"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're itching for some action but before we get get started, allow me to dictate the rules and nature of this tournament."
A man appeared midair above the arena, robes flowing as if defying gravity. An emblem depicting a chain of mountains glimmered across his chest.
"Atlas tournament is a battle royale style tournament. You will have forty minutes of action. If you are thrown off the arena, you are eliminated. The top ten participants will earn entry to Atlas Academy and top three will each receive a Tier 1 Divine Fragment."
His voice echoed across the arena as the crowd roared.
" Not only will the last man standing receive a Divine Fragment, but they will also be rewarded with a Celestial rank Soul Relic, and the privilege to choose from a dozen of them. However if time runs out and more than one of you remains on the arena, then that opportunity will be gone. In short, out of the forty of you, only one should be left standing on the arena when the time given hit zero."
He raised his hand. "Now then… the tournament begins!"
A massive timer shimmered into existence above the arena, beginning its countdown from forty minutes.
The spectators roared in excitement and anticipation.
'Celestial relics?'
Kyle's brow furrowed as he watched the crowd's excitement.
'Did I just get teleported into a fantasy world?What even is a Celestial Relic? '
He sighed inwardly.
' Guess I'll find out whatever it is myself. It probably the additional reward the elder promised. However if I go all out too early, I'll be exhausted before the real threats arrive. Better to conserve my strength and take down the strong ones near the end. Else even making it to top three will be a problem."
When Kyle saw those two mask participants he realized that it will not be a easy task to win this tournament. He also understood that it will only get more intense as their approach the end.
"This is not the time to space out, pal!"
A sharp spear whistled through the air. Kyle sidestepped, effortlessly dodging and caught the shaft midair. Then yanked causing the attacker to stumbled forward only to be met with a brutal fist to the gut.
Thud!
The man crumpled to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony.
Despite having armor he suffered enough damage to put him on his knees.
The armor itself developed cracks at the point of impact.
Kyle clicked his tongue. "There was barely any Shi'en behind that attack. Here I thought there would be no weakling in this tournament. It seems I was wrong. What's a basic Shi'en user like you even doing in this tournament?"
He asked looking down at the man.
The second he was teleported here Kyle could already sense over twenty distinct advanced shi'en.
Thus he could not get why would a basic shi'en user want to participate in tournament with so many advanced shi'en users. What would they possibly hope to achieve.
With a casual kick, he sent the man tumbling off the arena.
Gasps echoed around him.
"Was that necessary?" someone shouted. "The man was already injured. He could've just thrown him out!"
"Who does he think he is?"
"Advanced Shi'en user or not, he was once like us! Arrogant bastard!"
Kyle's faint smirk was enough to ignite their anger. A group of participants began surrounding him, their auras flickering with hostility.
"Let's show him what basic users can do!" one barked.
Kyle didn't even flinch. Wearing his poker face he turned look at them. One would think he was having a starling contest with them.
Then his Shi'en radiated outward like a tidal wave cold, sharp, and suffocating.
The air trembled, silence fell. No one dared to move.
"Tch… cowards." he might have hurt their feeling but to him he was just stating the brutal trueth.
Compared to advanced Shi'en users, basic Shi'en users are just a little stronger than normal humans.
All a basic Shi'en users as is their inhuman physic and perception. Super strength, speed and inhumanely good sense, to a advanced Shi'en users all of this are useless.
Kyle would have a field day fighting a bunch of them.
"This one thinks himself almighty," a deep voice cut through the tension.
Three figures approached. A tall man with a mechanical arm wielding a massive battle axe, a broad-shouldered brute with iron gauntlets and a young woman with short bantu knots hair wrapped in ribbons of different color.
"The Kimto siblings…" whispers spread through the crowd. "That guy is done for. I heard a rumour that their eldest, Kioko as a unique physic that allows him to fight advanced Shi'en users on equal footing."
"He wanted strong opponent." another said, " now he's got three."
"You're not going to run, are you?" the guy with a mechanical arm sneered after seeing no reaction from Kyle.
Kyle tilted his head, studying them. The big body builder looking guy had a strange aura. His Shi'en was basic, but something about him, his body pulsed with raw, unnatural power.
This interested Kyle a bit, he as never felt such a aura in his world.
"No," Kyle said, a confident grin forming. "You are just the right candidate, I can entertain you'll."
"What a cocky bastard. Even if he is strong, fighting those three is like fighting three advanced Shi'en users at once. Yet the guy acts as if he is unfazed." someone muttered.
"I'm Alzin Kimto," the axe wielder declared proudly. "That's our big brother Kioko, and our little sister Sinthiar. As family, we fight together. I hope you don't mind facing all three of us."
There were no rules in the tournament that restricted participants from teaming up. This is actually something that is witnessed in this tournament over the years.
Participants would do this so they can secure themselves entry to Atlas academy or get to top three
However it mostly ends in betrayal since the biggest reward in the tournament can only be claimed by the last man standing.
Kyle chuckled. "Family, huh? I can see the resemblance, long face, big forehead and" He turned to Sinthiar. "Good heavens, is there any dentists in your world? With such a huge over bite how do you even chew your food"
The all place went quite for second, then everyone one exploded with laughter. Even those who were causing at Kyle a minute ago could not hold their laughter.
"If I don't kill you today, I'll give up my last name!" Alzin roared his eyes bloodshot as lunged forward. His axe slicing through the air with murderous intent.
His only goal to split Kyle in half, he swag his axe relentlessly.
But Kyle dodged effortlessly. "You are really agile," he mocked. "I guess with that long leg it a easy feat."
Sinthiar's wip lashed out, wrapping around Kyle's ankle. She yanking him off balance.
Alzin grinned, raising his axe high its edge glowing as it came down toward Kyle's head.