Light looked toward the man who had just spoken.
He was massive, built with bulging muscles that strained against his skin. A scar ran along the edge of his lip, stopping just short of his right eye. Above his forehead sat a tattoo of a coiled serpent.
The pressure rolling off him made Light hesitate.
'Level six…? What is he doing in the lower zone?'
It didn't take long for Light to reach a conclusion. The man was most likely a lower-zone gang leader, someone who bred and controlled promising low-level fighters.
He approached carefully, each step measured. Something in him kept screaming that the man was dangerous.
The bulky man leaned in slightly, studying Light before speaking with a raised brow.
"An assassin… how rare. Still, I expected something a little less… fragile."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Some admired Light's boldness. Others quietly mocked what they saw as stupidity.
Light, however, picked up something more useful from their reactions.
This man either fought dirty… or he made sure anyone capable of beating his fighters never got the chance to try again.
And the previous silence and lack of challengers?
That meant his gang dominated this part of the lower zone. Or at least among them.
He also didn't mind the man's remarks, he was certain his style wasn't assassin, but his Light Eater attribute made people misunderstand it. All to his favour.
Light briefly reconsidered raising his hand earlier thinking about the gang leader's suspected personality.
'Too late now anyway.'
"You're an interesting one," the man continued. "There's no leak of Ether, no sign of skill activation… yet your presence itself feels like one."
He smiled faintly.
Light almost stepped back. That smile, paired with the scar, made him look less like a man and more like a predator.
The gang leader released another wave of pressure, deliberately this time… like a display of sorts.
"Join my gang," he said. "You've got potential. Follow me… and we'll dominate the mid zones together. I've gathered talents that can make it happen."
He extended a hand.
Light's legs trembled under the pressure, his body reacting before his mind could suppress it.
"I'm… a lone wolf, I prefer to rise alone."
The pressure vanished instantly.
Light exhaled sharply, his breathing uneven as he tried to steady himself.
The man's smile faded, replaced by unnerving seriousness.
"Watch your back, then," he said casually "Lone wolves don't last long here."
Light frowned, saying nothing as he was led away by a slim young man.
After a quick change into combat shorts, he was guided toward the ring.
On the way, the young man leaned closer and spoke in a low voice.
"You might win the fight," he whispered. "But not the next morning. I suggest you find a way to lose… playing unconscious or dead works most times."
His voice was so quiet Light had to focus just to catch the words.
'If I throw my first fight, then my reputation dies before it even begins.'
He sighed internally as he came up with a conclusion.
'There's only one option.'
The cage door slammed shut behind him when he ascended the tall ring.
Each metallic click echoed louder than it should have, syncing with the steady rise of his heartbeat.
Not fear of the fight but of whether his plan would work.
Light, now dressed in nothing but shorts, bounced lightly on his feet, testing his flexibility.
Across from him, stood his ready opponent.
Lean. Defined. Tight muscle packed efficiently across his frame.
Light glanced down at himself and paused when he noticed he wasn't much different.
Still pale, yes. But build for build, he matched the man more than he expected. He had ignored the physical side of his awakening until now.
His curiosity now was how much he had improved in physical strength.
He waited for the go-ahead signal that never came.
What signaled the start was a sudden high kick from the charging enemy. The strike produced a strong impact force that made his ear instantly buzz, followed by mild dizziness.
He felt his arms, which he had brought up, turn slightly numb. Such a hit could have made his still-recovering head cave in.
Caught by surprise, he seized the enemy's leg and went for a quick low kick, targeting the standing leg.
The man lost balance instantly as the swipe connected. Light fell with him, his right fist drawn back.
He delivered the punch, which drew blood with a wet sound. The man's tooth fell instantly as his mouth turned bloody.
He had never expected such a counter from a new fighter.
He struggled violently under Light, who trapped him below, delivering punch after punch.
The enemy clawed at Light's face, obstructing his view. Then he leaned up immediately, his movement slightly slow.
He delivered a headbutt, which connected with Light's bandaged head.
Light, who didn't see the attack coming, let out a pained groan as he fell backward, disoriented.
The enemy also struggled up, then buckled before charging at Light again.
Light was on both knees, with his arms on the floor. He stared at the blood-stained floor and muttered under his breath as his head ached.
"Let go, turn slippery for a while. Let's experiment with a conjecture."
The lean fighter, previously rushing towards Light, suddenly slipped.
He fell back without enough time to catch himself; his head struck the ring's hard surface, drawing blood. He saw white, having never expected the floor to turn slippery so suddenly.
Light, whose injured head was aching, spoke again, still facing the floor.
"The first experiment worked perfectly. Allow my free movement. There's another conjecture."
He felt it instantly as his Ether points dropped from 20 down to 6 in a few seconds.
He struggled to stand, then buckled as the world spun, but he still rushed forward.
This was the perfect opportunity for him… No more skills in this fight with insufficient EP.