Opening 12
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The next round of the Interdarshan Championship is being held in the desert on the following day.
The guest commentators, Lucius and Paimon, arrive on the northern outskirts of Aaru Village to see the representatives, as well as the commentators already present.
Lucius: Good, we're not too late.
Kaveh: Um, is it me, or are the bags under your eyes even darker than during the last round? Are you alright?
Layla: Thanks for the concern, Kaveh. I just... haven't been sleeping well lately... Even though I try to fall asleep, I can't get the Championship out of my head... and before I know it, it's morning again.
Kaveh: (sigh) I know the feeling. That happens to me too when I'm agonizing over my blueprints.
Layla: Do you have any tips for dealing with that?
Kaveh: To be honest with you, no. You could say there are many things that don't have a quick fix, and can only be endured. Hmm, I suppose you can think of it as something akin to an illness. Sometimes there's no effective cure, so you just have to let things run their course. I don't know what's stressing you out, but I can feel all the anxiety and pressure coming from you. The next round's about to start, so chin up and do your best.
Layla: Oh, okay... You do your best, too.
Alhaitham notices Lucius's arrival as he steps forward.
Alhaitham: Looks like everyone's here. I will now explain the second round to you all. There are three Ley Line Disruptors buried in the area around Aaru Village. These devices can imitate the effects of Ley Line disruption and will constantly interfere with the environment. Your goal is to shut them down.
Alhaitham: The first three who manage to finish this task will be awarded four, three, and two points, accordingly. Note that each person may only bring a set amount of food and water with them, and that leaving the designated competition zone will result in disqualification.
Faruzan: Well, what do you think? Want to team up again?
Faruzan asks Kaveh.
Faruzan: I shall consider letting you have the points on account of what happened in the previous round.
Kaveh: That's alright. I've been here many times, and in any case, machines are one of my specialties. I doubt this will be particularly difficult.
Faruzan: It's good to see such confidence in a youngster like yourself. I also happen to be well acquainted with this place. Let's see who will find these devices first. But aside from us, you should remember that there's a favorite for champion. We must be careful of him...
Faruzan nervously looks over to the competition leader, Tighnari.
Faruzan: He took first place in the previous round, and if he does so again this time, we may as well declare this competition over.
Lucius: Yup, yup.
Faruzan: I heard that you solved the Avidya Forest's Ley Line effluence problem with him not long ago. Since this round involves resolving a machine-simulated Ley Line disruption, it should be a simple matter for him...
Paimon: Hmm, that's true. It does look like his odds of winning are pretty high!
Faruzan: He already has Collei, who is an excellent pupil. If he were to win this round as well, then wouldn't we just be letting him have all the fun? As his senior, it's my solemn duty to prevent such an inequitable arrangement from happening. I'm off!
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New World (Genshin Impact x OC)
Fanfic"We were just orphans... living by the day with no purpose or goal, and now we're here, separated. We had no time to say goodbye... so let's not call it that." Lucius, a 19-year-old boy, having lived a life full of hardships, is mysteriously transpo...
