The grand spiritual bells of the Abyssal Lotus Pavilion boomed a third time, the deep, resonant echoes vibrating across the volcanic stone pillars of the main colosseum. The final, definitive phase of the recruitment trial—Stage 3: The Innate Fire Selection—had officially arrived.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was tightly coiled, thick with a toxic mix of anticipation and noble arrogance. High above the arena floor, behind a massive, semi-translucent array glass window, Lady Vivienne Vane sat in her private box. Her elegant, breathtakingly beautiful face was perfectly calm, but her violet eyes were locked entirely onto Tony Clark's lazy, unbothered figure down below.
