Chapter 27: Second Stage
Light returned.
We blinked into existence—standing on rough stone beneath a blazing sky.
A massive colosseum towered around us.
Golden walls. Marble seats. Enchanted arches that stretched hundreds of ters high.
The arena was packed with magical constructs acting as spectators. Illusory figures cheering, waving, clapping.
500 of us remained.
"Woah..."
Even I had to admit—it was impressive.
Beside , Noel shielded her eyes. Mira stood behind, silently observing.
And then—
FWOOM.
A radiant circle opened midair above the arena floor.
Descending slowly from it—robe flowing, hair billowing, and staff gleaming—was none other than...
Caerwyn Eloria, Headmaster of the Royal Academy of Magic.
She floated down like a queen descending her throne.
The crowd of applicants went silent.
Her voice echoed throughout the arena, magically amplified.
"Congratulations."
Her gaze swept across us.
"Out of the thousand, only 500 remain. You have survived the most brutal phase—the first stage."
"But survival isn't enough. We seek strength. Precision. Intellect."
She raised her staff.
"Now begins Stage Two: Trial by Duel."
A bright light erupted from the center of the arena, revealing a glowing sigil.
"One by one, you will battle in a one-on-one format. The winner shall advance without condition."
"The loser... may still be chosen to advance if they demonstrate sufficient skill."
"But that," she said, smiling faintly, "is unlikely."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Then her staff glowed again.
"For the first match..."
The light pulsed.
"Arvelle Drayne vs. Korin Thatch."
Gasps.
"Drayne?! Isn't that the girl from the western tribes?"
"She's... a dragonkin, right? Look at her horns!"
I narrowed my eyes.
A tall girl with crimson eyes, long hair, and two small black horns casually stepped into the ring.
I tilted my head.
"...I don't recognize her."
GTP.
[Correct. She wasn't part of Leon's squad. The desert region had multiple factions. The strongest applicants didn't join Leon and made a group of their own and focused on raiding a high-difficulty fortress.]
"Huh. Good thing they weren't part of Leon's group."
[Indeed. Now that your mana capacity has increased, your sensory perception has heightened.]
"...I can feel it," I muttered, narrowing my eyes.
The pressure coming off her was unreal.
Like standing in front of a volcano that hadn't erupted... yet.
The headmaster raised her hand.
"Begin."
FLASH.
The light surged—
BOOM.
The NPC boy nad Korin collapsed in a heap—his weapon still sheathed.
"...Huh?"
Most of the audience didn't even see her move.
Dust hadn't even settled.
Arvelle stood calmly, arms crossed.
"That was too boring."
She turned and walked off the field without another glance.
Silence.
Then—
[New benchmark established.]
I let out a slow exhale.
Well... this just got interesting.
Reviews
All reviews (0)