Varnir Shadowstone’s POV

Damn, this is a pain. How did I get this monster for my first opponent? Am I just cursed?

I fed mana into my shield and blocked another flurry of wind blades. The High Elf just stood casually at the end of the platform in his fancy silver-colored robes that covered his entire body, orbs of wind floating around behind him and made his short curly golden hair flutter.

It was barely five minutes into the match, and I was struggling to close the gap. His onslaught of magic felt infinite and showed no signs of weakness. His mana pool must be enormous. Any attempt to counterattack with my shield power was met with a quick and decisive spell.

I was hoping I could outlast him, but that idea is getting further and further away by the second. I might be the one to run out of mana…damn, he’s like a mini Kaladin.

Screw it. I’ll just push forward, and if he hits me, he hits me.

I forced mana into my legs and felt the rush of power. Before I made my move, I forced more tendrils of wood out of my shield, consuming the incoming magic blades of wind. Kaladin had once told me that my shield was the perfect item to fight against a mage. I had agreed with him, but that only mattered against ordinary people.

I sprinted off straight at the mage, as going around was just a waste of time. A single spell of his managed to sneak its way through my defense, and I sliced it down with my brand-new spear. This was my first match with it, but it already felt like a part of me.

The intensity and frequency of the mage’s spells increased, but I managed just barely to match them with the powers of my shield. The spells that made it through, I cut down, and for the first time, the High Elf reacted to my presence appropriately.

He narrowed his teal blue eyes at me from behind his glasses. He swept his hand out in front of him, and one of the orbs of wind flew forward and expanded into a devastating torrent.

The spell easily cut, sliced, and blew away my shield’s wooden roots. The splinters and chunks battered my body and scratched my exposed skin, but I didn’t let it bother me. Instead, I had mentally prepared myself for this much.

I summoned more roots from my shield and voluntarily sacrificed them to the mage, creating a storm of wind and wood. The pieces that stuck and pierced my skin stung, but I managed to continue moving directly into the storm.

With a burst of speed, I pushed through the spell and was a mere four steps away from the mage. His eyes flickered in surprise as a new root from my shield snaked toward him on the ground. He swung his hand in an arc, and a wind blade sliced the root in half.

He glared at me with cold eyes and swung his opposite hand at me. I felt the spell core form, and I got goosebumps as an X-shaped blade of wind violently barreled toward me.

What an incredibly fast casting time. I wonder if he has a magic item or something that is helping him. Well, let’s see if I survive this.

I did my best to hide behind my shield and supply enough mana to bring forth fresh roots. The spell impacted against my shield, and I felt it in my bones. The sheer force of the wind cut my skin up, and I felt the blood rush down my face. But I still pushed forward.

With months of training with Kaladin and the others, I was able to take the spell head-on. If it were a year earlier, I would have been sent flying off the platform, no doubt about it.

I moved my shield to the side and thrust my spear at the man’s chest. I felt a small smile form on my lips as the Elf’s apathetic face morphed into one of surprise.

My spear tip stopped a finger’s length away from my target, and I felt a wave of pain roll down my arm like I had smacked a stone wall. I blinked, and a dinner plate size ball of water separated us, the tip of my spear suspended inside of it.

Where did the water come from? That was way too fast, I—a water skin?

A stream of water flowed out from an uncapped waterskin on his belt and formed into a spell that blocked me. I forced mana into my arm and shoulder and tried to break through, but it didn’t budge a bit.

The Elf looked at me with a face of genuine admiration. “Remarkable.”

Damn, I hate mages…

I realized I wasn’t going to overpower him, so I sent more roots from my shield in hopes of striking him from all different types of angles, but the water stretched out to block any attempt. I felt a rush of wind and moved my shield in front of me just in time to block one of the many spheres threatening to crush me.

I was pushed back from the force and skidded across the platform as my roots frantically blocked the incoming spheres. The crowd exploded into a deafening cheer that made my ears ring, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of our fight or someone else’s. The water that flowed around the High Elf snaked back into his waterskin, and we stood across each other on our original starting points as the dust settled to the floor. The only difference was that I was not doing so well, and he appeared completely fine.

Gah…to think I would get a monster on my very first match. Don’t tell me this guy is some up-and-coming Grandmaster mage.

I sighed and rolled my shoulders. “Well, I guess this is what I trained for…” I grumbled to myself.

The mage wiped the dirt from his clothes and flashed me a kind smile. It felt disturbing for some reason. This guy had a placid dead look on his stupid face all match, but now he was happy? Well, whatever.

Another flurry of wind blades threatened to rip me to shreds, and I sent more roots from my shield to defend myself. Instead of staying in a deadlock and draining my stamina and mana this time, I jogged forward, maintaining as many roots as I could manage while cutting down any spells that snuck through my defenses.

I was going to commit to a plan I had devised to defeat Kaladin. Not that I ever wanted to fight against him or anything; I just thought about it one night and came up with a plausible way to win against him. And the plan boiled down to— getting in his face and praying to whatever god would listen to me in hopes of striking him down.

It was a good plan. And nobody could tell me otherwise.

So, I’ll do just that.

Once I reached the halfway point, I forced as much mana into my dungeon item as it could handle. I could feel the power in my body, leaving me in droves, and I felt nauseous. I was aware that I was setting myself up to succumb to mana sickness, but I needed to take a fight like this seriously. Because in the future, mana sickness might very well be the least of my worries.

My shield shook violently as a horde of new roots spilled forth from it. Some snaked straight ahead, others burrowed straight into the ground, and the rest went along the edges. It was a wave of wooden death. Yet, the High Elf standing before me wasn’t the least bit bothered; he simply stroked his chin with a grin and waved his hand.

I could hear dozens of wind blades cutting the root wave to pieces, but I ran into the frenzy once again. This time, I opted to go from up high. I jumped off the roots my shield created and forced mana into the lower half of my body. I felt my muscles pulse with power as I pulled my shoulder back and leaped into the air, clearing the storm of wind and wood.

I could see the top of that blond-haired bastard, and I moved the flow of mana from my legs into my arms and shoulder. I’d never thrown a spear in mid-air before, and throwing a spear was a good way to toss your only reliable weapon away. It was a desperate attempt, but I was in a desperate situation.

Besides, I’m not so bad at tossing spears as to miss at this range. And I’m not done just yet.

I launched the spear with all my might straight at the mage. His eyes snapped to me with a stunned look on his face as his stream of water frantically attempted to form a barrier between him and my weapon. But sadly for him, he wasn’t quick enough.

The storm of wind blades and wood cracking had masked my approach just long enough. My spear broke through the water barrier, but he had managed to whip it away just enough to avoid a critical blow. My spear dug into his shoulder, and he let out a surprisingly loud and womanly yelp for a man.

The crowd reacted with a defining cheer as my feet hit the ground running, and I charged straight at him with my shield held high. That was when I felt a concentrated force of wind, probably two or three times stronger than anything else before, hit me from the side. The blow crushed my ribs with ease, and the air from my lungs was knocked out of me. I was forced into the air but bit my lip through the pain as I forced my body to twist how I wanted it.

But I wouldn’t let him get me with the same trick twice.

The roots from my shields wrapped around my legs and forced me back to the ground. It wasn’t a graceful landing by any means, but the move was definitely a surprise. The High Elf’s face was twisted into a grimace as he ripped the spear out of his shoulder with a whimper, distracting him.

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I stomped forward with my front leg and twisted my body with violent momentum strong enough to tear the muscles in my leg. I was grateful for all the strength training I had done because the force I mustered was unlike anything I was capable of before.

There was a loud whoosh as my shield cut through the air like a piece of shrapnel. Hearing the sound, the mage turned to me, blood soaking through his fancy robes and cloak, and his blue eyes were as wide as a dinner plate.

Whether he was too surprised or I had caught him off guard, he couldn’t muster a proper defense in time. My shield impacted straight into his chest, forcing spittle from his mouth and a loud moan of pain.

Naturally, I continued to run toward him, but I had to dodge back as I felt an incoming spell core from my left. Then my right. On my second jump around, a sense of pain wracked my brain starting from my legs, and my vision began to tumble between the ground, the crowd, and the sky.

Oh, I got hit by a spell. Damn…

There was a loud “ooo” from the stadium, but I bit my lips, and I couldn’t stop the yelp of pain from escaping my throat. Thankfully, the pain mixed with the thumping of my heart was overwhelming my hearing. I tried to stand back up, as the last thing I wanted was to take another spell while I was down, but my right leg would not respond appropriately.

That’s when I looked down to find my pants ripped to bloody shreds and my leg bent in a few different ways than I was used to. And just by seeing it, the pain doubled instantly at that moment. Of course, I screamed. It was probably the third worst pain I had felt in my life.

Whether it was just a few moments or an eternity, the referee’s face looked down at me. The poor guy looked distraught as he attempted to ask me something that I couldn’t hear. The pain was louder than her words.

Another few agonizing moments later, I felt the familiar warmth of light magic spreading across my body. The minor scratches and wounds across my body healed quickly, and with just a few more dreadful seconds, the pain in my leg subsided. My hearing returned to normal shortly after.

But I was damn tired and even more sore. Gah…I should have ran some more…

I met the eyes of the healer and did my best to smile. “Hey, did I win?”

He raised an eyebrow at me and shook his head. “No, you did not, Sir. Your opponent remained standing and was able to fight.”

…

Welp, I tried. Not bad for my first match.

The referee was kind enough to retrieve my items for me, and thankfully, they were undamaged—just a bit of blood and spit, nothing that couldn’t be cleaned. But I was going to have to get my brand-new outfit repaired.

I took a few wobbly steps on my recently healed leg, and the crowd let out some cheers. I looked up and found thousands of people watching me. It was awkward, to say the least, considering a few moments ago I was writhing about on the floor screaming. I guess that’s just how things turn out sometimes.

I waved back to them, which got me a few more cheers in response, even though I lost. I made it down the stairs of the platform when I heard someone approach and excitedly yell my name. “Varnir?! Varnir Shadowstone, was it!?”

“Huh?” I muttered.

I turned around to face the High Elf mage I had just fought, and he beamed a smile at me. “Ah, it was Varnir. Yes, I’m right, right?”

…

Why is this guy so pumped up right now? Don’t tell me he is going to rub this match in my face…I don’t even remember his name. Wait, did the referee even say his name? Whatever….

I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s Varnir…thanks for the match…uh…” I trailed off, hoping he would tell me his name.

“You can just call me Leo,” he said with a smile as he extended his hand.

“Leo, right. Well, that was a good match. You fought well, and I hope I don’t see you in the regular tournament,” I said with a wave as I turned around.

“No, no, no, I think you fought tremendously well. It was simply a bad match-up, Varnir,” Leo said as he hastened his steps.

He was an arm’s length away from me and still trying to hold a conversation despite me walking away. “Yes…I appreciate the thought, but I still lost.”

“None of that matters, right? It’s just the first round,” he dismissed. “Now, do tell me, Varnir, you are a Dark Elf. Correct?”

I looked down at my arms in confusion. It seemed his wind magic hadn’t swept away the color off my arm. “Yeah, pretty sure I am.”

“Fascinating…you are the first Dark Elf I have met and fought against,” he muttered with a bit too much fervor.

I kept walking with Leo hot on my trail. Although we were both heading to the same exact place, it was still uncomfortable having him so close behind me. And his questions did not stop at my race.

“Are you a Shadow Dancer?”

“No…”

“Can you use shadow magic?”

“Obviously not…”

“Are you a noble of your clan?”

“We don’t really have nobles, but if we did, I would be at the bottom of the barrel for sure.”

“So interesting. Is it true that anyone can become the chief of your clan?”

“No, well, yes, but also no. You have to be strong enough to beat the head of the clan, and that’s assuming you are even worthy to face them in the first place.”

“Oh, and—”

I stopped on my heels and looked Leo dead in the eyes, interrupting him mid-sentence. His ear-to-ear smile had not faded, and he tilted his head in confusion. For a moment, I was annoyed at his questions, but all I could do was sigh. I had a feeling that I had met him somewhere before. And although I’m sure I never had, he felt like someone I knew.

This guy reminds me of Sylas…it’s kind of freaking me out.

I shook my head and descended the stairs into the room. I felt everyone look at me for a moment. Some gazes were curious, but others quickly looked out to the arena, finding more interest in the matches.

I spotted Sylvia and Cerila sitting on a bench together. The two of them may have been sitting side by side as friends would, but they did not look the least bit happy. The air around them was stiff and unapproachable as everyone kept a good distance from that bench, and just looking at them across the room tickled my skin.

I really hope those two do not fight. They might actually kill each other.

Kaladin stood close to Linnetia and held a quiet conversation not too far from them. Of course, everyone who wasn’t watching the matches watched him from the corner of their eyes.

He was always the center of attention whether he knew it or not. It was like everyone in the room couldn’t help but watch him. Myself included.

I tuned out the voice behind me, gave Kaladin a once over, and scoffed to myself in self-deprecation. He was completely uninjured, and not even a single bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. His match must not have been as difficult as he wasn’t tired.

Good for him…

“Wait, Vairnir, my friend, just a moment,” Leo called out, putting a hand on my shoulder.

We’re friends now? Since when?

Kaladin and Linnetia turned their heads toward me, and I sighed as I faced Leo. “What can I help you with? I’m a bit tired,” I said pointedly, glaring at his hand.

Either not caring or not noticing, Leo kept up that usual creepy smile and nodded his head. “Since you are part of the Shadow Clan, that leads me to believe you can be hired, yes? Would you like a job, Varnir?”

Huh…

I was baffled by his question. Never in my life had someone hired me for a job, big or small, despite being a part of the Shadow Clan. For my coming-of-age ceremony, I was lucky to get a copper Proof for the amount of money I made. And all that was due to my father “hiring” me to work for him. And even then, I did next to nothing.

I remember growing up and hearing about how some of the other kids would get some pocket coins just for completing an odd request, finding a lost pet, or bringing a sack of grain somewhere. Even back then, it never filled me with any meaningful emotions.

I wasn’t bitter about it as I didn’t care too much for money or being hired to do jobs. It just wasn’t something I particularly cared about since it was something I never experienced before. My family wasn’t poor, but we weren’t rich either. We also hadn’t had a Shadow Dancer in the Shadowstone line for hundreds of years.

“You seem…confused…I thought this would be more normal for you, Varnir…” Leo lamented with a slight frown.

“It’s just that nobody has ever asked me for a job before,” I told him honestly.

“Truly?”

“Yes,” I said with a nod.

Leo looked genuinely confused, as if someone had told him pure nonsense. “What a bunch of fools. Have you been hiding your abilities for some time? I would love to talk with you more as we are close in age. I believe we can get along very well. Ah, but—”

“Leopold? What are you doing touching a commoner like that? Have you finally lost it?” a shrill yet familiar voice cut him off.

Leo, or Leopold apparently, snarled at the voice. His brows furrowed in disgust as he tilted his head to look past my side. “I don’t remember asking you for your trivial opinion on any matter. And who are you to comment on who I touch or don’t?”

With Leopold’s hand still on my shoulder, I craned my neck around to see a High Elf girl with bright pink hair. Her silver and turquoise combat suit fit snugly to her petite body. She would have been considered a beauty to anyone with eyes, but she was damn ugly as far as I was concerned. Anyone who would strike a child was hideous inside and out.

And screw me…what did I do to deserve this.

“Wahh?! What did you say to me?!” the girl yelled, exasperated, as she closed in on us and shoved me out of the way.

Leopold scoffed and looked down his nose at the girl as if she was disgusting. “I said precisely what I meant. I value those who have talent and worth, and you barely have any. Now get your face away from me. You breathing in my rich, exhaled air sickens me,” he spat.

Kaladin and Linnetia sent pointed glares at me, but I begged them with my eyes. I did not do this on purpose, and I had no intention of being acquainted with any of these people. And judging by Leopold’s words…

Damn…he had to be a prince of Tel’an’duth…nobody would talk to a princess like that in public…at least his fancy robes make sense now.

What a great way to get introduced to the family.

Kill me now.