Seer’s PoV

 

I am currently inside a spacious and elegantly furnished room, with a plush king-sized bed taking center stage. The sheets are bright white, and it feels incredibly good to sink into the soft, inviting pillows while I’m reading.

The walls are adorned with tasteful artwork, and the floor is carpeted with a luxurious rug that cushions my steps. The lighting is soft and warm, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance. The large windows offer a breathtaking view of the cityscape, adding to the room's allure.

A state-of-the-art television is mounted on the wall, and a sleek writing desk is situated by the window, complete with a comfortable chair. The mini-bar is well-stocked, and the coffee maker is ready for use.

All in all, the room is not that bad, except for a minor inconvenience.

 

“It sure is a nice room, right Ken?” Blake broke me out of my reading, proving my point.

 

“Why are you here again?” I irritably replied while turning the page of my book.

 

Hard print copies of books are now uncommon because of the popularity of e-books. Still, the vintage feeling it gives and the smell of the pages gives off a whole different vibe than just an e-book.

 

“Don’t be like that, dude! We’re in a 5-star hotel, the least you can do is explore the building, not stay in your room and read all day.”

 

I took a moment to consider the advantages and disadvantages of exploring the area today. The staff informed me that some of the other participants had not yet arrived. Additionally, I received information from my sources that the other teams will not be staying in this hotel and have arranged their own accommodations. Based on my estimation, only six out of the eight participant teams will be staying here.

 

The first team is of course our team, which many expect to win the tournament due to the nature of our predecessors.

 

Next is our rival team, the Shadow Vanguards. We had a run-in with them earlier and I do not want a repeat of what happened, making my decision leaning to not exploring the hotel.

 

The third team is Hana Yamamoto’s team. All of them are Japanese players from the guild ‘Sword Saint’ who are somewhat fluent in English, except for their Japanese-tinted accent of course. In recent years, many countries have embraced the mandate of English proficiency. Numerous studies and research have emphasized the advantages of speaking English in an ever-globalizing world, highlighting its significance in job satisfaction and career advancement. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that countries like Japan and China have placed greater importance on learning this global language

 

Fourth is the team led by the Guild leader of the Round Table guild, Arthur. A selfless individual whom I respect the most out of all the players here. That guy has helped thousands, if not millions of players from the release of the CoA up till now, increasing the favorability of the CoA community as a whole.

 

The Fifth team is none other than Mind Matrix, the team of Gilligan, the son of the CEO of Mind Matrix Inc., a renowned company in the Artificial Intelligence space. Gilligan has always been one of the strongest non-pro players and due to his background, probably has the strongest gear in this tournament. Still what bothers me the most is that his team is relatively unknown. His team is composed of three new players very few have even heard in the CoA community. All of which are from different countries all brought together by their captain. They might be veterans creating new accounts but I somehow doubt that possibility.

 

I did a background check on all of his members; one is Antonio Dalisay, the winner of the Philippines National Escrima Tournament, a traditional martial art of the Philippines that emphasizes weapon-based fighting using only two wooden sticks. Another one of their members is Haeun Lee, an extremely skilled Tae Kwando practitioner who participated in the Olympics and won a golden medal at such a young age.

 

Their final member is Lua Yang, and unfortunately, I don't have much detailed information about her. She doesn't have any social media presence or digital records that are commonly found these days. However, I do know that she is visually impaired but possesses exceptional skills in Wing Chun. Her choice of weapon is an armguard bracer, probably to enhance her movements when using fist-based moves.

 

The scary part about their team is that despite not actively participating in the qualifiers, Lua Yang's three teammates managed to handle all the opposing teams in a 3v4 situation while she watched from the sidelines. This is quite a remarkable feat on its own, thus putting their team at the top of my list to prepare for.

 

As much as I hate to admit it. Gilligan, as strong as he is, might even be the weakest out of all of them. They are all geniuses and prodigies in their respective chosen arts at such a young age, with Lua Yang being an unknown factor.

 

Speaking of unknowns. The last team residing in this hotel, our Allied guild, also has a mysterious member. She is currently only at level 89, which means she hasn't reached the maximum level yet. This poses a significant disadvantage since she won't be able to equip the strongest type of gear available, the max leveled gears. While I doubt that she is as formidable as the aces from each team, she remains an unknown factor that I need to prepare for. As for her teammates, while they may be strong enough, I don't anticipate them making as much of an impact compared to the other participants here. Although, she might be-

 

“Hey, Kennet!” Blitz shouted, pulling me out of my thoughts.

 

“What is it? You don’t need to shout,” I reprimanded him.

 

“Are you frigging serious dude?! I called you so many times and you still won't answer. I only raised my voice to get your attention. You’re trapped in your headspace again.”

 

“…I suppose it was my fault. What is it again?” I queried.

 

“As I was saying, Ariadne messaged in the group chat that one of our allied members. Katherine, was it? Wants to talk to us about something,”

 

“…” I remained silent, pondering what the girl would like to discuss. One thing instantly came to mind.

 

“Do you think it’s about your attempt to assassinate her? Had she really found out you’re the one behind it?” Blitz carefully addressed the elephant in the room.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I only intend to gauge her skills. Lotus was the one who attempted to PK her without my consent,” I reasoned.

 

“Still, your problem. You fix it,” he gave me an annoying shit-eating grin, wallowing in schadenfreude at my current predicament.

 

I sighed. “…Fine, ask Aria where she would like us to meet with them. That girl seems reasonable enough. I’m sure I can negotiate this peacefully.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

As I enter the room, I am greeted by two new faces. One is a mature-looking, beautiful girl with sharp and discerning eyes. She observes my every move, giving off an intense aura as if she's sizing me up. From her demeanor, I can infer that she is the user of Novo, who also serves as the representative of their guild for coordinating public relations with ours. Despite her appearance differing from her avatar, her presence commands attention. She stared at me without a word, her unsettling gaze analyzing my very being.

 

The other person, equally charming but completely opposite in terms of approachableness from her teammate, exudes an air of friendliness and trustworthiness. Her persona aligns closely with her avatar, leading me to easily conclude that she is Lizbeth, the guild leader of the Concord of Heroes guild. She cheerfully waved at us both after we went inside, giving her an air of sociability.

 

They decided to use one of the private meeting rooms here in the hotel for customer’s use to keep the conversation sequestered. The room is incredibly spacious giving five of us plenty of ample room to sit comfortably. Five of us being me, Miss Katherine, (whom I presume to be their tactician) Miss Elizabeth (Their Captain and guild leader) Aria, and Blitz (who insisted on coming to see how our ‘talk’ plays out).

 

The meeting room is spacious, with ample seating for attendees around a large, polished conference table. The chairs are comfortable and ergonomic, allowing for long hours of discussions without sacrificing comfort. Each seat is equipped with a notepad, pen, and a glass of water, ensuring that participants have everything they need for a productive meeting.

 

The walls of the meeting room are adorned with tasteful artwork in subtle, neutral colors, creating an atmosphere that is both professional and calming. Large windows allow natural light to stream in, providing a sense of openness and a connection to the outside world. At the same time, the room is equipped with adjustable blinds or curtains to ensure privacy and control over the lighting conditions.

 

The room is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual technology, including a large high-definition screen projector for presentations. There are also multiple power outlets and charging stations strategically placed around the room, ensuring that devices remain powered throughout the meeting. Still, I do not think it will be used since ours is not for business, but you can never know.

 

All of them were already seated, being the first ones to arrive first. Blitz and I made ourselves comfortably seated after Aria gestured for us to settle in. She proceeded to start the meeting, her being the bridge since she was already familiar with the two of them. After a short introduction (which I am quite sure was unnecessary) we proceeded with the agenda.

 

“Ahem, now that the introductions are over, let us start on why I called you here, Ken,” she glanced at Blitz as if an afterthought before continuing. “And Blake, I suppose.”

 

“Yeah, I want to know why you called us here. Did Ken do something… bad perhaps?” Blake playfully commented.

 

Honestly, this guy can be a pain sometimes. We’re already in the backfoot of this negotiation, don’t make this much worse you idiot! This is especially so if they want concessions from us. Attacking an officer of a guild could be considered a proclamation of a guild war by some, therefore, I would not be surprised if they want repercussions from us.

 

“First of all, I want you to work with Katherine here, Ken,” Aria gestured to the mysterious girl.

 

“…Work, with what?” I asked, a bit surprised by the direction of the conversation.

 

The command from our captain came from nowhere, leaving me a bit dumbfounded. I was expecting the topic of the attack to be brought up, not this.

 

“Work with perusing our opponent’s skills and strategies of course. I’m sure both of our teams will benefit greatly if you two happen to form contingency plans against our opponents and also analyze their weaknesses and strategies to further our advantage. Katherine here is extremely knowledgeable in tactics and stratagems; I’m sure her knowledge could even be on par with yours,” Aria stated as a matter of fact.

 

“…I see,” I stated dumbly, my pride a bit wounded.

 

Still, this is Aria we are talking about, considering how blunt she is, she must have said those words because she truly feels that way.

 

It does sting my pride a bit as Tactical's protégé to be compared to someone so casually, but I suppose I'll have to overlook it for the time being. On the bright side, this can only imply that our captain has full confidence in this girl's abilities, which speaks volumes about her skills. After all, Aria holds very few individuals in that much of a high regard.

 

“Fine, I will try to work with her… is that all on the agenda?” I asked, wondering if the subject of the assassin I hired would be brought up.

 

“There is also something the Paradigm team wants to suggest. I already agreed beforehand, but I want your input on the matter,” Aria gestured for them to be the one to bring it up, whatever their suggestion is.

 

Their captain, Elizabeth, seems content to let her tactician handle the conversation, highlighting her trust in her teammate.

 

“I want us to be sparring partners,” the unsettling girl stated briefly.

 

“…You want both of our teams to fight scrim matches together?” I asked, a bit taken aback by her suggestion.

 

“Yes, I’m sure we both can benefit from practicing with each other. And you do owe me a ‘favor’, Mr. Kenneth. I'm sure that you won't have any objections to my suggestion,” she stated in a calm, friendly manner.

 

Aria looked at me with suspicion, indicating that Miss Katherine hadn't informed her of my actions yet. It appears that she's keeping it as leverage for future negotiations if the need arises. This girl truly knows how to keep me on my toes.

 

Nevertheless, her suggestion could be advantageous for both of us. It would allow me to further analyze their skills and team play, especially hers, while also providing a skilled training partner for our team throughout the entire tournament week.

 

They are one of the weaker teams in this tournament, so it should be fine if they see part of our gameplay. Besides, I specifically advised Aria to not use her new weapon unless we are against a strong team. It also should be a good practice for the main event so there is no demerit in accepting her offer. Still, I have one concern about her proposal.

 

“…Not to be rude, but are you sure your team won’t be discouraged after they fight us.”

 

I’m saying this because I’m quite worried about their team, not just plain hubris. If they take a huge beating from us, it could hurt their morale for the whole tourney, making her idea counterproductive for their team.

 

She closed her eyes pondering for a bit before opening it again, her eyes brimming with determination. “…We won’t. We are here to win, after all. Beating the strongest team in the tournament is just a part of it.”

 

The air of the room shifted instantly at her words. She declared it with such determination and certainty that everyone in the room instinctively held their breath. She is right of course. Everyone here is determined to win the entire thing. It would be disrespectful if we held back because we were worried for them.

 

“...I apologize for questioning your resolve. I accept your proposal. But do not expect us to hold back,” I declared with newfound respect for this girl.

 

“I would not have it any other way,” she smiled.

 

I've analyzed her gameplay countless times, more than I'd like to admit. That smile… is the same habitual smile she always wears whenever she outplays her opponents.