The day had finally come. The sun rose over the sleeping town, telling everyone it was time. The second round of the Tatum-Deru Tournament was beginning today.
By 6 a.m., the streets were filled as countless citizens trooped in from all over the continent. Several had even made camp by the gates so they could secure good seats.
The unprecedented success of the first round of the tournament had caused its already mind-blowing popularity to skyrocket far beyond anyone's predictions.
The aroma of dishes from all cultures could be smelled at every turn. Everyone was waiting, watching, and feasting. The earth itself seemed blessed with mirth.
By 9 a.m., the commentator who had taken over from Keel Kun in the last round appeared with a single poof sound. He was dressed in a three-piece suit, wore white gloves on both hands, and had an appraiser's single-lens glass over one eye.
His appearance brought even more cheers. The crowd roared, rose to their feet, stomped, blew whistles, placed bets, and grabbed maximum-size popcorn as anticipation reached an all-time peak.
X watched them with gleaming eyes. He had one job today—to keep their attention fixed on the screen and give the audience the best tournament commentary they could ever ask for.
And he intended to do just that.
He waited, and the moment he knew was right, he spoke.
"Welcome… to Day Two. To the Second Round of the Tatum-Deru Intercontinental Tournament."
The roars resumed. If the sounds before had merely been annoying, the noise now was simply deafening.
Just then, the screen warped into existence through Kime's reality-warping. It displayed the Royal Box, where the dignitaries were seated.
"Once again, this tournament has been graced with the presence of our very own royalty. In the Royal Box, we have the King and Queen of Falmouth—King Alexander Alroind and the lovely Queen Elena Alroind."
The image panned to the royal couple, who waved to the crowd.
The screen shifted again.
"Next, we have King Quinnson Guel and his daughter, Crown Princess Azaria."
"And the Prime Minister of the Taltaba Federation, Gruddal Himps, along with his beautiful wife, Georgia Himps, Minister for Environmental and Technology, and their wonderful children, Austin Himps and Mariliel Himps."
"And lastly—the man who made all of this possible. The visionary behind Tatum-Deru. A man we all know and respect, despite our differences. One of the Five Legends—Kime Auburn!"
The cheering surged once more at full throttle.
The screen then cut to the field dungeon where the second round would be held. It displayed an overarching view, showing all fifteen trainees from Four Stars Academy, ten from Blooms Academy, ten from the Hero Academy, and five from Rangers Academy.
The trainees marched in with their heads held high. What they were doing was no simple feat. By the end of this tournament, they would become household names. Children would admire them. Parents would want their children to be like them.
It was a sensation none of them would ever forget—their moment of fame.
As the forty-five trainees gathered before another familiar face from Round One, X decided to explain something to the crowd.
"There exists a hidden rule in the first round of the Tatum-Deru Tournament that allowed points to be awarded for the killing of demonic beasts. This rule accounts for why we have forty-five trainees in Round Two instead of the expected thirty-five.
"Teams Two and Three of Blooms Academy and Rangers Academy requested to be tested under those merits, and because we would otherwise lack the expected number of competitors, they were selected. Do not be distraught, however—everyone who advanced can confidently say they were tried and tested."
At that same moment, the trainees shown on the screen split once more into groups of five and began making their way into the open dungeon.
The dungeon they were entering this time was a Red Zone Dungeon, whose territorial boundaries had merged with a Purple Zone Dungeon.
"Our combatants are getting ready to begin. It appears they've just finished receiving their pre-competition instructions, as well as a rundown of the rules and merit system."
It was the perfect environment to test the limits of Blue-Eye Form heroes.
Noticing some confusion among the observers, X continued.
"For those unfamiliar with dungeon classifications, allow me to explain.
"Dungeon zones are categorized by danger level. The weakest are White Zones, followed by Yellow Zones. These lower-tier zones are where most trainee heroes gain real-life combat experience.
"Above those are Green Zones and Red Zones, considered mid-tier. Heroes of the First through Third Forms typically operate here.
"Beyond them lie the high-level dungeons: Purple Zones, Silver Zones, and finally Black Zones. These are challenged only by Blue-Eye Form heroes, Denkei Form elites, or the occasional Henkei Form hero."
The screen cut back to the dungeon as group leaders organized their teammates.
"The second round of the Tatum-Deru Tournament is a Dungeon Exploration Conquest. In a few moments, the rules of this round will be announced."
Inside the dungeon, the groups discussed strategies and positions while awaiting the signal to begin.
The wait was short.
With a wave of his hand, Kime released the tension that had begun to grip the audience. The runes he had drawn throughout the arena glowed softly, though none were aware of their significance. With a nod to X, he signaled the start.
"Alright, the rules are out!" X announced as the screen dimmed to a silvery hue. Before the crowd's eyes, words formed across the display.
"The rules are simple. There are only three.
"Rule One: No intentional killings."
Gasps rippled through the arena. Those skilled in linguistic nuance immediately caught the implication—killing was not forbidden. Only intentional killing was.
Unlike the first round, where safety had been guaranteed, this single rule shattered many illusions of peace. The audience could tell—this test was meant to go to the extreme.
"Rule Two: The duration of the test is one week. During this time, all participants must explore the dungeon in search of Dukcilliea Chambers. The first five teams to arrive will advance to the Third Round."
This rule was tamer by comparison, yet frightening in its own way. Mothers in the crowd sympathized with the participants—mere children, most no older than eighteen or nineteen. The thought of them surviving for a week in such a place was terrifying.
"Rule Three: Once participants enter the dungeon, they will not be permitted to leave under any circumstances—even in death. This is to ensure the safety of both participants and spectators. Instructors have been stationed at key locations and will intervene only when survival is critically threatened."
That rule brought some relief. The crowd loved the violence, the spectacle, the power on display—but none truly wanted to see them die.
How twisted, Corinth Ransthrol thought as he watched from the VIP section.
His plan was already in motion. The clock was ticking.
Four Stars Academy had been marked. Once the final runes were set, the barrier—capable of blocking even Legend-rank attacks—would be complete.
It paid to have the right connections.
It was Fadex who had informed him of the barrier's existence, advising him to trap Kime first before launching the full-scale assault on Four Stars Academy.
Fadex had also warned him of another variable—a Legend who had recently awakened from a long, deep slumber.
But Corinth couldn't be bothered.
At this stage, only two things could stop his plan.
First—successfully trapping Kime and isolating him from Four Stars Academy.
Second—recapturing Kutote Tuo.
As long as those conditions were met, the world could burn for all he cared.
And burn it would.
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)