Yun Jin sat still, his gaze locked on the lifeless form of Olag as the body was dragged from the arena floor. The once-mighty warrior, the man who'd shared his story and entrusted him with a shard of his homeland, now reduced to a broken husk beneath the champion's heel. The distant echo of the crowd's jeers lingered like a foul taste on the air.
Without a word, Yun Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out the rune stone Olag had given him. The rough surface of the carved stone felt cold, its faint magical resonance pulsing with a steady rhythm against his palm.
For a moment, he rubbed his thumb across the etchings, then carefully tucked it back into his pocket, and the unspoken responsibility that came with it.
That look in his eyes before the fight... Yun Jin closed his own. Olag had known his fate from the start. The look of a man who'd already made peace with death—no, not peace. Desperation. The kind of desperation that made him choose Yun Jin, a stranger, as the bearer of his tribe's legacy.
I feel... complicated about this. He rubbed his temple, the dull ache of conflicting emotions pressing down on him.
The North... Yun Jin exhaled slowly. Maybe I should visit one day. See the land that forged a warrior like him.
But right now, there was no time to dwell on sentiment.
His attention shifted toward the champion's retreating figure. Kravtsov moved with the heavy, unhurried steps of a predator after an unsatisfying kill. The residual sparks of his lightning magic crackled softly around his arms, dissipating into the air like restless spirits.
Yun Jin's eyes narrowed. That power... Olag had landed multiple clean hits. He'd slammed the champion with counters that would've broken lesser fighters. Yet aside from the bruises and that single deep bite wound, Kravtsov had walked away virtually unscathed.
It's not just strength. His magic enhances his entire body—makes him faster, tougher. The force of his strikes alone could tear through solid stone. If I have to fight him... I'll need more than brute force.
The weight of his musings kept him rooted in place, shoulders tense and brow furrowed.
"Oi."
The sharp voice barely registered at first. Yun Jin remained fixated on the champion, his mind already dissecting possible counters.
"Oi! Are you even listening?" Reva's voice cut through his thoughts like a dagger.
He turned, eyes briefly flicking to her. She stood just a few feet away, arms crossed, a bruise blossoming along her jaw from her earlier match.
"You're really something, you know that?" Reva's eyes glinted with irritation. "Staring at the champ like you're already planning your victory lap. It's like I don't even exist."
Yun Jin's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "I'm sure you exist. And I know our fight will be enjoyable. But..."
Her jaw tightened, fists clenching. The wiry fighter laughed from the sidelines.
"Damn," the man sneered. "That's cold."
Yun Jin sighed and straightened, looking directly at Reva. "It's not that I'm underestimating you," he said, voice level. "But I need to focus right now."
Reva faltered for a moment, then let out a soft huff. "Fine. I get it."
She turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder once. "I'll prepare too. I want to fight you at your best."
The other fighter, after a long pause, gave a nod and walked off as well. The three competitors separated, each heading to a different corner of the lounge.
Yun Jin sat back down, closing his eyes to concentrate.
Kravtsov’s power… Yun Jin thought. Lightning magic to increase burst power and reaction speed. His endurance is absurd. Taking his hits, even with Invincible Virtue, would be risky.
Yun Jin opened his hand and summoned his system interface. The translucent blue panel shimmered into view.
--
[Status Window]
Name: Yun Jin
Title: The First Forerunner (Rank EX)
Chosen by the system for a new world. Greatly increases the chance of encountering special events.
Level: 14
Qi Realm: Core Qi Mastery (Rank C+)
Highly refined and condensed qi. Supports advanced techniques, external projection, and body reinforcement.
Mana Circuit: Initialized (Rank E-)
Basic mana manipulation established. Low efficiency and limited reserves.
[Techniques]
[Light Blade Sovereign Style]
First Form – Arc Lightning: High-speed dash and leap strike.
Second Form – Thunder Break: Stationary, high-powered downward strike.
Third Form – Dance of the Firefly: Momentum-based rapid strikes.
Fourth Form – Gale Rend: Rotational burst strike with cutting wind.
Thirteenth Form – Vector to Heaven: Motionless, perfect execution strike.
[Shaolin Techniques]
Invincible Virtue: Qi-hardens muscles for brief, high-impact defense.
Throwing Willow: Leverage-based redirection throw.
Bounder Crush: Precision elbow strike targeting joints.
[Wudang Techniques]
Flowing Wind: Harnest momentum force into your own strike
Redirecting Water: centered on deflecting incoming blows with minimal effort and turning the attacker’s own momentum against them
[Undefined]
Qi Blocking: Medical qi technique to block mana and movement via pressure strikes.
[Skills]
Aura Blade (Rank D): Merges qi and mana to enhance weapons—boosting sharpness, durability, and energy output.
Aura Surge (Rank D+): Sudden burst of energy for explosive movements or strikes.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Sword Wave (Rank D-): Releases a ranged aura strike with a cutting edge.
Mana Manipulation (Rank E): Basic control of mana currents and external flow.
Weapon Mind (Rank B): Synchronizes with wielded weapons to unlock hidden potential and enhance combat synergy.
Mana Eyes (Rank D): Reveals mana structures and their flow patterns.
Mana Sense (Rank C-): Detects nearby mana signatures without direct line of sight.
[Elemental Affinities & Spells]
Ice Affinity (Rank C): Medium attunement with ice element, increasing spell efficiency and control.
Light Affinity (Rank E-): Limited resonance with light element.
-Minor Light Conjuring (Rank E-): Create and shape small, luminous constructs.
[Completion Points]: 45
---
He scanned the list of skills, searching for the best tools he had to counter the champion’s magic. Let's see what cards I have up my sleeve.
As he read, he noticed something different. The system interface had changed from the last time he checked.
The display was more detailed, with new subsections that hadn't been there before. His techniques, which previously hadn't been recorded, were now listed with precision.
"It's evolving," Yun Jin murmured, a flicker of concern tightening his chest. The system adapting itself without his input unsettled him.
Still, he turned his focus back to his preparations.
Let's try this new affinity.
Yun Jin closed his eyes and concentrated on the faint chill lingering in his veins since consuming Olag's essence. He pushed mana through his circuits the same way he'd done with light magic—forcing it outward with sheer will.
The air around him shifted. A cold wind burst from his body, rippling across the lounge. Frost coated the nearby table, and a cup of liquor cracked with a sharp snap as ice spread over its surface.
"Hey!" Reva called from across the room, her hand igniting with orange flame to counter the spreading chill. "Control your power, genius."
"Sorry," Yun Jin muttered, blinking as he examined his outstretched palm. Tiny ice crystals still clung to his skin, sparkling like miniature diamonds. He willed the frost to concentrate, mimicking the shape of a simple dagger.
The mana responded far more easily than expected. A sleek, translucent ice blade formed in his hand within seconds. Ice magic is… simpler? More intuitive than light magic. Curious.
He ran his finger along the blade's edge. It was sharp. Lethally sharp.
Yun Jin gripped the dagger for a moment, then let it melt away.
No. That'd be cheating. He shook his head. He hadn't come here to rely on magic weapons or cheap tricks. He'd come for the challenge.
Restraint sharpens the blade. The words of his master echoed in his mind. If you take shortcuts, you dull yourself.
He dismissed the ice, turned back to the interface, and tapped the section for completion points. A list of appeared—the unbought item of his totourial shop still all here, waiting. Many were tempting, but Yun Jin resisted. He hadn't yet fully mastered his existing skills. More wasn't better.
First, master the tools I have. Then expand. The system gave a lot, I can be viewed as generous, but I think it dangerous.
Before he could delve deeper into his analysis, the crackling voice of the announcer echoed through the lounge.
"Semi final! Yun Jin versus Reva. Fighters, please make your way to the arena floor within five minutes."
Yun Jin exhaled and stood, rolling his shoulders.
"Smug bastard," Reva teased as she passed by him. "I'm gonna wipe that grin off your face."
Yun Jin smiled, falling into step beside her. "You can certainly try."
---
The arena roared as the announcer's voice crackled through the magic-enhanced speakers.
"First, from the valley of flame! Reva, rumored to be the daughter of the Warchief of Sun bird valley! It is said that her blood carries the essence of the mythical Sun Bird—a blazing rebel of the skies!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting her name. Reva raised her fists high, basking in the attention. Her sun-kissed skin glistened beneath the glow of the enchanted lights, the swirling tattoos along her arms resembling phoenix wings as flames danced across her fingers. Her figure, lean and muscular, moved with the coiled tension of a predator prepared to strike.
"Burn him to ash, Reva!" someone shouted.
"Show him what a valley girl can do!" another voice joined.
Reva laughed, sending a jet of fire spiraling into the air. The heat shimmered above her like a mirage, casting dancing shadows across the arena floor. The spectators responded with renewed vigor.
"You see that?" she called to Yun Jin across the field, voice crackling like a fire's whisper. "That's the roar of people who believe in me."
The announcer's voice shifted to a more hostile tone. "And her opponent... representing the despised House Altheron... a foreign fighter! The so-called prodigy with unnatural skills—Yun Jin!"
The moment Yun Jin stepped onto the arena floor, the cheers turned into jeers.
"Bastard cost me fifty gold!"
"Die, Altheron dog!"
"Boo!"
The voices were sharp and biting, yet they barely registered in Yun Jin's mind. He stood calm, drawing a long, steady breath as he centered himself. He felt the weight of the arena pressing down on him, the charged energy of the crowd an almost tangible force. It didn't bother him; it sharpened his focus.
Reva cracked her knuckles, flames licking along her arms with each motion. "You better not try to copy my technique," she taunted, her grin sharp and confident. "I'll finish this before you can."
Yun Jin's lips twitched. "We'll see."
He closed his eyes.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" she snapped, frustration flickering in her voice.
The announcer raised his hand. "Fighters ready?"
Mana flared across the arena, crackling like dry leaves in a firestorm. The air shimmered with Reva's heat, causing Yun Jin's hair to sway slightly.
"Fight!"
Reva exploded forward in a burst of flame, the air distorting with shimmering waves of heat. The stone tiles beneath her scorched instantly, leaving a charred trail in her wake.
Phoenix Flash.
She blurred toward him, a streak of fire with a heel aimed directly at his throat.
Yun Jin's eyes snapped open, mana shimmering faintly within his irises.
[Mana Sense] [Mana Eyes] [Mana Manipulation]
To the crowd, it looked like he reacted impossibly fast.
To Yun Jin, it was slow motion.
The surge of fire mana coalesced around her leg, twisting through channels within her muscles and joints. He tracked the flare of energy along her shin as it accelerated toward his neck.
Fast. The precision of her mana control impressed him. Her form was sharp, honed through years of discipline. But not fast enough.
He shifted half a step back, exhaled slowly.
Her blazing leg cut through the air like a comet, but he able to caught it mid-strike.
The crowd gasped as Yun Jin's hands clamped around Reva's calf. The flames failed to scorched his palms despite the intense heat.
He held firm. The shock in her eyes reflected the first crack in her confidence.
Wudang Technique: Redirecting Water
He pivoted smoothly on his heel, redirecting the kinetic force of her momentum and stealing it into his own.
[Aura Surge!]
The qi in his muscles surged like a dam releasing a flood. The familiar hum of power vibrated through every fiber of his body. And in that moment, everything narrowed to a single point.
Light Blade Sovereign Style: Second Form—Thunder Break.
His palm, reinforced with condensed qi and mana, struck her chest with the force of a battering ram.
BANG!!
The impact reverberated across the arena like a muted explosion.
Reva's eyes widened, mouth parting in a soundless gasp as the flames around her body sputtered and died. The tattooed wings along her arms darkened to black as the mana fueling them vanished.
Her heart stopped mid-beat.
Yun Jin caught her body and used his fingers to close her eyes, then gently lowered her to the floor.
The arena fell silent.
He brushed his lightly burned palms together and turned away.
"You could have been a challenge," he murmured, voice low but resonant. "If we'd met sooner."
The announcer's voice cracked through the silence. He hurried into the ring, placing his fingers to her neck and then to her wrist. When he found no pulse, he stood up and raised his hand.
"Winner: Yun Jin!"