[200 contestants remaining]

Layla looked up at the counter, which had stayed the same for the past few hours. At this point, the number had all but become steady.

Each of the remaining 200 contestants had honed their skills and developed a strategy to reach this stage. Now, the real competition was about to begin, and the tension in the air was palpable.

With an intelligent eye and quick hands, Layla secured most of the supplies during this round, giving her a significant advantage.

She had used these supplies as bait, not just for survival, but to care for several other participants, earning their trust and gratitude.

However, looking at her system, no other participant was in this section.

When the announcer said they could all be divided into different segments, he meant they could not physically reach each other.

There were invisible walls all over the place that prevented kids from being able to run into other sections and interfere with them.

While the invisible walls prevented direct interference, they also created the potential for alliances to form. This added a layer of uncertainty to the already intense competition, making it even more unpredictable.

Layla felt bored since she had nothing to do. She decided to walk around until she reached the wall of her section.

The transparent wall showed a small group on the other side, seemingly having called a truce.

They looked like nobility from their clothes, and Layla noticed the hungry expression on all their faces.

They seemed to be struggling to look for supplies but had no luck. Then, one of those kids noticed Layla and her supplies, and he eagerly ran toward her.

"Hey, give me your food and water, and I will let you go without attacking you. If you know who I am, then you won't make an enemy out of me."

The noble threatened Layla while stopping just close enough not to notice the divide in the forest.

Layla did not mind sharing her rations with these people since they could be useful, but there was a small problem.

"I am sorry, but I cannot do that. And before you ask why, I cannot physically do that. There is an invisible divide here, and I cannot cross it."

Layla spoke with as much patience and logic as she had. Anyone sensible would understand what she meant and not waste time-

"Nonsense! You are lying just because you don't want to share supplies. Since you don't want to come here, I will get to you and grab-"

The kid reached out, only to run into the invisible wall. His face reddened with rage and embarrassment, but he held it all inside.

Layla sighed in regret as she realized she made another enemy because of what happened.

"This humiliation! I will remember it. Your days are numbered, kid! Just wait and watch. The future earl of Webster will remember this."

The kid shouted before he quickly walked away. But because he was walking without looking, he tripped and fell.

It made him lose focus, and his ball touched the ground.

"Y-Y-You! How dare you do this to me? I will never-"

The kid disappeared before he finished speaking. As soon as he disappeared, his small group noticed and ran toward Layla.

She knew that things would get tricky if she did not leave now. So, she quickly cast a spell before heading back to her supplies.

The number in the sky had finally changed from 200 to 199.

And after that, the massacre started.

The number started dropping like flies as kids reached their limit of stamina and magic. Layla used the cheat she had found to sleep for a little while.

But it was given over to the other kids with no magic left.

In about six more hours, the number dropped from 199 to 150. Most of these kids had held back and tried their best, but as the results proved, it was not always the best option.

[Congrulations to the top 150 who made it. Brace yourself because you will be transported back to the room in 3…2…1…]

The feeling of being transported back on the stage was familiar. There were fewer kids around Layla this time, but that was to be expected.

The children from her section (the commoners) had dropped the most. From around 150, only 20 or so remained. But that was a given.

'Wealthy people and nobles have an advantage here since they start learning magic and get supplements to boost their magic at a young age. Compared to that, it is impressive that even 20ish kids from poor families managed to get this far.'

The host was still saying something, but Layla was busy noting who was left.

All her roommates had survived the first round, which was likely not coincidental. Her room looked relatively well-off compared to the others in her section.

"Since it has been a long day, the kids and their guardians can now return to their room to rest. As for the people who lost, there is no need to worry at all! They can stay the night as well and then head back tomorrow."

The host called out, making people cheer at his generosity.

None of these people in the crowd realized what was happening and what these hosts were trying to do.

Mary walked toward Layla as soon as the competition was over. Mary's smile was the same soft one, but there was likely a lot she wanted to talk about to Layla.

As soon as they reached their room, Layla put up a silent barrier around her curtain and then turned to look at Mary.

"So, were you able to find anything, Mary?"

Layla asked Mary, her maid, and Mary's demonic grin made her feel sorry for the others.

"Of course I did, young miss. I could find most of the secret passages around this place and found the way to the underground ring you talked about before. What would you like me to do with this information?"