Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Carter knew him. That was why he had ignored the girl beside him.

"My life is like a story from a novel," he thought, "only without extraordinary powers."

He chuckled softly to himself, full of irony. He wasn't a hero who got everything easily. Even in matters unrelated to strength—feelings, relationships—his life wasn't that simple. He was trapped in a complicated love triangle.

It wasn't that he didn't like the girl beside him, but right now, there were more important things. Something far more valuable than emotions.

"Viola… why are you so stubborn?" he asked quietly, his tone calm yet laden with fatigue.

Viola turned, her lips curving into a thin smile. "What's wrong? Am I bothering you?" she asked back, her eyes sharp, revealing her keen sense of the situation.

Carter took a long breath.

There was nothing he could do. Both Viola and that man came from powerful noble families. They had status, honor, and unshakable foundations. He was not someone who could defy them easily. He was a nobody.

Trying to ignore everything else, Carter refocused. The participants had nearly filled the arena. The cheers of the spectators echoed, creating waves of sound that made the ground tremble.

"Attention, everyone!" A deep and powerful voice rang out from the center of the arena.

Meng Hao, the duel overseer, a man from the Cui race, stood with authority. His gaze was sharp, his stance firm. A true warrior, with no system or external power to aid him. The strength he possessed came entirely from himself.

Carter watched him with curiosity. "How do they cultivate?" he wondered. If there was a faster, more efficient way to increase his strength, he had to find out.

"First of all, let me introduce myself—I am Meng Hao," the man's voice filled the arena. "As the overseer of this duel, I guarantee there will be no bias. No matter what race you come from, all of you will be treated equally."

The participants listened attentively; none dared to ignore him. Among them, not a single one wanted to lose their opportunity due to misunderstanding or negligence.

"The number of tier-2 participants exceeds ten thousand," Meng Hao continued. "Through five battles, you will be filtered down to the best three hundred."

A brief pause, allowing that fact to sink into their minds.

"So… if you want to reach the final stage, make sure you don't lose a single battle during the qualifiers."

Silence. Then, like a wave breaking in the middle of the ocean, the voices of thousands of participants erupted with burning determination. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

"Understood!?"

"UNDERSTOOD!!"

The shout echoed, shaking the arena, making the spectators' hearts tremble.

Carter clenched his fists. This duel was not just an ordinary battle. It was an opportunity, a hope, the only path for him to move forward. No matter how strong the opponents he would face.

He could not afford to lose.

"Alright… I will now assign each of you a number."

Meng Hao waved his hand, and thousands of tiny lights shot out from his fingertips, flying toward each participant.

"These plaques contain your participant number, as well as your designated duel platform."

Liam Carter observed the glowing plaque that floated into his hand. Two numbers were clearly engraved on it—one for his participant number, the other for his duel platform.

"Platform number?" he muttered, puzzled. The participant number made sense, but he didn't see any platforms other than the main stage they were currently standing on.

Doubt spread among the participants. They exchanged glances, trying to understand the meaning behind this system. But before anyone could ask, something moved above them.

Far in the sky, square platforms, each twenty meters wide, slowly appeared, emerging through the clouds. Their numbers reached thousands, forming an astonishing sight.

The spectator stands also shifted backward and slightly upward, providing a clearer view of the battles. Giant monitor screens appeared on the sides of the stands, ready to display key moments from each duel.

Liam Carter stared in awe at the transformation. "How is this possible?" he murmured, unable to comprehend how all of this was happening.

His gaze lifted to the sky, toward the thousands of floating platforms. "How do we get up there?" he wondered, then looked down at the plaque in his hand.

Two numbers were clearly engraved: Participant #3270 and Duel Platform #441. Below them, a glowing option flashed: "Go."

Without hesitation, he tapped it.

In an instant, his body felt as if it was being sucked into an invisible force. His vision blurred, as if the entire world was spinning rapidly. Then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself standing on one of the duel platforms.

"Teleportation?" he murmured, scanning his surroundings.

The air was thinner at this altitude, the wind blowing gently, carrying the scent of the sky. Clouds drifted beneath him, while sunlight shone directly overhead. The platform's surface was rough, made of a sturdy yet smooth material.

Across the arena, a young man stood tall, staring at him with a calm expression.

Liam shifted his gaze to the upper corner of the platform, where a small orb hovered, moving like an eye that observed and recorded every movement on the duel stage.

Liam Carter exhaled slowly, his eyes locking onto the figure standing across the platform.

"Who is my opponent this time?" he murmured, his fingers instinctively brushing against the grip of the pistol at his waist.

The silhouette of the young man became clearer. Pointed ears, long dark green hair, and a pair of sharp eyes gleaming like emeralds. An elf.

"An elf, huh?" Carter thought, slightly surprised. But considering the number of races competing in this tournament, the chances of facing a fellow human from Earth were quite low. "No problem. It's actually easier to fight other races," he mused. That way, he wouldn't have to hold back too much.

In the middle of the platform, a blue hologram floated, displaying a countdown timer. Time remaining: 2 minutes 13 seconds.