Part 1: Descent into the geldo
The arena trembled with anticipation. Magic screens flickered in the skies. Nobles, instructors, and curious onlookers gathered atop Vaelstrom's colossal coliseum, a curved tower of ivory stone, embedded with runes that glowed with power.
Inside the sealed observatory chamber, high above all, the Archmage of Vaelstrom—a tall figure draped in storm-blue robes, face veiled in starlight—stood before the glass wall, watching over the arena through a magic-enhanced screen.
> "This is not a game," the Archmage's voice thundered across the grounds. "This is a crucible. A trial of wit, will, and survival."
The rules echoed across the academy:
> "You will be dropped into the geldo, a massive, enchanted jungle of chaos. The first person to reach the finish line—alive—secures victory for their team. Everything else is fair game. Teamwork? Optional. Betrayal? Encouraged. Death?"
The Archmage paused.
"Heavily discouraged… but not impossible."
Seven from Eboncrest. Seven from Vaelstrom.
Each stepped into a separate teleportation glyph.
> [System Nex]:
[Let me guess, no pressure, right? Welcome to the geldo, Zen. Where the vines want to eat you, the weather hates your face, and illusions are clingier than fanboys at a sword festival.]
Zen's smirk was faint. Then the glyph activated.
The world spun.
---
Part 2: The Fall and the Hunt
Zen shot through the air—flipping, spiraling—as if gravity itself was drunk. The jungle canopy exploded into view below. Green mist. Flashing lightning. Shrieks of unseen creatures.
BOOM!
He landed in a crouch, dust curling beneath his boots. His sword was out before the leaves had settled.
> [System Nex]:
[Welcome to the geldo. Setting your danger level to… uh, yes.]
Monsters roared in the distance. The scent of ozone and burning trees choked the air.
Elsewhere:
Sylvia landed in an icy crash, immediately forming a frost barrier around herself as two insectoid beasts lunged from the bushes.
Elvren descended in a column of fire, incinerating a diving harpy mid-air before his boots touched mossy soil.
Arisha twirled through the air like a leaf caught in the wind, wind magic softening her fall, landing beside a bewildered Elsan, who barely avoided kissing a tree.
> Elsan: "...Next time, maybe a parachute?" Arisha: "Next time, maybe grace."
Meanwhile:
Aelric fell a little too slow, bumping into a cliffside.
Kleez crash-landed in a pile of squawking, flaming chickens. Don't ask. One clucked in Morse code.
> [System Nex]:
[That's it. I'm updating my will.]
---
Part 3: The Chaos Unfolds
The jungle came alive.
Spiked vines whipped out, trying to pierce through armor.
Illusions of loved ones appeared in the mist—Zen walked through Mira's crying form without flinching.
Elemental storms brewed overhead—fire tornadoes and thunder strikes crossing randomly.
But Zen? Untouched.
> [System Nex]:
[Passive skill: Nebulafade—status active. Illusions can't touch you. You're basically a ghost in a haunted house. Stylish.]
Zen met Sylvia and Elvren, who were fending off a trio of basalt gorillas covered in magma runes.
Zen dashed in, slicing through the weak points on their legs. Sylvia froze the second one mid-roar. Elvren's phoenix dive crushed the third.
Group 1 formed.
Arisha and Elsan dealt with camouflaged manticores, using wind and water strikes in beautiful sync.
Group 3 formed.
Meanwhile, Aelric met Kleez, who was using soap bombs and cursed birds to defeat a giant golem. Aelric blinked twice, decided to not question it, and used his lightning dash to carve the golem in two.
Group 2 was... chaotic.
---
Part 4: The Other Side Moves
The Vaelstrom team split:
Arthin, Kaisen, and Leora carved a path through illusion traps. Arthin's radiant aura burned away hallucinations. Kaisen's daggers blurred as he zipped through ambushes. Leora used enchanted arrows to pin monsters before they even breathed.
Jardin, Gaithor, Nayella, and Alethia moved silently... because they had a map.
> [System Nex]:
[Confirmed: Vaelstrom team received outside help. File under: CHEATY McCHEATFACE.]
They moved through secret paths, disabling traps before triggering. Jardin used gravity magic to bend trees. Nayella spread toxins to repel beasts. Alethia cast reflective illusions to fool the jungle's watchers.
---
Part 5: The Race to the End
All paths converged.
Zen's group (now 6) and Arthin's (5, as the rest hung back) burst from the treeline.
The finish line—a glowing rune gate—shimmered in the distance across a massive broken bridge over a chasm.
They ran. Monsters burst from the cracks—serpents, boars made of stone, illusions of twisted versions of themselves. Zen led the charge.
Slice. Jump. Flip. Cut. Dash.
> Elvren set the bridge ablaze—then ran across the flames. Arisha flew over gaps, guiding Elsan with gusts. Sylvia froze broken chunks of bridge into steps. Kleez… rode a flaming boar while throwing bananas.
Zen and Arthin clashed mid-run—blades striking as they landed beside each other, both refusing to slow.
Just as Zen lunged for the final glyph, Jardin, hiding in the mist, whispered a spell.
Gravity twisted.
Zen hit the ground like a meteor, inches from victory.
> [System Nex]:
[Alert: Gravity spell detected. Mobility disabled—systems compensating. But... too late.]
Arthin crossed the finish.
Vaelstrom wins Challenge 1.
Chapter 104: Echoes After the Fall
The Trial Ends. The Fire Begins.
Silence. Then the jungle began to dissolve.
Trees melted into light. The corrupted ground shimmered and blinked out of existence. One by one, all participants were enveloped in soft, glowing glyphs as the Verdant Maw vanished.
The real world snapped back in.
They stood once again inside the Grand Coliseum, the crowd above erupting into cheers, gasps, and thunderous applause.
Zen, still on one knee from Jardin's gravity spell, rose slowly.
His hair slightly tousled. His breathing even. But his crimson eyes locked onto Arthin like burning coals.
Arthin stood tall on the victory glyph, his blade lowered, but the smirk playing on his lips said everything.
> "You almost had me," he said, brushing a leaf from his cloak. "Almost."
Zen didn't respond.
> [System Nex]:
[If smirks were currency, I'd rob that guy blind. Also—GRAVITY SPELL? Ugh. He didn't win. Physics did.]
Zen : "Physics?"
Kleez: "I landed on a flaming boar, threw banana bombs, and didn't die. I demand some kind of prize. Preferably food."
Sylvia brushed dirt off her skirt with cold elegance. "We were this close."
Elvren's flames crackled low around him, whispering like embers. "Next time, I'll burn the finish line."
Elsan groaned, still rubbing his shoulder. "I got punched by a boulder and I'm not even mad. What does that say about me?"
Arisha, silent as always, gently touched Zen's arm. "It wasn't your fault. You led."
Zen didn't reply, but the faint twitch of his jaw spoke volumes. He hated losing. Not for pride—but for the fact that someone used a trick he couldn't sense.
---
Instructor's Verdict
Floating down in a swirl of robes and wind came Instructor Vellorin, the announcer and head overseer.
> "A well-earned victory to Vaelstrom Academy!"
"Jardin of Class Aether—excellent use of gravity weave."
"Arthin of Class Radiance—masterful combat display."
"Kaisen, Leora, Alethia, Gaithor, Nayella—flawless coordination."
He turned to Eboncrest's team. "And you—fought brilliantly. Especially those who pushed through the illusions unaided…"
His eyes lingered on Zen.
> "We now see why the Archmage is watching you."
> [System Nex]:
[Translation: You're on every teacher's hitlist. Including mine.]
---
Rising Tensions
Behind the applause and praise, eyes were shifting.
Kaisen gave aelric a respectful nod. A rival, but not an enemy.
Leora glanced toward Sylvia with narrowed eyes. Ice vs. arrows—there would be another match.
Jardin said nothing… but when Zen looked at him, he smirked and mouthed the words:
"Checkmate."
Zen's fingers curled.
> [System Nex]:
[Shall I log that in our "People to Annihilate Later" folder?]
---
Aftermath at the Dorms
That night was quiet.
Zen sat near his window, sword across his lap. The moonlight framed him like a silent sentinel.
Sylvia sat nearby, bandaging her shoulder. "You didn't fail. They just played the game dirtier."
Elvren paced. "They cheated. Not just Jardin. That map wasn't random."
Zen: "…We'll adapt."
Sylvia: "How?"
> [System Nex]:
[Oh ho! You'll love this. While you were brooding dramatically under the moonlight, I hacked—I mean "casually glanced at"—the system logs. Want the list of spells Jardin prepared and who gave them to him? Because it's NOT a student.]
Zen's eyes narrowed.
"…Show me."
> [System Nex]:
[Loading file: The Vaelstrom Scandal – Classified.]
> The Archmage of Vaelstrom.
He's the one secretly influencing the tournament. From his high chamber behind the magical glass screen, he altered the environment—particularly for Jardin's team, who were subtly favored. Why? Because he wants to test Zen more harshly, perhaps fearing his potential… or maybe out of hidden political motives.
What Did Jardin's Team Get?
> A geldo Terrain Scroll—a detailed enchanted map that reveals:
Trap zones (where illusions are heaviest)
Beast nests (to avoid or bait enemies toward others)
Windstream currents (magical air flows that help movement)
Monster spawn cycles (timing of beast emergence)
Hidden mana veins (to recharge magic faster)
---
What Spells Did Jardin Use?
> During the last sequence, Jardin used a delayed-cast gravity spell to pull Zen at the last moment:
[Spell: Gravitas Clasp]
Effect: Multilayered gravitational bind that slams the target downward with weight equivalent to 5x their body mass.
Activation: Delayed rune anchored to a spectral landmark just meters before the finish line.
Source: Forbidden Arcane Page gifted (secretly) by the Archmage himself, with a note that read:
"Should the boy outrun fate, hold him to the ground."
---
Final Note
The first challenge was over.
But the true war of wits, will, and shadows had only begun.
Because in the eyes of Eboncrest's prince, this wasn't just a loss.
It was a declaration.