Ascendant

Chapter 1 : Into the Arena

The roar of the crowd hit Kai Stryker like a hammer to the chest. Thousands of voices blended into a wall of noise, deafening and relentless, as he stepped out onto the bloodstained sands of the arena. His heart raced beneath his armor, the heavy pulse of adrenaline surging through his veins.

Gladiators weren't supposed to feel fear. They were supposed to thrive in this chaos, feeding off the screams and cheers, relishing the kill. But as Kai stood beneath the blinding lights of the Nexus Arena, he felt the familiar weight settle in his stomach—fear, dread, and desperation.

The voice of the Announcer echoed through the towering arena speakers. "Tonight, we witness the end of a low-ranked fighter—Kai Stryker, a name soon forgotten!"

A surge of laughter rippled through the stands. Kai gritted his teeth. They all saw him as nothing, a C-rank nobody who had barely scraped by in the pit for the past year. No one expected him to survive tonight, and deep down, Kai wondered if they were right.

He gripped his sword tighter, the hilt cold and slick with sweat. His opponent stepped onto the sand opposite him—a hulking brute named Garron, a B-rank Beastmaster with muscles like iron and a sneer to match. Garron flexed his arms, summoning two massive beasts at his side: a snarling wolfhound with razor-sharp teeth and a black-furred panther with eyes like molten gold.

Kai's heart thudded in his chest. He had fought in the arena dozens of times, but he'd never faced someone like Garron. Not with two beasts by his side.

The Skill Nexus hummed in his mind, projecting his opponent's stats into his field of vision.

Garron (Beastmaster) – Rank B+
Strength: 85
Speed: 70
Agility: 65
Class Ability: Beast Control (Wolfhound, Panther)

A pit opened in Kai's gut. His own stats barely registered by comparison, a mix of C-level numbers that painted him as little more than fodder.

Kai Stryker (Fighter) – Rank C
Strength: 50
Speed: 45
Agility: 40
Class Ability: None

None. That word burned in his mind. While most gladiators had some kind of Class Ability—magical or otherwise—Kai was one of the unlucky few born with nothing but his own wits and a sword.

"You ready to die, Stryker?" Garron's voice boomed, as he took a menacing step forward, his beasts growling in unison.

Kai didn't answer. His throat was dry, and his muscles screamed in protest as he tried to focus. The Nexus had no mercy for the weak. This arena wasn't just about survival. It was about progression. Every fight was a chance to earn points, to level up, to prove you had what it took to rise through the ranks. But after so many battles, Kai had barely managed to survive, let alone ascend.

The gong rang out, signaling the start of the match. Garron wasted no time. His panther pounced forward, a blur of black fur and fangs, while the wolfhound circled from the opposite side. Garron himself closed the distance, his warhammer swinging low.

Kai barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as the hammer smashed into the sand, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. The crowd erupted, hungry for blood.

Focus. Stay alive.

Kai spun, raising his sword to block the wolfhound's attack. The beast's jaws snapped dangerously close to his arm, but he shoved it back with a swift kick to its side. Before he could regain his footing, the panther was on him, claws flashing. Pain tore across Kai's shoulder as the panther raked its claws through his armor, drawing blood.

Gasping, Kai stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding Garron's next swing. He felt the sharp sting of panic settle in. He was too slow. Too weak. Garron was toying with him, letting his beasts wear him down.

The Nexus wouldn't save him. No one was coming to help. This was a death match.

Garron's laugh boomed across the arena. "You've lasted longer than I thought, Stryker. But this ends now."

With a gesture, Garron sent both beasts charging at once, a wall of muscle and fury. Kai's instincts screamed at him to move, but something inside him froze. His legs wouldn't respond fast enough. His vision blurred with exhaustion. The shadow of Garron's warhammer loomed over him, ready to crush him into the sand.

And then, something strange happened.

The world around him seemed to flicker. The shadows cast by the arena walls shifted, swirling around Kai's feet like living things. The air grew cold, and time itself felt like it slowed. Kai's heart pounded, but the sound was distant, like an echo from another world.

Without thinking, Kai moved.

One second he was standing in front of Garron, the next he was behind him, his sword raised in a defensive arc. The beasts passed through where he had just been, crashing into the ground.

Kai stared at his hands in shock. What had just happened? He hadn't moved—not normally. It was as if the shadows themselves had pulled him through them.

Garron turned, his face contorted in confusion. "What the—?"

Kai didn't let him finish. He lunged forward, his sword slicing across Garron's exposed side. The big man roared in pain, staggering back, blood pouring from the wound.

The crowd's roar shifted. They were no longer mocking him. They were cheering.

Kai's mind spun. This wasn't possible. No one moved like that—no one without a Class Ability. But somehow, he had done it. Somehow, the shadows had answered his call.

Garron snarled, eyes burning with rage. "You—what kind of trick is this?"

Kai didn't know. All he knew was that something inside him had awakened.

The shadows coiled around him, and for the first time in his life, Kai Stryker felt power.

The match wasn't over. But for the first time, Kai wasn't fighting to survive.

He was fighting to win.

NEXT CHAPTER!