Chapter 37: The Tryouts
The next day.
The Crit Happens arena had never been this crowded.
Normally the training floor was quiet. Just the guild running drills, testing builds, or occasionally sparring between Depth runs.
Today it looked like a festival.
Dozens of players filled the viewing stands and outer ring of the arena floor. Some leaned against the railings, others stretched or tested weapons, and a few simply watched the chaos unfold like spectators waiting for a show.
Because that was exactly what this was.
Tryouts.
Word had spread through the capital overnight.
Crit Happens, a top guild, even if people liked to joke it was the weakest one was hosting open trials.
That alone would have drawn attention.
But when the news included the name Water Gun Rogers, the player who had recently killed a God-tier manifestation?
Yeah, people showed up.
At the edge of the arena floor, a folding table had been set up like a makeshift registration desk.
Behind it sat Mika.
And Lana.
Lana leaned back in her chair, lazily spinning a coin between her fingers while watching the growing line of applicants.
Mika, meanwhile, looked like she had already made several regrettable life decisions.
“How many is that now?” Lana asked.
Mika checked the tablet in front of her.
“…Forty-three.”
Lana blinked. “Forty-three people think they can join Crit Happens?”
“Forty-three people paid the entry fee,” Mika corrected.
The next contestant stepped up to the table.
A tall man with enormous shoulder armor and a sword almost as large as he was.
He slammed a small pouch of soul gems onto the table. “I’m ready.”
Mika raised an eyebrow.
“Congratulations.”
Mika tapped the tablet.
“Name?”
“Ragnar Bloodfury.”
Lana slowly looked up at him.
“…That’s a lot of name.”
“It is earned,” Ragnar said proudly.
“Mm-hmm,” Mika said. as she finished typing.
“Entry fee accepted.”
She slid a small badge across the table.
“Please wait in the arena until the trials begin.”
Ragnar nodded dramatically and marched away.
Mika watched him go.
“He’s going to fall over during round one.”
“Probably,” Lana said.
The next contestant stepped forward.
This one looked barely old enough to hold a weapon.
“I’m here for tryouts!”
Mika blinked. “You look like you should be in a tutorial zone.”
“I cleared three goblin camps,” the kid said proudly.
“Impressive,” Lana said.
Mika held out her hand. “Entry fee?”
The kid produced a tiny pouch.
Three coins fell onto the table.
Lana stared at them. “…This is half.”
“That’s all I have.”
Lana leaned forward. “Tell you what,” she said.
“If you survive the first round, I’ll pay the other half.”
The kid’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
“No,” Lana said. "Come Back when your old enough to drink"
The kid sighed and shuffled away.
Lana rubbed her temples.
“Whose idea was this again?.”
“It was Valen’s idea.”
“But who encouraged it.” Lana said as she tilted back in her chair using her spear for Ballance
The next contestant stepped up.
He moved quietly, no flashy armor, no oversized weapon. Just a long coat and a chain coiled around his torso.
The metal links shimmered faintly with magic.
Lana Stopped herself from falling over.
Mika looked up from the tablet.
“Name?” she asked.
“Voss.”
Mika’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Just Voss?”
“Yes.”
The chain shifted softly as he rested a pouch of coins on the table.
Mika typed the name in.
“Entry fee received.”
“Please wait in the arena.”
Voss nodded once and walked away without another word.
Mika watched him go.
“…Okay.” Lana glanced up with interest.
“You felt that too?”
“Yeah.” “That guy’s not here for fun.”
“Nohe isn't,” Mika said.
“He’s here to win.”
Across the arena floor, contestants continued gathering.
Some stretching.
Some arguing.
Some quietly observing the others. And up on the balcony overlooking the arena
Valen stood with his arms crossed.
Dillion stood beside him.
Kael and Gorran nearby.
Dillion stared down at the growing crowd.
“…This is way more people than I expected.”
Kael chuckled. “Welcome to fame.”
Gorran nodded toward the arena floor. “Some of them might actually be good.”
Valen didn’t respond. He simply watched.
After a moment he turned toward the group.
“Looks like everyone’s here.”
Dillion glanced back down at the arena. “…That’s a lot of players.”
Valen smiled faintly. “Yep, that's what I was hoping for.”
He stepped forward toward the railing.
“Let’s see who survives the first round.”
He didn’t shout.
He didn’t need to.
A thin blade of compressed wind formed in his hand and snapped once through the air.
The sharp crack echoed through the arena.
Conversations stopped instantly.
Dozens of players looked up.
Valen rested his arms on the stone railing.
“Welcome to the Crit Happens tryouts.” His voice carried easily across the arena floor.
“You’ve all paid the entry fee?.”
A few contestants nodded.
“That means you’ve all decided you want to join a top guild.”
A couple of players puffed their chests out proudly.
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Valen tilted his head slightly. “I'm sorry to say that doesn’t mean you’re ready.”
A ripple of uneasy laughter moved through the crowd.
Behind him, Kael leaned toward Dillion. “He enjoys this part.”
“I noticed,” Dillion muttered.
Valen continued calmly.
“The trials will consist of three rounds.”
Players shifted, listening carefully now.
“Round one is demonstration.” He gestured toward the center of the arena.
The stone floor rumbled.
Panels slid open as mechanical platforms rose from beneath the arena floor.
Six armored combat dummies emerged.
Each one nearly twice the height of a person, plated in reinforced metal and glowing faintly with embedded runes.
Numbers flickered above them.
Damage trackers.
Status monitors.
Ability logs.
Valen gestured again. “You will demonstrate your combat ability.”
He paused.
“Damage output.” A few players nodded confidently.
“Status effects.” Several mages looked pleased.
“And control.” The cockier players hesitated slightly.
“You will have thirty seconds.”
A murmur moved through the crowd.
“Impress us,” Valen said.
Then he stepped back from the railing. "Take it away Mika"
“First contestant.” Mika looked down at the tablet as she raised her voice.
“Ragnar Bloodfury!”
The enormous, armored man from earlier stomped into the arena.
His sword dragged behind him like a steel plow.
He planted his feet dramatically.
“Witness my power!”
Kael leaned toward Dillion.
“How much DPS do you think he has?”
Dillion folded his arms. “I'm not sure, but he definitely looks scary.”
Ragnar roared and charged the nearest dummy.
His giant sword swung downward with explosive force.
CLANG. The blade slammed into the dummy’s chest.
The metal target didn’t move.
Ragnar stared. Then swung again.
CLANG.
Damage numbers appeared above the dummy.
42
45
38
Lana winced. “Those are not good.”
Ragnar continued hacking wildly. Then the timer ran out.
The dummy remained standing.
Valen didn’t react.
“Next.” Mika yelled as she started scrolling though the tablet
Ragnar shuffled away, trying to look dignified.
Kael leaned back. “Not as scary as you think huh?”
“I guess you can't really judge a book by their cover,” Dillion said.
“Next contestant!” Mika called.
A thin mage stepped forward.
He raised his staff dramatically.
A wave of frost magic burst across the arena.
Ice spread across two dummies instantly.
Status icons lit up.
Freeze.
Slow.
Armor crack.
Damage numbers climbed.
Lana nodded approvingly. “Better.”
Dillion studied the display. “Good control.”
Valen simply observed.
The mage bowed slightly as the timer ended.
“Next.”
More contestants followed.
One rogue moved like lightning but barely scratched the dummies.
One heavy tank cracked armor but had no follow-up damage.
One archer hit three perfect headshots but missed the fourth entirely.
The crowd murmured constantly.
Evaluating.
Judging.
Laughing.
Kael stretched his arms. “Okay, some of these people might survive a round or two.”
Gorran nodded. “Maybe.”
Mika checked the tablet again.
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
“Next contestant…”
She glanced at Lana.
Then back at the arena.
“…Voss.”
A quiet ripple moved through the contestants.
Voss stepped forward calmly.
The chain around his torso shifted as he walked.
Dillion recognized him immediately.
“Chain guy,” Kael muttered.
Voss didn’t speak.
He simply uncoiled the chain.
The metal links glimmered faint green as they slid across the stone floor.
Valen’s attention sharpened slightly.
The timer began.
Voss flicked his wrist.
The chain shot forward.
CRACK.
One dummy’s head snapped sideways.
The chain recoiled instantly.
CRACK.
Another strike hit the second dummy’s leg joint.
Armor bent inward.
Voss stepped forward.
The chain split into two controlled arcs.
They wrapped around a third dummy’s torso.
Then tightened.
The metal frame groaned.
Damage numbers surged upward.
Control.
Precision.
Efficiency.
The timer ended.
Voss calmly recoiled the chain and stepped away.
Kael whistled softly. “…Okay.”
Lana nodded. “That’s a real contender.”
Valen said nothing but you could tell he was pleased that Voss was here.
Mika glanced down at the tablet again. A small smile crept across her face.
“Oh.”
Lana noticed immediately.
“What?”
Mika looked back toward the arena.
“Dillion will like this one.”
She raised her voice.
“Next contestant.”
A pause. “Registered name…”
“…Neko.”
A few contestants snorted.
“Of course.”
“A furry great.”
“How 'Original'.”
From the back of the crowd, a smaller figure stepped forward.
Hood pulled low, a thin black eye mask hiding the upper half of her face.
Light armor.
Two short curved blades resting along her hips.
She didn’t say anything.
She just walked to the center of the arena.
Quiet.
Balanced.
The kind of movement that barely disturbed the air.
Kael leaned on the balcony railing. “…Alright.”
Lana tilted her head. “A Light build.”
Gorran studied her stance.
“Very low center of gravity.”
Dillion hadn’t said anything yet.
He was watching her closely.
Something about the way she moved felt… familiar.
The timer began.
Thirty seconds.
The dummy activated.
It rotated toward her, heavy metal joints locking into place.
Neko moved first.
Not forward.
Sideways.
A blur of motion as she darted across the arena floor.
One blade flashed. CLANG.
The strike landed directly into the dummy’s shoulder joint.
Damage numbers appeared.
But she didn’t stop.
She vaulted upward. Not climbing. Springing leaving a small crack on the floor
Her foot touched the dummy’s chest for barely a heartbeat.
Then she flipped completely over it.
Kael blinked.“…Okay now.”
Behind the dummy
Neko landed low. Then struck again.
Both blades moving in rapid succession.
Three precise cuts.
Weak points lit up across the dummy’s torso.
Status effects triggered.
Bleed.
Armor break.
Mobility damage.
Lana leaned forward. “That’s precision fighting.”
The dummy swung an arm.
Neko slipped underneath it effortlessly.
Then... She jumped Straight up.
Her body twisted midair like a striking predator.
Both blades came down together.
CRACK.
The dummy’s chest plate buckled inward.
Damage numbers surged across the display.
Kael whistled softly. “…That’s not a regular house cat's strength.”
Dillion murmured quietly. “That’s tiger strength.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Neko landed lightly, barely a sound.
The timer expired.
The damage results appeared above the dummy.
High damage.
Exceptional precision.
Multiple status effects.
The arena had gone quiet.
Even the other contestants were staring now.
Valen finally spoke. “Very Interesting.”
Neko sheathed her blades.
The arena had gone quiet.
Even the other contestants were watching now.
Neko stood still for a moment.
Then slowly reached up. Slipping back Her hood.
The eye mask followed being gently removed as she Exhaled.
Brown hair fell loose around her shoulders.
Bright eyes and a very familiar grin.
Dillion froze.
“…May!?” He Screamed Loudly.
She looked up toward the balcony.
Then waved.
“Hi Dilly.”
Kael turned slowly. “…You know her?”
Lana blinked. “Wait that's his friend.”
Mika Giggled, "Yeah I recognized her even with the mask on."
Gorran frowned. “The bookstore girl?”
May rested her hands on her hips.
Dillion stared down at her in disbelief.
“You never told me you could fight.”
May tilted her head.
A playful smile spreading across her face.
“Dillion…” She gestured around the arena.
“I’ve been in Sora for three years.”
Then she folded her arms. “You think all I did was run a bookstore?”
Kael burst out laughing.
Lana covered her mouth.
Gorran shook his head.
Dillion blinked several times, still trying to process it. “You’re scary strong.”
May shrugged. “I told you Sora was amazing.”
“You didn’t tell me you were… this.”
She grinned. “You never asked.”
Valen glanced between them.
Then smirked faintly.
“You bring interesting friends.”
Dillion sighed. “I didn’t bring her.”
May pointed up at him. “I'm the one who brought you to Sora Dillion.”
Kael laughed again.
Valen’s attention returned to May.
His tone calm. “But the trials aren’t over yet Neko please move to the waiting area.”
May flashed a confident smile. “Aye Aye Captain.”
The player named Neko had just raised the bar.
And everyone in the arena knew it.
After Neko stepped away from the arena floor, the demonstrations continued.
And they kept coming. Dozens of contestants stepped forward one after another, each trying to leave their mark on the combat dummies.
Some succeeded.
Some… very much did not.
One heavily armored tank tried to body-check a dummy and ended up bouncing backward onto the stone floor.
Kael laughed so hard he had to lean against the railing.
Another contestant unleashed an elaborate fire spell that looked spectacular… but barely scratched the dummy’s armor.
Lana sighed.
“Style points do not count.”
A rogue moved like lightning, striking the dummy from six different angles in a blur of steel.
Unfortunately, he forgot the dummy was programmed to counterattack.
The metal arm swung once.
The rogue was launched across the arena.
Mika winced.
“…He might still be alive.”
“He will fell that tomorrow” Kael said.
Then there were the serious contenders.
A spear fighter landed a perfect series of joint strikes, crippling two dummies in quick succession.
A mage layered poison and paralysis effects so efficiently the system trackers struggled to keep up.
An archer placed four arrows into weak points in less than five seconds.
Dillion watched carefully.
Evaluating.
Some had raw power.
Some had control.
Some clearly had experience fighting in the Depth zones.
And some were just enthusiastic disasters.
The arena buzzed constantly with reactions.
Laughter.
Applause.
Occasional groans when someone spectacularly failed.
Nearly an hour passed before the final contestant stepped away from the arena floor.
Forty-three players had demonstrated.
Forty-three players had tried to prove they belonged in Crit Happens.
Mika checked the tablet.
“That’s everyone.”
The arena filled with murmuring again.
Contestants shifting nervously.
Comparing scores.
Watching the balcony.
Waiting.
Valen stepped forward. Without raising his voice, he formed a thin blade of wind in his hand. Then snapped it through the air.
CRACK.
The sound echoed like thunder.
The entire arena fell silent instantly.
Valen rested his arms on the stone railing.
“Round one is complete.”
His voice carried easily through the arena.
“You all demonstrated skill.”
He paused.
“Some of you demonstrated enthusiasm.”
A few contestants laughed nervously.
Valen continued calmly.
“We began with more than forty participants.”
He looked across the arena floor.
“But Crit Happens is not looking for forty members.”
Another pause.
A ripple moved through the contestants.
"Eight players."
Valen unfolded his arms.
“The following players will advance to the second round.”
Every contestant stood a little straighter.
Even the confident ones suddenly looked tense.
Valen began. “First.”
His gaze moved across the arena.
“Neko.”
May tilted her head slightly and gave a small wave.
Several contestants groaned quietly.
“No surprise there.”
Valen continued. “Second.”
“Voss.”
The chain fighter simply nodded once.
“Third.”
“Arlen the Spear.”
The spear fighter stepped forward slightly.
“Fourth.”
“Lyra of the Silent Step.”
The rogue who survived the counterattack raised a hand sheepishly.
Kael chuckled. “Lucky recovery.”
“Fifth.”
“Torren Stoneguard.”
The heavy tank who actually cracked one dummy’s armor grunted approvingly.
“Sixth.”
“Selene Frostweaver.”
The frost mage smiled calmly.
“Seventh.”
“Kade Ironshot.”
The archer gave a confident nod.
Valen paused briefly.
The arena felt tighter now.
More focused.
“Eighth.”
His eyes moved toward the balcony.
Then back down to the arena floor.
“…Dillion Rogers.”
The arena erupted in mixed reactions.
Cheers.
Groans.
Laughter.
“Water Gun!”
Dillion rubbed the back of his neck.
Kael laughed. “Congratulations. You made the tryouts.”
Dillion looked at Valen.
“You’re putting me in the bracket?”
Valen’s faint smile returned.
“You’re the benchmark.”
Then he looked back to the arena.
“The remaining contestants are eliminated.”
A few players groaned.
Some shook their heads.
Some accepted it quietly and began heading toward the exit.
Valen raised a hand slightly. “Round two begins shortly.”
The eight remaining contestants stood in the arena.
And suddenly, the tryouts felt a lot more serious.
The arena settled after the announcement of the eight names.
Those who had been eliminated slowly filtered out toward the exits, some grumbling, others already discussing what they had seen.
The eight remaining contestants stayed on the arena floor.
The energy had changed.
No more laughter.
No more casual bravado.
Now everyone knew they were close.
Valen stepped forward again, descending from the balcony and walking calmly into the center of the arena floor.
A faint current of wind curled around his fingers before fading away.
“The second round will test combat judgment.”
He looked across the remaining fighters.
“This round is paired combat.”
A few contestants shifted their stances.
Weapons were adjusted.
Valen continued.
“Each pair will fight until a decisive advantage is established.”
“No killing blows.”
“No interference.”
He glanced briefly toward the balcony where the rest of the guild watched.
“We are looking for control.”
His gaze returned to the contestants.
Then he began announcing the matchups.
“Dillion Rogers.”
Dillion stepped forward.
“Arlen the Spear.”
The spear fighter moved opposite him, planting the butt of his weapon against the stone floor.
Valen continued without pause.
“Neko.”
May tilted her head slightly as she stepped forward.
“Kade Ironshot.”
The archer gave a confident grin, resting his bow against his shoulder.
“Voss.”
The chain fighter stepped calmly into the open.
“Selene Frostweaver.”
The mage raised her staff slightly in acknowledgment.
Valen finished.
“Torren Stoneguard.”
The armored tank rolled his shoulders.
“Lyra of the Silent Step.”
The rogue flicked a dagger between her fingers.
The eight fighters spread out across the arena floor.
Valen gestured toward the center.
“First match.”
His eyes settled on Dillion.
“Dillion Rogers.”
Then toward the spear fighter.
“Arlen.”
He pointed toward the central fighting circle.
“Step forward.”
Dillion adjusted the strap on his shield and walked to the center of the arena.
Across from him, Arlen twirled his spear once before taking his stance.
Around them, the remaining contestants stepped back to the edges of the arena floor.
On the balcony above, the guild leaned forward to watch.
Valen stepped aside.
Wind gathered briefly around his hand.
Then he cracked the air once.
The sharp sound echoed through the arena.
“Begin.”
