Free Web NovelChapter 173: Starting of the Grand Tournament
Heading back into the bathroom, Lucian took another quick shower, this time to totally clear both his head and his body. The cold water washed away his tiredness and the leftover stress of the fast kill.
Drying his hair with a towel, he walked back to the bed and lay down next to the sleeping Leon. Staring up at the ceiling for a while, he fell deep into thought again. freewebnovel.cσ๓
He still had a bunch of skill stones sitting in his inventory, which he hadn’t even touched yet.
"System...how many skill stones do we have right now?"
[Oh, so you’re finally awake and your brain is working again? I thought you were keeping these stones on display for a museum.]
[Inventory Status:]
2 Golden Skill Stones3 Dark Stones4 Silver Skill Stones
Without overthinking it, he let out a sigh and tiredly closed his eyes.
"Ok... use them all. Invest them in whatever you see fit..."
[Command Accepted. Brace yourself, lazybone.]
In the very next second, a deep, pulsating heat began to surge through Lucian’s body. Glowing notifications continuously flashed behind his closed eyelids. freēwēbnovel.com
[ 2 Golden Skill Stones Used ]
Zero Domain Upgraded: Level 2 ➔ Level 4Time Freeze Duration Increased: 10 Seconds ➔ 30 SecondsDomain Radius Expanded: 10 Meters ➔ 30 Meters(System Note: You now have half a minute to literally erase an entire area from existence. If anyone actually survives after this, you should honestly go drown in a shallow puddle.)
[ 3 Dark Stones Used ]
Ebon Exhale Upgraded: Level 1 ➔ Level 2Level 2 Gain: Previously, it only made enemies sluggish and knocked out weaker targets. Now, anyone who inhales this gas will experience their mana circuits violently burning. Along with drastically slowed movements, the enemy will suffer extreme sensory deprivation (temporary blindness and deafness). Weak enemies will instantly fall into a deep coma, while stronger enemies will suffer a massive 70% drop in reaction time.
Voice of Authority Upgraded: Level 1 ➔ Level 2Level 2 Gain: Commands used to be single-target or easily resisted. Now, your words carry the absolute weight of the ’Laws of Physics’. Saying "Kneel" will actually force 50x gravitational pressure onto the target. You can now command an entire group simultaneously with a single word without diluting the skill’s effect.
Aura of Dread Upgraded: Level 1 ➔ Level 2Level 2 Gain: Fear is no longer strictly psychological. A Level 2 Aura of Dread creates immense physical pressure. Weak-willed individuals will suffer fatal heart attacks or mental shattering just by entering your vicinity. Stronger enemies will find their bodies physically paralyzed and violently shivering, as if their very soul has been seized by an apex predator.
Suddenly, the persistent chime of notifications broke his lingering drowsiness, pulling him instantly from the edge of sleep.
Whoa... a Level 4 Zero Domain is actually going to be insanely useful for instant planning and dealing out rapid beatdowns...
feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, he mused to himself.
Though, I kind of thought you would bump ’Overdrive’ from Level 2 to Level 3 as well... Well, it is what it is. Nope, I am not complaining at all!
Deliberately rushing that last sentence in his mind, firing it off as fast as humanly possible just to make sure the System wouldn’t get a split-second window to hit him with another sarcastic taunt.
Amused by his own desperate internal evasion, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.
With those final, lighthearted thoughts echoing in his fading consciousness, exhaustion finally pulled him under completely.
Giggling slightly into his pillow, he drifted off into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
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Just like that, four days passed by peacefully. Up until now, not a single person at Astraviel Academy had the slightest clue that the third strongest prodigy of the Zandar Empire, Liebe Noctis, had been assassinated in his own room.
This wasn’t entirely surprising. To major empires, their prodigies aren’t just students of academies; they are massive political and military investments. If one of their main assets dies so abruptly without a trace, Zandar — or any empire for that matter — would naturally try to suppress the news at all costs.
Admitting it publicly would expose a huge weakness. Because of this strict information lockdown, the news hadn’t reached any of the other empires or kingdoms yet.
However, buried secrets like this can’t stay buried forever. Today was the day those whispers would eventually start to spread. Because today marked the official beginning of the Grand Final Battle Tournament.
The Grand Colosseum was packed to the brim. Rulers from all over the world had gathered in one place to witness this massive event. Sitting in their luxurious VIP stands were the rulers of exactly 25 kingdoms — 14 from the Zandar Empire, 7 from the Grandhold Empire, and 4 from the Arkon Empire.
Now, when you put that many politicians and monarchs in the same room, information is bound to leak. Even though the Zandar Empire looks united on the outside, its internal politics are incredibly messy. In reality, some of Zandar’s own rulers actually wanted to casually slip the news of Liebe’s death to the rulers of the other empires.
The reason for this wasn’t some overly dramatic, villainous plot — it was just basic human politics, jealousy, and greed. When a rival lord’s main prodigy (who represents their future military power) suddenly dies, that specific territory becomes politically vulnerable. Other rulers just wanted to take advantage of that weakness to secure better trade deals, claim disputed lands, or simply ruin their rival’s reputation in front of the Grandhold and Arkon rulers. Some lords actively want internal conflict because chaos at the top is the easiest way for the lower rulers to climb the ladder of power.
So, since the morning, while these 25 rulers sat together to watch the tournament, the quiet whispers and subtle power plays had already begun among them.
But far away from all that political maneuvering, down in the center of the arena, the real tension lay with the students. For the 24 prodigies who had passed the second exam, their final test was finally here. Based entirely on their performance in this tournament, they would officially be granted the title of "Hero" along with their permanent global rankings.
The Grand Colosseum was a massive, awe-inspiring structure, and today, it was shaking to its very core. Thousands upon thousands of spectators filled the public arena, their excited cheers blending into a deafening roar that echoed across the entire academy grounds.
High above the roaring public, secured behind enchanted glass and luxurious velvet drapes, was the exclusive VIP Box. Here sat the 24 Kings and Queens representing the allied kingdoms. Notably, none of the Supreme Emperors from the three major empires were present; they were reportedly too busy handling higher-level global matters. But their absence hardly lessened the immense political weight in the room.
