"Hnngh…"
August's mind returned to consciousness in an extremely groggy state.
He actually came back to the world of the living before his body did, so for a few seconds, he sat there and did his best to open his eyes before succeeding.
Still, he eventually did.
Luckily, the few seconds he spent with them closed let him register the light shining through his eyelids and adapt to it. He wasn't immediately blinded when he opened them, but it did still hurt.
He sat up, curiously feeling his body.
'I'm…fine?'
The last thing he remembered was being murdered by Eris Noct. He didn't expect to wake up with not a single indication of injury on his body.
But, that was the case.
It was the power of draconic healing. August's body was a mess when he came out of the labyrinth.
He'd been protected by the mechanisms in place, but his limbs were severely injured and his chest was caved in. An average person would have died to such injuries, but his "death" to Eris still took place under the restrictions of the labyrinth.
As such, he'd been saved. Quite thoroughly, at that.
'I must be in the medical center.'
He was surrounded by empty beds in a small room with some equipment in it. There wasn't much else other than the door that led to the outside, but that was where his answers originated from.
It opened, giving way for a woman to walk in.
"Oh? You're awake?" She said as soon as she saw August.
"You are…?" He replied, despite how obvious the answer was.
"I am the one who made sure that you wouldn't suffer from any lasting injuries. On that note, shouldn't you fix your attitude?"
She said it playfully, but August took those words seriously.
She was a healer, so of course she deserved respect.
"Thank you."
He bowed his head respectfully, causing her eyes to slightly widen in surprise.
"There's no need. I'm just doing my job."
August nodded.
"Is the competition over? How long have I been unconscious?"
He could understand the gist of it all with the context clues that he had, but he still didn't know how long he'd been out.
Nor did he know how that final moment actually panned out.
The nurse didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she took a device and scanned his body before looking over the information that appeared on a screen she held.
Her eyes went from side to side as she read through it, and when she finished, she nodded with a smile.
"I could answer those questions, but it's better for you to find out for yourself. Plus, you woke up at a perfect time."
She walked to his side and helped him remove some of the sensors and machines that were attached to his body.
"Right outside of that door is the arena that you were in before. If you want to find out how everything ended…"
"...then why don't you go see for yourself? The final ceremony is going to begin soon."
"Oh?"
If that was true, then he could've only been out for a few hours at most.
He stood up rapidly before realizing that he had nothing but a gown on.
"Ah…my clothes…?"
"They're on the table over there," the nurse said, giggling slightly.
"I will give you space so you can change. But, before I leave, I guess I should be the first one to say it."
She smiled, bowing slightly before opening the door behind her.
"Congratulations, August Void."
With that, she left.
August raised an eyebrow.
'Is that good news?'
Did he succeed in doing what he wanted?
If so, then he needed to get to the final ceremony as soon as possible.
August hurriedly put his clothes on and rushed out of the medical center.
He found himself in a tunnel leading to the arena. Even from here, he could hear the crowd and the announcer's voice.
"Look at this timing, everyone!" The announcer yelled, energy filling the air with his every word.
"I have just received news that our star of the day has awoken! He should be coming now, so may I present to you…"
August had been slowly walking through the tunnel while listening to the announcer, but hearing his words, he started to jog.
All he could see was a blinding light at the end of the tunnel, but he knew what he would find on the other side.
"A boy far younger and less powerful than everyone else, yet a man who found a place above them all! May I present to you…"
August rushed into the light.
He was swallowed by it, enveloped in all its glory as it faded and allowed him to see what was now around him.
"August Void!"
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Like a thundering volcano erupting, like an earthquake splitting the world, the crowd roared with such fervor that the entire arena shook.
The sun shined through the open roof above, illuminating the tens of thousands of people in the stands.
Tens of thousands of people who all had their eyes on him.
Excitement, adoration, respect…their emotions hit him like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming his senses.
He stumbled a little as he took it in.
The labyrinth was gone. The arena floor was inhabited by only a podium and a set of seats prepared for the geniuses who didn't place and the elites who had the right to sit in such prestigious positions.
There were two people on the podium and one spot open.
August grinned when he saw it.
The feeling of the crowd's acknowledgement, that podium spot that told everyone that he had what it took to become the emperor…
He reveled in this atmosphere.
This feeling of being above ten thousand people, the feeling of knowing that even more were reacting the same way outside the arena…
It gave August another reason to become the Dragon Emperor.
These would be his people once he took that position.
With their overwhelming support, August walked up to the podium and took his place. The announcer couldn't even say another word over the cheers of the crowd.
"And that's it!"
Still, he put on a show worthy of his position.
"Our top three finishers in the first round of the heir wars!"
He waved his arm flamboyantly, and a massive projection appeared in the air.
"In third place, August Void!"
He looked a bit awkward, but perhaps that was his charm.
"In second place…"
"Eris Noct!"
If there was one thing that was clear whether through the projection or in reality, it was Eris' killing intent.
From the moment August appeared, it had been barely constrained. But, with the atmosphere being as positive as it was, neither August nor the audience took a single second to consider her emotions.
After all, she was the villain of this round.
And, she was only in second place.
The victor's position went exactly where it was meant to be.
"And in first place, our overall winner…Valerie Revell!"
She also looked awkward, but it was only because she felt conflicted about her win.
Still, seeing August smiling at her, proud that she'd made it to that place, she felt more comfortable as well.
She raised her arm in a pose of victory, and the crowd went wild.
It wasn't just about how thrilling the labyrinth challenge had been.
It was the fact that two of the three podium spots had been taken by commoners.
Above the noble clans, above even a Holy Clan stood a commoner.
And for a crowd made up of mainly people on their side of the class divide…
That meant everything.
"Hnngh…"
August's mind returned to consciousness in an extremely groggy state.
He actually came back to the world of the living before his body did, so for a few seconds, he sat there and did his best to open his eyes before succeeding.
Still, he eventually did.
Luckily, the few seconds he spent with them closed let him register the light shining through his eyelids and adapt to it. He wasn't immediately blinded when he opened them, but it did still hurt.
He sat up, curiously feeling his body.
'I'm…fine?'
The last thing he remembered was being murdered by Eris Noct. He didn't expect to wake up with not a single indication of injury on his body.
But, that was the case.
It was the power of draconic healing. August's body was a mess when he came out of the labyrinth.
He'd been protected by the mechanisms in place, but his limbs were severely injured and his chest was caved in. An average person would have died to such injuries, but his "death" to Eris still took place under the restrictions of the labyrinth.
As such, he'd been saved. Quite thoroughly, at that.
'I must be in the medical center.'
He was surrounded by empty beds in a small room with some equipment in it. There wasn't much else other than the door that led to the outside, but that was where his answers originated from.
It opened, giving way for a woman to walk in.
"Oh? You're awake?" She said as soon as she saw August.
"You are…?" He replied, despite how obvious the answer was.
"I am the one who made sure that you wouldn't suffer from any lasting injuries. On that note, shouldn't you fix your attitude?"
She said it playfully, but August took those words seriously.
She was a healer, so of course she deserved respect.
"Thank you."
He bowed his head respectfully, causing her eyes to slightly widen in surprise.
"There's no need. I'm just doing my job."
August nodded.
"Is the competition over? How long have I been unconscious?"
He could understand the gist of it all with the context clues that he had, but he still didn't know how long he'd been out.
Nor did he know how that final moment actually panned out.
The nurse didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she took a device and scanned his body before looking over the information that appeared on a screen she held.
Her eyes went from side to side as she read through it, and when she finished, she nodded with a smile.
"I could answer those questions, but it's better for you to find out for yourself. Plus, you woke up at a perfect time."
She walked to his side and helped him remove some of the sensors and machines that were attached to his body.
"Right outside of that door is the arena that you were in before. If you want to find out how everything ended…"
"...then why don't you go see for yourself? The final ceremony is going to begin soon."
"Oh?"
If that was true, then he could've only been out for a few hours at most.
He stood up rapidly before realizing that he had nothing but a gown on.
"Ah…my clothes…?"
"They're on the table over there," the nurse said, giggling slightly.
"I will give you space so you can change. But, before I leave, I guess I should be the first one to say it."
She smiled, bowing slightly before opening the door behind her.
"Congratulations, August Void."
With that, she left.
August raised an eyebrow.
'Is that good news?'
Did he succeed in doing what he wanted?
If so, then he needed to get to the final ceremony as soon as possible.
August hurriedly put his clothes on and rushed out of the medical center.
He found himself in a tunnel leading to the arena. Even from here, he could hear the crowd and the announcer's voice.
"Look at this timing, everyone!" The announcer yelled, energy filling the air with his every word.
"I have just received news that our star of the day has awoken! He should be coming now, so may I present to you…"
August had been slowly walking through the tunnel while listening to the announcer, but hearing his words, he started to jog.
All he could see was a blinding light at the end of the tunnel, but he knew what he would find on the other side.
"A boy far younger and less powerful than everyone else, yet a man who found a place above them all! May I present to you…"
August rushed into the light.
He was swallowed by it, enveloped in all its glory as it faded and allowed him to see what was now around him.
"August Void!"
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Like a thundering volcano erupting, like an earthquake splitting the world, the crowd roared with such fervor that the entire arena shook.
The sun shined through the open roof above, illuminating the tens of thousands of people in the stands.
Tens of thousands of people who all had their eyes on him.
Excitement, adoration, respect…their emotions hit him like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming his senses.
He stumbled a little as he took it in.
The labyrinth was gone. The arena floor was inhabited by only a podium and a set of seats prepared for the geniuses who didn't place and the elites who had the right to sit in such prestigious positions.
There were two people on the podium and one spot open.
August grinned when he saw it.
The feeling of the crowd's acknowledgement, that podium spot that told everyone that he had what it took to become the emperor…
He reveled in this atmosphere.
This feeling of being above ten thousand people, the feeling of knowing that even more were reacting the same way outside the arena…
It gave August another reason to become the Dragon Emperor.
These would be his people once he took that position.
With their overwhelming support, August walked up to the podium and took his place. The announcer couldn't even say another word over the cheers of the crowd.
"And that's it!"
Still, he put on a show worthy of his position.
"Our top three finishers in the first round of the heir wars!"
He waved his arm flamboyantly, and a massive projection appeared in the air.
"In third place, August Void!"
He looked a bit awkward, but perhaps that was his charm.
"In second place…"
"Eris Noct!"
If there was one thing that was clear whether through the projection or in reality, it was Eris' killing intent.
From the moment August appeared, it had been barely constrained. But, with the atmosphere being as positive as it was, neither August nor the audience took a single second to consider her emotions.
After all, she was the villain of this round.
And, she was only in second place.
The victor's position went exactly where it was meant to be.
"And in first place, our overall winner…Valerie Revell!"
She also looked awkward, but it was only because she felt conflicted about her win.
Still, seeing August smiling at her, proud that she'd made it to that place, she felt more comfortable as well.
She raised her arm in a pose of victory, and the crowd went wild.
It wasn't just about how thrilling the labyrinth challenge had been.
It was the fact that two of the three podium spots had been taken by commoners.
Above the noble clans, above even a Holy Clan stood a commoner.
And for a crowd made up of mainly people on their side of the class divide…
That meant everything.
