One by one, the competitors stepped through the glowing gate.
The mont Dahlia crossed it, the world around her twisted, and when it cleared, she found herself alone in a dense forest.
She blinked rapidly, clutching her jade token.
"I’m... alone?"
It took a few monts before she understood.
So even though so groups wanted to work together, they weren’t teleported together because it was randomized.
Her hand tightened on the jade, breathing slowly, calming herself.
"At least this way, I don’t get ganged up on from the start. Good. This is even better."
anwhile, back on the spectators’ side, the crowd suddenly roared.
High above, twelve massive glowing screens materialize in the air.
Each screen shimred, showing scenes from inside the Treasure Realm.
Beast prowled, cultivators clashed, and flashes of mana techniques lit up the displays.
Garion leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"Hoh? So they’re letting the audience watch live... I never thought they’d have sothing like this."
The man sitting next to him, a local rchant, chuckled.
"Interesting, isn’t it? It’s a special treasure from a certain sect that made all of this possible."
Garion smirked, resting his chin on his hand.
"A treasure, huh? Make sense, and it is really interesting."
The twelve screens shifted, splitting into smaller sections that zood in on the most exciting battles.
On one, a boy in red robes swung his sword wildly while his opponent swung his spear wildly as well.
On another, a group of three fought desperately against a giant wolf beast, their screams mixing with the wolf’s howl.
Garion’s eyes narrowed as he studied them.
Most competitors fought with no form. Their attacks were wild and sloppy, relying only on mana and brute strength.
"Tch. As expected. They’ve got no idea how to use their bodies. Just use mana around like children."
But then, on another screen, he saw sothing different. A group of youths in blue uniforms fought in coordination.
Their stances were firr, their strikes sharper, not completely refined but far more disciplined than the others.
"Hoh. So the big sect does know a bit about efficient combat. Not perfect, but at least they’ve been training to refine it. Quite interesting."
He also quickly scanned the other screens, searching for Dahlia.
But no matter how many shifted views passed by, she wasn’t shown at all.
Garion leaned back in his seat, frowning.
"Not in the highlights, huh?"
He then just waved it off.
"Well, that’s fine. If she’s not on the screen, it ans she hasn’t gotten into trouble yet."
---
Back in the forest, Dahlia had her first real test.
A beast appeared from the trees.
It was a black bear the size of a carriage, with big, sharp claws and saliva dripping from its jaws.
Dahlia’s heart jumped for a mont, but she quickly steadied herself.
"It’s just a beast, nothing more. Just breathe and calm down."
She then tugged her robe tighter.
Even though Garion had given her the combat suit, she still refused to take off the robe.
The thought of showing her arms and bare stomach to strangers made her cheeks burn.
The bear then lunged forward.
Dahlia quickly sidestepped, twisting her hips and landing a punch into its side.
The bear roared in pain, swiping its claws at her in anger.
Dahlia just chuckled as she looked at it.
"Too slow."
She ducked under the strike, slid behind it, and threw another punch into its ribs.
The beast staggered, but it wasn’t down.
Dahlia circled, never letting it line her up for a direct attack, and Garion’s imagined voice echoed in her head.
Don’t stop moving. Hit from different angles. Let the body carry the punch.
One, two, three punches. She punched the bear from different sides.
Each blow chipped away its strength until finally, with a last roar, it collapsed onto the ground, twitching before going still.
Dahlia stood over it, panting slightly.
"Not bad. But beasts are just a side dish. Not the main dish."
She wiped her sweat from her brow and continued deeper into the forest.
Minutes later, she spotted so movent ahead.
A familiar figure in a red robe stepped out from between the trees, sword in hand.
That’s the boy who mocked in the waiting hall.
He spotted her as well, lips curling into a smirk.
"Well, well, well. The little girl in the robe survived longer than I thought. What’s wrong? Hiding your sect’s sha under that cloth?"
Dahlia’s jaw tightened, but instead of snapping back, she smirked.
"Funny. You’re alone here. Where are your friends now?"
The boy scoffed.
"I don’t need them. Against unknown trash like you, I’m alone... is enough."
The boy then raised his sword, and mana crackled on the blade.
However, Dahlia could see that his form was sloppy.
His feet were too narrow, his shoulders stiff, his grip uneven.
He looked more like a child swinging a stick than a martial artist.
No form. Just maan. Master was right... This is why they will lose to .
The boy lunged directly, slashing downward with a burst of mana.
"Red Fang Slash!"
Dahlia sidestepped easily as the sword cut into the dirt around her.
She then stepped in and delivered a sharp punch to his chest as a counter.
"URK!"
The body staggered back, clutching himself and staring at Dahlia in anger.
"You...!"
Dahlia only smiled, seeing his stare.
"To think that you’re this weak. Your swing is just too wide. And also too much mana and too imbalance."
Snarling, he slashed again, this ti sideways.
Dahlia ducked under it, her body moving smoothly.
She then grabbed his arms as it passed and twisted.
The boy yelped as she forced him down, his sword clattering to the ground.
"W-what the hell is this?!"
The boy shouted as he struggled against her.
Dahlia only smirked.
"This is what happens when you fight without form."
She shifted her weight and locked his arms against her body, applying pressure and making his screams even louder.
"ARGH! LET GO!"
Dahlia only smirked as she twisted harder rcilessly.
"You mocked earlier, right? How does it feel to be beaten by the one you mock?"
"DAMN YOU!"
The boy shouted again as he kicked wildly, but Dahlia was just too strong, making him unable to break free.
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