Chapter 6 (edited)
The Young Champions Tournament—a grand event held across the Elydrion Empire, open only to those below Rank 1 and under the age of 15. It was the greatest crucible for rising talent, drawing over 1.5 million participants from every corner of the realm. The sole requirement: you had to be a citizen of Elydrion and young enough to still be called a child by the Empire's standards.
Elydrion, the mightiest empire in Aetherion, stood as a beacon of strength and order. Home to over a billion people, its lands were shared by humans, elves, dwarves, beastkin, vampires, and werewolves. Only two races remained absent—demons and dragons, too proud to bend the knee to any sovereign.
Among these races, humans reigned in numbers, boasting nearly 800 million citizens. But this tournament wasn't about bloodlines or politics. It was about one thing—talent.
•The top 1,000 earned rare resources and gold.
•The top 100 received high-tier artifacts, noble patronage, and training in sacred grounds.
•But the top 10—they were rewarded with direct admission into Erinoguard, the most prestigious academy in the world, nestled within the floating city of Arcadia.
—————————-
Now, Arthur stood alongside thousands of chosen youths inside Valhalla's Crucible—the most advanced combat zone in all of Northern Elydrion.
Commissioned by the Valhalla Temple and built using cutting-edge magi-tech, the outer zone stretched wide and pristine across miles of enchanted ground. Ancient stone walls encircled the field like protective arms, and tall crystal obelisks pulsed with ambient mana.
A procession approached from the other end of the platform robed priests in white and gold, their presence commanding silence. At their lead was High Priest Robert, the temple's overseer.
As he neared the Valerian group, he gave a slight bow.
"Count Valerian's bloodline stands proud once again. I welcome you to Valhalla's Crucible."
Elyra returned the gesture with practiced elegance. "The honor is ours, High Priest."
The High Priest's gaze shifted to Arthur. "And this must be the youngest Valerian to step into the Crucible. A bold heart burns behind those eyes."
Arthur offered a short nod. "It's just a fight. I've had harder mornings."
Elyra coughed softly beside him, but the priest merely chuckled.
"A humble warrior? Or a sharp tongue hiding sharper steel? We shall see."
He turned. "Come. I'll escort you to the observation sanctum."
They walked past glowing archways into a wide observatory where important guests were seated. Nobles, guild masters. In the center, a special platform awaited.
A small ceremonial box was handed to Arthur. He opened it and lifted out the black magi-watch, marked with golden runes.
"This will link you to the Crucible's soul-core. Once the trial begins, it will serve as your only interface, tracker, and survival tool," the priest said.
Arthur strapped it on without hesitation.
"All the best, little brother."
Arthur nodded and turned to the priest. "Let's go."
The High Priest led Arthur down a separate corridor—this one cold, metallic, and humming with arcane energy. They arrived at a platform surrounded by towering mana pillars.
"This," the priest gestured, "is where your trial truly begins."
Arthur stared ahead, expression calm.
"Commissioned by the Temple, the Crucible uses high-grade soul-link magi-tech to generate a fully immersive virtual battlefield. What you see out there—trees, ruins, monsters—it's all generated by our mana-core illusion systems. Your pain, your fear, your exhaustion—it will feel real."
"Can we die?" Arthur asked casually.
"No. But your mind might wish you had," the priest said with quiet honesty.
Arthur gave a short chuckle. "I've had worse."
The priest smiled faintly, then stepped back. "This is where I leave you."
Arthur watched as the man disappeared into the shadows. A moment later, a booming announcementechoed across the sky.
"All participants, hear this! You will soon be transported to the Virtual Realm."
"This is a hunting trial. You can form group if you wish.You are allowed to carry only one artifact Rank 1 or below. Any attempt to bypass this restriction will result in disqualification."
"No one is allowed to steal from other"
"Your mission is simple slay as many beasts as possible and collect points. The stronger the beast, the more you earn. The top 5,000 scorers will qualify for Round Two."
"You will have only 6 hours."
Arthur looked down at the watch. Its runes glowed red. A voice whispered through the interface:
"Initialization: 60 seconds remaining."
He closed his eyes and took a long breath. His muscles relaxed. His heartbeat steadied.
"Alright then," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "Let's see if this empire's new generation is worth fighting."