Reborn with a Necromancer System
Chapter 162: Tournament Sign-Up

Chapter 162: Tournament Sign-Up

Kai and Vepice wandered around the city. He chose to find a place for them to stay while the tournament was going.

The inn Kai chose was modest but clean, nestled between a spice shop and a cobbler’s workshop near the outer ring of the Citadel. A wooden sign hung over the door: The Crooked Rose. Inside, the walls were paneled with warm oak, and the scent of baked bread and cider lingered in the air. It felt... safe. Or at least safe enough.

He paid for a week in advance, flicking a few silver coins across the counter to the innkeeper, who accepted them without question.

"Room upstairs. Third door on the left. Two beds," the man said, sliding over a pair of iron keys.

Kai handed one to Vepice. "Stay here. Rest. I’ll be back later."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You’re not leaving me again, are you?"

"It’s just to sign up to the tournament. It won’t take long."

Vepice crossed her arms. "Are you sure? Last time you left, it was for over a year..."

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Okay, fair. But this time, I’m leaving someone, well something, with you."

With a thought, Kai summoned Shade from his shadow. The amorphous blob of darkness slithered up from beneath his cloak, twitching like it had been jolted awake.

"Be nice," Kai warned it. "Be comforting."

Shade shifted its form, growing stubby ears and large rounded haunches. Within seconds, it had become a massive black bunny with pure white eyes.

Vepice blinked. Then laughed.

"I hate how much that actually helps."

Kai smirked, then turned toward the door. "Back soon."

---

The Arena of Kings towered above the surrounding district like a relic of ancient gods. Its obsidian arches and runed pillars gave it the appearance of a coliseum carved from shadow.

Kai, still wearing his Alex Trunsdale guise, made his way toward what appeared to be the sign-up area, a stone dais flanked by guards and manned by a bored-looking man leafing through a stack of parchment.

When the man spotted Kai, his demeanor changed instantly. He reached beneath the table, pulled out a small slip, and slid it across the desk.

"Fill this out, please."

Kai scanned the form, then calmly wrote:

Name: Alex Trunsdale

Age: 17

Affiliation: Independent

Sponsor: Unknown

He slid the slip back, though his fingers twitched slightly.

"You don’t know your sponsor?" he asked.

"I guess it’s Rael?"

"Rael?" He echoed aloud.

"Yes?"

The clerk nodded. "Then you’re the kid he mentioned. With only three days left for sign-ups, you’re lucky he held a position open. You’re his sponsored fighter this year. He didn’t sponsor one last year."

’Why the hell did he have to do that?’ Kai exhaled.

"I’ll make sure to thank him personally." Kai said, sarcastically.

The clerk handed the slip off to a scribe and gestured toward a side door. "They’ll process your entry and bring your tag. Until then, you’re free to enter the grounds. Try not to start any fights."

Kai smirked. "No promises."

"No. Seriously. Fighting outside of sparring or tournament matches result in pretty heavy punishments.

Kai took his warning lightly and left for the training area to find Rael.

---

Rael was watching a sparring match in the training yard behind the arena, his arms folded, a half-empty bottle of apple wine at his hip. He wore a loose training vest, exposing a network of scars and mana-channeling tattoos that lit faintly beneath the sunlight. When he spotted Kai, he raised an eyebrow.

"You didn’t even say thank you."

Kai marched up to him. "For sponsoring me? That was a surprise. I’ll say it after a spar."

Rael’s grin widened. "So you’re finally ready to be humbled again?"

Kai only answered by drawing his practice blade from his back. The wood was reinforced with a dull mana sheen, still dangerous, but far from lethal.

They took their positions.

And then Rael vanished.

Kai barely had time to conjure a barrier before wind rushed past him and an explosion of fire knocked him sideways. He rolled, kicked back up, and sent a series of ice bolts wide, forcing Rael to reposition.

The old warrior’s blade flickered, light magic bent the space around it, distorting its path just enough to make Kai’s parries imprecise.

"Damn it-" Kai hissed, reinforcing his legs with necrotic energy and lunging forward.

They traded blows in a blur of movement, Kai utilising shadows and strengthening magic to stay alive, while Rael effortlessly layered elemental enhancements, each one woven tightly into his core.

A pulse of wind knocked Kai off his feet, and this time, Rael didn’t give him time to recover. A boot pressed to his chest, pinning him to the dirt of the training yard.

"Well," Rael said, not even out of breath. "That was better than last time."

Kai groaned, lying back, fingers curling in the dust.

"I’ve got a question."

Rael stepped off and offered him a hand. Kai didn’t take it.

"Shoot."

Kai stared up at the clouds. "Why don’t more people use magic outside their specialisation?"

Rael squinted at him. "You’re, what, fifteen, and you don’t know that?"

"I guess I didn’t stay in school long enough, I suppose."

The older man chuckled. "Well, it’s because of output density. We all try to use foreign magic like it’s our own and at the same level. But your soul isn’t wired for it. What happens when you force something too large through too small a space?"

"Backlash?"

"Worse. Destruction. I saw a man blow his own arm off with fire magic once. He was a water mage. Tried to burn someone with a spell he copied from a scroll. The healing mages couldn’t even find all the pieces to reattach."

Kai winced. "Lovely image."

Rael looked down at him, wiping his blade clean. "You’re different. Always were. Even as a kid, you swapped elements like they were flavours. How?"

Kai hesitated. Then said, "Necromancy."

Rael’s expression hardened slightly.

"I store souls," Kai added. "Not stolen. Willingly given, mostly. Their skills, their magic, their experience... I can borrow all of it."

"Souls, huh..." Rael shook his head. "Let’s stop talking about this. I like you, Kai. But that doesn’t mean I’m fine with everything you do."

Kai sat up. "Understood."

Rael tossed him a towel. "What are you going to do before the tournament?"

Kai wiped off the sweat and dirt. "Train. I also have a friend with me. Would you be able to get them a seat to watch the fights?"

"Of course. With my sponsorship, I get five seats in the arena. Anyone else you want in there?"

"No. Just a girl named Vepice. By the way, you said I can’t directly influence someone with magic, right?"

"Correct. Anything that directly debuffs or harms another fighter is disqualifying. Indirect magic is fine. Enhancement on yourself is absolutely fine. Don’t be sucking any of those souls out of people."

Kai nodded. "No soul sucking. Got it."

"Seriously, don’t be clever. They’ll notice."

Kai gave him a look. "You know I can’t help myself."

Rael laughed. "So you’ll be okay for the week?"

Kai blinked. "Week?"

"That’s how long the tournament lasts."

"I thought it was a back-to-back knockout."

"Most people don’t regenerate like you. Even you need sleep, right?"

Kai didn’t answer.

Rael narrowed his eyes. "Right?"

Kai looked away.

Rael sighed. "Maybe I should bet my life savings on you."

"Don’t. I couldn’t even beat you. And if you’re not even the reigning champion... I doubt I’ll win."

Rael clapped him on the back. "You might surprise us all, Kai."

"Just remember," Kai muttered as they walked off the training ground, "it’s Alex now."

"Right, right. It’s just... hard to forget who you were."

Kai’s smile was grim.

"Sometimes I wish forgetting was easy."