My Dragon King System-Chapter 389: A Little Too Late (Compensation)

Aiden finally broke through and his consciousness surged forward through the void.

In an instant, a portal opened in the air before him, swirling with bluish energy as he stepped through.

When the strange man saw Aiden emerge from the portal, a grin spread across his face.

Aiden’s eyes glowed red as he looked down at the man. His voice was cold when he spoke.

"Ant."

The man bowed his head in greeting. "King of Dragons."

Aiden began to walk forward, letting his aura radiated outward and press down on the air itself. The ground beneath his feet cracked with each step.

He didn’t motion with his hand or anything but suddenly strange man was lifted into the air as though an invisible forced had grabbed and pinned him there.

Aiden reached out and wrapped his hand around the man’s neck and stared right into his eyes.

But then Aiden stopped. Something was off.

The man’s grin widened, and he spoke in a hollow voice. "You came a little too late, King of Dragons."

Aiden’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed.

The man continued. "My master has taken everything. With the gift she gave me, all of my memories and experiences have been pulled away. I am only but an empty husk now."

The gift he spoke of in the scenario was the pendant.

Aiden’s face remained expressionless as he said nothing except tightening his grip on the man’s neck.

The strange man’s body began to crumble. His skin turned to dust, then his bones, then everything. In seconds, he had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash.

Aiden stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space, then he turned and walked back toward the portal.

His face was calm, but there was fury beneath it.

——

The next day arrived with lots of anticipation.

Stage Two was here.

The gods had maintained the Valaross fortress, but the individual castle-like houses where each kingdom stayed had been granted a special blessing.

Gaia had personally inscribed protective runes around each building. The houses could not be attacked by human magic, and no one could eavesdrop from outside, either physically or through magical means.

This made the houses safe spaces where strategies could be planned without fear of interference.

Stage Two would operate differently from Stage One.

The battles would be a 3v3 where each kingdom could field three champions per match. The selection was final once the match began, and there would be no substitutions mid-fight.

The first round would consist of five matches, eliminating five kingdoms and leaving five standing.

The second round would also be 3v3, with the top-performing kingdom from the first round receiving a bye and advancing directly to the final match.

The remaining four kingdoms would fight in two matches to determine who would face the bye kingdom in the final.

——

Inside Dragonhold’s hall, Oberon was currently standing at the head of the long table while the champions of his kingdom sat around him, with serious expressions on their faces.

Oberon began without preamble. "Today, we face our first match. We don’t know who we’ll be fighting yet, but we need to be ready for anyone."

He paused, then added, "The biggest problem is Syra."

Kayden nodded. "She’s a monster. If Xathia fields her, whoever we send out will have their hands full."

Oberon nodded. "I know. And King Cedric knows it too so he’ll put her out there because she’s strong enough to carry a match on her own."

He turned his gaze to Kayden. "Which is why you’re going out today."

Kayden raised an eyebrow. "You think we’ll face Xathia first?"

"I don’t know," Oberon said. "But if we do, I need you ready. You’re one of the few people here who could possibly match up to her."

Kayden nodded. "Understood."

Oberon’s gaze shifted to Rin, who sat near the middle of the table. "Rin. You’re also part of the first round."

Rin looked up, surprised. "Me?"

Oberon nodded. "That ability of yours is unique. You can absorb and adapt to magic and that makes you unpredictable. Which is exactly what we need."

He didn’t say it aloud, but he remembered the day Rin had bested both him and Thamoryn when she was still a Grand Magus. Her demon nature had allowed her to turn their own magic against them, and that kind of versatility was invaluable.

Rin nodded. "I won’t let you down, Your Grace."

Oberon’s gaze moved to Lysandra, who sat quietly at the far end of the table. "Lysandra."

She looked up, her expression unreadable.

Oberon continued. "Gravity magic is something very few people know how to counter and that makes you a threat. I’m sending you out today, and I expect a lot from you."

Lysandra stared at him for a moment, then turned her gaze away. "Yes, Your Grace."

Oberon nodded. "Good. Kayden, Rin, Lysandra. You’re our first team."

He looked around the table one last time. "We cannot afford mistakes today."

——

By noon, the battlefield had been completely transformed.

Where an open field had once stretched across the dimension, a grand colosseum now stood in its place. Towering stone walls rose high into the sky, enclosing a vast circular arena.

Tier upon tier of seating lined its interior, enough to hold thousands. And the seating was filled with champions from the other continents who had been eliminated in Stage One.

They had been brought back to watch the remainder of the war as spectators.

The gods chose took positioning at the highest point of the colosseum, in a specially elevated section.

Adam occupied the center seat, and the other Archons were arranged around him. This was including Laela, Arianna, and Uriel were seated nearby with the children.

The field was a circular space, roughly four hundred meters in diameter. This colosseum erected overnight was all Thera’s doing.

The atmosphere was electric. The crowd murmured with anticipation, and the champions of Valaross stood in their respective sections, waiting for the announcement.

Adam rose from his seat, and the entire colosseum fell silent.

His voice echoed across the arena, amplified by divine magic. "The first match of Stage Two will now be announced."

Every eye turned toward him.

Adam raised his hand, and a glowing scroll materialized in the air before him. The names appeared in golden light.

"Dragonhold versus Elandria."