The Inner Odyssey

Time continued to pass, one slow bout at a time.

Alden did his best to remain focused, but it was difficult to resist falling into idle boredom.

To fight against that, he concentrated on the movements of the Experts down below.

So far, he had not gleaned much, but he felt he was steadily working towards an understanding of how these warriors fought, and how they best made use of their mana to give them an edge.

For example, one could get a feel for how proficient another person was in manipulating mana from the mana fluctuations their bodies naturally emitted. It was usually subtle, but in a clash between Experts, it was very noticeable.

And what Alden sensed from these fluctuations almost made him feel discouraged.

Why?

Because the Experts were just that excellent.

Their movements were extremely smooth - in comparison, Alden's movements, while possessing a semblance of fluidity, would appear rough. Doubtless, it was because the Experts could channel their mana towards a specific part of their body instantly, a feat that Alden could not yet do.

That was not to say he couldn't channel his mana to a specific body part. But, at his level, Alden couldn't achieve the same speed. There would be a sizable delay, and the action would be quite choppy, a stark contrast to the gracefulness of the Experts.

'With practice, I'll get there.'

The Keeper's Apprentice consoled himself.

There was no point in comparing, especially since the warriors below had definitely had more time to refine their control. Hopefully, after the Tournament, Alden would get the same opportunity.

Eager to be done, he wished the proceedings would end soon, and that a winner for the Guild Tournament and individual Tournament be crowned. Alas, the white-haired young man had to endure another day of these festivities.

He sighed internally, far from happy.

'This is why political prancing sucks.'

If there was any consolation, though, it was that the quality of the battles did not decrease. In fact, after the fierce bout between the Flame Vipers and Ice Wraiths, it only seemed to increase.

One of the matches consisted of the Storm Sentinels battling against the Stone Apes. Asterons was it a spectacle. In a similar manner to their fight with the Holy Knights, the former conjured a mighty storm and drew on it, heralding a salvo of devastating lightning, dazzling the crowd.

It took all the Stone Apes had to remain unscathed from that first attack. Wreathed in earthen armour compressed to the limit, they were able to offset some of the damage the lightning posed - enough so that they did not become instantly paralysed.

At the same time, the Theatre of War shuddered, a vast rocky structure rising from the ground, blotting out the fury of the storm.

Hidden inside, the Storm Sentinels and Stone Apes clashed intensely. Alden had to augment his sight with a considerable amount of mana, and even then, he could only sense vague forms.

However, it was enough for him to witness the way both sides hurled themselves at each other. The way the lightning-wreathed warriors surrendered to the callousness of the storm, mirroring its indifference, while their simian opponents tapped into their bloodlust, using the thirst to fuel their movements.

Eventually, though, the bout came to an end. The Stone Apes put up a great fight, but unfortunately, the Storm Sentinels were just too strong.

Alden reckoned they had a serious chance of reaching the final.

The next clash that piqued his interest involved the Rage Knights and the Lunar Eclipse Guild. The latter was something of a dark horse within the Tournament, no one expecting a previously unknown Guild to rise to sudden stardom.

As for the reason why… well, it was a result of their unique powers.

As soon as the fight began, the veil of a fathomless starless sky descended upon the Theatre of War. In its centre, a pale, ominous blood-red moon shone, bathing the Rage Knights in a sinister crimson glow.

Eerie howls seemed to reverberate from the darkness, chilling the spectators.

The Rage Knights tried to dispel the lack of illumination with their flames, but it was feeble. What they were able to achieve was only akin to the light of a few smoldering embers amidst an endlessly deep, stygian ocean.

And before the warriors specialising in taunts could do anything else, a blood-red pupil suddenly appeared on the surface of the crimson moon.

It was as if an unfathomable being had opened their eye after an interminable slumber and sought to inflict their vengeance on the poor Rage Knights. The fiery warriors screamed, boils and warts erupting from patches of exposed skin.

Alden grimaced at the repulsive display.

A moment later, the Rage Knights collapsed to the ground. The clash had ended almost as soon as it began.

An alarmed shiver crawled down Alden's spine, his features turning grim.

The Lunar Eclipse Guild…

Their powers were appalling.

It took a while for Alden to shake off the worm of fear that had crawled into his heart.

Next, the Sunbrawlers advanced to the quarterfinals, courtesy of their battle against the Wild Fang Guild, who pushed them right to the edge.

From there, things got very interesting.

The Nobles defeated their good friends, the Shings, in a heart-stopping clash which caused Alden no shortage of apprehension. The latter's sonic vibrations truly were impressive.

After that, the Nobles put an end to the Storm Sentinel's forceful run, the lightning-wreathed warriors unable to handle the Noble Guildmaster and her terrifying estoc.

Meanwhile, on the other end, the Holy Knights vanquished the elusive assassins from the Silent Slaughter Guild, and the Lunar Eclipse Guild, in a frenzy of determination and sheer insanity. Certainly, the latter had taken Alden's breath away, highlighting just how much skill and experience the Experts had.

If there was one downside, though, it was that Alistair and Elara didn't make it past the quarter-finals.

'Oh well. They had a good run.'

Most important to Alden was that his mother and father had not sustained any grievous injuries. He valued their lives much more than any prize pool.

And so, as the crowd maintained their palpable excitement, and the sun inched ever closer towards the horizon, dying the sky a molten orange, it was time for the final.

Alden's gaze shone with anticipation.