The deep sound of the great bells echoed along the banks of the RiverHold river while dozens of vessels surrounded the gigantic floating platform used for the first phase of the Guild Tournament.
The orange sky of the late afternoon reflected upon the restless water, creating a golden glow that contrasted with the tension in the air.
The arena was colossal.
A massive structure made of Alrits—a rare and extremely durable ore—floated above the river thanks to magical mechanisms hidden beneath it.
At its edges, pillars crowned with yellow crystals emitted a soft light, scattering magical particles through the air.
Standing atop one of the main vessels was a man clad in crimson armor with golden details.
Rumel Grow: “The first phase of the Guild Tournament… BEGINS NOW!”
The countdown reached zero.
Kamero immediately became alert.
Kamero: “Formation!”
Yashina immediately drew her sword.
Aysa raised her fists.
Sarina opened her fans in a swift motion.
And at that instant—
BOOOOM!!
An explosion erupted not far from them.
An entire guild had already begun fighting.
Spells tore across the sky.
One man was sent flying.
Another group ran in the opposite direction.
Chaos had begun instantly.
Hitori looked around with wide eyes.
Hitori: “This turned into a war in two seconds!!”
Kamero quickly analyzed the battlefield.
Kamero: “We can’t engage in direct combat right away.”
Yashina nodded.
Yashina: “We need to preserve our energy.”
Aysa pointed toward a quieter area of the platform.
Aysa: “Over there!”
Aysa: “It looks safer!”
Kamero glanced at it.
Kamero: “Let’s move!”
The group immediately began running across the Floating Base.
Around them—
The chaos intensified with every second.
Swords clashed.
Spells exploded.
Adventurers were thrown into the river.
Some vanished in beams of light after being eliminated.
Hitori almost got hit by a hammer as a warrior flew through the air.
Hitori: “This is insane…!!”
Sarina elegantly dodged an explosion of fire.
Sarina: “Stay focused, worm!”
Yashina led the group, cutting through the crowd.
Kamero continued observing the surroundings.
But then—
He suddenly stopped.
Kamero: “Let’s follow the plan exactly.”
Everyone nodded.
However, Sarina discreetly glanced at Hitori.
She remembered the meeting from earlier.
Kamero had spent hours creating a strategy for EXO to survive in that arena.
Kamero: “Sarina and Yashina will be our main attackers.”
He pointed at the two.
Kamero: “The combination of wind and light will give us an advantage at medium and long range.”
Yashina remained calm while six hexagons of light slowly appeared behind her.
The hexagons rotated silently, releasing small golden particles.
Kamero then raised his grimoire.
Kamero: “I’ll handle defense. My ice will block attacks and control the battlefield.”
Crystals of ice slowly formed around him.
Kamero then looked at Aysa.
Kamero: “Aysa will be our close-range fighter. Her paralyzing fluids can stop anyone who tries direct combat.”
Aysa twirled a knife between her fingers.
A reddish substance coated the blade.
Aysa: “And now I can heal minor wounds too.”
After the battle against the wolves, Aysa had developed a different form of witchcraft, using her bodily fluids to create a mucus capable of healing light wounds and even small fractures if necessary.
Sarina raised an eyebrow.
Sarina: “And Hitori?”
Silence filled the group.
Kamero looked away briefly.
Kamero: “Hitori will be our last line of defense.”
Sarina: “Huh?”
Kamero: “He’s our strongest member…”
Hitori quietly lowered his head.
Kamero: “…and also the most dangerous to himself.”
Yashina closed her eyes.
Kamero: “We still don’t know how far his black mana can go.”
Sarina looked at Hitori.
Sarina: “So you’re leaving him out of the fight?”
Hitori smiled faintly.
Hitori: “It’s fine.”
But Sarina didn’t seem satisfied.
Sarina was lost in thought when she noticed something.
A guild was running desperately toward them.
Everyone immediately looked ahead.
Five adventurers blocked their path.
The man in the center carried two hatchets attached to his waist.
A cruel smile spread across his face.
???: “Well, well…”
His eyes swept over Guild EXO.
???: “Rookies.”
Behind him, the others laughed.
???: “You look like easy points.”
Hitori felt his body stiffen slightly.
Their first battle…
Was about to begin.
amero took a deep breath.
Kamero: “Attack!”
Several spells were launched simultaneously.
???: “Water Spheres!”
???: “Fire Cannon!”
BOOOOOM!!
The explosions struck Guild EXO’s position directly.
A huge cloud of dark smoke engulfed the area.
The attackers smiled.
???: “They didn’t even dodge.”
???: “What weaklings.”
???: “Let’s move on already!”
Then…
FWOOSH!!
A gust of wind partially dispersed the smoke.
And the five members of Guild EXO emerged completely unharmed.
The invaders froze.
???: “What…?”
Sarina slowly spun her fans.
Sarina: “How pathetic.”
She stepped forward.
Yashina immediately noticed.
Yashina: “Sarina! Don’t leave the formation!”
Sarina smiled provocatively.
Sarina: “Relax.”
She opened both fans. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
The wind around her began vibrating violently.
Sarina: “Cyclone Strike!”
FWOOOOOSH!!
A compressed cyclone appeared before her, swallowing the incoming attacks and completely destroying the enemy spells.
The warriors widened their eyes.
???: “What kind of magic is that?!”
???: “Get out of there!”
But Sarina had already vanished.
She appeared above them.
Sarina: “Who said I’d let you?”
Her fans shone.
Sarina: “Flow Burst!”
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A gigantic mass of compressed air exploded against the enemy guild.
Their bodies were violently thrown off the platform.
Silence.
Then a voice echoed through the arena crystals.
System: “Guild EXO: +5 points.”
Hitori blinked.
Aysa’s eyes widened.
Kamero put a hand over his face.
Yashina marched toward Sarina angrily.
Yashina: “YOU IDIOT!”
Sarina calmly turned around.
Sarina: “What?”
Yashina: “You broke formation!”
Sarina: “But it worked.”
Yashina: “And what if it hadn’t?!”
Kamero immediately interrupted.
Kamero: “Another guild is coming. We don’t have time to argue.”
Everyone became alert.
But this time…
The magical pressure was different.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
Five figures slowly walked through the arena’s debris.
Extremely pale skin.
Long silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Pointed ears.
Elves.
The mana emanating from them was monstrous.
Hitori felt a chill run down his spine.
Kamero narrowed his eyes.
Kamero: “So they’re elves…”
The five smiled arrogantly.
One of them stepped forward.
???: “We are Guild Eyalnir.”
Another added coldly:
???: “And we shall eliminate you inferior humans.”
A vein bulged on Hitori’s forehead.
Hitori: “Who are you calling inferior, you bastard?!”
The elf didn’t even bother looking directly at him.
???: “You.”
Hitori immediately stepped forward.
Hitori: “Say that again!”
???: “I do not lower myself to the level of humans.”
Hitori: “ARRRGH!”
Kamero grabbed his shoulder.
Kamero: “Don’t fall for the provocation.”
But Sarina…
She was smiling.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Sarina: “This is amazing…”
She slowly opened her fans.
Sarina: “I’ve always wanted to fight elves.”
The elf in front vanished.
His speed was absurd.
Kamero’s eyes widened.
Kamero: “Sarina, don’t do anything!”
Too late.
Sarina charged.
Sarina: “Cutting Vacuums!”
Several invisible blades of compressed air were launched toward the elf.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The explosions carved through the arena floor.
But the elf passed right through them.
Sarina smiled even wider.
And then…
The two collided.
WIND.
MANA.
Shockwaves exploded around them.
And at that moment…
Guild EXO’s true battle had begun.
The air exploded violently around the two combatants.
The platform trembled with every collision.
The blades of air created by Sarina’s fans sliced through the stone floor while the elf dodged with monstrous speed, leaving blue trails of mana behind him.
???: “Pathetic…”
Bursts of compressed mana shot from the elf’s hands.
Sarina spun through the air.
Sarina: “Dance of the Winds!”
FWOOSH!!
Currents of wind wrapped around her body, making her extremely light.
The blasts passed beneath her and exploded against the ground.
BOOOOM!!
Fragments of stone flew everywhere.
Hitori widened his eyes.
Hitori: “She’s flying?!”
Kamero narrowed his gaze.
Kamero: “No… she’s using the wind flow to reduce her body’s weight.”
The speed of the two continued increasing.
The other elves watched calmly.
???: “As expected of a human.”
???: “Savage and disorganized.”
???: “Even so… she’s fast.”
The elf raised his hand.
Blue mana chains appeared around his arms.
???: “Mana Chains.”
CLANG!!
The chains advanced like living serpents.
Sarina dodged the first.
The second.
The third.
But the fourth grazed her shoulder.
Sarina: “Tsc!”
The chain exploded into mana upon touching her.
BOOOOM!!
Sarina was pushed backward through the air.
Hitori immediately stepped forward.
Hitori: “SARINA!”
Kamero extended his arm in front of him. Get faster updates on g.com.
Kamero: “Wait!”
Sarina spun in midair and landed, sliding across the ground.
She smiled excitedly.
Sarina: “So you really are strong.”
???: “Insolent human.”
The chains began rotating around him.
???: “I am Miv… the Elf of Chains.”
The magical pressure increased.
Sarina’s hair fluttered violently as mana spread through the surroundings.
Miv vanished.
CRASH!!
A chain appeared instantly behind Sarina.
She blocked with her fans.
The impact created a shockwave.
Miv appeared above her.
Miv: “You humans are fragile.”
Sarina: “And you talk too much!”
She opened both fans.
Sarina: “Flow Burst!”
BOOOOOOM!!
An explosion of wind struck Miv directly.
But…
The chains spun around his body.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The wind was dispersed.
Miv: “Weak.”
At that same instant—
FWOOOOOSH!!
Sarina appeared directly in front of him.
Miv’s eyes widened.
Sarina: “Cutting Vacuums!”
Several blades of compressed air exploded at point-blank range.
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOM!!
Miv was launched backward, crashing through pieces of the arena.
Hitori smiled.
Hitori: “Nice!”
But at that instant—
A presence appeared behind him.
???: “Never take your eyes off the battle, human.”
Hitori’s eyes widened.
A blade of mana descended toward him.
CLANG!!
Golden hexagons appeared and blocked the attack.
Yashina stood before him.
Yashina: “Stay alert.”
Behind her, six hexagons shone brilliantly.
Another elf appeared beside the attacker.
Elv: “Humans really do need to protect each other all the time.”
His body began to be covered by a translucent armor of mana.
Kamero immediately recognized it.
Kamero: “So that’s their tank…”
Elv charged.
BOOOOM!!
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
Kamero opened his grimoire.
Kamero: “Glacial Barrier!”
CRACK!!
A wall of ice appeared in front of them.
Elv smashed through it with his own body.
Hitori widened his eyes.
Hitori: “He broke it?!”
Kamero: “His armor reinforces physical impact.”
Another elf appeared behind them at that moment.
Long silver hair.
A staff surrounded by blue magic circles.
Kirt: “Mana Wave.”
FWOOSH!!
A circular wave exploded from the staff.
Yashina moved immediately.
Yashina: “Hexagon of Light!”
The hexagons rotated before her, forming a golden barrier.
BOOOOOM!!
The explosion made the entire platform tremble.
Aysa quickly stepped back.
Aysa: “These guys are monsters!”
Further away—
Another elf slowly drew a bow made entirely of mana.
Kamero widened his eyes.
Kamero: “An archer!”
Ecti smiled coldly.
Ecti: “Mana Arrows.”
FWISH!
FWISH!
FWISH!
The arrows cut through the air at tremendous speed.
Yashina moved the hexagons.
Yashina: “Reflection.”
The hexagons began reflecting light off one another.
The brightness increased tremendously.
Then—
FWOOOOOSH!!
A gigantic beam of light exploded against the arrows.
BOOOOOM!!
The explosion illuminated the entire platform.
The spectators aboard the ships widened their eyes.
???: “What kind of magic was that?!”
???: “That girl reflected the attack itself?!”
At the center of the arena—
The fifth elf advanced with an arrogant smile.
???: “Inferior humans should never—”
Sarina instantly appeared in front of him.
Sarina: “Ah, shut up.”
She clenched her fist.
Wind began swirling around her arm.
Sarina: “Vacuum Fist.”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The impact exploded directly against the elf’s face.
A shockwave swept across the entire arena.
His body spun violently through the air before disappearing beyond the platform.
System: “Guild EXO: +1 point.”
Silence.
The other four elves froze.
Miv slowly turned his head.
His mana exploded violently.
Miv: “You…”
Chains began appearing all around his body.
Miv: “You dared to lay your hands on an elf…?”