NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Prize-giving Ceremony...
A booming voice echoed from the grand stage:
"All participants, please assemble! It is now time for the prize-giving ceremony!"
A booming voice echoed from the grand stage:
Everyone instantly straightened.
The time had come.
David and Ethan exchanged a glance.
"Looks like we'll have to continue this later," Ethan said casually.
David nodded, his smile faint but genuine. "I'll hold you to that."
With that, they moved together toward the gathering crowd.
Selene followed silently behind them, her heart a storm of bitter emotions—but her face, as always, was flawless and composed.
As the crowd buzzed with excitement and anticipation, Ethan's mind was surprisingly calm.
Selene, meanwhile, was seething silently at being sidelined so thoroughly back then.
Now they've stopped, everyone has gathered around, she've lost her chance.
Her pride screamed at her to claw back Ethan's attention—but she gritted her teeth and endured.
Interrupting now would only make her look desperate.
And she was already on thin ice.
'Patience,' she told herself bitterly. 'Patience.'
She would find another chance.
The grand plaza fell silent as Headmaster Vance stepped forward, his dignified figure standing atop the elevated stage.
His robe of office fluttered lightly in the breeze, his voice steady and carrying effortlessly across the gathered crowd.
"It is now time," Vance announced, "to award the prizes to the top three of this year's Awakening Tournament!"
A wave of murmurs rippled through the students, filled with excitement and tension.
The ceremony would proceed from third place to first.
Headmaster Vance's eyes swept across the gathered crowd before he called out firmly,
"Third Place—Selene Evernight!"
The audience burst into polite applause as Selene, composed but inwardly trembling, made her way toward the stage.
Waiting for her was none other than Gareth Drakethorne, the Labyrinth Overlord himself—a towering, imposing figure who carried an effortless authority that weighed heavily on the atmosphere.
Selene approached with measured steps, every inch of her posture the picture of grace and control. Her heart, however, was racing.
Standing before her, Gareth reached out with a casualness that seemed almost dismissive, holding out a simple silver ring resting in a small black box.
Selene's eyes widened sharply the moment she laid eyes on it.
'This is a Void Ring!'
A Void Ring is a precious artifact crafted to hold a sealed pocket dimension inside.
Despite its small size, it could store vast amounts of inanimate objects: weapons, potions, materials, and more.
Simply by willing it, the wearer could retrieve or store items instantly.
These rings were exceedingly rare. Even among the elite of the Evernight family, those fortunate enough to possess one could be counted on a single hand.
The fact that she was being given such a treasure... it wasn't just generosity.
It was power.
What stunned her even more was that this hadn't been mentioned at all when the rewards for placement were announced. No fanfare, no warning. Gareth Drakethorne was handing out an artifact worth fortunes as though it were nothing more than a token.
A candy casually given to a child.
Without hesitation, Selene slipped the ring onto her finger. Immediately, she sensed the rewards sealed within—a Rank 1 sword and a bundle of mana stones waiting to be called forth at her command.
The temptation to draw them out was strong, but she knew better.
Doing so here, in front of Gareth, would be an insult of the highest order.
Swallowing her turbulent emotions, Selene knelt into a deep, respectful bow before Gareth, her forehead nearly touching the floor.
Only after Gareth gave the barest nod of acknowledgement did she rise and take her leave, her face a carefully schooled mask of cold dignity.
'As expected of Gareth Drakethorne... treasures like these are but toys in his hands.'
A sharp, determined light flashed in her eyes as she returned to her spot. Ethan's value in her heart had immediately risen by leaps and bounds
'Ethan... you must be mine. No matter what it takes.'
From the corner of the stage, Headmaster Vance observed her quietly, nodding once to himself.
'The Evernight family raised her well.'
—
"Second Place — Ryker Bladewind!" Headmaster Vance's voice rang out once more.
Cheers erupted, a bit louder this time.
Ryker almost stumbled in his rush to get to the stage. His face was alight with barely restrained excitement, his every movement radiating raw, honest energy.
Standing before Gareth, Ryker immediately noticed the same small black box being presented.
He blinked, puzzled.
'A ring? No... what's this supposed to be?'
Unlike Selene, Ryker had little knowledge of rare artifacts. But he wasn't foolish. He had seen Selene's subtle reaction earlier — the flicker of shock, the quick acceptance.
Whatever this ring was, it was valuable.
Suppressing his questions, Ryker accepted the box with both hands and slid the ring onto his finger.
Immediately, he felt it — the almost instinctive awareness of the treasures inside: a gleaming pair of Rank 1 daggers and a hefty pouch of mana stones.
His heart pounded with exhilaration.
Still, he wasn't about to make a fool of himself before the Labyrinth Overlord.
Mimicking Selene, Ryker executed a clumsy but sincere bow, lowering his head in deep respect before retreating swiftly from the stage, grinning from ear to ear.
—
"And finally..." Headmaster Vance said, his voice deep and sonorous, letting the suspense stretch.
"First Place — Ethan Drakethorne!"
The cheers reached their peak as Ethan, composed as ever, casually made his way to the stage.
Unlike the others, he didn't react much upon receiving the box containing the Void Ring. His expression remained neutral, even a touch bored.
Sliding the ring onto his finger with a practiced ease, Ethan felt the presence of his rewards: a pristine Rank 2 sword of masterwork quality, and a hefty sack of five hundred mana stones.
Compared to the excitement of the others, Ethan's acceptance seemed almost perfunctory.
He offered Gareth a polite, shallow bow — a gesture that Gareth returned with a faint, almost imperceptible smirk of approval—before stepping down quietly.