CHAPTER 4 –AETHRA TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE: SHADOW DUNES
993 Words
AETHRA TOURNAMENT – Core Ascension Tournament
“A Core is not just power. It is a reflection of the soul. And in battle, your soul will be tested.”
— Aria Velmira, during the tournament’s opening ceremony.
After the events of the Ruined Zone, Aethra Academy launched the ACAT as an internal selection tournament to test all Core users ranked C and above.
Reno, though labeled an "anomaly," was mysteriously granted automatic entry—due to his Void Factor, a unique energy undetectable by normal classification systems.
🌀 Round 1: Preliminaries – 60 Participants, 20 Advance
Format: Battle Royale – 5 randomized zones
Objective:
Survive for 30 minutes OR
Break 2 enemy life crystals
⚔️ Round 2: Elimination – Top 20
Format: 1 vs 1 knockout duels
Arena: Elemental and thematic combat zones
Duration: Max 10 minutes or until one contestant is KO'd
☯️ Round 3: Voidgate Trial – Top 8
(To be revealed in the story...)
ROUND ONE
"What’s visible isn’t always strong. What’s invisible can destroy you before you even blink."
The sky above the arena turned dark as all participants were teleported into their assigned zones.
The Aethra Core Ascension Tournament had officially begun.
From the crystal grandstands, thousands of students watched via magical projections that showed every combat zone.
I, Reno Arkan, was assigned to Zone 3: Shadow Dunes — a dusty desert with a thin black mist that covered the entire area.
There were no places to hide—just mirages and whispering winds that gnawed at your mind.
“60 participants. Survive for 30 minutes. Destroy two enemy life crystals to advance.
Break your crystal? You’re out.
Die? You’re forcibly removed.”
The referee’s voice echoed in my ears as my body was warped into the heart of the dunes via teleportation magic.
As soon as I landed, the mist wrapped around my vision.
A glowing life crystal shimmered on my chest, bound by magical threads that couldn’t be removed.
I took a deep breath.
Void Step – active.
With one inhale, my body vanished from this world. My footsteps were soundless. My shadow erased.
I walked silently through the shifting sands.
Every now and then, I saw a glint of blue in the distance—signs of other participants.
But I wasn’t a hunter.
I was a trap waiting for prey.
A few minutes passed.
Then—heavy footsteps.
Someone was walking past a massive boulder—tall as a tower.
I crept closer.
Target: Tavin Leoric, Core Rank C+, Sound Core user — capable of generating vibrations and soundwaves to attack or detect stealth.
“Come out, shadow rat!” he shouted. “I know you’re here! Cowardly Void user!”
A sonar wave burst from his palm. A glowing circle expanded in the air.
If I were still in the material plane, I’d be exposed.
Luckily…
I wasn’t here.
Tavin turned left.
Wrong move.
I activated Void Echo, generating a fake shadow that dashed out from behind a rock—running, panicked.
Tavin spotted it and immediately launched an attack.
“Gotcha, you little—”
ZAAAKK!
I appeared from the opposite side.
Silent Blitz.
A clean strike to the back of his neck.
He dropped instantly.
I shattered his life crystal before he could come to.
1 Elimination.
Ten minutes passed.
I remained in the Void. In silence. In shadow.
But I could feel it…
The longer I stayed here, the thinner the line became between me and my shadow.
Aria’s voice echoed in my head:
“The Void isn’t a place to hide.
It’s a place to disappear.”
A clash of magic flared from the north. Two participants were fighting in the open.
Idiots. Too flashy.
Perfect for me.
I approached.
Two targets: a stone-element user and a wind-element user.
Their life crystals gleamed on their chests.
I scanned the terrain. Plenty of stone pillars, two meters high.
I could sneak around… or try something smarter.
Void Echo.
A fake shadow climbed one of the pillars from the east.
The wind user reacted instantly.
“Upper left!”
He launched a small tornado toward the decoy.
Meanwhile, I emerged from the shadow beneath them, activating Mirror Dust — refracted light and sound made it seem like I was coming from three directions at once.
They panicked.
That’s all I needed.
CRACK!
I shattered the stone user’s crystal. He collapsed.
The wind user tried to flee.
Too late.
I activated Reaper Line — drawing an invisible Void slit across the ground.
As he stepped across it, his left leg was slashed by a dimensional tear.
“AAARRGGHHH!”
He collapsed. I didn’t waste a second.
2 Eliminations.
The timer read 27 minutes.
Only 3 minutes left.
But I’d already met the requirement: two enemy crystals destroyed.
A magical system marked my body with a blue glow — confirmation that I had passed.
But then…
I heard another pair of footsteps.
Someone who hadn’t fought…
Just followed.
From the very start.
I remained invisible. Still. Watching.
Then, she stepped through the mist.
Elyze Faera.
Purple hair. Gentle eyes. Her steps light as wind.
She stared directly at me—despite my invisibility.
“Reno Arkan,” she said softly. “Do you really think the Void can make you truly alone?”
I said nothing.
She smiled faintly.
“I know what it feels like to not want to be seen.
But be careful…
Stay too long in the dark, and you’ll forget how to return.”
She walked past me and disappeared into the fog.
No attack.
No fight.
It felt like she had only come to deliver a message.
30 minutes. Time’s up.
My body was forcibly teleported out of Shadow Dunes.
I reappeared in the Aethra teleportation hall, breathing heavily. My heart still pounding.
But my face… was calm.
Because a true winner… doesn’t need to shine bright.
Sometimes, it’s enough to be the last shadow standing.
[To Be Continued…]
- Writer
