Dawn of the Personal League Preliminaries

The day of the preliminaries for the Promising Mage Tournament's Personal League had dawned.

—So the preliminaries run for three days starting today?

"Yeah."

Among the mages affiliated with the Magic Tower, those at the 3rd Circle made up the largest number.

A mage's realm truly changed starting from the 4th Circle. The wall between the 3rd and 4th Circles was the first major gateway for any mage. That's why even those who quickly reached the 1st or 2nd Circles often stagnated at the 3rd for a long time.

As such, the Personal League of the annual Promising Mage Tournament always drew a huge crowd of 3rd Circle mages.

The preliminaries spanning three days were due to that very reason.

'Most people get stuck at the 3rd Circle for ages... and here I was, fumbling around at just the 2nd.'

Recalling his past self brought a chuckle. Back then, he was barely worthy of calling himself a mage anywhere.

"But that first wall most 3rd Circles hit... does it even apply to me?"

A question mark floated over Jehyun's head.

He was different from ordinary mages. His foundation wasn't circles—it was the Mana Core.

—Hmm. That depends on you, but right now, this body has nothing definitive to say.

Alkasha, seeing a human inherit dragon power for the first time, couldn't offer a clear answer.

"Whatever. I'll figure it out when the time comes."

Instead of dwelling on an unanswerable puzzle, he focused on preparing for the preliminaries.

Jehyun had been assigned to a group competing on the first day.

'Group D, number 15.'

He checked his ticket. Each group ran a 32-player bracket in the preliminaries. The top two from each group advanced to the main tournament.

'Sixteen groups in total for the preliminaries. And the main bracket is also 32-player.'

About a thousand participants, with only 32 making it to the main event. On paper, it was brutally competitive. That's why Tower opinion had pegged him for an early exit.

—Do you have confidence?

Alkasha asked Jehyun.

"You call that a question?"

Jehyun smirked in response.

He reflected on the past week.

On the day of registration, when Jehyun arrived at the Personal League desk, some eyes turned his way.

'Hey, isn't that the loser?'

'Who? That handsome kid?'

'Yeah, that's him. Kim Jehyun.'

'No way, that's the loser? Damn, the rumors didn't do him justice. But why's he here? Team League is in the other building.'

A minor commotion stirred among those who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠recognized him. No one expected the "loser" to enter the Personal League.

"Mage Kim Jehyun? Is that you? This is the Personal League desk... You didn't mistake it for Team League, did you? No? You're really here to register for Personal?"

Word of Jehyun's Personal League entry spread among the other 3rd Circle mages at the desk. Some eyed him curiously; others figured the recent hotshot was getting cocky.

Trouble brewed after he finished registering and hit the bathroom.

Whoosh.

As Jehyun washed his hands at the sink, a narrow-eyed man in his twenties approached.

"Kim Jehyun? Yeah? Heard you signed up for Personal. Man, talk about ego. Shoulders all padded up."

This guy was another 3rd Circle entrant in the Personal League. After a few words, his discomfort showed.

"As someone who's lived longer, lemme give you advice. I get it, you're young and full of hot blood. But watch it. Strut too hard, and you'll get hurt bad."

Blatant provocation. The old Jehyun would've swallowed his irritation without a peep.

But not anymore. He wasn't that man.

"Worry about yourself. I can handle my own business."

The man's face twisted at Jehyun's firm retort.

"What? Listen to this punk. No manners. A senior's giving advice, and you—"

He glared and started barking. Or tried to.

"Uh... uh...?"

His face paled. He looked like his breath had caught, then his limbs began shaking.

"Guh... kkh...!"

Gasping and choking, he collapsed to the floor. Eyes rolled back, body convulsing. His pants darkened yellow, a puddle forming beneath.

"What the? What's wrong with him?"

Jehyun was the surprised one. He'd just felt annoyed at the provocation, a spark of hostility rising—then mana drained from him, and the guy's eyes flipped.

He realized why soon enough.

Reacting to his emotions, Dragon Fear had activated unconsciously. Witnessing it, Jehyun knew he needed to raise its proficiency. It was a more dangerous weapon than expected.

"Status window."

Jehyun opened his status window to check Dragon Fear's proficiency: 0.00%. A complete blank slate. Like handing a toddler a live sword.

—If you'd unleashed Dragon Fear in earnest just now, that man's mind would've shattered.

Alkasha's words convinced Jehyun he needed full control over its activation first. Authorities should be easy to master with practice.

"Dragon Fear's no joke."

Even at 0% proficiency, this effect. Once raised, he'd reach Arkanios-levels, slaying foes with aura alone.

'Of course, it hit harder because he's just 3rd Circle.'

Now at 3rd Circle himself, he knew the gulf to 4th was massive. Nobles for a reason—rebirth in one leap. Mental barriers strengthened too. Against a 4th Circle, 0% Dragon Fear might just debuff stats mildly.

"Come to think of it."

A thought struck him. From 4th Circle, mages started using staves or wands—magical tools amplifying mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠efficiently. 3rd Circles lacked stability; amplified power could backfire.

"But that's irrelevant to me."

With his Mana Core and spirit-etched mana, no such risks. He'd jumped from 1st to 2nd too fast to need tools before.

"How many points do I have?"

13,100. Total earned so far.

"Hmm. Not enough for a proper magical tool yet."

He recalled the Golden Goblin's shop: mythics in billions, even basic gear at hundreds of thousands.

"Wait, can you even buy stuff from the Golden Goblin's shop by grinding points like this?"

Items cost absurdly more than points earned.

—Fresh to Stage 2 and already greedy. Points grow exponentially with your level.

"Tch. Right."

Jehyun smacked his lips, eyeing a feast he couldn't touch.

—If you need gear now, dwarves could work.

"Dwarves?"

Jehyun's ears perked.

Dwarves, like elves, were dragonkin.

—Dragons preferred dwarves over elves. They love material wealth—hoards of treasures, mostly dwarf-forged. Elves make poor laborers.

"Got it."

Jehyun's eyes sparkled, sweet scent teasing his nose. But location was the issue. Elves lived openly in the Elf Forest; dwarves hid.

—You'll find a way. Think it over.

Jehyun nodded, swallowing saliva, then trained Dragon Fear proficiency until the preliminaries.

* * *

First-day prelims covered Groups A through E—five groups total. Even just the 32-bracket prelims meant 160 matches. Not all aired; only promising prospects drew broadcasts.

A 2nd Circle match normally wouldn't air, but Jehyun's hype ensured his did.

"Next up, the final match in Group D. This one's got an intriguing backstory."

"Right? This kid's been scorching hot lately. Shook the whole Tower these past months."

"He's gotta be the hottest topic in the Tower right now. Even commentator Bong Taemin's tuned in."

"Hey, why drag me into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this?"

"Come on, you hole up in your lab year-round. We were shocked you even agreed to commentate."

"Well, when I heard this fun guy's in the league..."

"Wait, no way? You joined for Kim Jehyun?"

"Kinda, yeah. Too curious to pass up. What he's shown defies logic. Set my research soul ablaze."

"To move the immovable Bong Taemin... Oh, match starting mid-chat. Wait, what's that? His opponent..."

The commentators prepped for Jehyun's match—then froze.

Five seconds after stepping into the arena.

"I... I... forfeit."

Jehyun's opponent surrendered.