Chapter 74: End of the Crucible Convergence
Whoosh.
Claire leaped backward as Nox’s claw withdrew. Tidus dropped beside her, ready to intervene. Then he hesitated. Nox backed off, and the match wasn’t over. He had acted too soon.
Nox stood still as he aimed his palm at the golden sword that had approached him from behind. The sword froze in mid-air the moment his arm rose to meet it. His arm trembled. Then the tremor spread through his shoulders and down his legs, like his whole frame was fighting a surging current.
With his attention taken by Dawn’s Edge, Claire took that opportunity to fly back up and send wind blades hurling down toward him. Her right arm flared with pain, but she clenched her jaw and ignored it.
Below, Nox continued to struggle against the blade. He did not even notice the blades of wind coming his way. The bracers on his wrists shook as they lit up with a verdant glow. Five glowing barriers materialized around him, protecting him from the incoming danger. The wind blades arrived within a heartbeat, tearing into the barriers without pause.
The barriers shattered in sequence, yet Claire did not stop. In fact, she accelerated her rhythm, each blade thrown with colder intent.
Tidus saw her actions and immediately understood what she was trying to do. Even though he would’ve loved to see Nox being taught a harsh lesson, he had his own role to fulfill. He needed to defend him as best he could. If Nox died on his watch, it would become his problem. He rushed to defend Nox’s back.
He arrived behind Nox just as the last barrier crumbled under the barrage of wind blades. With a short huff, he threw up his arms at the incoming attacks. Purple lightning flashed from his palms and erased the wind blades one by one. At this moment, he heard Nox groan from behind him. He quickly turned around.
Nox’s shadow form slowly dismantled due to his overexertion and dispersed into the air. His face, now revealed, was a dark red shade. It was crumpled as he bared his teeth in a fierce scowl. Blood trickled down from his nose and stained his lips and teeth crimson.
The mental power within his Mind Node drained away at a terrifying rate. He had cultivated the fragmented mind path manual that the Lunarsol Tower kept in secret for only the upper echelon. The manual only contained the cultivation method to reach the late stage of Node Awakening. He had already reached the mid stage.
But Claire is stronger than me?
He assumed the Assembly must have found their own mind path cultivation art. Maybe it was more powerful than his own. Or perhaps Claire had advanced to the late stage or higher already.
His reserves of mental power bottomed out in only a matter of seconds. The golden sword began to hum, eager to break free. Even this weapon was something that surprised him. Usually, Telekinesis could only be used on objects after direct touch. But this sword was different. He could use it from a distance.
Wait. Is it actually Claire? Or is it someone else? Her family? That’s not fair!
He wanted to scream about fairness, but the dizziness swallowed the thought. His Mind Node emitted a loud rumble in his mind as the last strand of power streamed out, before turning dormant. His vision spun as his raised arm went limp.
Below the stage, Damon’s gaze remained fixed on Nox, his focus narrowed into a sharp, singular point as he guided the blade.
That is Telekinesis! Nox is a Psion?
The feeling of someone else’s mental power clashing against his own was a strange and foreign sensation. They vied for control over Dawn’s Edge, yet he did not become anxious. That was because Nox’s mental power rapidly lost strength, while his own felt as steady as a vast lake.
He must be at least the mid stage to use Telekinesis. But why is he so weak? Or is it thanks to Master Silas’s Sutra?
A moment later, the force applied to Dawn’s Edge by Nox ebbed away, and a thrumming sound resounded through his mind as the connection was restored.
How fascinating.
Damon smiled as he briefly examined the feeling. Then, he focused back on the battle at hand. As Dawn’s Edge fell back into his control, Tidus appeared beside Nox to shield him from Claire’s attacks. The bracers on Nox’s wrists broke in half and fell to the platform. He had already lost, and Claire was the victor.
However, that didn’t mean anything to Damon. The match was over. The opportunity was not.
He channeled as much mental power as his body could handle at once into Dawn’s Edge. The motionless sword abruptly surged forward, heading straight for Nox’s neck. In a heartbeat, it was already directly in front of him.
Purple lightning erupted from Tidus as he flew above Nox and punched down at Dawn’s Edge. A bolt of dazzling lightning as thick as his arm poured down from his fist to intercept the golden sword.
Just before it hit, the sword blurred as Damon moved it to the side. The lightning struck the edge of the blade, causing it to veer off from its original path. It began spinning out of control, but Damon forced it back toward Nox anyway. Tidus reached down to grab it with his hand, but he was too late.
Swish.
Even after being sent flying by the lightning, it still cleaved through Nox’s shoulder.
Thud.
His right arm dropped to the ground as blood spurted out from the stump. He fell onto his knees as he howled in pain, grasping at the arm that was no longer there.
“Bring the healers. Now!”
Tidus landed beside Nox. He withdrew numerous vials and stoppers filled with various colored liquids and poured them on the smooth stump. The gushing blood halted once the potions mixed with his wound. A thick layer of shimmering multi-colored light formed.
Nox’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed backward onto the platform. Several cultivators wearing the robes of the Verdant Sigil Assembly rushed in from the edges of the arena. One thing that stood apart was the white sashes tied on their arms. They were the Verdant Sigil Healer Division, an entirely separate branch from the healers working in the infirmaries of the Academies. They were specialized combat healers.
Before they could arrive, a muffled boom shook the private room. Fire and smoke spilled from the opening of the room, and a figure rushed out. It was a beautiful young woman in white robes, though her face was marred by anxiety and dread.
Moments earlier, when Nox’s arm had been severed by Dawn’s Edge, Agatha had jumped to her feet and shot toward the edge of the room. She was met by Zoltan’s interference, but did not stop as Zeke had earlier. She raised her hand and shot a concentrated beam of dazzling white light toward him.
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Zoltan was unbothered by her attack as if he were expecting it. Flames erupted from all over his body, setting him ablaze. He punched the beam of light with his flaming fist.
When the white light collided with his fist, it splintered into countless thinner rays as they attempted to stab into Zoltan. But they fizzled and then vanished once they touched the flames surrounding his body.
The raging fire only grew stronger as scorching heatwaves slammed into Agatha. She took a step back as a white barrier materialized over her skin and protected her from the blistering temperature.
“Get out of my way, Zoltan! That’s the grandson of Senior Vaelor!” Agatha shrieked as she flew forward. White light gathered around her hands, draining the color from the surroundings.
Without saying a single word, Zoltan crouched slightly as he took a fighting stance. Suddenly, a torrent of water gushed out from behind Agatha and smashed into Zoltan. His flames fought against the water as steam and smoke poured out from the collision. The momentary stalemate broke when the water began to boil.
“Hah!” Zoltan roared as the blaze around him grew even hotter and fiercer. It blasted the remaining water as flames covered the whole room. Shimmering barriers appeared within the smog, one blue and one silver. They belonged to the other two Adepts from the Towers.
During that clash, Agatha rushed past Zoltan and flew into the arena. He no longer worried about her. Tidus was down there. Instead, he looked toward where the shining blue could be seen through the dense haze.
“Zeke. Teaming up on me with Agatha, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to declare war on our Assembly?”
He spoke in a calm tone, though his words were laced with threat.
Zeke frowned and hesitated for a moment before shouting back.
“Zoltan, you’re taking it too far. Agatha has every right to be concerned about her precious apprentice. Especially because of his background. Why do you stop her from going to his side? It’s more like your Assembly is declaring war on us!”
Zoltan’s face grew colder, and he opened his mouth to reply when he was interrupted.
“He’s not wrong. I’ve tried to remain civil for the entirety of this Crucible Convergence and allowed your Assembly to pressure us as you willed. That’s not because I am afraid of you. It’s because this is just a game. But if you keep trying to suppress us as you are now, I have no choice but to stand alongside my fellow Towers.”
Zoltan glanced toward the source of the voice. It came from within the silver light.
Gabriel stood up and walked forward until he stood right in front of Zoltan. Zeke followed close behind him, emboldened. He stood tall, at the same eye level as Zoltan. Meeting his gaze, Gabriel smiled gently.
Zoltan ground his teeth as he clenched his fists, but he stayed silent. Gabriel was much stronger than Zeke or Agatha. Against both Gabriel and Zeke, he had no choice but to stand down.
Even so, he still grunted out an order. “I let Agatha go, but the two of you need to remain here.”
The beautiful woman glowing with a white light flew down and landed beside Tidus. His expression did not change at all as he faced her with a small nod.
“Agatha.” His voice was so nonchalant, it was as casual as if they had met on a random stroll.
“Tidus, look at Nox’s state! You’re supposed to be overseeing this tournament. How could you let this happen? When Senior Vaelor finds out, you’re dead!” Agatha’s beauty was a stark contrast to the venomous words she spat out.
“My apologies. I will definitely be punished by the Assembly for failing to do my task properly. But that has nothing to do with your Lunarsol Tower. You should hurry up and let the healers tend to him. If he dies, the only one who will face Senior Vaelor’s wrath is you.”
The blood drained from Agatha’s face as she screamed at the healers waiting at the side of the stage.
“Hurry up! Get up here now!”
The healers glanced at one woman standing at their forefront. She was the Deputy Leader of the Healer Division. Her cultivation realm was at the early stage of Circuit Completion, and was not much lower than Agatha’s.
“Go. Heal Nox as best as you can. Better yet, if you can reattach his arm.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
The three healers behind her jumped up and hurried to Nox’s side. One of them cast a healing spell as another inspected the wound covered in a film of multi-colored light. The last one picked up the severed arm and brought it over.
“This… This is…” The one who was inspecting the wound looked up at Tidus with shock before rushing back to the Deputy Leader and whispering in her ear.
Agatha became agitated from the secretive actions of the healers. “What! What is it? Tell me! Stop whispering between yourselves!”
The Deputy Leader stepped forward with a grave face. “The good news is that Nox’s life is not in danger. Tidus’s actions helped prevent him from bleeding to death. But…”
“What? Stop hesitating and tell me!”
“Unfortunately, Nox’s arm can’t be reattached.”
Agatha’s face twisted as a wave of overwhelming emotions washed over her. “No! You’re lying! How can that be? It’s only been a few minutes!”
The Deputy Leader glanced at the expressionless Tidus and then looked at Agatha. “The potions used to stop the bleeding… While they likely prevented his death, they also severed any chance of reattachment.”
“What?” Her words stunned Agatha for a moment before she turned to Tidus with cold light glinting in her eyes. She no longer screamed, and instead, her shrill voice lowered until it was just barely audible. “You. You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
Tidus shrugged. “I saved his life. What more do you want from me?”
Agatha withdrew a communication disc and muttered into it. Then she turned around and grabbed the unconscious Nox.
“I’ll be taking him with me now. The Lunarsol Tower will be leaving the Tradehaven immediately. As for the prizes, we don’t need them.” She threw out a small wooden boat figurine, and it rapidly expanded into a flying ship. She leaped onto it with Nox in hand.
“Come. We leave now!”
At her call, several cultivators jumped into the arena from the audience stands before climbing up the side of the ship. After everyone had boarded, the ship ascended into the sky and took off at a rapid pace toward the southwest.
Tidus did not even watch them leave and instead flew over to Claire to check on her condition. He brought her over to the healers to get her arm treated. While the three healers cared for Claire, the Deputy Leader approached him.
“Tidus. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Althea.”
“Have you finished paying back your debts to the Academy, yet?”
Tidus’s expression soured as he glared at her. “Why are you bringing that up? I’m still stuck in the Legacy Hall because of it.”
“That’s a shame. It was fun adventuring with you when we were younger. I wouldn’t mind a foray into the Southern Wilderness if you can take a leave of absence?”
“They won’t let me leave! I need to go out and find some top-tier resources to have any chance at paying them back, but they won’t give me the chance! I think they want me to rot in that stupid Hall.”
Althea chuckled before looking toward where the ship had disappeared.
“That was both clever and reckless of you. To think you permanently disabled that Nox kid. Aren’t you afraid of offending the Vaelor family? That’s the same as having the entire Lunarsol Tower aiming for your head.”
“Hah. Why would I be afraid of them? I might not be able to defeat a Warden, but I’m quite confident that I can escape at any time. Besides, with me stuck at the Academy, how would they get to me?”
“That’s true. But that girl, Claire. She’s really something. Her mastery over the wind has reached an absolute peak. The way she controlled the sword while Nox was distracted with breaking through her barriers… I was impressed. Did you plan out everything with her? Including cutting off the boy’s arm? Or did she manage to do that even after you intervened? That’s an even scarier thought.”
Tidus looked at Claire, who was clenching and unclenching her hand at the instruction of the healers.
She’s good, but…
Then he glanced at Damon, who smiled back at him.
This child is the scary one. But that makes it more suspicious. Where did this combat genius come from? His background needs to be checked.
Now that you have more info on the three paths, let me know which one you would walk if you lived in this world!
