The arena was silent for a heartbeat, then alive with tension. Spectators leaned forward, mortal and divine alike, eyes scanning the figures at opposite ends of the battlefield. Kairis Ash adjusted his cloak, its folds fluttering with the subtle manipulation of gravity beneath his body. His brownish-black eyes glimmered with violet when he focused—just enough to hint at the destructive potential lurking beneath calm composure.
Across the arena, Theron Malvire stepped forward. His presence radiated sheer, controlled power, a fire-infused aura pulsating around him. He didn't speak. The heat in the air around him was palpable, bending the dust and faintly distorting the light in the arena.
> [System Update: Round 3 – Active]
[Opponent: Theron Malvire – Apostle of Ragnis]
[Level: 10+]
[Affinity: Dark Matter – Fire Sub-Affinity]
[Abilities: Infernal Grasp, Flamewave Manipulation, Heat Resonance Lv.2, Combat Foresight Lv.1]
Kairis smirked lightly, allowing his cloak to flutter just enough to reflect a faint violet ripple of gravitational energy.
> "Finally… someone worth my time," he muttered, stepping into the center of the arena, hands casually in his pockets.
Theron moved first, sweeping his hand forward. A surge of Flamewave Manipulation rippled across the arena floor, scorching stone and sending shards of debris into the air.
Kairis didn't flinch. He bent gravity subtly beneath him, allowing the wave to pass harmlessly under his feet. With a single fluid motion, he closed distance, Gyro-Telekinesis lifting several chunks of debris to intercept the next attack.
> [System Update: Ability Ready – Gravity Anchor, Graviton Edge, Gyro-Telekinesis, Black Hole Lv.1]
Theron's heat aura flared in response, igniting the debris in mid-air. The collision sent molten fragments scattering, but Kairis's precise gravity control redirected the heat away from his body.
> "Predictable," he whispered, smirking.
He launched forward, Graviton Edge cutting through the air, not to strike directly, but to manipulate space subtly. The blade's edge warped the arena's space just enough to shift the trajectory of Theron's next attack.
Theron's eyes narrowed. He countered with Infernal Grasp, summoning concentrated flames that surged toward Kairis. Gravity bent around him, allowing him to sidestep with inhuman precision. He retaliated with Gyro-Telekinesis, hurling a massive pillar fragment at Theron, forcing him to leap.
> [Dark Matter Absorbed: 0.4 units]
[XP Gained: 300]
The crowd's collective roar intensified. Kairis's movements were fluid, a blend of calculated precision and lethal instinct. Violet distortions trailed him as he twisted, leaped, and struck from angles even Theron's foresight struggled to track.
> "He's good… but not enough," Kairis thought.
Theron unleashed Heat Resonance, amplifying his attacks. Flames licked Kairis's cloak and boots, but gravity subtly twisted the air, reducing damage and pulling debris into Theron's path.
As they fought, Kairis's System interface updated continuously:
> [XP Gained: 620]
[Level Progress: 9.6 / 10]
[Dark Matter Absorbed: 1.8 units]
[Ability Upgrade: Gravity Surge Lv.3 / Black Hole Efficiency +15%]
Even mid-battle, the Gacha and Roulette interfaces pulsed. Kairis allowed the Roulette to spin casually. The wheel landed on:
> [Reward: Dark Matter Catalyst – absorption efficiency +15% for 24 hours]
He didn't need to stop fighting; the interface synchronized seamlessly with his focus.
Kairis leapt into the air, spinning, and unleashed a small-scale Black Hole. The vortex distorted space around Theron, drawing him slightly off balance. Fire and Dark Matter collided, producing a brief explosion of molten energy and gravity distortion.
Theron roared, heat energy flaring as he countered with a Flamewave Barrier, redirecting some of the gravitational pull. The arena floor buckled beneath the combined forces, leaving cracks and molten fissures.
> [System Update: Dark Matter Absorption – 0.5 units]
[XP Gained: 400]
Kairis allowed the small Black Hole to dissipate, feeling the HP drain briefly, but it was worth it. He had tested Theron's reaction, identified patterns, and subtly warped space to create openings.
The next minute was a blur of calculated brutality.
Kairis pivoted mid-air, using Graviton Edge to slash, redirect, and compress space, while Theron hurled concentrated flames with pinpoint precision.
Debris, molten stone, and gravity distortions collided around them. The arena itself became a weapon as Kairis tugged columns into his paths and redirected molten lava flows.
Kairis muttered under his breath, analyzing: "Step left, anticipate the second burst… good, now he's overextending… perfect."
Theron's energy flared, forcing Kairis to use Gravity Anchor, creating localized zones of controlled gravity to counteract the infernal surge. The two forces collided with a concussive boom, sending a shockwave through the arena.
Spectators leaned forward, gods observing in their interfaces, some whispering among themselves. The Apostle of Void had met a worthy opponent, and the clash was elegant, precise, and merciless.
Kairis's System updated again mid-battle:
> [Ability Unlocked: Gravitational Displacement – redirect energy attacks or physical strikes with ±15% deviation]
[Passive Bonus: Gravity Anchor +5% control radius]
He smirked. Even in combat, his mastery was growing, Dark Matter accumulating silently from both absorbed debris and residual energy of Theron's attacks.
Theron attempted a high-energy flame strike aimed directly at Kairis's chest. The intensity would have incinerated stone. Kairis's violet-tinged eyes narrowed, and he unleashed Gyro-Telekinesis combined with Gravity Surge, pulling Theron slightly off balance while simultaneously compressing the flame wave.
> "Not fast enough," he muttered.
A brief exchange of brutal close-quarters combat followed, fists clashing with audible concussive force, energy flares licking the arena floor.
Finally, Kairis summoned a Black Hole Lv.2, slightly larger, enough to distort space around Theron's feet. The vortex drained him, but the tactical opening was too good to resist. Kairis struck, sending Theron sprawling into the arena floor.
> [Opponent Defeated: Theron Malvire]
[XP Gained: 1,200]
[Dark Matter Absorbed: 2.5 units]
[Level Up: 10 – Gravity Mastery + Black Hole Efficiency +20%]
Kairis didn't celebrate. He walked calmly to the arena edge, cloak fluttering with subtle gravitational distortion. His eyes flicked over the next matches, already calculating potential threats and Dark Matter accumulation.
Spectators erupted, gods tilted their heads in quiet acknowledgment, and the system quietly updated with new quests:
> [New Quest: Ascend as Apostle of Void – Earn Ranking in Awakener Gathering]
[System Interface Upgrade: Full Overlay – Store, Roulette, Gacha, Stats, Quests, Abilities, Passive/Active Management]
Kairis's mind, cool and methodical, already considered the next moves.
> "This gathering… it's just the beginning. I've barely scratched the surface."
And far above, in the observation stands, other Apostles exchanged glances. Some intrigued. Some wary. Kairis Ash had just announced himself—not with arrogance, but with lethal, precise action.
The Arena pulsed with anticipation. Round 4 awaited.