Chapter 27-Six Years
Yulan Calendar, 10010. February 2nd.
Six years after the establishment of the Dawson Kingdom, in an arena inside the Sherry City, ten thousand of spectators clustered and cheered nonstop on the two warriors in the middle of the arena.
"Go Lucas, defeat Morris. You must represent our Sherry City again in the yearly individual ranking tournament in Dawson City, one month from now." A spectator shouted with all his lungs while sitting on the viewers stand.
"Morris, you can do it. Don't give up." Another spectator encourage the fighter.
"Clang clang clang clang!"
Sword clanging sounds reverberated around the arena as the two 8th rank warrior exchanged their sword moves.
"Bang!"
"Aaaaargh!"
Morris was hit on the shoulder by the sword strike and was injured. A sword wound from his shoulder down to his stomach was clearly seen. Blood gushed from the wounds. He was kneeling on the arena with his sword supporting him.. He helplessly opens his mouth. "I admit defeat."
"Morris has admitted defeat. The winner of the final individual battle and champion in this year competition, and will represent the yearly ranking tournament in Dawson City, is Lucas." The referee announced the results of the battle.
"Morris, don't be discouraged too much, your skills have improved a lot, you might defeat me next year and represent our city." Lucas console Morris.
"Clap clap clap clap clap"
"Nice fight. The spectators claps their hands and cheered both fighters for their splendid battle.
Tournaments like these happens in every city throughout the kingdom. After the ranking tournament was promoted six years ago. Every warriors and magus begins to train hard, while some form their own team to participate in the battle in their respective city.
The requirements to participate in the competition was fairly simple. First, they just have to register in their own city as a participant for either individual battle or team battle. Second, proved that they have sufficient strength to enter the preliminary rounds by passing the elimination rounds. In the elimination rounds, the registered individual or team will fight other fighters. If they won the battle, they are eligible to participate in the preliminary rounds.
The competition was divided into preliminary, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final rounds. The most exciting battle was the team battle, where the spectators watched as two teams coordinated with their team mates and shows their most powerful attacks, magic spells, battle formation, and tactics to defeat their opponents. The winner of the individual battle and team battle will represent their city in the yearly ranking tournament held in the Dawson City. In the ranking tournament, every city representative will battle in the preliminary match until only two individual fighters and teams left, to fight in the final round to determine the winner.
After the battle, the top ten participants will be rank based on their battle performance from preliminary match up to the final rounds. Their names and teams will be written in the huge black metal structure embedded to the ground known as 'Ranking Board' by the citizens of the kingdom. The ranking board was fifty meter high, ten meter wide and one meter thick. The participants names and teams are rank from highest to lowest, the higher the ranking, the bigger their names and teams on the ranking board. The top one will be placed high up in the ranking board while the last placed be at the bottom.
Aside from the rewards given by the kingdom, the top ten will be invited to visit the Blackshadow Castle and be guided by the Saint-level experts living there for a week. Most participants yearns for a chance to visit the legendary Blackshadow Castle where the Deity-level expert Ernst resided. If they are lucky, they might be guided by him.
The yearly ranking tournament on the Dawson Kingdom becomes famous around the continent. It becomes an event for the gathering of experts below Saint-level to show their strength, and becomes famous. It also becomes a tourist attraction, especially during the championship held in Dawson City. The arena provides a huge wealth for the kingdom as they charge an entrance fee in every arena and sells different commodities related to the fighters and their teams.
During the past six years, Ernst mother Sarah finally takes the final step and entered the Saint-level as warrior, five years after the founding of the kingdom. Making her pleased.
James, Douglas, and Roger are training with their insights on their on Laws. With Ernst guidance, their understanding gets deeper. Most of the time, they stayed on Mt. Blackraven with their magical beast as they often sparred with each other. Once a month, they will undergo in a life and death battle with Saint-level magical beast and Saint-level human constructs made of different elemental essences. After the life and death battle, they will go to the pocket dimension to review their battle.
During the past years, Nadia had invited her Saint-level magical beast friends from the Mountain Range of Magical Beast and Forest of Darkness to stay in Mt. Blackraven for a month. During their stay, they will sparred with each other everyday and exchanged their experience on how to improved their strength. While they were in Mt. Blackraven, they don't have to worry about their injuries as long as they don't they, Ernst divine light clone will heal them to full health. Sometimes, Ernst will give them guidance and answered their question about their training. After a long battle with Human Saints, the Saint-level magical beast become friends with them.
Anna and Jenne are now teachers of the Ernst Institute. They were called 'Twin Beauties' in the campus by the students. Anna was now an 8th rank magus and 8th rank warrior while Jenne is already a 7th rank magus and 7th rank warrior.
Keane already left the campus to inherit his fathers position as the prefecture governor of Cerre in the Northwest Administrative Region of the O'Brien Empire.
Steward Greg and Andrea still manage the Blackshadow Castle and Ernst Institute. Though, the two have families now, they did not stop their training. Steward Greg is now an 8th rank warrior, while Andrea is a 7th rank warrior.
On the back garden of the Blackshadow Castle, Ernst was reading an intelligence report courtesy of the Dawson Conglomerate. Around him, seven divine clones are meditating. Yes, that right! He have seven divine clones. For the past six years, he had already promoted to a Deity in other Elemental Laws. When his soul recovers its weakness from splitting up, he immediately made a breakthrough and promoted to a Deity. His divine clones are now fusing his insights on the Profound Mysteries in each Elemental Laws. In the Yulan continent, without a doubt, Ernst is the most powerful Demigod. His yearly promotion to a Deity shocks the already numb Deities.
As he looks at the intelligence reports while sipping his wine, Ernst shows a mysterious smile.
'Olivier's brother, Blumer was accepted as an honorary disciple by War God O'Brien…..'
'Linley's brother, Wharton and Olivier's brother Blumer have a duel in the arena in the imperial city. Wharton loss to Blumer…..'
'Olivier and Linley fights in the arena of the imperial city of Channe. Linley lose miserably to Olivier, with just one move. During the battle, Linley almost die and fell in a coma…..'
'Olivier challenged Haydson into a duel at the Channe River. Haydson was defeated in just two moves…..'
'McKenzie challenges the personal disciple of War God O'Brien, Kenyon in a duel. Kenyon lost easily…..'
'The envoy of the Yulan Empire Delia of Leon clan with his teacher Wind-style Saint-level Grand Magus Longhaus arrives at the imperial capital of Channe…..'
'Haydson challenges Linley in a duel at the unnamed mountain outside the imperial capital. Linley was defeated miserably. If his magical beast companion Shadowmouse did not interfere in the battle, he will die in the duel…..'
'McKenzie battle with Haydson near the War God Mountain. The battle ended in a tie, as the two Saint-level combatant are both heavily injured and cannot continue to battle…..'
'The 7th Princess of the O'Brien Empire Nina were betrothed to Linley's brother Wharton…..'
'The Radiant Church abduct girls with pure souls in the Anarchic Lands and warriors whose physical body surpassed 6th rank in strength…..'
Because of his appearance, Olivier, Haydson and McKenzie was more powerful than in the original canon. Even McKenzie was defeated by Linley in the original story was stronger than Haydson now.
"Fourteen years to go before the Necropolis of the Gods opening. I will send Nadia inside the Necropolis of the Gods to train her battle skills, and fight as much as she wants. If my father, mother, Uncle Douglas, and Uncle Roger reach the peak stage Saint, I might allow them to enter if they want." Ernst thought as he looks at the direction of the other side of their kingdom. He saw Linley riding on the black panther magical beast and five burly man with huge axes on their backs walking along side him.
"It seems many changes caused by my appearance, I didn't see Zassler and the sisters Leena and Rebecca on Linley's side. Where are they?" Ernst shakes his head and forgets what he saw.
Ernst stands up and walk towards the direction of the Ernst Institute.
Ernst Institute was not like before it was first opened. It is now one of the famous and important establishment in the Dawson Kingdom. Many students aspires to study in the institute, but difficult to enter. Some powerful figures even used their connections and money to let their children enter the institute, but they did not succeed. Ernst Institute has a strict selection process for accepting students, especially if they are not citizens of the kingdom. Ernst Institute now only accepts two hundred students a year. One hundred magus and one hundred warrior students
Ernst Institute is the first choice of every parents for their children, because the teachers their are very good at teaching students. There are Saint-level experts that teaches students once a week and most importantly, a Deity-level expert occasional guide students once a month. They are all aware of the teaching methods of the Ernst Institute compare to other academies in the continent, but the effect of their teaching were very good.
Ernst arrived at the campus, without anyone noticing him. He observes the students as they train, listening to the class, sparring with each other and running at the obstacles courses. The students are all doing fine, so he did not disturb them. He walks towards the lake and sit on one of the boulders. He took-out his flute from his interspatial ring and started playing music. As he plays music, the surface of the lake started to ripple as if it was resonating with sound waves produced by the flute.
The students and the teachers who hears the sound of flute, momentary stops what they doing as they listened to the sound of the flute. They are familiar with this flute sound as they heard it once or twice. But something was different in the sound of music. The more they listen, many of them instantly understand something. In their minds, the hazy fog that preventing them from going forward in their cultivation,was immediately cleared. Many got new inspiration, they sat cross-legged and meditate. Some made an instant breakthrough in their training, while some made an improvements in their battle skills.
Ernst plays more music as he enjoyed the sound of the flute. He knows, it was beneficial for the students and teachers as they listened to the flute sound, he applies his understanding of the Laws, so that they will have new inspiration.