Chapter 665: Four Beside Three

Hajin reviewed the arena rules from the private staging tent, listening for the referee’s signal beyond the canvas wall.

Grandstands rose along the perimeter, already filling rapidly with registered guild masters, traveling merchants, and seasoned veteran mercenaries from across the realm.

In the private staging tent beneath the south terrace, Ferra handed Hajin a smoothly polished ash staff wrapped in cord.

"I treated the grain with heat-hardened resin and mountain beeswax," she explained, gesturing toward the smooth timber.

"It will withstand three hundred pounds of direct impact without cracking or splintering under heavy dueling blades."

"Thank you, Ferra," he replied, sliding his hands along the braided grip to test the friction.

She stepped behind him, checking the leather scabbard straps that secured his matched twin blades across his back.

"Are you nervous about fighting three top-ten rankers without your summons?" she asked, tightening a buckle.

"Not nervous in the slightest," he answered with a calm, focused smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"I spent six continuous weeks recovering in bed... I want to feel the sand beneath my feet again."

He closed his eyes and channeled his mana, calling upon the sovereign authority resting within his soul core.

Seven physical Rings detached from his chest, spinning in a radiant orbit of pale gold energy before his eyes.

With a practiced mental command, he divided his presence, manifesting a single physical clone upon the canvas floor.

The clone stood identical to him in stature, bearing, and calm resolve, stepping forward into the morning light.

Four physical Rings locked around the original host, while three Rings circled the wrists and waist of the clone.

[ Clonal division protocol initialized ]

[ Primary vessel: 4 physical Rings (5x output multiplier) ]

[ Secondary avatar: 3 physical Rings (3x output multiplier) ]

[ Duration limit: 8:00 minutes / operational radius: 1.0 km ]

"Four beside three," Clone One murmured, flexing his fingers as the triple Rings pulsed with three-fold power.

"You know the tactical boundaries," the original host instructed, handing over the ash practice staff.

"Control the marked escape lanes, disarm anyone who crosses into your sector, and halt immediately on the referee’s signal."

"Understood," the clone replied, twirling the staff in a crisp defensive pattern that whistled through the tent.

"My reaction speed matches your baseline... you take Darven, and I will handle the flanks."

"Darven overextends on his third thrust," the clone observed, testing a balanced thrust against the tent post.

"When he commits to his forward drive, his right shoulder leaves an eight-inch opening below his armpit."

"We will exploit that opening when he lunges," the original agreed with a quiet nod.

They held the clonal state for two minutes to verify synchronization before the original host initiated voluntary dissolution.

The clone dissolved into shimmering gold motes, leaving the three wandering Rings to return across the thirty-second recall timer.

He waited patiently as the Rings reintegrated into his core, feeling no fatigue or spiritual strain from the brief exercise.

Peering through the tent flap, he observed the three challengers conducting their final practice drills in the open arena.

Darven Holt was practicing a relentless driving sequence with his spear, lunging forward with explosive footwork.

Behind him, Ilsen Vey marked shooting lanes in the sand, while Oric Dain checked the locking bolts of his kite shield.

"They plan to drive you into the corner with Darven’s spear," Juna noted, walking into the tent with Loccy.

"Then let them try," Hajin smiled, rolling his shoulders with calm anticipation.

"A predictable battle plan is always the easiest to dismantle once the weapons make contact."

By early afternoon, the arena horn sounded three resonant blasts, signaling the start of the official exhibition match.

Thousands of spectators cheered from the grandstands as Yenna stepped onto the referee’s platform in her emerald robes.

Hajin walked out from the southern gate, accompanied by his single clone holding the plain ash training staff.

Up on the private VIP balcony, Juna, Didi, Loccy, Rumi, and Nari leaned over the railing, waving down at him.

"Go get them, summoner!" the shadow dancer shouted through cupped hands, her voice carrying across the entire colosseum.

Across the field, Oric studied the two approaching figures, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the clone’s plain staff.

"Look at the second body," Oric whispered to his teammates, pointing with the tip of his arming sword.

"No armor, an unadorned wooden stick, and only three visible energy bands around his wrists."

"He put his real strength into the original and left the clone as a distraction," Darven agreed, leveling his long spear.

"We force the original back, then crush the clone before they can coordinate... move on my signal!"

Yenna raised her hand, addressing both sides as the magical barriers pulsed with azure light.

"Combatants, state your readiness!" Yenna called out, her voice amplified across the colosseum.

"Darven Holt, ready!" the spearman bellowed, stamping the butt of his weapon into the sand.

"Ilsen Vey, ready!" the archer announced, resting two blunted practice arrows across her fingers.

"Oric Dain, ready!" the swordsman shouted, locking his kite shield against his breastplate.

"Hajin of the Sixth, ready," he answered calmly, drawing his twin blades while the clone grounded the staff.

"Show us the true strength of a sovereign," Darven said quietly, his eyes burning with intense martial respect.

"I will not disappoint you," he replied with a confident nod.

"Remember," Yenna called out to the stands, "the victor claims the provisional top-ten seed for the grand expedition!"

The entire stadium answered with a deafening roar of approval, stomping their feet against the wooden bleachers.

The packed crowd roared with thunderous anticipation as the two teams took their formal positions across the chalked dueling circle.

The tension in the arena reached a fever pitch as the referee raised her silver signal horn to the afternoon sky, preparing to unleash the clash between the continent’s finest champions.

High above the packed arena, the celestial broadcast interface lit up with a blinding avalanche of golden superchats.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "Four Rings with Hajin and three with the clone! Oric still cannot tell which one is real!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "’A predictable plan is the easiest to dismantle.’ Hajin baiting the rankers into targeting the clone is 200 IQ!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "Oric really looked at a 3x multiplier clone with a master-crafted staff and called it ’the weak side’! Oh boy!" ]

[ HearthKeeper: "The whole family cheering from the VIP balcony! Look at Rumi shouting through her hands!" ]

[ ShadowMage44: "Four Rings give 5x output, three Rings give 3x output! Neither has 16x, but both bodies are absolute monsters!" ]

[ TacticalNerd: "Notice how Darven thinks he discovered a weakness? He is walking straight into the spiderweb!" ]

[ NewViewer_02: "The clone split was so clean! Oric is staring at the wrong Hajin!" ]

[ CringeSlayer91: "Oric calling that staff ’an unadorned wooden stick’ was his first mistake!" ]

Hajin met Darven’s gaze across the chalk line, his split-colored eyes glittering with sharp, playful amusement.

"No live steel," the referee reminded both captains as she inspected the practice weapons at the chalk line.

Hajin turned his staff once and showed her its unadorned ends, then waited while the clone did the same.

"If either projection leaves the marked ring, call it immediately," he added. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

The referee checked the boundary posts and raised a hand to acknowledge the request, giving both challengers the same chance to object before she lifted her horn.

The trap was set, the challengers chose their path, and the contest for the top ten was about to begin.