The royal guards poured into the arena. Behind them, the colosseum guards had their weapons drawn to quash the uprising.
The gladiators, though fierce and battle-hardened, were weary and ill-equipped. They had fought for survival every day but this was a war unlike any they had faced. Fear and hope warred in their eyes as they hesitated, uncertain of their fate.
Then, the runes Vastarael had meticulously drawn during his reconnaissance ignited with a blinding sapphire light.
One by one, they detonated in spectacular explosions, shaking the colosseum to its foundation. Walls crumbled, gates shattered and hidden passages were revealed. From the depths of these passages emerged the rest of the enslaved gladiators and captives.
The arena, once a stage for blood sport, became a battlefield of liberation.
The royal guards quickly regrouped and raised their shields, forming an impenetrable phalanx. The colosseum guards, less disciplined but no less vicious, charged at the escaping slaves, aiming to cut them down before they could reach the freedom promised by the shattered walls.
Vastarael stood in the center of it all in the heavy rain. With a flick of his wrist, shards of sapphire materialized in the air around him, spinning like a deadly halo.
"Go! Run to freedom! Fight if you can, but live!"
Chainless took his command to heart. She ran through the arena. Her priority was clear: protect the slaves who couldn't fight.
She guided them through the newly opened passages as she led them toward the escape routes they had planned. A mother clutched her child tightly. A young man limped with an elder's arm slung over his shoulder. An injured gladiator leaned on her for support and so on.
To them, Chainless was a beacon of hope in the storm.
Meanwhile, Vastarael sought out the most formidable royal guards. They were soldiers who had seen countless wars but Vastarael did not care. The first of the royal guards lunged at him with their spear thrusting forward. Vastarael sidestepped effortlessly as he raised his hand. A sapphire shard shot forward with blinding speed, piercing the guard's helmet and ending the threat in a single motion.
"Why are humans so easy to kill?"
Another came at him, wielding a greatsword shimmering with energy. Vastarael ducked beneath the swing and summoned a sapphire Mystic Circle under the warrior's feet. The First Star Plasma Mystic Circle incinerated him to ash. The spectators could only watch. What would they do if they had no means of escape? Even though there were some screams and shouts here and there, they all cheered.
Especially the women who saw the handsome wanderer fighting enemies with flawless finesse.
The royal guards began to falter as Vastarael pressed his assault but the battle was far from over.
At the far end of the arena, a hulking figure emerged. The captain of the royal guard clad in black armor trimmed with gold, strode forward with a massive halberd in hand. His presence was like a black sun, drawing attention and fear in equal measure.
"You must be the best they have to offer. Let's see if you can make this interesting. I just fought a lava bug two days ago you know."
The captain roared before he swung his halberd. Vastarael leaped back. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground but Vastarael remained unfazed.
Vastarael's agility and precision met the captain's overwhelming strength and relentless attacks.
Meanwhile, Chainless had successfully led the last of the non-combatants to safety. She turned back to the battlefield onto Vastarael as he faced the captain. The enslaved gladiators, emboldened by Vastarael's example, fought with everything they had.
The captain of the royal guards snarled as he lunged forward. As the halberd came crashing down, he dodged effortlessly.
"You're slow."
With a flick of his wrist, sapphire shards materialized around him. He thrust his hand forward, sending a barrage of the shards toward the captain. The captain raised his shield, deflecting the shards with a clang but Vastarael was already moving. He closed the distance in an instant. He summoned a sapphire mystic circle beneath the captain's feet. He dodged the plasma beam.
"You're not very creative, are you? You're like a wild beast with strength but no skill."
The captain roared in fury, swinging his halberd in a wide arc. Vastarael ducked under the swing and with a sudden burst of energy, he slammed his palm onto the ground, activating a rune he had placed earlier. Sapphire chains shot out of the ground, wrapping around the captain's limbs and immobilizing him. Vastarael approached him leisurely.
"You're strong but brute strength only gets you so far."
With a snap of his fingers, the chains tightened, pulling the captain to his knees.
"I could let you go but I won't. Sorry about this. I'm just following orders from an academy system."
He raised his hand. A sapphire spike descended with pure force, piercing through the captain's chest and ending his life instantly. The rain seemed to pause for a moment as the captain's lifeless body slumped forward. Vastarael stood over the fallen captain, wiping rain from his face as he turned his gaze toward the royal family. They sat in their protected box in shock, fear, and, in the case of the queen and the princesses, undeniable fascination.
Vastarael wrote a Heat Rune in midair, causing his body to emit steam from vaporizing water. He summoned a colorless spherical essence barrier that prevented his body from getting wet from the rain.
The queen, a strikingly beautiful woman with regal poise, met his gaze with wide eyes. The princesses, both young and stunning, were visibly flushed. Even in the midst of chaos, Vastarael's presence was intoxicating.
He raised his voice.
"Your Highnesses, I must say, I've never seen such radiant beauty gracing a battlefield. Truly, you make the rain seem dull by comparison."
The queen's lips parted slightly in surprise.
"If only circumstances were different, perhaps I'd have stayed longer to… enjoy your company."
Behind the smirk, his thoughts were amused.
'This Boon of mine really is something. They're practically falling over themselves.'
Phaenora's voice chimed in his mind.
[You're going to be a player, Veneri. I can feel it.]
He shrugged inwardly, unfazed by her comment.
'I can't help it if they find me irresistible.'
As the gladiators and slaves began to flee, taking advantage of the confusion, Vastarael gave one last glance at the royal family. He executed an exaggerated bow.
"Goodbye, my dear queens and princesses. Perhaps we'll meet again. Though I wouldn't count on it."
With that, he turned and began to run. And as he vanished into the storm, a smile appeared on his lips. Just as he leapt over a fallen log in the forest around the arena, a sudden notification flashed before his eyes, halting him in his tracks:
[You have completed the Fourth Test. Do you wish to go finish your test here?]
Vastarael blinked in surprise as he read the message again. He stopped running.
'Finish here? What does that mean?'
"Phaenora, what's going on? This wasn't part of the plan."
The familiar voice of Phaenora resonated in his mind.
[I... don't know. This isn't me. It must be the academy system directly intervening again.]
Before he could question further, another notification appeared:
[The Omniscient of the Academy has requested an audience with you. Accepting will allow you to ascend directly to the Seventh Level. You have already proven yourself.]
"Well, that's not ominous at all."
Phaenora's voice came again but more cautious this time.
[This is strange. The Omniscient doesn't interfere with the tests unless something is significant. If you accept, this might bypass the rest of the trials.]
"So, I've already done enough, huh? I guess massacring guards, blowing up an arena and setting slaves free earns some brownie points. But why would they want to talk to me personally? What's the catch here?"
Phaenora hesitated before replying.
[I don't have answers for you. But if this is truly an Omniscient, they may see something in you that others don't.]
The rain continued to fall around him as Vastarael weighed his options. Finally, he shrugged.
"Well, if they want to talk, I'm not going to hide. Let's see what they have to say."
He reached out mentally, selecting Yes to accept the request.
[You have accepted the Omniscient's request. Preparing the gateway…]
A shimmering portal of iridescent light began to materialize before him, casting an ethereal glow on the soaked forest floor. It pulsed gently, waiting for him to step through.
But before he stepped through, he paused, as if remembering something.
"I'll go, but not before I finish what I started."
The portal remained steady. He turned away from it. The Omniscient would have to wait. He had something to do first.