Chapter 10 Rivals in the Crucible
The System's countdown to the 6th sub-stage of Essence Gathering was a constant pressure in Lyon's mind. But the academy, he was learning, responded to pressure not by breaking, but by creating diamonds. And he wasn't the only one being forged.
The next day, the Division of Special Talents was summoned to the Aetherium Coliseum—a vast, open-air arena where the stone was scarred from centuries of magical duels. The air crackled with competitive energy. Today was the first Proving Grounds, a monthly event where rankings were tested and challenged.
Professor Mirelle stood at the center, her voice amplified by a simple wind spell. "Power in a vacuum is meaningless. True strength is tested against the ambition of others. Today, you may issue challenges. Your performance will be recorded and will affect your resource allocation for the next month."
Her eyes swept over the students, lingering for a moment on Lyon, Ryn Caldris, and Aria. "Begin."
The first matches were a blur of elemental fury and clashing steel. Kaela Rune, facing off against a lightning-wielder, didn't bother with a direct assault. She tossed three metallic orbs that latched onto the ground, creating a triangulated interference field that destabilized her opponent's spells, causing his lightning to fizzle out harmlessly. She won not with power, but with a brilliant, tactical mind.
"See?" she said, grinning at Lyon from the sidelines as she adjusted her glasses. "Not all of us have to rewrite physics to be useful."
But the crowd truly stirred when Ryn Caldris stepped onto the sands. His opponent was a skilled earth-mage who summoned a wall of granite. Ryn didn't dodge. He didn't cast a complex spell. He simply pointed a finger.
A beam of solidified silver light, sharp and precise, shot forth. It didn't explode; it drilled, piercing clean through the wall and stopping a hair's breadth from the earth-mage's throat. The precision was terrifying.
"He's reached Core Forging," Aria said, her voice tight as she appeared beside Lyon. She had been watching intently. "The 1st sub-stage, at least. That 'Starlight Pierce' is a signature Caldris technique. He's demonstrating that raw, refined power still trumps… anomalies."
There was no jealousy in her tone, only a stark assessment. It was a reminder that the noble houses had their own legacies of power.
Then it was Aria's turn. Her opponent was a skilled illusionist, weaving complex mirages of beasts and terrain. Aria didn't try to dispel them. She closed her eyes for a second, and when they opened, they glowed with pure, silver light. Her Domain—or the nascent, unconscious precursor to one—was a sphere of absolute mental clarity. The illusions shattered against her will like glass against diamond. She walked through the collapsing deceptions and placed the tip of her practice sword on her bewildered opponent's chest.
She had won without throwing a single attack. It was a display of sheer, overwhelming spiritual pressure. She was deep in the Soul Tempering stage, her control far surpassing her peers.
Lyon watched it all, the System analyzing every flare of mana, every technique. [Adaptive Comprehension: Cataloging combat data. Refining efficiency models.] He wasn't just watching rivals; he was gathering fuel for his own growth.
Finally, his name was called. His opponent was a hulking student named Goran, a physical cultivator already at the 9th sub-stage of Essence Gathering, whose skin took on the sheen of rock.
Goran charged, a human avalanche. Lyon stood his ground. He didn't use Void Bolt. Instead, he visualized the principle of Null Seed, but he compressed it, shaping it not as a field, but as a shell around his own fist.
As Goran's stone-hard fist swung toward him, Lyon met it. There was no thunderous impact. A dull thump echoed as the mana reinforcing Goran's arm was instantly nullified upon contact. The rock-like sheen vanished, leaving behind ordinary flesh. Goran gasped, stumbling back in shock and pain, clutching his now-vulnerable hand.
The match was over. Lyon had used a fraction of his power, but with surgical, terrifying efficiency.
Silence, then murmurs. He hadn't won with overwhelming force like Ryn, or unshakable spirit like Aria. He had won by erasing his opponent's advantage. It was a different kind of power, one that felt fundamentally unfair.
From the stands, Seraphina watched, a faint, knowing smile on her lips. When Lyon passed her, she spoke softly, "They see a trick. I see a king learning the weight of his crown. Be careful, Lyon. The most dangerous snakes are those who know they cannot match you in a fair fight."
Her words were a prophecy. As Lyon left the arena, he felt a cold, hate-filled gaze on his back. Ryn Caldris was not looking at a rival. He was looking at a roadblock to his destiny, one he would clearly have to break by any means necessary.
That night, Lyon sat in his room, the Soul Stabilizer Tinction from his completed daily mission cool in his hand. He could feel the 6th sub-stage solidifying within him, his Essence denser, more responsive.
[Essence Gathering: 6th Sub-stage - Achieved.]
[Aether Points: 35]
But his mind wasn't on his own progress. It was on Aria's unwavering spirit, Kaela's brilliant cunning, and Ryn's refined, lethal power. They were all climbing, fast. The mountain was crowded.
He opened the Shop, his eyes falling on the 'Gateseeper' Core Shard. It cost 50 AP. He was getting closer.
The world was moving. He couldn't afford to be left behind.