Chapter 80 – Contest

After finishing her meal, Teresa tucked the jerky and water flask into her pouch. Then, under the starless alien night sky, she softly whispered, “Good night,” curled up on her side with her knees hugged to her chest, and drifted into slumber.

Not long after, the girl stirred. Her silk-wrapped legs brushed against one another with a faint rustle, her pearl-white toes twitching slightly.

It was a bit cold…

Her soft hand groped around and found her own hair—smooth as high-grade satin. Draped over her skin, it provided warmth, and being long enough to fall past her knees, it made a perfect blanket.

This was a night where no one could expect proper rest. Though she lay atop a blanket, Teresa never let down her guard. She only entered a shallow sleep—any stir in the surroundings would awaken her instantly. In a place surrounded by danger, expecting quality sleep was a luxury, and with no teammates to take turns on watch, she had no choice but to endure it alone.

Even in this light sleep, the cold, mechanical voice of the system stirred Teresa’s consciousness. Upon waking, her first move was to grab her bow and enter alert mode. Once she confirmed it was only another elimination broadcast, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Just as she expected—tonight was lively.

After a full day of fighting, everyone was tired. Most teams scarfed down some dry rations, left someone on watch, then collapsed. These freshmen lacked any real survival experience. Without Divine Authority, even starting a fire or cooking was a challenge. Many hadn’t even bothered with food or warmth before sleeping.

Exhausted in both mind and body, they fell prey to teams that had conserved their energy—ambushers waiting for darkness. The result: utter annihilation.

“Ranger-Class Divine Princess Bryn of Team 3 has been eliminated by Ranger-Class Divine Princess Reigas of Team 17.”

“Heavy Artillery-Class Divine Princess Angley of Team 16 has been eliminated by Ranger-Class Divine Princess Annie of Team 33.”

“Knight-Class Divine Princess Magne of Team 21 has been eliminated by Ranger-Class Divine Princess Reigas of Team 17.”

…

Tonight belonged to the “old six” teams—those who hid all day and struck at night. The rate of eliminations even surpassed that of the daytime. You could practically imagine the dumbstruck freshmen waking up in confusion, realizing they’d been kicked out of the Secret Realm in their sleep.

Those teams that had hidden all day were now on the rampage, slaughtering their way through the exposed mountain valley.

This was precisely why Teresa hadn’t entered the valley to rest. With the fated zone already set, she didn’t want to be crammed into a canyon full of teams, waiting for the inevitable night massacre. Sure, it meant giving up a good position—but it also meant avoiding the chaos.

By now, many teams had probably been jolted awake by the constant broadcasts. Some were cursing, some still disoriented, some scrambling to get dressed. The valley must’ve been absolute mayhem.

Teresa used [Divine Appraisal] to scan her surroundings. Detecting no signs of life nearby, she yawned and slipped back under her hair-blanket, ignoring the broadcasts as she returned to sleep.

—

By dawn, Teresa was awake. Her golden lashes fluttered softly.

Perhaps it was because the sleep hadn’t been very restful—or maybe her biological clock, honed by this body, naturally woke her.

Surrounded by barren wasteland and without a stream to wash in, Teresa had to use drinking water for her morning routine. The desert wind had kicked up dust in the night. Dabbing some water on a cloth, she wiped her face clean.

The sun peeked over the horizon, turning the sky pale. Everything was calm again. The broadcasts had stopped at some point.

After yesterday’s carnage, more than half the teams had already been eliminated. This trial was becoming like a gu-poison ritual—only the strongest would remain.

For Teresa, the night had been peaceful. No one had come to bother her.

Fully rested and mentally recharged, she pushed her platinum hair behind her ear and gave her slender waist a gentle twist to stretch out.

Elves were naturally beautiful. Their hair didn’t tangle easily, so she didn’t even need to brush it—just a little tidying up was enough. That alone saved her quite a bit of trouble.

After nibbling on some dry rations and taking a few sips of water, Teresa packed her belongings and began heading toward the valley.

Elves ate lightly, relying more on nature for sustenance. Their meals were usually vegetarian. While eating less wasn’t a problem under normal conditions, in a desert with no vegetation, the toll on her energy reserves was growing.

As she entered the valley, Teresa quickly noticed some problems. Though the canyon covered a vast area, it felt unnaturally cramped. The mountain walls were pressed closely together, with some passages so narrow that only two people could walk side by side.

In a place like this, if a battle broke out, no one was escaping. If one side committed to a chase, the other side wouldn’t get away.

Teresa looked up at the highest peak silhouetted against the sky—that was where the Crown Jewel lay.

On the token, Astrid’s team was already very close to it. But even so, they hadn’t gone up to claim it.

Were they planning to eliminate all threats first and then take the gem without resistance?

Rounding a bend in the canyon, Teresa’s view opened up—and she frowned.

In the clearing ahead lay the remnants of a battlefield: torn cloth, extinguished campfires, charred leather, ashes, and a scattered mess of weapons.

She activated [Divine Appraisal] to confirm there were no living beings in the area before stepping forward.

She noticed black shards strewn across the ground—pieces of shattered tokens. The texture was familiar.

The fighting in the canyon last night had been even more brutal than Teresa had imagined.

Even without witnessing it herself, the aftermath painted a vivid picture of bloody, desperate combat.

She wouldn’t be surprised if even Divine Children had picked up weapons and joined the melee.

Teresa had assumed that half the teams would be eliminated overnight. In truth, that was far too conservative.

Judging from the devastation, three-quarters or more of the teams were likely gone.

Everyone had rushed into the valley to claim prime positions and ambush other teams—especially those cocky Divine Princesses who’d never tasted real hardship.

They all thought they were destiny’s chosen, focusing only on combat, ignoring tactics and strategy.

And so, when ambushed by those lowly “rat teams” in the middle of the night, they suffered heavy losses. The injured refused to just lie down and take it, retaliating in desperation.

The result: a mutual bloodbath, teams dragging each other to hell, fighting until morning. Few were left standing.

With a quick scan of the northern canyon layout, Teresa confirmed the area was a closed formation of interlinked cliff walls—entrance and exit only.

There was no third path.

You either went deeper—or turned back.

Whether the fated zone being located here was intentional or not, she couldn’t tell.

But now everyone was packed into this gourd-shaped canyon, fighting for survival. Who knew how many teams were even left at sunrise?

Her question was swiftly answered.

“Team 63, eliminated.”

“Detected: only ten teams remaining within the Secret Realm. The entrance to the Northern Canyon will now close. Any teams not yet inside will be considered eliminated.”

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