Erhart's shield and armor turn golden as an aura emanates from him, blanketing his comrades in a protective glow. The two uninjured tanks slam their swords against their shields, causing their shields to grow heavier and sturdier. The injured one takes his blade and tries to hack away at my roots, failing to nick the hard barky exterior.

I swung my fist back and smacked the injured tank with the back of my hand. Nothing happens but the sound of a chime and a brief flash of gold. Defensive buff? How annoying. I use [Scientific Insight+] to try and get the skills information.

[Aura of the Stronghold A

The user has the aura of a commander and can use it to bring defense to themselves and their allies.

Defense increase?

Mana?

Range?]

The two other tanks activate the same skill, putting their shields in front of them and crashing into me at a surprising speed. The force of impact strains my roots. I swing with my sword, but they dodge to the sides. They are staying behind me, keeping me from looking at them. I check to see where my beasts are. John's team has somehow used Khan's passive storm ability to create a localized storm and is calling lightning bolts down at my team. Anabel has been eliminated while Val and Duchess fly far from the area and fire ranged attacks. I don't see Rai, but then he wouldn't be doing his job.

Khan finally breaks the barrier, and the mage immediately gets stabbed by Rai's knife. The mage lives, but her necklace immediately brakes. I just noticed that all three members of John's team that survived are women. The healer manages to duel cast a shield for the mage and a healing spell, bringing the mage back into fighting condition. The archer engages Rai in close combat, but he uses a feint to send a volley of knives at the healer, killing her. The other two are about to rip Rai a new one when he slinks back into the shadows. There isn't much of Khan left, and he gets weaker the lower his numbers. I tell him to stay for a bit, but he isn't happy.

Val and Duchess engage the archer as the mage wanders over here, casting a spell the entire time. I throw my sword at her, but it only breaks the healer's shield before falling to the ground. The mage's staff glows with power as a lightning bolt from it, chaining to all five of us in the center.

-1794

(-300)

[Resistance: Lightning 106 > 175 (275)]

"Ow, was that a backfire? Why did that hurt?" The mage touched the spot on her chest where the lightning passed through me. Erhart is the only member of his team left.

"Mage," Erhart growls under his breath as he takes a step towards her. He must not like how his team got eliminated. They were prepared to lose, but to me, not this third party. Every step he takes is painful and deliberate. He activates the same shield charge skill the other two used earlier to bash the mage. She gets knocked into the air, where Khan happens to be. He doesn't shy away from a free meal. The archer is also dealt with by the rest of my team.

Erhart approaches me.

"My offer still stands. Good fight."

Erhart turns to light the second my time on the point elapsed a minute. I would've won anyways, but he wanted to flex on me one last time. The fracture exit appears before me and forces me out without my consent.

I appear back in the stadium with the rest of my team. The stadium is filled with the cheers of the masses.

"Holy shit, we did it!"

"I knew we could do it! It's all thanks to Ellis!"

"YEAH, FUCK YEAH!"

"...good job, guys."

"Nice standing, Ellis!."

My team is ecstatic, their energy rubbing off on Rob as he begs for attention from me. I pat his head while looking around. It seems like we are just being paraded as replays are being shown. Healers approach and heal the members that just left the fracture. The earlier eliminated were already healthy.

"We have our Kings of the Hill! I can safely say there is a new team to look out for! The courageously bold idea of splitting up for points and the skills necessary to back up that plan have catapulted the Bluefield team to the stratosphere. The new team ranks will be posted tonight on our website! If you are subscribed to the text-"

I stop paying attention to the dean. After his closing speech, we get led out of the stadium where the dean of the Auroran Institute, the one just speaking, and dean Palmer are. I look at the short bald man with a nice suit standing next to the more imposing-looking Palmer. Let's play the politics game. I want something. I stick my hand out to shake his hand and give a smile. I try to deconstruct any weird look I would be giving.

"It's nice to finally meet you face to face. I'm Ellis Vincere. Nice to meet you." I don't know his name.

He takes my hand. "It's nice to see manners among the younger generation hasn't gone out of style. Vincere, you say? Curious."

Dean Palmer intertupts. "Albert, you wanted to see my captain and his team. I'm sure they are exhausted from the win they just secured. Let the kids rest."

"It'll only be a moment. Ellis, I know of your grandfather, and I'm excited to see what you will do in the future, and I'm not only talking about the tournament. If you need anything, you should say something since I'm here."

Oh, that was easy. I guess Albert wants to get into my good books. "I need somewhere where my beasts can gain some levels."

"That can be easily arranged."

A few more pleasantries were exchanged before Albert had to leave due to obligations. The rest of my team went to get their rest. Dean Palmer stays behind. It looks like he has something to tell me as well.

"Don't trust that man. He's a short bald snake... Good work out there."

Dean Palmer flies away, leaving me with questions. What an asshole. Duchess is tired and is low on mana, so we rest before going to the location where dean Albert told me to go. They are fractures used for training purposes and should be filled with monsters. But before I can, I get intercepted by Master Wang and his daughter, Rain.

"Disciple, why are you running from me, boy? Nevermind. Good job out there."

"Master Wang, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, my daughter told me you were in the competition. Why didn't you tell me yourself, good for nothing disciple."

"That's not what I mean."

He grabs my shoulder and starts dragging me somewhere. Rain grabs my other arm and moves me along as well. She says, "We need to discuss that potion, and we won't take no for an answer."

"I don't really care, but my daughter does, so I do care."

"..."

~

I got interrogated and experimented on by Rain, who was trying to find the exact conditions that created a stat potion. It's difficult to backtrack the entire process since this potion was randomly in her workshop, but she wouldn't have given me these potions to test if she didn't have a method. I was open to the experience since if Rain gets a whiff of how to create stat potions, I'd probably be the one 'testing' the prototypes.

"Shit, that healing potion used the most random and expensive materials. I can probably isolate the [Silverlips] flower as the source of the charisma increase since that's an ingredient used in temporary charisma buffing perfume. Maybe if I substitute this for that, I could then... Why is it permanent... Maybe if I do..."

Rain is scribbling on multiple papers while pulling out her recipe book to reference ingredients. She doesn't need me anymore, so I leave her workshop. Master Wang has a home in the capital that looks like the one in Bluefield. I'm walking down the halls, and it's uncanny. I want to meet Master Wang and talk to him, but I don't think it's time yet. I should win this competition first before going to him. I leave his home and head straight back to the institute.

~

The facility that hosts all the fractures available for training is massive and brightly lit. It looks like a shopping mall, but instead of stores selling goods, it's different fractures student's can rent out with school points to use. Their entire system doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have a free pass until the end of the tournament to use the best institute's facilities for level training.

I find a brochure and read a helpful guide to using the institute's fracture. Stay within the allotted area, and don't destroy property. Easy enough. Where should we train? I wonder if this will cause another trophy to arrive in my manor? Should I purposely try to find a cool-sounding fracture? Maybe. Or I can abuse this opportunity I've been given and find a place rich with resources. I wonder if the institute would keep those around and open to renting.

I picked one at random that's within the level bracket I'm looking for, 100+. I don't have much time, and I'm sure I'll do well in any fracture. [Bone Garden] looks nice. I went to my room to enter my manor and handled my inventory. My gi, boots, and sword are a must-have. I don't leave without the water mana organ anymore since I never want to experience dehydration like that again. I still have no idea what this thing is.

I examine the metal sphere with a spiral pattern I found in the middle of a volcano. More importantly, it was in the middle of a forge used by a god created out of a volcano. Maybe I should keep it with me and use it as a weapon. Throw it around when Flash Gordon is out and about wreaking havoc. Nah, he might get jealous.

"..."

"What's that, Flash Gordon? Okay then."

Jealousy is beneath him, so I might as well keep this thing with me. I pocket the sphere and leave the manor. I head to the student's shop and buy a reinforced bag with minor enchantments for 50,000 credits. I got robbed, but the effects are neat. I don't need to open the bag to take things out of it, it's one way, but at least it should be durable. It was 500 credits more expensive to not have any logos on it. I only have 43,000 left and some change. Maybe I should sell some of my [Desert Hulk] eyes.

Time to enter a fracture.

~

I signed in and entered through the entrance to the [Bone Garden]. The name seems like it would be full of bones/undead, which Duchess would have an easy time mowing down, or a garden that might have resources. But that's not what happened. The ground is hardened magma, and the water is molten metal. The air is blackened with soot, and the skyline is filled with volcanoes. Ivory-colored monuments break the grey, red, and black of the landscape. Upon closer inspection, they are bones jutting from the ground. [Bone Garden], huh? Why was this an option? Might as well make the most of it.

Surprisingly this place is teaming with life. Creatures made of rocks and metal roam the land and drink from the rivers, elementals zipping around, fighting and hunting. Let's rip this place apart.