Thirty minutes later…
General Zieg clapped his hands, gaining everyone's attention.
The start was upon them!
But before he could begin the round, General Zieg felt it was best he revealed his intentions instead of sidelining the participants halfway through.
'If it were more seasoned members, I'd introduce unforeseen circumstances. But, seeing as they're all fledgling members at best, I won't make it too difficult for them. Still, the numbers are far too great. I must reduce them in any way possible.'
General Zieg's calm gaze fell upon the segmented platform below with a proud expression. "For the most part, many of your isolated arenas will have twenty-one participants vying for the top spot. But, some will consist of twenty-two participants."
After a brief pause, General Zieg continued, "Due to the distribution of points, it is likely that the arenas occupied with twenty-two members will be the ones with the top contenders. Since none of the top contenders are set to clash, it will become a matter of how much you want this opportunity."
While speaking, General Zieg subconsciously looked at Bracca and Ronan.
Since the top 100 contenders would be split amongst the small arenas on stage, no one would be present to inhibit their actions. In other words, it was likely everyone unfortunate to enter the same ring as them would face elimination.
But, seeing as it consisted of the lowest ranked individuals, General Zieg wasn't particularly disturbed by this fact.
A few groans and complaints sounded on the coliseum floor below, but General Zieg ignored them and kept speaking. It was only natural that some of the participants were displeased with this round's design.
However, why would the War Deity Council jeopardize their most talented newcomers for the sake of somewhat irrelevant characters? Considering these newcomers would become part of the new generation of strength, it wasn't smart.
Only the most excellent fighters that have revealed abilities befitting the War Deity Council could enter their foremost ranks. After all, it was an organization that sought supremacy.
"The fights will continue until exactly one person remains standing in each isolated arena. From there, we will move on to the special round—the bracket round. I ask that everyone please approach the stage and enter the appropriate arena."
The Lesser War Crests emitted a signal unique to every part of the platform. Depending on the fluctuations, it would guide the participants to their respective locations on the stage.
A few seconds later, after the participants migrated to their proper locations, General Zieg raised his hand with an uncharacteristically excited expression.
"Fight hard. Fight seriously. But, most importantly, aim to prevail, for this is the defining moment—the moment your early fates are decided. Begin!"
After the round began, the stands and the stage descended into silence. Everyone understood the stakes of the second round were much heavier than the first round.
The feeling of coming close but failing to complete the last step could cause devastating pain, enough to crush one's spirits. The dismay of losing the first round couldn't compare!
So, those with even the slightest lack of confidence in their strength analyzed the others nearby before acting. They searched for the weakest person to eliminate them without fail.
If the weakest members in every cordoned-off space were to be instantly eliminated, it would bolster the chances of many other deserving people.
It was inevitable that these youths would feel some of these people were undeserving of being on the stage and only managed to slip through the cracks and obtain their spot.
Luck no longer became a factor. No, everyone gained the eyes of predators, seeking to harm and eliminate their opponent.
This kind of mass hostility created a bizarre situation for Kieran.
〈System: Your Strengthened Soul Trait «Vengeful Soul» has located several hostile presences with intentions to harm. A massive number of «Hunt» stacks have been acquired.〉
〈System: The conditions to enter «Predator Hunt» have been met.〉
'The strengthening of my Vengeful Soul truly changed a few things about the trait.'
「 Trait Name: Vengeful Soul
Trait Type: Soul Trait
Trait Rank: Strengthened
Strengthened Completion: 10.01% → 25.01%
Description: A unique trait born from an unpolished Awakened Soul. A flawed trait that grants the user extraordinary abilities. The stronger your Soul becomes, the greater the vengeance it manifests.
«Retaliatory Sense» -...
*New… «Flaw: Innate Vengeance» - This flaw makes the user more susceptible to rage and vengeance, increasing the user's awareness of internal turmoil and the likelihood of succumbing to powers centered around destructive emotions. (Limited to internal struggles. This Flaw mitigates external effects.)
*New… «Revenge Predator» - A unique combat system accessible only to the one possessing a Vengeful Soul. Hostile foes within the user's sensing range grant a stack of «Hunt». [Maximum Stacks: 100 stacks]
*New… «Hunt» - When consumed, it increases the user's damage by marking the enemy as «Prey». (Current Increase: 25%)
«Predator Hunt» - By consuming 50 «Hunt» stacks, the user may enter the «Predatory Form». (Base Duration: 100 seconds.) During this form, the following effects apply to the user while within the presence of «Prey»:
- Increased chance of landing Critical Hits.
- Killing «Prey» returns 1 «Hunt» stack.
- Increases Attack and Movement Speed by an additional 200%.
- Consuming 1 «Hunt» stack increases «Predatory Form»'s remaining duration by 1 second.
*New… «Manifestation: Macabre Animosity» - To unleash this ability, the user must be in «Predatory Form» or must have recently activated «Predator Hunt». The user exudes a ghastly presence that feeds upon their current rage. Those affected by the skill will be inflicted with «Macabre Delerium», which deteriorates the enemy's mind and tests their willpower.
...
Note: While Strengthened, your Soul Trait still possesses ample room for growth. Only the surface of your Soul has been unearthed. 」
After the primary Strengthening, Kieran's Flaw had evolved from Vengeful to Innate Vengeance, which now acted as a double-sided sword. While the Flaw mitigated attempts to rile his emotions externally, rage induced by Kieran's thoughts and feelings wasn't.
In fact, due to Kieran's awareness of such emotions, it wasn't incorrect to say the flaw had become more dangerous. Plunging into a sea of burning fury while aware of his action could turn Kieran's abilities into an incredibly devastating force.
Furthermore, Kieran's new ability grew deadlier the longer he kept his wrath inside since it fed off the emotions Kieran felt at the moment of its activation.
Kieran could already see some insane usages of this ability when assisted with Blood Mania.
After digesting the changes to his Soul Trait, Kieran focused on Predator Hunt.
Although all the hostility wasn't aimed at Kieran directly, he inadvertently suffered or rather benefited from the prevalent animosity on the stage.
If he willed it, he could enter Predator Hunt and start his onslaught amongst the limited number of participants.
Because Kieran's original points sat more towards the middle of the rankings, his area was filled with those of average strength. After the mass elimination, being a Lv.47 Epic NPC had become the standard.
Considering he emerged victorious against Vex, who was slightly stronger than this average, he felt his chances were considerably high.
〈System: You have entered «Predatory Hunt»! All the effects of the «Predatory Form» are now active.〉
…
In the stand above the ring, Ezrath's brows knitted tightly while looking at the change in Scar's inheritor.
Ezrath found it strange because he couldn't sense any blood power emanating from Kieran's presence. Yet, he could feel his aura becoming increasingly savage, like a beast of legends unleashed upon frightened little children.
Subconsciously, he looked toward Scar. "What else had you taught this boy?"
"Unfortunately, that is not my doing."
Scar declined all responsibility for this power because it wasn't his to claim.
After a brief talk with Agrianos, Scar learned that Kieran possessed an exceedingly rare soul, one steeped in fury and vengeance, as if created to carry out the bidding of their power.
While Agrianos didn't know the effects of such a soul, he understood it was the perfect vessel for the Seed of Vengeance, which is why he bestowed it upon Kieran.
Since it was rotting away in his possession, inactive for several millennia, Agrianos felt it was better if it found a home with Kieran, who could possibly draw benefits from its presence.
'I didn't accept Lord Agrianos' words at face value because an Awakened Soul is something that should take years to unearth. But, it appears I was a fool. Wise beyond his years, Agrianos knows what his eyes had uncovered,' Scar thought.
Scar felt he had much to learn to be compared to his master. Agrianos could instinctually sense Kieran's Soul, yet he could not.
After training for centuries, Scar thought he was approaching his master's powers, but that assumption was far from the truth.
After all, he had never once witnessed Agrianos unleashing his full power. By the time he was born, Agrianos had already adopted the life of a powerful yet recluse vagabond whose only activity was occasionally warding off the threats with the Chasm of Apogeton.
"If not your doing, then whose? Why does this power feel like some innate ability? Are you sure that boy is a normal human?" Ezrath questioned dubiously.
How could he have known that an Enlightened Being approached Kieran and prematurely awakened his Soul to assist him on his journey?
Far ahead of its time, the effects were something no regular Tier 1 could contend against.
Eventually, Scar turned toward Ezrath with a sardonic smirk. "Ezrath, my dear comrade, you seem awfully curious about my twerp. Instead, I have a question—are you interested in making a little bet?"
...
A/N: I want to thank everyone who continues to support me, allowing me to turn writing into a full-time job! <3. Please continue to help me by donating Golden Tickets to support this novel's ranking. I promise it will continue to get better! September will be an excellent month, I can feel it.
