The Transmigrated Author

Chapter 88: Exchange (3) | The Battle Of The Ages

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Allen's Cafe]

Alice's face was concerned looking at Jae. "Your face is practically screaming 'surprise' at me," she remarked, her voice soft as always.

Jae grinned. "Indeed." she chirped. "I just secured the best tutor this academy has ever seen, and for free..."

"Who?" Alice questioned curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"Rel," Jae said proudly. "He's helping us study."

Alice's brow furrowed. Confusion battled with a trace of worry on her face. As Jae excitedly explained her deal – trading her academy bow for study sessions...

Alice interrupted with a slight tremor in her voice, "Did you really give him your bow, Jae? Just for that?"

Alice, normally the picture of quiet composure, was on the verge of an outburst. Jae, however, remained blissfully oblivious.

"Well, you said you wanted to see how he studies up close," Jae scratched her head. "Get a glimpse into his secret methods and all."

Alice felt a flush creep up her neck. "Yes, but not like that!" she flustered.

Jae's smile widened. "Relax, Alice... Think about it. He could help us improve in Dungeon Pathing, Advanced Mana Theory, and even Elemental Theory. We just need a little extra push in those areas, you know? And honestly, they're the hardest subjects."

Alice hesitated. Jae was right... but something felt wrong.

Was Rel truly a genius, or was there a chance... a chance he was cheating?

"We can figure that out," Jae interrupted her thoughts, tapping her watch. "Got his contact on WhatsApp!"

Alice looked at the flashing screen, her initial confusion changed into full-blown worry.

This wasn't quite the "study plan" she expected. Learning from Rel was one thing, but getting involved in some potentially questionable arrangement by Jae was another entirely.

"Let's learn a thing or two from him," Jae declared, her unusual enthusiasm tenacious.

"Maybe then, you can finally snatch that first-place ranking you were so keen on at the beginning of the year,"

Alice let out a long sigh, a mix of exasperation and resignation. "You can't be serious," she muttered under her breath.

***

{Rel's POV}

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Student Section Stands]

Listening to the roaring crowd almost made me deaf, as I entered the student section, My eyes scanned through the entirety of the first years, the collective roar vibrating through the stone. My earlier Incident with Yuka and Julian remained an absurd and unsettling memory.

Something seemed off about her offering early contracts, especially a shared one. This was absolutely one of her schemes, where she'd take 2 students and drop the useless one-off later.

But I'm not stupid obviously... Early guild offers, especially from the top guilds, practically guarantee a future. The heirs, the big names, they get priority – dungeons, towers, all the action. Yuka had shown the most interest in Jan when it came to seeing the extent of his potential and in the story he joins Legion New Force after they finish their third year in the academy.

Moving through the seats, I settled far from Bazz, Camilla, Lyra, and Valencia, who'd snagged prime seats. The distance was a bit dodgy, but the view wasn't bad either. Didn't matter. The energy was infectious, bets were flying... And a feeling of regret hit, I realised I had nothing good to eat to enjoy this match.

The thought quickly faded, though. This – witnessing Jan and Louise's battle firsthand – was more enjoyable than any food eaten.

Settling deeper into the seat, I let the crowd's roars wash over me, This was it. The main event. The opening scene of the story unfolds right before my very eyes.

But the encounter with the guild leaders was still at the corner of my mind. Why go to me? instead of going directly to Jan?

"Then let the tradition begin! Three..."

Silence fell. Neither Jan nor Louise channelled their mana, simply holding their weapons aloft in a deceptively casual stance.

"Two..."

"One... GO!"

DASH!

Louise burst forward, launching himself into the air.

SHAAAAA!

His body soared, as the polearm-axe transformed into a blazing comet. Louise's Sword aura and Pure Flame fused, painting the weapon in shades of crimson red, amplifying his attack into an inferno.

WHAMM!

Jan, On the ground, stood still on the spot, imbuing his sword with an aura of his own. his blade pulsed with azure light, the purity of his Light attribute swirling around the steel. A breathtaking difference between his stillness against Louise's blazing descent.

RAHHHHH!

HM!

Jan swung upwards, and Louise struck down, both with the force of their entire beings. A deafening roar echoed through the arena.

BANG!!!!!

The crowd stood on their feet, eyes wide. This was no ordinary clash...

Gusts of wind whipped through the arena, cracks snaking across the platform beneath Jan's feet.

Their blades should have met,

should have CLANGED.

But it never came.

Their weapons never touched.

The impact of their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the sheer force of their aura and elemental attributes created a visible distortion between them.

The platform crumbled beneath the invisible pressure, threatening to swallow them both.

"...!"

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To be continued...

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Authors Notes:

- Louise's Sword aura colour is Crimson Red

- Jan's Sword aura colour is Gold + a mix of Light Blue