The room had whitewash ceramic tiles, a window with a starry night, a varnish king-sized bed with a giant futon on top, a leather couch, a few chairs beside a table with warm food, and lastly a separate bath. It wasn't a big room that the association provided, but it was cozy that you wouldn't believe you were in a flying coliseum.
Arthur closed the wooden door that he opened using his ring and threw himself on the bed immediately. He felt the fluffiness of the bed eat away at his fatigued body and mind, making him almost sleep right there.
There were distant sounds of a bustling crowd, probably also leaving the coliseum to spend the night in their rooms. Of course, no matter how big the coliseum was, its internal structure could only host so much. Arthur was sure a space-expanding rune, like the one used in storage artifacts, was inscribed as well to provide space.
There was also the sound of running water, a sound Arthur always found it easier to sleep while listening to because of its comforting ambiance.
'Wait, running water?' Arthur snapped his eyes open as he realized there shouldn't be a sound like this. His ears found the source immediately as he stared at the bathroom's door.
The sound of splashing steps got nearer to the door and it was then flung open to reveal a naked brown-skinned man with dreadlocked hair. The two stared at each other for a while.
"Hi junior!"
"Is it you, Reece?" Arthur looked at him blankly, too tired to be surprised even. The brown-skinned man nodded with a grin and Arthur sighed and slumped back.
"… Stop scaring the hell out of me like this,"
"Sorry, sorry." Reece, or the man with Reece controlling him, clapped his hands together and nodded twice.
"And wear some clothes, I don't enjoy seeing naked strangers," Arthur mumbled while waving his hand. He heard the sound of flesh meeting fabric and looked at Reece after it stopped.
"Your ability is scaring the hell out of me, Reece." Arthur hugged the pillow as he furrowed his brows and examined the man in front of him. "Do you change shapes, or…"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Abilities are our trade's secret, junior. You'll have to get closer to my heart before I tell you." Reece winked coyly and Arthur regretted asking.
"Uh, yeah. How about when I met you in the capital?"
"That was the handsome me, of course!" He winked again and it was too much for Arthur to handle.
"I thought Ivy would be here as well," Arthur changed the subject.
"She is, just not here. She can't easily slip inside like me." Reece lied on the couch and started eating some grapes. As for the rest of the food, it seemed the plates had some runes that would keep it warm.
"Yeah, that's for the best." Arthur hmphed and picked up a plate that had a warm soup with veggies and meat. It warmed his body and he felt his mana replenishing faster.
"I heard what happened, some of it." Reece leaned on his arm as he looked at Arthur. "I mean, I was also there…" He mumbled.
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." Arthur scowled.
"Junior! I was just following orders." Reece pushed himself up and protested with a sincere expression. "And you know I'm not the fighting type, too…"
"It's okay, Reece. I don't resent any of you for it." Arthur said that even though he felt conflicted. "You guys helped me," He smiled. "And I thank you for that."
"Oh, junior!" Reece opened up his arms and came forward.
"If you try to hug me, I'll stab you."
***
Morning came the bells chimed to wake up everybody from their slumber. It has been a restful night, one of the most peaceful Arthur had in a while. The coliseum was bustling judging by the sounds of people filling the stands, Arthur thought as he wore his robes.
His night was spent, much to Arthur's dislike, with Reece planning things for the next day. Arthur would have liked that he wandered the coliseum to gather information and find Tyrin, but he was informed that they couldn't for security reasons. They were well-placed rules as Arthur did have a thought of going into Tyrin's place to seek out answers.
From the things he researched in advance, he heard that the second region was called the Iron Dome. An enormous piece of metal that was 200 meters in diameter.
As much as his anxiety didn't wish for it to be, Reece and Arthur agreed that if something was happening, it would be in the Iron Dome. The last region was the coliseum itself, a traditionally styled tournament using runes they created to establish themselves.
The three regions were ones that represented why the Runes Master profession was so important. First, were the traps. Scouts with their high perception and mages with their mana sense could fare so little in comparison for the Runes Masters in detecting traps created by runes.
The second was the research and decoding of ancient sites and their dazzling array of runes. This was the region of today, as the dome itself was ancient and no one knew who created it and for what purpose.
It was a fact, however, that the Iron Dome was a fortress of a sort with all of the layers protecting it using different runes to stir away strangers. It had many layers that even grandmasters were still working on reaching the core and taking control of the fortress.
The fortress itself had many rooms, so many to be counted, on the first layer itself. These rooms were the beginning of paths that headed toward the core. It was, in a sense, a fortress that would be impenetrable to those who lack the knowledge to decode the runes.
The contestants would be teleported toward the first layer, a one that has already been unlocked by Runes Masters. The first one hundred to leave the first layer would pass, while the others would fail.
As for the third region, it was the most popular and essential line of work. Inscribing runes, how powerful they were, how fast they were inscribed, and how much mana was consumed. This was the most essential part of being a runes master.
Arthur, along with Emma and Roy, ate their breakfast at the great hall surrounded by the other contestants and the royals, high echelons, and prime ministers of the world. A toast was made by an old man, who Arthur didn't regard as much until Emma told him he was a runes grandmaster.
"You've done well, young apprentices." The man raised his glass and scanned the crowd. "Almost too well," He laughed lightly and Arthur felt the old man's eyes lingered in his direction longer, almost believing he was looking at him. "The first region was harsh, we know that. It represents danger and challenges in our profession. However, you managed to outrun the danger and overcome the challenges. As for the second, it represents intellect, analysis, and research. For that, I wish you luck."
It was a simple speech, a bit plain as well. However, the applause was thunderous. The hall almost shook, the tables slightly vibrating as well. This was because he was grandmaster, Arthur realized.
The breakfast ended with the diplomatic envoys flocking around the grandmaster themselves. Arthur gazed quietly from across the hall as a blonde youngster, two of them he then noticed, scumbled toward the grandmaster through the crowd. It was Alfred Yalen and Nera Yalen, the royals of his kingdom.
Despite how far it was, Arthur could see the old man's amiable smile as he took the princess's hand. The princess bowed slightly and he nodded, saying a few words. For the second time, the old man's eyes looked above the princess toward his direction.
Arthur wasn't flattered nor was he intimidated, and simply nodded. To his surprise, the man nodded back, albeit no one noticed with the blathering crowd, and the exchange was over.
There was something that made his heart uneasy, but he didn't know what it was. He felt as if he wasn't doing enough and wasn't thinking enough about the weapon. The feeling of unease lasted until they were on the platform again, ready to be teleported after the host pumped up the crowd.
"…. Nothing would stop the advancement of mankind, they…"
This sentence, said by the host as a motivational speech, registered in his mind like a missing puzzle. He realized, to his horror, that they have been too naïve to think the Enders wouldn't replace Tyrin, wouldn't find someone else, or wouldn't find another method of causing havoc to the kingdom after he was caught.
He blindly resented Tyrin that he failed to realized that this person was just a tool in a grander scheme too late. His eyes searched for Reece, but he can never recognize him until the shapeshifter announced himself to him.
'I can deceive anyone,' Reece words rang in his head and he cursed how true that was. The host clapped his hands again and the teleportation began. Arthur realized before his body disappeared that the only way for him to find answers is by seeking out Tyrin himself.