Chapter 174: Daughter Of The Celestial King Oldivat
The entire room fell strangely quiet.
"…"
Caelum slowly turned toward Paul.
'There it is again, that confidence boost, did his memories return?'
Even Loreal who usually protects Paul looked at him in disbelief.
'Who is this person?'
The angel's serene smile stiffened as a faint vein appeared on her forehead.
She had never expected to lose the tasting competition earlier.
Even now, she couldn't fully understand how it had happened.
Yet somehow, the human who had defeated her had become even more arrogant afterward.
For a brief moment, a bright power quietly gathered around her fingertips.
She seriously considered teaching Paul a lesson.
Fortunately she remembered where she was, this was the Grand Epix.
Fighting before the tournament even began would only embarrass herself and she was not some lowborn to directly resort to violence.
She slowly exhaled.
"Let's find out who wins this time."
She gracefully turned around before walking away.
Soon, several other winged youths gathered around her.
Each possessed multiple pairs of radiant wings, and judging from the respect they showed her, she was clearly their leader.
The fairy watched the scene with growing confusion before quietly asking.
"Do you know her?"
Paul adjusted his glasses.
"Of course, she lost to me once."
"…"
The fairy's smile froze as her mouth remained opened.
'S-She lost?'
She looked at Paul with astonishment.
Because the young woman walking away was anything but ordinary.
She was the daughter of one of Heaven's most influential figures.
Someone whose name even powerful experts spoke with respect.
A true big shot among big shots.
One of the leaders of the Celestial Race, the Celestial King Oldivat.
Yet according to this completely ordinary-looking human, she had lost to him.
The fairy suddenly realized that perhaps these new participants were much stranger than they appeared.
***
After the briefing concluded, the group finally understood what kind of competition they had signed up for.
Caelum leaned back slightly, organizing everything he had just heard.
'This is basically a mech-building and racing competition.'
His Earth had hosted similar events too.
Some focused purely on engineering and others rewarded speed.
A few combined both, forcing competitors to first construct their own machines before putting them to the test.
The Grand Epix belonged to the last category.
First, every participant would receive an Imagination Marble.
Using nothing but their creativity and the marble's power, they would have exactly two hours to construct a racing mech capable of surviving the Grand Epix.
There were very few restrictions.
The vehicle could be as simple or as extravagant as the builder desired.
However, if the participant failed to complete it before the time limit.
They would be disqualified before the competition even began.
Only after the construction phase ended, would the real race begin.
According to the organizers, the course could traverse virtually any environment imaginable.
Maybe towering mountain ranges, endless oceans, dense forests or maybe even underground cave systems.
And the exact route remained a mystery.
Every year, it changed completely.
No participant would know the course until the race officially started, not even the organizers.
That uncertainty was considered one of the Grand Epix's greatest attractions.
Caelum lowered his gaze toward the wristwatch they had each received during the briefing.
Unlike an ordinary watch, its face remained completely blank.
The instructor had explained that once the race began, it would awaken and continuously display a live map of the ever-changing course, marking checkpoints, hazards, and route alterations as they occurred.
'A live navigation system.'
Just then, his attention shifted elsewhere.
Big Ice was glaring at something or rather someone since the start.
Across the room rested a crimson Fire Dragon Egg.
The very same one Big Ice had defeated during the tasting competition.
The egg was also staring back.
The air between them seemed filled with invisible sparks.
'Does he want to eat an egg?'
Caelum wasn't sure whether that was what Big Ice wanted.
A gentle cough echoed through the briefing hall.
Everyone's attention returned to the front.
Standing on the stage was a tall elf dressed in the official clothes of the Grand Epix.
He smiled warmly as he addressed the participants.
"The vehicle construction phase will begin shortly and everything you build will be shown live to the spectators."
Several participants immediately became excited.
The construction process itself was part of the entertainment.
Many spectators enjoyed watching competitors experiment with bizarre designs just as much as they enjoyed the race afterward.
The elf continued.
"And as you may have noticed, you are not the only competitors, this year's tournament has attracted several hundred participants like yourself."
A quiet murmur spread through the room.
Several hundred racers, all competing for the same championship!
The scale of the event was far larger than the newcomers had expected.
The elf waited for the murmuring to settle before asking.
"Does anyone have any remaining questions?"
The competitors exchanged glances as none spoke.
Satisfied, the elf nodded.
"Excellent, our attendants will now escort each of you to your preparation rooms and you will remain there until the construction phase officially begins."
He smiled one last time.
"I wish every one of you the best of luck."
As if waiting for him to finish, several attendants entered the hall.
Fortunately for Caelum's group, the same fairy who had guided them since registration cheerfully floated over once again.
"This way, everyone."
She led them through a series of corridors before stopping before an enormous circular platform.
At first glance, it resembled an ordinary elevator.
The moment everyone stepped aboard, however, the floor silently descended.
After reaching the lower levels, the fairy guided everyone through another maze of hallways lined with numbered doors.
One by one, each participant was assigned a private preparation room.
"Good luck!"
"I'll see you all once the building phase begins."
Caelum stopped in front of a metallic door engraved with a single number.
321.
The door slid open on its own.
Inside, the room was surprisingly simple.
A workbench occupied the center and floating gently over the workbench was a perfectly smooth silver sphere.
The Imagination Marble.
Caelum slowly walked toward it.
His reflection faintly appeared upon its flawless surface.
A small smile formed on his face.
"Let's see how far my imagination can take me."