The Grand Arena exploded into chaos as twelve deadly prisoners launched themselves into combat, each one fighting for survival and the promise of any reward they could imagine. The adaptive floor shifted beneath their feet, creating elevated platforms and concealed pitfalls that turned the battlefield into a three-dimensional maze of death.
Alex didn't move immediately. His tactical mind processed the opening exchanges with cold efficiency, cataloging threats and opportunities while the other combatants revealed their capabilities through desperate violence.
The Storm Wyrm unleashed crackling electricity that arced between multiple targets, the acrid smell of ozone mixing with burning flesh as one creature convulsed and collapsed, its nervous system fried beyond function. The Crystalline Serpent coiled around a Chitinous Behemoth, crushing armor with sounds like breaking pottery while its hypnotic scales made the dying creature's struggles increasingly uncoordinated.
