"You do not understand. There are many enemies in being a hero, and they are not aliens, monsters, villains, or demons. They are something else entirely," Aeolous's father said while standing inside their home. His voice carried a weight that Aeolous had never heard before.
Aeolous sat on a wooden chair, gripping its edge tightly. "Dad, just let me be. I can do this."
His father looked at him for a long moment, as if searching for the right words, but none came. Silence filled the room, thick and uneasy.
Nixxin woke up inside the Dyson Sphere, his eyes adjusting to the artificial light above him. The metallic walls reflected a cold glow, making everything feel distant and unreal. Before he could gather his thoughts, the trainer burst into the room.
"Everyone, the match is about to start. Hurry up, change, eat, and get to the bus."
Groans echoed across the room as the others slowly stood up.
"Ahhhuaagh!" Kael shouted as he stretched his arms. "Another boring match. I want to go home. Let us just crush their heads as fast as we can."
Despite his complaints, Kael was already moving with energy, preparing himself like a predator eager for the hunt.
The match began.
Kael spawned into the battlefield and immediately activated his Wrath Gate. "Adrenaline!" he shouted as power surged through his body. He dashed forward with incredible speed, closing the distance between him and the enemy forces in seconds.
He slammed his fist into the ground. The battlefield cracked under the impact, and the enemy minions were thrown into the air like leaves in a storm. Without hesitation, Kael lunged forward and drove his fist into an enemy's abdomen. His arm pierced straight through its body.
Before the enemy could even respawn, Kael had already destroyed their tower. He pushed forward toward the base, relentless and unstoppable. There, he saw Drei already tearing through the remaining defenses.
Within minutes, the match was over. It was their third victory, and it had been effortless.
Back in the resting area, Nixxin sat quietly, eating a burger. His expression was different from the others.
"I feel like something bad is going to happen in the next match," he said.
Oniu, standing nearby, took a sip of water. "You think so? Why?"
Nixxin stared out the window. Outside, he could see people walking, cars passing by, and life continuing as if nothing was wrong. "I do not know. There is just something that makes me feel uneasy."
Kael walked into the room with Drei, carrying more food. "Hey, we brought more burgers and chicken."
They all sat together. Drei opened a paper plate, but as he pressed against its edge, it sliced his finger.
"Whoa, I did not know paper could cut like that," Drei said, surprised.
Kael laughed. "Maybe you just opened it wrong."
Oniu reached out and accidentally cut his own finger as well. A small drop of blood appeared. Without thinking, he touched Drei's injured finger.
Almost instantly, both of their wounds healed.
They all froze for a moment.
No one said anything, but the unease in the room grew stronger.
Soon after, the four of them stood inside the circular device that would send them into the next match. The air hummed with energy as the system prepared to deploy them.
Nixxin spawned first. He quickly purchased a Blood Storage Contract and moved toward his lane.
When he saw his opponent, he stopped.
The enemy was terrifying. One of its arms was massive, swollen with muscle and flesh, large enough to destroy all the minions in a single strike.
Nixxin narrowed his eyes. "This body... this is something Blood Path can do. What was it again?"
The name came to him.
"Stoneblood Clan."
But something was off. The arm did not look natural. It looked like a mass of flesh rather than a structured limb.
For a brief second, his mind drifted. He thought about the steak and burger he had eaten earlier.
Then he snapped back to reality.
He summoned the Blessed Eye Key and activated his Gate of Selfseeing.
"Diligio!"
He surged forward, closing the gap between him and the enemy. His inner shadows followed instantly, mirroring his movements.
"As far as I know, I have around forty inner shadows," Nixxin thought. "That means I am forty times stronger and tougher."
He glanced at the enemy's arm.
"But that arm is at least fifty times stronger. Luckily, it is slow."
Suddenly, the arm exploded.
Blood scattered across the battlefield.
Nixxin stepped back, but it was too late. As his foot touched the blood, he felt something was wrong.
The enemy stood still, staring at him with a wide grin.
"What is the problem?" the enemy asked.
Nixxin's thoughts raced. "Their clan can use Blood Path magic faster, even without the blood entering their veins. Wait... that means the blood came from his veins. That explosion was intentional."
Before he could escape, the scattered blood began to rise.
It twisted and formed into strands.
Hair.
But not normal hair.
Each strand had teeth.
"Have you ever seen hair that can bite?" the enemy said.
The hair lunged at Nixxin and devoured him completely.
Moments later, he respawned at the first tower.
"Holy... that was dangerous," he muttered.
---
Nixxin ran back into the battlefield, summoning Diligio once again. This time, he also summoned another Depraved Eye Key.
The hair attacked again, but he dodged it. It slammed into the ground, leaving deep marks behind.
He rushed forward and stabbed the enemy's arm at the point where the hair connected.
He twisted the key.
"Invidia. This is your time. Give me your power."
The enemy stepped back as the key sank into Nixxin's arm. The hair wrapped around Nixxin, pulling him into darkness.
The enemy laughed. "Fool. What is he thinking?"
Inside the mass of hair, Nixxin remained calm. The attacks struck his adaptation field rather than his body.
Each hit strengthened his resistance.
"I see. The more it hits me, the more I adapt," he thought.
The hair changed form, turning into dense muscle, trying to crush the field.
"A simple defense will not save you," the enemy said.
Nixxin remained still.
"I only see one solution. Contract: Eye of Death."
A massive eye appeared within the darkness.
In an instant, Nixxin was forced to respawn.
Back at the tower, he took a deep breath.
"That was the first time I took that kind of damage."
"Invidia, answer me. What are the types of damage?"
A voice echoed in his mind.
"There are four types of damage. True damage, magic damage, physical damage, and mechanical damage. The attack that killed you was true damage. It strikes the soul itself, which is why you could not adapt to it. Magic damage comes from energy without physical form. Physical damage comes from bodies, like punches or kicks. Mechanical damage comes from weapons."
"I see," Nixxin replied quietly. "If true damage is that powerful, then maybe it cannot be used often."
At that moment, the ground shook.
A massive hand descended from above and slammed into the tower, destroying it instantly.
Nixxin looked up.
The real battle had just begun.