Following Novarion's recent victory, the crowd could not stop chanting his name. He had become the talk of the arena, with many spectators already crowning him the eventual champion. Novarion, however, chose to head to the upper tiers to watch the remaining bouts. He knew stronger opponents lay ahead, and he needed to study them with surgical precision.
Sitting beside Zayn and Lina, he watched as Ray entered the ring. With a heavy shield and a colossal axe, Ray moved with a speed that defied his massive frame. With a single, effortless strike, he sent his opponent flying out of the ring.
"Impressive..." Novarion muttered to himself. "His strength is on a different level." A spark of anticipation ignited within him—a genuine desire to test his might against such a man.
After a few lackluster matches, Novarion returned to his room, followed by Zayn and Lina. As soon as he was alone, the familiar System interface flickered to life:
[System: Would you like to enter the Time Chamber for training? Yes / No]
Novarion smirked and pressed "Yes" without hesitation. The room dissolved into a vast, silent void.
[System: Training in the Time Chamber involves re-manifesting previously defeated monsters. However... they will be stronger, faster, and deadlier than before.]
Suddenly, a horde of Goblins appeared—but these were giants, their eyes pulsing with sinister magical energy. Novarion drew his blade and lunged. For several days inside the chamber (though only one day passed outside), he pushed his limits. Every strike felt ten times heavier, forcing his skills to evolve. When he finally emerged, drenched in sweat but radiating newfound power, he knew he was ready.
The next morning, the arena was electric with tension. The announcer's voice boomed:
"The next match: Ray vs. Zayn! Two of our most elite fighters!"
As they entered the ring, Ray's eyes burned with challenge, while Zayn maintained his usual, enigmatic smile. The signal was given, and suddenly... Zayn vanished. He reappeared directly in front of Ray.
"Such speed?!" Ray gasped, barely raising his shield in time. Zayn's twin daggers struck with staggering force, pushing the titan back. Ray roared, and his latent energy exploded into a powerful brown aura. The ground beneath him shattered as he invoked the element of Earth.
The battle became a blur of steel and stone. Ray swung his massive axe, but Zayn moved like a phantom, appearing and disappearing as if he were a mere mirage. As the grueling fight wore on, exhaustion finally claimed Ray. Seeing his opening, Zayn moved with a lethal velocity that left Ray defenseless. A final, precise strike brought the giant to the ground.
"The winner... ZAYN!"
Ray stood up with difficulty, wiping blood from his lip with a smile. "You're strong... I hope we meet again." Zayn gave a subtle nod and returned to the stands.
"You were amazing! You actually beat my brother," Lina said in awe.
Novarion turned to Zayn. "What do you think of his strength?"
"He's powerful," Zayn replied coolly. "But he needs to learn how to control it."
Before the cheers could die down, the announcer's voice thundered again:
"Ladies and gentlemen, a legendary surprise! Behold... the elite hunter, KAIROS!"
The crowd erupted into a near-religious frenzy.
"Who is this Kairos?" Novarion asked, surprised by the reaction.
"He is an S-Rank Hunter," Lina replied quickly. "Actually, the strongest S-Rank in the entire city."
Kairos stepped into the ring, his face a mask of absolute indifference. His opponent rushed him with a frantic barrage of strikes, but Kairos didn't even draw his sword. He evaded every move with casual grace. In a flash, he delivered a single strike to the back of his opponent's neck. The match was over in seconds.
The crowd screamed his name in adoration. Novarion watched the ring, his eyes shining with excitement. "It seems this tournament... is about to get interesting."