Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Silas finally reached the platform, standing tall and poised opposite his opponent, Windy Danny.

Windy Danny's face was concealed by a red mask, leaving only his piercing eyes exposed. Shirtless, he proudly displayed his Grade 3 skill slot strapped around his waist, his muscular physique accentuated by the two long katana blades he gripped firmly in both hands.

"Fight!" the referee announced, her voice slicing through the electrifying tension in the arena. To everyone's astonishment, both fighters charged simultaneously, ready to engage in what promised to be an epic clash of power and skill.

As they closed the distance, Windy Danny slashed one of his blades toward Silas's neck with incredible speed. Silas, with swift reflexes, lifted his scythe and deflected the blade using the handle, the clash of steel reverberating through the air.

Without missing a beat, Windy Danny swung his second blade, more aggressive and brutal this time. Silas sidestepped, narrowly dodging the strike by a hair's breadth.

Seizing the opportunity, Silas countered, swinging his scythe horizontally toward Windy Danny.

"Shit!" Danny exclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw the scythe hurtling toward him with tremendous speed. He reacted quickly, using his wind ability to propel himself backward just in time, causing the scythe to miss its target.

But Silas didn't relent. In a blink, he closed the gap, and before Windy Danny could react, Silas flipped his scythe around and slammed the butt of it onto Danny's head. The blow landed squarely, sending Windy Danny staggering backward, almost tumbling off the platform. Only his wind ability saved him, allowing him to regain his balance at the last moment.

Silas stood a few meters away, his gaze locked on Danny, who was still trying to recover.

'How do I even level up the armor?' Silas thought, his mind racing. 'Do I need to let him hit me a few times so the armor can activate and absorb the damage?'

He knew he could end the fight now, but that wouldn't help him achieve his real goal. He wanted to level up both his armor and scythe, but with the way things were going, he wasn't sure he'd gain anything beyond a few level-ups and attribute points.

'Let's test it out,' he decided, staying in place while Windy Danny struggled to recover.

The crowd wore puzzled expressions as they watched Silas just standing there, seemingly giving up his chance to finish the fight.

Windy Danny, finally steadying himself, launched forward with his wind ability. In less than a second, he was right in front of Silas, swinging his blade toward his chest.

*CLANG!*

The blade collided with Silas's chest armor, sending a resounding clang throughout the arena. The force of the blow pushed Silas backward, his boots skidding across the platform until he regained his footing.

Silas glanced down at his armor. Still intact.

He looked back at Windy Danny with a smirk. "Is that all you've got?" His tone dripped with mockery.

Windy Danny's blood boiled at the taunt. Letting out a furious battle cry, he propelled himself forward again, both katana blades gripped tightly in his hands. He swung the first toward Silas's chest, then immediately followed with the second.

*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*

*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*

Windy Danny attacked relentlessly, each strike clashing against Silas's armor. For every blow aimed at an unprotected part of his body, Silas either blocked with his scythe or deftly sidestepped. Windy Danny screamed in frustration, swinging with wild abandon, while Silas stood there, mostly unscathed.

'Still no notification?' Silas thought, his frustration growing. 'Are you kidding me?'

He had taken more than ten blows to the chest, yet no notification indicated that his armor had upgraded to Grade 3.

'I guess it doesn't work like that. What a waste.' Silas frowned as he dodged two more strikes from Windy Danny.

Having had enough, Silas leapt into the air, spinning his body around before delivering a roundhouse kick. Windy Danny, still reeling from his wild swings, couldn't react in time. The kick landed squarely on his head, lifting him off the ground and sending him crashing off the platform.

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[+3 attribute points]

"Winner, Ghost Ranger!" the female announcer's voice rang out, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

"I knew he was holding back the whole time!"

"Jeez, this guy is a beast! Took him down with one kick!"

"Just who is this Ghost Ranger?!"

"I love you, Ghost Ranger!"

The crowd's cheers echoed as Silas exited the platform. But before he could leave, he noticed someone else stepping onto it.

"Leaving so soon?" Mark asked, climbing the platform with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Next match: Ghost Ranger versus Vicious Mark!" the woman announced, her words sending shockwaves through the crowd.

"He's fighting again? Right after his last match? That's not fair," Vic, a bystander, muttered, worried for Ghost Ranger. He knew the fighter would need rest after such an intense battle, but for some reason they are making him fight another opponent immediately.

As Silas sized up Mark, a notification screen appeared in front of him.

*Ding!*

[A compulsory quest has arrived.]

[Kill or be killed!]

[Kill the enemy standing before you and consume his soul for rewards.]

[Enemy killed: 0/1]

[Rewards: (Hidden]

[Failure: DEATH!]

[Time left: 1:49:43]

Silas's eyes widened in shock, his heart pounding as he read the notification.

'Kill my opponent? His thoughts raced. 'How am I supposed to kill someone in front of this massive crowd?'

And why was the system calling Mark an "enemy"? Then it hit him—Mark had likely rigged the ranking system to face him. That could only mean he harbored ill intentions, making him a genuine threat. But still, kill him?

'The system's slowly turning me into a cold-blooded killer,' Silas thought, cold sweat trickling down his face. 'Even though it's targeting those who deserve it, part of me isn't comfortable with this.'

'But do I even have a choice? It's kill or be killed. That's the reality of this world. Do whatever it takes to survive... even if it means sacrificing someone else.'

'The real question is, how do I drain this guy's soul in front of hundreds of people? And I only have an hour to do it... Damn it.'

Silas's mind raced, weighing his options, as he stared down Vicious Mark, who was now standing opposite him, holding two energy pills in his right hand.

""'

Shameless Author's note:

A Super gift= 15 bonus chapters (Instantly).

Normal gifts= 5 bonus chapters (Instantly).

5 Golden Tickets and Power Stones= 3 bonus chapters (Instantly).

Thanks for reading!