Chapter 205: City Qualifiers for City B (Prologue)

The City Qualifiers were never meant to be peaceful.

Across New Liberty, thirty-two cities had entered the Inter-Academy Selection Tournament, and each city had its own selection process before the strongest academies could advance toward the Regional Selection.

City A had already made its move.

Its participants had entered Blackridge Expanse expecting monsters, rival academies, and competition. Instead, they had awakened something ancient, something that had nearly turned an academy tournament into a military emergency.

But while the eyes of the nation remained fixed on City A, another battlefield was quietly preparing itself.

City B.

And unlike City A, City B had no intention of being overshadowed.

City B was enormous.

It was one of the most prosperous cities in New Liberty, famous for its powerful awakened population, wealthy families, and academies that had produced some of the country’s most talented hunters.

Unlike City A, where six academies competed for three positions, City B had seven, and every single one of them had something to prove.

The official announcement had been made three days earlier.

The City Qualifiers would begin at 08:00 tomorrow morning. And the location? The Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds, a massive artificial wilderness constructed specifically for high-level awakened combat.

Unlike Blackridge Expanse, the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds had been carefully controlled. Its terrain could be altered. Its monsters could be monitored. Its weather could be manipulated. Its boundaries could be reinforced.

And, most importantly, the entire area was equipped with thousands of observation drones.

The organizers had learned from previous tournaments. This year, there would be no blind spots. At least, that was what they believed.

The seven academies had already arrived.

The first was Erovile Academy.

Its students wore elegant black-and-silver combat uniforms, each bearing the distinctive crest of the academy. At the center of the group stood a young man with dark hair and calm blue eyes, Wilson Vance.

He stared toward the massive gates leading into the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds, his expression calm- almost too calm.

One of his teammates glanced toward him.

"Nervous?"

Wilson shook his head.

"No."

"Excited?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Perhaps."

Before the conversation could continue, another academy arrived.

Ironvale Academy.

Their students wore dark green and bronze combat uniforms, reinforced with lightweight armor plates. Unlike Erovile’s refined appearance, Ironvale’s group looked practical.

Every student carried a weapon and wore combat equipment, and every member of the academy seemed to have been trained to fight as part of a formation.

At the front stood a broad-shouldered young man with short brown hair, Marcus Hale, Ironvale’s current top-ranked student.

He looked toward Erovile. Then toward Wilson.

"You’re Erovile’s leader?"

Wilson glanced at him.

"For now."

Marcus smiled.

"Good."

Wilson raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to know who I’d be beating."

Several Erovile students immediately looked annoyed. Wilson, however, merely smiled.

"We’ll see."

The third academy arrived soon afterward.

Gravemont Academy.

Their students were known for brute-force abilities and heavy combat equipment. They carried massive weapons ranging from axes and hammers to greatswords. One student even carried a shield almost as tall as himself. They looked less like academy students and more like a small military squad.

The fourth academy was Silverlake Academy. Their students were known for precision-based abilities. Compared to Gravemont’s overwhelming equipment, Silverlake looked almost understated.

Their uniforms were white and blue, with lightweight combat armor beneath their jackets. Most carried specialized weapons designed for ranged or precision attacks. At the front stood a girl with short silver hair and sharp blue eyes. She glanced toward the hunting grounds.

"Three days."

Her teammate nodded.

"Three days."

"Let’s make them remember Silverlake."

The fifth academy arrived shortly afterward, Saint Meridian Academy.

Unlike the other teams, Saint Meridian placed heavy emphasis on support, healing, barriers, and tactical coordination. Their students wore white uniforms decorated with gold.

Some carried staffs, while others carried specialized medical equipment, but despite their appearance, nobody underestimated them. A support specialist could determine the outcome of an entire battle.

The sixth academy arrived: Ravencrest Academy. Their uniforms were dark, and their students were quiet. Unlike the other teams, they didn’t seem particularly interested in socializing with their competitors.

They just walked through the gates and took their positions.

A few spectators exchanged glances.

"Ravencrest is always creepy."

"Don’t say that too loudly."

"Why?"

"Because they might hear you."

The student immediately shut his mouth. The seventh and final academy arrived several minutes later.

Aurelia Heights Academy.

The academy was one of City B’s older institutions, famous for producing talented awakened from wealthy families and influential backgrounds.

Their uniforms were primarily white with broad violet accents. Their students carried themselves with confidence- perhaps too much confidence.

At the front of the group stood a blonde-haired young man with golden eyes. He looked toward the other six academies and smiled.

"Seven academies."

One of his teammates nodded.

"Only one city."

He chuckled.

"Then let’s make sure everyone remembers which academy ruled it."

Across the field, Wilson Vance quietly watched him. He said nothing, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Seven academies, seven different strategies, seven different groups of talented awakened, and only one thing mattered.

Advancing.

At exactly 07:30, the massive screens surrounding the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds came alive. The seven academies stood before them while thousands of spectators watched from the stands.

Millions more watched through live broadcasts. A tournament official stepped onto the central platform.

"Welcome to the City B Qualifiers of the Inter-Academy Selection Tournament!"

Cheers erupted throughout the arena. The official raised a hand.

"The rules are simple."

A massive projection appeared above the arena.

[CITY QUALIFIER]

[Duration: 72 Hours]

[Number of Advancing Academies: 7]

[Primary Objective: Unknown]

[Secondary Objectives: Unknown]

[Combat Restrictions: None]

[Elimination: Permitted]

Several students immediately frowned.

"Unknown?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"They haven’t told us the objective?"

Wilson’s eyes narrowed, while Marcus Hale grinned.

"So they want us to figure it out ourselves."

The official continued.

"Your academies have been provided with supplies, equipment, and basic survival resources." He paused.

"However, once you enter the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds..." His smile disappeared. "You are on your own."

The giant screens suddenly displayed a countdown.

[00:30]

The spectators became louder.

[00:29]

Weapons were drawn. Abilities began activating.

[00:20]

The students began forming groups. Some gathered around their academy leaders. Others exchanged wary glances with neighboring teams.

[00:10]

The enormous gates began opening. Mechanical locks disengaged one after another. The sound echoed throughout the arena.

[00:09]

"Good luck."

[00:08]

"Survive."

[00:07]

"And prove that your academy deserves to represent City B."

[00:06]

The wind suddenly stopped.

[00:05]

Every student prepared themselves.

[00:04]

The gates opened wider, and the enormous wilderness beyond was finally revealed. Trees, mountains, rivers, ruined structures, and countless paths disappeared into the artificial forest.

[00:03]

Wilson Vance’s eyes sharpened. Marcus Hale cracked his knuckles. The Silverlake students lowered their bodies. Ravencrest remained completely silent. Saint Meridian activated their defensive equipment. Gravemont’s students raised their weapons. Aurelia Heights smiled confidently.

[00:02]

The gates were completely open.

[00:01]

The official raised his hand.

"BEGIN!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Seven academies surged into the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds. Some immediately scattered, some formed defensive formations, some went hunting, and others went searching for objectives.

Erovile moved toward the eastern forest. Ironvale headed north.

Gravemont immediately began moving toward the mountainous region. Silverlake disappeared into the western woodland.

Saint Meridian established a temporary defensive position. Ravencrest vanished into the trees without saying a word.

Aurelia Heights charged directly into the wilderness.

The City B Qualifiers had officially begun, and somewhere deep within the artificial wilderness, something opened its eyes.

The tournament organizers didn’t notice. They had put it there after all. The spectators certainly didn’t notice; neither did the students.

One of the observation drones suddenly flickered, its camera turning toward the darkness. For a fraction of a second, something enormous appeared between the trees- a pair of glowing eyes. Then nothing.

The drone returned to normal, and the feed continued. The commentators continued speaking, and the spectators continued cheering.

Nobody realized that something had already begun moving beneath the Ashen Crown Hunting Grounds.