The roar of the central arena echoed through the thick stone walls of the challenger's tunnel, its vibrations reaching the soles of Alex's boots. He walked toward the staging gates feeling strangely light. His storage rings, obsidian shortsword, and Essence Spring had been locked away in the academy vaults, leaving him with only his natural mana capacity of nineteen, a standard-issue training sword, and the uniform on his back. The only exception was the heavy metal band of the heat-sink bracelet locked around his left wrist, its three pristine cooling crystals resting cold against his skin.
He rounded the final corner and found Inquisitor Seraphine Arden waiting beside the weapon inspection table.
