THE NIGHT BEFORE

The glow of the living mana bag cast shifting shadows across the dorm walls as I sat cross-legged on the floor. My veins felt like they were on fire, the raw mana coursing through them pushing my body to its limits.

“The process is working, but your biological tolerance is... insufficient,” Hexa said, her tone clinical as always.

I gritted my teeth against the discomfort. It wasn’t unbearable, but the steady, burning ache reminded me that my body wasn’t meant to handle this much mana at once. “It doesn’t matter,” I muttered. “As long as it works tomorrow.”

“You should be aware that prolonged exposure to these levels of mana will cause significant strain over time.”

I forced a bitter smile. “Noted. Let’s just make it through the match.”

The arena had transformed overnight, its flat expanse now a mock city complete with stone walls, wooden barricades, and a glowing crystal in the center. The crystal pulsed faintly, a stand-in for the citizens we were meant to protect.

Above, the crowd buzzed with excitement, their voices blending into a chaotic hum. I could feel their eyes on me as I stepped onto the battlefield alone, the whispers and giggles from the day before still fresh in my mind.

““Wolfhart Valda-Ashdock, competing solo. The first match of the ranking tournament begins now!”

,” the announcer’s voice boomed across the arena, followed by scattered applause and a few chuckles.

I ignored them, my focus narrowing to the task ahead. The goal was simple: defend the crystal for twenty minutes against waves of simulated monsters. Points would be deducted for any damage to the crystal, and while the monsters wouldn’t kill me, their hits would hurt—a lot.

Hexa’s voice chimed in my mind. “The teacher in charge of the illusions has a Sand Puppeteer class. Expect the monsters to have physical bodies, but they’ll disintegrate into dust upon destruction. Be mindful of their explosive impact.”

“Got it,” I replied, rolling my shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

The first wave came in fast—low-level goblins with crude weapons, their forms flickering slightly as they charged.

I crouched and activated Shadow Gate, a portal of inky blackness tearing open beside me. The air grew colder as the first of my void summons emerged: a twisted, spiky creature that barely resembled anything from the natural world. Its liquid-black body shimmered unnaturally, as though it didn’t fully exist in this reality.

The crowd gasped, their murmurs of disgust audible even over the announcer’s narration.

“Disgusting,” someone shouted.

But my summon didn’t care. With a shrill, guttural screech, it lunged at the oncoming goblins, The goblins were fast, their crude blades gleaming under the arena lights as they charged. Their movements were erratic, zigzagging to make themselves harder targets. My summons screeched in response, a cacophony of guttural, otherworldly sounds that made my skin crawl even as I directed them forward.

The first void creature lunged, its liquid-black form rippling like an oil slick in motion. It closed the distance between itself and the goblins in seconds, its spiked appendages extending unnaturally to skewer the nearest attacker. The goblin screamed, its form flickering briefly before the void consumed it entirely, leaving behind nothing but a faint wisp of dust.

Another goblin leaped forward, slashing at the second summon. The blade passed cleanly through the creature, but instead of wounding it, the weapon seemed to dissolve on contact, the void eating away at the sand like acid. The summon retaliated with a sharp, whip-like motion of its appendages, cutting the goblin in two with a sickening crack.

The third summon moved with eerie precision, circling around the remaining goblins and cutting off their retreat. Its form shifted as it moved, spikes and tendrils emerging and retracting as though it were adapting to the goblins' attacks in real time. It lashed out, grabbing one of the goblins and dragging it into its writhing mass. The creature’s form flickered violently before disappearing entirely, consumed by the void’s hunger.

“The summons display adaptive combat patterns,” Hexa noted, her voice calm despite the chaos. “They are highly effective but drain mana at an alarming rate.”

I could feel their thoughts brushing against mine—chaotic and primal, driven by an insatiable hunger. Controlling them was like trying to hold onto a handful of writhing snakes, each pulling in a different direction.

The last goblin turned to flee into the safety of the oncoming wave, but one of the summons was faster. It pounced, its liquid-black body compressing into a dense, spike-covered mass before slamming into the fleeing enemy. The impact sent a shockwave of void energy rippling outward, and the goblin disintegrated instantly, its form erased from existence.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As the last of the goblins fell, the crowd let out a collective gasp. Their initial revulsion at the grotesque summons seemed to give way to awe.

I let out a shaky breath, my body already feeling the toll of the mana drain. But there was no time to celebrate. The next wave was already on the horizon

The next wave was larger—ogre-like creatures wielding massive clubs. I placed a Graviton Trap at the base of the barricade, crouching as I pressed a hand to the ground. The air around the trap shimmered like a heatwave, invisible but deadly.

When the ogres charged, the first one triggered the trap. The gravitational force dragged it to the ground, its massive body collapsing with a thunderous crash.The void that licks beginning to eat away and the sand it was made of. The other ogres hesitated oddly, “a rather realistic puppeteer” I thought. The second giving my summons time to close the gap and tear into them.

I could feel the void creatures’ thoughts brushing against mine—chaotic, hungry, and alien. Controlling them was a battle in itself, but I managed to direct their aggression toward the ogres.

The crowd, initially repulsed, began to shift. The whispers of disgust turned into murmurs of intrigue, then scattered cheers as the ogres fell one by one.

“Is he... actually doing this?” someone shouted.

“Go, Wolfhart!” another voice called, the chant catching on.

But I couldn’t bask in their support. The next wave was already approaching—giant spiders with razor-sharp legs that glinted in the arena lights. And the ogres weren't all defeated.

I activated Void Oppression, the air around me growing heavier as the void drained mana from the surrounding area. The spiders slowed, their movements becoming sluggish as they stepped into the aura.Despite my best efforts, cracks were beginning to show in my strategy—both literally and figuratively. The spiders were faster than I anticipated, their razor-sharp legs skittering over the battlefield as they dodged my summons and traps. A pair of them managed to slip past the chaotic melee, their glittering eyes locked on the crystal.

“No!” I shouted, but my legs felt leaden, my mana reserves dwindling too quickly to summon reinforcements.

The first spider reached the crystal, its legs slicing through the air as it delivered a powerful strike. The crystal pulsed angrily, its glow dimming slightly as a web of cracks spread across its surface.

“Structural damage registered,” Hexa reported in her usual clinical tone. “Point deduction imminent.”

“Thanks for the update,” I muttered through gritted teeth, frustration mounting.

At the same time, one of the ogres that had survived my summons’ initial assault roared as it barreled toward the crystal. Its heavy club swung with terrifying force, slamming into one of the barricades protecting the crystal and reducing it to splinters.

The crowd gasped as the crystal dimmed further, its glow flickering dangerously. My heart pounded, a mixture of panic and anger coursing through me.

“You’re losing ground,” Hexa said, her voice cutting through the chaos.

“No kidding!” I snapped.

I placed another Graviton Trap in a desperate attempt to slow the advancing monsters, but my dwindling mana made the effect weaker than before. One of the spiders still managed to slip through, its legs scraping against the crystal as it struck again.

“Dammit!” I cursed, stumbling back and clutching my head as I tried to think. This wasn’t going to work. No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t hold the line alone.

The crowd’s cheers turned to murmurs, and I could feel the weight of their judgment bearing down on me. The shame was crushing, but I shoved it aside, focusing on the only option I had left.

“Mana reserves are critically low,” Hexa warned, her voice cutting through my focus.

My mana bar ticked downward rapidly.

[Mana: 45/400]

Despite the oppressive aura, the spiders pressed on, attacking me and the crystal and my summons began to dissipate one by one, their forms unraveling into nothingness as my mana pool bottomed out. By this point I definitely had more than a few bruises from the spider puppets that had gotten close.

“Hexa,” I gasped, my breath ragged. “We’re out of time. Execute the plan.”

“Understood.”

The pain was immediate—a searing heat that tore through my veins as Hexa released the stored mana into my body. I bit back a scream, forcing myself to stay upright as my mana reserves surged back to life.

[Mana: 115/400]

[Mana: 255/400]

[Mana: 365/400]

“Mana capacity restored to operational levels. Recommend immediate re-summoning.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. With a sharp motion, I activated Shadow Gate again, summoning two new void creatures. They screeched as they emerged, their forms shifting and writhing like liquid shadows. With renewed strength, I directed my summons to intercept the remaining spiders while I set another Graviton Trap near the crystal. The trap caught two of the creatures, dragging them into its crushing pull as the void’s corruption consumed them.

The timer on the crystal pulsed, signaling the end of the match. The arena erupted into cheers, the crowd’s initial disdain replaced by admiration for the underdog who had managed to hold so much ground alone.

I didn’t hear them. My head throbbed, my limbs felt like lead, and my veins still burned from the mana infusion. But I’d done it. I’d survived.

As I stumbled off the field, I caught sight of Ava in the stands. Her expression was unreadable, a mixture of worry, relief, and something else I couldn’t quite place.

“Wolfhart,” Hexa said softly, her voice cutting through the noise of the crowd. “We need you to rest. Your body isn’t meant to handle this kind of strain.”

I nodded faintly, my vision blurring as I walked. The cheers faded into the background, replaced by the steady pounding of my heartbeat.