The capital city of Elyndor had never burned so bright.
Banners of a thousand guilds and academies hung from the towering marble walls.
Markets overflowed with merchants selling relics, charms, and weapons blessed by forgotten gods.
The air thrummed with magic and excitement — and fear.
Because once every decade, the Grand Awakener Tournament was not just a competition.
It was a crucible.
A forge where legends were made…
And where countless dreams were broken.
The Tournament Grounds
At the heart of the capital rose the Celestial Arena — a colossal structure of stone and crystal, built around a floating platform of pure mana.
Thousands gathered in the stands: nobles, guildmasters, hidden assassins, even foreign dignitaries.
Giant scrying orbs floated in the air, broadcasting the tournament across every corner of the kingdom.
Today would be the first true clash.
And all eyes would turn toward the unknowns.
Toward the dark horses.
Toward Kaelen Drayce.
The Parade of Champions
The great gates of the arena creaked open.
One by one, teams marched forth — each academy presenting their chosen fighters.
Astralis Academy entered first, clad in gleaming silver and blue.
Their champions moved with haughty grace, eyes looking down on the crowds as if the victory was already theirs.
Obsidian Hollow followed — a grim, dangerous squad of black-armored killers.
The minor academies — Emberhold, Stonewake, Verdant Hollow — marched next, banners bright but hearts anxious.
And then…
Valewind Institute.
The Pathbreakers.
Kaelen led them — not in gleaming armor, but in battle-worn gear, Sovereignblade Astryn strapped casually across his back, cracked-crown sigil stitched into his cloak.
The arena grew strangely quiet as they entered.
Whispers rose:
"That's the Amateur from Valewind…"
"They say he survived a wyrm alone!"
"I heard he killed a Black Moon Commander!"
"Impossible… commoners can't—"
But their words trailed into stunned silence when Kaelen's eyes lifted — and a fierce, undeniable pressure rolled off him like a gathering storm.
Not magic.
Not talent crystals.
Something deeper.
Something sovereign.
High Above — The Royal Balcony
On a platform of white marble and gold, the Royal Council sat — lords and ladies glittering with jewels and ancient power.
At their center, seated on a throne of intertwined stars and flames, was High King Aldryn Varion III, ruler of Elyndor.
Beside him, cloaked in ceremonial robes, sat the Guildmasters of the Five Pillars — secret rulers of the continent's elite forces.
Their eyes scanned the champions coldly, weighing worth, measuring future tools and threats alike.
Most barely glanced at the lesser schools.
Until Kaelen entered.
Then even the High King's fingers tightened subtly on his scepter.
One of the Guildmasters — a withered woman with eyes like frozen iron — leaned toward the others.
"That one."
"He carries an ancient weight."
"Watch him closely."
Back in the Arena
The Herald, robed in silver and blue, raised his staff, and a thunderous voice echoed across the stadium:
"Champions of the Awakener Tournament!"
"Today begins your Trial of Ascendancy!"
"Survive the Gauntlet — and claim your right to stand among legends!"
Columns of light shot skyward around the arena's edges.
Gates opened.
The First Challenge was revealed.
The First Trial: The Gauntlet of Beasts
From the opened gates thundered a wave of monstrous creatures — hand-selected by the Royal Hunters' Guild.
Tiered by rank:
F to D-rank beasts at first.
But lurking deeper among them… E+, D+, and even early C-rank monsters snarled hungrily.
This wasn't a "warm-up."
It was a bloodbath disguised as sport.
"You may fight alone."
"You may fight as a team."
"The last 50 standing advance to the true tournament!"
Chaos erupted immediately.
Teams scrambled to form battle lines.
Magic exploded across the arena.
Beasts roared and tore into the unready.
Kaelen's hand tightened around Sovereignblade Astryn.
Around him, the Pathbreakers snapped into formation instinctively.
No orders needed anymore.
They were a unit born in fire.
Kaelen surged forward.
Not waiting.
Not hesitating.
Leading.
First Engagement
A massive Steelhide Boar — nearly the size of a small house — barreled toward Kaelen.
Its tusks glowed faintly with defensive magic — a living battering ram.
Many students screamed and scrambled back.
Kaelen?
He smiled.
"Good."
Mana surged through his body.
Arcane Step — Blink Shot — Sovereign's Combo Strike — unleashed in a heartbeat.
He blinked sideways at impossible speed, dodging the charge.
In the same movement, he blasted a concentrated mana lance into the boar's exposed flank, stunning it mid-gallop.
And then —
Sovereignblade Astryn, burning silver, cleaved a perfect line across the beast's side.
The Steelhide Boar roared once — and collapsed, twitching, its defensive magic shattered.
The crowd gasped.
He had dropped a D+ rank beast in under ten seconds.
System Chime:
[Beast Defeated: Steelhide Boar — D+ Rank.]
[Experience Awarded. Talent Resonance +2%.]
Kaelen didn't even glance at the notifications.
More beasts surged around him.
He kept moving — sword flashing, mana flaring, leading the Pathbreakers deeper into the storm.
Elsewhere on the Field
Astralis Champions fought in elegant, well-rehearsed formations — but cracks showed against stronger monsters.
Obsidian Hollow killers fought savagely, already ambushing rival students under cover of the chaos.
Minor academy students fell like wheat before scythes.
The arena floor became a churning battlefield.
The weak were swallowed.
The strong rose.
And at the heart of it —
Kaelen carved his legend into stone.
Meanwhile — Above the Arena
High King Varion III leaned forward, eyes sharp.
A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.
"The boy… is interesting."
The Guildmasters murmured among themselves.
But hidden further back in the Royal Balcony, unseen by all but the keenest eyes, ancient figures cloaked in shimmering scales and silver hair watched too.
Legacy Families.
Dragonbloods.
High Elves.
Titanblood descendants.
And their expressions were cold.
"If he survives this…"
"We cannot allow a Sovereign to rise unchecked among the humans."
"We must prepare our heirs."
They vanished into mist before anyone noticed.
The ancient world was stirring.
And Kaelen Drayce had no idea yet —
that killing beasts today was only the first step toward warring against the gods themselves.