The students in the waiting room were reduced by nearly half by the third day of the tournament. They had been told beforehand the tournament would begin to pick up its pace after the conclusion of the first round. There were only 64 students left in the second round. With a total of 32 matches in the second round, there was a chance they would have to fight again today depending on how quickly the matches went.

Nicolas and Kai sat side by side. With Andre out of the running, Nicolas was his only companion in the irritating game of waiting. The fifth fight of the second round had just concluded. It was no surprise that the Forging realm student had triumphed over his Foundation realm opponent. All the Forging realm students who had been given byes before were going to have to fight today. Most likely by the end of the day, about 75% of the students left would be in the Forging realm. Forging or Foundation realm, either way, they were obstacles to be defeated and cleared.

“Kaismo Cinersis and Jesse Clinetro, please join us in the arena!”

Kai felt fresh and rested. From his seat, his eyes found his opponent. It was the vine archer from the first round. She had looked calm and collected then, but when she made eye contact with him, he could tell it was false bravado. Her eyes turned away quickly as she marched through the doors, bow in hand.

A single gravity pillar should allow him to win the match. Kai didn’t think her body was as strong as his first opponent. Assuming she was successful inside the gravity pillar, Kai doubted she would have enough strength to lift her bow, let alone her body off the ground. Either way, he grabbed the knife his grandfather had gifted him in case he had to escape some vines. On the way out to the middle of the arena, he pulled his sword out. No longer would he underestimate the young warriors in this tournament.

Standing across from his opponent, she was ready and waiting for the words with an arrow knocked. After a minute the audience began buzzing and talking loudly when the match hadn’t begun. It felt awkward standing there, just waiting.

When a good number of the audience had their heads turned behind Kai, he joined them in looking. One of the adjudicators was discussing something with the announcer. A few moments later, there was a nod.

“Sorry for the interruption everyone. The judges have made a decision. The winner of the round will go to Kaismo.”

There was a large outcry from the audience. Not once in this year’s tournament had this happened. Even when there had been an 80-level difference, they still had to fight. Kai was shocked, but he had a guess as to the reason.

“Why!” screamed out Jesse. “This isn’t fair.”

Members from the audience likewise complained on her behalf. Some called the fight ridged or that the judges were showing favoritism.

“Now, now. An explanation will be given. Jesse has proven to be a valiant fighter, but out of concern for her safety, we must impose that she concedes the match. The simple fact is, we can’t be sure Kaismo’s gravity magic won’t instantly kill his opponent. In his match yesterday, someone who possessed a stronger body, struggled fiercely against said magic. We can’t allow a student to accidentally die because their body is currently too weak,” the announcer said. His voice was full of empathy, as he tried to project their desire to protect the students of the academy.

“But that’s...” Jesse looked crestfallen. This was good news for Kai since he didn’t have to waste any resources in this match. He would still be fresh in case he had to fight again later.

“Miss Clinetro, you are welcome to fight despite the adjudicator’s decision, just know Kaismo, and the tournament committee will not be held liable should you die to his gravity.” The announcer offered a solution that would be acceptable all around, but her answer was obvious by the dejection on her face.

“No... That’s… alright. I… forfeit,” Jesse said, completely dejected.

Not once had Kai ever had something die instantly to his gravity. Usually, his enemies suffered under the pressure until something else put them down. It was possible her organs might rupture because of his gravity. But he wasn’t so sure it would happen the very second, he turned his gravity on. He didn’t think it was that powerful yet.

Returning to the waiting area, the other students gave him looked of envy as he passed the second round without using any mana or stamina. If he did end up having to fight again today, he would be fresh, unlike his next opponent.

Kai watched the next few matches in boredom. He wasn’t a fan of sitting and waiting, but it was prudent to know what kind of fighter his next opponent would be. Just knowing that might give him enough of an edge. And without knowing if he was going to fight again today, he couldn’t leave the arena.

The next fight was between Nicolas and a student fresh in the Forging realm. It wasn’t much of a fight as Nicolas handedly demolished his opponent. His ash magic was a powerful tool he used for both offense and defense. Despite being in the same realm with only a 30-level difference, the training and skill at using said magic proved the difference in the fight.

During the next hour, Kai watched each student fight. Any one of them might be his next opponent. Most of the students were unimaginative in their fighting styles. They would just launch spells and hope the magic would hit or break their opponent’s defense. Even some of the students in the Forging realm were simplistic in their fighting styles. I guess I am the same since I can only increase someone’s weight and hack and slash at them.

“Max Davis, and Kiasmo Cineris, it’s your time to shine. Come on down to the arena!” The announcer announced his next fight followed by a roar from the audience.

Right as Kai stood up, he felt a hand on his shoulder. “He a favorite to make it to the semi-finals,” Nicolas said looking past him. Looking at his opponent, he recognized the name and his appearance. The man wore no armor except a tight shirt that accentuated his chest muscles. The first-year student had already been dubbed “The Stone Giant.” A fighter with massive defensive capabilities as he turned flesh to stone. None of the opponents he had come across had been able to harm him or break his rock exterior. Max had no qualms about brutally beating his opponents down with his stone fists.

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“I need it,” Kai said to Nicolas. Nicolas silently nodded as he turned his hands upside down. A mace of a light silver coloring materialized in his hands. Grabbing the mace, Kai hefted it with a sigh. He hadn’t really had time to practice using a mace, but all he had to do was smash it into his opponent, so how much practice did he really need?

With his mace in his dominant hand and sword in the other, he followed his large opponent out onto the field. A few possibilities passed through Kai’s mind about how the fight would go, but only time would tell.

[Human – Forging Level 8]

Max gave a savage grin as he stared down at Kai, with Kai returning his own unaffected, blank stare back at him. He had seen his previous fight. Max had won without taking any significant damage, but he had used large amounts of mana as he fought. Kai had also saved 40 attribute points in any emergency. If he needed more mana during the fight, he would put them in his wisdom. If he needed more speed than dexterity, it was.

“Begin!”

Kai bolted at the large man whose skin was already turning different shades of brown and grey as it turned to rock. [Gravity Pillar] formed right above him, with a noticeable effect as the now stone giant hunched a little. Still, it wasn’t enough to bring him down.

Already next to him with the speed granted to him by light weighing armor, Kai swung his mace using [Heavy Blow] at the giant who reacted slowly because of the increased gravity. As he smashed into Max’s arm, there was a satisfying clap as fragments and shards of rock sprayed all over. Despite likely weighing twice as much as Kai, Max shot across the ground crashing and tumbling as his body stopped on the field close by. Turning off his gravity pillar, he activated a new one right over the determined warrior as he began standing, but Kai was already moving.

Already the rocks were reforming over the shoulder, but underneath he saw blood and mangled flesh. Just as Kai was striking at the stone giant again, he had to dodge suddenly. A stalagmite of rock shot out of the ground from where he had been running to. Again, another appeared, forcing him to dodge backward. Every time the ground shook a little, he would dodge as more and more rock spikes shot out of the ground, forcing him to keep his distance from his opponent. Apparently, the stone giant was already weary of letting Kai get too close.

For a whole minute, Kai evaded each stone spike, until a nearly perfect ring had formed around Max. His gravity pillar was still pressing down on the stone man but with less effect than he wanted. Still, Max hadn’t moved from where he had crashed.

With a circle of spikes surrounding Max, Kai had difficulty approaching him. Most likely, Max was aware of his lack of range attacks. Assuming he could indefinitely stand up to his gravity, Max would keep attacking him from a distance until Kai messed up or one of them ran out of mana.

Kai’s eyes darted all around, looking for solutions. Short of risking the match and running into the minefield of spikes, he had one idea. His mace smashed against the top half of the rock spike. It blew apart under the force of his heavy blow, causing shattered fragments and smaller rocks to slam into Max, who lowered his head and crossed his arms to defend himself. Grinning, Kai saw chips and cracks all over his rock exterior. Again, and again he smashed into the dozens of spikes, slowly chipping away as Max constantly refreshed his stone skin. When there was about a quarter of the original spikes left, Kai did the unexpected and dashed to Max while his head was still behind his arms. Even with his head down, he felt the vibrations underneath him. Jumping in the air he swung down with his mace and sword, feeling the tremble of gravity assisting his strike.

As he was coming down, something happened that he didn’t expect. A spike of stone emerged underneath Max, angled at Kai’s incoming form. As the spike grew quickly, Max was pushed back out of the way, while Kai’s mace struck the tip of the spike in front of him causing rocks to crash into his body and everywhere else. Only through his many battles did his eyes stay open as fragments bounced off his armor and helmet. Through his peripheral vision, he saw two more blunted spikes coming at him from both his left and right. Spinning, Kai’s sword slashed through the middle of one, slowing its growth.

While still in mid spin, he flung his mace at Max using heavy blow. The mace rocketed quickly as Kai’s muscles protested under the force of throwing it. Before he could see the impact, the rock spike crashed into his side, hurling him away.

The sound of screaming in pain brought a small smile to his face accompanied by a shower of rocks. Still, the match hadn’t been called. Landing on his feet, his eyes found Max. The man was missing a third of his rock cover. Imbedded in his torso was the silver mace, with blood leaking all around it. Kai ran at the vacant-eyed student, his gravity pillar already in place and his fists tight around his sword. Right as he was about to swing, an adult appeared in front of him, catching his blade above them in his hands effortlessly. Beyond the instructor, Max dropped to his knees as if submitting to his gravity. The stone skin began falling off of him as if he was shedding. A medic was already next to him, her hands alight with a white glow.

“Winner— Kaismo Cineris!” The audience cheered, going wild for the incredible fight they had witnessed. Although it had only lasted four minutes, it had been intensive.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He had done it. The match had been a back of forth between the two taking control until Kai had achieved victory with an unexpected move. Although his health had been so high, he felt the match had been a lot closer than how it had ended. If his armor wasn’t lightened by the effects of the enchantments, he might not have been able to dodge those stone spikes, resulting in his loss.

Health: 1061/1150

Stamina: 641/900

Mana: 439/900

Walking back into the student waiting area, someone started clapping, followed by another, until most of the students were clapping. He didn’t know what to do, so he mumbled his thanks shyly.

“You did it!” Nicolas ran up to him when the clapping stopped and slapped his shoulder with a resounding ping.

“Yea, I managed somehow,” Kai said in a low voice. Everyone was still staring at him, and he wasn’t a fan of the attention.

“Managed? You controlled him. I’ve never seen Max afraid to go toe to toe with someone before. He had to change his fighting style completely, putting him on the back foot. And he was an entire realm above you. It was unbelievable!”

“Thank you. Now can I get a minor health potion please?” Kai asked Nicolas trying to change the subject. He had given Nicolas a few potions to hold onto and his mace during the tournament. Since Kai didn’t have a ring of storage, that didn’t mean he wasn’t above using his friend’s.

Downing the minor health potion, he felt the small cuts healing where the rock fragments had sliced into him as they flew by.

The announcer kept calling names to continue the fights. Kai breathed a sigh of relief since he had made it into the top 16.

Without warning, someone started clapping behind him. “Bravo,” he heard a familiar voice, that sent chills down his spine. Turning to the source, his expectations turned into reality. Garren, his reclusive older brother was standing there giving him a slow clap with a wicked grin. “It’s been a while, little brother.”