Europe, distant future. A meteorite impacted on the area of Russia, turning the area into a dead zone. Moreover, it emits a strange radiance which increases the impact survivors and their offsprings' endurance and strength, but also causing them to...
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After the free day, the sixty-four remaining Champions gather in the arena again and another round of fights begins. I'm aware it won't be easy since my opponents won't be drugged now. But yesterday boosted my self-esteem and I'm determined to do my very best. When I could overcome my fear, I can do the same with my opponents. A new energy is flowing through me, as heady as Shaman's tea.
As I expected, my performance isn't as flawless as in the second day. But it's still enough, I believe it. I got some of my points by cheating. Now it's my turn to prove I'm worth them.
The third day of fighting is more exhausting than the previous two - since there are less Champions, we fight more frequently. Also, my success inspired Svetlana and Sotiris to cross their limits. They also wreck the battlefield, leaving defeated opponents behind. Sotiris has a great advantage - thanks to his defensive tactics, his opponents usually don't score much points, helping him to stay in the top 5 most of the time.
Score after third day:
#3: Tempest (Zoya)
#4: Castor (Sotiris)
#6: Nightingale (Valentina)
#10: Maverick (Isaiah)
#12: Duchess (Svetlana)
#33: Devotee (Maria)
It looks good. If Svetlana shows her very best tomorrow, she can still slip into the Inner Circle. However, the things look grim for Maria. She's aware she won't be able to catch up with the Champions on the top positions. "I'm sorry," she tells us. "It seems I... wasn't prepared."
"You still did great!" Svetlana smiles at her. "You're still among the elite. And you got your money. Use them to tune your proths and next year, you're gonna rock!"
"Thank you." Maria gives us a sad smile, then disappears. Where did she go? I expected her to stay with us. Strange. Maybe she went to a local place of worship to pray. It would be no wonder. Tomorrow will be crucial for us all. If she needs help from a divine source, she should go and get it.
After about six hours of tight sleep, we wake up to the final day before deciding the Inner Circle. Ryan is nervous, and to be honest, so am I. Right now, I hold the third place, but every mistake can throw me to the opposite end of the leaderboard.
When the fights start, I try to forget the leaderboard and just play for the love of the game. The ranking changes after every fight. One fight is enough to send the victor ten spots above, leaving the loser behind. Bu fortunately, me and my friends are doing well.
There's just one weird thing - Maria is showing her worst performance. She doesn't even come to talk to us. When she enters the arena, she's slowed down and barely fights back. After a few fights, she hopelessly takes the last place. What happened? Is she infected with Braker?
