Hex was led into the fighter prep room
Aplace that could barely be called a room at all. The air hit him like a punch. A foul, greasy stench rose from the piles of garbage littering the corners, mixed with the sour odor of blood and sweat soaked into every inch of the walls.
'They don't even clean this damn place…'
Rusty lockers leaned against cracked concrete walls. Some fighters stood in corners meditating. Others were shadowboxing aggressively, grunting and screaming to hype themselves up.
"I'll win this! I'll crush him! I'm not losing again!"
Hex kept a low profile, claiming a relatively clean spot near the edge. A few others sat nearby, but none of them paid him any mind which was a relief.
As he sat down and started to observe the chaos, a thickly-muscled man with old scars and a tired expression suddenly nudged him.
"Yes?" Hex asked, a little wary.
The man smirked and held up a greasy wrapper. "Want some jerky?"
Hex stared at him for a second, with eyes narrowing.
"There's no poison or drug in it," the man added casually, reading the suspicion in his gaze.
Still, Hex politely declined. It was best not to trust anything here. The man only shrugged and popped a strip into his mouth, chewing loudly. The crunching and gnawing made it hard for Hex to maintain focus.
After a moment of silence, Hex broke the ice.
"You've got power, right? Why are you here instead of in the army?"
The man froze mid-chew, then looked Hex up and down with mild interest.
"Hah... I see. You must've just come of age."
"I'm not a total rookie," Hex countered.
"You don't have the look. You have no acting skill, despite poker face, and zero experience." The man said it plainly.
Hex's expression tightened. That was the second time someone had seen through him like glass.
'Is it inexperience? Or is it just my curiosity that's giving me away?'
The man kept eating and pointed with a thumb toward a masked fighter warming up with fierce strikes.
"See that guy with the tiger mask? His sister's bedridden with a terminal illness. He needs over a million Earth Credits to even begin treatment. The army might offer healthcare but not for cases like hers. Not unless you're someone important."
Hex looked again.
"Now that chicken-head over there, guzzling booze his parents begged him not to enlist. Simple as that."
Hex frowned. "Those reasons sound... petty."
The man chuckled. "Petty? Then let me give you a better one."
His eyes turned grim.
"Most people here have been crossed by the Federation."
Hex blinked. "Crossed out? What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," the man said, popping another jerky into his mouth. "You piss off the wrong person in power, and they erase you. You're blacklisted, thrown away like trash. Even if you do enlist, they'll crush your life from the inside out."
Hex's jaw clenched. An unease crept up his spine.
He thought about his own case about how his graduation had been abruptly stalled. And while things had calmed afterward, the memory lingered like a warning.
'Trouble might still be waiting for me…'
He rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "This path is more twisted than I thought."
He glanced at the man again. "What about you?"
"I value freedom," the man said simply, his tone light but firm.
Before Hex could ask more, a loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Hellfire. Report to Ring Eighteen. Your match is next."
Hex stood and dusted himself off. He gave the man a silent nod before turning to leave.
As he stepped away, the man called out behind him.
"The Federation will offer you a taste of the cosmos if you're strong enough. Otherwise, they'll keep you chained under them. So if you've got power and believe in it don't hold back."
"Youngsters like you should dream of making a name out there in the stars, not in a broken ragged place like this."
Hex paused briefly at the door.
'Yeah… I'm not here just to fight. I want to see the stars, travel through the galactic void, and make something of myself…'
He walked on, fists clenched and heart burning with resolve.
A youth like him hot-blooded, uncertain, but fiercely determined wasn't going to break so easily.
Not here. Not now.
....
The stench of sweat, blood, and cheap alcohol clung to the air like a second skin. Flickering neon lights buzzed overhead, casting sharp glows on the chained ring as a robotic announcer's voice crackled to life from dented speakers.
"Ladies and degenerates, your next match is about to begin! Two mysterious contenders…two newcomers hungry for fame and credits! It's a blood match between…"
"ROCK MAN vs. HELLFIRE!"
A huge cheer burst from the crowd, drowning out even the announcer's voice.
"Yeahhhh! Rip his f*cking face off, Rock Man!"
"Bout damn time we got a match worth watching!"
"Rock Man? Bet that bastard can turn his body to stone."
"Hellfire sounds like some fancy-ass mage. Tch. Wrong place to be fancy."
"This ain't no magic arena. It's a brawl pit. That mage boy's gonna get folded before he spits a spark!"
Dirty jeers echoed through the arena as dozens of filthy, half-drunk gamblers surged toward the betting booths.
"I'm putting 100 on Rock Man!"
"200! Break that twig in two, Rock!"
"Let's make it 500..this Hellfire's toast!"
Amidst the frenzy, a few lone voices hesitated.
"Hey, don't underestimate pyros. If his power's even mid-grade, he could toast that boulder freak."
"Still betting small though. Ain't gonna risk my whole week on… maybe."
Amidst the roars and rattling chains, Hex stood just behind the gate, fists slightly trembling not from fear of his opponent, but from the pressure of so many hungry eyes. It felt like a zoo, and he was the beast on display.
'Fighting for their amusement… Shit…' he muttered in his head.
But he needed credits quite fast to spend.
With a personal stash, he could afford tech, drugs, info even protection from the Galactic Dark Net. That made this circus worth it.
He took a deep breath as the gate creaked open. His boots echoed on the metallic platform as he stepped into the ring.
Then, he saw him.
On the other side, a monster of a man who was 8 feet tall, a walking wall of muscle, scars tracing every inch of his skin like battle badges. He had a crooked grin that reeked of malice.
With a sudden jerk, he cracked his neck, then slammed his forehead into the post.
"Oi, little man," the brute growled. "Don't go cryin' for Mama when I turn your bones to f*ckin' dust."
Laughter exploded across the crowd.
Hex didn't flinch. But a shadow loomed over him, literal and psychological.
At 177 cm, he wasn't short by normal standards, but compared to this awakened beast, he looked like a kid playing dress-up in a death match.
'Shit… this might be the worst match-up possible. But if I time it right… I can win.'
The ref, a cyborg with half his face made of rusting iron, raised a metal hand.
"BEGIN!"
CLANG!
The instant the bell rang, the ground shook. The Rock Man charged like a raging bull, no hesitation,without using his ability, just raw, terrifying physical force.
The ring's chains rattled violently as his massive frame thundered forward.
Hex's eyes sharpened. At the last second, he dropped low and rolled forward right between the monster's legs.
The crowd gasped as Hex twisted up on his feet and, without pause, drove his fist with everything he had into the brute's exposed lower back.
BANG!
A crisp, explosive crack echoed like a gunshot. The blow sent Rock Man staggering forward, his massive body sliding across the metal floor with sparks flying.
The crowd fell into stunned silence for a beat.
Hex clenched his knuckles, his arm started throbbing.
His Mutation Index was 30. A punch at that level could tear through solid concrete but this time, it felt like he'd punched a boulder covered in metal.
'Damn… it's like hitting a reinforced wall.'
The Rock Man stumbled, then slowly turned around. His eyes were no longer mocking rather they burned with alertness and wariness.
"Why are you so strong for being a Pyro?"
The comment confused him.
Can't Pyros who have higher MI index showcase such punching power.
The comment certainly made him curious but he hadn't time to ponder whereas the Rock Man grinned, this time with a hint of respect.
"Heh… Hellfire, huh? I misjudged you. That one actually tickled."
"But now… I'm done playing."
His skin darkened, shifting to a dull gray sheen. Hex's pupils narrowed.
'Shit. He wasn't even using his ability before…'
The real fight was just beginning.