The silence in the arena was absolute, broken only by the crackling of lingering frost and the faint hiss of steam rising from the scorched stone. Ryan lay motionless, his body a map of bruises and burns, yet his face remained eerily peaceful in unconsciousness.
Suddenly, the air shimmered. With a soft ripple of mana, Professor Olivia materialized beside him. The crowd gasped teleportation within the academy grounds was a feat reserved for the elite. She didn't spare a glance for the cheering fans or even the victor, Alex. Her eyes were fixed on Ryan.
She reached into her robes and pulled out a small, crystal vial containing a liquid that glowed with a soft, cerulean light. "David!" she commanded, her voice cutting through the hushed stadium.
David, who had been restrained by the referees until the official call, blurred across the arena floor, kneeling instantly beside her.
"Feed him this," Olivia said, handing over the vial. "It is a 3rd-Grade Life-Dew. He will be as good as new by tomorrow. Take him to the infirmary immediately."
Before David could even offer his thanks, she vanished as abruptly as she had appeared. The stadium erupted into frenzied whispers. A 3rd-Grade medicine was worth a small fortune, and seeing a Peak Gold Stage Professor personally deliver it sent a clear message: Ryan Ragnor was not to be touched.
On the VIP dais, Principal Malvik allowed a thin, predatory smile to touch his lips before he, too, dissolved into a swirl of mana. One by one, the other professors followed suit, their minds already memorizing the faces of the two monsters who had just redefined the limits of the Silver Stage.
One Day Later: The Infirmary
The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the Academy infirmary. Ryan's eyes flickered open, the ceiling coming into focus. He expected a wave of agony, but instead, he felt a strange, cool vitality coursing through his veins.
"You're awake, sir." David was sitting in a chair by the bed, his arms crossed, looking more relieved than he would ever admit.
Ryan sat up, testing his ribs. "The medicine?"
"3rd-Grade Life-Dew, courtesy of Professor Olivia," David replied. "She appeared in the ring the moment you fell. The entire Academy is talking about it. They think you're her secret disciple."
Ryan leaned back against the pillows, a cold light returning to his eyes. "Good. Let them think that. A shield of mystery is often stronger than a shield of mana."
"You pushed yourself too far, sir," David muttered, his tone shifting to one of rare concern. "That last clash... if Alex hadn't held back his spear's killing intent, you might not have woken up."
"To catch a tiger, you must enter its den, David," Ryan said. "I needed to prove I was worth the 'investment' to the higher-ups. And more importantly, I needed to make a Kellen feel a debt of honor."
A knock at the door interrupted them. Alex Kellen walked in, stripped of his noble finery and wearing a simple student tunic. His arms were still wrapped in bandages, and he moved with a slight limp.
"The Ragnor ghost finally returns to the living," Alex said, his grin as cocky as ever, though his eyes held a new layer of respect.
"You look like you've seen better days, Kellen," Ryan countered.
Alex laughed, reaching into his pouch. He tossed two leather-bound scrolls onto Ryan's bed. "A bet is a bet. Here is the winner's reward the 3rd-Grade 'Frost-Bound Sovereign' Cultivation Technique and my own reward, a 3rd-Grade Martial Manual: 'Glacial Severance'. Since I already have my family's arts, these are useless to me. and debt i owe you for forcing your name is clear so consider us even.
Ryan"hey why who i think us even do you think just transportation charge of rewards is enough you shithead"
"see the attributes of bothscrolls" says alex
Ryan looked at the scrolls. damn he chose both as ice attributes , This was the foundation he needed. "You're giving up high-tier techniques quite easily."
"I don't need charity," Alex shrugged. "You made me bleed, Ragnor. That's a first in this Realm. I'll see you in the elite classes. Don't fall behind, or I'll take those back." He waved a hand over his shoulder and walked out without waiting for a reply.
"either he is naive or too confident in his strengh" david says looking at back of alex.
Once Alex was gone, David stood up and pulled out a mana-projector stone. A holographic map of the Academy and a list of names appeared in the air.
"Since the tournament ended, the rankings have been finalized, sir," David said. "You are Rank 2. I am Rank 3 and Alex, obviously is Rank 1. Lucas managed to snag Rank 8."
He swiped the hologram to show a list of icons. "Because we are in the Top 5, we've been assigned to the 'Phoenix Wing' Dormitories. It's the highest density of mana on campus. Our classes begin in next days. But the rules here are... different than the Association."
David pointed to the section titled Academy Statutes:
The Ranking Board is Fluid: Any student can challenge a higher-ranked student once a year. If you lose, you lose your resource allotment.
The Points System: Mana stones are the base, but 'Academy Points' are the true currency. You earn them through missions, refining, or 'selling' techniques back to the library. Points can buy time in the Dharma Compression Chamber which is nothing but chamber created by dharma laws compression of principal sir where mana density is liquified"
No-Kill Zone: Combat is encouraged, but killing results in immediate execution by the Law Enforcement Pavilion.
"And one more thing, sir," David added, his expression darkening. "As Rank 2, you are automatically a target for the Senior students. They see the newcomers' resource allotment as an 'initiation fee.' They'll likely come to collect within the week."
Ryan looked at the 3rd-Grade scrolls in his lap, his fingers tracing the ancient Ragnor insignia he had carved into his own mana-bracelet.
"Let them come," Ryan said, his voice a low, icy whisper. "I have a bloodline to evolve and a legacy to reclaim. If they want my resources, they can pay for them in blood."