After Jovisrax left, no one dared to resume the fight.
The battlefield went quiet for a brief moment, an unnatural calm hanging in the air.
Then those who still held invitation cards began rushing toward the colosseum entrance.
They moved in haste, some limping, some dragging injuries behind them.
Even so, no one chased after them.
No one wanted another mistake.
The Wyndhams did the same.
Without sparing the Khyphon Clan another glance, Lucius turned and led everyone away from the area.
The entrance to the colosseum was already packed.
Too many clans. Too many survivors.
A long queue had formed, and the Wyndhams had no choice but to fall in line.
While waiting, Alex watched everything around him.
This was the real face of the Paragon world.
Brutal. Cold. Unforgiving.
Fallen clans were left exactly where they dropped.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground, some twisted, some torn apart.
Blood pooled beneath them, soaking into the stone floor.
A few were still breathing.
Barely alive.
No one stopped.
No one helped.
They were ignored, stepped around like broken tools.
Alex clenched his jaw and looked away.
He could only watch it happen.
Even if he wanted to act, he knew he couldn't.
Time dragged on.
Eventually, it was the Wyndhams' turn to present their invitation card.
At the front of the entrance stood two guards.
Between them was a familiar face.
Lucius recognized him instantly.
It was Shagun.
A wide, wicked smile sat on Shagun's lips as his eyes met Lucius'.
As Lucius presented the card, Shagun took it, the same smile still sitting on his lips.
It didn't fade. If anything, it grew wider.
"Hope you weren't expecting it to be that easy, were you?" Shagun said.
The rest of the Wyndhams didn't catch the meaning behind the words.
Lucius did.
His fist tightened at his side, fingers curling slowly.
His jaw locked, the annoyance clear on his face even as he kept his posture calm.
'Things could have been easier if he hadn't made that move. If he hadn't announced it,' Lucius thought.
But regret changed nothing.
Lucius knew it.
There was nothing he could do about it now.
While Shagun was still holding the card, a group of people walked straight past them.
They didn't slow down.
They didn't even acknowledge the guards.
As if the guards weren't there at all.
It was the Synapse Circle.
Draven glanced over and smiled when he saw the Wyndhams.
It was sharp. Mocking.
"Ha… this is the number your clan brought?" he said, letting his eyes sweep over them.
"Whatever plan you have, it won't work," Draven continued as they moved past.
"It won't change the outcome of this event."
They flashed their card once and didn't bother waiting for it to be verified.
No one stopped them.
Meanwhile, Alex felt it.
A gaze.
Cold. Focused.
His instincts reacted before his mind did.
He shifted slightly, trying to slip out of view.
At the same time, he edged closer to Jimmy and Henry.
The moment he did, both of them shivered.
They backed away almost immediately, fear written plainly across their faces.
"Can you people get going already?!" a loud, rough voice barked from the back of the line.
The sound was thick and heavy, like it had been dragged out of a giant's chest.
It rolled over the crowd instead of cutting through it.
Alex turned toward the noise.
And immediately understood why it sounded that way.
The voice came from a massive man.
Broad shoulders. Thick arms. Skin wrapped in rough animal hides.
Alex recognized him.
Worse—
it was clear the man recognized Alex too.
"He… he's the one that took the card from me," the giant said, lifting a thick finger and pointing straight at Alex.
The gesture was slow, deliberate.
Accusing.
The entire Wyndham group turned at once, their attention snapping toward the source of the trouble.
Standing there was a whole clan of giants.
The Anakims.
They were a clan of enormous human beings, bodies built like living weapons, dressed in animal skins and bone ornaments.
They lived wild lives, closer to beasts than cities, yet every single one of them was a Paragon-level being.
Most people didn't even classify them as normal humans.
They were considered a race of their own.
Only Anakims could be Anakims.
And one thing everyone knew about them—
they were born warriors.
Naturally strong.
Naturally violent.
Anomalies among their peers.
Right now, that clan stood facing the Wyndhams.
The tension was thick.
Too thick.
Their posture said enough.
If one word went wrong, fists would follow.
Alex felt it in his chest.
A quiet pressure.
The kind that came before things went bad.
Just before anything else could happen—
Shagun stepped forward.
"Should I remind you that you are no longer in a combat zone?" Shagun said calmly, his voice firm.
"Any action that disrupts what is going on here will lead to the guards stepping in."
His gaze stayed mostly on the Anakims as he spoke.
Sharp. Unblinking.
The warning landed.
After a brief pause, the Anakims did nothing further. One by one, they stepped back, muscles still tense, eyes still hostile.
They backed off—but it was obvious.
The Wyndhams were marked now.
That part didn't need to be said.
At the same time, every single member of the Wyndham clan was thinking the same thing.
How did Alex manage to snatch an invitation card from the hands of an Anakim?
No one said it out loud, but the curiosity hung heavy in the air.
'I hope none of them asks questions,' Alex thought.
He kept his head down and stayed quiet.
Soon enough, the Wyndhams were guided forward and led through the portal.
It wasn't Alex's first time using one.
He knew the feeling.
But for most of the Wyndhams, this was new.
The moment they stepped through, dizziness hit them all at once.
A brief loss of balance.
A twist in the gut.
Then it passed.
The portal deposited them into a room.
It was moderately wide, clean, and clearly prepared in advance.
Training equipment lined the sides.
Warm-up tools were neatly arranged.
Several first-aid boxes were stacked against the wall.
There were also magical supplements and sealed drinks placed on a long table.
Everything was practical.
Everything was necessary.
A mechanical voice echoed through the room.
"You have been teleported to your waiting room."
The voice paused briefly, then continued.
"You will remain here and prepare for the tournament to begin. You have access to all required resources to restore yourself to full condition before the match starts. Good luck."
The voice faded.
Almost immediately, the Wyndhams moved for the first-aid boxes.
There were several of them laid out, enough that everyone could grab one without rushing.
Each person took a box and opened it.
Inside, potions and pills were neatly arranged, sealed and untouched.
A faint glow rose from the contents.
[Stage 6 Healing Potions: Capable of fully healing injuries of those below Stage 6. Can regenerate lost limbs for Stage 1 warriors.]
Alex read the notice and froze for a split second.
Instinctively, his eyes shifted to Lucius.
To the empty sleeve where an arm should have been.
'One day, he might wish he was still a Stage One warrior,' Alex thought.
The thought came uninvited.
And it lingered.
The Wyndham clan had just come out of a brutal fight. One they nearly lost. That much was obvious.
Most of them were exhausted.
Their energy reserves were low.
Several had visible injuries, some worse than others.
Entering the tournament like this would have been suicide.
Fortunately, that problem no longer existed.
Aside from the main potions, the rest of the pills in the box each carried their own healing effects. Every one of them was solid quality, strong enough that even Stage 6 warriors would benefit.
Only someone at Stage 7 or above might find them lacking.
As everyone treated their wounds and recovered, the room slowly settled.
After a short while, Lucius stepped forward.
His presence alone pulled attention.
"This tournament won't be as easy as we first thought," Lucius said.
His voice was steady, but there was weight behind it.
"Even with our plan, it will still be difficult to survive among these clans," he continued.
"That is why I've decided to list the clans you must avoid."
He paused briefly.
"But before that, we divide as planned."
"The Core Wyndhams," Lucius said.
"And the Sub-Wyndhams."
Immediately, Alex stepped to the side.
Zephyr followed.
Then Isla.
Then Lennox.
They formed one group.
Across from them stood Gavalich, Jimmy, Henry, and Clifford.
Lucius nodded once.
"Good."
He reached into his robe and brought out a small chest. With a clean motion, he opened it.
Inside, five rings rested quietly.