Live Views — [2,072,302]
This was the number of viewers who were currently tuned in to the broadcast. For an island that boasted 5 million people, this was massive.
Almost half of the entire population of the island was tuned in to watch the Trials.
There was no bigger live event, with viewers able to watch each group individually at will. As a result, audience distribution varied widely, with the top teams drawing six-figure viewership while the lowest-ranked teams only managed four-digit numbers, some even doing as badly as three.
Viewership drawing was also an important criterion that was taken into account for the Trials.
The greater the draw, the more likely they’d get selected for the World Congress.
"It looks like all of the teams have finally entered. Who do you think are the most likely candidates to perform well in this upcoming Trial?"
Naturally, an event of this scale brought with it a team of commentators.
"... There are several that I have in mind." A man dressed in a suit with short black hair and relatively handsome features spoke. Samuel Marian was a relatively well-known commentator on the island, famous for his wild takes and large following.
"I had previously been told that the two stars of the Guild wouldn’t be participating due to some circumstances, but given how they are both here, I can pretty much guess what happened."
An ambiguous smile curved across his lips as he turned to face the cameras.
In doing so, his eyes drifted toward the broadcast’s chat.
—What? What happened?
—I also heard that.
—I thought they did it because they needed viewers. Since the main team isn’t coming, there’s hardly anyone that is worth watching. There are a few, but that’s just about it.
—Me too, lol.
Samuel had a hard time restraining his smile while looking at the chat.
"It’s not as simple as them wanting more views. It’s actually deeper than that."
Samuel remained ambiguous as he looked towards the numerous screens in front of him.
"Nonetheless, Zoey’s and Kyle’s teams, along with Endrick’s and Cillian’s, are expected to perform the best in the upcoming Trials. The only uncertainty is which of them will come out on top."
"...Isn’t it obvious?"
The other commentator, a young woman with soft brown hair and pretty features, interjected.
"I’d say that Kyle’s team has the highest chance of taking the first place."
"Oh?" Samual raised his brow, looking at his colleague. "What makes you think that?"
"It’s largely thanks to his teammates. From what I’ve researched, those two often work together, but if we focus strictly on their individual teams, I’d say Kyle has the stronger lineup. Especially Myles Holms. He’s been a breakout star this year."
—Myles!!
—They mentioned Myles!
—Who is he?
The chat erupted the moment Myles’s name came up. In just half a year since joining, he had risen in popularity, achieving impressive results while skillfully marketing himself to the public.
"You have a point."
Samuel agreed. Even he couldn’t help but admire Myles’s achievements.
He was one of the island’s hottest prospects. Some even called him the second coming of Kyle, while others insisted he would eventually surpass him.
And at the rate he was progressing...?
Samuel wouldn’t count that out of the picture.
"Although you raise some good points, I wouldn’t take it for granted. You have to remember that Rowan is on Zoey’s team. As far as I’m aware, he was close to reaching the Fourth Order. There’s a good chance that he may have already done so."
"Ah...!"
The female commentator covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening.
"If that’s the case..."
"Yes, if that’s the case, then they have a strong chance of taking the top spot. Of course, there’s also Endrick and Cillian, the department’s other two stars, though lately they’ve been overshadowed by Kyle and Zoey. Their teams aren’t quite as strong either, but who knows? There’s still a chance tha—"
Samuel’s words came to an abrupt stop.
He wasn’t the only one. The studio similarly turned silent, alongside the chat.
As all eyes drew to the broadcast, the silence was soon shattered by Samuel’s words.
"T-this..."
What in the world...?
***
"Hmm."
The moment the hotel doors swooshed open and I stepped inside, it felt as though I had entered an entirely different place. The charred exterior was gone, replaced by the welcoming sight of a spacious reception hall.
One bustling with activity.
Chandeliers gleamed from above, their light reflecting off the polished marble floors, while sofas were scattered throughout the space, and a large bar and café stood just beyond the reception.
"...This place actually looks nice."
I was genuinely taken aback by the sight before me. It seemed I was the only one, though, as the rest of my team kept their eyes fixed firmly on the reception.
The same seemed true for the other teams, all of them staring toward the reception where two figures stood unnervingly still, dressed identically in sharp suits, their smiles unnaturally wide and frozen.
I subconsciously swallowed as I looked at them.
"That’s the first part of the trial. Each team must go to the reception and request a room card. The card you receive will determine which floor your team will be assigned."
"Ah...?"
I turned my attention towards Joanna.
"Wasn’t this supposed to be a gate where we had to climb each floor? Why are we..."
"It is... In a way."
Joanna nodded.
"This is the ground floor, so it doesn’t count. There are seven floors in total, but the order doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you can access each floor. The only one you won’t be able to enter right away is the seventh floor."
"I see."
This made sense.
Honestly, as the Squad Leader, I should have known all of this beforehand. But with everything that had happened, I hadn’t been able to focus on anything. Joanna had briefed the entire team in advance, but I hadn’t been able to pay attention to her words.
’Right, I need to get it together.’
I couldn’t afford to go into a gate with this mentality.
This was important.
’Thankfully, I have Joanna with me. She’s really reliable when the situation calls for it.’
"Nnn...!"
A soft yelp pulled my attention away, prompting me to look at Mia. She was staring at her phone, her expression unusually pale.
Before I could ask her what was going on, she turned her attention to me.
"That... Squad Leader..."
She wasn’t the only one to look at me. The others were also looking at me with similar expressions.
"What?"
My eyes narrowed, falling on her phone.
That was when I saw it.
Live Views — [708]
—It says right here that he’s the Squad Leader of the team. Why doesn’t he know the information?
—...This team is cooked. I’m leaving lol
—Is this for real?
Ah.
Right...
All of this was being livestreamed to the audience.
"It’s fine."
I dismissed the others with a light wave of my hand.
"They’re right, so it doesn’t matter."
"But—"
"It’s alright."
I raised my hand to stop Mia from speaking.
"It really doesn’t bother me."
There were more things that bothered me than what other people thought about me. That said, if I wanted to attract sponsors, I needed to focus on improving my image in the eyes of the world.
This was a world where those from the Guilds were treated as celebrities.
It was important that I took care of my image.
"Looks like it’s our turn, let’s go."
As Joanna spoke, I followed her lead and walked towards the reception, where we were greeted by the receptionist. The closer I looked, the more a cold weight settled on my chest.
His clothes were immaculate and his expression perfectly professional, yet his eyes held a strange, unblinking intensity, and his smile stretched a fraction too wide, like he was stuck in that position.
"I’d like a room for seven people."
"Seven?"
The receptionist tilted his head, his gaze sweeping between all of us before nodding. A cold shiver ran down my spine as his eyes lingered on me a moment too long, and then he finally looked down at his computer, taking out a key not long after and passing it over the marble counter.
"Room 307, on the third floor."
"...Okay."
As Joanna reached forward for the key, the smile on the receptionist’s face widened to the utmost limits.
"I wish you a happy stay."
The world turned black shortly after that.