Chapter 106: It begins

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: It begins

And its body radiated enough dungeon energy that Tolu could feel it even through his connection.

"That one is strong."

"Very," the Heart replied.

"Can our creatures handle it?"

"Not alone."

Tolu stared at the beast.

Then he smiled.

"Then they won’t fight it alone."

He gave the order.

Everything attacked.

Wolves rushed from different directions.

Hyenas circled.

Slimes crawled across the ground.

Smaller creatures harassed the beast’s legs.

The great bear roared.

Its fist struck the ground.

The impact sent several creatures flying.

Another blow shattered a stone formation.

It was overwhelmingly strong.

But every time it turned toward one creature, another attacked from behind.

The battle became a war of endurance.

The bear grew slower.

The creatures grew more desperate.

One hyena was thrown against a tree and didn’t rise.

Another lost an ear.

A wolf had its leg injured.

Still, they continued.

Eventually, the bear stumbled.

Three hyenas attacked simultaneously.

The first bit its leg.

The second climbed onto its back.

The third struck its throat.

The bear roared and swung wildly.

The creature on its back was thrown away.

The first was crushed beneath its foot.

But the third didn’t retreat.

It attacked again.

And again.

Until the massive beast finally collapsed.

Silence spread through the forest.

Then the enemy Dungeon Heart cracked.

Light exploded through the roots.

The entire territory trembled.

Energy poured into Tolu’s dungeon.

More than the previous war.

Much more.

Tolu felt it rush through his body.

His eyes widened.

The Solace Tree immediately began absorbing the excess.

Its roots glowed.

The Dungeon Heart pulsed faster.

The dungeon expanded.

New caverns formed.

The earth shifted.

Plants spread.

Streams changed their paths.

Several creatures began evolving under the sudden influx of energy.

Tolu stood there, breathing slowly.

He could feel something changing.

Not only in the dungeon.

Inside himself.

His cultivation had been pushed forward repeatedly over the past few weeks.

The wars.

The training.

The battles outside the dungeon.

The Solace Tree.

The resources.

Everything had accumulated.

And now the second dungeon war had pushed him to the edge.

Tolu clenched his fist.

Energy surged through his arm.

For a moment, the ground beneath his feet cracked.

He stared down.

Then laughed quietly.

"Interesting."

But before he could investigate further, the Dungeon Heart spoke.

"My Lord."

Tolu looked toward it.

"What?"

There was something different in the Heart’s voice.

Not excitement.

Not fear.

Something closer to surprise.

"Something has happened."

Tolu frowned.

"What happened?"

"I am still determining the cause."

The roots beneath the Solace Tree began glowing.

Tolu stepped closer.

The Dungeon Heart brightened.

Then the ground trembled.

A small crack appeared several meters away.

Tolu raised his hammer.

The crack widened.

Something pushed upward from beneath the soil.

Tolu watched as a small object slowly emerged.

At first, he thought it was another mineral.

Then it moved.

Tolu froze.

The object broke free of the earth.

It was a small creature.

No larger than his forearm.

Its body was covered in dark scales.

Thin green lines pulsed beneath them.

Two small horns curved backward from its head.

It opened its eyes.

They glowed faintly gold.

Tolu stared.

The Dungeon Heart remained silent for several seconds.

Then its voice finally came.

"My Lord..."

Tolu looked at the creature.

"What is it?"

"I don’t know."

That answer alone was enough to surprise him.

The creature looked around.

Then its eyes settled on Tolu.

It lowered its head.

Not in fear.

Not in submission.

Almost as though it recognized him.

Tolu slowly crouched.

The creature approached.

He extended one hand.

It pressed its head against his palm.

A strange warmth spread through his fingers.

Tolu’s eyes widened.

The Dungeon Heart pulsed violently.

"I have detected an unusual bloodline."

Tolu’s expression changed.

"What kind?"

"I cannot determine it yet."

He looked at the tiny creature again.

It suddenly opened its mouth.

A thin stream of green energy escaped between its teeth.

The surrounding earth responded.

Small stones lifted from the ground.

They floated around the creature.

Tolu stared.

Earth affinity.

His affinity.

A creature born from his dungeon.

And something about it was clearly different from every beast he had created before.

The Heart spoke again.

"Whatever this creature becomes..."

Tolu waited.

"It will not be ordinary."

For several seconds, Tolu said nothing.

Then he looked toward the distant entrance of the dungeon.

The competition.

One hundred young cultivators.

Powerful families.

Academies.

The entire capital watching.

Top five.

That had been a difficult goal.

A goal that would require him to reveal enough strength without revealing too much.

Tolu looked back at the little creature.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

Two days ago, he had wondered whether he had enough time to prepare.

Now?

He wasn’t so worried.

"Looks like things just became a little easier."

The little creature made a quiet sound and curled around his wrist.

Tolu laughed.

.....

The day of the competition finally arrived.

By sunrise, the capital was already awake.

The streets leading toward the battle arena were packed with people. Merchants had opened their stalls earlier than usual, selling food, drinks, cultivation supplies, snacks, and cheap souvenirs bearing the insignias of the seven great forces.

Carriages moved slowly through the crowded streets.

Cultivators walked in groups.

Families brought their children.

Students came wearing their academy uniforms.

Even people who normally had little interest in cultivation had found a reason to attend.

The third-generation competition was no longer merely a competition.

It had become an event.

And everyone wanted to see it.

At the center of the capital stood the battle arena.

It was enormous.

The outer walls rose several stories high, built from thick grey stone reinforced with formations. Tall pillars surrounded the structure, each carved with protective inscriptions that faintly glowed beneath the morning sunlight.

At the top of the arena, enormous banners hung from the walls.

Seven carried the insignias of the seven great forces.

The Inaara Family.

The Omimi Family.

The Ilepaja Family.

Ologunri Academy.

Osupa Dudu Academy.

Ile Agbede Academy.

The Ilebi Army.

Below them were smaller banners representing the competition itself.

The gates opened.

Thousands of spectators poured inside.

The sound was overwhelming.

Cheers echoed through the arena.

People shouted the names of their favorite candidates.

Others argued about which academy had produced stronger young cultivators.

Some spectators had already made private bets.

The atmosphere grew louder with every passing minute.

Inside, the arena itself was even more impressive.

The central battlefield was a massive circular platform surrounded by layers of protective formations.

The ground was reinforced enough to withstand battles between Adept cultivators.

Several formation pillars stood around the battlefield, ready to activate the moment the fighting began.

Beyond them were thousands of seats arranged in rising circles.

The highest sections were reserved for important guests.

And above those sections was the VIP area.

The seven great forces had arrived.

---

Inside the VIP hall, representatives from the seven forces gathered beneath an ornate ceiling.

The room overlooked the entire arena through a wide opening.

From there, the battlefield looked almost small.

The noise of the crowd was still audible, but muted by the protective formations surrounding the VIP section.

Members of the great families and institutions arrived one after another.

The first to enter was a representative of the Inaara Family.

He was an older man dressed in dark blue robes decorated with subtle golden patterns.

Several younger members followed behind him.

Not long after, representatives of the Omimi Family arrived.

Their clothing carried the family’s familiar insignia.

The tail fins of a mermaid.

The two groups exchanged greetings.

"Good morning."

"Good morning. It has been some time."

"It has."

The conversation was polite.

Respectful.

But beneath the courtesy was the awareness that everyone in the room had come for the same reason.

Their young candidates were about to be tested in front of the entire capital.

The Ilepaja Family representatives arrived next.

Then the representatives of Ologunri Academy.

The Osupa Dudu Academy.

Ile Agbede Academy.

Finally, representatives of the Ilebi Army entered the VIP section.

Once all seven forces had arrived, the room became considerably more lively.

Old acquaintances greeted one another.

Some exchanged small talk.

Others discussed business.

A few quietly asked about the young cultivators each force had brought.

"I heard Ologunri has a rather talented candidate this year."

"So I’ve heard."

"And the Omimi branch?"

"They have several promising young cultivators."

"Five candidates, as expected."

"Of course."

The conversations remained polite.

Nobody openly boasted.

Nobody wanted to reveal too much.

But every representative was watching the others.

The competition might be for young cultivators.

The consequences extended far beyond them.

A promising young cultivator could attract an academy.

A strong performance could earn a family’s branch greater resources.

A talented outsider could be recruited.

A young fighter who reached the later stages could suddenly find themselves surrounded by opportunities.

Reputation mattered.

Connections mattered.

And everyone in that VIP hall understood it.

---

Far below them, the contestants gathered.

One hundred young cultivators stood around the preparation area beneath the arena.

They were divided into groups according to the registration process.

Some stood alone.

Others gathered around friends.

Several were stretching.

Some sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating.

Others were quietly checking their weapons.

The atmosphere among the contestants was completely different from the VIP section.

There was excitement.

Nervousness.

Competition.

And a great deal of tension.

Most of them were under twenty.

Some looked barely old enough to be there.

Others carried themselves with the confidence of experienced fighters.

Every contestant had reached at least Middle Adept.

That alone placed them far above ordinary young cultivators.

But everyone knew that meeting the minimum requirement did not mean they were equal.

There were early Adepts.

Middle Adepts.

Peak Adepts.

And a handful whose aura suggested they were already standing at the edge of Advanced.

Those individuals naturally attracted attention.

"Isn’t that one of the Ilepaja candidates?"

"Yes."

"I heard he’s already Peak Adept."

"He’s not the only one."

A group nearby turned their attention toward five young cultivators wearing matching academy uniforms.

"Ologunri."

"They brought some strong people this year."

"Look at the one in the middle."

"That’s probably their strongest."

Whispers continued.

The contestants themselves were listening.

Everyone wanted to know who they might face.

Some tried to appear relaxed.

Others deliberately released small amounts of energy, allowing nearby contestants to sense their cultivation.

It was almost a silent competition before the real competition had even begun.

Then Tolu entered the preparation area.

He wasn’t wearing anything particularly extravagant.

His clothing was practical.

His hammer rested at his side.

He looked around at the hundreds of young cultivators surrounding him.

For a moment, he simply observed.

These were the people he would have to fight.

The people standing between him and the top five.

Tolu slowly exhaled.

He could feel the weight of the arena above them.

Thousands of people.

Seven great forces.

Powerful families.

Academies.

Merchants.

Cultivators.

Everyone had come to watch.

He looked toward the massive battlefield beyond the preparation area.

His expression remained calm.

He wasn’t here to impress anyone.

He wasn’t here to prove himself to the crowd.

He had a goal.

Reach the top five.

Do that, and Jide had promised to give him anything within his power.

And that promise could bring Tolu much closer to the hundred thousand gold coins he needed.

A horn suddenly sounded.

The entire arena went quiet.

The conversations in the VIP hall stopped.

Every contestant looked toward the battlefield.

A figure slowly walked onto the center of the arena.

The man was dressed in the formal robes of the competition organizers.

He stopped at the center of the battlefield and looked around at the thousands of spectators.

His voice was amplified by the formations surrounding the arena.

"Welcome, everyone, to the third-generation competition."

The crowd erupted.

Thousands of voices thundered through the arena.

Tolu looked up.

The competition had begun.