After the fight finished, another system notification appeared.
[Finding a random opponent for the next match]
[Match found]
[Opponent: Number 1 god]
I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Number 1 god," huh? That's quite the name. Sounds like someone really wants to brag before the match even starts. I chuckled quietly. "Guess humility isn't part of their strategy."
Before I could think about it too much, my form started to dissolve into specks of light until nothing was left. The sensation still felt alittle strange but I was quickly growing used to it.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in the stands of the same empty colosseum. Massive stone walls rose around me, weathered and worn but still standing strong. I had grown used to the sight by now.
My attention shifted toward my opponent. He was tall and broad, but there was nothing remarkable about him except perhaps that smug look on his face, as though he already knew the outcome.
The match went almost exactly the same as the first one. Instead of anything impressive, he sent out a single‑celled organism that died almost instantly in the unfamiliar environment. My champion barely even moved before it died. There was no contest. This led me to wonder why my opponent seemed so smugness but I didn't dwell on it.
Another notification came through. This cycle repeated for four more rounds of the competition, each match easier than the last. It was to be expected, I guess. It had only been a little over two days since we became gods how much progress could anyone have realistically made in that time?
It wasn't a bad thing for me, of course. I got free wins, and every victory made my champion stronger. Now, whenever my armored lizard appeared, a faint glisten of clear liquid leaked from its mouth, proof that the venom system was working.
By the sixth round, I was already used to the empty colosseum. I stepped forward and turned toward my opponent without hesitation.
Standing beside me was an average‑height young man wearing glasses. What caught my attention immediately was the white lab coat draped over him. Unlike all my past opponents this one actually seemed like he might know what he's doing.
Noticing my gaze, the man spoke first. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Cain, but my God name is Pharmacist. Let's have a good battle." His tone was calm but confident, with a faint smile playing at his lips.
I gave a small nod. "You can call me Nexus. If I may ask, what did you do before we all became gods?"
Cain's answer came quickly, as if he had rehearsed it. "I know you're probably expecting me to say that I was a pharmacist, but truth be told, I was just in my second year of med school studying to become a cardiothoracic surgeon before i got transferred. "
I blinked and smirked. "A surgeon… and you chose Pharmacist as your god name? Well, thats abit strange." My tone was teasing, half curious, half mocking.
Cain adjusted his glasses and gave a faint shrug. "Names aren't always about logic."
I don't know why but I felt like all the niceties were just a mask he had forged for himself and his true self was hidden far away.
I decided not to press further and turned my attention to the arena floor.
A new system message appeared.
[Summoning each god's champions]
Specks of golden light began to descend onto the field, slowly forming shapes. I leaned forward to watch, curious. Cain stood beside me quietly, watching as the light gathered. He seemed calm, almost unbothered, as if he already knew what he had prepared.
This time, my armored lizard appeared first, its form solidifying with familiar precision. The creature stood low to the ground, muscles tense and claws digging into the dirt. A faint glisten of venom dripped from its mouth.
But what was different this time was not on my side. My eyes shifted toward Cain.
What was different then normal was that my opponent seemed to have an actual animal as their champion.
Standing on the other side of the arena was surprising, to say the least. Cain, my opponent, had actually managed to create a bird in the short amount of time we had been gods. Not just any bird, either this one was pure white, its feathers glistening faintly under the pale light of the colosseum. Its sharp beak curved downward in the way of a predator, and its eyes glimmered with a calculating intelligence. It looked like an owl, though smaller and more compact. When compared to my armored lizard, the bird was almost as tall as my champion was long.
This was going to be a difficult fight, especially for my lizard. It had never had to deal with a flying opponent before. No creature on my planet had evolved to take to the skies, so this was a new challenge entirely.
"Interesting," Cain said quietly beside me, his gaze fixed on my champion as though he was running calculations in his head. His tone was low, almost analytical.
I tilted my head toward him. "Interesting? Care to explain?"
He glanced at me briefly, then looked back at the field. "Nothing much, this is just the first time that we are encountering an actual opponent. It's going to be interesting to see how my creation handles the fight.
Before I could respond, the system notification rang out loudly across the colosseum.
[Match begin]
The moment the words flashed, my lizard shot forward, just as it had in every other fight. But this time, the opponent did something.
The bird spread its wings wide with a powerful sweep, catching a current of air. With a graceful beat, it lifted off the ground and flew above the arena floor. My lizard froze for a moment, its head tilting upward in confusion. Clearly, it had never encountered anything capable of flight before.
Then it lunged upward, leaping toward the bird. Its claws snapped through the air, but it came no where close. My lizard landed awkwardly, shaking its head, as though frustrated by its own limitations.
Cain smirked beside me. "It's not the sharpest tool in the shed, is it?"
I grunted in reply, eyes fixed on the bird. It circled above calmly, studying the lizard like a predator surveying prey. Then, without warning, it tucked its wings and dove.
This was the true beginning of this fight.