Ethan's brows lifted slightly. Just an open arena for everyone to compete? It made him wonder what kind of "special reward" was worth upending the usual process.
As he strolled through the hallway, he could already see students forming unofficial teams, sparring in the courtyards, and discussing strategies.
Ethan did not care about these things. The special reward might be tempting, but there were already a lot of resources around them that he wanted to use. Plus today he needed to verify his affinity theory.
Ethan had only used Convergence once on Gale, and he had already acquired an affinity for wind and lightning. If his theory was correct, then today, he should be able to get nature affinity. He had used Convergence on a treant last night, and he was clearly able to sense the abundant nature mana around him.
He entered the testing chamber, his heart beating just a little faster. Ethan placed his palms on the crystalline podium at the center, and his mana responded instantly, flowing into the structure like a key turning in a lock.
Almost instantly, an explosion of colors appeared all around him just like before one by one they started fading away. This was it. This was the mont. Ethan held his breath and waited when the last few wisps started circling around him.
Fire, water, lightning, and wind.
And then a fifth wisp joined them in hues of erald and gold.
Ethan smiled, lips twitching upward with satisfaction. The theory was no longer a theory. Convergence was more than a summoning enhancent—it was reshaping him, affinity by affinity.
And the fact that this new one was still "in growth phase" hinted that there was more to it—perhaps the depth of synchronization determined how potent the affinity beca.
His fingertips tingled with the raw potential. Could this allow him to command plant life in battle? Heal faster in forested regions? Or even accelerate the growth of his summoned beasts? The possibilities stretched before him like an overgrown path just waiting to be carved open.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he converged with the Wind Wolf again. Would his affinity increase? He wanted to test more things, and this one-day reset was killing his montum.
"There should be so thod to improve the reset ti?" Ethan headed to the library to do so research. He also wanted to read more about mana core formation as he was on the cusp of forming a pseudo core. There was also the matter of him being able to wield twin cores.
He made a new small goal for himself. Before he reached level 50 with his summoner class, he needed to figure these things out.
He put all of his mornings into attending the mage class lectures, even the most boring ones, and the afternoons into library reading.
In the night, he continued grinding the dungeons, and occasionally, he visited the wilderness to train. It turned out that the first day was just a fluke. The next few days, he only encountered howler beasts, and his slayer credits were increasing rather slowly.
In the blink of an eye, the two weeks vanished. He was finally on the cusp of many things, and the tournant had officially begun.
On the morning of the official tournant comncent, the legendary black-hearted headmaster's voice bood loudly so that everyone in any corner of the academy could hear him.
"Students of Blackstone," the headmaster's voice echoed like a thunderclap across the entire campus, crisp and commanding.
"The ti has co. The tournant begins now."
Ethan paused in the central courtyard as the entire world seed to montarily hold its breath. The headmaster's voice had the uncanny ability to do that—make thousands stop and listen.
"This year's tournant will not follow tradition," the voice continued. "There will be no pre-selected seeds, no nomination process, and no guarantees. It is open. Voluntary. And... absolute. Every round will test more than power. It will test your judgnt. Adaptability. Resolve. And for those who reach the final stage—"
There was a brief pause. A pause that carried weight.
"—the reward is not just fa or prestige. It is a trip to a special pocket world. A completely unexplored pocket world filled with treasures and precious materials. An event like this can change your entire life!"
A collective gasp rippled through the academy. Students began whispering furiously all around Ethan.
A new pocket world? One not yet mapped or pillaged by elite families or research teams? That was beyond rare—it was once-in-a-generation. The possibilities were endless. Forgotten techniques. Untad artifacts. Ancient bloodline triggers. Even divine remnants, if you were lucky.
"Every participant shall be individually assessed by the academy system. You may fight solo or in teams. The system will assign your matches accordingly. Those who prove exceptional may skip ranks. Those who fail… well. You'll find out."
Silence. Then a final line.
"Welco to the crucible."
And then the announcent ended as suddenly as it had begun, leaving behind a silence crackling with energy.
The silence didn't last long. Within seconds, the campus erupted into a frenzy. Students sprinted toward training halls, others gathered in groups, arguing over the best team compositions or whether to go solo. Every hallway, every open space was now a battlefield-in-waiting.
Ethan was not exactly sure what a pocket world was, but he could see that this was a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity. A frontier brimming with secrets and danger. Naturally, he would also participate, but he did not have any hopes for the event.
He was only starting in his path, and there was a lot he needed to improve on. Moreover, he needed to compete without giving away any of his secrets, and that ant he would have to fight with a lot of handicaps.
He was probably not even going to reach the semi-finals if he was honest about it. But that didn't an he would give up without even trying. He turned and walked calmly toward the south plaza, where the participation crystals had been set up.
It was ti to see what the tournant was all about.
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