The Gods' Decree 214 Steal The Marker - Grind

Still, they were curious as to why this sudden change in the proceedings. Shortly after anxiously waiting, from the sky fell numerous beings one after the other.

Seeing the new arrivals all disciples knelt showing their respects before the sect elders while greeting them as dictated by the sect rules.

" We the juniors greet...

Lord Elder Mu

Lord Elder Martez

Lord Elder Alders

Lord Elder Zen

Lord Elder Mary....."

"Rise!" Elder Zen then ordered the kneeling disciples. Of the elders, he looked the most senior with a head filled with grey hair.

"I'll get straight to the point. There has been a change in this year's tournament. There will now be two parts that entail the traditional battle arena.

However, this time there will only be ten disciples who will make it to this final event. Before you lies the preliminary in deciding these ten.

This will be an all-out melee for the right to enter the arena."

Elder Zen's words caused an uproar within the masses. Most didn't know how to take this new format.

Who exactly will these changes favor? Before the top one hundred was a given with not much shift in order.

This was due to them always meeting those of lower ranks in the preliminaries. It was a means to avoid the higher seeds from clashing before their time.

Yet this seems so open-ended putting the usual hierarchy at risk. Elder Zen then highlighted the format with the following guidelines:

🌟 The preliminary will take place over a period of three days inside the forest. Each disciple will be provided with a special marker before entering.

🌟 With this marker, all your gains will be recorded. The loss of said markers means whatever winnings which proceeded its theft are now transferable to its new owner.

🌟 The loss of a marker also signifies that a person is eliminated from the forest and their previous tally fixed. Which will then be used as the deciding factor of their position within the rankings.

🌟 Furthermore, with each hour that passes by inside the forest automatically, the disciples within the lower thirty (30) percentage will be eliminated.

Accordingly, that means that within the first hour, of the ten thousand (10,000) disciples eligible for the tournament three (3000) will automatically be eliminated.

🌟 There will be multiple safe zones throughout the forest that each disciple may seek if there is a need to recuperate.

Yet this as at a cost as with each hour that is passed within the safe zone twenty-five percent (25) of the disciple's earnings are deducted.

🌟Note that the forest can be entered anytime during the first two days. However, if an individual chooses this route they are not exempt from the rule. If they fell within this 30% they too are also eliminated within an hour. 

🌟Lastly, all means are approved when engaged in combat with your fellow disciples. Except killing is strictly prohibited and will be harshly punished. 

Elder Zen concluded the overall guidelines before instructing the disciples to make their way to registration booths neatly set up before the forest multiple entrances.

When hearing the new methods there were mixed reactions among the majority. This was basically a grind to the top where only the strong could make it to the end. 

Yet it did give hope for those who sought to improve their rankings with the newly implemented method.

Perhaps with a bit of strategizing an individual may sneak into the top one hundred while others were unaware. He or she would only need to prey on the weak and hide from the strong.

This made all feel truly excited. Perhaps making it into the top ten was impossible. Yet now for the first time in a long while, there might be a huge shift in the top one hundred rankings.

The newfound hope of these disciples might have been boosted due to the arrival of an individual. He showed that there is no such thing as impossibly with his previous feat. This was the youth known by the masses as Sir Mouse.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Of the disciples gathered there were eight which both Taf and May knew quite well. They were Ava, Malnor, Selena, and the members of squad Malgrey.

"So it's confirmed they have decided against entering early." Niesha addressed the others after ending her transmission with May.

To this Malnor grinned as he sought to loosen up his body with a few exercises. He then responded,

"I doubted they would have entered the fray at this juncture. There is simply no need with this tournament being just a game for the two. I bet that fellow is still rolling in his bed."

Ava with her partially covered face too interjected, "It is truly shocking they changed their minds about competing.

By their lack of intrigue previously this came as a startling revelation."

"What's even more surprising is the sect didn't outright forbid them from competing. Now how will this be fair to the others fighting against lords?"

Her sister Selena replied while questioning the sect motives. She saw the two as her dare friends, but this did seem somewhat unfair as it was a given they would claim the top prizes.

After hearing Selena's statement Niesha sighed before making her way to the center of the group. 

With her broad sword on her petite back, she was truly an odd sight.

She now figured it was best to make them aware of the circumstances. The fact of the matter was they lacked certain details. 

Of the group, she and Malgrey were the only two knowledgeable about Taf's and May's circumstances within the sect.

This was after May had offered to be her mentor revealing that both had been made elders.

"Things are not as you all assume, and measures have indeed been put in place to restrict the two.

According to May, both were only allowed to compete if they agreed to the wearing of bracelets that limited their battle strength.

So they are not invulnerable as you presume."

After her revelation, the others could now rationalize the situation. This instantly made sense. If they were allowed to compete with their original strength it would have been easier to just hand over the prizes before the tournament even began.

Of the information, this was all that Niesha would reveal, however. It wasn't that they could not be trusted. This would be absurd with what they witnessed earlier on their mission in Starlight City.

After those events, it has taken a bit of time for the others to return to their usual selves around the couple. This title might once more provide unnecessary awkwardness.

Malnor then being the most experience took on the mantle of leadership,

"Ok hopefully we will last long enough to see them in the forest, but in order to accomplish this, we'll work as one squad.

Malgrey I hope I'm not being too impolite?"

He questioned seeing that majority of the personnel were from Squad Malgrey. Malgrey seemed unbothered by the situation and even encourage,

"Go ahead brother the floor is yours." 

Seeing he had gotten the nod from the fiery-haired Malgrey, Malnor continued,

"Subconsciously we all must admit we were counting on the presence of the two. They save us in Starlight City and have become our safety net.

Now let's show our true worth. Each individual possesses the talent to survive and are all essential to making this work. We will need these skills to survive."

As he spoke Malnor looked on all seven before him ensuring his words had gotten to each individual.

He then continued when assured of this matter,

"Our goal is simple and that is to ensure that all members of the squad are provided with the chance to soar through the ranking. During which merits will be split accordingly." 

With the loss of both, his and Ava squads while in Starlight they were truly depleted. If they had any hopes of some form of success there was a need to banned together.

It didn't take a genius to realize this tournament format was tailor-made for squads. 

They all nodded now invigorated with Manor words. Shortly afterward making their way to the registration area. Here they needed to provide their names before touching an orb which revealed each individual's cultivation.

Presently they had made their way to once of the temporarily made booth where a female volunteer sat garbed in all black.

They followed her instructions given with each providing the necessary information as well as touching the cultivation orb.

After this was completing all were asked to stretch their arms out in order to receive the marker.

When they looked at what the volunteer intended they saw her gather a black stamp. She then pressed the stamp in oddly colored white and blue ink that moved of its own volition. 

The volunteer then proceeded to stamp the marker on their arm where a glowing white and blue insignia formed.

She then went further to instruct them,

"This is your marker as highlighted by elder Zen. Instruction on its use is provided on this parchment."

She gave a small paper to each member of the group before asking them to wait at the entrance for the preliminaries to begin.

While walking Selena read out loud the methods to use the marker. It would be truly foolish to enter before knowing how to use their most important tool.

Apparently to steal your fellow disciple's marker after their defeat simple through the activation of there insignia. This is accomplished by the use of qi. 

This summons that individual's marker adding it to your personal collection. Makers can also be forfeited if an individual surrenders to their opponent.

Unedited Version

To be continued...

Chapter end