Heavy’s remains fell with a wet thud. The flying blade had cauterized his wounds and prevented any bleeding, so now his body—split clean in half—rested in front of Nova.

  ‘I did it… This time I’m not injured.’

  With both hands on the ground, he closed his eye and caught his breath.

  ‘Every time I had a chance to attack, I used those brief recoil moments to send my energy into the trees.’

  While he could use the same concept of extending his Spectrum to transfer energy—like he did when empowering his friends—it wasn’t as efficient as having direct contact with the plant. If it were a seed, it could sprout immediately with a bit of energy and the moisture in the air. But controlling an entire forest meant he had no choice but to repeat the same process he used in the desert.

  ‘It’s way too inefficient. If I had failed—even for a second—I would’ve died.’

  Ironically, luck had been on his side this time. Tired, he pushed himself to his feet. He ignored all the attention he was receiving from the spectators, who could now see him thanks to the cameras that had previously been focused on Heavy, and walked toward the door leading back to his prison.

  Mófar, who had been approaching to congratulate him, stopped when he saw him leave in silence.

  “Well, you’ll look better that way. Things like that are what the audience loves,” he whispered, glancing at the spectators. “The winner of this battle is Nova Asmodai, who leaves victorious and undefeated!”

  In the distance, the door opened. Nova stepped into the darkness, which led him back to the dusty storage room. Once there, he sat on one of the crates and let out a long sigh.

  “I’m tired.”

  “You did well, kid,” Kaulai said, appearing at the prison entrance. “The eyes of the greatest are on you, and the entire planet is talking about how strong you’ve become. They’re eagerly awaiting your next match.”

  Annoyed—but far too exhausted to respond aggressively—Nova said:

  “As if I had another choice. Unless I find a way to escape this place, I’ll have to repeat the same cycle. It’ll get boring.”

  “At least it’ll give you more combat experience. You grew much stronger since your fight with Manto—that surprised everyone. Even the way you moved around the Arena changed. And using Sephiroth to grow a green forest on a planet like this? People expect great things from you.”

  “Then they can keep expecting. When I see my chance, I’m leaving. Far away.”

  Kaulai looked at Nova suspiciously, then smiled calmly and sat beside him.

  “Your desire to leave is stronger than anything else, isn’t it?”

  “Huh… Obviously.”

  “I see. I understand you a little better now. You’re the type who doesn’t care about anything but yourself. That kind of thinking on this planet helps you survive. Cypher is full of selfish people—especially the ones who rule everything you can see.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Nova looked at Kaulai.

  “Did the history lesson start that fast?”

  “You’re the one who wanted to know more. Now that it seems like you can’t move around freely, I might as well keep my end of the deal.”

  “You’ve got a point. Go on.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “This time it’s about Cypher,” Kaulai said, getting comfortable in his seat. “Several thousand years ago, this planet was ruled by a single unnamed species. They possessed highly advanced technology, a culture rich in technological knowledge, and mastery over Sephiroth. They created all kinds of weapons to protect the planet—you’re holding one of those weapons right now.”

  “The sword?”

  “That’s right. This species had two races: Silences and Technomorphs. The latter were known for having a special connection to the planet’s Sephiroth, allowing them to use their greatest Species Skill—the power to shape their bodies, merge with technology, or adapt themselves to it. A power like that, in the wrong hands, could spark terrible wars.”

  He paused. Noticing Nova’s focused expression, he continued:

  “Over time, the Silences conspired against the Technomorphs, forming alliances with species from nearby planets. What followed was nothing short of a massacre that swept across the entire world. In the end, almost no Technomorphs remained—the few who survived were turned into weapons and tools by Cypher’s new rulers. Since then, the situation on this planet hasn’t changed. On the surface, it may look like an astonishing, futuristic world, but beneath it lie the scars of what once was.”

  He looked at his hand as if he knew something he wasn’t going to say.

  “What you see now is what’s left—intergalactic consumerism, bloody spectacles. Money has become a way to purchase status.”

  Reflecting on his words, Nova noticed something about Kaulai. He saw someone using the system itself to survive. While that didn’t answer many of his questions, at least he wasn’t completely ignorant about what was happening around him anymore.

  “Well, things like that happen on my planet too—but not on this level. I just never had the chance to experience something like this firsthand. I saw similar things on the news about other countries, but I always turned a blind eye because I was more focused on what was happening at home.”

  Kaulai nodded with a confident smile.

  “I think that’s one of the healthiest ways to live.”

  “Thanks, I guess…”

  “But even though species vary in shape and culture, they’re always doomed to walk the same path. I even find it stupid how most species want to be superior to others, yet they keep making the same mistakes over and over. There’s no end to this farce. If something similar happens on your planet—so distant from the chaos of the universe—then we ‘rational’ beings are doomed.”

  “Maybe that’s true, but in the end, none of that matters to me. You’ll see how strong I become. I’m leaving this place while breaking a lot of things.”

  “How selfish of you. That’s good.”

  Nova let out a brief, shallow laugh.

  “I’m not a hero, you know? I’m just an alien killer. Do you want me to pretend to be a saint and feel pity for beings I don’t even know? Sorry, sir, but something like pity is another emotion I’m incapable of understanding—especially when it comes to beings trying to take my life.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re an emotionless rock. Congratulations.”

  Leaning his shoulder against the wall without taking his eyes off Kaulai, Nova said:

  “Let’s drop that topic for now. There’s something I want to ask you about languages.”

  “Go ahead. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  “Right. There are moments when I understand what others say—and moments when others understand what I say—like Manto or Heavy. They responded to my words a few times.”

  “Oh… Right,” Kaulai said, as if a light had gone off in his mind. “What you’re describing is an ability called Intent Transmission—it allows you to communicate something to someone without speaking the same language. Those who master it can sometimes understand others without actually knowing their language.”

  ‘I see… That explains a lot,’ Nova thought.

  “You should learn the ability in the next few days. I’ll bring you a Screen so you can learn it more comfortably. I’ll configure it in your language, though it’s difficult for me to write it. You should even be grateful for how kind I’m being.”

  “I’m kidnapped in this place and you want me to thank you? Pass—I’m not interested in the offer. I’ll figure it out myself.”

  Kaulai sighed.

  “Trust me, Asmodai. You’ll need that ability eventually.”

  Once again, the alien showed a slightly distracted and suspicious look. Noticing it, Nova shook his head and turned his back on him.

  “Fine. Bring that gadget.”

  “You catch on fast,” Kaulai said with a relaxed smile.

  Returning to the platform, Nova sheathed the sword and said:

  “I don’t have a choice but to adapt quickly. Anyway. I want to take a bath, eat like a pig, and sleep like a slob. Bye.”

  The night ended with Nova returning to his prison and Kaulai watching the Arena from the other side of the long hallway. The alien wore a complicated expression that would soon make sense.