The Gates of the Tournament

The days leading up to the tournament were tense. Ryker and Liora doubled their training, preparing for the inevitable confrontation. They knew Alistair was plotting, and every interaction, every glance, was weighed with suspicion.

The night before the tournament, Ryker sat with Liora in their shared room, going over the details they had gathered about the gates they would enter. Each gate was a portal to a different realm, filled with monsters and challenges suited to the participants' skill levels.

"The gates are ranked by difficulty," Ryker began, spreading a map of the realms on the table. "We need to be aware of what we're up against."

Liora nodded, her expression serious. "The rankings go from D to S. D-rank gates are for beginners, filled with lesser beasts like goblins. They're more of a warm-up than anything else. Adept-level students can handle these creatures with relative ease."

Ryker pointed to the next section on the map. "C-rank gates are a step up. You'll find Common - Greater demons like orcs, ogres, and elemental creatures there. These require expert-level to handle, and even then, they can be quite dangerous. Only the best students like Marcus or Elena can attempt these gates."

"And then we have B-rank gates," Liora continued. "These are where things get serious there only Elite and abyssal-level demons like Trolls, wyverns exist in it. These creatures are highly dangerous and require master-level skills to handle. Only a few staff members and top graduates could face these realms."

Ryker's finger traced the path to the next rank. "A-rank gates are extremely dangerous. Inside, you'll encounter Horror-level Demons like chimera, drakes, and advanced demons. Handling these requires low grandmaster-level skills. Very few can survive these realms."

"And finally," Liora said, her voice dropping slightly, "the S-rank gates. These are reserved for the elite. Inside, you'll find ancient dragons, archdemons, and other legendary beasts they are all at the Legendary-rank. These gates require mid legendary-level skills to handle. It's said that only a handful of individuals in history have ever returned from these gates unscathed."

Ryker leaned back, contemplating their strategy. "We'll need to stay on our toes. Alistair and his men will likely follow us into one of the gates, hoping to catch us off guard."

Liora's eyes hardened with determination. "We'll be ready for them. We need to stay together, use our skills to complement each other, and not let our guard down for a second."

The next morning, the academy grounds were transformed into a bustling arena. Students gathered in their groups, each one ready to prove their worth. The headmaster's voice boomed across the grounds. "Welcome to this year's tournament! You will enter the gate in groups, and your kills will be tracked. May the best hunter win!"

Ryker and Liora stood ready, their wristbands secured, their minds focused. This was their moment. As they stepped through the gate, the familiar sensation of magical energy washed over them, transporting them to a vast, unfamiliar terrain filled with dangers.

After they entered, a group of black silhouettes silently tried to enter the gate in rapid pace. However, the principal was aware in the last second.

"YOU DARE!" said the principal, using his skill Binding tentacle, to hold the black figures. However, a few figures was able to bypass this as the main figure dispelled the principals skill by using 80% of his power and a powerful artifact and entered the gate.

"DAMMIT!!" shouted the principal, seeing the black figures in his bind skill, he vented his anger on them.

"Mind torment" a skill the principal has, it is able to make anyone under its effect crumble to his knees due to the immense pressure it has on the mind.

"Who are you and why are you entering the gate with the students" the principal said trying to get information from them.

However, to his surprise, the shadows just bit their tongue, and killed themselves with poison.

"That person must be at least Mid grandmaster-level to be able to enter the gate with me trying to stop him". 

"Attention, all below grandmaster- level to evacuate near the gate. The others will stay here with me to catch that person who entered when they leave" said the principal, his tone demanding action.

As Ryker and Liora entered the gate, they were transported together to the same place because they held their hands together before entering.

They found themselves in a dense forest, the air thick with the scent of pine and the sound of distant roars. Ryker immediately activated his Seventh Sense, scanning for threats. Liora summoned a small flame in her hand, ready to unleash her elemental magic at a moment's notice.

"We need to stay together," Ryker said, his voice low. "Alistair and his goons will be here soon."

"Lets focus on getting points for now, if he comes I will deal with him" said Ryker.

As they moved through the forest, Ryker and Liora countered a group of goblins.

"I will handle them" Ryker said.

"Judgment!" Ryker said as he slashed quickly, ending the group of monsters

[Experience Gained: Lesser Beast Defeated – 10 EXP, 5 AP]

[Experience Gained: Lesser Beast Defeated – 10 EXP, 5 AP]

[Experience Gained]

[Experience Gained]