2025-07-16 07:45:18The Academy bell tolled three times, echoing across the mountains and meadows. One by one, students left their dorms, training halls, and hidden corners, drawn to the wide, spiraling amphitheater carved into the mountain’s heart. Stone steps descended in perfect circles, surrounding a stage of gleaming obsidian.
The air buzzed with chatter and rumors. Vampires, werewolves, druids, and the rare humans mingled with wary glances. Flags bearing each faction's crest flapped in the wind, fang, claw, vine, flame and more indescribable.
Kai sat among the lower tiers, shoulders hunched. Jace lounged beside him, popping berries into his mouth.
“What do you think this is about?” Kai asked.
“Beats me. Last time this many people gathered, it was for a duel that blew a hole in the south wall,” Jace said. “I hope this is more...educational.”
The stage shimmered. A figure emerged from within, her cloak whispering across the stone. She stood tall, with silver hair braided tight like a crown, eyes like mountain frost, intense and unreadable. Her presence silenced the crowd instantly.
Dean Arvenn.
“Students of New Vespera Academy,” her voice rang out, powerful yet elegant. “As tradition commands, the Grand Inter-faction Festival begins in a week time.”
A roar of cheers erupted.
Kai blinked. “Festival?”
Jace grinned. “Ooh, now we’re talking.”
Dean Arvenn raised a hand, and silence returned. “The festival is not mere celebration. It is a test. An ancient tradition, older than the academy itself. Every year, it reminds us of who we are. Competitors. Survivors. A family forged by rivalry.”
Her voice grew more dramatic, like a tale spun by firelight.
“This year’s events will span seven days. Teams of four. Cross-faction allowed. No killing. Injuries........inevitable.”
Laughter rippled through the stands.
“There will be aerial jousting on sky-wolves, underwater relic hunts beneath the Abyss Pool, forest shadow-tag with live arcane traps, talent duels, and yes...” She smirked, “...the famous elemental horse races.”
The crowd went wild, the joy on their countenance shows how much they want this.
Arvenn continued, “Winning team gets faction honor, divine gear tokens, and the rarest of all.... entry into the Prime Vault.”
A wave of excitement rippled through the crowd. Students began whispering again, nudging each other, some even cheering softly.
“Registration begins tonight. And remember.... those who sit out are still watched.”
With a flick of her cloak, she vanished into the thin air, leaving sparks of violet mist behind. The amphitheater exploded in conversation.
Kai stood up, dazed. “Sky-wolves? Abyss Pool?”
Jace was practically vibrating. “This is insane. This is amazing.”
Then, ding!
A sharp chime rang in Kai’s head.
[SYSTEM QUEST RECEIVED]
Kai froze.
[QUEST NAME: BREAK THE BODY, BUILD THE CORE]
[QUEST STORY: “To rise, sometimes one must fall. Take the blow to grow the bone. Taste humility now… or die prideful later.”]
[TASK: GET BEATEN BY A WEREWOLF IN COMBAT.]
[TIME LIMIT: 2 HOURS]
[FAILURE PENALTY: +60% MUSCLE PAIN. -15% STRENGTH FOR 48 HOURS.]
Kai’s mouth dropped. “What?!”
Jace raised a brow. “You okay?”
“What the hell kind of system gives out beat-downs for rewards?” he whispered under his breath.
He turned stiffly to Jace. “Hey, I… I think I need to leave.”
“C’mon dawg, we ain’t even done talking here and you’re gonna leave? To where?”.
Kai staggered back, the world suddenly heavier. His muscles began to tingle, then ache faintly, like a storm was brewing beneath his skin. “It’s already starting…”
“What is?”
“I have to go to Ryder” Kai muttered.
“To make him your new bestie, right? Tell me you are joking dude”.
Pain flared up his legs, faint but growing like wildfire in dry grass. His bones ached like they remembered injuries that hadn’t happened yet.
“I have to,” Kai muttered through clenched teeth. “System stuff.”
“What, like… you have to fight Ryder?”
“Not fight,” Kai groaned. “Get beaten by him.”
Jace blinked. “That’s the dumbest system quest I’ve ever heard.”
“Tell that to my thighs.”
Kai turned and Jace followed his gaze.
Across the courtyard stood Ryder.
Tall. Cruel-eyed. Muscles like sculpted rage. He was laughing with two other werewolves, cracking his knuckles absently.
Jace grabbed Kai’s arm. “No. Nope. You’re not doing this. That’s Ryder. You remember Ryder? Your official bully?”
Kai shrugged him off. “I have to.”
“Why? Why would you willingly walk into the meat grinder?”
Kai didn’t answer. The quest timer blinked in red:
[01:47:13]
Each step toward Ryder made his body ache more. His legs resisted. His back throbbed. Even his shadow lagged behind like it disagreed with this decision.
Ryder turned, saw him, and grinned.
“Well, well. If it isn’t breakfast. You lost, half-ling?”
Kai stopped a few feet away, throat dry. “Nothing serious, I just need to lend me some punches, I’ll return them back to you later when I get stronger.”
Ryder blinked. “Excuse me?”
Jace arrived panting behind Kai. “He doesn’t mean it!”
Kai said it again. “I said fight me.”
Ryder laughed. “This isn’t the festival yet, loser. You sure you wanna do this now?”
Kai’s system chimed again.
[PAIN AMPLIFYING IN 30 SECONDS]
Kai grimaced. “Hit me. Now.”
“Well...” Ryder cracked his neck. “Since you asked nicely.”
The first punch landed in Kai’s gut.
The second sent him skidding across the courtyard tiles.
Jace flinched. “Bro, I swear he’s no more breathing, you’re gonna kill him?”
Ryder didn’t even seem look at his side; he was enjoying it. “What’s this, training for failure?”
The punches came so fast, Kai didn’t have time to blink. His vision spun. His ribs screamed. He hit the dirt like a sack of bricks.
Then, finally.........
[QUEST COMPLETE]
[STRENGTH RESTORED. PAIN SUPPRESSED.]
[NEW TRAIT UNLOCKED: PAIN TOLERANCE I]
[NEW TITLE: FOOL WITH A PLAN]
Kai lay on the floor, coughing, blood on his lip... but smiling.
“System... you’re a bastard.” He coughed dust
Ryder snorted. “He asked for it!”
Jace rushed to help him up, grumbling. “We’re not even in the games yet, and you’re already dying for XP.”
Kai spat blood. “I’m leveling up… the hard way.”
“You’re insane,” Jace muttered.
Kai sat up slowly. “Maybe. But at least I didn’t lose everything.”
“What did you even gain?”
Kai’s voice was a whisper. “Pain...tolerance.”
Jace blinked. “You got your ass kicked for a skill?!”
Kai wiped blood from his nose. “Better than the alternative.”
Jace shook his head. “You’re gonna get us both killed at this rate.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 15
The cold hit first. Sharp, sudden, and uninvited. Kai dropped from the portal with a hard thud, landing back-first in a mound of fresh, biting snow. The wind howled around him, whispering curses in languages long forgotten. He gasped, barely registering the crunch of ice beneath his boots as he staggered to his feet, shaking snow from his hair and sleeves. Thalia landed just a second after, feet planted gracefully despite the terrain, her cloak fluttering like a flag in the blizzard. “I really hate magic portals,” Kai muttered, brushing frost from his arms. Thalia only sniffed, looking around with narrowed eyes. “Snowy mountains. Freezing wind. Nothing but white in every direction. Yep, definitely screams certain death." They were still surveying the expanse when something heavy crashed down from the sky like a meteor, slamming straight into Kai’s back. “GRAAH—!” “Ughh… that was a long fall,” came Jace’s groaning voice, face buried in Kai’s hood as the two of them rolled down a
Chapter 14
Roger paced before the vamp's camp, his cloak swirling behind him like a storm caught in fabric. His voice cracked the air with fury as he spoke, his sharp tone flaring like drawn steel. “Four teams! Four!” he shouted, turning on them all. “You were given one task — one simple, bloody task: stop that girl and her pets. But instead, you’ve managed to embarrass us. Not one lantern, not one fragment retrieved. And Valen......” He gestured toward the great, tall, silent, broad-shouldered Valen, who stood with his arms folded, eyes like ice under moonlight. “You're the eldest! You were supposed to care more than I do!” Roger spat. “What happened?” Valen didn’t answer. He simply looked ahead, expression unreadable. One of the younger vampires managed to speak. “She had a team. One that wasn’t weak.” Roger turned sharply, eyes glowing red. "You mean you were weak," he hissed. The others lowered their gazes like scolded dogs. The wind shifted. A sudden voice called out, light as velvet.
Chapter 13
Selene wasn’t breathing hard. She didn’t need to. Vampires rarely run out of breath. But if she could gasp, curse, or throw her boots at someone, she would’ve done all three. Branches slapped across her face as she tore through the forest like a possessed squirrel, the thunderous stomps behind her sounding far too close for comfort. Leaves exploded around her. The ground shook with every step of the beast chasing her. The Golem. The nightmare Dean Arven had lovingly dialed up to “apocalypse.” “This is not happening,” she muttered, fangs bared as she zigzagged past a twisted tree. “Those lunatic from that vampire squad slapped this cursed lantern on me after the smoke bomb. Now I’m the bloody piñata.” She could feel the cursed thing bouncing against her back with every leap, a soft glowing target strapped like a bullseye between her shoulder blades. And the Golem? Relentless. Its huge limbs moved like living boulders, and while Selene was fast—faster than most—this thing didn’t n
Chapter 12
“Tell me again why it’s faster this year,” muttered Dorlin, the Arcane principal, nursing a chipped wine glass like it was an old wound. “I swear I just heard it outrun a Stone Born.” Chestnuts cracked lazily between Dean Arven’s fingers as she sat back in her chair, legs crossed, expression unreadable. The table before her held a half-open bottle of champagne, a mostly ignored plate of fruit slices, and a silver bowl of roasted seeds—most of which were already gone. Around the table, the other principals sat with varying degrees of discomfort. Not because of the refreshments, no. It was the elephant in the room—or more accurately, the Golem on the map. “Because,” Arven said, popping a chestnut into her mouth, “I increased its speed.” “You what?” Elmira, head of the Iron Fang’s faction, choked on her fruit and reached for water. “You cranked up the speed and the rage index? Are you trying to bury these kids alive?” “Seventy percent of the students who went through your portal ar
Chapter 11
Selene moved through the thickening trees with the fluid, soundless grace of a panther. Every step was calculated. Her cloak fluttered behind her, blending with the shadows. Though her body was calm, her thoughts stormed. Each breath sharpened the edge of her fury. Then, ahead—she saw them. Four figures stood loosely around a broken stone lantern pedestal, speaking in low, cocky voices. They didn’t hide themselves. They didn’t need to. Vampires of their class rarely did. Selene stepped into the clearing, her voice cutting the air like a blade. “I should’ve known it was you.” The figures froze. The tallest turned first—sleek white hair, lazy golden eyes, and a smirk that could cut through steel. He wore the Academy uniform with arrogant flair, sleeves rolled up like this was just another casual school day. “Selene.” His smirk widened. “Knew you’d show up. Always too proud to let your prey run off.” “Cassian.” Her voice was steel wrapped in velvet. “Didn’t think you’d crawl into
Chapter 10
The forest had gone quiet again—but it wasn’t peace. It was the heavy silence that settles after something sharp has passed through, leaving the trees holding their breath. Just a thick, uneasy silence pressing down on the group as they crept forward. Kai took a cautious step toward the bushes where the sound had last come from, his hand brushing the hilt of his weapon. Thalia flanked his left, blade drawn, eyes sharp. Jace stayed back just enough to provide cover, murmuring a soft enchantment under his breath, pretending to know what he’s doing. Selene walked ahead of them all—silent and alert like a predator chasing a scent. “Over here,” Selene murmured. They stepped into a clearing that didn’t feel like a clearing—it felt like a wound. The ground was torn in places, grass flattened and stained red. A few broken tents sagged at the edges. And in the middle, eight students were sprawled across the dirt, some unconscious, some moaning in pain. Kai’s breath caught in his throat. “
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