Magnus gritted his teeth, his chest still burning from the devastating impact of Tri's "Piercing Tornado." Every breath felt like knives stabbing into his lungs, but he couldn't afford to show weakness now. Not when Tri was still standing there, unflinching and relentless.
The dojo was quiet except for the sound of Magnus's ragged breathing. His mana dagger had dissolved into nothing, leaving him unarmed, his body aching from the repeated blows. Tri Tran, the martial arts master, hadn't even broken a sweat.
Magnus lunged forward, fists clenched, trying to land a punch to Tri's side. Tri sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise, before delivering a quick strike to Magnus's ribs. The blow sent shockwaves through Magnus's body, and he staggered back, barely managing to stay on his feet.
"Not bad," Tri said, his tone calm, almost instructive. "But you're relying too much on power. You need control."
Magnus didn't respond, focusing instead on catching his breath. He couldn't rely on his mana abilities here. No portals, no magical tricks. Just raw skill—and he was outclassed.
Tri didn't give him time to recover. He rushed forward, his movements a blur as he unleashed a series of rapid strikes—"Shattering Palm"—each one landing with pinpoint precision on Magnus's arms and chest. The strikes weren't just painful; they disrupted the flow of mana in his body, making it harder for him to focus, harder to breathe.
Magnus stumbled back, but he wasn't done yet. With a desperate burst of energy, he tried to catch Tri off guard by summoning a wind blade, just enough to push him back.
Tri's eyes narrowed, seeing through the attempt. He twisted his body, dodging the blade easily before leaping into the air. With a spin, he came down hard with a technique Magnus hadn't seen before—"Rending Kick." The force of the kick didn't just knock Magnus down; it sent him skidding across the floor of the dojo, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
Magnus groaned, his body slumped against the wall, his vision blurred from the impact. His entire body was screaming at him to stop, but his pride wouldn't let him stay down. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, wobbling as he stood.
"Give up," Tri said, his voice steady but not unkind. "You've proven enough."
Magnus wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, shaking his head. "Not yet."
Tri's eyes flickered with something—respect, perhaps. But he didn't hold back. He surged forward again, this time preparing his finishing move: "Mountain Shatter Fist."
The ground beneath Magnus seemed to tremble as Tri's fist shot forward. Magnus instinctively braced himself, knowing he couldn't dodge. He raised his arms to block, but the sheer force of Tri's punch broke through his defense, the impact hitting him like a landslide. Magnus's entire body shook from the blow, and the world around him dimmed as his knees buckled.
He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
For a moment, everything went still. Tri stood over him, calm and composed, while Magnus lay on the ground, barely able to move.
"It's over," Tri said, his tone softer now. "But you didn't quit. That's something."
Magnus stared up at him, blinking through the pain and the haze in his mind. He had lost, and badly. But Tri wasn't kicking him out. Instead, the master extended a hand to him.
"You're worthy."
Magnus blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly.
"Rest up," Tri continued, pulling Magnus to his feet with surprising gentleness. "You've earned your place. We'll start your real training tomorrow. But for now, recover."
Magnus nodded, too exhausted to speak, but a strange sense of relief washed over him. He had lost the fight, but he had gained something far more valuable—Tri Tran's approval.
With that, Tri stepped back, nodding once before turning away and leaving Magnus alone in the dojo.
Magnus stood there for a moment, his body aching, his mind racing. The fight had been brutal, and he had been outmatched in every way. But he had survived—and now, he was Tri Tran's disciple.
He teleported back to the hall where he'd left Tim and Violet. But something was wrong. The hall was empty. The unconscious bodies of the other Ascenders—Tim, Violet, everyone—they were gone. Not a trace of them remained.
Magnus frowned, scanning the area with his Mana Eyes. Nothing. The place had been wiped clean as if the bodies had never been there.
"What the hell is going on?" Magnus muttered under his breath, the feeling of unease growing in his chest.
Magnus lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as his mind raced. The events of the day replayed in his head like a broken record. He'd barely survived the first stage of the tournament—Spatial Disruption had drained him completely, nearly knocking him out. The destruction he caused still haunted him; he hadn't anticipated it would kill so many Ascenders. Violet had saved him with a mana potion, but even that hadn't prepared him for what came next.
The second stage of the tournament had started normally enough, team battles with Violet and Tim by his side. But then, the strangest thing happened—everyone collapsed. One moment, he was preparing for another fight, and the next, every Ascender in the hall had crumpled to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Except him.
He'd checked their pulses—everyone was alive but completely unconscious, including Tim and Violet. He had no idea what had caused it or why he was the only one left standing.
And then there was Tri Tran. The martial arts master had appeared, accusing Magnus of causing the collapse. They fought, and despite getting completely outclassed, Tri had declared Magnus worthy, naming him his disciple. It was all too much.
"I'm his disciple now," Magnus muttered under his breath, still trying to wrap his head around it. Being a disciple of someone like Tri Tran, a martial arts legend, should have made him feel proud, but all Magnus could focus on was the unsettling feeling that had been gnawing at him since the other Ascenders collapsed.
What had caused it? Why had he been the only one unaffected?
His body ached from the fight, his chest still sore from Tri's "Piercing Tornado," but lying here wasn't going to help him recover fast enough for tomorrow's training. Magnus sighed, deciding he'd get more out of entering the Lone Dream.
"Time to recover," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes and letting the familiar pull of the Lone Dream wash over him.
When he opened his eyes again, he was surrounded by the vast cosmic expanse—stars twinkling in the distance, waves of shimmering light swirling around him. It was comforting, in a way, to be back in this mind-realm. Everything here was calm, quiet.
"Magnus," Xavier's voice echoed, his golden text form appearing before Magnus, glowing faintly.
Magnus gave a tired nod. "Xavier."
"You look like you've been through quite the ordeal. I assume you're here to recover," Xavier said, though there was a knowing look in his glowing form.
"Yeah. I need to speed things up a bit," Magnus replied, sitting cross-legged. "But I also need to talk to you about what's been happening."
Xavier's form shifted slightly. "I'm listening."
Magnus took a deep breath and began recounting everything. "It started with the Spatial Disruption. I used it in the first stage of the tournament—completely wiped out everyone inside that simple realm, and I blacked out afterward. Violet saved me, gave me a mana potion. Without that, I probably would've been out of the tournament. But that's not the weird part."
Magnus frowned, his voice tightening. "The second stage was announced as team battles, so we had to fight in trios. Everything was going normally until... I don't know. Everyone just... collapsed. Every single Ascender just dropped unconscious, except for me. I didn't feel anything—no mana shift, no attack. Nothing."
Xavier was silent for a moment, his form flickering as if processing the information. "And you were completely unaffected?"
Magnus nodded. "Not a scratch. I checked every room in the tournament hall; all of them were out cold, just breathing but unconscious. So, I did what I had to. I took their key cards to stay in the tournament."
"Key cards?" Xavier asked, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"They're used in the tournament as part of a security measure. If someone takes your key card, you're disqualified. So I went around and took theirs while they were out."
"Smart move," Xavier commented.
"Then it got weirder," Magnus continued, leaning forward slightly. "Tri Tran showed up—mad as hell. He accused me of doing something to knock everyone out, said if I didn't prove myself in a one-on-one, I was done. We fought in the dojo. He wiped the floor with me—completely outclassed me, but he said I was worthy. Now I'm his disciple."
Xavier's form flickered for a moment as he absorbed the details. "That's... quite the series of events," he finally said.
Magnus leaned back, exhaustion settling into his bones. "Yeah, it's been a rough day. But at least I got through it. Now I just have to figure out what caused everyone to collapse."
Xavier's golden form pulsed slightly, but he didn't offer any more insight. Instead, he said, "You should focus on recovery and training. Whatever happened in that tournament, you'll need all your strength for the days ahead."
Magnus nodded slowly, the weight of the day finally easing as the calming energies of the Lone Dream began to heal his battered body. Despite the lingering questions, he couldn't deny the relief of being here.