?Wren slowly lifts his head, his golden eyes locking onto the massive figure of Hudson marching toward him with a twisted, sadistic grin.
?Hudson cracks his thick neck from side to side, the loud popping sound echoing off the stone walls, before flexing his massive, calloused fingers.
?"Ready, little rat?"
?Wren doesn’t offer a single word in response. But deep within the depths of his golden eyes, a cold, unyielding resolve burns bright.
?If I hadn’t contracted Envy... if I hadn’t awakened that exact moment on the train... I wouldn’t even be breathing right now.
?"I’ll take your silence as a ’yes’," Hudson grins wider.
?All around the cage, the bloodthirsty crowd holds its breath, leaning over the railings in sheer anticipation of Hudson’s magnificent display of humiliation.
?And then—
?Swish.
?In a terrifying blur of motion, Hudson vanishes from sight.
?Wren’s eyes widen in sheer disbelief. He knows for a fact the giant was right in front of him a millisecond ago, but now—nothing. The space is completely empty.
?Where the hell did he go—?!
?Before the thought can even finish forming in his head, a blinding agony rips through his core. It feels as though a high-speed freight train has slammed directly into his stomach.
?Cough—!
?Wren violently hacks up a spray of dark blood, his body folding in half before he is launched backward through the air as if caught in a localized gale force.
?Bam!
?His spine crashes mercilessly against the rigid iron bars of the cage, the heavy impact rattling the entire structure and driving the last remaining oxygen straight out of his lungs.
Wren slowly slid down the iron bars, his legs trembling uncontrollably as he struggled to remain conscious.
What... what kind of insane speed is that?!
?Wren hadn’t even been able to catch the shadow of Hudson’s movement.
?In the absolute blink of an eye, the giant had closed the massive distance between them and delivered a devastating, bone-crushing punch—one with enough raw, explosive force to send Wren flying across the entire length of the arena.
?Wren clutches his stomach tightly, his fingers trembling violently as fresh blood spills from the corner of his mouth, dripping down onto the cold stone floor.
?Damn it...
?His vision blurs dangerously at the edges, the world spinning out of focus. He can barely keep his eyes open. With every shallow, ragged breath he takes, a sharp, white-hot stab of agony rips through his chest, making it feel as though someone has driven a thick, white-hot steel rod straight through his stomach.
?All around them, the bloodthirsty crowd erupts into wild, roaring chaos.
?"HAHAHA! Did you see that?! The brat didn’t even have time to blink!"
?"HUDSON! HUDSON! HUDSON!"
?The deafening cheers rattle the thick iron bars, shaking the very foundations of the arena.
?In the center of the cage, Hudson slowly lowers his fist, glancing down at his heavy knuckles with a look of mild, mocking disappointment.
?"Hmm. That was the first one."
?Hudson raised his massive head, peering through the dim arena dust to find Wren slumped against the iron bars.
?"Still breathing, little rat?"
?Wren tried to force an answer past his cracked lips, but all that escaped his throat was a violent, bloody cough.
?Hudson grinned, stepping closer with slow, heavy strides.
?"Good. I’d hate for you to die before we get to the second."
?This fucking bastard...
?Wren clenched his teeth so hard a fresh taste of copper flooded his mouth. More than anything, he wanted to stand back up, rush forward, and smash his fist straight into that stupid, arrogant grin.
?Unfortunately, his body stubbornly refused to cooperate.
?His legs felt like leaden jelly, and his arms shook uncontrollably whenever he tried to put weight on them to push himself off the cold stone floor.
?At this rate... I’ll be dead long before the third punch even lands.
?Just as despair threatened to swallow him whole, a familiar translucent blue window flickered into existence right before his eyes.
?[ Quest Progress Updated! ]
[ Survive Hudson’s Three Punches. ]
[ First Punch: Survived. ]
[ Remaining Punches: 2. ]
?Wren stared blankly at the glowing notification, a dark, bitter laugh welling up in his chest.
?Surviving? You call this surviving, you piece of shit system...?
?"Wren."
?Suddenly, Envy’s familiar voice echoed directly inside his head.
?For once, the little owl didn’t sound like it was mocking him. Its tone was sharp, piercing, and unusually serious.
?"Are you planning to sit there and let that oversized idiot turn you into minced meat?"
?Of course not, you feather-brained piece of trash... Wren coughed, pressing a trembling hand against his bleeding abdomen. If I had a choice, I’d already be tearing his throat out.
?A short pause followed inside their mental link.
?Then do something about it. I gave you the tools, kid. How you use them is up to you.
?Wren nearly choked on his own blood, glaring up at the glowing phantom of the owl hovering just out of Hudson’s sight.
?Even now, standing at death’s door in a gladiatorial prison pit, Envy was still managing to be an insufferable little bastard.
?Yet, deep beneath his burning irritation, a small, stubborn spark of relief flickered to life.
?At least he wasn’t facing this absolute nightmare entirely alone.
?Listen carefully, Wren thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched Hudson take another heavy, deliberate step forward, cracking his knuckles for the second strike. Can I actually use my skills against a monster like him right now?
?"Obviously. Why else do you think you have them?" Envy’s voice echoed in his head, dripping with casual arrogance.
?"Then why the hell didn’t you tell me before I got my ribs nearly caved in?!" Wren mentally roared back, a fresh wave of agony pulsing through his chest.
?"Because watching you panic and scramble for your life is quite entertaining."
?YOU—!
?"Now, now. Save your remaining energy for the big fellow," Envy cut in smoothly, its tone snapping back to business. "You have much more important problems right in front of you."
?Wren’s expression hardened instantly. The irritation vanished, replaced by cold, calculated focus.
?He only had two skills at his disposal: Hellfire Manipulation and Chains of the Damned.
?He had no idea whether either of them would be enough to stop a physical powerhouse like Hudson, but sitting here and doing nothing practically guaranteed a brutal, unceremonious death.
?"But... it is better to try and fail than to not try at all."
?Better to go down fighting using everything he had than to die like a cornered dog.