"This final round will be a bit different. Similar to the third round, anyone can jump in and answer for any question. Except, each question will be worth a progressively higher amount of points starting at 3. The catch is though, if you attempt an answer, succeed or fail, you are not allowed to make a guess for the following question. If there is only one person in a round, they get two chances to guess the correct answer. If there is a round nobody would be in, everyone gets a chance to guess again
"As the points get higher, the questions will also be getting harder, so waiting around might be correct, or it could let the win get snatched away from you. Also, unlike the previous round where you could interrupt me, the full question needs to be said before you can press the buzzer. Pressing it too early will disable it for 1 second. Finally, the first person to reach 30 points wins, everything, this includes points from all previous rounds"
"Just to bring everyone up to speed though, Skye is on 18 points, Ryo is on 22 points, Jim is on 9 points and Kress is on 12" said Thyme to which everyone else nodded along in understanding. "To be honest, not sure why you guys needed that reminder considering the scores are behind your head at a truly massive size but anyway, let's get onto the first question. Name every member of your own team"
Everyone was a bit shocked at the quick transition into question but even then, Kress managed to hit the button just as Thyme finished speaking, much faster than Skye and Ryo who trailed behind slightly with Jim last.
"Green, Gareth, Nixilei… and uh Kat" said Kress
"I'm afraid that's wrong, next, Skye" said Thyme
"Wait what! How was I wrong" said Kress. Thyme just waved their hands and a bunch of clothe wrapped around Kress" mouth
"Skye, continue" said Thyme as Kress struggle to pull away the cloth
"Dusk, Clive, Eva, Kutruph and Skye" said Skye
"Correct" said Thyme who dismissed the cloth around Kress mouth who seethed at the realisation of who he'd missed in the team. "Oh, and let me clarify, just pushing the button won't eliminate you from guessing in the following round, it's only if you give me an answer
"Anyway, the next question is. During the maze, the second event, what was the final room to be found and explored by any explorer, and who was it that discovered it" said Thyme
Ryo and Skye shrugged their shoulders and watched Jim and Kress as they both glared at each other with hands over the buttons. Jim made to press his button slamming it down, but Kress quickly responded by speeding past and beating him to the punch, only to look over and see Jim completely retract his hand instead of pressing the button.
Thyme nodded in Kress' direction as Kress clicked his teeth in annoyance "Was is the locked room that Green found?"
"That is wrong I'm afraid" said Thyme. "Jim, would you like to attempt an answer"
"No thanks, I'm good" said Jim
"Ok, that means this round is over, and nobody gets the 4 points. The correct answer was the Hall of Judges, as found by Green" said Thyme
"Wait, but she went to that locked room afterwards" said Kress angrily
"Yes, but she explored that room before the hall, thus it isn't the last room found and explored" said Thyme "The next question, worth 5 points is, please name every obstacle from the obstacle course event"
Skye slammed the buzzer down as soon as Thyme started to say event, making her much faster than the others. Ryo held back, and only after Jim locked in as well did Ryo do the same.
"Skye" said Thyme
"So, first was the platforms you had to jump across, then came the rope ladder wall, after that was those hanging vines, followed by um I'm not sure exactly what they are called, but you split everyone up into different rooms and let walls with their figures in different poses rush at them… except no one did that properly anyway, Clive and John busted through it, Grace stood sideways and let most of them pass her that way and Green jumped through them all. Finally, there was that forest of blades, and I'm not sure if that wall of blades at the end that you needed to open counts as an extra obstacle, but I'll say that as well"
"You are correct Skye, and with that you are our first contestant to be within the winning distance, with 26 points. Any question you get correct from now on is your victory" said Thyme "But alas, this next question worth 6 points is not one you can compete for"
*Huh, so what's Ryo suppose to do then. She has 22 points so regardless of if she gets the 6 points or not she needs to win the 8 point one. Is it better to try and do both, or does she need to participate in the 7th one just in case? But then she still needs two…*
"So, for our next question, drumroll please" said Thyme as they made a copy just for the drumroll "During the orb event, there was something carved into the walls. What was it and if there were multiple things, what were they each"
Ryo slammed the button down, long before anyone else and started to answer before Jim and Kress even got close to the button "The walls all had each competitor and how they dealt with each trail you offered. They continued until the final round which never got their own carving, and the round involving illusions had the busted walls in place" said Ryo slowly as if already regretting her answers
"Correct" said Thyme "Now Ryo join the one more to win club, but alas once again, you are barred from this round so it's up to Skye to see if she can take home the crown"
"To potentially win it all!" yelled Thyme bringing down a microphone from seemingly nowhere "What was one of my two recommendations I made to Gareth when I recommended food for him to order during the third round of the tournament, the orb" said Thyme
Skye quickly went to press the button, but instead it was Jim who got their first. His hand flashing towards the button so fast that Kat couldn't even provide her eyes demonic energy in time to watch it fall.
Before Thyme even started speaking Jim answered "Canyon Peppered, Vexbrute Steak, that has been tenderized to perfection, and the second thing was Bocriogella Salad mixed with Sugio Vumice, and topped with Southern Island Galangal"
"Ah, I only need one thing" said Thyme
"Did I stutter?" asked Jim raising one eyebrow to look at Thyme.
"Ahhhh" said Thyme drawing the word out before splitting in two and pretending to have a conversation with themselves. "I guess that's a pass? I mean I only asked for one, but I guess I never punished extra information before
"So, this next round is worth 8. Skye and Ryo are up for the win, but Jim can't participate in this round, so it's all up to Kress to prevent either from winning. Can he possibly do it? Or is he doomed to lose?
"Ok, for the win, for the glory, for the title of first ever Quiz champion, YES that's right nobody has ever done a quiz before" yelled Thyme into his microphone. Kress got ready on the buzzer. It didn't matter what the question was or if he knew it, he just had to be the first to press the buzzer. Waves of mana rolled of Kress as he pushed all he could into his right arm and readied it above the buzzer waiting for the end of the question.
Thyme pulled out a large set of scales, which made a thud as he dropped them onto the ground "If I place a kilogram of iron ore on one side and a kilogram of leaves on the other side, what's the heaviest?"
Kress slammed his hand into the button and answered without thinking "Iron"
"Oh, I'm afraid that's wrong Kress" said Thyme as Ryo and Skye both pushed their buzzers with Ryo just edging Skye out.
"Ryo, for the win? What is the heaviest?" asked Thyme
"They both weigh the same" said Ryo
Thyme took in a deep breath, then let it all out. "That is…" said Thyme "Still wrong"
"Wait what" said Ryo and Kress at the same time
"Skye, take it away" said Thyme
"The scales, because it has two kilograms of extra weight on it" said Skye
"That's correct, congratulations to Skye for the winner of the final round" said Thyme clapping their hands and shooting streamers from the scoreboard as a spotlight shone down upon Skye.
"This is bullshit" growled Kress, but a sharp look from Thyme quickly shut him up.