Early morning, the third day of the Centennial Gauntlet.
Outside The Proving Grounds, a queue stretched beyond the horizon. It wasn't just students; scouts from every major power in Valorhold, high-level mentors on leave, and even local citizens who had heard the rumors had packed the trial square until not a single inch of stone was visible.
The academy had tripled the spectator seating overnight, yet the venue remained overflowing. People stood in the aisles, crane-necked and eager. Everyone had gathered for one reason: to witness a single moment.
Amplified by magical arrays, the announcer’s voice thundered across the plaza, vibrating with raw excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to this historic day!"
"Currently, our top-seeded contender, Zephyr, stands at Level 55! He is only 23 levels away from the all-time record set just last year by Vincent Nocturne—Level 78!"
"Twenty-three levels! In this lethally dangerous stage, can he truly perform a miracle and scale the insurmountable peak that has blocked every genius before him? Let us find out!"
A tidal wave of sound erupted, nearly shaking the foundations of The Proving Grounds.
In the VIP section at the front of the stands, representatives from the Great Houses sat with deep, calculating gazes. They weren't just here to witness history; they were prepared to offer astronomical sums of resources the moment the trial ended to recruit this dark horse.
In the corner reserved for the House Nocturne, however, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
Vincent sat in a plush armchair, his face pale and his jaw clamped shut. Beside him, several elders of the Nocturne family watched the large screen with solemn expressions.
"Relax," one elder said, patting Vincent’s shoulder. "That Level 78 record has stood for a year for a reason. It requires more than just combat power; it demands endurance and adaptability in the late stages. Even if Zephyr was fast early on, there’s no way he’ll maintain that pace past Level 60."
Vincent forced a stiff, jagged smile. "You’re right. Level 78... isn’t something just any nobody can touch."
But his fists, clenched so tight they trembled, betrayed the sheer terror and unease clawing at his heart.
Inside the trial space, white light flared brilliantly.
Zephyr stepped through the portal and entered the hall of Level 60.
"Look! He’s reached Level 60!" the announcer shrieked. "Level 60! The true watershed for geniuses! In the 300-year history of Celestia Arcane Academy, only 12 students have ever crossed this threshold!"
A gold-lettered historical ranking appeared in the air:
[Trial Space - Level 60 Historical Hall of Fame]
1. Legendary Mentor Professor Aldwin Harrow (50 years ago)
2. Former Headmaster Cyrus Brennan (30 years ago)
3. Vincent Nocturne (Last year)
...
12. Total: 12 Persons
Gasps rippled through the stands.
"When Vincent cleared Level 60 last year, his name shook the entire continent!"
"I wonder how long it’ll take Zephyr?"
In the center of the hall, the earth groaned and shuddered. A 10-meter-tall titan, constructed entirely of dark gray void-stone, slowly lurched to its feet. An eerie, spectral blue light pulsed from the core in its chest.
[Trial Space - Level 60]
[Target Enemy]: The Nullstone Golem (Level 7)
[Enemy HP]: 8000 / 8000
[Enemy Combat Power]: 1800
[Special Mechanism]: Voidward Aegis (Immune to 50% of Physical and Elemental damage)
This was the gateway to high-tier monsters. The Voidward Aegis could deflect almost any high-output bombardment.
When Vincent had challenged this level, his tactics were completely countered. He had been forced to endure 20 minutes of brutal pounding from the golem, eventually exhausting his family’s hidden trump cards and using a forbidden technique just to shatter the core.
Zephyr remained calm, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Facing the descending, massive stone fist, he didn't even flinch.
His silhouette blurred.
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Shadowstep!
[Distance]: Instant teleportation to the enemy's blind spot!
A black streak like lightning. Zephyr crossed dozens of meters in an instant, appearing out of thin air behind the golem's neck!
The golem tried to turn its cumbersome body, but the black blade in Zephyr's hand had already transformed into a rampaging storm of darkness!
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Spellsteel Tempest!
[Damage Calculation]: 7-hit combo perfectly landed!
[Effect Triggered]: Voidward Aegis structural failure!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seven ear-piercing cracks overlapped into one! The Voidward Aegis—that layer of defense that had driven countless geniuses to despair—shattered like brittle glass under the black sword-light!
Zephyr flicked his wrist, and the blade became a ray of obsidian death, piercing straight into the crystal core exposed in the golem's chest.
Lethal Blow!
CRASH!
The massive Nullstone Golem didn't even have time to release a single wide-range skill before its core disintegrated. The titan collapsed into a mountain of rubble.
[System Message]
[Trial Space - Level 60 Results]
[Clear Status]: Success
[Clear Time]: 5 minutes 30 seconds
[Evaluation]: Perfect (S-Rank)
Neat, massive code-like letters spanned the trial space before transforming into a server-wide announcement that shook the plaza!
[Global Announcement]
[Historic Moment]: Contender [Zephyr] has successfully defeated [The Nullstone Golem], becoming the 13th student in academy history to pass Level 60!
"5 minutes and 30 seconds!" The announcer’s voice cracked, bordering on hysterical. "A record-breaking kill speed! Vincent took 20 minutes! Zephyr took 5 minutes and 30 seconds! A perfect clear!"
The arena fell into a momentary, stunned silence before exploding into a mountain-toppling roar of cheers!
"Insane! This is true suppression!"
"60 levels in 5 minutes? My god!"
In the stands, Vincent’s face turned from green to a deathly white. He stared at the "5 minutes 30 seconds" on the screen, his teeth grinding so hard they threatened to shatter.
The honor he had bled for, the glory he had bought with forbidden arts... in front of this man, it looked like a pathetic joke.
But this was only the beginning.
Zephyr didn't stop for even a second. He marched straight into the portal for Level 61.
He was a whirlwind, sweeping through everything in his path!
Level 61... Level 63... Level 64...
Under the gaze of tens of thousands, the numbers on the screen soared at a suffocating pace.
Finally, the screen flared with brilliant light as it hit Level 65.
[Trial Space - Level 65]
[Target Enemy]: Wyrmking Triad (Level 8)
[Enemy HP]: 10000 / 10000
[Enemy Combat Power]: 1950
The moment the beast appeared, senior students in the stands gasped.
"It’s the Wyrmking Triad!"
"Vincent failed here 5 times in a row before surrendering and taking the side-hall detour just to barely scrape by!"
"Those three dragon heads control fire, frost, and lightning. There are zero blind spots!"
Facing the roaring Abyssal Breath, Zephyr’s eyes remained frigid.
He threw back his black cloak, and Umbral mana erupted like a surging tide!
He sidestepped a lightning strike, stepping into the air. His body left behind a trail of afterimages, weaving through the gaps of the three dragons' savage bites with surgical precision.
Every time his sword swung, it drew a fountain of dragon blood!
Twelve minutes later.
"ROAR—!!"
The Wyrmking Triad’s massive body crashed to the ground, all three heads severed simultaneously!
[System Message]
[Trial Space - Level 65 Results]
[Clear Status]: Success
[Clear Time]: 12 minutes 00 seconds
The announcer screamed at the top of his lungs, "A direct kill! Zephyr did what Vincent couldn't do! He slaughtered the Wyrmking Triad head-on!"
"A slap to the face! This is a total slap to the face!" someone in the crowd whispered in awe.
In the VIP seats, Vincent’s fists were clenched so hard his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. Every cheer from the crowd felt like a stinging whip across his face.
Next, Level 68!
The Voidmaw descended!
This level was notoriously designed to counter Umbral Discipline, as the enemy could devour shadow energy to heal itself. Vincent had suffered here for 30 minutes, his mana completely drained, nearly dying as his life force was sucked dry.
But facing this attribute counter, Zephyr’s lips curled into a mocking sneer.
"You want to play with shadows in front of me?"
Beneath the hood, Zephyr’s eyes turned into pools of pure obsidian.
[System Message]
[Domain Skill Activated]: Shadowrealm Dominion!
[Range]: 40 Meters!
[Effect]: Absolute Control! Suppresses all enemy Umbral attributes within range!
A massive black hole expanded instantly! The once-arrogant Voidmaw let out a pained wail as its Umbral cloak was violently stripped away by the domain.
Countering darkness with darkness! Absolute suppression!
In just 8 minutes, the Voidmaw disintegrated into nothingness.
The announcer’s voice echoed: "8 minutes! Zephyr’s mastery over Umbral elements is leagues beyond Vincent’s! They aren't even on the same level!"
"Enough!"
Vincent stood up abruptly, his face contorted with rage. He turned to leave the stands; he couldn't endure another second of this sharp, humiliating contrast.
"Vincent! Sit down!" an elder of House Nocturne barked.
Vincent’s body stiffened. Gritting his teeth, his eyes full of shame and resentment, he finally trembled as he sat back down.
"I’ll watch... I want to see just how far he can go!" Vincent growled, his eyes bloodshot.
Soon, the screen flashed again!
Level 70 was cleared!
[System Message]
[Trial Space - Level 70 Results]
[Clear Status]: Success
[Total Elapsed Time]: 5 hours 42 minutes
[Distance to Vincent’s Record (Level 78)]: 8 Levels remaining!
The announcer roared, "Less than 6 hours! Zephyr has already cleared Level 70! He is only 8 levels away from Vincent’s year-long record!"
"Break the record! Break the record!"
"Zephyr is invincible!"
Tens of thousands of spectators stood in unison, their shouts shaking the heavens!
The sprint! The final dash for the record!
Level 71... Level 72... Level 73!
Every level was a glorious achievement Vincent had once carved into history; now, every level was a stepping stone Zephyr trampled underfoot.
The comparisons broadcasted over the speakers became the most piercing notes in the plaza:
[Level 73 Clear Comparison]
Vincent’s Record Time: 45 minutes
Zephyr’s Current Time: 15 minutes!
"Vincent took 45 minutes, Zephyr took 15!"
[Level 75 Clear Comparison]
Vincent’s Record Time: 38 minutes
Zephyr’s Current Time: 12 minutes!
"Level 75! The gap is widening! Vincent took 38, Zephyr took 12!"
[Level 77 Clear Comparison]
Vincent’s Record Time: 50 minutes (His limit at the time)
Zephyr’s Current Time: 18 minutes!
"Level 77! The limit where Vincent nearly collapsed from exhaustion, Zephyr swept through in just 18 minutes!"
With every announcement, the announcer’s voice rose, and the crowd’s fervor reached a fever pitch.
For Vincent, it was as if someone were stripping away his pride piece by piece in front of all the faculty, students, and elites of Valorhold, throwing his halo onto the ground and stomping it into the dirt.
The surrounding students were buzzing:
"This is brutal... Vincent’s record is being annihilated."
"What 'genius'? Compared to Zephyr, Vincent’s results look like a joke."
"I used to think he was untouchable. I guess he just hadn't met a real monster yet."
Listening to the whispers, Vincent’s knuckles turned white. His nails drew more blood, which dripped onto the luxurious carpet. His heart felt like it was being sliced into ribbons.
The air in the plaza seemed to freeze.
The numbers on the screen shifted violently!
[Level 78]!
One year!
For an entire year, this had been the ultimate ceiling that the students of Celestia Arcane Academy looked up to. This was the supreme honor that kept Vincent’s name at the top of the history books—Level 78!
The entire square fell into a deathly silence. Tens of thousands held their breath, eyes glued to the giant screen.
The announcer’s voice was uncharacteristically shaky and raspy.
"Level 78... the historical limit held by Vincent Nocturne for a year..."
"Zephyr... is standing before it!"
"Can he... can he do it?!"
In the VIP seats, Vincent’s eyes were scarlet. He stared at the screen, shaking like a leaf. He cursed and prayed frantically in his mind:
Don't pass... don't you dare pass! Die in there! Just die in there!
Inside the hall, the void tore open, and a gargantuan creature radiating infinite destruction descended!
[Trial Space - Level 78]
[Target Enemy]: The Abyssal Tyrant (Level 8)
[Enemy HP]: 12000 / 12000
[Enemy Combat Power]: 2200
[Skills]: Abyssal Dread, Voidrend Cataclysm
A rampaging, obsidian pressure flooded the hall!
A year ago, Vincent had challenged this level 3 times. He failed miserably the first two. On the third, he used every single survival item and forbidden art he possessed, fighting for a full hour before snatching a narrow, lucky victory. He had failed Level 79 ten times after that, his record forever frozen at 78.
That was his absolute limit.
In the center of the hall, Zephyr slowly drew his black sword.
"ROAR—!!"
The Abyssal Tyrant bellowed, and the abyssal energy of the void crashed down like a tsunami, intending to grind Zephyr into dust!
Zephyr’s eyes remained icy and indifferent as he stepped forward.
"Open."
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Shadowrealm Dominion!
[Range]: 40 Meters!
The massive black domain expanded with a roar! Two terrifying forces of darkness collided in mid-air, creating a world-ending boom!
However, after only two seconds, Zephyr’s Shadowrealm Dominion asserted absolute dominance, forcibly devouring and shredding the abyssal power!
Swish!
Zephyr became a beam of black light, charging straight at the Abyssal Tyrant!
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Spellsteel Tempest!
[Effect]: 7-hit combo perfectly landed on lethal weak points!
Black sword-flashes became a blur, each strike precisely piercing the gaps in the Tyrant’s heavy armor!
The Abyssal Tyrant let out an earth-shaking roar, its claws condensing a ball of annihilating light—[Voidrend Cataclysm]!
The crowd’s hearts jumped into their throats! This was the move that had nearly killed Vincent!
Yet, there was no ripple of emotion beneath Zephyr’s mask.
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Shadowstep!
A mere 0.01 seconds before the explosion, his body vanished!
The afterimage shattered; the light-ball hit nothing but air!
In the next heartbeat, Zephyr appeared on the back of the Abyssal Tyrant’s neck!
His sword, laden with sharp Umbral mana, slid through the vertebrae and pierced the heart with a sickening squelch.
[System Message]
[Skill Activated]: Duskfang!
[Result]: Target’s heart ruptured. Fatal finishing damage dealt!
BOOM!
The Abyssal Tyrant, dozens of meters tall, crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust before dissolving into a million particles of light!
The timer on the screen stopped instantly.
[Trial Space - Level 78 Results]
[Clear Status]: Success
[Clear Time]: 22 minutes 00 seconds
[Record Comparison]
Vincent Nocturne: 1 hour 00 minutes (Voided)
Zephyr’s New Record: 22 minutes 00 seconds (Rank 1 All-Time)
A blinding gold light covered the entire screen. Three server-wide announcements, accompanied by the tolling of a great bell, rang out three times over the plaza!
[Global Announcement]
[History Rewritten]: Congratulations to contender [Zephyr] for successfully clearing Level 78, breaking the record held by Vincent Nocturne!
[Global Announcement]
[New Record]: A new record has been born! [Zephyr] stands at Rank 1 All-Time with a shocking time of 22 minutes!
[Global Announcement]
[History Rewritten]: The history of the Centennial Gauntlet has been changed forever!
Silence.
A single second of stunned silence—then—
"WOOOOOOOO—!!!!!"
the plaza exploded! Tens of thousands of people shrieked, roared, and cheered at once! The sound was so intense it cracked the protective crystals at the edge of the square!
The announcer had completely lost his voice, his sobbing, emotional cries broadcasting across the field.
"It’s broken! It’s actually broken!!"
"One year! An entire year! The immortal legend held by Vincent... has been completely rewritten today!"
"A new king has ascended! Zephyr! Zephyr!!"
"Zephyr! Zephyr! Zephyr!"
The chanting rose like a tide, pushing the atmosphere to a peak of madness!
In the VIP section.
Vincent sat motionless, his face as pale as a corpse.
The cheers and screams around him sounded like sharp, mocking laughter.
The pride he had nurtured for a year had been trampled into the dirt in the most humiliating, lopsided way possible.
"He’s so strong... he’s too strong!" His cousin, Vivienne, sat beside him, her face flushed with excitement as she grabbed his sleeve. "Did you see that?! He broke your record! He only took 22 minutes! He’s a god!"
Those words were like a poisoned blade, stabbing straight into Vincent’s heart.
He twitched, forcing out a few difficult words: "I... I saw."
Marcus stepped forward, seeing Vincent’s near-catatonic state. "Sir..."
"Don't follow me."
Vincent stood up abruptly, his voice a raspy, demonic whisper.
He kept his head down, desperately trying to hide the tears of humiliation welling in his eyes. He pushed through the celebrating crowd, looking like a beaten dog as he slinked away from The Proving Grounds.
But no one cared about his departure.
Every eye, every ounce of worship and awe, was locked onto a single name—Zephyr!
At the same time, in the contestant rest area on the other side of the square.
A white light flashed, and Elena stepped out of the portal.
She had just "struggled" through Level 45.
[System Message]
[Elena Nocturne] cleared Level 45
[Current Rank]: 112
[Current Combat Power]: 85 (Disguised)
As she left the area, a frantic crowd of people suddenly surged toward the exit of the main hall, desperate to catch a glimpse of the record-breaking Zephyr.
"Get out of the way! Move!"
An overexcited male student sprinted past, slamming his shoulder into Elena.
Fresh out of a "battle," Elena staggered and fell, her small frame hitting the hard stone pavement with a heavy thud.
Her palm scraped against the rough stone, tearing open a gash that began to bleed.
The student didn't even look back. His eyes were wide with fanaticism as he screamed, "Zephyr! God Zephyr is coming out! I need an autograph!"
The crowd roared past, kicking up dust, not one person glancing at the girl lying on the ground.
Elena lay on the cold stone, looking down at her bleeding palm, then looked up at the fools chasing the name "Zephyr."
The setting sun cast a cold glow over her face.
Her lips curled upward into a freezing, ironic smirk.
She let out a low, dark chuckle.
"Keep running... keep pushing..."
She wiped the blood from her palm with her ring finger, her eyes as dark as ink.
"Go ahead, keep worshipping him..."
"The higher you lift Zephyr now..."
"When the truth is revealed... the slap to your faces will be that much harder."
Meanwhile, at the top of the Great Tower, in the Headmaster’s office.
Three Vice-Deans who rarely showed their faces sat around a table with the old Headmaster, watching the playback of Zephyr killing the Abyssal Tyrant.
The Headmaster’s withered hands rested on his cane, his eyes sparkling with amazement.
"This Zephyr... his combat instincts are perfect. More importantly, the purity of his Umbral Discipline far exceeds anything in our current curriculum."
"I used my highest authority to check his records," one Vice-Dean said solemnly. "It’s a blank slate. It’s like he appeared in Valorhold out of thin air just a few days ago."
"Could he be a secret weapon trained by another empire or a forbidden organization?" another Vice-Dean frowned.
"It doesn't matter who he is!"
The Headmaster struck his cane against the floor. "A genius of this caliber has come to Celestia Arcane Academy. We cannot let him slip away!"
"Issue my orders. Prepare the highest tier special scholarship and a pass to The Sovereign Archives!"
The old man’s voice turned deep. "And... if he is willing, if he simply asks... the academy will grant him the title of Distinguished Fellow immediately!"
The two Vice-Deans gasped. Faculty status? For a young examinee?!
But that was the treatment afforded to absolute power.
Night fell, and the third day of the Centennial Gauntlet officially came to a close.
The giant screen in the square radiated a brilliant golden light:
[The Centennial Gauntlet - Day 3 Final Rankings]
1. Zephyr: Level 78 (Only active climber)
[New History Record Creator] Broke Vincent Nocturne’s record!
2-411: All Eliminated (Includes Lilia at Level 44, Leo at Level 42, Vincent at Level 36)
...
112. Elena: Level 45 (Continuing)
The announcer used the last of his strength to declare: "Aside from Elena, who slowly crawled to Level 45 through sheer luck, Zephyr is the only person still pushing for the peak!"
"Tomorrow! Day Four! He will step into the absolute forbidden zone that has been untouched for 300 years—Level 79 through Level 100!"
"Let us witness the birth of a myth together!"
Late night.
In Vincent’s luxury bedroom at the Nocturne estate.
Crash! Smash! Bang!
Exquisite vases, crystal trophies, and medals representing his past glory were hurled against the walls, shattering into pieces.
The room was a wreck.
Vincent knelt on the floor, his hair a mess and his hands bleeding, staring at the cracked "Level 78 Commemorative Plaque" on the floor.
"A year... a whole year’s record!!"
He let out a raspy, bestial howl. "Why?! Why does some bastard from nowhere get to step on my head?!"
The door creaked open, and Marcus walked in with a complicated expression.
Vincent snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot like a demon’s. "Get out! I told you to get out!"
"Sir..." Marcus didn't retreat. Instead, he lowered his voice and held out a secret report. "I... I found some very strange leads."
Vincent froze, his voice cold. "What leads? About Zephyr’s background?!"
Marcus swallowed hard. "According to our surveillance... the first time Zephyr appeared at the Valorhold registration office... was the exact day Elena left the family."
"Furthermore... after the trial ended today, I tracked the direction of Zephyr’s fading aura. He was last seen less than a hundred meters from the derelict inn where Elena is staying."
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Vincent blinked, then suddenly burst into a manic, deranged laughter!
"Hahaha! Marcus! Did a mule kick you in the head?!"
Vincent pointed at Marcus’s nose, laughing until tears came out, his eyes full of mockery and contempt.
"Are you telling me... that the legendary Zephyr, the man who smashed my record and slaughtered Tier 8 beasts..."
"Is connected to Elena? That trash whose mana circuits are blocked, who was lower than a dog in this house?!"
"One is a dragon in the clouds! The other is a maggot in the gutter!"
"And you’re telling me they’re connected?!"
Vincent’s face twisted into a snarl. "Get out! Get out of here! Don't insult my intelligence with this garbage!"
Marcus bowed deeply and didn't say another word, slowly backing out of the room.
However, as the door closed...
Standing in the dim hallway, Marcus thought back to the startlingly synchronized timeline in the reports. The deep shadow of doubt in his eyes...
...would not fade for a long, long time.