because I'll be employing a wallhack," I explained.

"Eh? What exactly is this wall hack?" Is it a skill?" Silvia queried, perplexed.

'Ah, I see, she isn't quite as knowledgeable about games and anime as Aegis,' I shook my head, thinking to myself.

"Iretheil will telepathically alert me of traps and ambushes ahead of time. As she will be observing me from the stadium's roof." I explained and reassured her.

"Isn't that cheating?" she wonders.

"What kind of cheating are you referring to?" When you're battling for your life, everything seems fair." I replied to her.

Silvia's face lit up with delight when she heard my remark. I just smiled at her when I saw her.

"That's exactly what demons do. They will be unconcerned about anything or anyone and will just worry about their victory." Iretheil made a telepathic remark.

Well, I wouldn't have used these cheap techniques either, but I'm a rookie to these gladiatorial games and will be competing against veterans who know what they're doing and have survived to this point.

To prevail against them, I must, of course, employ some deception.

What will you do if you know the answers to your exam ahead of time?

Will you reply, "No, that's cheating; I'll study and pass on my own," while the rest of the class cheats?

If you answered yes, congratulations, Christopher Langan!

But I'm not as good as you, so I'm not going to be a jerk who can't even capitalize on the things that will make his life easier to his advantage.

***

Silvia talked again as I was thinking to myself.

"I know you're strong, but in this battle, you're putting your life on the line; it's not like a magical space where you'll be fine with just a few shocks."

"You must be prepared to slaughter them without hesitation, even if they are criminals and slaves; can you kill them without hesitation?" Silvia spoke with trepidation.

"... Yeah, you don't have to worry about anything," I said with a smile.

As this will be my first time killing someone in real life, rather than in a magical space... But, of course, I'm only referring to this life.

I was thinking to myself when I heard an announcement that jolted me out of my reverie.

"All gladiatorial battle royal participants, immediately report to the maze gate room."

"That's my cue, I presume," I said to Silvia, as I heard the announcement.

The maze gate room is exactly what it sounds like. We shall be warped in the maze at random as we enter that gate.

Since the maze is not large, we are likely to encounter our opponents as soon as we enter it.

Worst of all, we'll have to fight barehanded as we won't be able to get weapons as soon as we enter the maze, right?

Of course, if the goddess of luck is on your side, you may be able to obtain the weapon as soon as you enter the maze gate.

I pondered as Silvia and I moved toward the maze gate, while Irethiel went out to find a good place from which she could see the stadium and my opponents.

Irethiel can be contacted telepathically if she is within 100-150 meters; I didn't measure the actual distance because I didn't have much time.

***

Silvia said her goodbyes and left as we approached the maze gate room.

When her Secretary called her since she was still coping with the aftermath from Mika and Tania's battle.

When I entered the room, I discovered that all of the participants had already arrived.

They appeared doubtful when they saw I was wearing a mask, which they were not.

I ignored them and focused my attention on a girl standing alone in one of the room's corners.

She was a tanned beauty with elven-like pointed ears, silver eyes, and short shoulder-length silky black hair.

She was dressed in a ninja-style black suit that fit her well-balanced physique well.

Indeed, she was the dark elf Meira Ulafina...

Our gazes met as I examined her, and she scowled me down.

But I turned away from her as if nothing had happened.

While the entire room was silent, not a single voice could be heard.

There's no need to be friendly or on good terms with anyone here because they're all going to die regardless. So they all basically kept their distance from one another, assessing their strengths.

We immediately heard an exciting voice of a commentator, and as we focused on the Screen in the room, we all observed someone with Afro hair wearing a...disco outfit?

Whatever he was wearing, he began grabbing the audience's attention by creating a buzz while making a small dance move while commentating.

"…."

"It's about time, folkssss!!!"

"Who do you believe will win and survive?"

"Huhhhhh!!! Why don't you guys speak louder so I can hear you?"

He remarked loudly into the microphone, and soon cheers erupted across the stadium.

"Ah-huh! As everyone knows, Miera, the Colossal Assassin, is also taking part in this game, as is Howkins the Warrior!"

"Don't you want to see them clash?" "Huh, Huh?"

"MEIRA!"

"MEIRA!"

"MEIRA!"

...

"HOWKIN!"

"HOWKIN!"

"HOWKIN!"

…

"Ohh! Don't be so prejudiced, because there are many other famous combatants competing as well!"

"I also heard that our Princess Silvia is having her combatant participate in this game for the first time!!"

"And the name of her combatant is "The Prince!!!"

As he said the alias I was using, there was a lot of applause.

"SILVIA!"

"SILVIA!"

"SILVIA."

"Of course, they're rooting for Silvia, not me." I thought to myself.

***

Soon, we were able to observe a countdown on the massive holographic screens.

And one of the guards who had been stationed in front of the maze/labyrinth gate from the start spoke out.

"When the countdown reaches "0," you must all jump within the gate willingly, or we shall toss you."

"…."

"Does it have an underground gate?" I muttered to myself.

As the guard opened the basement door, I noticed a gate similar to warp gates...

"5"

"4"

"3"

"2"

"1"

"0"

The countdown ended while I was thinking, so we all jumped inside the gate in line...

"Let's fuckinngggggg gooooo" The Afro-haired commentator screamed into the microphone, indicating the start of the gladiatorial battle royal!

***************