The quarterfinals began at noon. The sun was high, baking the sand of the arena.
"MATCH 1: REN vs. JAX"
The crowd cheered for Jax. He was popular—the "Big Brother" of the second years, reliable and kind. Ren walked out to silence, punctuated by a few nervous whispers. They feared him now, but they didn't love him.
Jax stood in the center of the ring, slamming his massive tower shield into the ground. A hexagonal barrier of orange mana flickered to life around him.
[Artifact Detected: Mirror-Wall Shield (Unique Grade)]
[Effect: Reflects 50% of incoming physical damage.]
"Ren," Jax said, his voice deep and serious. "I don't know what you did to Vanessa. She's... different. Obsessed."
Ren stopped ten paces away. "I made her better, Jax. You should be thanking me."
Jax frowned, tightening his grip on the shield handle. "I don't like it. And I don't like you using us to climb. I'm going to stop you here, for the sake of the team."
"Try," Ren said.
"FIGHT!"
Jax didn't charge. He anchored himself. [Skill: Fortress Stance]. His defense rose by 200%. He was an immovable object.
Ren tested the waters. He dashed forward, launching a standard punch at the shield.
CLANG.
The impact rang like a bell. A shockwave rippled through the shield—and bounced right back.
Ren was thrown backward, skidding across the sand. His right arm felt numb.
[Damage Reflected: 150 HP]
The crowd roared. Jax hadn't moved an inch.
"Physical attacks won't work!" Jax shouted. "My defense is absolute!"
Ren shook out his arm. The numbness faded quickly thanks to his high vitality. He looked at the shield. It was a nice toy.
"Absolute defense?" Ren smirked. "There's no such thing."
Ren raised his right hand. He didn't equip the gauntlet this time. Instead, he gathered the violet Void Mana in his palm, compressing it into a dense, swirling sphere of darkness.
[Skill: CORRUPTION BLAST]
[Attribute: Decay]
"Let's see if you can reflect rot," Ren whispered.
He hurled the black sphere.
It didn't fly fast like a fireball. It drifted, silent and ominous.
Jax braced himself. "Magic Resist Up!"
The sphere hit the shield.
There was no explosion. Instead, the orange mana barrier hissed. The black sludge of the Void splashed over the shield, eating into the metal. The glowing runes on the artifact flickered and died.
"What?" Jax's eyes went wide. "My mana... it's draining!"
The corruption spread from the shield to Jax's arm. The armor plating on his forearm turned grey and crumbled into dust.
"Argh!" Jax screamed, dropping the shield as the decay burned his skin.
Ren didn't give him time to recover. He flashed forward.
[Void Step]
He appeared directly in front of the defenseless tank.
"A shield is only as good as the man holding it," Ren said.
He placed two fingers on Jax's forehead.
[Skill: MANA DRAIN (Burst)]
He siphoned a massive chunk of Jax's stamina in a split second. Jax's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed face-first into the sand, snoring loudly.
"WINNER: REN!"
Ren walked over to the fallen tank. He looked at the corroded shield. The Void Mana had permanently damaged a Unique Artifact.
Oops, Ren thought. Vanessa might be mad about the repair bill.
He walked out of the arena without celebrating.
The Shadow in the Tunnel
In the preparation tunnel, Damon Vance was shaking.
He had watched the match on the monitor. He saw Jax—the guy even he had trouble scratching—go down in seconds.
"He's a monster," Damon whispered, pacing back and forth. "He's going to kill me in the finals. He's going to take everything."
"Not if you take this."
Damon spun around. A hooded figure stood in the shadows of the utility closet.
"Who are you?" Damon demanded, summoning a fireball.
"A friend," the figure rasped. "A friend who hates the Void."
The figure tossed a small vial to Damon. Inside, a red liquid boiled and bubbled, emitting black smoke.
"What is this?" Damon asked, staring at it.
"Demon's Blood," the figure said. "Drink it right before your match. It will temporarily boost your mana to A-Rank. It will let you burn through anything... even ice."
Damon hesitated. Demon's Blood was illegal. It was highly addictive and unstable.
"And the price?" Damon asked.
"Kill the boy," the figure said. "Kill Ren."
The figure vanished into the shadows before Damon could ask more.
Damon looked at the vial. He looked at the monitor, where Ren's face was displayed as the first Semifinalist.
"I'll do it," Damon snarled, clutching the vial. "I'll burn them all."
Match 4: Fire vs. Ice
"MATCH 4: DAMON VANCE vs. VANESSA"
The crowd cheered for Vanessa. She walked out looking calm, elegant, and deadly. She glanced at the winner's booth where Ren was sitting. She gave him a small, subtle nod.
I will win for you, Master.
Damon walked out. He looked... wrong. His skin was flushed a deep, angry red. His eyes were bloodshot. He was sweating profusely.
Ren, watching from the stands, narrowed his eyes.
[Passive: Pheromone Sense]
[Alert: Target Damon smells of Sulfur and Corruption.]
"He's using something," Ren muttered. He leaned over the railing. "Valerica."
Valerica, standing guard below the VIP box, looked up instantly. "Master?"
"Be ready to intervene," Ren ordered. "Damon is rigged."
"FIGHT!"
Vanessa wasted no time. "Frozen Tomb!"
She encased Damon in a massive block of ice instantly. It was her signature move. Match over in three seconds.
The crowd cheered—but then stopped.
The ice block began to glow red.
HISS.
Steam erupted from the center. The ice didn't crack; it melted in a flash.
Damon stood there, laughing. His flames weren't orange anymore. They were black and crimson.
"Is that cold enough for you, Ice Queen?" Damon shrieked, his voice distorted.
He raised his hands. A massive serpent of black fire erupted from the ground, roaring like a living beast. The heat was so intense that the spectators in the front row screamed, shielding their faces.
"Hellfire Serpent!"
The attack rushed Vanessa. She hastily erected an ice wall, but the black fire smashed through it like paper.
"Ness!" Jax shouted from the infirmary stretcher.
Vanessa was blasted backward, her uniform singed. She landed hard, rolling to her feet, eyes wide. This isn't B-Rank magic. This is A-Rank destruction.
Damon didn't let up. He was manic, laughing uncontrollably. He launched volley after volley of black fireballs.
Vanessa was on the defensive, dancing around the arena, but she was losing ground. The heat was sapping her mana.
"Die! Die! Die!" Damon screamed. "Look at me now, Ren! Look at me destroy your toy!"
He prepared a massive finisher—a sphere of black fire the size of a car.
Ren stood up in the VIP box. His eyes were no longer bored. They were furious.
"That's my XP he's wasting," Ren growled.
He vaulted over the railing.