Three days passed quickly.
The atmosphere throughout the camp grew increasingly tense as the date of the competition approached. Every awakened understood the importance of this event now. With deployment to the Gods and Demon Battlefield approaching, rankings were no longer just about prestige.
They represented value.
Potential.
Priority.
Resources.
And most importantly—
Survival odds.
By the morning of the competition, nearly the entire camp had gathered inside the massive central arena constructed near the northern section of the base.
The structure itself was colossal.
Thirty giant combat platforms floated high above the ground in a circular formation, each separated by powerful defensive barriers capable of withstanding attacks from high-level awakened.
Every platform was numbered.
One through thirty.
The lower the number—
The higher the prestige.
The moment Zael and the others entered the arena, they immediately noticed the overwhelming crowd already gathered.
Thousands of awakened filled the spectator areas while camp personnel moved throughout the arena maintaining order.
At the center platform stood the camp manager once more.
His voice echoed clearly throughout the arena moments later.
"The rules for the ranking challenge are simple."
The floating platforms behind him lit up simultaneously.
"Anyone confident in their strength may claim one of the thirty ranked platforms."
"The platform holder must defend their position for twenty-four hours."
"If defeated, the challenger takes their place."
The manager's gaze swept across the arena calmly before continuing.
"To ensure fairness, several restrictions apply."
A large screen appeared overhead listing the rules.
1. Killing is forbidden.
2. Intentional crippling is forbidden.
3. Outside interference results in immediate disqualification.
4. Platform holders may reject only three challenges during the twenty-four hour period.
5. Every participant is guaranteed a minimum one-hour recovery interval after every fifth battle.
6. Participants unable to continue after ten seconds of referee assessment are declared defeated.
7. Weapon usage is allowed. Summons and contracted beasts are allowed. External artifacts beyond camp-issued rank limitations are forbidden.
Murmurs spread throughout the arena afterward.
The rules were strict—
But fair.
The manager eventually raised one hand again.
"The competition begins now."
BOOOOM!!
Instantly, the arena exploded into movement.
Dozens of awakened shot toward the floating platforms simultaneously.
Some fought immediately upon landing while others hesitated, observing first.
Then—
Zael moved.
Without hesitation, he stepped onto Platform One calmly.
The entire arena quieted briefly afterward.
Because everyone recognized him now.
The boy who killed the evolved dragon.
The monster from the dungeon.
And moments later—
The others followed.
Auralis claimed Platform Two with a grin.
Lily stepped onto Platform Three quietly.
Aurelia calmly took Platform Four.
For a brief moment—
Nobody moved.
Then chaos erupted.
"They actually took the top four immediately?!"
"Are they insane?"
"No… they're confident."
"They're monsters…"
And as expected—
The challenges started instantly.
The first challenger toward Zael was a gigantic spear user nearly level sixty who exploded forward aggressively the moment the barrier activated.
The battle lasted eight seconds.
Zael casually caught the spear mid-thrust before slamming the man into the platform hard enough to crack it apart.
Defeat.
The second challenger lasted longer.
Twenty-three seconds.
The third—
Less than ten.
Soon, people began realizing something terrifying.
Zael wasn't struggling.
At all.
No matter who challenged him, the result remained the same.
Absolute domination.
Some opponents used elemental abilities.
Others specialized in speed.
A few even possessed mythical talents.
None mattered.
One challenger unleashed an enormous lightning storm powerful enough to force nearby spectators backward from the pressure alone.
Zael absorbed the entire thing with Abyssal Consumption while standing still.
The challenger surrendered immediately afterward.
Another attempted overwhelming close combat pressure using berserker-type enhancements.
Zael defeated him using one hand.
And perhaps the most terrifying part—
He still clearly wasn't serious.
Meanwhile the other three platforms weren't much better.
Auralis fought like a natural disaster.
Her crimson hammer reduced opponents to despair repeatedly as challengers continuously got blasted off Platform Two screaming.
At one point, three challengers attacked consecutively within minutes.
All three lost badly.
Lily's fights looked calmer—
But were somehow even more horrifying.
Space distortion made touching her nearly impossible while opponents slowly realized they were being dismantled strategically without ever landing meaningful attacks.
And Aurelia…
Aurelia was terrifying in an entirely different way.
Cold.
Precise.
Efficient.
Several challengers lost before even understanding what happened.
Complex layered magic formations appeared and disappeared continuously around Platform Four while opponents got systematically overwhelmed regardless of fighting style.
As the hours passed—
Despair slowly spread throughout the arena.
Because people finally understood something clearly.
The gap between those four and everyone else…
Was absurd.
One challenger stumbled away from Zael's platform pale-faced afterward while muttering weakly:
"He didn't even use real skills…"
Nearby awakened who overheard him immediately fell silent.
Because unfortunately—
It was the truth_
—
Several hours into the competition, Platform One remained unconquered.
Not once had Zael been seriously pressured.
Not once had he looked even remotely exhausted.
And slowly, the atmosphere around his platform began changing. At first challengers came one after another confidently, eager to prove themselves against the camp's newest monster. But after repeated defeats, confidence slowly turned into hesitation.
Then—
A familiar figure appeared at the edge of the arena.
Instantly, cheers erupted across the audience.
"Cassian!"
"The camp rank one!"
"Now this is gonna be good!"
Even some instructors watching from above straightened slightly.
Unlike Zael and his group, who spent most of their time away from camp competing in dungeons, missions, or training, Cassian had remained active throughout the camp's duration.
And dominant.
For months, he had stood at the peak of the public rankings.
One of the strongest awakened below level seventy.
The same person who, during the entrance trial, had attempted to take Zael, Lily, and Zane's points.
Back then, Zael had acknowledged him as strong.
Now—
Cassian himself wasn't sure where he stood anymore.
He landed calmly on Platform One, a blazing crimson spear spinning once in his hand before stopping beside him. Waves of fire and golden light mana radiated naturally from his body, causing the surrounding air to distort faintly from heat.
He looked far stronger than before.
Yet the moment he met Zael's eyes—
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"You became ridiculous," Cassian admitted honestly.
Zael looked at him calmly.
"You improved too."
Cassian laughed lightly.
"Yeah."
Then he glanced briefly at the devastated condition of nearby platforms caused by Zael's earlier fights.
"…Just apparently not enough."
The barrier surrounding Platform One activated moments later.
The crowd immediately grew louder.
Because unlike previous challengers—
People genuinely believed Cassian had a chance.
Cassian slowly lowered his stance while crimson flames spiraled around his spear.
Truthfully, he already knew Zael was stronger.
The dungeon rumors alone made that obvious.
But he still wanted this fight.
Needed it even.
Because there was a difference between hearing stories—
And seeing the gap yourself.
BOOOOM!!
Without warning, Cassian attacked instantly.
The platform shattered beneath his feet as he exploded forward like a meteor wrapped in flames and golden light.
[Blazing Spear Art: Solar Pierce]
His spear thrust forward with terrifying force, the attack compressing heat and light together into a concentrated destructive point aimed directly toward Zael's chest.
Fast.
Incredibly fast.
The audience barely tracked the movement.
Yet Zael simply tilted slightly to the side.
The spear missed by centimeters.
Cassian's eyes sharpened immediately.
He twisted his spear mid-motion.
[Second Form: Radiant Cyclone]
Golden fire erupted outward as dozens of spiraling spear projections engulfed Zael from every direction simultaneously.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The platform shook violently under the barrage.
Yet amidst the explosions—
Zael casually moved through the attacks, deflecting spear strikes barehanded while weaving through the flames almost effortlessly.
The crowd erupted instantly.
"He blocked that with his hands?!"
"That's insane!"
Cassian retreated briefly before slamming the butt of his spear against the platform.
Golden flames exploded outward.
[Domain Skill: Sunfire Territory]
The battlefield transformed instantly.
Flames covered the entire platform while blinding streaks of golden light distorted visibility. Heat surged to terrifying levels as Cassian vanished into the inferno completely.
Then the attacks started.
From everywhere.
Golden spear strikes emerged unpredictably from within the flames while explosions detonated continuously around Zael's position. Cassian's control over fire and light was absurdly refined, using the brightness itself to obscure attack trajectories.
The combination was beautiful.
And deadly.
One moment a spear thrust came from directly ahead—
The next, a condensed beam of solar fire exploded from above.
Cassian chained skills flawlessly.
[Solar Rend]
[Flare Burst]
[Golden Horizon]
[Burning Halo]
[Heavenfall Spear]
Each attack grew stronger than the last.
The audience could barely breathe watching the exchange.
Because unlike previous challengers—
Cassian was actually forcing Zael to move continuously.
Yet after several minutes—
Something terrifying became apparent.
Zael still hadn't used a single skill.
Not one.
He simply defended.
Dodged.
Deflected.
Sometimes countered casually enough to force Cassian backward.
But no abilities.
No serious attacks.
Nothing.
Cassian realized it too.
His breathing had roughened slightly now after constantly maintaining his domain and chaining high-level abilities together, while Zael still looked completely calm.
Untouched.
Cassian eventually disengaged, sliding backward across the platform before stopping several meters away.
Zael didn't pursue him.
He simply stood there quietly.
Allowing him time to breathe.
The crowd slowly fell silent afterward.
Cassian exhaled heavily before laughing bitterly.
"…You haven't used any skills."
Zael shrugged lightly.
"I didn't see the need to."
Silence filled the arena instantly.
Even spectators who expected that answer still felt stunned hearing it directly.
Cassian stared at him for several moments.
Then laughed again.
Not angrily.
Just helplessly.
"…Damn."
The bitterness on his face slowly faded afterward.
Only honesty remained.
"Then use one."
Zael raised an eyebrow slightly.
Cassian tightened his grip on his spear.
"Just one," he said seriously. "So I can fully understand the gap between us."
For a moment, Zael remained silent.
Then finally—
He nodded.
"Alright."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Crimson-black abyssal energy slowly gathered around Zael's arm while faint blood thunder lightning flickered around his body.
The audience felt it immediately.
Pressure.
Overwhelming pressure.
Cassian's instincts screamed at him instantly.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
Zael looked at him calmly afterward.
Then spoke softly.
"Abyss Rend."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal crescent of abyssal energy erupted across the battlefield instantly, swallowing flames and light alike as it tore through the platform with unstoppable force.
Cassian's eyes widened violently.
He barely raised his spear defensively before the attack collided with him.
And instantly—
He was launched off the platform like a cannonball.
The barrier shattered.
The arena exploded into chaos.
Cassian crashed through multiple reinforced walls before finally stopping hundreds of meters away in a smoking crater.
Silence followed.
Complete silence.
Then—
Laughter echoed from inside the crater.
Cassian slowly sat up while coughing lightly.
"…Yeah," he muttered helplessly while shaking his head.
Then he looked toward Zael standing calmly atop Platform One.
"That gap is complete bullshit."