Finally, the mont to open the arena space had arrived.
The plaza had been completely transford: it was no longer the flat expanse of yesterday but instead sculpted into a sunken centre with raised edges, forming a vast amphitheatre. Many people were already seated on the stands — ordinary folk and Mages.
Notably, the principal and several senior Elders were present, and of course, a fair share of upper-level students.
"I heard a kid with the strongest Light aptitude on the continent showed up yesterday."
"Great aptitude doesn’t an much if you don’t know how to use it."
"You only learn by doing. When I first ca here, I didn’t know anything either—nearly died in the arena, ha ha ha."
From the start, the contest was unfair. Plenty of rich children had early access to magic training; children born into poverty, no matter how talented, often didn’t know how to apply their gifts.
Of course, the dark creatures inside the arena were only low-tier — the contestants could fight them with everything they had and not give up.
That’s why people said the most dangerous thing in the arena was other people. If you accidentally offend soone powerful and beco their target, you’re done for.
"The Lumins will accompany you. They will record your combat performance. Once your life value drops to thirty per cent, your Lumin will turn red. You may choose to crush the Lumin to be teleported out. If, in the end, you are not in the top two thousand, you will be eliminated. If you ignore your life and keep fighting, you must take responsibility for your own life."
The principal read the disclair. Silvanus stared at the small glowing orb floating in front of him and prodded it with his finger; the light circled his fingertip, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t catch it.
"The scoring thod is simple: gather rare herbs, defeat dark constructs, and survive. The Lumin will also serve as your scoring device. Details will be revealed inside the arena. Good luck, the new generation of Mages."
As the principal’s voice fell, a column of light rose from the centre of the plaza. Step inside, and they would be transported into the combat space.
"Silvanus..." Matthew grew anxious, his heart pounding so hard he seed about to burst; he grabbed Silvanus’s sleeve.
Silvanus glanced at him and said, "The last ti you had that look was when you broke the dean’s vase."
Matthew stared wide-eyed — he didn’t understand how Silvanus could joke now. Before he could react, a strong force shoved him forward. Silvanus grabbed Matthew’s collar and called out loudly, "Hesitating won’t help — let’s go. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll leave. What are you worried about? I’m not letting you die."
Silvanus had barely finished speaking when he felt the collar he was holding vanish from his grasp. His eyes widened in surprise, but his feet had already touched the ground at that mont. The sudden shift from floating to standing upright made him wobble slightly.
He quickly looked around. It was a dense forest, the trees five tis his size, towering into the sky. And Matthew—he was gone! More accurately, there was no one else around except Silvanus.
"Tch, Matthew, don’t die on ," Silvanus muttered, then quickly set off. He wasn’t too worried; after all, there was the Lumin. If Matthew weren’t foolish, he could crush it in case of danger and be teleported out safely.
At that mont, a shrill scream suddenly rang out. A black and gaunt creature resembling a giant bat but without wings lunged from the blind spot behind a massive tree. Its mouth was filled with sharp fangs, aid directly at Silvanus.
Silvanus didn’t even frown. He raised his hand, and light arrows imdiately appeared from thin air. The mont the arrow pierced the creature, it dissolved into smoke.
"Easy," Silvanus muttered, satisfied, and continued forward.
The observers outside couldn’t help but marvel.
"That has to be the prodigy they ntioned yesterday!"
"No doubt about it — that hair alone stands out too much, ha ha ha."
"But he’s unlucky, isn’t he? Just entering and already running into these pesky Imps, they always travel in swarms."
"That’s actually a good chance to score points, ha ha ha. Maybe he’s not unlucky at all — quite the opposite."
The contestants inside couldn’t see the changing rankings, but outside observers could track the top 100. The standings were shifting one by one as the actions of the participants unfolded.
Silvanus sensed the change, too.
He had barely taken a few steps when he felt countless eyes fixed on him. He stopped in his tracks. At the sa ti, the Imps stopped trying to hide. Their bright red eyes, even in daylight, looked bloodthirsty and cruel.
They appeared everywhere, hanging from tree trunks like spiders, hiding in the undergrowth, shrieking from the treetops.
Then one of them suddenly scread. The tone seed like it was forming words, though Silvanus couldn’t understand them. Instantly, the Imps all lunged forward at once like a flood, their twisted, ugly faces contorted with rage. From their mouths ca ear-piercing screeches, a bloodthirsty display ready to tear Silvanus apart.
Silvanus frowned. Light radiated from both of his palms, and at the sa ti, the faint shapes of countless arrows appeared around him, nearly enveloping his entire body.
Then he suddenly lifted his gaze, his green eyes flashing a hint of gold.
"Clap!"
A clap echoed as Silvanus struck his hands together in front of his chest. Instantly, as if propelled by a trendous force, the arrows shot outward at an unbelievable speed!
The volley of arrows launched from the ground pierced through the ranks of the attacking Imps. The thwack thwack sounds of the dark creatures turning to dust filled the air, echoing throughout the space.
"Whoa, that’s so cool! What kind of move is that?"
"It’s just shooting arrows, but he can make it look that flashy — this kid is ridiculous."
"He just knows he’s handso, that’s all."
Outside, the upper-level students didn’t even bother maintaining composure. They were wildly discussing, even starting to bet on who would end up in the top spot.
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