The Cursed Star - Chapter 53. (Patreon)

The Arena of Ends turned deathly silent at the appearance of Mad Golden. 

The tall man in his Golden armor stood in the middle of the Arena, with four Enclosures around him. The rest of the six Judges of the Physical Strength Test were standing separately on transparent discs that floated in the air. 

Contestants, who had been sleeping for the last half hour, started waking up. They did not even get the time to collect themselves from their dreams. Instructions were passed to them to step inside their respected enclosures and stand at their respected spots. 

The Aura that Victorian was emanating congested the hearts of the Contestants. 

“Physical Strength Test has been divided into two phases.” The MoC informed the youngsters. “You will have to pass the first phase to enter the second phase.” He smiled brightly. “The rules are as follow:-“
“You are not allowed to step out of the circle you are standing in.”
“You can only use your Physical Strength, infused with mana or Aura.”
“Using your Element to strengthen your physicality and attacks is allowed. However, you must not use your Element any more than that.”
“Bloodline Abilities are allowed!”
“No Foul Play!”
“Artifacts are forbidden!”
“Potions and Pills are forbidden!”
“No mystical edibles are allowed!”
“You all will have five minutes to break the Aura Prison that you will be caged inside.”
“If you succeed in breaking the cage, you must stay inside the circle for the duration of the first phase.”
“After the Physical Strength Test, anyone who has a Tournament points tally of 0 Points will be Eliminated.”
“There is only 1 point available in the first phase, everyone who passes the trial will get it. You must prove that you are worthy enough to take part in the next phase.”

 

The contestants nodded to the MoC and turned their attention back on the magnificent man standing in the middle of the Arena with his eyes closed. 

“Are you ready?” The MoC asked loudly, but the crowd did not dare to cheer. For some reason, people were scared that Victorian would open his eyes and see them. 

“Yes!” The Contestants determinedly nodded, and their bodies started emanating their Auras. 

Auras of all colors surrounded Victorian, and he slowly raised the giant sword in his hands, and then impaled the tip in the ground. A formation lit up, and with it, a brilliant golden Aura of Victorian burst forth. 

Transparent golden semi-spherical cages encaged the Contestants. 

There were no apparent differences in the cages, but the people in the False-Origin and above sensed that each cage was unique, built specifically for the person inside it. It was a fair test, and the contestants who fail it would have no excuse left if they were eliminated.

The Judges keenly observed the Contestants, and Victorian still stood his ground with his eyes closed. 

“How tough is that Aura Prison?!” Akira exclaimed in shock. 

Zeros was desperately trying his best to break the Aura Prison. He constantly hammered his punches and kicks on it, infused with his Aura and Elements, but even after a minute, he failed to register a single crack on the Aura Prison. 

“Aura Prison is not an easy Test.” Venus smiled brightly. “It is a Test designed by Jalaisha. Only a Devil would enjoy watching the despair of the contestants.”

An angry cry shook the Arena when a Contestant in the White Enclosure was suddenly basking in a blood-colored flame. The intensity of the flame rose with each attack he landed on the Aura Prison, and finally, a crack appeared on it. 

The contestant roared again, this time, there was a feeling of oppression that his voice contained. Cracks after cracks appeared on his Prison and finally, he landed a punch that shattered it. 

To the shock of the crowd and contestants, the man wailed in agony, his entire body convulsed uncontrollably as he dropped on his knees and grabbed his head with his hands, closing his eyes shut. The blood flame around him diminished over time and finally subsided. The Devil's wings on the back of the man kept trembling even after that, but he was able to get back on his feet after a minute. 

“The law of Wrath…” Aizen smiled lightly. “Interesting fellow.” 

“He is the young prince of House Satan, Gregor Swartha Satan,” Venus informed him. “And that is his cousin, Damon Ira Satan.” She pointed at the youngster in the Purple Enclosure that broke free from the Aura Prison and was now on his knees wailing, holding his head to calm down his Wrath. 

So far, only two people had managed to break from their Aura Prisons, and the time was nearing three minutes. 

A mighty roar of a Dragon resounded inside the Gold Enclosure, and then several more Dragons roared in the other Enclosures. Theis the Monster Blood of Dragon running in the veins of these youngsters, and they managed to break their Aura Prisons in their rage. 

The Monster Blood fared well compared to the Devil and God Blood. Zeros took his time, but he managed to break free from the prison as well. Yuliya and Lyla managed to break free as well with only a handful of seconds left. 

“Time’s up!” The MoC announced. 

Everyone, who was still inside the Aura Prison, was teleported out of the Enclosure. The majority were of the people who had failed to gain points in the previous Tests. And they dejectedly sighed, bowed to the judges, and the Blood-Winged Lucifer before taking their leave from the Arena. 

The others, who were still in the Tournament, were escorted to a dugout that was set for them. And the remaining Contestants braced themselves for the second Phase. 

Victorian pulled out his sword from the ground, and the formation vanished. The Enclosures disappeared as well, and all the Contestants eagerly looked at the MoC to tell them what they had to do next. 

The Judges of the Strength test appeared on the ground, and they took out Stone Tablets carved in different shapes.  

One by one they Judges placed the Tablets on the Ground, and like a jigsaw the tablets merged, emitting bright light. The Arena and the entirety of its space lit up brightly, bright enough to cause the audience to close their eyes. 

Even the phenomenon subsided, a new formation appeared inside the Arena. There were four sides, colored in Purple, Gold, White, and the last one was in myriad colors. Each side had several checkered boxes, and the colors deepened as they approached the center of the Arena where a squared-ring was formed in Red Light. 

“The Second Phase is the Road to Glory.” The MoC announced, and all the Contestants were teleported to their starting positions. “Your Test is to approach the Ring of Glory. Each of you has 25 Domains to pass through, each with an oppressive force waiting to crush you under it. To pass the Second Test and gain one point, you must cover, at least, 15 Domains. If you reach 16th or 17th Domain, you will gain one more point. If you manage to make it to the 18th, 19th, or 20th Domain, you will gain another point. In case you manage to make it to the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Domain, you will get 4 points. 24th and 25th Domain will get you 5 Points.”

“What if we reach the Ring of Glory?” A confident Contestant with his bright red eyes asked.

“10 Points!” The MoC smiled. “And an Arcerian Potion. I am sure all you are are aware of its mystical benefit.”

The blood of the youngsters boiled in excitement at the name of the reward they would receive if they reached the Ring of Glory. All of the Contestants had heard of the name. The mystical Arcerian Potion that could raise the Blood Realm by a rank. Its effect was the same for everyone in the False-Origin Blood and below. It was a priceless Treasure.

The MoC smiled at the excitement of the contestants. 

“Now, these are the rules that you must follow…” He asked for their attention.

“You can only use your Physical Strength, infused with mana or Aura.”
“You must walk, run, or fly through the Domains. It’s your call. However, you are not allowed to use any Space Magic.
“You may use your Elements to strengthen your physicality.”
“Bloodline Abilities are allowed unless they are related to the Law of Space!”
“No Foul Play!”
“Artifacts are forbidden!”
“Potions and Pills are forbidden!”
“No mystical edibles are allowed!”
“You all will have a total of 15 minutes to reach the Ring of Glory.”
“Remember, it is not a race. Take your time. In case you feel that you should not step inside the next Domain, raise one of your hands, and the Judges will safely teleport you out or the Test. The result you achieve won’t be affected.”
“The Judges will intervene if someone pushes beyond their limit and if they are in mortal danger. However, you must all remember that you need to be in a perfect physical state for the rest of the Tournament.”

The contestants nodded to the rules and the warnings. 

“On the Signal of General Victorian, you will set inside the first Domain.” The MoC informed them and disappeared from the Arena. 

All the judges, including Victorian, appeared inside the Ring of Glory.

Victorian took our a luminous pearl from his ring, and without opening his eyes, he crushed it, marking the start of the Test. 

The excitement on the faces of the Contestants waned as soon as they stepped inside the first Domain. The stress on their bodies hit them harder than they expected. It was not just the Gravity that was stronger, it was also an invisible force pressing down on them from above. Flying was not even an option for them. 

The clock kept ticking, and all of the contestants were no longer thinking about the Ring of Glory. Their focus was on conserving their strength, and to make sure that they reach the 15th Domain. 

Dragons roared as the Dragon Blood transformed into their Monster form. The Devils who possessed the Law of Wrath invoked it, the Monster Blood revealed their true selves, and the God Blood utilized every speck of strength and abilities that they possessed, which were helpful in the current situation.

Five minutes into the Road to Glory, the Contestants were panting for breath, their bodies already shivering. Those that had the Element of Earth fared a little better as they constantly replenished their strength. However, the oppression in the Domains only increased as they moved forward, and if someone stopped in place, the oppression rose even more. They could not even stop to catch their breath.

At the seventh minute, a Satan made it to the 15th Domain, and he showed no signs of backing off. He was the same Gregor Satan who had broken free from the Aura Prison before anyone else. 

The second person to make to the 15th Domain was a Black Dragon with fiery green eyes. Its body was shivering, but it was as if madness was shrouding him, he kept moving forward at a constant pace.

“Aizen…” Akira worriedly looked at Yuliya. 

The Lycan as in her wolf form, and she was chasing after the Black Dragon, but the way her body was convulsing was scary. She was trying to maintain a constant pace, but her Element of Earth was failing to replenish the lost strength in time.

“She won’t stop…” The heart of the White Wolf ached at seeing the girl push herself so much. 

“She’s not in danger.” Aizen clenched his fists but lightly answered. “Her Alpha’s pride has kicked in and shrouded her mind.”

“The Judges will pull her out before she harms herself,” Venus assured Akira. 

Everyone watched in horror when Gregor Satan stepped inside the 23rd Domain. The Blood Flame around him flared madly, but he dropped on his knees right when he was about to reach the next Domain. 

Shrouded in his Wrath, the Satan crawled over to reach the next Domain. 

The crowd madly cheered for him, but their cheers were never going to reach him. All his senses were no longer conscious. And right when he stepped inside the 24th Domain, his body seemed to have given up. He fell face down on the ground, and the flame around him started to diminish. 

One of the Judges appeared by his side and safely teleported him out of the Arena. And the Points Table for the Trial of Physical Strength showed his achievements. 

ANCESTRAL BLOOD:

“First Place: #606: Gregor Swartha Satan. Age: 56. Affiliation: House Satan. Points Won: 6.”

……………..

The crowd’s attention turned to the Dragon who was now stepping into the 22nd Domain, but what astounded them was that a Black Wolf was closely following him. The two of them were in the same Realm, and it looked as if they were racing each other. 

Everyone thought that the Black Wolf would be the first to give up, but it was the Dragon that lost consciousness first. 

Yuliya made it into the 23rd Domain, and the crowd went wild in excitement. Even after she fainted, the cheers for her resounded in the Arena of Ends. 

IMMEMORIAL BLOOD: 

“First Place: #301: Yuliya Lycan. Age: 22. Affiliation: Star Palace. Points Won: 5.”

“Second Place: #309: Karlos Draegg. Age: 50. Affiliation: Sky Heart. Points Won: 5.”

………………

Aizen rushed over to the couch where a space channel had opened, and Yuliya slowly dropped from it. He caught her in her arms and helped her life down. 

“Lia…” He softly called out to the little Dryad. 

Liafina nodded to him and used her powers to surround Yuliya in a layer of water. And slowly, her healing powers nourished the body of the unconscious girl. 

“Someone in the Flase-Origin side has made it to the 23rd Domain,” Akira called him over, and he appeared by her side.  

“A Lucifer…” A smile crept on his lips. 

“He is the Nephew of Lady Arianna,” Venus informed them. “His name is Adrien Lucifer. He is Xera’s younger brother and husband.”

Aizen and Akira remembered the girl named Xera who came Seventh along with Lyla in the Mental Strength Trial. 

Adrien became the second person to reach the 24th Domain, and just like Gregor, he fainted as well before he could take a step more.

FLASE-ORIGIN BLOOD:

“First Place: #628: Adrien Lucifer. Age: 45. Affiliation: House Lucifer. Points Won: 6.”

The Trial ended in the 13th minute for everyone, no one could go on for two more minutes.

Zeros and Lyla did their Best, and reach the 23rd and 22nd Domain respectively. They decided to not force themselves beyond their limits, and therefore, raised their hands after reaching those Domains. 

FLASE-ORIGIN BLOOD:

………..

“Sixth Place: #615: Zeros Azereus. Age: 45. Affiliation: Star Palace. Points Won: 5.”

………..

“Twelfth Place: #616: Lyla Azereus. Age: 31. Affiliation: Star Palace. Points Won: 5.”

………..

“The Fourth Trial in the Tournament is of Elemental Control.” The MoC announced after the Trial of Mental Strength. “Congratulations to the Contestants who made it to the fourth Trial. There are now 196 people left, representing 39 different Powers in the Two Realms, vying for the title of the or the Winner of the Blood Moon Tournament. And it is time that the Reward of the Tournament is announced…”

The words of MoC roused excitement in the hearts of the Contestants who were recovering from the brutal Trial that they had just been through. 

“The Rewards of the Tournament are as follow:” He smiled and gestured towards the Virtual Screens, which showed the images of the Rewards. 

“The Winner of the Tournament will Receive three rewards!” The MoC announced as the Crowd was already madly cheering. “An Arcerian Potion! A Middle-Ranked habitable Star! And a Mystic Artifact called Veil of Eternity.”

“The Runner-Up gets three Rewards as well! Firstly, An Arcerian Potion. Secondly, A Low-Ranked habitable Star! Thirdly, a 200 Black Gems!”

“The top 5 will each get two rewards. All of them will receive an Arcerian Potion. Third Place will get 150 Black Gems! Fourth Place will get 100 Black Gems! And Fifth Place will get 75 Black Gems!” 

The words of MoC earned cheers from the remaining Contestants. The Rewards of the Blood Moon Tournament were lavish as ever. 

“But that is not all that you get. The Top 5 will also receive a 20% Discount on all Facilities of the Blood Moon Organization for the next nine years. The Runner-Up will get 25% Discount and the Silver Crown, and the Winner will receive a 30% Discount and the Golden Crown.”

“Are you not excited?!” The MoC enthusiastically asked, and received a cheer from the Contestants and the Crowd that shook the Arena. 

Aizen sighed in his heart after listening to all the rewards. 

“Have the rewards always been the same?” Akira asked curiously. 

“More or less, yes. They usually change, but maintain the value.” Venus nodded to her. 

“The Trial of Elemental Control will start in 15 minutes. Have your rest!” The MoC gave the Contestants a Break. “I will not introduce you to the Judges of the Trial of Elemental Control…”

“Beena Lucifer.” 

“General Venus.”

“Jalaisha Azmodeus.”

“Malcolm Starlight.”

“Kyrgo Duskashen.”

“Renzo Summer.”

“Aizen Morningstar.”

The crowd was already stunned after listening to the very first name that appeared on the Virtual Screens. Beena Lucifer was a name that was the worst of Nightmares for many in the Two Realms. But the last name made everyone in the crowd skip a beat. 

The name of Morningstar was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. Some in excitement, some in dread, and some in pure curiosity, everyone wanted to see the Lord of Star Palace.