HLnovel Chapter 281: The Tally of Champions
Chapter 281: The Tally of Champions
The aftermath of Kaelen Thorne's breathtaking victory left the Grand Arena steeped in an electric, lingering high. The thousands of students, faculty, and visiting nobles had spent the last several hours screaming themselves hoarse, witnessing upsets that defied logic and victories forged in absolute grit.
Slowly, the chaotic energy shifted. A deep, resonant hum vibrated through the stadium's stone foundations.
Down on the arena floor, a dozen academy proctors clad in formal gray robes marched onto the damaged arena sands. Moving with practiced precision, they slammed the bases of their staves against the ground in unison. A heavy wave of earth magic rippled outward. The churned-up sand, deep craters, and violent scorch marks were instantly swept away, smoothing over and flattening into a pristine golden canvas.
Guided by the proctors' sweeping somatic gestures, the earth groaned. From the exact center of the arena, a massive, multi-tiered dais constructed of polished black obsidian slowly rose from the depths. Grand, golden spotlights snapped on, illuminating the platform and bathing it in a triumphant glow.
Suddenly, the air at the highest tier of the dais shimmered and fractured. A massive, circular arcane gateway flared to life, swirling with the deep, authoritative colors of Solhaven Academy. Stepping through the portal with a presence that commanded an immediate, breathless hush over the stadium was Headmaster Andrade. Her cape billowed behind her as she took her rightful place at the absolute center.
Emerging from the gateway to flank her were the supreme authorities of the academy's main branches: Master Alvon Brekka, his heavy iron boots ringing against the obsidian as he stood tall as the unyielding pillar of the College of Valor; Master Teresa Cadmus, the newly appointed and razor-sharp head of the College of Arcanum; and Master Cedric Varkas, the calculating mastermind overseeing the College of Statecraft. Behind them filed the respective heads of the minor colleges, taking their positions to form a united, imposing front of Solhaven Academy’s elite leadership.
Bruce Doyle’s floating platform drifted down from the spectator heights, hovering just above the edge of the dais. He tapped his voice-amplifying crystal, his trademark grin reflecting the golden lights.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Solhaven Academy!"
Bruce's voice boomed, rich and full of absolute reverence.
"The dust has settled, the magic has faded, and the blood has dried. The Main Qualifiers are officially over! It is now time to honor the absolute best among us!"
Bruce paused, letting the silence build before raising his fist.
"To every Champion standing upon this dais today, Solhaven Academy bestows a baseline purse that is credited to their student account of exactly ten thousand Academy Marks!"
The stadium erupted as Bruce continued over the noise.
"Let the Awarding Ceremony begin!"
Bruce announced, spinning to face the western archway.
"We begin with the masters of creation! Facing the terrifying Puppeteer's Crucible, our champion orchestrated a symphony with her eyes closed! Using absolute mathematical rhythm and auditory precision, she commanded her automaton to brew a blindingly perfect Lunar Dew Extract! Give it up for the 2nd-Circle Glass Vial from the minor College of Alchemy... JEANE ROLAND!"
High above the dais, the massive floating panes flickered to life, projecting a glowing replay of Jeane’s performance in the finals of the Alchemy and Potioneering Event.
Jeane stepped out from the tunnel, waving to the cheering crowd. She looked exhausted but radiantly proud. As she climbed the obsidian steps.
Master Teresa presented Jeane with her grand prize, an intricately carved silver key granting her access to the coveted Tier-3 Vaults, and a magically sealed parchment dictating a blank-check Rare Material Commission. Jeane bowed deeply, clutching the rewards to her chest.
"Next up, the architects of war in the Runic Engineering Gauntlet!"
Bruce yelled, not letting the momentum drop for a single second.
"Pitted against a live, twenty-foot Academy Siege Golem programmed for absolute hostility, this engineer didn't panic under heavy fire! Instead of simply building a shield, he carved a flawless hacking matrix, decrypted the colossus's base frequency, and made a weapon of war bow in absolute submission for a perfect score of one hundred points! The Master Key himself, our 2nd-Circle Sigil... CLIVE BELCOOT!"
The scrying panels shifted, displaying the terrifying stone colossus frozen mid-strike, its massive, glowing eyes dimming as Clive rapidly carved a brilliant blue matrix in the air.
Clive strode up the steps, looking nervous, adjusting his collar as the crowd chanted his name.
Master Teresa presented his rewards, a specialized key granting him access to the Tier-3 Schematics Vaults, and a highly sought-after Master-Class Runic Commission token. Clive held the token up to the lights, an excited glint in his eye as he took his place beside Jeane.
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"Moving on to the primal fury of the Beast Taming Event!"
Bruce bellowed.
"When faced with the suffocating, terrifying aura of the Elder Patriarch, an ancient Dire Wolf predator the size of a house, our champion put his own fragile human body between the danger and his dire wolf partner! Through absolute, unbreakable trust and a simple Soother Melody, he proved that true loyalty conquers all instinct! Let’s hear it for the Grand Champion of the Beast Taming Crucible, the Rank-2 Pathfinder from the minor College of Rangers... LOGAN SAVINA!"
The floating screens flashed to show a heart-stopping replay of Logan throwing his arms wide, physically placing his own body between a towering, monstrous beast and his injured dire wolf while whistling a calm, resonant tune.
The crowd stomped their feet as Logan walked down the aisle.
Master Alvon stepped forward, his stern face softening as he looked at Logan. Alvon presented a heavy wooden crate filled with a full set of High-Quality Beast Reagents, and a glowing, heavily warded incubator containing one High-Grade Mystery Rare Egg. Logan patted Logan’s shoulder’s, as he accepted the massive haul with a wide grin.
Bruce took a deep breath, the crystal glowing brighter.
"Now, for the blood and steel of the Dueling Event! In the First Level Group, we witnessed an unbelievable upset! Facing down a magical prodigy, our champion refused to be outmaneuvered! He became an unbreakable wall, interrupting a point-blank spell before he dismantled the competition completely! Your First Level Group Champion, the Rank-1 Bronze Aegis... DARIAN VARRUS!"
The massive panes shifted to a high-definition, slow-motion replay of Darian interrupting a lethal point-blank spell with a blinding flash of his fingers.
The stadium practically shook. Darian walked out, still clad in his heavily dented armor. He was limping slightly, and the purple bruise on his jaw was stark under the lights, but the aristocratic haughtiness was entirely gone. He walked with the heavy, terrifying gravity of a true veteran.
When Darian reached the top of the dais, Master Alvon didn't just hand him the rewards; the towering Master of Valor gave the bruised noble a deep, respectful nod. Darian returned the salute, accepting a specialized key to access the vault containing highly restricted Martial Manuals, and a writ for a Master-level Equipment Commission. Down in the medical bay, Kogar Ramsey was undoubtedly saluting the scrying pane.
"For the Second Level Group of the Dueling Event!"
Bruce announced.
"He proved to the entire academy that acoustic warfare means absolutely nothing against raw, unadulterated brute force! Securing his victory in less than sixty seconds, the unstoppable Living Siege Engine, the Rank-2 Iron Blade... BOLGAN HAUSER!"
The floating panels above illuminated with the exact, horrifying moment Bolgan dropped his shoulder and became a runaway train of steel.
The crowd erupted into affectionate, terrified laughter as the massive giant emerged shyly. He was accompanied by Anita Milich, clipboard in hand, who marched beside him.
Anita led the towering Iron Blade to the base of the obsidian stairs. Suddenly faced with the roaring crowd and the imposing presence of the academy masters, Bolgan froze, he shifted his weight nervously, looking entirely out of his element.
Seeing his hesitation, Anita stepped up beside him and delivered a firm, encouraging bump with her shoulder against his thick steel plating. She nodded toward Master Alvon, who was holding the rewards with a patient expression.
"Go on."
Anita urged softly, offering him a reassuring smile.
"Yes, Commander."
Bolgan rumbled. He trudged up the stairs, his usual terrifying momentum replaced by a shy, careful shuffle.
He stood perfectly still in front of Master Alvon, handed the specialized key to access the vault with Martial Manuals which he would likely never use, and his Master-level Equipment Commission.
Bolgan looked back at Anita for approval, and he received a sharp and proud nod, and happily stood in line with the other champions.
"And we cannot forget the ultimate clash of magic and martial arts in the Third Level Groups of the Dueling Event!"
Bruce roared, his voice reaching a fever pitch.
"Facing a terrifying anti-mage who could paralyze a combatant with a single strike, our champion refused to let her rhythm be broken! She became the tempest! Redlining her own limits to drive her opponent into the sand and secure the submission! The undisputed Queen of the Arena, the 3rd-Circle Adept from the College of Arcanum... KAELEN THORNE!"
The replay screens above captured the breathtaking moment Kaelen plummeted from the sky like a meteor, her boots crackling with violent energy.
Kaelen walked up the steps to a deafening standing ovation. Her left arm was bound tightly in a medical sling, a lingering reminder of Pahn's nerve strike, but her posture was immaculate.
Master Teresa looked at Kaelen with pride, handing her the matching Dueling rewards, a specialized key to access vault which contains Martial Manuals, and his Master-level Equipment Commission. Kaelen offered a tired but victorious expression to the cheering crowd.
Bruce Doyle paused, letting the noise wash over the stadium before lowering his voice to a dramatic, resonant pitch.
"And finally... who could forget the psychological terror of the Strategic War-Gaming Event?! Stepping into the Astral Immersion Conduits, this commander turned the Shattered Citadel into his own personal chessboard! Weaponizing greed and paranoia, he manipulated enemy alliances, bought out mercenary forces, and claimed the Central Keep without very minimal casualty! Securing absolute tactical dominance with a staggering 4,400 points, give it up for the Phantom General, the 1st-Circle Novice from the College of Arcanum... RAY CROFT!"
The floating panels shifted one last time, projecting a sweeping, top-down view of the simulated map, showing entire armies surrounding Eliza Vance's tired army while a solitary figure watched untouched from the walls of the Central Keep.
Ray Croft stepped out of the shadows. The contrast was almost jarring. He wasn't wearing heavy plate armor or glowing magical robes. He was just a Novice in standard academy attire. He casually strolled up the obsidian steps, looking more like he was arriving late to a lecture than claiming a championship.
Master Cedric stepped forward to present the final award. The head of Statecraft narrowed his calculating eyes, analyzing the boy who had broken the academy's war-game.
"A terrifying display of leverage, Novice Croft."
Varkas murmured quietly, ensuring the amplifying crystals didn't pick up his words.
"I just played the board, Master Varkas."
Ray replied smoothly.
Varkas handed a specialized key-card granting access to the Academy's Royal Archives' Restricted Maps, and a heavy, sealed deed for a Master-Class 'Tactical Projection Table'. Ray's eyes gleamed as his fingers brushed the key-card.