The battlefield was alive with chaos—monsters roared, weapons clashed, and competitors fought for survival.
Yet, at the heart of it all, Kalem stood still.
The Preparation
"Now, let's begin," he muttered.
Kalem reached into his metal crate, pulling out a long spear. Its polished surface gleamed under the artificial sunlight, but that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was the space around him.
Moving with precise steps, he began a deliberate dance, twirling the spear as he etched patterns into the dirt. The marks glowed faintly, pulsing with raw potential.
From above, in the observation towers, a murmur spread among the high-ranking mages and officials.
They recognized the pattern immediately.
A ruin network.
"He's constructing an active circuit," one mage whispered.
"But how? The terrain isn't stable enough for large-scale rune crafting!"
"And yet, he's doing it," another added grimly.
Back on the battlefield, Kalem completed the final mark.
With a casual flick, he threw his spear toward the crate. It landed with a metallic clang, embedding itself in the earth.
Then, Kalem stepped into the center of his formation.
Powering the Circuit
"Alright, let's get this working."
A soft humming sound filled the air.
The runes came alive, their faint glow intensifying as Kalem's armor responded. The focus core in his chest plate vibrated, resonating with the circuit below.
A deep thrumming pulse traveled through the markings.
Kalem felt it immediately—the vast, intricate network of magic-infused pathways beneath him.
This was beyond a simple enchantment.
The entire battlefield was built upon interconnected ruins.
And he had just linked himself to it.
"First principle of ruin crafting," he muttered.
"The spread of energy must be controlled—otherwise, it will destroy the material."
Slowly, carefully, he began channeling the mana, using:
His focus core as the stabilizer. His armor as the conductor. His body as the conduit.
The glow intensified—until everything turned white.
Panic in the Observation Towers
A blinding flash erupted from Kalem's position, a surge of light so intense that it sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The mages monitoring the event lost control of their instruments.
"What's happening?!"
"He's channeling energy from the ruin network!"
"This is bad! If he loses control—"
"The system is passive on our end," another mage interrupted, voice filled with dread. "It's active on his. We can't stop him."
"Gods help us," a younger official whispered.
But not everyone was panicked.
Headmaster Valdris sat at the highest observation platform, watching with a keen, calculating gaze.
"Interesting."
While others feared a disaster, he saw an opportunity.
"This will be quite the spectacle."
The Surge of Power
Back on the battlefield, Kalem felt the rush of magic surge through him.
It was intoxicating.
The sheer amount of mana available through the circuit was more than anything he had ever experienced.
"Oh, shit."
He had been so focused on synchronizing with the network that he almost forgot the next step.
The Execution
Kalem gritted his teeth and forced his will upon the energy.
He needed a target.
A direction.
His mind raced as he analyzed the ruin circuit's structure.
Then, he found them—the three most active segments of the system:
The Blizzard Engine—powering the frozen biome with endless frost. The Sandstorm Generator—creating violent storms in the desert.The Heat Core—fueling the volcanic region's extreme temperatures.
"Perfect."
With a sharp breath, Kalem redirected the excess energy toward those circuits.
The Cataclysm
From the observation towers, the officials watched in horror.
They saw the moment Kalem's interference took effect.
And then—the battlefield broke.
The Frozen Biome erupted into a catastrophic storm, sending out shards of ice and torrents of freezing winds.The Desert turned into a maelstrom of sand, creating a raging cyclone of dust and debris. The Volcanic Region cracked open, belching fire and molten rock into the air.
The effects didn't stay contained.
Winds roared across the battlefield, colliding violently—fire meeting ice, sand mixing with flames.
Participants were thrown off their feet, some outright buried.
The entire battlefield was becoming uninhabitable.
The Aftermath
Kalem exhaled sharply, feeling the release of energy leave his body.
The blinding glow dimmed, leaving only chaos in its wake.
He took a moment to regain his composure, wiping sweat from his brow.
"That...was something," he muttered.
In the distance, he could hear the screams of participants caught in the sudden environmental disasters.
"Oops."
Back in the Observation Towers
The officials prayed for the competitors.
Headmaster Valdris?
He simply smirked.
"Magnificent."