The coliseum's air was thick with tension. Dust swirled over the cracked obsidian floor, catching the faint glimmers of ambient Dark Matter energy radiating from the fighters and spectators alike. The first round of human Awakeners had left scars on the arena and awe in the hearts of all who watched. And now, it was time for the Apostle of Void to step forward.
Kairis Ash moved with measured calm. His hood draped over his short black hair, cloak billowing slightly as he descended from the observation platform. His eyes, brownish-black, held the cold weight of someone who had seen the world burn and survived—not a flicker of fear, only razor-sharp calculation.
He paused at the line where fighters drew their numbers. A wooden box sat atop a pedestal, etched with symbols that faintly glowed with Dark Matter energy. A simple rule governed this step: the number would determine the matchup.
Kairis's gloved hand hovered above the box, almost lazily. He let it drop into place, his fingers brushing the carved wood. When he drew, the number 27 revealed itself, engraved on a blackened card that radiated a faint violet shimmer. He didn't smile. He didn't react. The number meant nothing; he could handle whoever came.
As he stepped toward the arena gates, his System interface flickered to life, overlaying in his mind with crisp, clean data.
> [Title]: Apostle of Void
[Affinity]: Dark Matter – Gravity Sub-Affinity
[Level]: 9
[HP]: 11,250 / 11,250
[MP]: 6,050 / 6,050
[Stamina]: 7,950 / 8,000
[Strength]: 175
[Dexterity]: 160
[Agility]: 172
[Intelligence]: 188
[Divinity]: 0.6% (Passive Increase from Void Title)
[Authority]: 1.0% (Influence over minor Dark Matter manipulation and system interactions)
[Abilities – Active]:
• Graviton Edge Lv.2 – Warp small pockets of space, slicing through matter.
• Gyro-Telekinesis Lv.2 – Manipulate objects and enemies within a 30-meter radius.
• Black Hole (Small Scale) – Generates a miniature gravitational collapse; HP drains with sustained use.
• Void Step – Short teleportation by bending gravity to step through space.
[Abilities – Passive]:
• Dark Matter Resonance – Increases affinity effectiveness as opponent count rises.
• System Awareness – Analyze opponent HP, stamina, and affinity; cannot see abilities directly.
[Inventory]: None physical, all spiritual and systemic.
[New System Features]:
• Quest Tab – Shows active quests granted by gods.
• Dark Matter Store – Randomized items usable once per day.
• Roulette / Gacha – One spin per day; grants abilities, stat boosts, or rare rewards.
• Opponent Analyzer – Can read stats (HP, Stamina, Affinity) of other awakeners, not abilities.
Walking to the Arena
Each step was precise. He didn't hurry; the crowd's roar, the gods' distant gazes, the constellations watching—all were irrelevant. He was already calculating. Already seeing the flows of energy, the pressure points, the weaknesses waiting to be exploited.
The arena gates loomed ahead, massive steel infused with Dark Matter energy, pulsating faintly like a living organism. Smoke from the previous matches still curled along the floor, carrying the metallic tang of scorched stone.
Kairis's hood fell slightly back, revealing the subtle sharpness of his jawline. His eyes, calm and brownish-black, flickered faint violet as he brushed past lingering heat and energy from prior matches.
> [System Update: Opponent Information Locked Until Draw Complete]
He ignored the update. Observation first, prediction second, action third. That was his rhythm.
As he stepped onto the first ring of the arena, dust rose in slow clouds, swirling around him in faint gravitational eddies—a subtle signature of his gravity affinity already bending the surrounding Dark Matter. Spectators gasped slightly at the ripple of energy.
> "Strong, or weak," he muttered under his breath, tone flat yet edged with quiet menace, "it won't matter."
The arena itself was massive:
Diameter: 400 meters, circular, with three levels of platforms rising like terraces from the center.
Obstacles: Ruined walls, toppled columns, scattered debris from previous matches, and a shallow pit filled with black water-like Dark Matter.
Environmental Hazards: Gravity anomalies triggered sporadically by system-controlled conditions, designed to test combat awareness and strategy.
Kairis's System quietly overlaid the heat and affinity signatures of the remaining first-round fighters. He could see faint pulsing markers for each, though exact abilities remained hidden.
> [System Note: Estimated opponent difficulty – moderate to high. Potential for learning: significant.]
He paused at the center, glancing toward the gates opposite. A few human Awakeners were stepping forward from the box, numbers drawn. They didn't notice him yet, but he could feel their auras, their intentions, the faint ripples of Dark Matter stirring in their veins.
> "Amateurs," he whispered. Not arrogance, not hubris—just fact. Experience carved him sharper than fear ever could.
He flexed a hand, subtly tugging at a loose stone. It floated slowly, pulled by a slight distortion of gravity, circling around him like a pet.
> [Gyro-Telekinesis: Ready]
This fight would be the first step in a series of challenges, but he knew something most humans couldn't. The Gathering wasn't just survival—it was a lesson in the hierarchy of existence, from the mortals struggling below to the gods silently observing above. And he, Apostle of Void, would be the storm in that hierarchy.
> "Come. Show me what your bodies and affinities can do," he said softly, voice carrying into the arena. "I'll test you. And I'll see who bleeds worth remembering."
The crowd roared again, unaware that this calm, hooded figure standing at the center already held the fate of several lives in his hands. The violet glint in his eyes deepened, a subtle warning that gravity itself bent around him—not aggressively yet, but just enough to make the air feel heavier.
> [System Note: Combat Mode Activated]
[Next Action: Await Opponent Entry]
Kairis Ash didn't move. He didn't breathe differently. He simply waited. The Gathering had begun.