The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 60: Round Of 32 Knockout Stages (4)

[Pinnacle Academy Stadium 1 - Arena A: Vip Box Suite #1]

The brutal impact of Rel's fist slamming into Sergio's face echoed through the massive arena, followed by a collective gasp from the shocked crowd. It was one thing to defeat a favoured competitor, but such a display of raw power from an unranked nobody. Up in the VIP booths, even the most respected guild leaders in the world couldn't remain unaffected.

"Wahahahahaha!"

A boisterous laugh broke the stunned silence, emanating from a well-built man who despite his silver-streaked hair, radiated a playful aura. "Now that was a hit I haven't seen in a while! Poor Sergio, eating dirt out there!"

Beside him, a slightly leaner figure with a neatly trimmed beard huffed. "It only proves again, that the student ranking system has its flaws. Skill can exist anywhere but without proper testing..."

"Oh, lighten up, Kang," Gerrard Freya, guildmaster of the Miracles, chortled with delight. "A bit of chaos spices things up! Who would have predicted this outcome, eh?"

Kang Villerion, leader of the Trinities Centurions, sighed. He tapped a leather-bound folder resting on the ornate table before them. "Still, even surprises follow patterns. It seems this Rel Laurence belongs to the same class as..." he scanned the sheet, searching for the names, "...your Valencia and my son Louise."

Gerrard's laughter cut off mid-note. "Our children? Interesting..." A surprised frown creased his jovial face. Then a flash of memory crossed his mind –

That evening... there it was again. The faintest blush crept onto Valencia's cheek when that certain crossbow-carrying student passed by them.

- "Dad, please," His daughter tugged his shirt

- "Dad, please… He might have heard..."

Suddenly brought back to the present Gerrard had thoughts of the boy named Rel,

"Surely not...no, she would have mentioned someone as..." He trailed off.

Gerrard felt slightly worried that this student called 'Rel' Might be bullying his daughter, But the thought of that becoming a thing was almost impossible. His daughter was notorious for beating up anyone who tried to bully her.

Recalling a moment from many years ago Gerrard tried introducing her to some friends from the heroes association but she ended up bashing the majority of those spoilt kids which was reasonable.

- AHH! Get away from me!

- YOU'RE A MONSTER!

- Don't talk about my mum like that!

The faint memory felt so visually clear...

"Ah, I guess she still has that energetic personality of her mother. But she's much more reserved now."

A surge of warmth mixed with unease coursed through him. His daughter, his precious Valencia, was growing up so fast. It would be too early for her to try already dating.

Then the doubts that echoed inside Gerrard's mind became a concern thinking about the importance of 'him'.

- "Do you know him?" Gerrard pressed

- "He's...no one." Valencia mumbled.

If he is no one then Gerrard can only trust the words of his daughter.

***

Rel's victory echoed through the shocked silence of the arena, but strangely, the roar of triumph Jan expected never came. No celebratory shouting, no jeers of outrage over the underdog's win.

"Uh, did, did he?" Jan blinked, eyes darting through the stands. Where were the excited voices, the groans of disappointed gamblers? All he found was a strange, almost respectful hush amidst the crowd.

Baffled, he turned to Bazz. Surely his friend, ever attuned to the social ebb and flow of events, would have an explanation. But Bazz's attention wasn't focused on the fight – eyes were glued to some point up high, jaw slightly slack.

"Bazz? What's going on?" Jan snapped his fingers to get his friend's attention. "What's everyone so worked up about?"

Bazz didn't even respond. Instead, he grabbed Jan's shoulder and practically spun him around.

"Dude," he breathed, awe mixed with confusion, "you won't believe this...it's the Divine Sorceress!"

"Wha- " Jan sputtered. Just past the VIP booths, an elegant figure stepped into view. It was a woman, covered in flowing robes of blue and shimmering silver, looking down upon the surprised crowd.

A flurry of hushed whispers washed over the crowd.

"Divine Beauty! Even from afar!" some exclaimed.

"Oh my, is that truly Aurelia?" murmured others.

"AURELIA THE CELESTIAL ONE?" The crowds were shouting, shocked at the presence.

Even seasoned instructors abandoned their spots, momentarily stunned by the unexpected appearance. Everyone was moving for a better glimpse, eyes fixed on that single elegant figure radiating a powerful charm.

A ripple of movement swept through the stands as they deserted their posts. Jan realized they were witnessing a pivotal fight, and almost no one cared except for him. He settled back on his seat, eyes drawn to the two lone figures on the arena floor.

It seems Rel, for all his intelligence, now also held the dubious honour of being the star of an unseen fight…all because of a single, extraordinarily unexpected arrival.

"I'm so sorry Rel..." Jan was seemingly sad that Rel didn't get the recognition he deserved.

***

{Rel's POV}

[Pinnacle Academy Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

A sense of unease crept over me as a strange hush fell over the arena. Even with my victory over Sergio, this silence wasn't normal. And then it hit me—a figure in the VIP section, surrounded by flustered staff and stunned onlookers.

A ripple of awe and disbelief echoed through the stadium. The Divine Sorceress herself, Aurelia Draxen, The number 1 hero was here seen in public.

I couldn't have ever imagined that she would show up during the tournament arc but was there any reason why?

I tried thinking of all the solutions to her appearing at this point of the story but there weren't any, maybe she was on vacation, but there wasn't any relevant information I had written for Aurelia to appear so early at this point of the story.

I was surprised as well It seemed my underdog victory was earned in peace. After all I wouldn't be fighting in this tournament if it wasn't for a quest.

Finally, the announcer's voice echoed through the stands. It was curiously flat as if even he hadn't recovered fully from the sight of such a legendary figure.

"...well, our winner is Rel Laurence," he buzzed, the usual enthusiasm completely absent. The announcement fell upon mostly deaf ears. Almost everyone was fixated on Aurelia, their awestruck whispers almost louder than his amplified voice.

Maybe I kind of felt disappointed but this was good for me anyway, As long as no one noticed at least.

[You had system notifications off Mr Axel!]

[You've earned 866 PPP!]

WOAH! That's so much! What did I do to earn this? I felt a genuine smile cross my face seeing this many points, I wondered what I should do with this after.

"Excuse me Mr. Laurence, We're going to have to ask you to get off stage please." a staff member approached me tapping me on the shoulder. I nodded and walked to the edge of the platform.

As I followed a security official the whispers continued. There was no talk of my upset victory, instead a murmur spread throughout the audience: "She looks even more radiant up close..." I had to stifle a snort— I didn't realise how much social influence Aurelia had.

Once away from the stands, I could still feel the bruises and pain on my legs as Sergio's final attack landed a sharp blow to my leg. Two more staff members scurried forward, assessing me with clinical glances.

"Stable, no major lacerations," a woman wearing a crisp medic's uniform murmured, jotting down notes on a tablet. "Let's take him to the Chamber for a quick scan and regenerative cycle. Standard tests only."

"And what about Sergio Vex?" I asked. His limp, though exaggerated, looked worse than my mild burn and his face looked funny. Damn, that faceplant must have hurt.

The staff exchanged uneasy glances. "There's a stretcher awaiting him. Priority care protocol in case..." one started, his voice trailing off awkwardly.

"Fair enough," I said, masking my irritation with a shrug. "Let's make it a speedrun...There's a match after this I don't want to miss."

A flicker of surprise flickered across the medic's face. Before she could answer, we arrived Inside what I assume was the Hyperstasis chamber, it was all cool whites and glowing technology.

With practised motions, I was hooked up to a console, the staff murmuring efficiency reports amongst themselves.

ZZZZZZZZ!

A hum rose as the system activated, tingling warmth beginning to wash over me.

The gentle warmth coursing through me had a lulling effect. My bruises already felt faded, a pleasant prickling sensation washing over my strained muscles. This Chamber was something else entirely. Whatever they were pumping into me was pure regeneration magic – more potent than any type of medication ever made.

"All clear. Regenerative cycle optimal," a crisp voice broke through my thoughts. Suddenly, the warmth faded away, and the hum of the Chamber silenced. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and unhooked myself from the console.

One of the medics handed me back my crossbow. "We've run full diagnostic scans. It seems you're in perfect shape – ready for another full fight." Her comment held a note of genuine curiosity.

With a brief nod of thanks, I shouldered my weapon and left the Chamber. Despite the physical healing, it wouldn't be so easy to erase the other effects of this match.

So heading off to the student lobby I sat down on the lounge checking my bracket, to see my potential matchup for the next battle.

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Authors Notes:

- Gerrard Freya is a magic swordsman, The weapon he wields is a Broadsword.

- Kang Villerion is a wielder of the spear, The weapon he wields is a Lance.

- Overthinking tendencies run in the Freya bloodline.

- At the age of 19 Oberon Starcaster created one of the most revolutionising technologies of the modern-day era, The Hypostasis chamber!

- The PPP Rel earnt was from Gerrard and Kang's acknowledgement of Rel's existence.

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*NOTE - The Hyperstasis chamber excels at rapidly healing external injuries. However, it cannot address psychological trauma or regenerate missing limbs. This limitation clarifies the chamber's specialization in physical repair.