After descending from the volcano mountain, I made my way toward the Dark Forest. To avoid encountering dangerous creatures, I started running through the forest. It was around noon, so I didn't run into anything that could put me in a difficult position. After passing through the Dark Forest, a magical bridge appeared before me. The bridge hung in the air; the other parts, just as the elf king had mentioned, consisted of nothing but void.
I was aware that I needed to move forward from here. The bridge was long—I couldn't see what lay ahead from this distance. After starting to walk on the bridge and advancing for a while, I saw in the distance an area whose sky was entirely covered in dark gray clouds, its ground drowned in darkness, resembling a desert. Even the area itself was depressing; I could tell this was a dangerous place.
When the bridge came to an end, I found myself on a dark piece of stone. Far away, I could see black-colored buildings. Because of the darkness, I could tell even from this distance that plenty of lights were being used in the city. I set out to move from this desolate area and head toward the city.
As I kept moving forward, I could hear the sounds within the city getting closer. I was analyzing my surroundings. With my friends separated from me, my face had taken on a more serious tone. Outside the city, the surroundings were almost completely empty, resembling a desert—but even the sand was black. This place was not inside the capsule; that detail had caught my attention. I continued examining the surroundings as I walked.
According to my estimates, joining the tournament would be the better course, just as the man had said. For that, I would need to register. Registration was most likely done at the city hall. Being alone, I could feel my mind working more sharply. I was more serious than ever, for my friends' sake.
When I drew near the city, I cast my eyes over the long black buildings of various shapes. To prevent the darkness that their black color would bring, lights had been placed all over the city, which made the city itself feel mysterious. Strange-looking people were roaming the city center; I could see every kind of creature. I had even seen someone with a frog-shaped face—I could tell this place had a mixed population.
The area was crowded. Aside from various types of people, I could also see individuals walking in black armor whom I could tell were natives of this place. After advancing a bit further, I arrived at the city's market district. There were restaurants selling various interesting foods around, and I could also see shops selling tools. As I turned my head to the right and kept walking, I saw a vendor's stall called "Game Abilities."
I approached the stall and examined the objects on the counter with my eyes. Various orbs and crystals were displayed. I looked at the old man and began to speak.
"What are these? What do they do?"
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"Don't you know?"
"I don't."
"I see. You must be one of the newcomers. These are various types of abilities called game abilities. They can be used to give you an advantage within the game."
The old man picked up an ordinary-looking orb and began focusing his gaze on it. A short while later, a small digital blue text appeared beside the orb. We could both see the text. It stated that it allowed you to understand whether any lie had been told within the last thirty minutes, for a single use.
From what I understood, these were abilities that could be used in the game, and their features could vary depending on their grade.
"Did you understand?"
"Yes, I understood."
"Would you like to buy one, son?"
I glanced over the orbs—they were all expensive. Such a privilege existed, but I could tell it was a costly one both from their prices and from the fact that there was no one else at the stall besides me. Game coins were valid in this city as well, but I didn't want to spend my money on these for no reason. I had no information about what kind of game I would be entering.
The old man, realizing from my long contemplation of the orbs that I didn't want to buy anything, returned to the chair behind him with an indifferent attitude. When I saw him turn back, I continued walking without saying anything. A light rain had begun to fall. From what I could tell, it was always night here. I remembered that it was noon in the other area, yet this place was dark. I felt rain for the first time in a long while; it had never rained in the previous area before.
I briefly questioned how the plants survived without rain, but shortly after realizing this questioning was unnecessary, I shook my head lightly from side to side to dismiss these thoughts. As I kept walking, I continued observing the people. The city's security seemed high—at least that was the case for this crowded area. I continued walking, aiming to head toward the city hall. I could tell that the building in the very center with many floors was the city hall.
At the same time, at the very back of the city, there stood an enormous palace. There were a great number of guards at the palace entrance; the entrance consisted of a wide staircase, and its wooden door was massive. I realized that place was the king's palace.
Afterward, I entered the city hall following the guards' check. A line was forming inside—I could tell that everyone was registering for the tournament here. After waiting in line for a while, when it was my turn, the woman sitting behind the counter across from me asked for my information. After answering her questions, I registered for the tournament.
It was said that the tournament would start soon, but before that, everyone had to play a registration game. A notification came to my phone. I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the notification. It stated that my registration game would be played twenty-four hours later, and that when the time came, I should be in an available position because I would be suddenly teleported to a specific area.
Below that, it said the registration game would take place in a room related to reasoning. It said we would be alone in the registration game, and if we passed this game, we could truly register for the tournament. I understood that this game would resemble an entrance exam. The fact that it was related to reasoning had caught my attention. After placing my phone back in my pocket, I continued observing the people with a serious expression. This was going to be the region where I would strive to rise for a while.