The gates on the opposite side of the arena groaned as they opened. Dust swirled around the edges, catching the violet glint in Kairis's eyes. His opponent stepped forward—a tall, muscular man with scarred arms and a faint red aura, clearly a high-level human awakener. His number had been drawn randomly, and fate had paired him with Kairis Ash.
The crowd's roar swelled, but Kairis barely registered it. His focus was absolute, calculating, cold—but with an unmistakable thrill beneath it. This was a test. The first real opponent at the Awakener Gathering, and the arena itself was a living puzzle to exploit.
> "Come," Kairis whispered, letting his cloak hang loosely. Gravity subtly tugged at the dust around his boots, drawing attention to his presence without revealing the full extent. "Show me what you've learned."
The opponent charged, roaring like a beast, fist aimed directly at Kairis's jaw. But Kairis didn't flinch.
With a flick of his wrist, he twisted the space between them. The punch hit… nothing. The air seemed thicker, heavier, as Graviton Edge warped the immediate space around his face, redirecting the force just slightly. The man stumbled forward, off-balance.
> [System Note: Opponent HP – 100%, Stamina – 95%, Affinity – Unknown]
Kairis's eyes flickered violet, and he took a step forward, closing the distance. His Gyro-Telekinesis pulsed subtly, small stones around him spinning in micro-orbits, circling like knives. He grabbed a piece of debris mid-flight, throwing it straight at the man's chest.
The debris struck with the weight of a falling boulder, throwing the opponent backward. The crowd gasped at the unexpected display, but Kairis didn't pause. His hand shot out, tugging the man forward with a sudden gravity pull, slamming him against a toppled column. The sound of crushing stone echoed across the arena.
> "You're fast… but predictable," Kairis said softly, voice calm but edged with venom.
The opponent recovered quickly, swinging a massive forearm toward Kairis's torso. Kairis rolled, twisting mid-air. The arena spun around him—not literally—but in his perception, every angle, every debris, every gravitation distortion was calculated.
He leaped onto a crumbling platform, using Void Step to close distance instantly. As he landed, his hands lashed out in a flurry of strikes—precision, speed, and raw force honed through years of survival. Every punch manipulated gravity subtly, increasing impact beyond human expectation. The opponent grunted, staggering under the sudden surge of force.
The crowd's cameras and godly observers above caught the fight in full 360°, showing Kairis twisting, spinning, and moving almost impossibly fast, yet every motion was precise. Every strike accounted for, every step calculated.
Kairis decided it was time to escalate. He pushed a small fraction of his Dark Matter affinity into the arena floor, creating a subtle gravity well beneath his opponent's feet. The man struggled to maintain balance as Kairis closed in, slamming a palm into his chest while using Gyro-Telekinesis to crush debris against him like additional fists.
> [System Update: Ability – Gravity Manipulation – Success]
[XP Gained: 120]
The arena itself seemed to bend slightly around Kairis, small distortions visible as he drew on the raw power of his Apostle of Void title. He didn't overdo it—this was a test, not a suicide dive into his limits.
The opponent, now bruised and struggling, swung wildly, trying to land a desperate blow. Kairis caught his fist mid-air, twisting the trajectory with Graviton Edge, sending the arm smashing into a pillar. The man's shoulder cracked audibly.
> "Pathetic," Kairis muttered, stepping back to watch. The fight was still early, but already, he could feel the Dark Matter residue forming in the arena, feeding his instincts.
Kairis leapt, spinning in mid-air, and with a subtle motion of his hand, generated a micro Black Hole at chest level. The opponent felt the invisible tug instantly, unable to resist as the gravitational collapse crushed him just enough to stagger. Kairis followed immediately, striking with a gravity-boosted punch, knocking the man fully unconscious.
> [System Update: Opponent Defeated]
[XP Gained: 450]
[Dark Matter Absorbed: 0.9 units]
[Stat Increase – Strength +2, Agility +1, Divinity +0.05%]
Kairis landed gracefully, cloak fluttering, eyes returning to brownish-black. His breathing was even, calm—almost lazy—but the subtle pulse of power radiating from him was undeniable.
He looked at the crowd, letting the silence hang for a moment before a low chuckle escaped him.
> "Next," he said, voice quiet, sharp, carrying across the arena. "Let's see who else wants to bleed."
The crowd erupted. The gods observing above scribbled notes, their constellations shifting slightly in acknowledgment of the Apostle of Void's skill. The system interface updated silently in Kairis's mind:
> [New Abilities Unlocked: Gravity Manipulation Lv.3 – Passive Enhancements]
[Next Quest – Advance through Round 2]
[Store Refresh Available]
Kairis stepped back, letting the debris settle, already analyzing his next opponent even before the system fully displayed stats. For him, every fight was both a test and a harvest—a way to grow stronger, feed his Dark Matter affinity, and push closer to the apex of what his title promised.
And this was only the beginning.