After a good meal and a couple of hours outside, they returned to the portal room for the fourth match of the tournament. Ian knew things would only become more difficult as the matches went on. The matches they watched during lunch highlighted that many of the remaining groups had powerful skills and good strategies at their disposal, meaning the chance of securing an easy win was quickly dwindling.

As they reached the portal room, Mavis waved them over to where she stood with a young woman who was talking to a baseball-sized drone. They hadn't been interviewed before any of their matches yet, but Jason had mentioned they would probably do one soon to start building connections with the fans, so they would have favorites going into the semi-finals. With only thirty-two teams left, things were beginning to get really exciting now that most of the teams that got 'lucky' during the elimination matches were gone.

"Adventurer Zero," said the reporter with a large smile. "My name is Mini, and you may recognize me as one of the primary commentators for Dungeon Diving Weekly."

As she gave him an expectant look, Ian glanced over at Ashlyn and Claire to see if she was someone he was supposed to know.

"You are so disconnected, Ian," Ashlyn said with a snort. "She's one of the most popular commentators out there. Actually, she casts like half of your highlight reels."

"Sorry about him, Mini," Claire jumped in. "He truly doesn't consume any social media…or media in general, come to think about it. I think the only things I've ever seen him watch were the streams of Golden Lotus and Restless Hands."

Mini blinked before turning to Mavis. "You weren't joking."

Mavis just laughed and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "They are the highest-level adventurers in the AO who are active. You can't expect them to be all that normal."

"Fair," Ian smirked, pulling Mini's attention. "I take it you are here to interview us before the match?"

"That I am!" she exclaimed with an enthusiastic grin. "We usually talk with the captains of each team, but I was told you may not be interested in speaking. I am more than happy to interview whoever you all prefer. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable in any way. Commentating your highlight reels for my viewers makes up a large portion of my livelihood right now, so I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize that."

"Oh! Let me do it," Ashlyn exclaimed, pushing herself to stand next to Ian as she brought one hand down in a chopping motion into her other palm. "I've got a list of things that need to be said about certain somebodies out there."

"Hell no," Mavis said before Ian could cut in. "I don't need you stirring up trouble right now. Ian is a big boy; he can take care of this. Why don't the rest of you follow me over to the portal and finish getting ready?"

"Go on, Ash," Ian said, giving his sister a smirk. "You know she's right."

"Just because she's right doesn't mean that I didn't want a chance to shit on a few people who deserve it," Ashlyn sulked.

Claire let out a bark of laughter as she grabbed Ashlyn and led the rest of the team along.

As Lana followed behind the rest, she stopped next to Ian and leaned in. "If you need us, we're just right there."

"Thanks, Lana, but I think I'll be alright."

He watched as she gave him a small smile before moving to catch up with the party. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself, he turned to Mini and gave her a nod.

"Alright, let's get right into it then, so we don't run out of time," Mini said, moving next to him as the drone flew into position. "This is your favorite host, Mini, and I get the honor of hosting the extremely rare interview with Second Chance's party leader, the adventure known to everyone as Zero!" She turned her attention to Ian as she continued. "It is such a pleasure to get this opportunity, Zero."

Ian smiled at the energy she was putting into the interview. "It is good to be here, Mini. I honestly didn't think we would get far enough into the tournament to get interviewed, so this is a pleasant surprise.

"There are so many powerful parties near the top of the mid-tier who have been working together for years, if not decades. It has been amazing to see how they chain their skills and cover each other as they fight. It is honestly showing us how much we still need to work on to reach their level."

"Very humble of you, Zero," Mini said, eyes glimmering at Ian's choice of subject matter. "The average level of the remaining groups is over 4600, and the average number of years the parties have been together is 15. With most groups being more than double your party's level, how difficult do you think it will be for your team to develop strategies to make up the skill point and stat differences to compete with them?"

Ian nodded as he thought about how to respond. Deciding that it was too much effort to be strategic about what he said, he just decided to be honest.

"There is a lot more to being an adventurer than just numbers," he said with a nod before continuing, "but those aspects are incredibly important. However, I am more worried about their ability to coordinate attacks and move fluidly around each other on the battlefield. I don't think they are as superior to us in status and skills as many people believe, but the best parties out there will give us a problem just because we are still not fighting as a completely integrated unit."

"What do you mean by that?" Mini asked, showing genuine interest.

"Well, let me give you an example," Ian said. "Take Threshold's party known as Mana Rising. They may be a few hundred levels lower than us at this point but watching them fight is like watching a dance. Adventurer Zee will move half a second before an arrow will fly through the spot he had been standing to finish off an unsuspecting opponent. It is seamless. His trust and familiarity with Adventurer Point allow them to do things like that, which would make defending against them incredibly difficult.

"On the other hand, each member of my team is more powerful than average for our level, possibly more powerful than people quite a bit above our level. However, we are still used to fighting solo or in two-person teams. We do not have the experience with each other's fighting styles to allow us to seamlessly fight together. We are working on it, but most of that will come from familiarity and trust that needs to be built over time."

"That makes sense," Mini said, keeping her smile in place as her tone took on a more serious tone. "Speaking of Threshold, the group you are fighting next is one of their parties. Their members have all refused to do interviews, but their clan released a statement that they entered this tournament to properly forge you into the adventurer you need to become. It seems like a bold statement for them to make. Would you have anything to share about the meaning of that statement?"

"Possibly," Ian said with a pensive look. "It's been suggested that they have hope I will reach a high level and help push the ambient mana up faster. Raising the mana levels will help everyone, and it will help solve a lot of health problems that many people deal with on a day-to-day basis. It's an admirable goal. I like what they are working towards, but I don't really enjoy the attention.

"However, if they want to give us some good fights to help us prepare for the future, we are more than happy for the opportunity to learn from them. I personally don't like to fight people, but it will give us a good understanding of how intelligent foes will fight in groups in higher-level ranges. It would be silly not to take every opportunity we are given to grow stronger."

"That is a very admirable take on this event," Mini said before her lips moved into a mischievous smirk. "Your party said earlier that you do not follow the media, but I am sure you are aware of certain rumors that are currently circulating about you, right?"

"That would depend on the rumor," Ian replied, returning her smirk. "I really do make it a point to avoid looking at the media—especially social media. I'm sure you understand how my previous experiences have left a bad taste in my mouth for it."

"With your history, Zero, I believe there are many who would understand your distaste. What I was inquiring about are the stories you might be more than just a close friend with Adventurer Lana. Maybe much, much closer?"

"Well, anyone who ends up in that position must be an incredibly lucky individual," Ian said with a chuckle as he glanced over at his friends before turning his attention back to Mini.

"Well," she said, looking at him expectantly. "The rumor is that you two have become an item."

"I'm not going to wade into the rumor mill. However, anyone who draws Lana's attention must be an incredibly lucky person, and they should cherish the time they get to spend with her," Ian said, giving a wink to Mini.

"Time to cut the interview," Mavis called out. "They are headed through the portal in less than a minute."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Thank you for taking the time to come interview us," Ian said to Mini with a chuckle.

"The pleasure was all mine," she replied with a. "That little wink is going to be driving people crazy for weeks to come. Hopefully, we will get the chance for another interview in the semi-finals."

"We can only hope."

*~*~*

"Thank god it isn't a cave!" Tram exclaimed as they ran to take cover behind a rock outcropping.

Ian looked around, and the only thing this dungeon reminded him of was the Badlands out West. Plateaus with pathways jutting between the rises made up the terrain, with everything being easily visible in the bright sun. Unfortunately, there were no places to hide, as, other than a few small patches of green, everything appeared to be tan, brown, and red rock.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Selenia said, looking at the arid landscape. "This place makes my skin itch, and it isn't just from how dry it is. Enemies could easily flank us from any of these side passages."

"And we have no idea how large this place is," Lana added with a concerned nod.

"Tram, Ian, toss me up to that ledge up there," Ashlyn said, pointing to a spot about ten feet above their heads. "If you get me there, I think I could get to the top and give us some intel on what we can expect."

It only took a second for him and Tram to toss his little sister up. He had felt apprehensive at first, but they had nearly tossed her too high, making her nearly miss grabbing the ledge. She looked down and gave them a dirty look before pulling herself up and over the edge.

Once she was out of sight, Ian had a few moments of worry before her head suddenly popped up over the edge at the top of the wall.

"Alright, I managed to get up here, but the footing is absolute shit," Ashlyn said just loud enough for them to hear.

"What do you see?" asked Claire.

"It is kind of hard to make out, but we seem to be in a maze on the top of a mountain. On the other side of this wall is a very steep drop off, and I can't see the bottom without leaning out over it.

"The two paths at the end of this ravine both seem to lead into a large, open area in the center. The branching ravines ahead of us just loop back in on this main path. I haven't seen any of their folks pop their heads up yet, so I'm going to try to stay up here to provide overwatch."

"Good idea," Claire said, nodding as she appeared lost in thought. "Alright, there isn't much we can plan for. Just be prepared for people to jump out, especially if they reach that central area first and are able to set up an ambush."

Everyone nodded as they moved to form a line behind Tram. He brought his shield up and spent the next few minutes slowly working his way through the twists and turns of the ravine. Ian looked up occasionally, but he only caught a few glimpses of his sister as she skittered around the side paths as she made her way towards the center.

Just before they reached the central area, the path split into two that both led to different sides of their goal.

"Shit," Tram muttered. "I can only guard one direction. If they come from the other side, we could be in a bit of trouble. Getting pincered in here is less than ideal."

"Hey guys," came a whisper from above.

Ian looked up to see his sister staring down at them. She was lying flat against the top wall, away from the central area.

"They just entered the other side," she said, pointing across the central area that would put the enemy team across from their left path. "They seem as cautious as we are, but the central area is literally a wide open bowl—probably fifty or so yards across—with a large hole in the middle. Also, the wall separating you and it is really thin. I'm afraid I'd break it if I stood on it. The stone here flakes off really easily as it is."

"Thanks, sis," Ian said with a smile. "Alright, team, let's make our entrance. Try to pick a couple of them off if you get a chance, Ash."

"Give me a second, and I'll light 'em up. You guys can charge when they shift their attention to me."

Ian nodded, and the group quickly made their way down the left path. Just as they were about to reach the door, he heard the thwump of his sister firing a concussive arrow. The small explosion from the central area was quickly followed by a much larger one as the pathway behind him was suddenly obliterated.

"Go go!" Claire yelled over the roar of the rocks cracking and falling.

Ian hoped his sister was alright, but didn't have any time to look back as they shot out of the pathway. Just as he cleared the area behind Tram, his friend adjusted his shield, deflecting an ice spear that crashed into the wall right next to Ian—showering him with sharp bits of rock and shards of ice.

He felt his face get cut as he launched himself forward towards the opposing team. Tram suddenly blurred, shooting forward and engaging a man in plate armor who was standing near the giant hole at the center. Ian put Tram out of his mind as he rushed the enemies in front of him near their entrance to the central area.

As he sprinted, an ice spear shot past him towards a woman standing in front of two downed members of their team. Instead of impaling her, the spear crashed against an invisible barrier that suddenly rippled with a rainbow of colors when it was struck. Ian watched as cracks appeared where it had been hit, and the woman grimaced before hunching in on herself as the shield spell slowly began repairing itself.

Ian was forced to throw himself to the side as a ball of fire suddenly streaked at his chest. Even though he managed to get clear, the heat washed over him as it flew by. A shiver went up his spine as he corrected his course to close the gap between him and his targets.

Half a second later, a dozen daggers flew past him, aiming for each of the three standing members of the enemy team. They were right on target with their purple glow until an explosion went off behind him. The glow on the daggers suddenly dimmed, even though they all remained on their trajectories. As Ian stumbled from the tremors, he watched as two of the daggers tore through the mage who had launched the fireball. Most of the remaining daggers bounced harmlessly off the magical shield, though one managed to thread the gap the ice spear had left, impaling the woman in the chest.

Ian watched as the barrier winked out of existence as the last dagger was deflected by a man holding two of his own. Instead of waiting for Ian to reach him, the man suddenly propelled himself forwards, closing the distance in a flash.

As soon as they made contact, it became obvious the man was more skillful with his daggers than Ian was with his spear. Just as it was obvious that Ian was considerably stronger and more durable than the dagger wielding tempest currently attacking him.

The man's daggers managed to cut through the weaker parts of his armor, but they were only leaving shallow cuts where they managed to break through. When Ian managed to block one of the man's attacks, he drove the haft of his spear into the man's shin. He was rewarded with a cracking sound that caused the man to let out a ragged grunt.

Ian used that moment to push the man back, gaining some much-needed space to set himself back up in a defensive posture.

Then the man took another step back and quickly glanced around. "Looks like it's just you and me, Zero."

Ian grunted in acknowledgment. He could see the man's party members lying on the ground, and if any of his were still alive, they would have already hit the man where he stood. He wasn't going to take his eyes off his opponent, no matter what.

"Listen, Zero," the man said. "You—"

Ian attacked. He had played quite a few video games when he was younger, and the only time anyone should ever let an enemy monologue is if they were trying to regenerate their mana. He hadn't even activated magic soul, so there wasn't any reason for him to indulge the man. More importantly, he didn't really care what the man said at the moment. His team was counting on him to win, and he was going to push as hard as he could to make that happen. They had done their parts; now it was time for him to do his. Though he had to admit it would be much easier to do his part if the man weren't as slippery as an eel.

Ian made three quick jabs, and each one got knocked off course by the man's blades. He may not have hit the spear hard, but he just needed to deflect the blow slightly to allow himself to move out of the way. While his opponent was favoring the leg Ian had struck, it wasn't slowing him down in any significant way. Just as Ian went for a fourth thrust, the man suddenly disappeared.

Swearing, Ian pushed himself forward into a roll as something skidded across the back of his armor.

"Damn, I thought I would get you with that one," came the man's voice as Ian rolled onto his feet, looking at the man who had appeared behind where he had been standing.

"Blink, huh?" Ian said with a grunt. "Not exactly my first time dealing with it."

Before the man could speak again, Ian charged. The man outclassed him in maneuverability, so he just needed to find a way to lock him down for a moment. The problem was that the man knew where his moves would hit. The extra years of experience let him know when he needed to dodge and when he needed to parry. The man had obviously honed his skills extensively.

As Ian feinted with his weapon, the man didn't even flinch when the spearhead stopped five inches from him and pulled back. Grunting, Ian decided to take a gamble, and after three jabs, he did his feint again. Instead of pulling back at the end of his lunge, he activated magic soul just as the blade was reaching its endpoint.

His opponent must have realized something was different because he tried to dodge at the last second. Instead of dodging completely, the magical blade cleanly cut deep into the man's shoulder, causing a large spray of blood even as the man tried to throw himself back from the unexpected attack.

"Fuck, I should have seen that coming," he hissed, the dagger dropping from his injured arm. "You'll be a monster when you finally take the time to properly learn how to use that pointy stick."

Ian grunted as he pushed himself forward to attack the man again. He didn't know if his opponent had healing magic like he did, and he didn't want to let this win slip out of his fingers just because he got careless.

"Damn it," said the man as he reacted too slowly to fully deflect Ian's lunge.

As the blade bit deep into the man's chest, the man dropped the second dagger and grabbed the haft of the spear.

"Too bad," croaked the man. "Every day you spend outside of the dungeons is a waste for humanity. Your potential is wasted…here…"

Ian watched as the light left the man's eyes as his body collapsed to the ground.

Half a second later, Ian found himself outside the dungeon portal.

"You did it!" Ashlyn screamed from where she was standing next to a giant display. "Those assholes blew me up! Sure, I hit them with an overcharged concussive arrow and got two of them, but they hit that wall and completely obliterated both me and Lana."

"I didn't even feel a thing," Lana added with a sigh. "One moment I was a few yards behind Claire, and the next I was standing out here next to Ash."

"Yeah, well, that tank of theirs gave me an opening to stab him," Tram grumbled. 'So, of course I did, which let him grab me with both arms and pull us both into that damn hole in the center. I don't know how deep it was, but his chuckling as we fell was creepy as fuck."

Ian chuckled as Tram sighed.

"That mage was powerful," Selenia said, jumping excitedly. "That spell of his caused a huge amount of damage when it hit. When you dodged it, it hit me nearly head-on, and poof, I was here."

"I was standing too close and was caught in the fire blast and shredded by the debris it kicked up," Claire grumbled. "At least it was quick. If there is anything this tournament is teaching me, it's that dying hurts like hell."

"At least we made it through another round," Ian said, removing his helmet. "If I didn't have such high endurance right now, I'm pretty sure we would have been knocked out."

"Even with your endurance, the only reason you won that fight was that he forgot about the extra reach on your magic soul skill," Claire said, watching the highlights as they passed on the screen. "He got complacent, probably because intelligent monsters don't have skills like that in this tier. Up at Diana's level, some of the larger monsters can do something similar to their claws, but it's pretty rare."

"Well, today I'd rather be lucky than good," Ian said, getting a chuckle from Tram. "Let's go switch out of our gear and relax for the rest of the afternoon."

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