As everyone stood in place, waiting, the silence stretched just long enough to feel heavy. Then a voice echoed across the colosseum. It was familiar. The same voice they had been hearing since they first arrived.
"Welcome to this year's Paragon Battle Royale Tournament," the voice said, calm and clear.
It carried easily across the arena, reaching every corner without strain.
"This tournament was created for a single purpose—to identify the most talented individuals within each clan. Not just that, but also to allow clans to measure their standing against others."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Everyone listened.
"This is not a tournament that values first place above all else. Your objective is simple. Show your ability. Show your potential. Show that your clan can produce true talent. Winning is not your priority."
The words settled in.
Heavy.
Clear.
There was no cheering from the crowd this time. No whispers. Nothing.
Just silence.
The kind that made every word sink deeper than it should.
Then the voice stopped.
For a brief moment, nothing followed.
No movement.
No sound.
Just stillness.
Another voice came in.
Different tone.
Different presence.
It was clear now that it wasn't the same speaker.
"I will explain how this event will proceed," the new voice said.
It was sharper. More direct.
No extra weight behind the words. Just information.
"You can all see the device on your wrist."
Almost at the same time, every participant reacted.
Heads tilted down.
Eyes locked onto their wrists.
A faint glow wrapped around each of them.
A band.
Thin.
Light.
It sat perfectly against the skin, giving off a soft, steady shine.
Alex looked at his own.
He had already noticed it earlier when it was handed to them, but now that it was active, it felt… different.
He flexed his wrist slightly.
Nothing.
No weight.
No restriction.
'It doesn't even feel like I'm wearing anything…'
The glow remained steady.
Not flickering.
Not pulsing.
Just there.
Watching.
"Your tournament will take place within an artificial dimension," the voice continued.
There was a slight pause before it went on.
"And that device will be used to track your movements throughout the event."
Alex's eyes stayed on the band for a second longer.
Tracking.
That meant everything they did would be seen.
Recorded.
Judged.
'So there's no hiding anything…'
Around him, others were already lifting their heads again. Some looked calm. Others had narrowed eyes, clearly thinking ahead.
The arena remained quiet.
No distractions.
No noise.
Just hundreds of participants, standing still, listening, and preparing for what was about to begin.
"It is also your life monitor and your gateway out of the dimension," the voice continued, steady and clear.
No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone listened.
"The more damage you take, the wristband will notify you. However, it will not perform its function unless you activate it."
A few brows tightened at that.
"What I mean is this," the voice went on, adjusting slightly as if expecting confusion. "The device will not teleport you out of the dimension unless you choose to activate it, or your body reaches a critical condition."
That part landed heavier.
Some participants shifted their stance slightly. Others remained still, but their eyes sharpened.
"It is not our intention to let anyone die during this event. However, death is not something we can completely prevent."
That line settled deep.
No sugarcoating.
Just truth.
"The band does not interfere with your power."
Alex looked down at his wrist again.
This time, his expression changed.
Before, it didn't bother him.
Now… it did.
His fingers flexed slightly as he stared at the faint glow wrapping around his skin.
'It monitors my condition… my health…'
A thought crept in.
Slow.
Uncomfortable.
'Then how much can it actually see…?'
His eyes narrowed just a little.
'Can it tell… that I'm not really a proper Stage 2?'
The question stayed in his mind.
Did it read qi flow?
Body condition?
Energy output?
Or something deeper?
Alex didn't like not knowing.
Not far from him, someone else was watching.
Carefully.
Rhyssa Valdeiro's gaze rested on Alex, steady and quiet. While others focused on the announcement, she focused on people.
And Alex stood out.
Not because he moved.
But because he didn't.
[Expression: Worried]
The system prompt appeared faintly in her vision.
She didn't react outwardly, but her eyes sharpened slightly.
'Worried…?'
Her thoughts moved quickly.
'Is it the tournament? No… that's not it.'
She replayed it in her head.
The timing.
The shift.
'It started when the wristbands were explained…'
Her gaze dropped briefly to his wrist, then returned to his face.
'So it's the device… He's worried about the band?'
That didn't match the usual reactions she had seen so far.
Most were cautious.
Some were tense.
But worry?
That was different.
"Hey… what's wrong with you?"
The voice came from beside her.
Rhyssa didn't respond immediately.
"You've been dazed for a while now, Rhyssa."
She finally turned her head slightly.
Caelan stood next to her, his posture relaxed but firm. His features were soft, almost delicate, but the aura around him told a different story. He wasn't someone to take lightly.
"I'm fine," Rhyssa replied calmly.
Her eyes shifted back toward Alex for a brief second.
Then away.
"Just observing."
Caelan followed her line of sight for a moment, then looked back at her.
"Observing, huh…" he muttered quietly, not pressing further.
"I think she's fallen in love," Eric said, the words slipping out before his brain could catch up.
The effect was immediate.
Rhyssa's head snapped toward him. Her face flushed at once, a clear red spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes sharpened, locking onto Eric with a glare that could stop movement.
Eric froze.
Then slowly took a step back.
"Heck… I didn't mean to say that out loud," he muttered, already retreating.
Rhyssa exhaled once, steadying herself. The reaction faded, but not completely. A faint trace of red still lingered on her face as she turned away from Eric and looked toward Caelan instead.
"It's nothing," she said, her tone returning to normal. "I was just thinking… Do you think the prediction will hold?"
Caelan didn't answer immediately.
He glanced at her, then forward again, calm as ever.
"Come on," he said, his voice steady. "You've been stressing yourself for nothing. The statistics were calculated. The estimations were run with a high level of confidence. There were no errors in the process."
Rhyssa's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What about the unknown factors?" she asked. "Things we didn't account for."
Her gaze shifted briefly across the arena as she spoke.
New faces.
Unfamiliar groups.
Variables.
"You mean your new boyfriend?" Eric cut in again.
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.
Slowly… very slowly… he raised his hands and covered it.
'Heck… not again…'
Then he turned and bolted.
Straight behind Maelis.
Using her as a shield from Rhyssa's now very clear and very dangerous glare.
Rhyssa didn't move after him.
But the look she gave was enough.
A warning stored for later.
Caelan ignored the distraction and looked around the arena instead. His eyes moved across the different clans, studying them one by one.
"You're not wrong," he said after a moment. "There are new clans here. Ones we didn't account for."
He paused briefly.
"But that won't be a problem."
The Synapse Circle had done their work.
Before coming here, they had run deep analysis using their abilities. They studied past tournaments, broke down patterns, tracked performance, and built a structured prediction model for this year's event.
Every outcome.
Every possibility.
Mapped.
Calculated.
Refined.
But there was a gap.
The data they used came from previous tournaments.
It didn't include what was new.
What had changed.
What had yet to be seen.
Rhyssa knew that.
That was the flaw.
Caelan knew it too.
But unlike her, he wasn't concerned.
"We'll use our strength to cover those gaps," he said simply.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
His gaze hardened slightly as he looked forward again.
"We are going to win this tournament."