Hosk's voice rang out again across the screens.
"Now that all our participants are accounted for, before we begin, we have a special guest who will bless today's event!"
The camera shifted.
An old man stepped into view on the broadcast screens across the continent. White robes, long and simple, a staff in one hand worn smooth from decades of use. His hair was white and thin, his face the kind of face that had accumulated more years than most buildings. He moved slowly but with the particular dignity of someone who had never needed to rush anything.
High Cleric Aldus Vane. Head of the Church Of Faith, the oldest religious institution in the human continent.
He raised one hand, bowed his head, and spoke in a low voice that carried nonetheless.
"By the grace of the Goddess who watches over us all, may these children be guided by her light. May strength find the worthy and wisdom find the strong. Blessed be this day in her name."
A brief silence.
Then Hosk was back, voice bright.
"Thank you High Cleric Vane! And now, ladies and gentlemen, the council has arranged something a little different for our competitors this year!"
He let that hang for exactly one dramatic second.
"A special surprise that we think you'll all enjoy!"
...
Leon stood still and looked around.
Trees.
Tall ones. Dense ones. Light filtering through the canopy in broken shifting patterns. The distant sound of something moving in undergrowth somewhere ahead. The smell of earth and bark and things that lived in places like this.
He turned slowly, taking it all in.
This was not a colosseum.
'They said last one standing,' he thought. 'They didn't say anything about where though, but this...'
He looked up through the canopy at the sky above, at the small hovering cameras already positioned in the branches like patient birds, broadcasting every inch of this to the entire continent.
Then back at the forest stretching out in every direction around him.
He let out a slow breath.
'A forest ?.'
'Of course it's a forest.'
…
Hosk's voice came through again, this time with a different energy.
"Now, I should mention that I won't be anchoring this alone today!"
The camera pulled back slightly and a woman stepped into frame beside him. Short brown hair, sharp eyes, the easy confidence of someone comfortable in front of a crowd.
"Hello everyone," she said, smiling. "I'm Vera Callum, and I'll be co-anchoring today's event alongside Hosk."
"And Vera," Hosk said, turning to her with a grin.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
"Gladly." She faced the camera fully. "So. About that colosseum."
She paused.
"There won't be one this year."
Murmurs rippled through the watching crowds across the continent, in town squares, guild halls, living rooms, everywhere the broadcast reached.
"That's right," Vera continued. "This year the council has decided to do something a little different. Instead of a traditional colosseum battle, our participants will be taking part in a hunting festival."
Hosk leaned into his microphone. "A hunting festival! Our young competitors will hunt monsters within the forest, and points will be awarded based on the rank of each monster they bring down. Here's how it breaks down!"
Vera gestured toward a board that appeared on screen beside them.
"E rank monster. Fifty points."
"D rank. One hundred points."
"C rank. Two hundred points."
"And B rank." She paused for effect. "Five hundred points."
The crowds watching across the continent erupted.
...
Leon stood in the forest and processed this information.
A hunting festival.
He looked at the trees around him. At the undergrowth. At the cameras in the branches already tracking movement.
He thought about Beastglade.
Then looked down at his hands.
'Well,' he thought.
'At least this part is familiar.'
…
Vera continued, her voice carrying easily through the broadcast.
"Now, every participant please check your chest."
Leon looked down. A small token was pinned there, circular, faintly glowing, engraved with a number. He hadn't noticed it until now.
"That token is yours," Vera said. "After slaying a monster, place your token on the body. The points will be automatically awarded to you." She smiled.
"Simple enough."
"But that's not all!" Hosk added.
"Check your left wrist," Vera said.
Leon looked. A thin band sat there, barely noticeable against his skin. He touched it.
A small translucent screen projected upward from it, displaying a leaderboard. Names arranged in a column, points beside each one, all currently sitting at zero.
"That leaderboard updates in real time," Vera explained. "You can check your ranking at any point during the festival. Now, the names come in three colors. Pay attention to this."
She held up a finger.
"Red means that participant is close to you. Within range."
A second finger.
"Green means they're far away. Nothing to worry about immediately."
A third.
"And finally, if you're feeling bold." She smiled.
"Defeating another participant and scanning their token will earn you half of their accumulated points. Everything they've worked for, cut in half, transferred to you."
The watching crowds across the continent reacted immediately. Taverns erupted. Town squares buzzed. This wasn't just a hunting competition. This was a hunting competition where the participants were also hunting each other.
Hosk's voice rose with barely contained excitement.
"And with that, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado!"
He grinned at the camera.
"Let the Hunting Festival begin!"