Spy Mage System

43 The New Contest

He opened the door and he let me through the door, signaling me to take a seat. I did so, and he did the same, following with a sigh. “Have you heard about the Wand Annual Contest?” he asked, looking at me.

“No...” I responded. I have never heard a single thing like this, and I’ve been here for a month at the least.

“Well, it’s a contest that takes place every year,” he began. “It’s a battle royale where there are twelve teams, and the winner is the last person standing.”

“What are the rewards?” I asked, curious.

“The reward is a class off for over three weeks,” he replied. “But that isn’t the real prize. The real prize is the popularity and the respect that you get from winning.”

“Why does everyone want to win it?” I asked. “I mean each class is fun in its way, but if you win, won’t people start to hate you?”

“And so what?” Mr. Drails said as he shrugged. “It’s a competition, and they will. But they just have to deal with it. Plus, who said it was going to bring you who’s gonna win, anyway?”

“I guess,” I said, and I leaned back in my chair.

“Okay, so I’ll give you a brief explanation of the rules,” he began. “First, the contest is divided into four stages: the first stage is where you’re dropped in the middle of nowhere, and you have to survive by yourself for three days. Then, you come back to the base camp and you have to build a shelter. After that, you’re given a day to prepare your weapon. And finally, you have to fight your way to the center, where the final battle will be held.”

.....

“Wow, can I get that pen and paper,” I asked.

“Sure,” he said, and he handed me a notebook and a pencil.

“So, you mentioned four stages,” I said, writing down the information.

“Yeah,” he replied. “But only three are important. The first stage, where you’re dropped in the middle of nowhere and you have to survive by yourself for three days. That’s where you’re tested, and where the true character of the team shows itself. The second stage is when you return to the base camp and you have to build a shelter. That’s where the team starts to get stronger, and where the first battles begin. And the third stage is when you’re given a day to prepare your weapon. This is where the weapons become more sophisticated and the battle begins in earnest.”

“Sounds like a lot of work,” I said, writing it all down.

“Yes, it does,” he said, smiling. “But you’ll make it, hopefully.”

“How do you know all this?” I asked, writing it down.

“Because I’ve been doing it for years,” he said, and he paused. “In fact, I’ve been doing it for thirty-five years.”

“Even through all that drama?” I asked. Mr. Drails chuckled, “I never said I quit my job being a spy mage kid, did I?”

“Well, no,” I admitted.

“Good,” he said. “Now, I’m going to tell you how you can beat them.” He looked at me intently.

“You have to have a plan,” he said, “and you have to be able to carry it out. You have to have a weapon that is capable of taking down the others. It has to be simple, yet effective.”

“Whoa, isn’t this cheating?” I asked as I stopped him there.

“No, not at all,” he said, shaking his head. “The game is designed so that there is an element of luck involved, and you have to use that to your advantage. Plus I told everyone this so no worries and they’ve accepted it.”

“I don’t think I want to play,” I said, looking up at him.

“Don’t worry,” he said, grinning. “You’ll want to, trust me.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” I asked.

“You need to get the most powerful weapon you can,” he said, and then he looked at me. “You have to find the most powerful weapon you can, and you have to learn how to use it. You also need to get the best shelter you can, and you have to make sure that you’re ready for the third stage. And finally, you have to be ready for the final battle.”

“So, what kind of weapon should I get?” I asked.

“That depends on what you’re good at,” he said. “You only use your Perk, so try to use something that may use your arms in some sort of punching motion, or maybe something with sharp edges. If you’re strong, you can get away with using something heavier. But you have to be careful because if you’re too heavy, you won’t be able to move around quickly.”

“I see,” I said, writing all this down.

“Oh, and you have to take care of your health,” he added. “You can’t die before the end of the game.”

“I guess I don’t have much choice,” I said, putting down my pen.

“Well, there are other things you need to consider,” he said, as he continued writing. “You have to be smart, and you have to be observant.”

“What else?” I asked.

“You have to be quick,” he said, and he stopped writing. “And you have to be lucky.”

“I thought luck wasn’t a factor in this game,” I said.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, as he continued writing. “You still have to be lucky.”

“You mean, like, you have to be lucky when you get your first class?” I asked.

“Exactly,” he said, and he stopped writing. “You have to be lucky enough to get your first class.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because,” he said, and he stopped writing again, which was becoming very constant right now. “You have to be lucky enough to get your first class.” “Alright,” I said, nodding. “Got it.”

“Good,” he said, and he resumed writing.

“What else?” I asked.

“You have to be prepared,” he said, as he finally put the pen down. “Be prepared at all costs.” He emphasized on that and I nodded, as I got up. “Well I’ll see you soon, I guess,” I said, and I headed off to my room.

As I walked back, I thought about what Mr. Drails had said. I knew I had to be prepared, but what exactly did that mean? Was it just a matter of buying more food, or something more important?

When I reached my room, I sat down at the desk and opened up the journal, where I’d written down all the things Mr. Drails had told me. I read over everything, and it didn’t seem as though I could use anything in the game to help me beat the others. Then, suddenly someone busted into the room, smacking my door open and startling me to death.

I glanced down, seeing Tisiah down on his belly as if he was running from a pack of dogs. “Hey Connor,” he said, grunting as I got up and helped him back onto his feet.

“What were you doing?” I asked, not even bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.

“Nothing,” he said, and he tried to look innocent. “Just going for a walk.”

“Yeah, okay,” I sarcastically agreed.

“Hey, are you excited about the WAC?” Tisiah asked, trying to change the subject. I looked at him with confusion, asking, “WAC?”

“The Wand Annual Contest,” he said, and he grinned. “We’re competing against the guys who live next door to us. We’re going to play them for the whole day tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember,” I said, and I smiled back at him. “I forgot all about that.”

“It’s gonna be awesome,” he said. “Everyone is pumped up.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sure it will be,” I said, as I went to the window and looked out. I sighed, feeling a certain pressure from this whole thing. After a certain while, Tisiah asked, “You okay, Connor?”

“I’m fine,” I said, and I turned around.

“You don’t sound so good,” he said, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He put his hand on me and smiled, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine, man.”

“Thanks,” I said, and I tried to smile back.

He nodded and he got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.

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