Chapter 24: Eastern District Gate Challenge (5)
Kenji elbowed Hiro in the ribs as they pushed back through the knot of people crowding the snack stands.
Every other step, Hiro nearly lost his balance because he wouldn’t stop gnawing on his half-eaten fish ball like it was the last piece of food on earth.
"Quit trying to walk and chew at the same time, man," Kenji muttered, half amused, half exasperated. He scanned the plaza for a clear view of the big screens overhead. "Come on, hurry up, they’re about to start the next batch."
Hiro finally tore the fish ball free with his teeth and waved the stick at the scoreboard feed flickering above them.
A dozen boxes were up, some showed empty forests, some showed the real-time feeds of rookies pacing around the starting zones inside the Gate. A bright "EASTERN DISTRICT GATE CHALLENGE — SOLO RUNS" banner scrolled across the top.
Hiro squinted. "So... what do they even do in there? I thought hunters did, like, big team raids and dramatic boss fights. This looks like solo parkour with monsters."
Kenji looked ready to argue but Leo beat him to it, barely lifting his eyes from the cheap drink pouch he was sucking dry through a battered plastic straw. "Bro. It’s the Eastern District Gate Challenge," Leo said, tone so flat you’d think he was explaining how to tie your shoes to a toddler. "One Gate, but each run’s solo. You go in alone, run a wave pattern, score points, get clowned if you mess up. Any questions, dearie?"
Hiro stared at him blankly. "Wave pattern?"
Kenji leaned in with his own half-baked commentary. "Basically, think survival mode. You get monsters in waves, it starts easy, then ramps up. It’s like a tower defense, except you are the tower. Or the defense, or maybe both."
Leo kept going, flicking his straw at Hiro’s forehead for emphasis. "Gate stays stable all weekend and the Hunter Association turns it into an exhibition for rookies who wanna flex. Each run’s ten, twenty minutes max. Monsters are all tier one or two, just enough to break your nose if you get sloppy."
Kenji grinned, hooking his thumbs into his pockets like he’d helped organize the damn thing. "Points for how many you kill, plus if you survive the whole run. Oh, and if you do it with style, they give you extra. That’s for the big screens and the sponsors, obviously."
Hiro made a face like he’d just swallowed a bug. "Style? So if you do a backflip while stabbing a goblin, you get more points?"