The arena fell into an unnatural silence as Lila Rowe walked off the platform. No cheers erupted, no applause broke out—just the shocked hush of hundreds processing what they had just witnessed. The dical team rushed past her, their faces grim as they attended to what remained of her opponent.
Lila's uniform was splattered with blood, none of it her own. A smile stretched across her face, hovering sowhere between victory and madness as she approached Noah in the competitor area.
"You're up," she whispered, her voice unnervingly sweet as she brushed past him. The tallic scent of fresh blood clung to her like perfu.
Noah couldn't respond, his eyes fixed on the carnage being cleaned from the platform. Whatever Lila had done to Alistair Frost went beyond competition—it had been systematic destruction.
The scrambler spun, pulling his attention back to the present. Nas crystallized into view:
Noah Eclipse vs. Elias Vance
His heart rate quickened as his gaze shifted to the far side of the competitor area. Elias Vance—a wiry fighter from Academy Eight—was already there, locked in conversation with an older student. Noah recognized the third-year imdiately: Jayden Smoak, Academy Eight's top fighter and Lucas's most bitter rival.
Jayden leaned close to Elias, his lips moving rapidly as he offered final instructions. Both wore matching expressions of malicious anticipation, and when they parted, Elias's eyes locked onto Noah with unmistakable hostility.
*Ping*
[Survival of the Fittest]
Objective: Survive each round without dropping below 30% HP.
Reward: 1,000 XP Mystery box
Bonus Reward: If HP never drops below 20%, gain 3 Agility, 2 Strength.
Penalty: If HP drops below 30%, experience gain is reduced by half for the next match.
A quest—right now, of all tis. Noah suppressed the urge to smile. Few knew about his system, and this wasn't the ti to reveal it. Instead, he closed the notification and took a deep breath, centering himself as his na was called.
"Platform repairs complete. Will Noah Eclipse and Elias Vance please take their positions."
Both fighters approached from opposite sides, stepping onto the freshly repaired combat area. The tal surface had been scrubbed clean, but Noah could still see faint discoloration where Lila's match had ended.
Elias rolled his shoulders, a cocky smirk plastered across his face. "Lucas's little protégé," he said, loud enough for Noah to hear. "Smoak says I should send you back in pieces."
Noah said nothing, settling into his stance—weight balanced, hands loose but ready. His face betrayed no emotion, but his mind was racing, analyzing his opponent. Elias was second-generation, a vibration specialist whose attacks created delayed shockwaves. Dangerous, but predictable if you knew what to look for.
The announcer yelled, "Fighters ready!"
The barrier shimred to life around them.
"Begin!"
Elias moved first, darting forward with surprising speed. His footsteps made almost no sound—Specter Steps, his signature movent technique that allowed for unpredictable changes in direction.
Noah tracked him carefully, relying on his perception to read muscle tensions and breathing patterns. When Elias launched his first strike—a straight jab aid at Noah's sternum—Noah pivoted slightly, letting the blow graze past his ribs.
The crowd gasped at the near miss, but Noah had calculated perfectly. A fraction of a second later, the delayed shockwave from Elias's Phantom Strike rippled through the air where Noah had been standing.
"He dodged both the hit and the aftershock," Sophie murmured from the stands. "He knows exactly what Elias can do." She said the last part with no surprises. It was Noah, this was like breakfast, lunch and dinner all to him.
So far, things looked good, she was only going to allow herself worry just a little.
Elias pressed his attack, launching a flurry of strikes designed to corner Noah against the barrier. Each punch carried the deadly Phantom Strike technique—making direct blocks suicidal. Block one hit, and the delayed shockwave would ripple through your guard and into your organs.
Noah gave ground strategically, conserving energy while reading Elias's patterns. When an opening appeared, he struck with precision—a quick Exploding Palm to Elias's exposed shoulder.
The impact was minimal on the surface, but the chi-enhanced shockwave traveled through Elias's muscle tissue, temporarily deadening his right arm.
"Fuck!" Elias spat, shaking his limb as it hung montarily useless. "Lucky shot."
Noah didn't respond, maintaining his focus. This wasn't about talking—it was about winning. And he ca here not to ss about but win!
Elias switched tactics, activating his Blitz technique. He darted in close, landing a series of rapid strikes to Noah's midsection and arms. None of them seed powerful individually, but Noah understood the danger. Each hit left behind a vibration that would detonate in sequence, stacking damage exponentially.
Noah twisted away, needing distance, but Elias anticipated the move. His Phase Counter activated—reading Noah's escape trajectory and intercepting it with a vicious knee to the ribs.
[-3HP/600HP]
Pain exploded through Noah's side as both the knee and its delayed shockwave connected. He stumbled backward, barely maintaining his balance.
"Academy Eight's Elias drawing first blood!" the announcer called. "Those Phantom Strikes are devastating at close range!"
Elias grinned, pressing his advantage. "Not so special now, are you, Eclipse? Just another Academy Twelve scrub!"
Noah regained his footing, ntally assessing the damage. His HP hadn't dropped below 20% yet, but that last hit had taken a significant chunk. By significant, he assud every hit was a sign of weakness. He needed to adjust his approach.
He channeled chi into his limbs, activating Chi Reinforcent. This was what master Anng referred to as the iron fist. The technique hardened his muscles and bones, creating an internal armor that would help absorb Elias's vibration attacks.
When Elias ca in again, Noah was ready. Instead of evading, he t the attack head-on—catching Elias's wrist and pulling him off-balance. Before Elias could counter, Noah delivered a precise Exploding Palm to his sternum.
The chi-enhanced strike sent a controlled shockwave directly into Elias's chest, disrupting his breathing and sending him skidding backward across the platform.
"Excellent counter from Eclipse!" the announcer shouted. "Using Vance's montum against him!"
Elias pushed himself up, eyes narrowing with genuine anger now. "That supposed to hurt?" he taunted, but Noah noticed the slight tremor in his stance—the hit had done damage.
The fight intensified, both fighters exchanging blows at an increasingly technical level. Elias relied on his Specter Steps to create unpredictable angles of attack, while Noah's heightened senses allowed him to track and counter with almost prescient accuracy.
From the stands, Lucas watched with growing approval. "Noah's reading him like an open book," he told Sophie. "He's staying just ahead of the shockwaves."
Ten minutes in, both fighters were showing signs of fatigue. Noah had a split lip and bruising along his right side where several Phantom Strikes had landed. Elias was worse off—a cut above his eye bleeding freely, his breathing labored from Noah's targeted Exploding Palms.
"You're dead, Eclipse," Elias growled, frustration evident in his voice. "Smoak wants you broken, and I'm gonna deliver."
Sothing changed in Elias's eyes then—a darkness, a shift in intent that went beyond competition. He reached into his boot and made a subtle movent with his hand.
Noah almost missed it until he saw sothing impossible—a thin white line cutting through the air, drawing a trajectory directly toward his heart.
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