The cheers that had erupted following Garrick's defeat had long since mutated into a buzzing, anxious hum. The Grand Arena of Overlords Academy was no longer just a venue for sport; it was the epicenter of a paradigm shift. The students, faculty, and hidden spies watching from the stands weren't just witnessing a tournament—they were watching the old hierarchy be dismantled, piece by piece, by a freshman wearing the robes of a king and wielding the power of a god.

Alvian stood in the preparation tunnel, the darkness cool against his skin. The [Vestments of the Void Monarch] rippled silently, the fabric absorbing the dim light of the corridor. He didn't need to check his status panel, but the habit was ingrained.

[Mana: 45,000 / 45,000]

[Regeneration: 4,500 MP/sec (Infinite Sustain Active)]

He was full. He was ready.

"Next match," Seraphina's voice drifted from the shadows near the ceiling beams. She didn't manifest fully, just a whisper in the dark. "Kuro. Current Head of the Phantom Faction. He's Level 37. Class: Mirage Walker."

"Mirage Walker," Alvian repeated, his voice flat. "Illusion and assassination. Annoying."

"He's fast, Alvian. Faster than Lysander. And unlike the noble brat, Kuro earned his spot with blood. He doesn't rely on raw firepower; he relies on the fact that you can't hit what isn't there."

Alvian adjusted the grip on his [Lance of the Void Winter]. The violet frost emanating from the blade misted the air.

"Neither can he," Alvian stated.

"Just... watch your back," Seraphina warned before her presence faded completely. "The Syndicate is quiet. Too quiet."

[System Announcement: Semi-Finals Match 1!]

[Alvian (Freshman) vs. Kuro (Phantom Head)!]

The barrier at the end of the tunnel dissolved. Alvian stepped out into the blinding sunlight.

The arena had changed. The magical terraforming system had shifted the battlefield from the standard stone platform to a complex environment. Pillars of ancient, moss-covered stone rose from a floor shrouded in thick, magical fog. Visibility was reduced to less than five meters.

It was a playground for assassins.

At the far end of the arena, a figure stood atop one of the highest pillars. Kuro wore tight, dark leather armor covered in shifting runes that made his outline blur. He wore a porcelain mask with no mouth, only two narrow slits for eyes. He held twin daggers that dripped with a green, viscous liquid.

[Target: Kuro]

[Level: 37]

[Class: Mirage Walker]

[Threat: Moderate]

"START!"

The gong sounded.

Kuro didn't charge. He didn't taunt. He simply fell backward off the pillar and vanished into the fog.

[System Warning: Enemy Stealth Detected.]

Alvian stood perfectly still in the center of the mist. The moisture in the air was high. To a Cryomancer, this was an advantage, but to a novice, it was a death trap.

"Swish."

A sound to his left.

Alvian didn't turn. He triggered his [Terra-Form] passive, hardening his skin.

"CLANG!"

A dagger struck his neck. Sparks flew. The blade didn't pierce the skin; it skidded off the invisible barrier of Alvian's immense Physique stat.

[-0 HP]

"Fast," Alvian muttered.

But when he turned to strike, there was nothing there. Just a wisp of smoke that dissipated instantly.

"Swish. Swish. Swish."

Three more sounds. Behind him. Above him. To his right.

Alvian narrowed his eyes. "Clones."

Suddenly, five figures burst from the fog simultaneously. Five Kuros, all lunging with lethal intent. Their daggers glowed with [Viper's Kiss], a high-level poison skill.

Alvian didn't panic. He analyzed.

'Inefficient,' he thought. 'Five bodies mean divided mana signature.'

He raised his free hand.

"[Runic Aegis +2]."

Fourteen ancient runes materialized around him, spinning in a chaotic orbit.

"Orbit: Expand."

He pushed the runes outward. They flew in a widening circle, tearing through the fog like buzzsaws.

"POOF! POOF! POOF!"

Three of the Kuros vanished upon contact with the runes. Illusions. They had no mass.

But two remained. They deflected the runes with their daggers and continued their trajectory.

"Two real bodies?" Alvian noted. "Solid clones. Impressive."

The two Kuros struck. One aimed for Alvian's heart, the other for his kidneys.

Alvian activated [Klaus's Upgrade].

[Ding! Blessing Active.]

He didn't use an offensive skill. He used movement.

"[Shadow Step]."

Because of the blessing, the range and speed were doubled.

Alvian didn't just teleport; he fractured reality. He vanished from the pincer attack so fast that the two Kuros struck each other.

"CLANG!"

Alvian reappeared fifty meters in the air, looking down at the fog.

"You like hide and seek?" Alvian whispered. "Let's change the game."

He gripped his lance with both hands.

"System. Divert Energy to [Frost Descent +2]. Output: 200%."

[Warning! Environmental Freeze Imminent.]

"Do it."

He thrust the lance downward.

"[Glacial Void Pierce]... Scattering Shot."

He fired the beam of void energy, but instead of a straight line, he channeled it through the fog itself.

"BOOM!"

The violet beam hit the center of the arena and detonated. It wasn't an explosion of fire, but of absolute cold.

The fog didn't disperse. It froze.

Instantly, the entire arena was filled with a complex web of frozen mist. The air turned into a labyrinth of ice crystals suspended in space.

And trapped within that ice were two figures.

One Kuro was frozen mid-leap. The other was crouching behind a pillar.

Alvian dropped from the sky, his [Vestments of the Void Monarch] flaring. He landed softly on top of a frozen pillar.

"Found you."

The crouching Kuro shattered into ice shards—another clone.

The frozen Kuro mid-leap groaned. The ice cracked as he forced his way out using a burst of mana.

"You..." Kuro gasped, his mask cracking from the cold. "You froze the air itself?"

"You can't hide if the medium you're hiding in becomes a solid," Alvian stated, walking across the air, stepping on the frozen fog particles as if they were stairs.

Kuro growled. "I'm not done!"

He slammed his daggers together.

"[Phantom Art: Thousand Blade Dance]!"

Kuro exploded into motion. He became a tornado of steel, shredding the ice around him and launching thousands of wind blades at Alvian.

Alvian didn't dodge. He had infinite mana. He had the [Lance of the Void Winter].

He began to spin his spear.

"Deflect."

"CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!"

It was a symphony of metal. Alvian blocked every single wind blade with casual precision. His Speed stat of 92 made his hands a blur.

"Is that all?" Alvian asked, bored.

Kuro screamed in frustration. He gathered all his remaining mana for one final, desperate strike. He lunged, his body becoming a streak of black lightning.

"[Assassination Art: Heart Sever]!"

This was a skill that ignored defense. It attacked the soul directly.

Alvian's eyes narrowed.

"Dangerous."

He stopped spinning the lance. He held it steady.

He waited until Kuro was one meter away.

"[Void Shroud]."

Alvian turned intangible.

Kuro passed straight through him. The sensation was like passing through a bucket of ice water.

As Kuro emerged on the other side, unbalanced and shocked, Alvian solidified.

He spun around and drove the butt of his lance into Kuro's back.

"SMACK!"

Kuro slammed face-first into the frozen ground, sliding ten meters before hitting a pillar.

[-4,200! Crushing Damage!]

Kuro lay there, groaning. He tried to get up, but Alvian was already there, the blade of the lance resting gently on the assassin's neck.

"You rely too much on your eyes," Alvian said coldly. "And not enough on your math."

[Target Immobilized.]

[Winner: Alvian!]

The crowd roared, but Alvian ignored them. He offered a hand to Kuro.

Kuro hesitated, then took it. Alvian pulled him up.

"You're a monster," Kuro whispered, rubbing his neck. "But you didn't kill me."

"You aren't Syndicate," Alvian said simply. "And your clones gave me good data."

He turned and walked away.

"Get stronger, Phantom Head. The real war is coming."

As Alvian walked into the tunnel, the screen flashed.

[Semi-Final Match 2: Valeria (Vanguard) vs. Darius (Sentinel Head).]

Alvian stopped to watch the monitor.

Valeria stepped onto the arena. She didn't draw her sword. She stood with her arms crossed.

Darius, a tank even bigger than Garrick, charged with a shield bash.

Valeria uncrossed her arms. She punched the shield.

"BOOM!"

The shield crumpled. Darius was sent flying across the arena, unconscious.

[Winner: Valeria!]

Alvian's eyes gleamed.

"One punch," Alvian mused. "She really has awakened the Titan Bloodline."

He walked into the darkness.

"Finally. A challenge."

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