The Tournament

After Aiden returned to the dorm, he met with Mark and Lena who kept asking him about how it went and what not.

After explaining to them that everything was fine, and that he will be receiving royalty fees. Mark and Lena were excited for Aiden's future prospect. 

"That is amazing Aiden, you done so well. As expected of my brother " said Mark as he put his arms around Aiden's shoulders whilst laughing.

"Well done Aiden, you are rich now" said Lena as she looked at him with a warm smile.

"Thanks guys. I wanted to tell you that I was given high-Level crystals as down payment by the principal. So I wanted to share some with you, so we can all gain strength and protect each other" said Aiden, as he lied about where he got the crystals from.

The principal was the perfect alibi for explaining where he got them from.

The Rank of Mana Crystals goes from Low, Mid, High, Advanced and Peak.

So having High level mana crystals was already beyond anything that a student can get.

At most, normal students like them could have a few low crystals, and they were considered slightly rich if they did.

When Mark and Lena heard what Aiden said, they were shocked and immediately refused to take the crystals as they knew how expensive they were.

100 Low Mana Crystals = 1 Mid Mana Crystal

100 Mid Mana crystals = 1 High Mana Crystal

so just giving them 1 High Mana crystal was akin to giving them 10,000 Low Mana crystals, when they didn't even have 1 Low Mana crystal currently.

After some persuasion from Aiden, and an explanation of how he will earn more.

They reluctantly agreed to have 1 Mana crystal. But Aiden decided to give them 2, which was akin to giving them 20,000 Low Mana crystals each. 

Mana Crystals had many benefits, they could be used to improve your strength by absorbing the power in it, or you could make an armor and weapons with them, to implement magic in the weapon. 

For a weapon to have at least 1 star, it will need to have a few Low Mana Crystals embedded in its production.

How Mark and Lena would spend or use them depended on their choice, and it wasn't his choice so he left that to them.

After talking to Mark and Lena about the upcoming tournament and what it's potential rewards could be whilst eating. They all left to their dorm and went to sleep.

Early next morning, Aiden woke up feeling energetic. The recent event had taken a toll on him, but the sleep he took made him feel a lot better.

As he woke up from his morning daze, he looked at his phone to check the time. 

As he rubbed his eyes to see the time, he realised that he woke up very late today.

"Shit!!, there is 10 minutes left to class. I need to shower quickly and get dressed." Said Aiden to himself, as he jolted up from the bed in a hurry.

It took him 4 minutes to take a complete shower. As the dorm showers, were futuristic and the water can be set to any temperature you want immediately, without waiting for it to cool down or heat up. 

After showering, he quickly brushed his teeth and dried his hair. After that, he quickly got dressed and wore the uniform for the academy.

Which was black trousers and white dress-shirt and a slightly dark blue robe.

As he was leaving the room, he quickly grabbed a meat bun he had left over from yesterday's food and dashed outside.

The dorm he lives in, was about 15 minutes away from the class he had today, by walking.

However, Aiden had 2 minutes left to class. So he dashed towards the class, his speed almost a blur to the naked eye. 

His agility and power had increased by a good margin due to the system increase.

Soon he realised that he wouldn't be able to make it in time at this rate, so he added the remaining 4 points to his agility. He immediately noticed the difference in speed. 

Normally, it is not allowed for students to run to class in the academy.

So any one caught running by a teacher will be punished. Thankfully, no teacher was there, so Adin was saved.

The reason he is running to class when he'll only be a few minutes late. Is because unfortunately, today's instructor was known for his strict personality, and if he caught Aiden arriving even a second late, he would likely pull out a terrible punishment.

After a minute of running, Aiden arrived at class 10 seconds before it was time. Looking at his phone that displayed 07:59:51 .

"Phew, thankfully I left a few points for emergency otherwise I don't know what that lunatic of an instructor would have punished me with" Said Aiden, as he remembered a student that was once a minute late to the class, So he punished him by making him spar with him for 10 minutes.

Well… he called it a spar, but it was more befitting to call it abuse, he beat the crap out of the student for 10 minutes straight.

As Aiden scanned the combat area, he saw Mark and Lena were coming towards him. 

As Mark approached him, Aiden said "What the hell man, why did you not wake me up. I was almost late to class" as he ate some of the bun, waiting for mark to reply.

"Wake you up??, You sleep like a koala, almost impossible to wake up. I tried waking you up for almost 10 minutes, knocking on your door, calling your phone and even screaming your name from outside. I thought you already left from how heavy you slept." said Mark whilst he looked at Aiden munching on his bun.

"My bad, you did call my phone many times, I just saw now. " said Aiden with an apologetic tone, as he saw Mark was a bit angry at him.

Lena couldn't help but laugh at their encounter.

After a couple seconds passed by, the instructor arrived exactly on time. 

"Attention!! Today, I will inform you guys about the upcoming tournament. Then we will continue our usual combat training" Said instructor Harker.

"The tournament will be between the first years and will be split into three sections."

"The first section will be held in the Virtual World, where the students will compete against each other by fighting Enigmi. Each Enigmi killed, depending on their power, will give a certain amount of points. Students can also gain points by eliminating each other."

"There will be a timer and a zone closing in on you so you don't hide like the little rats you are. If you are touched by the zone, you will be eliminated. The number of students that will continue to the next section will be 200."

Instructor Harker then shifted focus to the next stage of the competition.

"For those who advance, the second section will be about teamwork, it will start 4 hours after the first section so you all can get some rest."

"You will be grouped into teams of four. You can pick the teammates you want, or you can wait until the others picked a team and be randomly put in one. There will be a total of 50 teams. Each team must navigate through a series of challenging environments filled with traps, puzzles, and lurking Enigmi. This will also be done the Virtual World.

"Points will be awarded for speed of clearing, and teamwork effectiveness . Keep in mind that only 10 teams will proceed to the final section."

As Instructor Harker finished detailing the challenges of the Obstacle Gauntlet in the second section. He waited for them to digest everything.

the students buzzed with questions. Lila, always curious, was the first to speak up.

"Excuse me, Instructor Harker," Lila said, raising her hand. "Could you tell us more about the final section, I heard rumours say that it's a duel Battle?"

Instructor Harker nodded. "The rumours are indeed correct, The duel Arena Battle is the tournament's climax and the ultimate test of your skills. It's designed to challenge you individually, putting all your training to the test."

"The arena," he explained, "is a massive circular battlefield surrounded by towering walls. What's special about it is the adaptive floor that can transform into various terrains."

Lila nodded thoughtfully, imagining the different landscapes. "So, it's more than just fighting skills?"

"Precisely," Harker affirmed. "Adaptability is crucial. Each match begins with a randomly selected terrain, giving you just moments to assess and strategize. The arena's AI will introduce dynamic elements like weather changes and unexpected danger."

Jax, who was standing nearby, leaned forward with interest. "How do you win these matches? Is it just about knocking out your opponent?"

"Winning isn't solely about overpowering your opponent," Harker replied, his tone serious. "You'll need to anticipate your opponent's moves and exploit any weaknesses you find. Use the environment to your advantage—speed and agility can help you outmanoeuvre, while strategy and deception can set up the perfect opportunity to strike."

He continued, "Each duel lasts up to ten minutes. If neither contestant manages a knockout, victory is determined by points awarded for combat effectiveness, creativity, and adaptability. But remember, the primary goal is to defeat your opponent using skill and strategic thinking."

Eva, known for her quiet but observant nature, asked, "What role does the audience play in these battles? Does it affect the outcome?"

Instructor Harker smiled. "The audience adds an incredible atmosphere. They'll be watching every move on giant screens around the arena. While they don't affect the outcome directly, knowing you're being watched can be motivating or daunting. It's your chance to showcase your skills and make an impression."

Alex, always thinking ahead, asked, "And when it's down to the final two competitors?"

"The final match is the tournament's pinnacle," Harker said, excitement in his voice. "It's a showdown to determine the champion. The winner earns not just the material rewards, but he will also be given a few benefits that other students can not have. It's a chance to demonstrate everything you've learned, to earn respect from your peers and instructors."

Harker paused, looking around at the attentive faces. "Remember, this tournament is more than a contest of combat skills. It's about growth and resilience. Every battle teaches you something valuable, whether you win or lose. It's a defining moment in your journey here, shaping the paths you'll take beyond the tournament."

The students listened intently, absorbing the weight of his words. They understood that the upcoming battles would test their limits and shape their futures in profound ways.

As the group broke up to continue their training, the anticipation for the tournament's final section grew. Each student was determined to give their all, ready to face the challenges ahead with courage and resolve. The lessons from the 1v1 Arena Battle would be invaluable, not only for the tournament but for their entire time at the academy.

"The tournament is scheduled to take place about a week from now. We will provide you with specific details, including the exact time, as we get closer to the event."

"Now that I have explained everything about the tournament, next we will continue our combat lesson" 

Next, the students got into pairs and started practising. Mark paired up with Aiden, Lena ended up with Lila. 

As Mark sparred with Aiden, he felt the immense defence and power of Aiden. He felt a lot stronger than before. Furthermore, this feeling was solidified by Aiden's ability to doge his punches easily.

"Damn Aiden, I knew you got stronger. But to be this strong, you are too overpower man!" said Mark sighing at his weakness, Aiden was getting too strong and he was not able to catch up.

He felt that they might drift apart due to their difference in strength. 

"Don't worry Mark, you can catch up easy. Just refine the mana crystals I gave you, don't worry about the costs. They should help increase your strength and other aspects."

"I can't let you leave me behind in the dusts" Mark said as he put more effort in the sparring.

After half an hour or so, the sparring ended between everyone.

"Alright guys, the class has ended today. You can disperse." said Instructor Harker, as he started leaving the combat area.