The announcer’s spiel introduced the participants and gave them a rough idea of their opponent’s capabilities. They didn’t know the details of Nil’s ability, of course, and explosive pugilist was a satisfactory description. He would’ve preferred ‘martial artist’ but tended to use punches far more than kicks. He used the latter more during spars and worried they’d leave him with far too many openings unless he was sure he could outspeed his opponent.
Nil knew nothing about Francesca Ricci. However, titles like Daughter of Venice and Chosen By The Tides told him that she was some sort of water manipulator. He hoped she didn’t have long-range powers like his last opponent. It would make her annoying to fight. On the bright side, a water user likely used physical force to attack. Nil imagined blunt-force trauma, high-speed water whips or blades, and attempts at trapping them. Absorb would most likely have little trouble against her. However, it was too early to count his chickens.
An Expend-powered leap carried Nil out of the courtyard and to the roof. Traversing three stories took a tidy chunk out of his stores, but he didn’t worry too much about the loss. Dropping to ground level would restore Brutal Battery’s stores just as easily. Nil used the elevation to scan his surroundings.
Unlike Earth, the alien world wasn’t barren. Nil saw glimmers of magic all around him. Most of it radiated from the bioluminescent plant life. He spotted crystalline growths in the distance around which the arcane auras were especially dense. Nil wore the Qi-gathering ring he received from Moon Rabbit Emporium and started towards them, moving along the roofs. Absorb kept him silent as he jogged. Even if he lost, going home with the energy to cultivate and grow stronger would make the endeavor worth it.
It would be incredible if Nil completed the Gauntlet of Ten on his first attempt, but he knew better than to be overconfident. There were better, more-experienced fighters out there and it was likely he was up against one such opponent now.
The arena construct can’t be setting me up to fail. It believes I have a chance.
Despite the reassurances, Nil mentally prepared himself for a loss. It wasn’t a race but a marathon. He didn’t need to get strong or ascend to Bronze in a hurry. In fact, if he completed the Gauntlet of Ten, Nil would only have six months to ascend his body and power to the next realm. If he failed to do it within the time limit, he’d have no choice but to start from scratch. According to the statistics, most gauntlet winners also ascended their bodies or primary ability to Bronze first, and he was nowhere near achieving it either. As a result, he treated each match as an exercise to gather as much experience and strength as possible.
Victory is a bonus.
If Nil lost, returning home with a few attributes or ability ranks and a ring full of Qi would make the endeavor worthwhile. Many would consider his attitude defeatist, but Nil considered himself pragmatic. He wasn’t the best or a being with incredible talent. Nil was a middle-of-the-pack individual, and he planned to achieve his ambitions through sheer grit.
As Nil moved, he maintained his focus on Energy Instinct, retaining the visual feedback element. He scanned his surroundings for signs of Francesca, but he didn’t know what to look for. Nil scanned for energy fluctuations as he stopped at the luminous crystal. It dripped with crimson magic. He didn’t have the means to identify it, and several black and purple specks filled it. Nil had never encountered energy like it before. He had only encountered faint, wispy traces that were gaseous or super dense presences that appeared solid. When he pressed his ring to the crystal, the piece of jewelry absorbed a good chunk of its contents. The light emitting from it faded, and the energy lost density until it became gaseous.
The hair on the back of Nil’s neck stood on end, and he ducked—a crescent blade made of water shot through where his neck had been a heartbeat earlier. Nil caught a glimpse of murky blue energy, tinged with brown before it disappeared into the rain.
Now I know what to look for.
Nil leaped from the roof, supercharged durability, and raced away, using Expend for speed and to make room for Absorb. Two more water blades followed, but weaving through the temple complex’s more crowded sections helped him get away from them. Instead of fleeing, he looped around while scanning with Energy Instinct, hoping to flank his opponent. A trio of blades exploded against Nil’s skin just as he turned a corner. They pushed Brutal Battery’s stores beyond the maximum. It sliced his upper arm, leaving a jagged gouge. Nil grunted, ducking behind cover. The following attacks cut several chunks out of the stone, forcing him to crouch and speed away.
Energy Instinct’s new gifts and Nil’s understanding of cultivation proved invaluable. It didn’t just improve his control of Expend but also Toggled Supercharging. Nil focused on the durability boost, particularly around his new wounds. He felt the skin and tissue underneath wriggle. The area felt tighter, and the blood streaming from it eased. Nil didn’t feel hardier and it was no replacement for healing, but Nil felt more in control of his individual muscles. He couldn’t move them independently or whatever Adrian ‘Wildshape’ Wilson did when he transformed his arms or legs to mimic monsters from around the multiverse or grow excess muscle strands to entangle attackers. However, hardening or tightening them around a vulnerable or damaged area felt feasible.
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Francesca didn’t just stop at waterblades. Drilling bullets ripped through stones before striking Nil, leaving friction burns and scratches despite having Absorb active with Brutal Battery below maximum capacity. She also launched cannonballs that shattered Nil’s cover. They didn’t damage him and pushed his stores to the maximum. However, avoiding the bullets and blades that followed was challenging. Worst of all were the tentacles. They did little damage but slowed or stopped Nil long enough to suffer more damaging projectiles.
In the end, Nil changed tactics and charged his opponent.
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“Now that you’re officially an arena fighter, death is a genuine and regular risk,” Isabella had said when Nil started training for his first official match. “I think it's time we change how you use your abilities and approach battle.”
“Change?” Nil had asked. “What needs changing? I’ve been giving training and the quests my all.”
“Not staying in the neutral state, for starters. We both know more about Brutal Battery now and understand it. I suggested the tactic just so you could improve your control over Expend, and it feels like you’re getting there. So, I think you should keep Absorb on by default and only use Expend when you have the perfect window for attacking or absolutely need it.”
Nil nodded. “That’s pretty much been my thought process too. Switching between Absorb and Expend doesn't take too long after ascending to Iron and with all the practice I’ve had. It's almost as fast as going into neutral and then using either ability.”
“Good. Toggled Supercharging gives you everything you need. Use the speed boost to get around and occasionally expend for bursts. The strength enhancement is fairly useful while you’re Absorbing too. But neither of those nor the durability boost during Expending are the best part of the sub-ability.”
“I believe we’ve been thinking the same thing. Toggled Supercharging ensures I don’t need to Expend to keep my capacity below maximum. That means I never need to stop channeling Absorb unless the situation turns dire. The only thing left is figuring out how to pour more energy into Toggled Supercharging to empty my stores quicker and increase the boosts.”
“If you do figure that out, I’d suggest only using the upgrade for strength and durability boosts. A sudden burst of speed can hurt more than benefit unless you have high enough Finesse and a boatload of practice.”
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The upgrade to Energy Instinct helped Nil do just that—push Toggled Supercharging past its limit. He had named the unofficial ability Overclocking. He didn’t have the greatest control, and the injection of energy and output weren’t consistent. However, it gave him what he wanted.
First, Nil overclocked the strength boost and used the boost to launch himself at Francesca. He flew almost as fast as with a minor Expend-powered leap. Except, he didn’t need to worry about suffering crippling blows from the aquatic barrage still coming his way. The water still damaged him but swiftly restored the energy he burned. Nil believed that Absorb was failing to stop the projectiles since it wasn’t a solid object or a single cohesive projectile. It was almost exactly like Burning Sands’ — the first ever Summoned he fought— animated conjuration. The grains that touched his skin lost all momentum, but their neighbors kept moving.
Toggled Supercharging has progressed to Mortal 9!
Fear filled Francesca’s eyes as he came bounding toward her. It only lasted for a moment. Determination and confidence replaced the momentary shock. Energy Instinct’s visual input detected all the murky brown strands of energy as they swiftly flowed back toward her. She gathered it in a dense sphere, and the rainwater pooling on the ground joined it. As the shape grew, the energy dispersed through it. Nil noted how, unlike her bullets, cannonballs, and crescent blades, the water rippled and struggled to maintain definition.
Volume counters control and power.
Thanks to Francesca’s barrage, Brutal Battery’s stores stayed just above ninety percent, and Nil knew what to do with all of the energy. He dove into the minivan-sized sphere of water. It was like pushing through jelly. Nil just about saw Francesca’s face contort into a manic grin through the rippling water. He swiftly wiped it off her face.
Expend has progressed to Iron 4!
Brutal Battery has progressed to Iron 4!
Twenty-five percent of Nil’s maximum stores went into an explosion of energy that destroyed the sphere and dispersed the brackish, brown energy. He gritted his teeth, tasting the surprisingly salty fluid. Nil didn’t just stop there. He supercharged durability while slowly trickling energy through his skin. Thanks to the ice-cold water, he didn’t burn. Instead, the almost-gelatinous magic-imbued water clinging to him swiftly evaporated as he attempted to grab Francesca.
Unfortunately, his opponent proved that she didn’t get nine consecutive Gauntlet-of-Ten victories using her ability alone. She masterfully weaved through his blows, swiftly backpedaling and regathering the dispersed brown energy. Francesca neither looked scared nor confident. Nothing but concentration dominated her face. A scream burst from her lips when Nil’s fingers grazed her during an attempted grab. His fingers melted skin and surface muscles on her right upper arm as the energy leaking from Nil’s body scorched the surrounding area.
Water pooled around Francesca’s feet, and she ceased moving. Instead, the gelatinous puddle carried her away from Nil, and she disappeared into the ruins around them. Nil switched to Absorb, supercharged speed, and pursued.