Before the ninja's heavy fists could swing downwards, his body was enveloped in a purple aura and slowly lifted off the ground.
"Float!" Jedi shouted again.
"Float!"
After three casts, the boy was nearly three or four stories high.
"Woah, let me down, man! I don't do good with heights!" the ninja cried out, speaking for the first time.
With his mana completely drained, Jedi dropped his arm.
"Gladly."
The boy plummeted toward the ground, curling into a cannonball. The impact was unnaturally powerful for someone his size.
Maybe his magic makes him extremely heavy? Jedi thought. That'd explain why Push exhausted so much mana.
Jedi lay back in the snow, clutching his leg, trying to relax.
Nobody could survive a fall like that, right?
Apparently someone could.
Jedi heard something dragging across the snow. The ninja was crawling toward him. Both legs bent at impossible angles, using only his arms to pull himself forward.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jedi thought. "What more do I have to do to get rid of this guy?"
With every movement, the boy's groans grew louder.
"I hope you've got another trick up your sleeve," the ninja snarled, his voice rising into a roar. "Because I won't rest until your dead."
Jedi forced himself onto his one good leg and limped toward a broken piece of bamboo. Its edge was sharp, the wood sturdy. A makeshift knife.
A system message appeared.
"Quest Alert: Revenge.
Kill Kaizo's Champion, Dustin Burr.
Reward: Opponent's accumulated soul points."
Jedi turned his eyes back toward the ninja. The crazed, murderous look in his eye was unmistakable. The boy reversed direction, crawling away, but Jedi's limp was faster.
He reached the kid and planted both knees on his back, pinning him down to the ground as he raised the bamboo spike over his head.
Jedi had never killed a person before. A beast was one thing, but a human? That was different.
Yet despite the hesitation, he didn't feel incapable.
He was furious.
This kid wouldn't have spared him.
Why should he?
The ninja squirmed and swung his arms, but he was drained. Jedi swallowed once, then swung the wooden spike down with everything he had, but an arm grabbed him firmly from behind.
"That's enough."
A familiar voice.
Jedi didn't need to look up to know it was Matt.
"How long were you watching?" Jedi asked, eyes still fixed on the boy beneath him.
"From start to finish," Matt replied. "I needed to see a real fight from you. I needed to see if you had what it takes to be a true champion."
Jedi snorted.
"Well, did I pass your stupid test?"
"With flying colors, kid," Matt said warmly.
And with that, every ounce of tension drained from Jedi's body. He collapsed onto the ground, and the world faded to black.
When he opened his eyes again, Jedi found himself in a white room with a warm bed and sunlight streaming through a window.
To his right sat Matt, inspecting something on his system screen. When he noticed Jedi staring, he dismissed the screen and turned.
"Look who's finally awake. Welcome back to the land of the living, kid."
Jedi laughed and tried to swing his legs off the bed only for pain to shoot through his injured leg.
"Slow down. You've been out for a whole day," Matt said, pushing him gently back onto the mattress. "I'm going to have the nurses bring you food and painkillers before we get back on the road. Sit tight."
Matt stood and left the room.
Jedi took the moment of quiet to check his system.
"You have 2 skill points to allocate.
Would you like to allocate skill points?"
He decided against it. He barely understood his own magic, no point in rushing.
Another message blinked.
"Quest Alert: Revenge.
Kill Kaizo's Champion, Dustin Burr.
Reward: Opponent's accumulated soul points."
Jedi had almost forgotten about that. But if the fight was over shouldn't the quest have failed? Why was it still active? Was he supposed to hunt that kid down?
He didn't have time to think.
A group entered the room.
Matt, a young nurse, an old man, and Dustin?!
Without the ninja suit, his features were clearer. Silver eyes, silver hair, a baby face, probably a year or two younger than Jedi, and very much alive.
Jedi's shock must have been obvious, because Matt immediately began explaining.
"Jedi, I'd like you to meet Victor Stone and Dustin Burr. These two are champions from a planet called Kaizo, and they'll be heading to the capital with us."
Jedi barely heard him. He was locked in a tense stare with Dustin.
Before Jedi could speak, Dustin bowed his head.
"Thank you for the battle," he said begrudgingly. "I learned a lot from you and hope to learn more in the future."
Jedi blinked.
What is happening? Didn't these guys just try to kill us?
Matt noticed the confusion and continued.
"Victor and I are actually pretty good friends. I didn't realize it was him at first, but when I jumped up, I recognized him. He wasn't a threat."
Jedi nodded slowly, then scowled.
"Okay, but if that's true, why did I get attacked by Victor's minion over here?"
Victor chuckled.
"I didn't have time to tell Dustin you weren't bandits. Before I knew it, you two were already going at it."
Matt picked up the explanation.
"We were going to stop you, but it's rare to get real combat experience like that. And it seemed evenly matched, so we let you finish."
Jedi ate the food the nurse brought him, stewing in frustration.
I thought my life was on the line. Meanwhile these old dudes were treating me like entertainment.
He tried putting pressure on his foot and winced before taking the painkillers.
"How are we getting to the capital?" Jedi asked. "I can't walk there, and Dustin's legs are—"
He froze.
Dustin's legs were perfectly fine.
"Hold on. I know for a fact this guy's legs were facing backwards when I was done with him. How is he walking?!"
Dustin fumed. Victor looked impressed.
"Wow, the kid really doesn't know anything. I didn't think you were serious when you said he just arrived. You've bagged yourself a good one."
Matt smiled.
"I know. Just hoping he survives the tower."
Jedi's head snapped up.
Tower? What does that mean?
Matt raised a hand.
"Hold your questions. We'll explain on the ride to the capital. For now, try walking on that broken foot."
Jedi frowned but slowly lowered his foot to the ground.
The pain was almost gone.
Moments later, he was standing upright, fully healed.
"That painkiller you took is a magic pill," Matt explained. "It heals most damage in seconds. Broken bones or injured organs might take a few minutes. Essential for champion training."
Jedi smiled as he realized Matt was telling the truth. Every cut, bruise, and scrape from the journey was gone.
However, his hunger returned as if he hadn't just eaten.
"Well, if you're feeling better, let's get to the ship. It's been waiting out front," Victor said.
Jedi followed the group out of the hospital and into the streets of Court Village.
But "village" was the most misleading name he'd ever heard.
Flying cars.
Skyscrapers.
Holograms.
Magic-powered technology everywhere.
Matt laughed at Jedi's stunned expression.
"What? You thought because it was called a village, we'd all live in dirt huts? Nearly everyone here can use magic. Those who aren't champions use their magic for research, medicine, and technology. Anything you can imagine can be real."
Matt gestured grandly.
"Welcome to the world of Tetra."