Chương 33: Upcoming Big Event!

So after packing up and drinking some from the surrounding water, we filled our water satchels for the journey. We took a small break of one hour for recuperation of the mind and body. The moment we sat down by the dying fire, the words started flowing between us. Galer spoke first, telling me: "That fight was really good. Your Heart Flame has become much more explosive and controlled than before. I could feel how much stronger your bursts were, especially when you pushed back against my knives.

It caught me off guard a few times." I listened quietly, genuinely happy to hear his thoughts, then shared my own observations.

"Your light legs are on another level now. The speed and the way you can change direction mid-air… it's completely different from before. I couldn't keep up with your movement at all in the beginning. And your Vestuto… even though you didn't go all out, it felt overwhelming. The way the crystal armor moved with you and how your new claw technique could shift shape on the fly was impressive."

We compared notes on what worked and what didn't, laughing at some of the more ridiculous exchanges and nodding seriously when we spoke about the moments that nearly turned the fight. As we talked, we naturally started discussing how we could improve from here, what we each needed to work on and how we could push each other further now that we were together again. When the hour was up, we stood, shouldered our things, and began running toward Tabraca through the night.

The cool desert air felt refreshing against our skin after the intense spar. We moved at a high pace, our feet hitting the sand in a steady rhythm. The conversation we had during the break still lingered between us, and it made the run feel different than before lighter, somehow. But we didn't talk much during the journey, the silence was comfortable for the both of us, who were in deep thought. In six hours and twenty-one minutes of high-speed running we managed to reach the city in the morning.

The temperature was reaching thirty-three degrees and the heat pressed on our necks, but at least the wind was our friend and supported us on the way back. The rising sun painted the horizon in warm orange and gold as the familiar walls of Tabraca finally came into view. Both of us were breathing heavily by the time we slowed down near the gates, our bodies tired, full with sweat ready to take a break. Once back, the city looked noticeably changed.

It was a bit bigger than we remembered, and there were significantly more people moving through the streets, all with the same warm, sun-tanned skin as before. The atmosphere felt livelier, more prosperous. Slightly confused by the growth, we made our way to the chapel, as we thought a holy person would help at a time like this. There we met Louzan, a long brown-haired monk of the Michaelanius Order.

He greeted us warmly, gave us some fresh bread, and sat down with us after a short prayer of thanks for our safe return. After we ate, he told us that Tabraca had grown quite a lot in the past two years. Like many places in Orbis Terrarum, the city was constantly changing and developing, but this particular growth had started nearly two years ago when an investor arrived.

According to Louzan, the man had been searching for something when he discovered the town, took a liking to it, and decided to invest heavily in its development. Before the monk could finish his explanation, the door to the chapel opened. A well-dressed white man, around 1. 77 meters tall with neatly styled brown hair, stepped inside. He wore a very fancy, well-tailored suit and carried himself with refined confidence.

"Yoohoo, Mister Monk Louzan," he called out cheerfully.

"I wanted to ask you something… oh, you have guests. Should I come back later?" Louzan smiled and shook his head.

"It's alright. We were just speaking about you, actually. These two were thanking you for everything you've done for the town and the financial stability you've brought." The man's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. He gave a polite, slightly theatrical bow.

"Ohhh, is that so?" he said warmly.

"My name is Richárde, from Andorren." He stepped forward and offered his hand. We shook it in greeting while Louzan gave a respectful prayer bow. Richárde then turned his attention fully to us, his expression being friendly.

"You know what? I have a perfect idea," Richárde said with a bright smile.

"You wanted to know more about what's happening? Then let me tell you while we walk. You're coming as well, Monk?" Louzan nodded with eager excitement, clearly knowing exactly what Richárde wanted to show them. There was a quiet pride in his expression as he looked at the investor who had done so much for the town. Together, they slowly walked out of the chapel and made their way toward the huge open track with its large stone tribunes built for spectators.

As they moved, both Erumes and Galer took in the changes around them with quiet surprise. The town truly had grown since their last visit... new buildings stood where there had once been empty space, and the streets felt more alive and organized. A tall post stood proudly at the center of the track.

Hanging from it was a large, colorful banner that read in bold letters: 2nd Year " Run to Glory" While they walked along the gravel road and passed by the large underground entrance, Richárde began explaining how everything had started. He told them that he had arrived in Tabraca nearly two years ago by chance. At the time, he had been following something he was searching for when he stumbled upon the town. After asking around, he found the people he had been looking for.

Although they continued further west, he was impressed by the town's location and how conveniently close it was to his new main trade route. He decided to invest in the region and even built a private port for his ships to transport the goods he harvested here. He called his products Healthy Liquid Juice and Protein Shell. He offered them some to try, and both Erumes and Galer were surprised by how quickly it restored their energy and filled their stomachs.

To further promote the town and create more opportunities for the people, Richárde created a yearly event called the "Run for Glory", a massive contest that combined fighting and long-distance running at the same time. The race starts and finishes at this very venue. From here, the participants descend into a massive underground network of tunnels that stretches 220 kilometers, testing both coordination and combat ability in the dark.

After emerging from the tunnels, they must cross the hilly mountains of Abracz for 212 kilometers, followed by 111 kilometers through the Desert of Tabraca. The final stretch takes them along the shoreline for 126 kilometers until they reach the finish line. In total, the event is a grueling 669 kilometer race that tests both combat skill and endurance. Even last year's winner, the 31-year-old Jabare Magkosi, had returned to compete again.

Posters of him could be seen all over town, showcasing his powerful physique and confident smile to promote the event. As they approached the training area near the track, they saw the man himself stretching and practicing powerful leg kicks with sharp, precise movements. Jabare Magkosi was a tall, athletic, sun-charged man with a strong, muscular build and a commanding presence. He had sharp facial features, high cheekbones, and expressive dark brown eyes.

His most striking feature was his hair a fresh, short low-cut style with sharp, clean lines. The top of his head was a solid, deep black, while a sharp, curved white/silver line started at the frontal hairline on the left side and flowed smoothly along the entire left side of his head until the back. This created a bold, dramatic contrast between black and white/silver.

The rest of the hair faded into a stylish grey, giving the whole cut a modern, edgy, and premium look that perfectly suited the Run to Glory champion. The hairstyle made him appear even more striking and high-energy, like a true champion of the competition should look. He hailed from the Chaddore Region of the Hespericum Continent, where a mighty king ruled.

Even while training, he wore his majestic medieval Chaddorian warrior noble attire, inspired by the Kanem-Bornu Empire, a rich deep indigo and charcoal Babban Riga robe with intricate gold and crimson Sahelian embroidery. It was layered over a traditional padded quilted cuirass reinforced with leather and ironcoal accents. A wide leather belt with bronze details held a sheathed broad sword at his hip, highlighting his warrior-like frame. Jabare noticed us approaching and paused mid-stretch.

A wide, confident grin spread across his face as he looked them over. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and let out a low, amused chuckle.

"Well, well… fresh faces in town," he said, his voice carrying a deep, energetic tone.

"You two looking to sign up for the Run to Glory? Or did you just come to watch the real fighters do their thing?" He took a few casual steps closer, rolling his shoulders as he sized them up with a playful glint in his eyes. His presence and reputation were already heating up the atmosphere around them, putting subtle pressure on the two outsiders to make a decision.

"Are you guys really joining in for the competition?" he asked directly, his energetic voice carrying across the training area. Erumes and Galer looked at each other. After a few seconds of thought, Galer shrugged and said, "Wait… you know what? Fuck it. Let's go and join this Event." Jabare immediately broke into a celebratory dance, clearly excited to have new outsider competitors joining the event. We then turned to Richárde and asked how many people would be competing and when the race would actually start.

Richárde smiled and replied,"With you two included, I'll put you on the registry right away. I'll even cover your guys entry fee of 1 Osmium. Right now we have 232 participants... more than 30 compared to last year." So the monk and Richárde talked some more, with Louzan confirming that he would once again be handling his duties for the event this year, just like he had done so well before.

Jabare Magkosi returned to stretching, now with a noticeably higher flame of excitement burning of his eyes as he prepared even harder for the upcoming event. Galer and I decided to find a place to rest for the next three days before the Run to Glory began. During that time, we did some reconnaissance on the course. We checked the massive underground tunnels, which were far larger and more complex than we had expected.

We then moved on to the hilly area, where the sand and wind were so strong that it could nearly blind you while running. After that, we revisited the Desert of Tabraca, already familiar with its intense heat that beat down relentlessly on anyone traveling through it. Finally, we looked at the final stretch along the shore, where strong winds would be constantly pushing against the runners.

"Ohhh, that is going to be an interesting challenge," I muttered as we finished scouting. We also learned more about the rules of the competition. Fighters could battle until one was knocked out, but killing was strictly forbidden. Weapons and all abilities were allowed. Even if someone lost a limb, they were still permitted to continue as long as they didn't die, since Richárde's special Liquid could heal severe injuries near instantly. While we were resting later that day, I turned to Galer and asked,"By the way…

did you really mean that earlier? Was Jabare actually that strong?" Galer looked at me for a second, then replied through telepathy, his voice calm but certain in my mind." Yes. He was at 3, 114 Animo." Galer made sure of it by checking twice. Jabare was clearly holding back during their earlier encounter and was even stronger than he had shown. This meant the tournament wouldn't be easy at all. It was going to be a real test on how far both have made it in Animo.

Since we were already talking about it, we decided to go for the win and aim for the prizes Richárde had mentioned earlier. First place would receive a satchel full of the special liquid along with 25 Osmium. Second place would get an Ironcoal armor upgrade, customized to our own design, plus 16 Osmium. Third place would receive a piece of Diamond Material Ore along with 2 Osmium. The prizes were genuinely good and would be very useful for us.

"Yeah," I said with a grin.

"Let's go eye up the goodies." Galer smirked and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Let's do it." We clapped hands, both of us feeling a fresh spark of excitement. Our rivalry, which had recently reignited, now had a clear and powerful target standing in our way... last year's champion, Jabare Magkosi. The last day of reconnaissance ended on a high note, filled with renewed determination and the quiet thrill of having a real challenge ahead of us. This was going to be fun.