Chapter 120 – The Sand and the White Fire.

The roar of the crowd in the stands of the Red Cauldron Arena was audible two kilometers away.

The central pit was a two-hundred-meter circle of reddish sand, surrounded by moats of boiling lava and granite ramparts with cast-iron grates. Over ten thousand spectators filled the stone galleries, clanking beer mugs, chewing on chunks of roasted meat, and shouting bets while the red banners of Beelzebub fluttered above the main grandstand.

In the honor box, seated upon an iron throne beneath a dark canopy, was Inquisitor Vaelor (Level 65).

The border commander wore heavy scarlet robes over a suit of black steel plate armor, with a broad-bladed two-handed sword resting between his knees, watching the sandy floor with the cold, detached eyes of a veteran.

The grates of the east gate rose with the groaning of heavy chains.

Diana and Zarek stepped onto the arena sand beneath the warm light of the coppery sun.

The Commander wore her black leather coat open over the Dragon Chestplate, with the Crown of Arcane Sovereignty gleaming with the purple diamond between her obsidian horns and the black steel dagger gripped in her right hand. Beside her, Zarek strode barefoot across the sand with the two moon steel swords strapped across his back, his four chitinous arms spread at his flanks with sharp claws bared.

The arena herald raised his voice through a magic-amplifying horn:

“First round of the Conquerors' Bracket! From the east wing: Pair Seventeen, led by the Blade Weaver! From the west wing: the defenders of the Iron Rift... Brakar and Morvath (Level 54 and Level 55)!”

***

From the opposite gate emerged two minotaur warriors standing three and a half meters tall.

They had massive frames covered in thick black fur, wore cast-iron plates five centimeters thick, and carried solid iron rectangular tower shields on one arm and heavy warhammers in the other.

The crowd in the stands began booing and laughing loudly upon seeing the Level 43 tag gleaming above Diana's head.

“Did Zarek bring his niece for a stroll on the sand?!” an ogre roared from the front row. “That girl will turn into dust at the first shield bash!”

Diana didn't even look toward the stands.

She activated [Command Eye] with 80 Perception points, reading the charging posture of the two war bulls in a millisecond.

Both minotaurs slammed their warhammers against their iron shields with a deafening crash, lowered their heads with horns pointed forward, and charged across the red sand in a dual charge of 58 Strength.

The arena floor vibrated under the combined weight of nearly five tons of high-speed iron and muscle.

“Standard formation, Zarek,” Diana said in a low voice. “Break the line of the bull on the left. The one on the right is mine.”

Zarek broke into a wide grin of pointed teeth.

“Leave it to me, Diana.”

***

Zarek sprinted across the sand at Level 60 speed.

He leaped into the air the instant the minotaurs crossed the center of the arena.

His four secondary chitinous arms shot cables of Moon Steel Silk straight toward the horns and shield of the minotaur on the left (Brakar). Zarek pulled the threads with raw power, using cable tension to twist the monster's head mid-charge and wrench its heavy charge off-axis.

The left minotaur lost its balance and skidded across the red sand.

The right minotaur (Morvath), however, maintained its straight-line charge, raising its iron warhammer to crush Diana from ten meters away.

Diana didn't back down a single step.

With 201 Intelligence and 1,460 mana points, the Commander thrust out her open left hand.

Mana Prison + Arcane Ice Lance!

Translucent chains burst from the sand and locked around Morvath's shoulder joints, sealing the force of the hammer blow for four seconds. In the exact same millisecond, a solid ice spike struck the ground right before the minotaur's hoof, freezing the floor into a slick sheet of blue ice.

The three-meter minotaur skidded on the ice unable to find footing, its iron shield dropping awkwardly.

Diana concentrated mana straight into the two obsidian horns on her head.

The golden grooves flared with incandescent brilliance.

OBSIDIAN HORNS' IGNEOUS FOCUS!

PZZZZT!

The thin beam of white fire lanced from the tips of the circlet with a sharp slicing hiss.

The thermal beam struck dead center on the brace of Morvath's iron shield.

The five-centimeter metal melted instantly into a cleanly cauterized circular hole, boring into the meat of the minotaur's shoulder and forcing the beast to drop its shield onto the sand with a roar of agony.

Zarek landed on the sand beside Morvath with both lunar swords drawn.

CRACK!

With a cross-slash of Level 60 speed, Zarek disarmed the creature's hammer and halted his blades two millimeters from the exposed minotaur's neck.

Diana extended her right hand and unleashed an [Orb of the Arcane Storm] directly at the feet of the other minotaur attempting to rise from the silk web.

The electrical blast stunned the second monster for three seconds, while Greed's Flame engulfed the creature's legs.

The tournament referee rushed to the center of the arena, slamming his banner into the ground:

“MATCH OVER! VICTORY TO PAIR SEVENTEEN BY CLEAN SUBMISSION!”

***

Silence fell over the stands of the Red Cauldron Arena.

Ten thousand spectators stood slack-jawed, staring at the two Level 55 minotaurs on the sandy ground and at the black-horned Level 43 girl who hadn't even dirtied her leather coat.

No one expected a lower-level caster to have the ability to melt iron shields with the tips of her horns and paralyze heavy monsters in under ninety seconds flat.

In the honor box, Inquisitor Vaelor (Level 65) leaned forward on his iron throne, resting his chin in an iron-gauntleted hand, fixing Diana with a keen, calculating gaze from beneath his scarlet cowl.

Diana dispersed the mana from her horns, adjusting the Crown of Sovereignty on her brow, and walked toward the winners' exit tunnel with Zarek at her side.

The arena attendant handed over the advance of 10 pure Silver Coins for the first round victory.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

- Previous Balance: 468 Silver Coins and 50 Bronze.

- Tournament First Round Prize: +10 Silver Coins.

- NEW VAULT BALANCE: 478 SILVER COINS AND 50 BRONZE (47.85 PURE GOLD COINS!)

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Four hundred and seventy-eight silver coins safely secured in the faction vault. Nearly Forty-Eight pure Gold Coins.

Zarek wiped sweat from the back of his neck with one of his secondary hands, laughing loudly as they entered the gladiators' lounge:

“I think the ogres in the stands stopped laughing at your level, Diana.”

Diana tucked the coin pouch at her waist with a small, sharp smile on her dark lips.

“The crowd's opinion doesn't pay for the border pass, Zarek,” Diana said, adjusting her leather gloves. “We have two more rounds ahead. Keep your blades sharp.”