[GRAND ARENA - DAY 1 OF COMBAT - 8:47 AM]
The energy in the arena was completely different from the day before.
Yesterday had been ceremony. Spectacle. Theater.
Today was blood.
Well, metaphorically. Killing was forbidden. But the violence, the pain, the humiliating defeat—all of that was not only allowed but expected.
Alex was in the competitor waiting room with 63 other fighters scheduled for Day 1. The other 64 would fight tomorrow. The first round would take two full days to complete—32 fights per day, each lasting approximately 15-20 minutes including preparation and cleanup.
His fight was scheduled for 10:15 AM. Fourth fight of the day.
Which meant he had to sit and watch three other competitors give their all before his turn.
"Nervous?" a voice asked beside him.
Alex turned. Maya was sitting two seats away, her fox curled in her lap in small form—house cat sized, showing only one tail.
"A little," he admitted.
"Good. Nerves keep you alert." Maya smiled. "Just don't let them paralyze you. Your opponent is Daniel Cross, right?"
"Yeah."
"I know him. Well, I know his type." Maya leaned back. "Celestial Academy, well-off family, decent but not exceptional companion. He's probably fought in academy practice tournaments, but never anything with stakes this high."
"And that means...?"
"It means he'll freeze when the crowd starts booing. Get nervous when his Plan A doesn't work. And he'll definitely underestimate anyone not from the academy." Maya winked. "Use it."
Before Alex could respond, the announcer's voice resonated through the speakers:
"FIRST FIGHT OF THE TOURNAMENT! PARTICIPANT NUMBER ONE, MARCUS STEELE, VERSUS PARTICIPANT NUMBER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT—WAIT, THERE ARE ONLY ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN COMPETITORS! MARCUS STEELE ADVANCES BY BYE!"
Boos mixed with laughter from the crowd. Marcus didn't even have to fight.
"Of course not," someone behind Alex muttered.
"SECOND FIGHT! SARAH KIM VERSUS THOMAS WRIGHT! COMPETITORS, TO THE ARENA!"
Screens around the waiting room showed the fight. Alex watched, analyzing:
Sarah Kim had a serpent companion—giant constrictor, level 22. Thomas Wright had a battle eagle—level 20, fast but fragile.
The fight lasted eight minutes. Sarah won when her serpent finally caught the eagle during a dive, constricting until Thomas surrendered to save his companion from permanent damage.
Efficient. Tactical. Boring for the crowd—lots of boos for the "lack of excitement."
"THIRD FIGHT! MARCUS CHEN VERSUS DMITRI VOLKOV!"
This one was more exciting. Marcus Chen (no relation to Marcus Steele, presumably) had an armored bear level 25. Dmitri Volkov had twin fire salamanders level 23 each.
The battle was chaos—flame versus brute force, the armored bear surprisingly fire-resistant, but eventually the salamanders coordinated simultaneous attacks that overheated the bear's armor.
Marcus Chen surrendered when his bear started suffering burns under the metal.
Time: twelve minutes.
The crowd loved this—lots of action, multiple reversals, dramatic victory.
"FOURTH FIGHT! ALEX CARTER VERSUS DANIEL CROSS! COMPETITORS, TO THE ARENA!"
Alex's stomach tightened.
"Showtime," Maya said. "Remember: act competent but not dominant. Make it look like you won through cunning, not raw power."
Alex nodded, standing. Grim rose with him—currently at 80 centimeters, the smallest possible form, scythe the size of a toy knife.
"Hey," Maya called as he walked away. "Kick his ass. I'd like to face you later."
---
[MAIN ARENA - 10:15 AM]
The walk from the tunnel to the center of the arena was surreal.
50,000 people watching. Giant screens showing every angle. Commentators analyzing every step.
"And here comes Alex Carter! Former Celestial Academy student, now independent Iron-ranked adventurer! His companion is that tiny skeleton—apparently E-rank, though our scanners are having trouble with accurate readings!"
Alex kept his face neutral, walking to his designated starting position. The arena itself was massive—50-meter diameter circle, packed earth surface, 3-meter high walls separating it from the lowest seats.
From the other side, Daniel Cross emerged from the opposite tunnel.
Tall, maybe 6'2", athletic build, perfectly styled blond hair. He wore light armor with the Celestial Academy emblem on his chest. His companion—a battle wolf the size of a pony—walked beside him, gray-black fur gleaming in the sun.
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[Battle Wolf]
Level: 22
HP: 1,400/1,400
Known skills: [Feral Rend], [Pack Howl], [Shadow Dash]
Not bad. But not exceptional either.
Daniel reached his position, looking Alex up and down with barely concealed contempt.
"Carter, right?" His voice was loud, loud enough for front rows to hear. "I heard you got expelled. Now I see why." He pointed at Grim. "That skeleton is pathetic. What is it, two feet tall?"
The crowd laughed—not all of it, but enough to be audible.
Alex didn't respond. Just checked his equipment one last time, adjusted the Soul Dominion Necklace (hidden under his shirt), ensured [Aura Suppression] was still active.
The referee—a woman in her fifties with battle scars and a presence that demanded respect—stood between them.
"Competitors, the rules are simple. Victory by knockout, surrender, or my decision if time expires. Killing is forbidden. Understood?"
"Yes," said Daniel.
"Understood," said Alex.
"Positions."
Both took three steps back, creating a 10-meter space between them.
The referee raised her hand. The crowd quieted. Even the commentators paused.
"BEGIN!"
---
[THE FIGHT: ACT 1 - FEELING OUT]
Daniel attacked first, as Alex had predicted.
"Fenrir, [Shadow Dash]!"
The wolf blurred—not invisibility exactly, but movement so fast its edges seemed to smear. It crossed the 10-meter space in one second, jaws opening toward Grim's throat.
"Dodge!" Alex ordered.
Grim moved—but deliberately slow. As if he barely had time to react. The wolf missed by inches, skidding past Grim, spinning for another attack.
"Counterattack! Scythe swing!"
Grim swung his tiny scythe—now the size of a large knife—in a wide arc. The wolf easily retreated, the blade cutting only air.
"Pathetic," Daniel shouted. "Fenrir, press! [Feral Rend]!"
The wolf attacked again, this time with a three-part combo—jaws at Grim's left leg, claw to his torso, second claw to his head.
Grim blocked the first attack with his scythe, clumsily dodged the second, but the third connected.
CRACK.
The claw struck Grim's skull, sending the small skeleton flying backward, tumbling in the dirt.
[Grim HP: 320/400] (faked damage—he'd actually lost maybe 40 HP, but was acting like he'd lost 80)
The crowd reacted:
"Ooh, nice hit!"
"That skeleton looks finished!"
"This fight'll be quick!"
Alex ran to Grim, kneeling. "You okay?"
Grim made a show of "struggling" to get up, trembling dramatically.
"Get up," Alex whispered, low enough for only Grim to hear. "But act hurt. Drag it out. Make him feel confident."
Grim nodded almost imperceptibly.
---
[THE FIGHT: ACT 2 - FALSE DOMINATION]
The next five minutes were pure acting.
Daniel ordered attack after attack. Fenrir the wolf pressed aggressively, using speed and power to keep Grim on the defensive.
And Grim let it happen.
He blocked when he had to, but always seemed half a second too slow. He dodged, but not quite, taking hits he could have avoided. He counterattacked, but always missed by just enough margin.
The crowd grew bored.
"This fight is one-sided."
"Carter is totally outclassed."
"Why doesn't the referee stop it? This is just cruel."
The commentators agreed:
"And really, Daniel Cross is dominating this fight. Carter's skeleton just doesn't have the speed or power to compete against a level 22 battle wolf."
"Absolutely right. Though I must give Carter credit—his skeleton is lasting longer than expected. That's some decent durability for an E-rank."
Alex watched from the edge of the arena, feigning anxiety. But internally, he was counting:
Fenrir has used [Shadow Dash] four times. That's probably drained 40% of his stamina. [Feral Rend] three times—another 30%. He's starting to pant. His movements are slowing slightly. Another two minutes and he'll be exhausted.
"Finish it, Fenrir! [Pack Howl]!"
The wolf planted itself, raised its head, and HOWLED.
The sound was deafening—not just loud, but imbued with magic. A power buff for the wolf, a fear debuff for opponents.
[Pack Howl - Activated]
Effect: Wolf +30% attack for 1 minute. Opponents -20% defense.
Grim staggered as if the howl had physically shaken him. He fell to one knee, scythe dragging on the ground.
"Now!" Daniel shouted. "Final attack! End this!"
Fenrir lunged—full leap, jaws open, aimed directly at Grim's neck.
If it connected, it would end the fight. Guaranteed knockout.
Alex waited until the very last possible second.
Then shouted: "NOW!"
---
[THE FIGHT: ACT 3 - REVERSAL]
Grim had been setting this up for the entire fight.
[Feign Death]—the technique Raven had taught—wasn't just about pretending damage. It was about timing. Making your opponent fully commit to an attack, leaving them vulnerable.
Just as Fenrir's jaws were about to close around Grim's neck, the skeleton simply... dropped.
Completely flat, as if he'd lost consciousness.
Fenrir sailed through the air where Grim had been, its momentum carrying it several meters past, landing awkwardly.
And in that moment of confusion—
Grim rose.
Not slowly. Not staggering.
Instantly.
As if he'd never been injured at all.
The tiny skeleton closed the distance in a blurred movement, its bony hand shooting forward, closing around Fenrir's front leg.
[Life Drain - Activated]
Pale green energy flowed from the wolf into Grim. Not slowly—fast, like water from an overturned bucket.
Fenrir howled—not a war howl this time, but one of absolute pain. It tried to pull back, but Grim's grip was like iron.
Three seconds. Five seconds. Eight seconds.
[Fenrir HP: 1,400 → 1,100 → 800 → 500...]
The wolf staggered, legs buckling. Its fur lost its luster. Eyes rolled back.
At ten seconds, it collapsed.
Not dead—[Life Drain] wasn't lethal, and anyway Alex had ordered Grim to stop at 50% HP—but completely incapacitated.
[Fenrir HP: 700/1,400]
[Status: Exhausted, Severely Weakened, Unable to continue combat]
The stadium went silent for exactly two seconds.
Then exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"
"THE SKELETON WAS FAKING!?"
"THAT ABILITY—WHAT WAS THAT!"
Daniel stared with his mouth open, frozen in shock. "That... that's impossible. Your companion is E-rank! E-ranks don't have drain abilities!"
Alex walked to the center of the arena, keeping his expression neutral.
"Surrender," he said simply. "Your companion can't continue."
"I..." Daniel looked at Fenrir, who lay breathing heavily, barely conscious. "I..."
The referee intervened. "Battle wolf incapacitated. Victory to Alex Carter!"
The crowd roared—not exactly in celebration, but in shock and confusion.
The commentators struggled to explain:
"Well... that was completely unexpected. Carter's skeleton apparently has a life drain ability—highly unusual for an E-rank—"
"And that feint. Did you see it? He pretended to be knocked out, lured Cross into overcommitting, then counterattacked at the perfect moment. That's... that's genuinely advanced-level tactics—"
"But look at the execution. The skeleton barely won. If Cross hadn't fallen for the feint, he'd probably have lost anyway—"
"Agreed. This was a victory through cunning and luck, not superior strength."
Perfect, Alex thought. That was exactly the narrative he needed.
Daniel finally found his words: "This... this isn't over. I'll see you in future rounds—"
"No you won't," Alex said quietly. "Because you were eliminated in the first round."
Daniel flushed bright red but had no response. He retrieved Fenrir (the wolf now conscious but still weak) and retreated, humiliation clear in his slumped posture.
Alex walked out of the arena, Grim following. The skeleton had returned to his 80-centimeter height, the picture of innocence.
As he walked through the tunnel, Alex checked Grim's actual condition:
[Grim HP: 380/400] (only slightly injured despite the show)
[Grim MP: 340/360] ([Life Drain] had cost only 20 MP)
The performance had been perfect.
---
[WAITING ROOM - 10:47 AM]
When Alex returned to the waiting room, the reaction was mixed.
Some competitors ignored him—too focused on their own upcoming fights.
Others looked at him with new respect. Or suspicion.
Kai (the cybernetic wolf guy) let out a low whistle. "Man, that feint was brutal. Where'd you learn that?"
"Practice," Alex said.
Maya smiled from her seat. "Well done. Though you almost gave me a heart attack when you let that wolf hit you so much."
"All part of the plan."
"Mm-hmm." Maya didn't look entirely convinced. "Just be careful your 'plan' doesn't make you underestimate future opponents. Not everyone will fall for the same trick twice."
She was right, of course.
Alex spent the next few hours watching other fights on the screens. He took mental notes:
---
[OTHER NOTABLE FIGHTS - DAY 1]
FIGHT 7: Marcus Steele vs Jeremy Park
Time: 47 seconds.
It wasn't even a fight. It was a demonstration.
Marcus's golden dragon—Aurum—used [Solar Breath] once. A concentrated beam of golden light that turned Jeremy's companion tortoise into... basically ash. Not dead, but so severely burned that Jeremy immediately surrendered.
The crowd loved it. Gold confetti. Roars. Marcus waved like a rock star.
"This is how you win," one commentator said. "Absolute domination. No waste. This is real power."
Alex watched from the waiting room, memorizing every detail of how Aurum moved. Fast. Precise. Every action was efficient.
Level 55 at least, Alex calculated. Possibly 57. And [Solar Breath] probably has a 30-second cooldown. If I can force two uses and survive 60 seconds...
It was strategy, but honestly, the odds looked terrible.
---
FIGHT 12: Emily Chen vs Kevin Tran
Time: 8 minutes and 23 seconds.
Emily fought beautifully. Her unicorn—Luna—mostly used support abilities:
[Purifying Light]—removed enemy debuffs but also heal-over-time
[Starfall]—light projectiles that damaged but didn't devastate
[Blessing of Protection]—temporary shield
It wasn't a raw power fight. It was attrition warfare.
Kevin's companion—a level 24 war gorilla—was stronger. But every time it landed a hit, Emily healed the damage. Every time it tried to use powered-up attacks, Emily cleansed the buffs.
Eventually, the gorilla simply tired out. Kevin surrendered when his companion couldn't lift its arms anymore.
Elegant victory. Clinical. The crowd applauded respectfully.
Emily has improved, Alex noted. At the academy, she'd been competent but not exceptional. Now she was... refined. Controlled.
---
FIGHT 18: Maya Park vs Rachel Stone
Time: 4 minutes and 11 seconds.
Maya played with her opponent.
Rachel had a constrictor serpent—level 26, genuinely formidable.
But Maya's fox—Akari—showed only three tails and still completely dominated.
[Flame Dance]—spinning fire attack that kept the serpent at distance
[Illusion Step]—creates three copies, serpent couldn't tell which was real
[Fox Fire]—homing fire projectiles
The serpent never had a chance. Maya ended the fight when she decided to, Akari simply overwhelming the serpent with constant fire until Rachel surrendered.
The crowd roared approval. Maya was charismatic, talented, and clearly holding back real power.
Six tails hidden, Alex recalled. If she shows all nine in our eventual match...
