Apocalypse Arena opened the winner's banqueting hall not long after Andrew and company departed, letting Nil flee the journalist and most sponsors. It only allowed successful participants, current arena fighters, and retired fighters who made it to the silver gauntlet and above. At first, the only participants were the people who got through the battle royale and area-control matches. Then, winners of the solo and duo combat tournaments started filing in. Drinks flowed, and waiters with medieval canapes filtered through the socializing guests. Whole animals roasted in pits, and more food sat on tables along the walls. Best of all, Shina’s spy didn’t follow him.

“You performed brilliantly,” Isabella said, finding him. She came along with the participants and the mage trainer. The woman had focused most of her efforts on coaching the fighters involved in the direct combat tournaments. A petite, pale woman followed close behind her. Nil didn’t recognize her face, but something about her felt familiar. “Honestly, I was sure you’d crumble after the thing with Fatima. You proved unshakeable, and that bodes well for your future with the Nexus in Apocalypse Arena. It's amazing how much progress you made in so little time, and I’m impressed.”

“But?” Nil smiled, surprised by the woman’s earnest compliment. “I sense a but coming.”

“But it's just the beginning. You might have qualified for Iron Gauntlet, but climbing the ranks and ascending is no easy feat. It’s brutal and perhaps harder than the Bronze Gauntlet.”

“Everyone keeps saying that, but I’m not sure I get it,” Nil said. “The foes get stronger and the challenges harder. Why is the Bronze Gauntlet easier?”

“Time,” the young woman accompanying Isabella said.

The ability trainer nodded. “Competition is stiff, and you need to climb the ranks to qualify for the Bronze Gauntlet. That’s easier said than done, and a lot of people reach the peak of Iron Realm before they’re ready to ascend. The rules permit them to ascend their body or ability and stay in the Iron Gauntlet, but once you fully reach the Bronze Realm, you’re done. Apocalypse Arena won’t let you back in. So, a lot of people end up having to choose between getting stronger, challenging greater and more infrequent quests with better rewards, and stagnating so they can continue to struggle in the arena. Many people give up and then curse themselves for wasting months if not years stuck in Iron Realm.”

“It sounds like a lot of pressure, too,” Nil stated. “I imagine most people trying to ascend from Bronze to Silver have a lot of time to climb the ranks and establish themselves?”

“Each subsequent realm takes longer to reach unless you’re lucky enough to chance upon unfair growth feats,” Isabella stated. Nil had told her about Through Sheer Grit. Learning of it only made her push him harder. “It's best to take time climbing the ranks so you can master your evolving body and ability. Doing that successfully in the Iron Gauntlet is challenging. The ability you get from your ascension doesn’t give you enough time to grow, and most fail to adapt it to their fighting style adequately.”

“My uncle used to say it’s a lot like trying to make it through qualifiers,” the younger woman said. “Instead of struggling with finances, you’re trying to make the most of your time. The few events that can help you climb quickly are also death traps. Most people who take them on don’t survive.”

“Risk for reward.” Nil sighed. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Nil.”

“Lucy,” the woman replied, shaking his hand. “You probably know me as the knight that never shows her face.”

“It's nice to meet you finally,” Nil said. “You’ve been a great mystery for most of us.”

He hadn’t yet had the opportunity to watch her match, but she appeared popular. Several sponsors and ludus owners—current or former arena fighters—wanted Lucy’s time. They all congratulated Nil but weren’t as interested in him, and he didn’t mind. Nil hung around Lily for a while. They discussed the match, their teammates, and their issues. It was no surprise that Viktor was a chore of a companion and why Lily got knocked out. She couldn’t be more pleased about him not making it through.

As a pretty young teenager, Lily attracted a lot of male attention. At first, she used Nil to keep most people at bay, but then she found handsome enough suitors to abandon him. He didn’t mind being alone. Adam waved him over. Nil liked the man’s cheerful nature, but his ludus mates surrounded him, and he had no intention of associating with them. So, he excused himself to the balcony. Even though the banquet hall was on the ground floor, the doors opened into a space on the top floor above the London Aquarium. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, and the London Eye at night were a beautiful sight. Nil was happy sipping on a sugary cocktail and watching the world go by. Then, a surprising pair of guests interrupted his peace.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Nil Roy.” It was Selia Murphy, the winner of the battle royale. She didn’t look pallid and near collapse anymore. In fact, she looked healthy and thriving. Selia still had the palest complexion he’d ever seen, but not in an unhealthy way. It was a stark contrast to her lustrous black-as-night hair. The woman stood a couple of inches shorter than Nil and had the physique of someone who focused on Finesse, followed by Mind instead of Mind and Spark. “I was wondering if we could have a word.”

“Of course,” Nil said, shaking the woman’s hand. “I almost didn’t recognize you outside of the arena.”

“I’ve ascended my body and ability since. It changes a fair bit.”

“You attempted the qualifiers with both at Mortal Realm?” Nil’s eyes widened. “That’s amazing. You must be super proud.”

“Only my body is Iron. Turns out a Mortal Realm body can’t quite keep up with a power at the peak of Iron Realm.”

“So your ability is Bronze Realm now?” Nil couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of training or impossible quest forced Selia to push her power so far beyond her body. There was also the possibility she had spent forever waiting to get an Iron Ascension Token and had just used her new wealth of Schema Credits to purchase one. Only six hours had passed since the battle royale had ended, and he expected the ascension process to take a considerable while, as it had him.

Selia nodded, smiling. “Hopefully, my body won’t take long to catch up.”

A loud throat clear drew Nil’s attention behind them. It was Shawn. The man had his left arm in a sling and offered Nil his right. Despite the abrasive behavior, Nil didn’t hate the man. He respected him as a fighter but didn’t care or think about him beyond that. They shook hands.

“You were impressive. The construct should've given you a second, not me.” Shawn hesitated, glancing at Selia. She nodded, almost seeming to encourage him. “We’re curious, though. Why are you slumming it with Symbiotech? Do you want more companions who try to stab you in the back?”

“This isn’t how I wanted to broach the subject.” Selia sighed, rolling her eyes. “Tact, Shawn. It doesn’t matter how good a martial artist you are or how good you get with your power. You won’t make it far without tact.”

“I appreciate him getting straight to the point,” Nil said. “What is this about? I know Symbiotech isn’t perfect, but—”

“They’re scum,” Shawn interrupted. “Scum with deep enough pockets to get away with child trafficking, murder, and worse. You’re a good fighter, and we can tell you’re reasonably clean.” The man moved closer and spoke softly as he continued. “Despite the nonsense with the pits, you seem alright. Stay the fuck away from Symbiotech.”

“Or help us take them out,” Selia added.

“What’s your beef with them?” Nil asked.

“Where do we start?” Selia leaned on the balcony railing next to Nil. “The most egregious of their crimes would be experimenting on kids, trying to make them worth enough to get picked by the Nexus.”

“Is that any different from what Wilson Luduses and the copycats are doing?”

Shawn appeared to bristle at the mention of them but maintained his composure. “Wilson Luduses only provides training and an education,” he said. “They don’t do anything illegal or immoral. You might as well think of it as a specialized boarding or military school that teaches more than just to pass standardized tests.”

“Meanwhile, Symbiotech experiments on children,” Selia continued. “They pump kids full of chemicals, otherworldly materials, aether, Cursed Energy, and whatever else they can find to create metahumans without the Nexus’ assistance. I wouldn’t be surprised if your mad teammate was one of them. “

“Do you have any evidence to support this claim?” Nil knew they were right, but he needed to figure out their motivations and sources. Discussing sensitive topics with people he barely knew would only get him in trouble.

“I was one of them,” Selia said. “My family and I were on a trip to Brazil when the cataclysm. We got trapped. They died. Symbiotech, or whatever title they used back then, came dressed as rescuers but turned us into lab rats. I tolerated fifteen years of experiments as they tried to turn me into a Summoned.”

“How did you get out?” Nil asked, studying the woman. He kept Energy Instinct active to look for eavesdroppers and ensure there was no magic at play on him or around them. Nil’s eyes never left Selia’s. “I’m not saying I believe you, but none of this sounds plausible. If Symbiotech is up to everything you claim, they’re bound to have incredible security.”

“I got lucky. A bunch of us had been planning to break out for a while. Most of my friends escaped, but I didn’t. Fortunately, my bravery caught Schema’s attention, and I picked the ability that would give me the best chance to escape. We tried exposing Dr Shina Patel and her staff, but whoever sponsored their work ensured nothing came to light. The organization has changed names and locations so many times it's impossible to track. We need someone on the inside.”

“This is moving too fast,” Nil said, taking a step back. “Unless you have any proof, I can’t exactly help you.”

“You don’t get it. I still have friends in there. Fatima might not have recognized me, but we were in the same ward. Please. You seem like a decent person. I need your help.”

“I—”

“Ah! That’s where the winners are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Nil’s heart skipped a beat. Shawn and Selia looked as shocked as he felt. It was Adrian ‘Wildshape’ Wilson. “That’s one of the most nerve-wracking battle-royale endings I’ve ever seen. It is very sportsman of you not to have any hard feelings afterward, too. People like you are just the kind of person Wilson Luduses needs.”