"W-what happened?"
"I don't really know. Everything happened too fast. I think the herbalist has a special artifact."
"All I saw was a blinding light and a loud explosion that followed."
The arena trembled under the echo of the blast. A dense cloud of dust swirled above the shattered floor, coating the air with the sharp scent of burnt mana.
The audience, frozen for several seconds, finally erupted into noise. Dozens of spectators stood up from their seats, craning their necks to see through the settling haze.
Not a single one of them expected Auren, a supposed herbalist, to wield such devastating power.
As the smoke cleared, the blinding light faded, and figures began to reappear within the ruined pit. Gasps rippled through the stands as Alyssa emerged first. She was standing upright, her silver armor smeared with dust but otherwise unscathed.
Her chest rose and fell sharply as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.
