CHAPTER 101: VICTORIAN CITY – THE TOURNAMENT HAS BEGUN

Two weeks later, a great number of students gathered in a grand hall, all seated on rows of benches. The Freshmen Tournament had been conducted in the arena, with Isaac losing to Cecil after an intense battle. He didn’t even face Snow.

Though his summon’s combat prowess was surprising, the second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students gathered in this hall were puzzled.

It was rare for them to assemble like this. Their tournament was indeed going to be different, as stated by the school board.

All of a sudden, the huge doors swung open, prompting everyone to look back as Damien walked in with Vin, Tyla, and a few other seniors.

The loud chattering in the hall died in that instant. After Damien defeated Gregory, the strongest teacher in Manhattan High, a school known to produce powerful summoners worldwide, the respect and fear others had for him soared.

They could only imagine how much Tyla, Vin, and the other ex-Nexus members had grown during their mission on the moon. One thing was certain, these figures were on par with Isolde!

Or at least, that’s what many thought, since Isolde simply demolished those she fought without going all out.

When Damien sat, the whispers returned. He adjusted his glasses, averting his eyes from Jon, who sat before him, to Godfrey, who was also looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"I know the odds were unfair since he got the strength of three summons, but he did defeat Nexus Club. Do you want to test him because of that?" Rick, a student with orange hair, said with crossed arms as he lightly kicked Damien’s chair.

"He won’t survive," Damien replied calmly.

The others shrugged, as it was the truth. Damien’s summon was a strange one, the Yin-Yang Gorilla. In its Yang form, it had a different ability and was a 7.9 high tier, but in its Yin form, it had another set of abilities and was a formidable 9.0 lord tier!

Damien’s mutation gave him 90% of his summon’s power, meaning Symbiosis made him as strong as an 8.1 summon in Yin form. Coupled with his extreme mastery in MMA, some 8.5 summons might even be on the losing side.

At that moment, Sebastian and some teachers came out of a small door beside the podium. The teachers went to their respective seats, while Sebastian went to the lectern, leaning close to the microphone.

"Good morning, students. You must all be wondering what has changed in your tournament? Well, the second-year, third-year, and fourth-year will all be sent into a Blue Gate dungeon right within the confines of the school."

"What?" Godfrey’s eyes narrowed as voices of shock broke out.

"It’s been well over a year since the dungeon appeared, and it is an advantage to Manhattan Summoner’s High, an avenue for our students to face the true problems of the world in a controlled space. You shall all be sent to the Ancient Victorian dungeon city and earn points by killing dungeon beasts."

Sebastian paused, glancing at the students who were now all quiet.

"The weakest beast in this dungeon is an elite tier. They give two points. High-tier gives you five points, top-level high-tier gives you ten points, lord-tier gives you twenty points, a hundred points for a mini boss, and a thousand points for the final boss. But I would advise you to stay away from the final boss."

Godfrey looked at Isolde. "A thousand points. Must be really powerful."

"Probably a mid-level or top-level lord tier with a dangerous innate skill," Isolde replied softly, her eyes locked on Sebastian.

"Now... Here’s what makes this interesting. There are five mini bosses in their own zones. Once you kill a mini boss, you can assume its position as the new boss and be given fifty points each day. You’ll also gain fifty points for every opponent defeated. Whoever defeats you will gain half of your points."

This news caused an uproar amongst the students. Top students like Damien, Jon, and their circles began to eye each other, as every one of them wanted to kill and become a boss, while others saw a more lucrative part in defeating these student bosses.

"The fountains in the dungeon are access points where you can trade your points for dungeon cores to strengthen your summon, food, water, and other needs you require. This tournament will last for two weeks. Use this time to make sure you deepen your bonds with your summons, as they are your future." Sebastian said the last part sternly.

"Killing your fellow student’s summon will lead to immediate expulsion, no matter who you are. I don’t care if it’s a mistake or not, you must learn how to control your strength. Leaderboard rankings can be seen at the city square, where you can challenge another to gain fifty percent of their points. The challenge must be accepted, or the winner will not receive any points."

Looking at the students one final time, Sebastian spoke. "That will be all."

Instantly, they began to vanish. Those who saw others vanish tried to compose themselves but vanished before they could even think.

Godfrey could barely look at Isolde before they both vanished. In the next moment, he found himself on a rooftop.

It wasn’t the flat rooftop of modern buildings but the triangular-shaped ones. His eyes reflected the vast Victorian city, with dark clouds looming above it.

Cold droplets of water splattered on his face, prompting him to look up. It rained, not heavily, just a drizzle.

’Looks eerie,’ Godfrey muttered inwardly.

The sudden growling of a beast made him look down at the armoured dog, about four feet tall, with red skin and layers of metal plates.

It bared its fangs at him, growling and barking loudly. More armoured dogs gathered, and in a few seconds, there were ten of them waiting for him to come down.

Godfrey sighed. His eyes gleamed, and a portal appeared above the dogs. Tempest dropped from it, cracking the pavement blocks beneath his feet.

The drizzle struck his golden armour, making soft sounds as it bounced off like torn petals. In that moment, the runes etched onto the six-foot-long greatsword glowed, pulling all the hounds toward him as if gravity had failed them.

Tempest left blurs of his hands as he instinctively activated Lightning Fast Reflexes, decimating all ten dogs in a split second. It was as if they were there one moment, and in the next, all that remained were body parts and blood.

....

A/N: Thanks for reading!