I didn't walk out of the arena on my own.
I was dragged.
Not by guards.
Not by enemies.
But by a man with gold rings on every finger and a smile that made my skin crawl.
"You cost me a fortune, boy," he said, licking his lips. "But now you're mine."
He looked like a merchant who bet on death for fun.
His coat was stitched with beast hide, his boots were polished with the blood of previous champions, and his name…
> Vincent Krail
Title: "The Blood Gambler"
Sponsor Rank: S-Class
Political Status: High House of Specters
Notable Assets: 73 Gladiator Contracts. 12 Killed. 8 Sold. 53... Missing.
---
I wanted to fight. I wanted to ask where he was taking me.
But the System flashed in front of my eyes:
> [New Contract Registered]
Owner: Vincent Krail
Training Transfer Confirmed – Outer Ring, Arena House 7
☠ Survival Clause: 18 Days to First Cup Qualifier ☠
---
"Listen close, rookie," Vincent said as the carriage we were riding in rolled past jagged towers and crowds of chained fighters. "You think killing a D-rank with a rusted sword makes you special?"
I stayed silent.
He leaned closer, voice low and cold.
"You're not special. You're lucky. But I bet on luck. And I'm going to use yours to win the damn Cup."
---
The Cup. I'd heard of it now from whispers, from broken warriors mumbling in the cells.
The Gladiator Master's Cup.
Held once every ten years.
The prize? A title blessed by the Arena King himself.
Power. Wealth. Freedom.
No one below B-rank had ever entered.
No one under A-rank had ever won.
Vincent wanted to break that rule.
---
His compound was a fortress on the edge of the Bloodpit Mountains.
Stone towers. Training yards. Cells. Combat halls. Everything reeked of sweat, steel, and survival.
Guards led me through the outer yard, where others were already training.
Some stared. Some sneered.
Most ignored me.
Then someone approached. A lean, tan-skinned man with short-cropped black hair and mismatched eyes.
He looked me over.
"You the F-rank who killed Drogan?"
"…Yeah."
"I'm Cero. Rank C. Dual-spear user. I've lost twice. Haven't died yet. That makes me lucky too."
He smirked and slapped my back.
"Welcome to House Krail, newbie. Don't die on Day Two."
---
> [NEW PARTY MEMBER ADDED – TEMPORARY]
Name: Cero Halden
Rank: C
Class: Spearmaster
Relationship Status: Neutral / Curious
Skill Sync Possible: 1% (Locked)
---
The next few days were a blur of bruises and near-death training.
Combat halls that felt like death traps.
Mock battles that left me coughing blood.
Strategy simulations that ran until midnight.
And Vincent always watching.
---
I met others:
Naera, a Rank D support specialist. Cold, calculating, scar across her neck. Healer magic that only works after you're half-dead.
Thorne, a B-rank bruiser with a missing eye. Doesn't talk much. But he watches everything.
Eloen, a silent archer with silver tattoos glowing when she draws. Rank C+. Won't speak unless she's bleeding.
They weren't friends yet.
But they weren't enemies either.
And somehow… that was comforting.
---
One night, during weapons conditioning, I collapsed.
Couldn't move.
Vision blurred.
And that's when the System decided to whisper.
> [SYSTEM PROTOCOL: Early Growth Detected]
Skill Tree Unlock: "Combat Style Selector"
Choose your preferred evolving style:
▸ Shadow Flow (Fluid, reactive, evasion-based)
▸ Gladiator Instinct (Raw strength, countering, weapon break)
▸ Phantom Core (Illusion and prediction-based, unlocks Echo Memory)
Selection is permanent. Choose wisely.
I stared at the screen.
My breath shaky.
They trained with muscles, blades, rage.
But I had this.
My edge.
I selected:
> ▸ Phantom Core
---
> [CONFIRMED]
Passive Skill: Echo Reflex – Gain 5% anticipation of enemy's next move based on prior behavior
Skill Tree Branches:
– Neural Delay Shift
– Memory Sync
– Doppel Link (Locked)
---
The next day, I beat Thorne in a reflex match.
Vincent laughed like a demon.
"You're real, Wicky. You're dangerous."
But behind that smile, I saw it.
Greed.
He didn't care if I lived.
Only if I won.
---
That night, I heard him speaking through the walls.
"We need a miracle. The King's faction is fielding three S-Ranks this year. If we don't win, House Krail will be dissolved. I don't care if the kid dies in the finals. Just get him there."
---
> [System Alert: New Mission Assigned]
Objective: Qualify for the Cup
Time Limit: 17 Days
Bonus Objective: Survive past Round 3
Reward: Class Unlock Path Tier I
Penalty: Contract Termination (Execution)
---
I lay awake.
My hands still sore.
My ribs still cracked.
But my mind was clear.
They think I'm a tool.
A pawn.
But I'm going to win this thing…
And burn their kingdom to the ground if I have to.