The cage door creaked open and the roar of the arena spilled into the corridor like thunder escaping a storm.
Soren stepped out of the Iron Pit once more.
The air outside the cage felt cooler, but his body did not relax. His ribs still ached from the earlier fights, his shoulder burned where Rovan's elbow had clipped him in the previous exchange, and the fatigue settling into his muscles was becoming harder to ignore.
He glanced at the faint system indicator hovering at the edge of his vision.
HP: 49 / 60
Not ideal.
But still workable.
Behind him the crowd was still chanting.
"Scale! Scale! Scale!"
The nickname had spread quickly.
Soren moved down the corridor until he spotted Kaedin standing beside the betting boards again, clutching a handful of chips and wearing the expression of someone who had just watched something impossible happen twice in a row.
Kaedin looked up.
"You did it again."
"Yes."
"That's all you're going to say?"
"It's accurate."
Kaedin laughed in disbelief.
"You just knocked out Darrik Voln and that's your entire summary?"
Soren pulled the mask up slightly so he could breathe easier.
"How much did the wager return?"
Kaedin flipped one of the chips in the air and caught it.
"Eleven hundred and fifty credits."
Not bad.
Still not enough.
But the gap was closing.
They walked toward the payout booth together.
The attendant behind the counter gave Soren a noticeably longer look this time before sliding another stack of chips across the counter.
"Second fight payout."
Soren counted quickly.
Six hundred credits.
Combined with the earlier winnings and the wager payout, he now had just over two thousand credits.
Halfway to the Ledger of Balance.
Kaedin leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"You've made more money tonight than most pit fighters make in a week."
"Not enough."
Kaedin crossed his arms.
"You're planning another fight."
"Yes."
Kaedin stared at him.
"You're bleeding."
"Yes."
"You're exhausted."
"Yes."
"You're doing it anyway."
"Yes."
Kaedin sighed dramatically.
"Alright. If you're doing this, we're doing it properly."
He grabbed the chips out of Soren's hand.
Soren looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Kaedin grinned.
"If we're climbing this ladder, we might as well climb fast."
He turned toward the betting board.
"I'm putting it all on you again."
Soren didn't argue.
The risk was acceptable.
Kaedin approached the betting clerk.
"Same fighter," he said. "Scale."
The clerk raised an eyebrow.
"Double or nothing?"
Kaedin smiled.
"Something like that."
He slid the chips forward.
Soren leaned against the wall and closed his eyes briefly.
The system interface unfolded in front of him.
Three attribute points remained unassigned.
He thought about the last two fights.
Strength helped finish opponents.
Agility kept him alive.
Vitality had already proven valuable.
Balance mattered.
"Allocate one point to Strength."
Warmth spread through his arms.
"Allocate one point to Agility."
His movements felt lighter.
"Allocate one point to Vitality."
The warmth settled deeper through his torso.
The system updated.
---
Status
Name: Sorenth
Current Identity: Soren Vale
Race: Human Vessel
Authority: Minor
Immortal Life Source: 16
Level: 1
---
Attributes
Strength: 9
Agility: 9
Vitality: 7
Perception: 7
Intelligence: 8
Influence: 6
HP: 59 / 70
---
His maximum health had increased.
But the damage remained.
The system never erased injuries simply because the vessel became stronger.
Kaedin returned from the betting counter.
"It's done."
"How much?"
"Everything you made tonight."
Soren nodded.
The announcer's voice thundered through the arena speakers.
"Next match! Fighters to the pit!"
Kaedin grabbed his shoulder.
"You sure about this?"
"Yes."
"You realize if you lose we are completely broke."
"That is correct."
Kaedin shook his head and laughed.
"You are the calmest suicidal person I've ever met."
Soren adjusted the silver mask.
"Stay near the board."
"Oh I'm staying right there," Kaedin said. "If this works again I'm buying dinner."
---
The arena door opened.
The sound of the crowd slammed into Soren like a wave.
The audience was louder now.
More attention.
More excitement.
The announcer's voice rang out again.
"Back again tonight… the fighter who refuses to fall!"
The crowd roared.
"SCALE!"
Soren stepped into the cage.
Across from him stood a lean fighter with sharp movements and a long scar across one eyebrow.
The cage door slammed shut.
Soren activated Target Assessment.
---
Name: Rovan Mirek
Attributes
Strength: 10
Agility: 11
Vitality: 9
Perception: 9
Intelligence: 6
Influence: 5
Skills
Razor Step — Lv3
Crushing Palm — Lv2
Guard Break — Lv2
Flow Evasion — Lv2
---
Fast.
The bell rang.
Rovan moved instantly.
Not forward.
Sideways.
A blur of motion closed the distance and a palm strike slammed into Soren's ribs.
---
HP: 54 / 70
---
Pain exploded through his side.
Rovan stepped back calmly.
"You're the new attraction tonight," he said.
Then he attacked again.
A kick snapped into Soren's thigh.
---
HP: 51 / 70
---
Balanced Strike.
Soren triggered the skill and drove an amplified punch forward.
The impact forced Rovan back.
Then again.
Balanced Strike.
The crowd roared.
But something flickered in the system.
---
Balanced Strike Notice
Stored Value Source Detected
Current Source: Immortal Life Source
Consumption Rate: Minimal
---
Sorenth understood immediately.
The skill was using small fragments of his Immortal Life Source as stored value.
That explained the power.
And the limit.
Rovan lunged again.
A palm strike slammed into Soren's shoulder.
---
HP: 47 / 70
---
Soren steadied himself.
He needed a stronger advantage.
Equivalent Exchange.
He reached into the flow of energy within his core.
Six Aetherion.
---
Exchange Initiated
Trade:
6 Aetherion → Temporary Strength & Agility Increase
Duration: 15 seconds
Exchange Value: Moderate
Condition Fulfilled
+6 Immortal Life Source
---
Power surged through him.
Clean.
Precise.
Rovan attacked again—
Too slow.
Soren stepped inside the strike.
Balanced Strike.
Rovan's ribs cracked against the force.
Balanced Strike again.
Jaw.
Rovan staggered.
The crowd exploded.
Then the system flashed.
---
Balanced Strike Unavailable
Stored Value Depleted
Current Stored Source: Immortal Life Source
ILS Reserve: 0 / 22
Note: Immortal Life Source regenerates slowly when not actively consumed.
---
So that was the limit.
He had burned through the entire reserve.
Fine.
Then he would finish it without the skill.
Rovan lunged again.
Soren pivoted outside the strike, swept his leg, and drove a final straight punch into his jaw.
Rovan slammed into the cage wall and collapsed.
Silence fell.
Then the announcer shouted.
"WINNER!"
The arena erupted.
The system appeared again.
---
Combat Quest Completed
Opponent Defeated
Performance Rating: Excellent
Rewards
+3 Attribute Points
+2 Skill Points
---
Immortal Life Source Storage
Maximum Capacity: 22
Current Stored ILS: 0
Status: Regenerating
Estimated Recovery: Gradual over time
---
Three fights.
Three victories.
And somewhere outside the cage—
Kaedin was about to win a lot of money.
High above the arena, inside a shadowed viewing platform, a tall man watched the fight end with narrowed eyes.
Cassian Veyr.
One of the Semi-Immortals who oversaw the Crucible League.
He had watched thousands of fights.
But the rhythm surrounding this masked fighter was different.
Power gathering.
Power disappearing.
Balance.
Cassian's gaze sharpened.
"Interesting," he murmured quietly.
Below him the crowd roared for their new champion of the night.
"SCALE! SCALE! SCALE!"
Cassian continued watching.
Because something about this fighter felt…
unusual.
And unusual fighters were always worth investigating.