Danial woke to the piercing sound of an alarm blaring throughout the academy. Groggy, he struggled to make sense of the noise until a cold electronic voice cut through the din, "All students and cultivators must gather in Training Hall Alpha. All students and cultivators must gather in Training Hall Alpha." The message repeated on a loop, heightening the urgency.Danial rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sprang out of bed, and hurriedly freshened up. Not knowing what the clothing criteria might be, he decided to wear his sports clothes. As he prepared, he noticed Pavan sitting on the edge of his bed, dark circles under his eyes but an enthusiastic expression on his face."What's up? Didn't sleep well?" Danial asked, placing a hand on Pavan's shoulder.Pavan's reply was unusually enthusiastic despite his weary appearance. "Dude, I couldn't calm down from the excitement. I didn't get any sleep. Right now, I'm more excited than ever This is going to be epic."Danial chuckled and nodded. "Le
Oliver Brown stepped onto the stage, his presence commanding immediate attention. His gaze swept over the assembled students like a cold wind, penetrating deep into their souls, making them feel as if their darkest secrets were being laid bare. The remaining students felt that they couldn't hide anything from Oliver no matter what they did.Each time his eyes landed on an individual, they felt their vision darken and blur, an overwhelming testament to the immense power he wielded. Although these moments were brief, they were enough to instill a sense of awe and fear among the students, a clear indication of Oliver's unmatched prowess.When his gaze landed on Kuro, Oliver's eyes widened slightly in recognition. He recalled the boy's lineage and the formidable reputation of his family. It was rare for Oliver to be caught off guard, but the sight of Kuro sparked a memory. Kuro, too, felt the intensity of the scrutiny, but his expression remained composed. He knew that his identity would
His exclamation echoed through the silent hall, drawing the attention of everyone present. All heads turned and looked at Danial with confused and curious gazes. Feeling the weight of their stares, Danial shook his head in embarrassment, trying to dismiss the outburst. He could feel his cheeks burning as he avoided eye contact, focusing instead on the System panel.Elysia's sharp gaze shifted to him, her eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of challenge.Danial swallowed hard, realizing he needed to think quickly. "No, Miss Elysia," he said, his voice steadying as he spoke. "I was just surprised by the reality of our mission. It's a lot to take in."Elysia studied him for a moment longer before giving a curt nod. "Good. Let that surprise fuel your determination. You'll need every bit of it."With the focus shifted back to Elysia, Danial let out a silent sigh of relief. He glanced arou
Danial took a deep breath and assumed a fighting posture, his eyes locked on Elysia. Up above and across the hall, behind the large, ornate windows, Grandmaster Quintan observed the sparring sessions with keen interest. His disappointment was evident as he watched the performance of the cultivators."They are not ready," Quintan muttered to himself, his voice tinged with frustration. "Their journey into the Ancient Ruins will be fraught with peril if this is the best they can offer."Behind him, a shadowy figure shifted slightly, stepping forward into the dim light. Ottoman, Quintan's trusted advisor and master of espionage spoke with a calm, measured tone. "Grandmaster, they are still young. Most of them come from the branch families of the great Houses, and they are considered weak even within their own families. The circumstances have forced us to make this decision."Quintan nodded, acknowledging the Ottoman's point. "I know, Ottoman. But that doesn't make their lack of readiness
After everyone had finished sparring with Elysia, they were given a fifteen-minute break. The participants, worn out but determined, took the time to rest and reflect on their experiences. Elysia, ever the diligent instructor, was already planning the next phase of their training.She gathered those who needed to refine their techniques and led them to the Combat Training Hall. Others, whose physical bodies required further strengthening, were directed to the Body Hardening Hall. The halls were filled with specialized equipment designed to target and enhance various parts of the body under the watchful eyes of their instructors.Danial, Maria, a green-robed student named Aric, a bald monk named Jin with prayer beads around his neck, and a few others were selected to visit the Martial Library, a place where ancient texts and manuals held the secrets of advanced martial arts. Elysia accompanied them, leading the way through the long, echoing halls of the academy. After a walk through t
Arriving at the training hall, Danial found a quiet corner to begin his practice. The hall was filled with the sound of students training, the clatter of weapons, and the grunts of exertion. He sat down, placing both the Fire Shield and Hellfire books in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he began to study the intricate details of each technique.The Fire Shield technique required the user to channel their inner fire, forming a protective barrier of flames. It was a defensive maneuver, meant to protect the user from attacks and create a temporary safe zone. On the other hand, Hellfire was a destructive force, harnessing the most intense and uncontrollable flames.Danial thought, "What I need to do is just swap out the fire from the Fire Shield into Hellfire. To do that I will have to start with learning the Hellfire technique first." He put the Fire Shield scroll aside and opened the Hellfire technique book. He started reading carefully, understanding the human diagram that was portr
Danial was so shocked and in disbelief that he looked around the room to see if anyone had witnessed what he had just done. The room was empty, and he let out a sigh of relief. Sitting down on his bed to calm himself, he tried to process the reality that he could use both the fire and water elements. "If I can use the fire and water elements, can I use the earth element as well? And maybe even other elements?" he wondered."If I can use both fire and water, can I use earth and other elements too?" he wondered. Despite wanting to dismiss the idea as ridiculous, curiosity gnawed at him. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, imagining the earth element. He felt a deep, grounding sensation, a connection to the solidity and strength beneath his feet. His internal energy reacted by becoming dense and heavy, almost like it was rooting itself into the ground.Soon enough, he felt a small piece of stone hovering above his fingertips. Opening his eyes, he saw the stone floating there, de
The group was so frightened by Danial's appearance that they started to intensely sweat. The one who had demanded everyone kneel before the queen was trembling in fright, but with trembling lips, he still managed to say, "W-why are you not kneeling before the queen?" Danial, concentrating on calming his internal energy, hadn't even heard them enter. When he finally registered the noise and turned his head, he saw the group and a girl in an elegant black skirt leading them. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you and what do you want?" Danial was incredibly tired, having exhausted his internal energy, and needed time to recuperate. The caller, incredibly frightened, was about to speak when the girl raised her hand to silence him. In a voice as sweet as it was commanding, she said, "Hello Danial, I have heard great things about you." Danial couldn’t muster the energy to respond. He slumped from his previously straight posture, and the steam slowly began to subside. His fatigue was ev
Santigo leaned back in his chair, the flickering light casting long shadows across the room. His smile stretched wider, full of mockery and malice, as his gaze shifted lazily between Danial, Pavan, and Crystal. "Took you long enough," he drawled, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "I was almost about to start another session with Kuro, but you arrived on time. Tsk tsk, what a pity."Danial’s eyes darted to Kuro, his chest tightening at the sight of his friend slumped over, bruised and barely conscious. Rage bubbled beneath his calm exterior, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He knew what "session" meant—and judging by Kuro’s state, it was far worse than he’d imagined.Gritting his teeth, Danial stepped forward, his fists clenching at his sides. “What do you want from us, Santigo?” His voice was low but edged with anger. “We’ve never crossed paths. We have nothing to do with you. So why drag Kuro into this?”Santigo waved his hand dismissively as if bru
The trio made their way through the desolate industrial district, their steps echoing faintly against the cracked asphalt and rusted pipes that sprawled across the ground. The Lapanzo Foundry loomed in the distance—a massive husk of steel and concrete, its faded name barely visible on the old factory’s rust-eaten board. Broken windows and gaping holes in the walls stared back at them like the hollow eyes of a corpse, and the air was heavy with a metallic tang mixed with an unexplainable decay that clung to their senses.There were no birds, no stray dogs, not even insects. The silence was unnatural, almost suffocating. Each breath they took felt too loud as if the factory itself might hear them.Pavan looked around, his face pale and his voice just above a whisper. "Yeah, this is the place where I’m going to die."Danial shot him a sideways glare. "No one is going to die." His voice was steady, but his jaw was clenched.Ahead, the board with “Lapanzo” scrawled in faded letters jutted
Danial sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers interlocked and his face stoic, though his mind churned with conflicting thoughts. Pavan, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, threw his arms up in frustration. "Danial!" Pavan snapped, his voice rising. "Are you even listening to me? How can you sit there so calmly when Kuro’s life is on the line? And Crystal—she’s a target too!" Danial finally looked up, his eyes sharp and cold. "Calm? Do I look calm to you, Pavan? I’m just not panicking like you are. If we lose focus now, Kuro’s as good as dead. And if Crystal gets caught in this... it’ll be worse." Pavan stopped pacing, running a hand through his hair. "Then tell me, what’s the plan? What are we doing? Because I can’t just stand here waiting for them to kill Kuro." Danial leaned back, exhaling deeply. "We can’t afford to act recklessly. Whoever this is, they’re not some common thug. They know Kuro’s strength, and they still managed to take him down. That tells me this is pers
Santigo paced around Kuro, his leather boots thudding against the cold, damp concrete floor. The dim overhead light flickered sporadically, casting ominous shadows across the room. The sharp edges of Santigo's features seemed exaggerated in the erratic glow, giving him an almost predatory appearance."Ah, cousin," Santigo drawled, his tone mockingly sweet as he circled Kuro. You look so pitifully tied up like this. I must say, it suits you—a star brought down to earth, groveling in the dirt."Kuro's wrists were bound tightly behind his back, and his legs were shackled to the chair he was forced to sit on. His clothes were torn, and his breath was ragged, but his eyes burned with a fiery defiance that refused to be extinguished.Santigo crouched down to meet Kuro’s glare, his grotesque grin widening. "Tell me, cousin," he whispered, his voice laced with venom, "how does it feel to have the tables turned for once? To be... insignificant?"Kuro’s chest heaved, his breath shallow but stead
Pavan’s hands shook uncontrollably as he processed the words he had just heard. His friend’s life was hanging by a thread, and the weight of the situation bore down heavily on him. His normally composed demeanor was in tatters, replaced by fear and anxiety.Danial, though visibly calmer, felt a storm brewing within. His sharp mind worked through the possibilities, piecing together how this could have happened. Kuro is strong, far stronger than most people realize. For someone to have captured him, this isn’t just about strength—it’s planning, manipulation… or something far worse.Pavan’s voice broke through Danial’s thoughts. “D-Danial, we can’t handle this on our own. We need to go to the authorities, to someone who can—”Danial interrupted, his tone firm but low. “We can’t.” His eyes locked onto Pavan’s. “You heard him. If we go to the authorities, Kuro’s life is the first thing he’ll take.”Pavan clenched his fists, frustration, and helplessness written all over his face. “But… wha
The emissaries from Emsgate couldn’t hide their broad smiles as Tanya descended the arena steps. Their demeanor was almost triumphant, as though Tanya’s victory over Viktor was a personal affront to Somerland. Tanya, however, walked with a quiet pride, ignoring the subtle gloating. Behind her, the terrain of the arena shifted and morphed back to its original flat state, the transformation accompanied by a low rumble.Viktor, meanwhile, trudged down the steps on the opposite side, his head hung low. The sting of defeat gnawed at him, and the weight of representing Somerland felt heavier with each step. In his heart, he felt as though he had disgraced his homeland.Waiting for him near the entrance was his master, a tall man with graying hair. The master’s sharp eyes softened as Viktor approached, clearly burdened. Placing a hand on Viktor’s shoulder, he spoke firmly yet kindly:“Viktor, just because you lost does not mean you failed to prove your worth. Your worth is measured by how ha
Elyisa put her hand into the ballot and took out two folded paper slips. She unfolded the slips with an air of authority. “Tanya from Emsgate and Viktor from Somerland,” she announced, her voice echoing throughout the stadium. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the audience as she reached into the twist and terrain ballot. Unfurling the next slip, she declared, “They will be fighting in a mountainous area. They will have to complete the fight in under four minutes, or both participants will be disqualified.”The crowd erupted in a cacophony of cheers and startled whispers.“Four minutes? Is that even enough time for a proper fight in such rugged terrain?” one spectator exclaimed.“And they’ll both be disqualified if no winner emerges? That’s brutal,” another muttered, shaking their head.The tension was palpable as Tanya, seated among the participants, felt a pang of nervousness grip her chest. Her hands balled into fists on her lap as she stared at the giant screen displaying her name
As the first rays of sunlight graced the sprawling Capital, a vibrant energy filled the air. The second day of the Tournament of Sovereign Might had arrived, and the anticipation was palpable. Crowds thronged the streets, surging toward the massive stadium like waves, eager to secure their seats. Yesterday's attendance had been monumental, but today, it seemed to have doubled. Vendors called out, selling snacks and memorabilia, while children tugged at their parents, buzzing with excitement. The tournament fever had gripped the Capital, and all eyes were on the arena.Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric. Spectators filled the stands, the din of their chatter building into a crescendo. The VIP sections gleamed with luxury, reserved for the most influential figures in society: the Greatest Families. Clad in their signature styles, representatives from these families arrived in a display of opulence and prestige, each taking their place in the exclusive area.In the Kirk fami
Maria’s fingers gripped the arms of the chair tightly as she stared at her grandfather. Her usual composure wavered, replaced by a mix of shock and unease. It was rare for her to confront Quintan like this, but the stakes had grown too high. She needed clarity, not half-truths or vague reassurances.Quintan tapped his fingers rhythmically against the polished wood of the desk, his expression unreadable as he studied her. Finally, he leaned forward, his gray eyes sharp and piercing.“What questions do you want to ask, Maria?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of weariness.Maria didn’t hesitate. She had been holding this in since the mission’s disastrous conclusion. “Grandfather, I want to know what’s going on with the Demonic Cult. Why are we conducting reconnaissance missions on them instead of mobilizing the Gods of War? They would annihilate the cult without a second thought. Why hold back? What is the status of Rowan and Lysandra? And what about Nina?" Her fis