The Young Champions Tournament—a grand event held across the entire Elydrion Empire, where only those under Rank 1 are allowed to participate. It's the greatest test of young talent, drawing over 1.5 million participants from across the empire. The only condition: you must be a citizen of Elydrion.
Elydrion, the strongest empire on Aetherion, is home to over a billion people. Humans, elves, dwarves, beastkin, vampires, and werewolves coexist peacefully within its borders. Only two races remain absent—demons and dragons—both too proud to live under another's rule.
Among its people, humans dominate the population due to their high birth rate, making up nearly 800 million of the total.
But the Young Champions Tournament is not about race or wealth. It is about talent, strength, and determination.
The top 1,000 are rewarded with rare resources and wealth. The top 100 receive even more—high-grade artifacts, training opportunities, and recognition. But only the top 10 are granted the ultimate reward: direct admission into Erinoguard, the most prestigious academy in the world, located in the floating city of Arcadia.
But Arthur Valerian didn't care for rewards.He only wanted to fight—and win.To prove that no one stood above him.
Two days passed in a blur of preparation.
Now, Arthur stood before a towering structure unlike anything else in the Valerian domain—the Central Warp Gate of North Elydrion.
Even though Arthur lived in a lavish noble estate, this place made his home feel small.The warp gate was a colossal ring of obsidian stone, standing hundreds of feet tall, inscribed with ancient runes that pulsed with mana. Crystalline spires encircled it like sentinels, drawing mana from deep within the earth and sky. Mages in white and gold robes moved in disciplined precision around the platform, maintaining the gate's enchantments.
Above, airships soared like birds of steel and glass, and crowds of thousands buzzed with excitement around the transport district. Combatants, nobles, and priests had gathered from every province to witness the awakening of a new generation of warriors.
Arthur's breath caught for a second.He'd seen it before in books—heard stories from knights who had traveled through it.But standing before it was something else entirely.
It felt like staring into the mouth of fate.
Behind him, twenty elite knights in dark silver armor stood like statues, each carrying the Valerian family crest—a sword piercing a crown. Flanking Arthur were two powerful figures—his sister Elyra's personal butlers, Rein and Elika, both Rank 5 warriors cloaked in subtle power.
Elyra herself stood tall beside Arthur, her long coat fluttering in the wind. The wind carried a scent of mana, steel, and tension.
As they approached the shimmering gate, a figure walked down from the staircase-like platform—an elderly man draped in ceremonial white robes and gold ornaments.He had an air of grace but the eyes of a warrior.
The High Priest of Valhalla Temple, Robert, bowed.
"Welcome, Children of the Northern Blade. May your path be lit by glory."
Elyra smiled with courteous respect. "An honor, High Priest. Your reputation reaches even the far ends of Valerian County."
The priest's lips curved slightly. "Let us see if your brother can live up to the legend your family carries."
Arthur said nothing.He didn't need to.His resolve was already carved in stone.
The group ascended the stairs and entered a platform that pulsed with light. Elyra moved to the VIP viewing area inside the command observatory tower. From there, she would watch the entire tournament unfold across massive mana screens.
Moments passed.The clock struck twelve.
A loud voice echoed through the grand coliseum."Are all participants present?"
Arthur looked down at the watch he'd received and tapped "Yes" on the glowing interface.
The voice continued."Then listen carefully.This tournament will begin in a virtual battlefield, where all 300,000 participants will be transported. You will hunt fearsome beasts—each kill earns you points. The stronger the beast, the higher your score. The top 5,000 will move on to the next round—where real combat begins. From there, the top 100 will be chosen and sent to the capital, Caelora, to face the champions from other provinces."
"Transfer sequence initializing. All participants prepare for warp."
The platform glowed as mana surged through the ground like rivers of light, connecting to each participant's watch. Arthur's watch vibrated.
T-minus 10 seconds.
He inhaled deeply, a strange calm overtaking him.
He wasn't just stepping into a competition—he was stepping into a storm of blood, beasts, and destiny.
5... 4... 3...
A blinding white light burst from the gate, engulfing his body.
2... 1...
And then—he vanished.Gone in a flash, like a star being born.