Dravengarde buzzed with unusual fervor. Bright banners flapped in the breeze, bearing the insignia of the Dungeon Conqueror's Guild—an obsidian blade piercing a ring of gold. Word had spread quickly: the first Crucible of Trials in nearly a decade was about to begin.
[System Notification: Special Event Detected – Crucible of Trials (Guild-Sanctioned Combat Arena). Participation: Optional. Prize: Cleared A-Rank Dungeon Reward Chest + Notoriety Bonus + Combat Mastery Points.]
Thorne stood atop the Guild's eastern watchtower, looking down at the rapidly assembling crowd. Conquerors of every class and caliber—some masked, others not—flocked to the arena registration booths. The Crucible wasn't just a show of strength. It was a way to ascend the ranks without relying solely on dungeon clearances.
"Masked Fang," a voice called.
Thorne turned to find a guild clerk approaching, clipboard in hand. She glanced at his masked face, then at the data pad.
"You're registering, right? You're eligible for the mid-tier bracket. D through B ranks."
Thorne nodded. "Sign me up."
The clerk's brow arched subtly. "Big crowd this time. More than a few eyes on you lately."
He offered no reply, just moved toward the arena floor, where enchantments glowed beneath layers of ancient runes—this battleground had once hosted trials for the continent's most fearsome elite.
Competitors stood in concentric rings, each waiting to be called into a randomized bracket. Thorne's system pulsed softly within.
[Optional Quest Synced: Survive All Three Elimination Rounds. Bonus: Victory Without Revealing True Rank — +50 Stealth Mastery.]
He flexed his fingers. Sovereign's Will rested against his back, disguised in a sealed scabbard form. The crowd roared as the first names were called. Fights unfolded in multiple rings—illusion-projected above for all to watch.
His first opponent: a boisterous dual-blade user ranked C, known as Red Veil.
The bell rang.
Red Veil lunged, blades whirling in a cyclone of arcs. Fast, but undisciplined. Thorne sidestepped, caught her rhythm, and struck with the back of his blade. She went down in seconds—unharmed, but stunned.
[Round One Complete. Combat Mastery +5. Health Unharmed Bonus Achieved.]
He walked off the field under murmurs. Some impressed. Others skeptical.
By Round Two, the murmurs had turned to questions.
"Who the hell is Masked Fang?"
"He fights like he's ranked A, maybe higher."
"Nah, just lucky matchups."
His second match was less forgiving. An agile shadow-caster named Whisperthorn, ranked B, used terrain and light manipulation to keep enemies disoriented.
But Thorne had fought in real dungeons. This was a sparring ground.
When the illusion mist rolled across the arena, Thorne closed his eyes, relying on the system's echo map.
[Ability Used: Passive Echo Perception – Detect Subtle Disturbances in a 15-meter Radius.]
He found the caster's position and struck with precision. A shallow cut, non-lethal but definitive. The crowd erupted.
[Round Two Complete. Minimal Damage Taken Bonus Achieved. Adaptive Stat Bonus Unlocked.]
He returned to the waiting ring, only to catch a pair of icy-blue eyes watching him from across the arena's shadows.
Kaela.
Still distant. Still silent.
Her presence was like the whisper of a storm on the horizon. She stood unregistered, observing—not with interest, but intent.
The system offered no alert. No threat identified. Just quiet unease.
The final round was a team match—four-on-four, randomized groupings. Thorne was placed alongside a hammer-wielding D-rank named Garrik, a lithe archer known as Twine, and a spellblade fresh out of training.
Their opponents were tougher—two B-ranks, a tricky illusionist, and a berserker.
The signal flared.
"Keep pressure right," Thorne said calmly, stepping into leadership without asking.
They pushed hard, dismantling the opponent's formation. Sovereign's Will flashed once—still in its low-power form—slashing down the berserker before he could trigger his rage state.
Twine dropped the illusionist. The spellblade landed the final strike on a stunned foe.
Victory.
[Final Round Complete. Crucible Champion: Masked Fang – Bonus Reward Activated.]
The crowd's energy shifted. Masked Fang wasn't just a skilled fighter now—he was a name.
After the ceremony, back in the guild hall, Thorne received his prize—a sealed chest from a previously cleared A-rank dungeon. Inside, rare materials gleamed alongside a unique gem: the Heart of Ashlight, an alchemical core used to craft flame-resistant gear or enhance fire magic.
He stowed it away silently.
[Legacy Progress: +0.3% – Relic Resonance Detected in Reward Material.]
Even here, in a public event, his fate had found a way to move forward.