Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Tournament Begins
Chapter 63: The Tournament Begins
Name: Kael Draven
Race: Human [???]
Class: None
Rank: C+
Potential: [???]
Strength: C+
Agility: B-
Stamina: C+
Mana: C+
Kael sat on his bed in a meditative pose while staring at his stats.
"I guess that intense training really paid off, I’m almost getting to B-Rank, that’s quite the progress," Kael thought to himself.
Two weeks had passed since Stella’s training began.
To everyone else, it had only been fourteen days.
To Kael, it felt much longer.
Every single day had followed the same routine.
Classes.
Training.
The VR simulations.
More training.
Then sleep.
Only to repeat everything again.
The memory of his first day under Stella flashed through his mind.
The five-times gravity.
The one hundred kilogram weight bands wrapped around both wrists and ankles.
The fight against Roy.
The countless defeats.
The exhaustion that followed.
Yet somehow, he had adapted mainly because of his abilities.
Even now, Kael could still remember how impossible moving under those conditions had felt during the first few hours.
By the end of the first week, he had gotten used to the weight bands.
By the second week, taking them off felt strange.
Almost wrong.
His body had begun treating them as normal.
His gaze shifted toward the agility stat.
B-Rank.
The improvements were obvious.
His strength had increased.
His stamina had increased.
His mana had increased.
But agility had experienced the greatest growth.
Likely because of the amount of movement-focused training Stella had forced onto him while under immense gravity.
Kael stood up from the bed.
The tournament was finally here.
He changed into his academy uniform before leaving the room.
The dormitory hallways were unusually lively.
Students moved in groups while discussing the upcoming event.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
A few looked overly confident.
Kael already knew some of those confident students would receive a very unpleasant reality check today.
The tournament was one of the biggest opportunities available to academy first year students.
Ranks could change.
Classes could change.
Reputations could rise or fall overnight.
And for Kael, it was the first major step toward becoming stronger and making changes in the main story line of the game.
He exited the dormitory building and began heading toward the auditorium.
The academy grounds were packed.
Students from the first year could be seen moving in the same direction.
His thoughts drifted toward another topic.
Charlotte.
"I really hope Charlotte is ready," Kael thought.
The girl had improved dramatically during the last few weeks.
Far beyond what most people would expect.
Considering where she started, her growth could almost be considered ridiculous.
Then again.
Compared to Kael’s own growth.
Maybe not.
"Speak of the devil."
Kael muttered turning to his left.
Charlotte was approaching him.
"So what exactly do you mean by that?" Charlotte asked quite annoyed.
"Don’t mind me it’s just a saying. That being said, you are prepared for the tournament yes?" Kael asked.
"Of course I am, most of my stats are in D-Rank, as I am able to utilize mana better with the pointers Miss Lyra gave me," Charlotte replied.
Kael immediately paused.
"Lyra gave you pointers when on earth did that happen and how did the both of you ever meet?"
Kael was genuinely confused.
Miss Lyra wasn’t exactly the type of teacher who casually handed out advice.
Especially not to random students from the knight department no less.
Charlotte folded her arms.
"Well it happened during one my breaks we met coincidentally."
Kael stared.
Charlotte stared back.
She clearly wasn’t planning on elaborating.
"Now that changes things."
Kael glanced at Charlotte.
If she was able to get pointers from Miss Lyra herself, that magical genius, then she should be on a higher scale than I initially thought possible.
Not that I’m worried much.
Kael rubbed his wrist almost as though he was missing the feeling of the weight bands he placed there.
Although he wasn’t wearing them today.
Part of him still expected to feel their weight.
"Although I wasn’t able to defeat Zion, which I feel is more because of the conditions we were fighting in, than the simulation of him being stronger than me," Kael thought.
The memory still irritated him.
For two weeks he had challenged the top-ranked students repeatedly.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Every defeat became experience.
Every defeat became progress.
And eventually those defeats started turning into victories.
He had climbed through the rankings inside the simulation room repeatedly starting from rank 20 going up every single day.
Student after student.
Technique after technique.
He copied.
Adapted.
And Learned.
"But at the very least I could see all the forms of the Celestial Blade Style he could use the first 7 to be specific."
Kael continued walking forward toward where the first years were gathered.
More or less toward where his peers from Class D were situated.
He stood side by side with Charlotte.
Students continued pouring into the auditorium.
The atmosphere was growing louder.
And more energetic.
Kael turned to survey the surroundings.
Eventually his gaze landed on a familiar figure.
Lilith.
She stood among the crowd while maintaining her usual shy persona.
Quiet.
Reserved.
Trying to blend into the background.
Most students probably wouldn’t notice her.
Kael did.
Mostly because he knew how terrifying she actually was.
His thoughts briefly drifted toward Sean.
Then he immediately decided not to think about it.
Some mysteries were better left unsolved.
At least for now.
While waiting in the auditorium, a powerful pressure suddenly spread through the air.
Conversations stopped.
Students looked upward.
A man appeared above the entire gathering.
He looked to be in his mid-forties.
His dark hair was neatly combed back with faint traces of grey around the edges.
Sharp eyes surveyed the auditorium below.
His academy coat moved slightly despite the lack of wind.
His posture was relaxed.
Yet there was a natural authority around him that made it difficult to look away.
Even without releasing any mana pressure, everyone could feel his presence.
Kael recognized him immediately.
The school’s Principal.
Professor Loeter.
Kael’s expression hardened slightly.
One of the greatest villains.
One of the most dangerous individuals in the entire game.
A man responsible for events that would shake the continent years from now.
And currently.
The principal of his academy.
"Well since you guys are here, I’ll give a short speech of the rules pertaining this tournament. As you know, you’ve already been ranked upon entering the school based at the entrance exams and I’m sure that you’re all not glad about it," The Principal said looking to observe all the expressions of the students below him.
"Now the academy accepts only 1000 students every year and entering the academy you have a 30% chance of survival."
The crowd immediately grew quieter.
Many first years looked uncomfortable.
The Principal continued.
"After your first class assignment most of you witnessed the deaths of your close friends or classmates, inside the dungeon."
"Now that’s the reality of what is waiting for you out there, even worse because, you are facing the Monsters sent by the Demons, but you haven’t faced them yourselves."
"It’s common knowledge that, from an A-Grade Dungeon up, it is guaranteed that you meet a Demon as the boss of the Dungeon that doesn’t exactly prevent them from appearing on the Lower Grade Dungeons, which you first years would visit frequently in your second semester, but all that is beside the point."
"In the tournament the Top 10, are to not participate in the all rounds exempting the final round and as you know this is an opportunity to change your class and your rank, which will provide major benefits in the coming year."
"Now let’s begin the tournament."
The Principal raised a hand.
Only for someone beside him to immediately step forward.
His secretary.
"Sir you haven’t explained the details of the tournament properly," his assistant whispered to his ears.
"What but I already said that the top 10 students wouldn’t participate in the beginning what more is there to say," The Principal replied.
Unfortunately.
He said it loudly enough for everyone to hear.
A wave of silence spread through the auditorium.
"Sir that’s the only information you’ve given them," The Secretary replied.
"Haah!"
The Principal sighed loudly.
"And I’m still busy with my research, why didn’t that damned Xavier come to give the speech."
The complaint was also heard by everyone.
Hundreds of students stared upward.
Deadpan expressions filled the auditorium.
The Principal finally noticed.
And somehow looked even more tired.
"I guess you all heard."
His spell was still active.
He asked and they all nodded together.
"Well, just so you know you’ll all be teleported to a different realm where the tournament will take place and due to a spell casted on your badges you’ll be teleported out if the damage you’ve taken is too much and the tournament will also be viewed by everybody."
The students immediately began whispering among themselves.
A different realm.
Public viewing.
Automatic elimination.
The scale was much larger than many expected.
"Oh and don’t bother about your opponent just beat up anyone opposite you, with that Let the tournament begin."
A massive magic circle suddenly appeared beneath every student.
The floor lit up.
Mana surged through the auditorium.
Kael immediately felt space itself twisting around him.
Students disappeared one after another.
Charlotte looked toward him.
Kael looked toward Charlotte.
Neither had enough time to say anything.
The light intensified.
Then the entire auditorium vanished.
The Principal remained floating in the air.
Watching the last students disappear.
"When do I get to retire?" he asked.
The Secretary smiled.
"You still have a lot of paperwork waiting in your office."
The Principal’s expression immediately darkened.
For the first time during the entire speech.
He genuinely looked tired of his job.
Then both figures vanished.
And the tournament finally began.
