The crowd was silent, their eyes locked on the arena floor as the two warriors stood face-to-face.
Ling Xi cracked her neck gently, her staff humming faintly with charged energy. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, were fixed on the opponent before her—a tall, broad-shouldered man with bronze skin, short black hair, and eyes like burning coals. He wore no armor, just layered strips of indigo fabric wrapped around his torso and legs. But the aura surrounding him was intense, almost suffocating.
He was the champion of the hidden city.
She wasn't sure if she'd survive.
But she wasn't going to die kneeling.
The cold wind inside the underground arena brushed past her face, snapping her back to her senses. She crouched low into a combat stance, hand gripping the staff tightly. Cheers began to rise around the colossal amphitheater—thousands of people from the ancient city, watching from glowing platforms and high balcony seats.
She could hear their chants. A name they shouted—"Tagan! Tagan! Tagan!"
Tagan, their undefeated warrior.
Her opponent flexed his arms, rolling his shoulders. The golden tattoos etched across his body glowed faintly.
He smirked. "You don't look like a fighter."
Ling Xi tilted her head, unfazed. "You don't look very bright. Let's even the odds."
He roared and charged.
The first blow came fast—a wide, sweeping strike meant to knock her across the arena. She blinked to the side, using Blink Step, reappearing five meters away in a flash of white light. Tagan adjusted immediately, pivoting like a seasoned predator and launching a roundhouse kick that would've crushed a concrete wall.
She blocked with her staff, the force of the blow sending her skidding backwards.
"Okay. Not just muscle," she muttered.
He lunged again, but this time she was ready. She planted her staff, muttered a short incantation, and released Winter's Grasp. A ring of ice exploded from beneath her feet, freezing the stone floor and catching Tagan mid-step. Frost crept up his legs—only for him to shatter the ice with a roar, slamming his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave her way.
She barely leapt over it.
As she flipped mid-air, Ling Xi summoned Magic Missile, five glowing bolts of energy that streaked through the air like burning arrows. Tagan dodged two, deflected one, and took two in the chest. He stumbled but didn't fall.
The crowd cheered louder.
She landed smoothly, breathing harder now.
For a brief second, her mind drifted…
…to the moment she had woken up in this strange place.
⚡
She had opened her eyes in a room that looked like a dream—furniture so smooth and glossy it looked liquid, walls colored in warm peach and cream, though the textures shimmered with unnatural precision. It was unlike any hospital, any hotel, or any place she had ever seen.
At first, she thought it was a VR trick. But when she touched the sheets, they were real. The bed underneath her felt soft and light but somehow sturdy—like water and foam fused into one.
The window didn't look real either. A massive glass pane showing a glowing city that extended beyond the cavern—floating vehicles, sleek buildings of silver and green, bridges woven between towers like vines, and waterfalls tumbling from unseen cliffs into glowing rivers.
It was a city that shouldn't exist.
Something out of a dream. Or a science fiction movie.
She'd later learn it was a real place—an ancient, hidden civilization that had gone underground more than ten thousand years ago. A city that survived the fall of empires and the rise of monsters. A sanctuary, untouched by time.
And its people? Filipino in appearance, with golden-brown skin and straight black hair. But far more refined. Their clothing was minimalist, yet elegant. Like royalty from a distant planet. Most wear robes of fine-threaded crystal or embroidered silk with intelligent fabric that responds to their movements.
They weren't hostile. But they weren't friendly either.
They greeted her like nobles sizing up a stranger at court. When she asked questions, they smiled politely and said nothing. It wasn't until hours later that she was summoned to face the Council of Elders, where she was accused of trespassing and espionage.
"You do not belong in this city. And yet, you entered its deepest gates," one of the elders said. "You are either a spy or a fool."
"I'm neither," Ling Xi had replied calmly. "I came here searching for answers. I fought your monsters, and I survived. That should mean something."
"It means you are dangerous," another elder said.
And then they announced her sentence.
Execution.
Her heart raced—but she didn't panic.
"I challenge your champion," she said, raising her chin. "Trial by combat."
There had been murmurs in the crowd. Hesitation. Then approval.
It's a good thing it was also their ancient law. They had to honor it.
Now here she was—dodging a giant man who had never lost a duel in his life.
Tagan came at her again, swinging a heavy fist like a hammer.
Ling Xi ducked, rolled forward, and used Silent Pounce—blinking into invisibility for three seconds. She reappeared behind him, driving her staff into his back and whispering, Energy Drain.
A pulse of violet light flowed from his body into hers.
His knees buckled.
She didn't stop—she followed with Triple Blow, landing three rapid strikes to his ribs, chest, and jaw. The last blow sent him flying backwards.
The crowd gasped.
He rolled across the floor, gritting his teeth.
"You're... cheating," he growled.
She smirked. "No. I'm just smarter."
His eyes glowed red now. "No more games."
Tagan slapped both palms onto the ground. The floor cracked beneath him as golden lines erupted in a circle. A combat glyph!
She tried to back away—but it was too late.
The entire arena shifted. Walls rose from the ground, forming a circular cage around them, the edges lined with glowing runes. The space was sealed.
Suddenly, she couldn't teleport.
Her spells weakened.
"A magic suppression field," she realized, horrified.
Tagan stood tall, smiling now. "No tricks. Just raw strength."
He rushed her like a rhino.
She barely blocked the first strike, but the second caught her shoulder. She spun, landed awkwardly, then rolled to her feet with a grunt. Her left arm was numb.
"Okay," she muttered. "Plan B."
She raised her staff and channeled her ancestor's blessing. Lightning and ice danced at the tips of her fingers. The suppression glyph fought her, but she pushed through.
Her body glowed faintly blue.
She clenched her teeth and let loose a Lightning Ball, fast and furious—it smashed into Tagan's chest and exploded. He screamed as ice wrapped around his arms and legs, paralyzing his movement.
Ling Xi charged.
"Arcane Blast!"
The wave hit like a hammer, slamming Tagan into the far wall, shattering part of the runic cage.
The suppression field flickered.
Now. She summoned her strength and blinked forward again—appearing just above him, raising her staff high, pouring the last of her mana into a spiraling spell.
"Heat Bomb!"
The staff ignited, glowing white-hot, and she slammed it into the floor beside him.
A dome of fire erupted.
The shockwave knocked her back. She landed hard, chest heaving, sweat pouring down her face.
The smoke cleared.
Tagan lay unmoving, his body scorched but breathing. Barely.
The crowd stood in stunned silence.
Then came the applause.
Slow. Then louder. Until the arena shook with their cheers.
She had won.
Later, she stood before the elders again.
This time, they bowed slightly.
"You have earned the right to walk among us," the eldest said. "You are not our enemy."
She bowed back, even though her body ached and her mana was dry.
"Thank you. But I didn't come here to impress you," she said. "I came for answers. What's beyond that cave? Why are you hiding from the rest of the world?"
The elder smiled thinly.
"All in good time. For now… rest, battle mage. You've earned it."
As she left the hall, Ling Xi looked at the people who once wanted her dead.
Now, they looked at her with respect.
But she knew better.
Respect was not trust. Not yet.
She'd need to uncover more. This city was ancient, powerful, and full of secrets.
And secrets… were dangerous.
*********
"Are we there yet?" Callum asked, wiping green blood from his blade as another creature fell to the ground behind him.
Alex didn't answer. He was too busy sealing the ground with another elemental rune to trap the horde that was charging them.
The tunnel they had entered hours ago was turning into an endless nightmare. For every wave of monsters they defeated, a new one came—creatures mutated by dark energy, swarming the narrow passages like rats.
"Watch your right!" Trisha shouted, slashing a screeching beast that leapt from the rocks.
Kael, Alex's silver direwolf, was already ahead—tearing through enemies and shielding them when needed. His howls echoed across the tunnels, a chilling sound that kept many monsters at bay.
"We're close to the boss room, I guess," Alex finally said, his eyes glowing slightly as he read the markings on the wall.
"These are ancient," he muttered. "We're heading somewhere sacred."
"How do you know?" Trisha asked.
"I just do," Alex replied, pressing his palm to a stone with a carved symbol. It lit up under his touch.
The path opened further—revealing a vast cavern.
They stepped forward.
At the very center stood a massive structure. A stone monolith—over fifty feet tall—covered in glowing runes, hovering just above the ground.
Callum raised an eyebrow.
"What in the name of dragon's piss is that?"
Alex swallowed.
"That," he said slowly, "I think is the Guard. An obelisk."
The runes pulsed like a heartbeat.
And the cave began to shake.