The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 7 - Chapter 15 - First Minigame

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Wolf

The variety show’s first part is actually a tad boring. Which is disappointing in its own right.

But it also makes sense. After all, the first part is just a meet and greet introductions section.

So nothing interesting is happening.

It’s literally just them greeting each other and introducing themselves to the few people they haven’t already met. A number that doesn’t count many of them as they’ve all pretty much met almost each one of them at least once.

They have been fighting in the same dungeon for years now after all. It’d be pretty weird if they didn’t meet each other at least once.

Thanks to that the first part of the show ends on a boring note with just a lot of ‘hello’ and ‘nice to see you again’ greetings.

Fortunately the second part begins rather quickly.

“Let’s start this off with a bang!” Mikaela exclaims from right next to me while leaning over the counter towards the mic. Meanwhile the stage where all the Competitors are gathered suddenly breaks into void energy before reforming again into several massive floating platforms over the void. “This first minigame is a simple one! Knock each other off the platforms and the last one standing is the winner!”

Couldn’t they just fly over the platforms or something?

As if hearing my thoughts, Mikaela suddenly adds, “Oh, and flying is disabled within the bounds of this arena, and so is jumping back up after falling! So if you fall, you’re out!”

Ah. So it really is just a fun and games minigame.

“Fight to stay on the platforms! Fight for the pride of your fans!” Mikaela continues before a splitting grin crosses his face. “And fight to have the right to skip one non-boss floor of the Administrator Dungeon!”

I blink at that last part, only to find all the Competitors in the minigame suddenly getting serious about this silly competition.

Okay then. Was not expecting that.

“I’m sure a lot of you thought you’d be getting nothing from this variety show, but that is not true at all!” Mikaela says, his grin growing even wider as he watches the Competitors warily watch each other. “The last survivor of every minigame will be given a pass to skip a single non-boss floor of the Administrator Dungeon! So go all out to win! But remember, these passes cannot skip boss or centurion boss floors. They also cannot skip a floor that has had an event boss spawn on it! And these passes can be used to bring more than one Competitor along! So teams are allowed!”

The moment he finishes speaking, a large number appears in the middle of the air above them.

A large ten to be specific.

Then the number changes to a nine, then an eight.

And it continues to drop until it reaches zero and words replace the number, saying, “Begin.”

I tap my finger on my arm as I watch the Competitors instantly burst into motion with my arms crossed. Seeing half of them shooting at each other with magic and the other half either defending or charging the others with physical attacks.

Of course, the Competitors I recognize the most and who are at the top of the leaderboards beneath me all do rather well right from the start.

Chris just runs around punching people, although most of the people he punches all put up some sort of defense that keeps them from being knocked down. But one of the people he punches ends up being slammed by a large railgun blast of electricity. Sending them flying off the platform.

“Oooohh, and there goes the very first Competitor of the variety show!” Mikaela exclaims before saying their name and wishing them luck on the next minigame.

Their actual name just kind of slips in one ear and out the other though as I don’t really recognize them outside of just passing glances at livestreams.

After them though, Crystal sends someone flying off the platforms with a well-placed arrow while they’re focused on someone else attacking them. Then Nosferatu drags someone by the neck and tosses them off the platform. Proving his power as the officially recognize strongest amongst the Competitors in the Administrator Dungeon.

Ah, reminds me of the time I crushed the poor guy in a one on one duel held by one of the Beta Dungeon floors.

Good times.

The Competitors keep fighting amongst themselves, yet interestingly enough, they don’t seem to be getting any wounds. No matter how many times they hit each other.

All the hits just seem to knock them away without actually hurting them.

Which proves the System really is just doing this for the entertainment and not to kill them off.

A stark difference in how The Reaper would do things. Since if he did something like this back when he was in charge he’d be trying to slaughter half the contestants for fun.

I guess this is another good thing to come out of the System taking over.

With that thought in mind, I continue watching the Competitors eliminate one of them after another. All the way until it surprisingly becomes a battle between Crystal, Nosferatu – otherwise known as Norbert – and the Siren. Ariana.

Of course, the direction this will take is pretty obvious just from a glance.

These three are all recognized as the three strongest Competitors in the Administrator Dungeon. With Norbert being the strongest in direct combat, Ariana being the most versatile, and Crystal being the most sneaky of the three.

I watch silently as the three begin fighting, with Norbert trying to get up close and personal with the other two while Ariana just floods the platforms she jumps to with water, interrupting him. And Crystal stays as far away as she can since she’s an archer and isn’t as good in close combat as they are.

The three continue fighting for several minutes before Norbert finally gets in close to attack Ariana.

Only for Crystal to shoot them both out of the ring at the last second before their clash.

Ending the minigame with her win.