The Extra Wants Control

Zehn and his faction found themselves deposited on a stretch of pristine beach, the warm sun kissing his skin and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore.

A sigh escaped his lips, a mixture of relief and frustration. This was not the ideal battlefield nor a fortress location he had envisioned. More importantly, this wasn't the suitable time nor place for the swimsuit parade he had secretly hoped for.

"If only I wasn't here for work," he muttered, his voice barely audible above the crashing waves.

"I could be enjoying this scenery in a much more... relaxed manner." As he eyed his female faction members smiling but shaking his head with a sigh.

A voice interrupted his musings. "Sir, this is a perfect location. We can set up a hidden base here, completely safe from any potential attacks."

Zehn turned to face the speaker, a young mage with a mix of enthusiasm and naivety in his eyes. " And our Resources?" Zehn questioned, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The mage flushed, embarrassment evident on his face. Zehn sighed, mentally noting the need for more rigorous training for his team. "First, let's see what's on top of that cliff," he decided, pointing towards the towering rock formation that loomed over the beach. "Then, we can decide on our next move."

With a flick of his wrist, a gust of wind lifted him off the ground, propelling him upwards with astonishing speed. As he ascended, the beach and his team shrank into tiny specks below. He reached the clifftop, the wind whipping at his clothes, his eyes scanning the horizon. The view was breathtaking, the ocean stretching out to meet the sky in a seamless blend of blue.

But Zehn's focus wasn't on the beauty of the landscape. He was searching, scanning for potential threats, any sign of danger lurking in this seemingly idyllic paradise.

"It's just rocks and rocks... Should we really build a fort here? Well it would be well hidden when we go for expeditions." Thought Zehn as he continued scanning the sorroundings.

As he concentrated, a strange sensation washed over him. Something was amiss in the water below. Bubbles, tiny at first, were forming and growing rapidly, covering the ocean's surface like a bubbling cauldron. A chill ran down Zehn's spine. Something big was about to happen.

Zehn landed back on the beach, his feet sinking into the yielding sand.

Before him, a colossal octopus emerged slowly, its tentacles writhing like serpents rising from the depths. Its eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto the intruders in the beach, a silent challenge echoing in the depths of the ocean.

This was no ordinary creature; its immense size and the unnatural glow emanating from its body marked it as a formidable opponent, an upper seven-star behemoth.

Zehn acted first, his magic surging within him, met the challenge head-on. His hands, ablaze with green fire, unleashed a torrent of flames, a wall of heat that crashed against the octopus's advancing tentacles. The water, infused with the creature's magic, resisted, but the flames, fueled by Zehn's raw power, began to evaporate the seawater slowly halting the creature.

But it began controlling the waves and its tentacles swinging and hitting anything in site, destroying trees, pushing back the faction members who were trying desperately to dodge the tentacles.

Zehn maneuvered against the swinging tentancle while flying, trying to cut the beast with his fire blades but the beast's compressed water shields made it hard to cut deeply as he only made shallow cuts.

The battle was a symphony of destruction. Water and fire clashed in a mesmerizing display of elemental power. Zehn, agile and swift, danced around the octopus, his movements a blur of green flames. He struck at the tentacles, severing them one by one, forcing the creature to retreat deeper into the water.

But the octopus, resilient and cunning, regenerated its limbs with astonishing speed, the water around it churning as it drew upon the ocean's life force.

As the battle raged, Zehn's faction members, having established a makeshift defensive perimeter. They helped, well atleast tried to. They had never seen such a display of raw power, such a brutal dance between man and monster. Their leader, a figure of legend within their ranks, was putting his abilities on full display, showcasing the true extent of his mastery over the elements.

But the octopus, driven by a primal instinct for survival, fought on. It unleashed a barrage of water-based attacks, each more powerful than the last. It summoned whirlwinds of water, created towering waves, and even manipulated the tides to its advantage. Zehn, unyielding, countered with equal ferocity. He summoned firestorms, created walls of flame, and even manipulated the wind to his advantage.

The battle reached a crescendo as the two titans clashed, their powers colliding in a cataclysmic display of elemental fury. The beach, once a serene paradise, was transformed into a battlefield, a testament to the raw power unleashed by man and monster. The outcome of this clash would determine the fate of Zehn's faction, and perhaps, the fate of the entire sub-dimension.

" Get it close to the beach and block its way back into the ocean, get it to shallow regions, I want mages to bind it with every binding spell they have, knights prepare to cut it, its regeneration is getting sloppier." Ordered Zehn as he shot two massive green fire chains at the octopus, one was blocked by a tentancle the other made way to the base of the octopus where the tentancle stretched from.

The faction members spun to actions, firing shots from the opposite side to make it move to the beach, as soon as it got close enough it was bound by wind, water, fire and earth spells.

There were no special elements as those were very rare.

The battle raged on, a symphony of water and fire clashing in a titanic struggle. Zehn, his body bathed in a radiant blue aura, moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior. His every strike was a calculated blow, a testament to his years of training and the innate understanding of his element.

The octopus, sensing its weakening grip on the battlefield, retaliated with renewed ferocity. Its tentacles coated in water that moved like a chainsaws blades, each a weapon of immense power, lashed out in a desperate attempt to cut down the members. But the mages were too swift and it was hard to move because of the binding.

Now bound at the beac, cut by the knights, and too tired to protect itself.

With a focused mind, Zehn drew upon the depths of his power. His body became a conduit for an overwhelming surge of fire magic, a torrent of heat that engulfed the battlefield. The water, once the octopus's domain, began to boil.

The octopus, its movements hindered by the boiling water, let out a desperate roar. Its skin, once slick and resistant, began to blister and peel under the relentless heat. The once-formidable creature was now a wounded beast, its power waning with each passing moment. And the worst part it was that it couldn't move away and run cause it was bound and behind it were other mages also firing shots.

Seizing the opportunity, Zehn unleashed his ultimate attack. A colossal sphere of green fire, crackling with raw energy, formed around him. With a powerful thrust, he sent the sphere hurtling towards the octopus. The impact was catastrophic. The water boiled with renewed ferocity, the octopus's body convulsing as its life force was consumed by the inferno.

As the flames died down, revealing the lifeless form of the monstrous creature, Zehn and his team moved with swift efficiency. The octopus, despite its immense size, had three distinct hearts that were now exposed which the octopus tried to hide, each a vital organ that sustained its life. With precise strikes, Zehn and his mages destroyed each heart, ensuring the creature's demise.

The battle was over, the victor standing amidst a desolate battlefield.

"On second thought, let's build here." Zehn said.

" Yes sir." The members replied.

The global audience, a diverse tapestry of cultures and backgrounds, was glued to their screens, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The Academy's sub-dimension, once a mysterious concept, had exploded into a spectacle, a live, interactive reality show where the stakes were life and death.

They don't know how it was formed but rumours say that it was a collaborative effort of the race leaders using their domains but these were never confirmed.

As they watched the students show what they have learned, it was very surprising, even the nameless extras were strong not to mention the blessed and the other top rankers. It was honestly too much. Everything from their prowess in combat, their strategic thinking, and their unwavering determination were on full display.

The way the academy transformed from ordinary people into hardened warriors, the speed with which they adapted to the unforgiving environment, and the ruthless efficiency with which they eliminated threats captured the imagination of the world.

The faction leaders, in particular, were the subject of intense scrutiny. Azrael handsome knight, with his mastery of the rare light element and his blade. Lara, the elven princess, with her grace and lethal precision, was a symbol of nature's raw power. And the weird plant power she showed...

Axl, the dragon prince, exuded a raw, primal energy that resonated with those who craved unbridled strength and his ruthless execution.

Kim, the tigerkin, who even though they didn't see fight were amazed how she handled the wolves. And Astrid, the dwarven princess, with her unwavering determination and tactical mind, was a testament to the resilience of her people.

Of course, there were skeptics. Some whispered about the possibility of enhanced reality, suggesting the battles were scripted or the dangers and scaling of the battles were exaggerated.

Some were more focused on the compressed timeline and time difference like how they compressed several days in the dimension to be equal to a few hours in the real world. This of course fueled the conspiracy of it being fake and probably filmed like a movie.

Some were convinced it was real, the raw emotion on the students' faces, the palpable fear and determination, were undeniable and what reason would the race leaders and Saintess have to lie to them?

So conspiracy was ignored in the chat.

There was a great anticipation for the inevitable clash between factions was palpable. Who would emerge victorious? How would the different strategies and tactics play out? The world waited with bated breath.

And then there were those who were simply fascinated by the architectural marvels that were promised to take shape, since they would judge them based on it they were bound to go all out no?The fortresses, symbols of each faction's ingenuity and power, were being constructed at an astonishing pace. The question on everyone's lips was, who would build the most formidable stronghold?

" Mr. Ray Alistair, how do you think this would have unfolded if the vampire's were here?" Asked Seraphina.