Ava woke up that morning feeling groggy. She followed her usual routine, starting with washing her face to shake off the sleepiness. Heading to the kitchen to make breakfast, she noticed a note on the dining table.
She picked it up and read:
"I'm going on a trip to the Death Tunnel (not sure how long it will take). Look after yourself. I've also asked Sarah to check on you every day. - Magnus (There's like $1000 for you to spend, but don't blow it all at once)."
Ava sighed, shaking her head. "Leaving his sister alone… what a terrible brother. And the Death Tunnel… wait, I've heard of it before. That's the place where rogue Ascenders gather… what is he thinking?!"
Magnus entered the Death Tunnel with a sense of confidence. The Death Tunnel had appeared when the doors first started manifesting. From what's been discovered, the Death Tunnel stretches into a seemingly endless void. On the outside, it looks like an ordinary tunnel, but inside, it is massive.
As Magnus walked deeper, he began to notice people. They looked shady, their eyes following him with suspicion. He could feel their stares burning into his back. The Death Tunnel was indeed filled with rogue Ascenders.
Ignoring them, Magnus continued walking. The footsteps behind him grew louder.
"Hey, you," one of them called out. Not wanting to engage, Magnus kept moving.
"Oi, I'm talking to you," the voice called again, now tinged with anger.
So troublesome… Magnus thought to himself as he started to turn around.
"What."
There were about four people with their weapons out. Two of them seemed to be mages based on their wands. The other two seemed to be swordsmen.
"You seem to be new here. Nobody ignores us," one of the swordsmen said with a sneer.
Magnus sighed inwardly. "I don't want any trouble. I'm just passing through."
"Passing through?" one of the mages mocked. "You don't just 'pass through' the Death Tunnel. You pay a toll."
Magnus raised an eyebrow. "A toll? And what if I don't feel like paying?"
The second swordsman grinned, stepping forward. "Then we take it by force."
Magnus rolled his eyes, already tired of the encounter. He didn't want to reveal his full power, but he wasn't about to let these thugs push him around either. "How about you all back off and we pretend this never happened?"
The first mage's wand began to glow ominously. "I don't think you understand. You're outnumbered."
Magnus smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Numbers aren't everything."
"This one is courageous; we can use him in the tournament as a shield."
Tournament? They know where the tournament is…
Magnus quickly thought of plans. He could 'surrender' and be brought to the tournament—No, they would think that he is weak and dispose of him. He needed to put up a fight with them and lose purposely.
"Alright then," Magnus said, summoning a gust of wind that formed into blades and directed them at the rogues. The wind blades were weak, barely scratching the surface of their armor, but it was enough to make the rogues believe Magnus was a mere wind mage.
The fight commenced, and Magnus deliberately made himself look clumsy. He sent out more weak wind blades and awkwardly dodged attacks, making sure to miss every opportunity to harm his opponents.
One of the swordsmen lunged at Magnus, who could have easily dodged the attack but instead stayed still, letting the blade graze his arm. He winced dramatically, clutching his arm. "Ow, that hurt!"
The rogues exchanged amused glances. "He's all bark and no bite," the leader sneered. "Take him down!"
Magnus put up a mock struggle, stumbling and tripping over his own feet. He exaggerated his reactions, making it seem like the rogues were overwhelming him. Finally, one of the mages cast a binding spell, and Magnus let himself be captured.
"You put up a good fight," one of the rogues said with a grin. "But you're coming with us."
They dragged Magnus to a hidden lair deep within the tunnel. The lair was a large, dimly lit cavern filled with rogue Ascenders, some sparring, others drinking and gambling. The leader of the group, a burly man with a scar across his face, looked up as they entered.
"Who's this?" the leader growled, eyeing Magnus suspiciously.
"He's a weak nobody that we captured. He acted tough and all, but in reality, he's very weak."
"Why would you bring a weakling here?" The leader said angrily.
"W-we thought that he would be a good shield in the Tournament, sir," the mage said nervously.
"Do you think I'm going to waste a ticket on him?"
"N-no, sir."
"He doesn't seem to have any armor or weapon… just take him to jail and starve him there."
Did that leader guy just say 'ticket'? Come to think about it, Xavier said that not anybody can just join the tournament... Magnus thought to himself.
"You see this, you weak bastard? If you didn't pick a fight with us, you could've lived normally," the swordsman said as he threw Magnus behind bars.
Magnus sat in the dimly lit cell, feigning defeat. The bars were cold against his back, and the damp air of the dungeon made it hard to breathe. The rogues were loud and arrogant, their voices echoing through the cavern as they continued their revelry. Magnus waited patiently, knowing that this was all part of his plan. He needed to learn more about this ticket and the tournament.
Hours passed, and the noise in the lair began to die down. Magnus took this opportunity to study his surroundings. The cell was old and rusted, with a single guard stationed nearby, looking bored and inattentive.
Magnus waited until the guard was distracted, then whispered, "Portal Creation."
A portal appeared just outside the cell, allowing Magnus to walk through and get out of the cell. As he made his way deeper into the lair, Magnus overheard snippets of conversation. The rogues were discussing their plans for the tournament, mentioning the leader's ticket and how it granted access to the competition. He followed the voices, creeping through the shadows until he reached a room where the leader and a few others were gathered around a table.
"We need to make sure we're prepared," the leader was saying. "This tournament is our chance to prove ourselves and gain real power. That weakling we caught earlier is useless. We'll leave him here to rot."
Magnus smirked, knowing he had to act quickly. He created another small portal, this time summoning a gust of wind that knocked over a stack of crates in the corner. The sudden noise startled the rogues, and they turned their attention to the commotion.
Seizing the moment, Magnus stepped into the room, summoning a burst of wind blades that scattered the rogues. The leader caught off guard, fumbled for his weapon.
"What the—how did you get out?" the leader shouted.
Magnus grinned, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "You underestimated me."
The fight was swift and decisive. Magnus, now using his true strength, easily overpowered the rogues. He dodged their attacks with ease, using his portals to outmaneuver them. The leader, realizing he was outmatched, tried to flee, but Magnus was quicker.
With a portal made right under the leader's feet, Magnus tripped the leader and pinned him against the wall. "The ticket," Magnus demanded. "Where is it?"
The leader, gasping for breath, pointed to a small box on the table. Magnus retrieved it, finding the coveted ticket inside.
"Thanks," Magnus said, releasing the leader who crumpled to the floor.
Before Magnus could walk out of the door, the leader's voice stopped him.
"Sacrificial Skill: Ally Absorption."
Magnus turned around, his heart pounding. What he saw was horrifying. The rogue Ascenders who were unconscious on the floor were being absorbed by the leader. Their bodies dissolved into streams of energy, converging on him and merging into his form. The leader's muscles bulged, and his eyes glowed with a sinister light.
"You think you can just walk out of here after humiliating me?" the leader growled, his voice now a deep, resonant echo. "You've made a grave mistake."
Magnus took a defensive stance, summoning a mana weapon to his hand. "You're making a bigger mistake by absorbing your men. You won't win this."
The leader laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber. "Power is all that matters. And now, I have theirs."
With a roar, the leader charged at Magnus, his speed and strength vastly increased. Magnus barely had time to react, raising a portal that redirected to the wall just in time to deflect the leader's fist. The impact sent a shockwave through the room, shattering nearby crates and sending debris flying.
Magnus conjured a series of portals around the leader, trying to trap him, but the enhanced rogue was too quick. He dodged the portals with ease, closing the distance between them in an instant. Magnus felt a surge of fear—this was not going to be easy.
"Wind Blade!" Magnus shouted, sending a flurry of air blades towards the leader. The blades sliced through the air, but the leader deflected them with a swipe of his arm, the enhanced energy shielding him from harm.
"Is that all you've got?" the leader taunted, swinging a massive fist at Magnus. Magnus barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side and summoning another portal to gain distance.
He needed a new strategy. The leader's raw power was overwhelming, and his sacrificial skill made him nearly unstoppable. Magnus glanced around the room, searching for anything he could use to his advantage. His eyes landed on a stack of unstable barrels in the corner—likely containing explosive materials.
An idea formed in his mind. He just needed to lure the leader closer to the barrels. "Come on then!" Magnus goaded, feigning exhaustion. "Let's see how powerful you are."
The leader charged again, a triumphant grin on his face. Magnus timed it perfectly, opening a portal that redirected the leader's momentum straight into the stack of barrels. The impact triggered a chain reaction, and the room was filled with a deafening explosion.
Magnus shielded himself by trapping himself inside Portal Entrapment, deflecting the brunt of the blast. When the dust settled, the leader was on the ground, struggling to stand. His body was riddled with wounds, the absorption skill's effects waning under the strain.
"You… you think this is over?" the leader wheezed, trying to summon more energy.
Magnus stepped forward, his mana weapon ready. "It's over. You won't hurt anyone else."
With a swift motion, Magnus killed him instantly. The room fell silent, the only sound was his heavy breathing. Magnus took a moment to catch his breath, then proceeded to keep walking down the tunnel.