Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

In the central hologram of the stadium, the audience was able to see the starting line for the second stage. The view itself was breathtaking. The terrain of the second stage was also slightly different. Where the first stage had led the people through snowy mountains with scattered groups of coniferous trees, they were now entering a region with a deeper, slightly warmer climate and more vegetation.

The starting line was right at the edge of a cliff that fell straight down and showed a vast valley, the bottom filled with a dense dark forest. It was understandable why this place was chosen as the midway point of the two stages. it was a treat for the audience.

Standing at the starting line were 49 people waiting for the signal to begin. The audience had already come to know them due to their journey on the previous day and all of them had their supporters. Among the cultivators, players, and demons were familiar faces like Ember, Lyca, Hao Ying, Hannibal Cho, and the unlikely winner of the first stage, Megan, the unassuming archaeologist.

Polter may have had the power to go to the sideline at the start, but he stayed at the stadium. Although he would have liked to cheer on Megan in person he would not be able to follow the race from there, since there was nothing to watch or see it at the starting line.

He also had someone to console. Caleb didn’t make it in the end. The Dragon Knight was back in his seat beside the dwarf, wearing a listless expression. Surviving his meeting with the Hailspine Drake was just the beginning.

Since he was already past the dungeon entrance, he had no choice but to take the monster-infested route through the mountains. As a mounted class, he was not the fastest by foot, which meant he was forced to fight most of the time when he met a creature.

Ultimately, he had almost suffered a lethal blow. It was only thanks to the bodycam shield, that he was able to stay alive, although he was disqualified from the race. He was saved by the Oathguards who were staying on standby for these kinds of incidents.

Caleb survived but had to leave the race. Still, he was here to cheer for Megan, who had managed to place first thanks to her performance in the artificial dungeon. In the center of the stadium, Umi’s projection beckoned their attention.

“I will now explain the next stage of the race, as we prepared something special for the participants. On this part of the race, they will be able to make up time from the previous stage, by finding these!” she exclaimed and held up an item to the camera.

It was a golden feather, elaborately crafted from fine gold. It had to be the work of an incredibly talented artist, as it looked almost like the real thing, except for the fine line of runes that ran along the spine of the quill. It was also tinged in a dim, blue shine.

“These feathers are scattered across the next part of the track. There are exactly 75 of them and they are either hidden by Minas Mar’s experts or can be attained by solving the trials prepared along the way. Either way, each feather a participant hands over at the final finish line, will reduce their overall time by 20 minutes,” she explained, swinging around the beautiful feather.

The audience was silent for a moment. Some people were still processing while others were in shock about the sudden change. A 20-minute time reduction! With this much, the race was still open for any of the participants, as long as they managed to collect enough feathers.

Even Hao Ying who came last of the 50, was only about one hour behind the first place. Just three feathers could make up for his disadvantage. However, the higher ranks were much closer. Anyone below the 15th place only needed one to become first.

“Hmm, this round will become a lot more strategic...” Caleb mumbled.

At this point this was not just about speed, but also either about luck, or the speed one could find feathers in. After all, what use was it now, to run to the finish line as fast as one could, if someone just behind them, came along with four or five flowers, overtaking them by the virtue of the time bonus?

Mindlessly running of at top speed wouldn’t serve the participants well. They would have to weigh the time needed to look for feathers against the actual worth of the feathers.

“With that said, everyone is now up to date, and we can start the race! Ready-“

The runner looked up in shock, they had just been given a boon to brood about and she was just suddenly starting the race right afterward?! Their expressions were a treat for the audience at home and in the stadium.

“Set!”

Everyone on the screen scrambled to get in the starting position.

“Go!”

Fireworks signaled the start of the second stage as the runner hurriedly shot off in the distance. Notably, nobody chose to take to the sky this time. The last 50 used mounts, artifacts, or their own legs to speed into the mountains.

Ember confidently sprinted forward, dreading on air with a pair of flame boots she had made herself, leaving a trail of molten snow as she directly jumped down the steep cliff, leaving a trail of flames behind.

With such open terrain, she was sure to be the quickest, once she activated the fire boost and-However, despite her confidence, various shadows shot past her. First, a person riding what looked like an ancient bronze shield was a figure wearing a beige adventurer\'s outfit. Ember only saw the back of Megan, as she shot toward the sea of trees.

If not for the sudden whistle in the air, Ember would have smacked out of the air, as the dude on his flute aimed directly at her. With a bloom of fire, she changed position in midair to evade him.

“Good reflexes, but I got what I wanted! This is for earlier!” he shouted back at her, as he gained momentum. As he ran off, she saw her golem eye get crushed in his hand. She had no idea what he blabbered but she was sure he mocked her. The petty cultivator had used the chance right at the start to take revenge.

With an angry scream, she activated the boost, to at least stay in third place, only to see another cultivator pass her standing on a sword. Unlike Hao Ying, that petty tone-deaf blowhole, this man actually looked quite elegant and handsome.

The demoness found herself staring at his long black hair fluttering in the wind and his sword-like eyebrows. He seemed to have noticed her looks! Was that a smile? Did he smile at her? Maybe she should catch up with him and try to talk? Her heart was racing. Could it be that she-

“Yaargh!” the hunk suddenly screeched unintelligibly as a beast emerged from the forest below and tried to snatch him from his sword. The next moment the charm was broken as they lost eye contact and he fell from his sword like a detached marionette. The feline beats in question dove back into the forest with him.

Ember\'s heart grew cold in shock. What had she just been thinking about? it couldn\'t be-! Had that man actually used charm magic to enchant a demon? She shuddered in terror. Just how far would she have gone for the man, if the beast had not saved the day?

Thinking of the creature looking like a giant snow leopard that had snatched the man from the air, Ember decided to take it a little slower and pay more attention to her surroundings. This way she also wouldn\'t miss any golden feathers on the way, she told herself.

In this way, stage two of the great obstacle race began.