"I wonder what's with this metal," I whispered as I touched the cage, studying the peculiar alloy. It wasn't mithril, the magic-infused metal from Luminosa. Even the mechanism pulling the cages seemed more sophisticated than anything I'd seen in the other world. But I didn't have time to ponder as my cage rolled into the arena through the gates. In the opposite corner was the octopus's cage, its occupant fixing me with a stare like that of a cornered beast. I felt a pang of pity for the creature—its movements were sluggish, and the Mana inside its Core was unstable. It had no idea it was about to face an opponent far beyond its capabilities.

At the platform floating above the arena's center stood another gremlin, so thin his bones seemed ready to pierce through his sickly green skin. True to his position, this one wore a flamboyant outfit: a crimson tailcoat adorned with golden buttons and intricate embroidery, a top hat perched precariously on his angular head, and a monocle that caught the light as he gestured dramatically.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he declared, sweeping his arms wide and pirouetting on the floating platform. "Before your eyes is a rare commodity, our newest addition to the exhibition show. No, I'm not talking about this giant octopus—I speak of this unusual human, if you can even call it that!" He leaned forward conspiratorially, his monocle glinting. "The System deemed this creature extraordinary and sent it here. The System says it's only level 0, but I wouldn't be so quick to believe that! After all, there are Archetypes and Skills that can hide your real power. As it stands, I don't know what secrets it holds, but I hope it will entertain us!"

"And in the other corner, our second contender!" He spun with a flourish, coat tails whipping through the air. "Some of you may remember the Titan Octopus from the previous games, where it destroyed the Black Steel Hedgehog with its slimy tentacles. At level 355, it poses a real threat even to most seasoned fighters! Now, this may seem like a recipe for one-sided slaughter, but would the System be wrong to put a seemingly normal human in our Exhibition? And would my dear brother, Grigo the Tamer, send a helpless creature to face such a Goliath just for your amusement?"

He paused dramatically, placing one spindly hand over his heart. "Oh wait, actually he would—after all, it's up to him whether to make a battle even or completely one-sided!" His voice dropped to a stage whisper. "As for you, my dear guests, you can only place your bets. Our previous fight ended in a tie, with both sides perishing, meaning none of you won anything. So now's your chance for an easy catch!"

The crowd's reaction was mixed—some hissed at the announcer for setting up another potentially unsatisfying battle, while others buzzed with excitement. About half of the spectators looked human enough, though some sported unusual features like third eyes or pointed ears. The other half were clearly non-human: aliens, monsters, or demon-like beings. The gremlins here were at least four times larger than their counterparts in Luminosa, making me wonder if they were even the same species.

The bars of our cages opened simultaneously, releasing us into an arena still bearing evidence of the previous fight. Blood and viscera painted the ground, with dismembered limbs scattered about. The remains of what was once an ogre's head testified to the ferocity of the cat-wolves, though even they hadn't survived their battle.

I used my Mana Sense to analyze the area. The arena had a field that would prevent even Tier 4 beings from properly using Mana outside their bodies, limiting them to melee attacks. Though for most beasts, that wouldn't be a problem as they weren't capable of ranged attacks to begin with. As for me, as a Primalist with exceptional Mana control, I could bypass this restriction or even alter the field's effects if I had enough time.

"And now we shall witness a fight of flesh and blood, fists against tentacles—the carnage you so love!" The gremlin's voice carried Mana, but unlike his brother's controlling presence, he used it to excite the crowd. His scattered Mana could only affect those who were either willing or too weak to resist. "With your bets placed—and I see some of you have wagered your very lives, how delightfully courageous—let the battle begin!"

For a moment, I wanted to end things quickly to get the map as fast as possible, but a System message appeared before me:

System installation: 28%.

Bonus objective for the Side Quest [Curious Creature]:

Defeat your opponents using only close combat.

Reward will depend on the power of the opponents and will be calculated at the Side Quest's completion.

Should I go for the objective and unknown reward? Every minute counts, considering that I haven't found those who were put in my care yet, but I also need to get used to my body after losing Condensed Mana.

This wouldn't be as simple as it seemed. While my beastly opponents were weakened from captivity and couldn't properly use their Mana outside their bodies, I had to acknowledge that most humanoids relied heavily on tools, armor, and Mana mastery—not raw physical power. Even with a Primal Surge and boosts from all my elements, I would barely match a peak Tier 4 beast in pure strength. But that only made it more interesting. Though I preferred to avoid unnecessary risks, I welcomed a chance to test my current capabilities.

The octopus, while formidable, was clearly only halfway through Tier 4—and nowhere near the level of Alphas, which typically surpassed normal beasts of the same rank, let alone Enigmas or Progenitors, who were even more deadly. This would have been different if we had fought underwater, of course. Otherwise, I didn't worry too much; the real danger would come from the opponents in the next rounds. The arena's Mana-draining effect was even stronger than in the cage, adding another layer of challenge to the fight ahead. Not for me, of course, but for the poor octopus.

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

The octopus, a swirling mass of tentacles infused with shadow-attribute Mana, made its first move the moment its cage opened. Three tentacles swung at me while two more thrust forward like spears. I shaped my Electricity Mana to infuse my body with speed and reflexes, more than enough to dodge these attacks. The tentacles whistled through the air where I had been standing just a heartbeat before. Before the octopus could react, I moved to its back in a blur of motion and delivered a kick to one of its limbs. The impact was sharp enough to sever the tentacle as cleanly as any sword, dark ichor spraying in an arc through the air.

While I usually avoided unarmed close combat, it felt refreshing after relying on swords and Mana shaping for so long. The raw physicality of it—the resistance of flesh and muscle against my strikes—brought back memories of my earliest training days. But this wasn't the time for fun; I needed to understand my current limits and how my body moved without its Condensed Mana.

My movement left the crowd momentarily confused. When they realized what had happened, the arena erupted with noise. Though some cheered for me, most supported the octopus, urging it to show the "puny human" who was boss. A particularly enthusiastic group of what looked like deep-sea creatures were practically jumping out of their seats, their webbed hands gesturing wildly. It made sense; the majority had likely bet on the creature. Whatever the System had done, it hadn't revealed my true capabilities. Based on the Tamer's reaction, they could see levels, and mine was displayed as merely level one.

I realized that using Electricity Mana might be overkill, so I switched to Wind Mana for my boost. Wind was my least powerful element, though quite efficient. I didn't need complex manipulations like decreasing air resistance—a basic boost was enough to gracefully dodge a tentacle that shot from a nearby shadow, the appendage passing so close that I could feel the displacement of air against my skin. The octopus's shadow element wasn't just for show; however, the arena's Mana drain prevented it from using its full power. Otherwise, the magical barrier protecting the audience wouldn't have been sufficient.

The creature grew increasingly frustrated as I danced around it, systematically cutting its tentacles. Each strike was precisely calculated—just enough force to sever but not waste energy. Though the severed limbs dissolved into shadow-like ink and returned to its body in writhing streams of darkness, each regeneration drained its energy. Unlike me, it lacked fine Mana control, so it was clear that its cage hadn't been depleting its inner reserves. Otherwise, it would have succumbed to exhaustion long ago and wouldn’t have started the battle with nearly full Mana capacity.

I gradually decreased my Mana boost to better gauge my natural capabilities, weaving between strikes that could crush stone as if they were moving through molasses. Another minute passed as I relied purely on my physical abilities to keep pace with the octopus, its attacks growing more frenzied but slower with each failed attempt.

Finally, when I cut yet another tentacle with a perfectly angled chop, it didn't regenerate. The severed limb flopped uselessly to the ground instead of dissolving into shadows. The octopus stumbled, confusion evident in its massive eyes as its remaining tentacles twitched weakly. I leaped forward, crossing the distance in a single bound, and struck between its eyes with my fist. The impact sent shockwaves through its massive body, ending the fight with a precise blow. The creature swayed for a moment before collapsing, helpless on the arena floor, its tentacles splayed out like the spokes of a broken wheel—but still, undoubtedly, alive.

"I guess this should be enough to demonstrate my superiority," I said, looking up at the announcer hovering on his floating disc about a hundred feet in the air. I infused my voice with Mana to make it carry, though without any mind-altering effects. "So, will you declare me the winner?"

"My dear ladies and gentlemen," the announcer called out, his thin frame twirling dramatically. "It seems we have a clear winner! But what do you want? Shall we end it here, or do you desire the bloody outcome you came to see?"

The crowd's response was immediate and deafening.

"Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"

The words echoed through the coliseum. I shook my head as I noticed the System hadn't counted my victory yet.

"You really are bloodthirsty bastards, you know that?" I sighed. "Well, I guess killing it would be mercy compared to keeping it in the arena."

I approached the octopus and punched through its forehead, directly into its brain. The strike was swift and precise— as merciful a death as I could provide. Of course, there was a catch, but no one needed to know this... The System message greeted me as the crowd fell silent before erupting into cries of bloody delight.

Congratulations. You have won your first battle! Bonus objective achieved. Two more battles to go for the reward!

There was one more message, curiously.

System installation: 42%. Status screen is now live.

Status Screen

Race: Human*

Level: 0 (0%)

Archetypes: None

Skills: None

Attributes [2573]

Might: 480

Grace: 620

Tenacity: 416

Mind: 56

Spirit: 1001

Free Attributes: 0

I can guess what each stat does, but it's not very useful information to me... I'm also curious what's average for a normal person; ten in each Attribute? Well, whatever.

As I turned my attention to the audience, I noticed there were exceptions to the general enthusiastic mood. Here and there, spectators' heads literally burst—likely from lost life-wagering bets. Many others wore unhappy expressions, and among those who placed bets, it was obvious that most would lose after all. But for the vast majority, the loss of a bet seemed less important than the great show they had witnessed. As I scanned the tribunes more carefully, I found two familiar faces that also didn’t share in the victory celebration. The King of Pop vampire and his wife wore crestfallen expressions, falling silent the moment they noticed my glance.

Interesting. What are the chances? And of course, there was another message from the System.

You found two of your little geese. Make sure they complete their Tutorials. (2/9)