The shadowed figure confidently sat on the large golden throne in the circular, dome-like room. He rested his chin on the throne's handle and bent his right leg over the other. Slowly, he closed his bright, glowing eyes and asked."What universe is this Alfred from?"
The lizard-like priest bent down and replied, "He is from Universe 49, my Lord."
The priest trembled slightly, hesitating to speak further, but he continued, "If I may speak on this matter, my Lord, there is something important you should know about the situation of this specific universe."
"Go on," Gaundfel replied, continuing his pose on the throne.
"It is said that he was not the chosen champion of their universe. I've got a report from the Forty-ninth Division that they initially intended to summon Code 3018, Aiden."
"Then what happened to him?"
"Some unfortunate circumstances occurred during the teleportation phase, and he is presumed deceased. But the head of the Division has a plan, my Lord. They say they have found another champion they call Code 3019-H that they wanted to represent instead of the rude... man."
"What do you think of him?" Gaundfel asked.
"I believe he is only but trouble for your plan, my Lord. And I believe it is only fair they replace him before the next round starts," the lizard-like men priest said firmly, bowing his head even lower.
"Tell them to have their champion on hold." Gaundfel stood up from the throne and continued, "I'm interested to see… how Alfred will play my game."
---
Aetherhall Region 2-A (Transport Station)
"I guess this is it," Benjie spoke, standing in an uneven pose due to his injured right leg.
"I guess it is," Alfred replied, placing both his hands in his pockets, though anyone could notice the obvious shaking of his hands.
"You know, coming here to the tournament with no physical traits, I know for a fact I'm dying in the first round. You see, I came from a universe where all the nations declared war on each other. Now all our resources are depleted, and we're forced to live in slums and city ruins." Benjie paused for a moment before continuing. "Now what would my people think? Going home even before the tournament ends and relying on another universe to help us. I feel like... I feel like a loser."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be sorry. This is not your fault, but mine. You know you have a very kind heart, Alfred."
Alfred could only smile in response. The entire atmosphere grew quiet, leaving only the steady sound of the large clock ticking on the wall. This continued for a couple of seconds.
"You're going to fulfill your promise, right?" Benjie looked into Alfred's eyes. "About winning the entire tournament and not letting Gaundfel destroy all our universe."
"I will... I will fulfill that promise. You have my word." Alfred took his hands out of his pockets and made a gesture for a handshake.
Benjie looked at the hand at first. He smiled and then proceeded to accept the handshake. "Thank you, Alfred. This isn't just a thank you from me, but from all of us. Thank you."
A few minutes later, a floating bus made of platinum with a distinct bright yellow paint arrived at the station. It didn't have a single wheel, but instead used some kind of jet-like booster. The two shared a final farewell before Benjie finally entered the bus.
PLAYERS REMAINING: 7,970
A day had passed since the start of the tournament. The next round will begin tomorrow, giving the remaining participants the entire day to themselves. Some chose to stay in their rooms and rest, while others spent the time befriending one another, playing board and card games. Yet some were nowhere to be found in the Champions Dorm.
Alfred, having just left the station, now found himself at a busy market lined with light-colored stalls, smoke rising from barbecue grills and roasted corn along one of the most bustling streets in the grand floating city of Aetherhall.
"I might as well explore the city," Alfred muttered as he walked down the crowded street.
To his left, one stall laid out bolts of fabric in layered colors, while another displayed polished tools arranged with near-obsessive care. Farther down, a separate cart was stacked high with massive watermelons. One melon rolled loose and struck the ground, knocking the smaller ones after it; several shattered on impact, splashing the stone path. The Citizen running the cart panicked, lunging to catch the remaining melons one by one as nearby passersby stepped back. To his right, long tables stretched along the street—some crowded with Citizens eating, others left empty with scattered plates and pushed-back chairs where people had already moved on.
After a few minutes of walking and interacting with the citizens, Alfred began to learn new things. First, he discovered that the inhabitants of Aetherhall are called Nemopom—chubby humanoid creatures with bodies forming different shapes and bright colors. They had been serving their Lord, the god Gaundfel, for millions of years. Some even said that during the tournament period, they began learning knowledge from other universes, which is why they behave somewhat like humans and seem to understand the ways of other worlds.
The Nemopom initially didn't like humans, but over time some grew fond of them—although a few still harbored dislike. That's why it's wise to be careful when walking through the city alone and unarmed.
They also apparently don't sleep, though Alfred thought that detail was unnecessary. Still, it was good to know something about these creatures.
They are also an average of about four feet tall and don't grow much longer.
Lastly, the lizard-like creatures are called Royal Guards. Only a few remain in Aetherhall, and they rarely interact with others. They serve exclusively as bodyguards for Gaundfel in his castle. Oh, and one of the lizards, the one wearing a white robe, is the Archbishop, who serves as the right-hand man of Gaundfel and is one of the only individuals allowed inside his chambers.
Alfred continued his journey through the bustling, crowded streets, carefully observing the Nemopom and their colorful surroundings, trying to quietly gather more information while also taking the time to enjoy the remainder of his free time.
Then, on one of the tables near a red stall selling traditional rice wine, whiskey, spiced honey mead, aged rum, and fermented fruit wine, he noticed two drunk Nemopom laughing loudly. One was a box-shaped and the other is a triangle-shaped. As he passed by, he heard a somewhat familiar word: "Next round." Instantly, Alfred moved to the next table, trying to catch what they were saying. The next few seconds that passed, filled only with laughter and the clinking of glasses, but he waited patiently.
Then one of them, the box-shaped Nemopom, who had mentioned the next round, started walking away. Still curious, Alfred followed slowly, careful not to be noticed. They made their way down the busy street and reached another set of tables. This time, however, they were no longer eating—they were playing card games. Observing the way they held and shuffled the cards, Alfred realized they were playing poker.
The drunken Nemopom joined a table where two others had been sitting for a while. He was ready to play immediately, but the two seated players told him to wait for another to fill the remaining spot. Growing impatient, the drunk Nemopom was about to leave when suddenly…
"I'll play," Alfred said, immediately taking the empty seat.
The three Nemopom were suspicious at first, knowing they were going up against a human. One of them asked, "Do you know how to play poker?"
"Yes…" Alfred answered instantly, "but I was hoping we could make it more challenging."
One of the Nemopom, the one who had been seated there for a while, leaned in and whispered to the drunken Nemopom. "I think he's been following you for a while now. Isn't he the boy who disrespected our Lord during yesterday's opening?"
The drunken Nemopom ignored the warning and instead asked, "What challenge are you implying?"
"What about some suggestions?" Alfred replied with a smile.
None of the three answered.
"Alright then," Alfred continued. "If I win, I get to ask one question. Simple, right?"
One of the Nemopom began to smirk. "Then if we win, we get your head. That's what you get for disrespecting our Lord."
"Fine by me," Alfred said calmly.
The game finally began.
The first hand was dealt. Alfred held an ace of spades, king of spades, queen of diamonds, and jack of diamonds, but on the flop, one of his opponents revealed a set of tens, giving them the winning hand. The turn and river did not change anything, and Alfred folded, leaving the pot to the player with three tens.
The second hand dealt Alfred a pair of jacks with an eight of spades and seven of spades. The community cards paired perfectly with Alfred's hand, giving him a full house, while his opponent could only form a pair. Alfred's jacks were strong enough to take the pot, and he won the hand.
In the third hand, Alfred had an ace of clubs, queen of clubs, ten of diamonds, and nine of diamonds. The flop, turn, and river created two pair for one opponent, while Alfred's hand did not improve enough to beat it. He folded, and the opponent collected the chips.
The fourth hand gave Alfred an ace of hearts, ace of diamonds, king of clubs, and ten of clubs. The flop paired one of his aces, and the turn gave him three of a kind. His opponent could only form a pair, and Alfred took the pot without contest.
2-2
The final hand began. Alfred noticed his cards were weak, but he chose to remain calm, not giving away anything to his opponents. The drunken Nemopom, seeing his own cards were strong, bet aggressively.
When it was Alfred's turn, he immediately responded with, "Call." The next player folded at once, followed by the last one. Only Alfred and the drunken Nemopom remained.
The drunken Nemopom flipped the fourth community card and decided to check. Alfred did the same. When the fifth community card was dealt, the drunken Nemopom bet aggressively again, trying to force Alfred to fold.
Alfred smiled, then calmly called the raise.
"What the—!" The drunken Nemopom exclaimed, glancing at his cards, then at Alfred, then back at his cards again, and back at Alfred. After a tense few seconds, he finally folded.
Alfred had won the match.
"You're just lucky you had good cards," one of them said.
Alfred smiled and revealed his hand, showing exactly how he had turned a weak set of cards into a winning play.
"Whatever." The drunken Nemopom ignored his loss and was about to storm off when Alfred suddenly tackled him to the ground. The commotion made nearby Nemopom scatter, including the two players at the table.
"Mr.—I think you're forgetting something," Alfred said, his tone changing slightly.
"Alright! Alright! Just… let me go!"
They slipped into a hidden alley, careful not to draw more attention, as Alfred prepared to ask his one question.
"Earlier, I heard you mention the next round. Are you talking about the tournament?"
"What? Hahaha!" The Nemopom laughed, quickly explaining that he was only talking about the poker game.
Alfred was about to give up when he noticed a slight grin on the drunkard's face. Irritated, he shoved him back against the hard wall. "Don't play games with me, square head."
"What did you just call me?" the drunken Nemopom shouted.
Alfred pushed him a bit harder this time. "You heard me!"
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you—just stop pushing me." As soon as Alfred let go, the drunken Nemopom coughed to catch his breath, brushing at his clothes to straighten them.
"Now, talk," Alfred said firmly.
"What did you wanna ask again?" the drunk Nenopom asked, his words slurring slightly.
Alfred immediately raised a fist in anger.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I'm drunk, you know—don't expect me to remember anything." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat.
"Well… I've heard that…"