The subterranean corridors beneath the sprawling, sphere-shaped stadium smelled of cold concrete, ion radiation, and distilled adrenaline.
High above the reinforced ceiling, the muffled roar of thousands of unseen spectators vibrated through the foundation like a steady, low-frequency heartbeat.
Inside the resting quarters of the Legends, the atmosphere was deceptively calm.
Tez leaned against the metallic wall, stretching his arms over his head, while Rihasa sat cross-legged on a bench, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“Man, those opening matches were almost too easy,” Tez remarked, tossing a training towel onto a nearby chair.
“I thought the hundred best fighters in the realm would give us a real challenge.”
The heavy sliding door hissed open, and Sha stepped into the room, rolling his shoulders with a satisfied smirk.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Tez. That’s all thanks to Master’s evolution training.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me!” Rihasa groaned, shuddering at the memory.
“That training was a literal journey through hell and back. My muscles still ache when I think about it.”
Weza looked up from a holographic tactical map floating above his palm.
“And keep in mind, that wasn’t even real-world physical training. That was purely holographic projection. Can you imagine what would happen to us if Master actually came down to Powerland to train us in person?”
Rihasa buried his face in his hands.
“If that happens, just bury me where I fall. I’d choose death over that regime any day!”
“Oh, come on, really?” Tez laughed softly.
“Honestly though,” Sha cut in, leaning his trident against the table, “I thought these arena battles would be a little more thrilling. Our first rounds felt completely uninspiring.”
Tez turned his gaze toward Sha.
“By the way, Sha, your next fight is coming up fast. Do you know who you’re standing against?”
“Yeah, the system locked it in,” Sha replied, checking his wrist bracket.
“His name is Ginchi.”
“Do you know what kind of power or combat style he uses?” Tez pressed.
“Not a clue,” Sha shrugged casually.
“But I doubt he’s anything special. Looking at his avatar, he’s just another big, round guy. A total fatty, kind of like Rihasa here.”
Rihasa instantly sat up straight, his face reddening with outrage.
“Hey! Who are you calling a fatty?! This isn’t fat, you idiot! This is a solid, family-pack set of six-pack abs in development!”
A burst of genuine laughter echoed through the dim waiting room as Tez and Weza cracked up.
THWACK!
A razor-sharp energy arrow whistled out of the dark hallway, flying directly toward the side of Tez’s head.
Without breaking his stride or pausing his laugh, Tez casually tilted his head two inches to the left.
The arrow embedded itself deep into the steel plating behind him, the room’s ambient temperature suddenly spiking with residual heat.
Tez’s eyes narrowed as his cheerful aura vanished.
“Who’s out there?”
From the shadowy doorway stepped Huma, a slim, dark-haired girl wearing high-tech combat gear, carrying an air of total self-assurance.
She wore a light, calculating smile as she crossed her arms.
“Hmm! I knew a trick like that wouldn’t catch you off guard,” Huma said smoothly.
Sha recognized her instantly.
“Hey! You’re that tech girl from the very first battle!”
“And she lost, right?” Rihasa added, squinting at her.
“No, Rihasa, she completely obliterated her opponent,” Weza corrected dryly.
Rihasa scratched his head in confusion.
“Wait, really? But how? I can’t even sense a drop of natural aura coming off her. It’s practically empty.”
“Rihasa, don’t be naive,” Tez said quietly, stepping between his friends and the girl.
“Raw aura isn’t the only metric of power. A fighter can be lethal without displaying energy. Still… you’re a skilled combatant, Huma. What’s your actual special technique?”
Huma let out a sharp, amused hum.
“And what makes you think I’d just hand over my secret abilities to you? You’re not my friends. Every single person in this basement is an enemy.”
“So why step into our room at all?” Weza asked coldly.
Rihasa leaned toward Sha, dropping his voice to a terrible, audible whisper.
Huma’s eyebrows twitched angrily, her eyes snapping to Rihasa.
“I can hear every word you’re saying, you little piggy!”
“WHAT?!” Rihasa shrieked, pointing a finger at her.
“You called me a piggy?! You’re nothing but a cranky witch!”
“Hey, calm down, both of you!” Tez held his hands up defensively.
“Huma, if you truly view us as foes, why walk into our prep room right now?”
Huma locked eyes with Tez, her smile fading into a cold, sharp glare.
“Because I’m your next opponent, Tez.”
Tez blinked, caught off guard.
“Oh. You’re my next match… but why come tell me in person?”
“Oh, stop acting so innocent,” Huma sneered, taking a step closer.
“As if you didn’t already plan this out. You’re clever. That’s why you asked about my abilities first, isn’t it?”
“Look, I genuinely didn’t know,” Tez said calmly.
“And yeah, I asked, but not to get some cheap advantage. I just—”
“Just what?” Huma cut in sharply.
“Don’t try to act sophisticated with me!”
Sha stepped forward, shaking his head.
“Hey, why are you talking like you’re some seasoned adult? You’re just a kid like the rest of us!”
Huma stood tall, puffing out her chest.
“Excuse me?! I happen to be twelve years old!”
Rihasa gasped dramatically.
“Twelve?! By the way you talk, I thought you were twenty-one!”
“That is not funny!” Huma snapped.
“No, I’m being serious!” Rihasa smirked.
“Me and Sha are ten years old. That means you’re basically a grandma to us!”
“I am going to vaporize you!” Huma yelled, reaching for her tech bracelet.
“Stop! Everyone just stop!” Tez groaned, rubbing his temples.
“Why are we even arguing about ages?”
Huma glared at Tez.
“You should show me some proper respect! I’m older than you!”
Tez smirked, tilting his head.
“Actually… I turn thirteen next month.”
Sha and Rihasa both spun around, their jaws dropping in unison.
“WHAT?!” they shouted together.
“You never told us you were the oldest one here!”
Weza threw his hands up in exasperation.
“What is wrong with you guys?! Why are you messing around when the official matches are starting right now?!”
Huma turned toward the door, her coat swaying as she prepared to walk out.
She cast a cold glance over her shoulder at Tez.
“I’ll see you in the arena, Tez. Don’t expect a shred of mercy.”
Tez offered a calm, polite wave.
“Right… good luck to you too.”
Outside, the high-energy voice of the arena Host boomed over thousands of speakers, echoing through the massive structural dome.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT SPICY BATTLE OF THE DEATH GAMES?!”
The audience errupted into wild cheering as two massive holographic screens lit up above the center ring.
“ON THE LEFT SIDE—WE HAVE SHA! POWER TYPE: WATER BEAST! BATTLE WINS: 2!” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
In the staging area, Sha muttered under his breath, looking up at his stats screen.
“Water beast? Did they seriously just call my Aqua Shark a basic beast?”
“AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE—GINCHI! POWER TYPE: ABSORPTION! BATTLE WINS: 3!”
Sha stared across the arena at his towering, wide-framed opponent.
“What? That big guy already won three fights?”
“ARE BOTH PLAYERS READY?!” the Host screamed into his mic.
“READY!” Sha and Ginchi called out simultaneously.
“THEN LET THE MATCH… BEGIN!”
Ginchi stood completely still in the center of the ring, his arms hanging casually at his sides, looking down at Sha with a smug, heavy-lidded grin.
“You look pretty overconfident over there,” Sha noted, twirling his trident before settling into a low combat stance.
Ginchi chuckled, his deep voice vibrating through his broad chest.
“To be completely honest, little boy, I don’t really enjoy beating up children.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Sha smirked.
“I beat big guys like you for breakfast!”
Sha launched himself forward, his feet blurring against the stone tile.
He channeled his energy into his right fist, delivering a concentrated Aqua Strike directly into the center of Ginchi’s chest!
THUD!
The impact echoed across the stadium, throwing up a cloud of displaced air—but Ginchi didn’t budge an inch.
His body stood solid as a mountain wall.
Sha’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief as his hand bounced off Ginchi’s torso.
Ginchi’s smirk widened.
“Haha! See? Just like I said… you’re nothing more than a child.”
Before Sha could pull back, Ginchi brought his massive fist forward in a straight jab!
The speed and raw kinetic force behind the punch matched Sha’s previous strike, but amplified with terrifying double momentum!
Sha barely managed to twist his body out of the way, feeling the sheer wind pressure graze his cheek and tear a deep gouge into the stone floor behind him.
In the spectator box, Tez leaned over the railing, his eyes sharp as he analyzed the exchange.
“Now I see how his ability works.”
“What is it, Tez?” Weza asked.
Tez explained, his voice grim.
“Whenever an opponent hits Ginchi, his body absorbs the kinetic force and raw energy of the blow. Then, he can reflect that exact attack back at the opponent with twice the speed and strength—a 2x counter-kinetic force. On top of that, his skin naturally absorbs external maana.”
Huma slipped silently into the seat next to them, watching the match with a cold gaze.
“Which means if Sha wants to win, he has to land a heavy, single-point strike. But if he uses his maximum maana to do it, Ginchi will just absorb the energy and reflect it back. Sha will drain his own reserves and end up knocked out cold.”
Rihasa turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
“Hey! Why are you sitting with us anyway? Are you our friend or our opponent? Pick a side!”
“These aren’t assigned seats, piggy,” Huma retorted without looking at him.
“I’m just analyzing my next match—Tez.”
“Stop arguing,” Tez urged, turning his attention back to the ring.
“We need to send Sha our energy. He has to find a way through this.”
Weza smiled softly, noticing Sha’s posture in the ring.
“Don’t worry, guys. Look at Sha’s face… he already knows how he wants to play this.”
Down in the arena, Sha wiped his chin, his confident grin returning.
“Ginchi!” Sha called out, spinning his trident high above his head.
“I’m going to smash through that defense of yours! Come at me with everything you’ve got!”
Ginchi let out a booming laugh, spreading his arms wide.
“Hahaha! Then attack me with all your power, kid! Let’s see what you’ve got!”
Far up in the high-tier observation suite, the enigmatic warrior Trace rested his chin on his hand, a slow, intrigued smile spreading across his face as he looked down at the platform.
“This is turning out to be very interesting…”
To be continued…