Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

With his first victory secured, Adrian waited on the sidelines, observing the matches around him and strategizing for his next fight. To his surprise, none of the princes had chosen to challenge him, leaving him curious and slightly suspicious. Perhaps they were biding their time, planning something he hadn't yet foreseen.

Soon, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, calling for the next set of matches. Adrian's name was listed in the seventh round, this time against a heavy weapon user—an axe-wielder with considerable strength and skill.

As Adrian stepped into the ring, he saw his opponent—a broad-shouldered, muscular young man with a heavy, double-bladed axe resting on his shoulder. One would question whether he was really 18 years old. The young man gave Adrian a challenging grin, cracking his neck as he prepared for the fight.

"Alright, kid, let's see if you can keep up with me," the axe-user taunted, swinging his weapon with practiced ease. Adrian nodded, keeping his stance light and prepared. He planned to rely on quick, precise movements rather than brute strength as before.

The announcer's voice rang out: "Match start!"

The axe-user wasted no time, charging forward and bringing his axe down in a wide, powerful arc. Adrian sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, the force of the blow sending cracks through the ground. His opponent's style was straightforward, aiming to overwhelm with brute strength, but Adrian knew his own speed and agility were advantages he could exploit.

As the axe-wielder adjusted his stance, preparing for a follow-up swing, Adrian darted to the side, circling him and keeping his movements subtle yet efficient. The man swung again, and again, each strike more forceful than the last, but Adrian dodged with minimal movements, always staying just out of reach.

"Stand still, will you?" the axe-user growled, his frustration evident. Adrian gave him a calm look, then lunged in close, aiming a precise kick to his opponent's knee. It wasn't enough to incapacitate him, but the sudden strike disrupted his stance, causing him to stagger.

Seizing the moment, Adrian slipped behind the axe-wielder and struck his exposed side with a quick series of light punches, targeting vulnerable pressure points to weaken his opponent. The man grunted in pain, swinging his axe in a desperate attempt to catch Adrian off guard, but Adrian ducked smoothly, moving just out of reach.

After a few more minutes of dodging and subtle strikes, Adrian saw his opening. His opponent's movements were slowing, his frustration leading to sloppy attacks. As the man went for another powerful but telegraphed swing, Adrian sidestepped, grabbed the man's wrist, and used his momentum to throw him off balance. The axe-wielder stumbled, and Adrian delivered a swift kick to his back, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

"Winner—Adrian!" the announcer declared as the crowd cheered. Adrian offered his opponent a respectful nod before leaving the ring, satisfied with his efficient victory.

---

Not long after, Adrian prepared for his third match. This time, he would face a skilled young woman who had challenged him—a noble girl renowned for her mastery of wind and water magic. At nineteen, she was both talented and strategic, with a reputation for her unpredictable fighting style.

As Adrian entered the ring, he observed his opponent.

She stood poised and confident, her eyes sharp and calculating. The announcer called for the match to begin, and she immediately took the offensive, casting a swirl of wind that picked up moisture from the air, forming a thin layer of mist around them. Adrian squinted, realizing she was trying to obscure his vision and limit his ability to track her movements.

A gust of wind rushed toward him, and he dodged, only to find himself caught in a torrent of water that surged up from the ground. The water wrapped around his ankles, attempting to hold him in place. He quickly channeled his aether to break free, but she was already preparing another spell, layering wind and water to create a spinning vortex that barreled toward him.

Adrian leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the vortex, but she adjusted her aim with surprising speed, sending another gust of wind to push him back. He felt the pressure mounting and knew he needed to reveal one of his abilities if he wanted to win.

Taking a deep breath, Adrian activated the Echoes, creating faint afterimages of himself as he moved.

His opponent blinked, momentarily confused as multiple versions of Adrian appeared around the arena even though they didn't last long. He used this to his advantage, circling her and attacking from multiple angles, each afterimage disappearing just as she struck back. Continue reading stories on empire

She quickly grew frustrated, sending whirlwinds and water attacks toward each afterimage, only to realize she couldn't keep track of his true position. Adrian closed in, his real self slipping through her defenses and landing a controlled strike on her shoulder, disrupting her concentration.

The noble girl staggered, attempting to regain control, but Adrian pressed his advantage, moving with swift, precise motions. She managed to counter with a burst of wind that pushed him back, but her energy was clearly waning.

Finally, with one last push, Adrian moved behind her, delivering a swift, non-lethal strike to her pressure point, causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled forward, and Adrian steadied her as the announcer's voice rang out.

"Winner—Adrian!"

The young woman nodded in acknowledgment, a look of reluctant respect in her eyes. "Well played," she said, breathing heavily.

Adrian returned the nod, grateful for the challenge.

"You went easy on me, and thank you for that." He said since she was one of the contestants with Stellar Tier rank.

"No need to console me, I lost and it's a fact. But as you said, it would be a different story if I went all out." The young woman smiled. "Good luck in your next fight."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Yeah, good luck to you as well." Adrian replied and returned to his seat.

Now, only one opponent was left while already having 3 victories in the pocket. And his second chosen opponent was -

"Winner is The Masked Man!"

The loud announcement made him look toward the first ring where a masked, black-haired young man was pointing his sword toward his opponent.

'Here he is, my final opponent.'