Author Of Worlds: I Reincarnated Into My Novel As A Random Character
Chapter 29: Duel... Supporters...

Chapter 29: Duel... Supporters...

Refocusing his thoughts, Matthew’s gaze landed on another group of students clad in yellow robes.

Summoning Origin Path.

There was no one particularly remarkable within the Summoning group for now. However, that didn’t mean the Summoning path was weaker than the others. Every origin path had its own strengths and weaknesses.

The only reason it might seem unimpressive at the moment was not because the summoned beasts were inherently weak, but because they had yet to summon truly terrifying mythical creatures.

Finally, after the Summoning group came the Ability Awakeners’ Origin Path, the largest group with nearly twenty members, making up the majority of the class.

Matthew could feel a slight chill in the air as he stood beside the flawless Kathryn, whose icy expression made her seem almost unapproachable.

Not knowing what was bothering her, he could only remain indifferent. He understood this was simply her nature. From the beginning, she had always been this way.

Aside from Kathryn and Sylvia, there were no other prominent figures within the Ability Awakener group.

Seeing that everyone had settled into their respective groups, the students all fell into a brief moment of silence in remembrance of the absence of the Sleeper path.

Before long, Instructor Silas stepped forward and pointed toward a specific young man within the crowd.

"You, come and fight against him," he said, gesturing to another lean youth standing among the Elemental Origin Path students.

The young man from the Ability Awakener group glanced at his chosen opponent and slowly shook his head.

"Instructor, I forfeit. I only have a supporting ability that lets me treat minor injuries. It’s not suitable for combat at all."

At these words, Silas’s eyes flashed with an indifferent glint.

As someone aligned with the cult of dragon worshippers, Silas cared little for the lives of ordinary humans. He was cold and unwavering in his actions.

"Quickly begin the battle. Do you think you can simply tell your opponents on the battlefield that you quit?"

Confusion flickered in the student’s eyes. According to what he had heard from senior students, those who awakened supporting abilities were usually exempt from combat duels.

Still, it was also well known that Instructor Silas often acted contrary to expectations.

A hesitant look passed across the boy’s face, but ultimately, he did not dare to disobey.

With clenched fists, he leapt onto the stage.

Silas moved his towering figure and walked off the platform, creating space for the fight.

Meanwhile, the elemental path student, already prepared, summoned his origin energy and condensed the earth beneath his feet into a springboard. In one swift motion, he launched himself onto the stage.

The platform was spacious, its stone surface cracked and worn from countless previous battles, making it suitable for combatants with destructive powers.

Matthew, still among the Ability Awakeners, simply shook his head.

He knew exactly what Silas was doing. The instructor wanted to assess everyone’s true strength in preparation for the impending dragon invasion.

However, there was nothing Matthew could do to change the outcome.

The result of the duel had already been decided before it even began.

Glancing up at the two young men on the platform, Silas’s deep voice echoed once again.

"Begin the duel!"

As his command faded into the air, the dark-haired boy from the Elemental path wasted no time. He summoned a wave of earth energy and launched a heavy brick-like rock at his opponent.

With the boost in strength granted by his elemental affinity, it didn’t take much effort for him to send the projectile flying at incredible speed.

The supporting-type student had no chance to react.

The rock smashed into his forehead, and in an instant, he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

There was no delay. No opportunity to resist.

A collective gasp spread through the crowd.

But soon, realization set in.

Among all the abilities across the different paths, many were purely supportive. These abilities, while powerful in their own right, were not suitable for head-on confrontations.

And so the battle ended just like that.

Silas’s eyes gleamed as he pulled out a black notebook and began recording details with precise movements.

Many assumed he was taking note of student performance for evaluation or future rewards.

But Matthew knew better.

Silas would pass this information to his superiors within the Dragon Worshipper cult.

"Gravel wins," Instructor Silas announced in a loud, authoritative tone.

"Step to the side. When everything concludes, you will receive your origin stone and your reward along with the others."

Gravel nodded and walked calmly to the side of the stage.

Silas then turned back toward the rest of the students. His eyes swept across the remaining groups as he called forth more challengers and opponents.

Time passed, and the duels continued, one after the other.

Gradually, the number of conscious students dwindled.

As Matthew had written in his novel, there were countless possible abilities, and the chances of awakening a supportive type were extremely high.

He let out a faint sigh.

Just then, Silas’s voice rang out again.

"You..."

Everyone turned toward the direction he was pointing.

Matthew followed his gaze and realized he was pointing at someone from the Potion Origin Path.

Grati.

Matthew narrowed his eyes.

He knew exactly who Grati was and what he was capable of.

As a minor antagonist within the story, Grati had been given a relatively powerful ability under the Potion Origin Path, one that made him a slight threat early in the narrative.

Grati stepped forward from the crowd, his posture confident, his head held high.

He looked around at the rest of the students with a smug glint in his eyes.

"Elder Brother Grati is going to win, no doubt about it. The instructor should just let him skip to the next stage," one of his lackeys said with pride from within the group.

At those words, the arrogance in Grati’s eyes deepened.

He swept his gaze across the courtyard, seemingly trying to guess whom he would face.

However, Instructor Silas’s expression shifted the moment the lackey had spoken.

A flicker of disdain passed across his face.

Matthew noticed it immediately and inwardly paused, offering a few silent seconds of pity for the unfortunate fool.

’He really dared to interrupt Silas, despite the fact that this entire event was set up by orders from the cult’s higher-ups?’

Silas’s love for the dragons bordered on religious devotion.

When he had reached the lowest point in his life, only the dragons had given him purpose once again.

At that moment, Silas’s hand hovered in the air, sweeping deliberately through the crowd before it finally came to a stop.

Directly in front of Axel.

Matthew’s eyes widened in alarm.

"You," Silas said coldly.

"Come and duel with him."

Axel, still deep in thought, was caught completely off guard.

He looked up, stunned.