books44 Chapter 141: Battle Royale [1]
Chapter 141: Battle Royale [1]
It had been two days since Phase 1 of the selection tests for Team Gray had been completed.
Cael did not meet Junior again during those two days.
Junior was still under surveillance by the Golden Scale Academy, confined to the campus, unable to leave.
Any attempt to meet him would raise suspicion. So Cael waited.
The days passed without any major issues. Except for one annoyance.
The students from Black Ember Academy kept trying to challenge them. Sparring requests arrived at their dorm door every few hours. Notes were slipped under the door.
Students approached them in the cafeteria, demanding a match.
Cael ignored them all.
There was no need to make unnecessary complications. The selection tests were the priority.
Everything else was a distraction.
During the past two days, Cael also fully stabilized his sudden increase in power.
His mana flow was smooth again. His control was precise. He had also merged numerous skills and created five SS rank skills.
It had taken him a while to sort things out, since he had over one hundred skills to sift through. In the end, he had used up almost seventy skills to create these five.
---
1. True Sight of Origins (SS)
The user’s eyes transcend normal vision, allowing them to see through any illusion, invisibility, or concealment. They can perceive mana flow, skill activation, and even the hidden threads of cause and effect. At maximum, they can see a few seconds into the immediate future of their target’s movements.
2. Thought Partition (SS)
The user divides their consciousness into multiple independent streams. Each partition can think, analyze, and react separately. At the base level, the user can maintain two simultaneous thought streams. At maximum, this can increase to five. Allows the user to fight, strategize, and monitor surroundings without mental overload.
3. Dream Weave (SS)
The user creates illusions so real they affect all five senses. Unlike normal illusions, Dream Weave can also create phantom pain, temperature changes, and even simulate skill activation. Targets trapped inside a Dream Weave illusion cannot distinguish it from reality without an SS rank perception skill or needing to have three major ranks above the user’s rank. The illusion persists even if the user stops concentrating.
4. Great Stitching (SS)
The user’s body passively regenerates from wounds at an accelerated rate. Lost limbs regrow. Organs repair. Even mana pathways mend themselves. The regeneration speed scales with the user’s mana output. At full output, near-fatal wounds heal in seconds.
5. Mana Overdrive (SS)
The user temporarily increases their mana output by five times. All skills become stronger, faster, and more devastating. Physical abilities are enhanced proportionally. The downside is significant mana drain and strain on the body. Best used in short bursts for critical moments.
---
Cael was very pleased with his work. It had been mentally exhausting to sort through the skills, to find which ones shared affinities and which ones did not.
But the result was worth it.
He still had eighty-nine skills left, but those did not share any synergy with others. He set them aside for now.
Cael had yet to test his new SS rank skills out. He was in no rush.
Today, the results for the selection Phase 1 will be announced.
Only the top one hundred teams would pass. Then Phase 2 would begin.
A battle royale of the top one hundred teams. Only the last ten standing teams would be eligible for the Grand Summit Trials.
---
Cael walked out of the guest dorm along with his team. They headed to the cafeteria. There was nothing better to do but wait for the results.
The morning sun was warm against their faces. Students rushed past them, some anxious, some excited. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation.
After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at the cafeteria. It was loud.
People were talking about the results. Some were excited. Some were nervous. Others could not sit still, pacing back and forth between tables.
It was only natural. The thrill of anticipation was born from curiosity.
Team Gray did not pause. They moved through the crowd and climbed to the open floor on the top of the building. The breeze was stronger here, carrying the distant sounds of the academy.
Edwin’s eyes were glued to his mobile. He refreshed the page every few seconds, waiting for the results to post.
Aria and Brania were not worried. After all, they knew they were going to be in the top one hundred. Even if they achieved rank one, they would not be surprised.
Cael did not care about the results. It was fine as long as their team was selected, and he was quite sure they would be.
They started a small talk. Aria asked about breakfast. Brania complained about the wind. Edwin nodded along without really listening.
Then they were interrupted.
"Hey. If it isn’t the cowards who weren’t accepting our sparring requests."
Black Ember Academy students stood a few meters away. Their postures were arrogant. Their leader, a tall boy with sharp features, crossed his arms and sneered.
Cael inwardly sighed.
’They are at it again. So damn childish.’
...
At the same time, on the other side of the academy, inside the instructor’s meeting hall.
Seraphina stood by the long glass window, looking out at the city below. The morning light reflected off the glass, casting soft shadows across the floor.
Someone interrupted her silence.
"Hello, Vice Principal of Everbright."
Seraphina turned her head. Her amber eyes studied the newcomer.
A man stood near the doorway; his arms folded behind his back. His smile did not reach his eyes.
Seraphina recognized him immediately.
"Oh, isn’t it the Vice Principal of Black Ember? What are you doing here?"
The Black Ember Vice Principal smiled wider.
"I heard your academy students were not agreeing to spar with my students."
Seraphina narrowed her eyes.
"I heard one of my students one-shot your student."
A thick mark appeared on the Black Ember Vice Principal’s forehead.
Sparks seemed to ignite between their eyes.
Everbright and Black Ember had always had a competitive relationship. Their academies competed against each other in every field.
Combat. Academics. Admissions.
Sometimes Black Ember won. Sometimes Everbright won.
But ever since Seraphina had taken over the Vice Principal role, Black Ember had not won a single time.
A notification rang on both of their watches. The results were out.
The Black Ember Vice Principal immediately checked. His smile returned, sharper this time.
"One of our teams ranked second."
Seraphina looked at her own watch. Her expression remained neutral, but her eyes lingered on the screen.
Then she turned and smiled.
"That’s impressive. But first rank is ours."
...
"W-we ranked first?"
Edwin was in disbelief. Even though he knew they had a high chance of getting it, he was still shocked. His hands trembled slightly as he stared at his mobile screen.
After all, it was Cael who had carried the trials.
If anything, Edwin, Aria, and Brania might have dragged him down in Trial 2. Yet here they were. Rank one.
A few meters away, the Black Ember students were sitting; they stood up as they intended to show off their second-place ranking.
Then their leader’s steps paused when he heard Edwin’s words.
"First?"
Edwin’s eyes fell on the Black Ember students. He stood up from his chair and started walking toward them.
Cael inwardly sighed.
’Now he is going to show off to them.’
’Truly a never-ending circle.’
Cael also noted the announcement on the screen. The battle royale would take place the day after tomorrow.
But this time, it was not in a virtual world.
It was in the real world.
The Golden Scale Academy had already prepared a perfect location.
---
In the blink of an eye, the day of the battle royale arrived.
Team Gray received four badges. Each badge emitted the same wavelength.
During teleportation, they would all be sent to the same place.
Cael and Team Gray stood at the edge of the staging area. They could hear the cheers from the stadium.
Thousands of spectators had gathered to watch. The noise was deafening, a constant roar of excitement and anticipation.
Cael stepped forward into the light.
He walked onto the stage under the eyes of thousands of spectators. Behind him walked Edwin, Aria, and Brania.
Cael saw more than fifty teams already on the stage. He saw every other member also wearing badges.
Cael’s eyes darted around. He saw teleportation circle runes carved into the stage floor.
They glowed with a soft blue light, pulsing in rhythm with the crowd’s cheers.
Once all one hundred teams had arrived on the stage, an announcer’s voice echoed through the stadium.
"Are you guys ready?"
The crowd roared.
"This is Phase 2 of the selection tests. The Battle Royale!"