The Arena of Mantras

After erasing every trace of the Mayanium and Compound-X deposits from the Dee Valley, Kael-X stood still for a moment, hands in his coat pockets, his crimson eyes scanning the horizon.

The valley was quiet now, unnaturally so. Only the distant rustle of wind and the soft hum of his internal systems broke the silence. From the elevated ridge where he stood, he could still see faint traces of battle — craters gouged into the earth, cracked trees, and the lingering smell of burnt ozone where unstable Compound-X had reacted violently during extraction.

Augustus's voice hummed calmly in his ear, the AI's tone unshaken.

[All deposits neutralized. Efficiency: 100%.]

Kael exhaled slowly, a faint smirk tugging his lips.

"Good. This valley's clean. Let's leave—"

Then he heard it.

Noise.

Not just noise — layers of sound carried on the wind. The cheers of a crowd, the heavy thud of something striking the ground, a sharp metallic clang, then a chorus of roars rising like a tidal wave.

His head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing toward the distant source.

"Augustus," Kael muttered. "What's that?"

[Analysis in progress…]

A faint red light flickered in the corner of his vision. Words formed, bright and clean against the dark overlay of his system.

> Mantras Elementals Arena

— Location: Dee Valley, Outskirts Sector B

Kael let out a dry chuckle, brushing his bangs back slightly, though they still fell over his eyes.

"An arena, huh? Guess we've been missing some fun."

[Should we investigate?] Augustus asked.

Kael's lips curled into a faint grin. "Yeah. Maybe we'll pick up some intel about this world while we're at it."

---

The noise grew louder as Kael approached, each step bringing more detail into focus — the thunder of stomping feet, the distant blare of horns, and the electric charge of excitement that seemed to thrum through the very air.

Then the arena appeared before him.

It was massive.

The Mantras Elementals Arena rose like an ancient coliseum, carved from gray-black stone veined with glowing blue conduits. Spires jutted high into the misty sky, some cracked and weathered, others recently reinforced with steel. Around it, vendors lined the streets — selling glowing talismans, elemental trinkets, and roasted meat skewers that hissed over blue flames.

Inside, the roar of the crowd slammed into him like a physical wave.

The stands were packed with people — over a thousand bodies, pressed shoulder to shoulder, every eye locked on the wide central platform where two fighters danced with lethal precision. The energy was chaotic but controlled, the air thick with sweat, anticipation, and the faint hum of elemental energy.

Kael slipped into a seat near the midsection of the stands, hood pulled low but not enough to hide the faint glint in his crimson eyes. He sat casually, legs crossed, as his gaze swept the battlefield below.

Two fighters faced each other in the circular pit. One was bare-chested, muscles defined and slick with sweat, brown pants tied tightly around his waist. The other was clad in a pristine white robe, flowing elegantly as he moved with almost ceremonial grace.

Sparks of power danced in the air. Wind coiled around one fighter like invisible blades; the other's stance rippled with liquid motion, the faint scent of brine clinging to him.

Kael tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly as data scrolled into his vision.

> [NAME: UNKNOWN]

ATTRIBUTE: WIND

CLASS: AGILITY

COMBAT STRENGTH: 7,689

> [NAME: UNKNOWN]

ATTRIBUTE: WATER

CLASS: SPECIALIST

COMBAT STRENGTH: 7,538

"Hmm." Kael's voice was soft, almost dismissive. "Amateurs."

The fight raged on — bursts of wind slashing through the arena, blades of water rising like spears. To the roaring crowd, every clash was explosive, every dodge miraculous. But Kael saw the flaws immediately. Their movements were clean but predictable; their control over their elements decent but nowhere near refined.

Then, unexpectedly, the screen above the arena glitched. A static hum filled the air before new text blinked across his vision.

> [NAME: LACAN]

ATTRIBUTE: WIND

> [NAME: MAXIM]

ATTRIBUTE: WATER

Kael blinked once, unimpressed. "So the bare-chested guy's Lacan, and the robed one's Maxim… still weak."

He leaned back in his seat, letting his heightened senses bleed outward. The arena erupted into clarity — every whisper, every conversation, every frantic heartbeat of excitement sharpened in his ears.

From the crowd chatter, a clearer picture formed.

> "Those two are only at Amateur Rank 2."

"Yeah, the highest here is Semi-Pro. Anyone beyond that is in the higher-tier cities."

"Tier Five city, you know? Weakest tier."

"If you want real fights, you need to head to a Tier 3 city or higher. Tier 1 cities… now that's where monsters live."

Kael absorbed the information silently, a smirk tugging his lips.

"So the cities are ranked. Five tiers… just like Zypheron," he murmured. "Guess we start in the shadows again."

His eyes flickered toward the exit. "Let's find a good Tier 4 city in Wales… somewhere quiet enough to settle, but not too quiet."

[Analyzing…] Augustus's voice hummed in his ear, followed by a flicker of a projected map.

[Red City. Tier 4. High economic activity. Moderate combat levels.]

Kael rose from his seat, ignoring the roars behind him as the fight below reached its climax. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause as Lacan landed a finishing blow, wind slicing Maxim's defenses in half.

But Kael-X didn't care.

He stepped into the shadows of the arena corridor, already lost in his own thoughts.

"Open system panel," he commanded softly.

The familiar grid of stats and abilities opened before his eyes, a clean overlay glowing against the dim tunnel walls.

---

[SYSTEM STATUS]

Name: Kael-X

Energy: 100%

Level: 72

Attribute: SPEED-SPATIAL LAWS

Speed: 940

Space Control: 450

Strength: 300

Stamina: 480

Skills:

Rank SS: Absolute Collapse

Rank S: Flash Mirage, Dimensional Rift, Flash Warp

Rank A: Dimensional Slash, Vibration Step, Spatial Sever

Rank B: Afterimage Dash, Rapid Step, Sonic Flicker, Momentum Control, Evasion Step

---

Kael's gaze lingered on the numbers for a moment, then he shut the panel with a casual blink.

"With the amount of Compound-X I've stockpiled," he muttered, "I'll break through again soon." His voice was low, steady, confident.

A faint chuckle escaped him as he stepped out into the cool night air. "But first… let's settle down. Red City, huh? Sounds like a place worth w

atching."

The world around him blurred in streaks of crimson light as Kael vanished into the distance, his figure dissolving like a whisper in the wind.

---

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