Chapter 125: Survival of the fittest
But even as bodies fell, others rose. The ones with madness in their eyes, blood soaking their armor, laughter echoing from their throats. They fought harder. With every kill, with every drop of blood spilled, they grew stronger. The smell of death only fueled their frenzy.
At the center of it all, two elite candidates clashed like titans.
One was a towering Knight wielding the Law of Earth, he could use one of it variant, the Gravity, every step causing the ground to quake, pulling his enemies downward with crushing force. His armor was cracked, his skin marred with burns and cuts, but his eyes burned with dominance. His opponent, a female mage, floated just above the battlefield, wings of pure wind spiraling around her. She wielded the Law of the Wind, lightning crackling between her fingers as she sent bolt after bolt toward him through her Storm spell.
Their battle devastated everything around them—walls cracked, stone shattered, bodies were caught in the crossfire, vaporized before they could scream.
The gravity Knight swung his massive blade, shattering the wind barrier protecting the mage, but she retaliated with a thunderstorm so dense it momentarily blinded the entire arena. When the light cleared, both stood—injured, but grinning.
Neither would fall. Not yet.
They were the types the organization watched closely—candidates for Ascension, those who might one day bear the mark of higher integration.
Far above them, hidden behind a reinforced observation window, scientists in white robes took notes, their eyes glowing faintly behind strange visors. One muttered into a voice recorder.
"Subject #047 displays increased compatibility with the Leviathan spinal tissue. Recommend for phase-two Baptism."
"Subject #211 reached acceptable combat threshold, though psychological degradation is imminent. Dispose if instability increases."
There was no mercy here. No room for kindness.
Only results.