The bell of Arcanum Nexus tolled six times.
Its echo rolled over the city like a great wave, passing through market alleys, skyrise towers, and crumbling slums alike. As the chimes faded, the streets pulsed to life with noise; carts creaking, guild horns sounding, training halls opening their gates.
It was morning again in the Central Neutral City, the largest and most contested territory on the continent of Aerthra.
And for the first time in sixteen years, Kairo Vale stood at its center.
He adjusted the worn strap of his pack; mostly empty, aside from a half-loaf of stale bread and a flask of muddy water, and stared up at the towering blackstone gate before him.
Dozens of other Awakeners lined the plaza, some dressed in leather armor, others in noble emblems, a few in reinforced cloaks with enchanted clasps.
They all stood taller than him.
But he stood straighter than any of them.
Today was the beginning of the Academy Entrance Tournament.
The first phase like they dubbed it, the Trial of Steel.
But before the gate opened… his eyes drifted to the massive inscription carved above it; old words etched in goldleaf runes, surrounding the emblem of the Six Realms.
He couldn't read the runes, but the symbol burned into his memory.
Six towers circled the emblem, each one stylized differently. They shimmered with old magic, animating faintly with rotating banners.
Even Kairo, uneducated, unschooled, and raised in the wild corners of the Outer Slums knew the names of the Six Realms. You had to. Even rats needed to know the names of the kings who ruled over the cheese.
The first realm is the Ironblood Dominion, the realm of warriors and wargods. Everything was earned through strength and discipline. They trained legions like machines and spat out champions by the thousands.
The Flamebound Court, a realm of fire mages, alchemists, and arcane bloodlines. Their scholars set the standard for magical arts, and their experiments sometimes blew up entire valleys.
The Skyreach Alliance, home of assassins, windwalkers, and spies. Their cities floated in the sky. Their blades disappeared into flesh without a sound. No one truly knew who ruled them, or where they were.
The Verdant Sovereignty, the realm of beasts, druids, and nature-bound warriors. Its borders were wild and alive. Rumor had it even the trees could kill.
The Hollow Law, a realm of contracts, judgement, and blood debt. They trained judge mages, spirit pact binders, and executioners.
And then the Obsidian Veil, a place no sane man visited. Its realm walkers bent space and darkness. Some called them shadowlords, others called them curses in human skin.
In the center of all that power stood Arcanum Nexus, the Neutral City, answerable to none, protected by all, and home to the most prestigious academy on the continent.
Kairo knew all that.
But he didn't know how they trained their elites. No one taught him.
He didn't understand mana manipulation, rank evolution, or synergy resonance. All the kids from noble houses had tutors, private tomes, and even artifact simulations.
Kairo? He had fists, a ruined shack, and muscle.
But deep inside him, something stirred as he looked at those towers.
'If I can get in…'
'If I can survive…'
'Then I'll learn what they all know. I'll catch up. I'll surpass them'.
'I'll understand this world, and master it'.
"Move forward!" someone barked.
The gate cracked open.
Steam hissed from its seams, chains groaned, the towering black slabs split just wide enough to admit one person in at a time.
Kairo clenched his fists and stepped into the shadow of the gate.
The inside was… nothing like he expected.
No cheering crowds, no ranked referees, just darkness.
And then, a blinding flare of red light.
A system voice echoed all around them, calm but soulless.
~----~
[WELCOME TO PHASE ONE: TRIAL OF STEEL]
This phase will assess your instinct, resilience, and ability to endure pain.
All participants will be split into randomized groups of five.
You will be deployed into isolated zones.
[Objective: Survive for 6 hours.]
[Hazards: Simulated battlefield constructs.]
Bonus rewards will be granted to those who eliminate enemies or assist teammates.
[WARNING: Death is rare, but injury is not.]
["Let pain teach you what privilege did not."]
~----~
Kairo's body lifted into the air.
He flailed slightly, a tug around his waist pulling him up. Arcane symbols circled his body. He was being teleported.
Around him, dozens of other participants blinked out in bursts of blue light.
[Randomized team. Unknown terrain. Unknown threats.]
His stomach turned. His eyes burned.
And then…
Light.
BZZZ!
Kairo landed in dirt.
Hard.
He groaned, rolling to his feet as dust puffed around him. He was in a forest; dead trees, scorched bark, mist rolling through the underbrush.
To his right, a tall girl with sunburnt skin pulled herself out of a thornbush, cursing loudly.
To his left, a short boy in armor was already panicking, muttering about map markers and formation grids.
Two more dropped down nearby.
They looked at each other, confused.
Then, something howled.
A construct burst from the trees. Not a monster, not a man.
A twisted golem, humanoid in shape, molten seams across its body, and a sword made of jagged bone fused into its right arm.
The girl screamed. The armored boy shouted. The others froze.
Kairo didn't. He moved.
Muscle surged through his legs. He dashed forward, activating one Hypermuscle Charge mid-step.
His punch slammed into the golem's arm before it could fully rise.
CRACK!
The bone-sword shattered at the hilt. The golem reeled back, hissing steam.
Kairo skidded to a stop, panting hard.
Then…
DING!
~----~
[Hypermuscle Creation: Charge Used – 2/5]
[Muscle Index: 1.9% ~ 2.0%]
…
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: [Muscle Lock]
>Temporarily harden muscle groups into armor-like density. Reduces damage taken from non-magical strikes.
~----~
Kairo blinked.
Then grinned.
The golem roared again, charging. Kairo met it head-on.
…
By the end of the hour, Kairo's body ached. His fists were swollen. His breath came in uneven, ragged bursts.
But the golem lay in ruins.
The other four teammates stared at him.
The girl, Mira, finally spoke. "What… are you?"
Kairo just sat down on a rock, wiped blood from his knuckles, and stared up at the glowing projection in the sky that showed the time remaining.
Five hours left. Dozens of constructs, more ambushes, a maze of flame and steel and terrain traps.
He clenched his jaw. "Let them come".
He had one job now: Survive.
And show the academy what muscle can do.