DOOM DOOM DOOM

  Oliver was lying on the floor. His training with Nico had drained every drop of energy from his body. But he could feel that he was making progress; moreover, his own Boon was able to notify him of how quickly he was learning.

  | Left Eye of Learning| h Army Style - Learning...| [3.00%]

  DOOM DOOM DOOM

  Meanwhile, around him, other pairs had arrived iraining room; several were practig different bat styles. But the main attra was the pair from House Selehe twins seemed eager to use their full potential; from time to time, shockwaves were emitted.

  DOOM DOOM DOOM

  Oliver's eardrums couldn't stand staying in this room any longer. Luckily, his training was over. Beside him was Nico, but uhe boy, he didn't seem bothered by the noise—instead, he was ied in what was happening oher ptforms.

  "Hmm... yoing to have some iing oppos," Niented while the fighters.

  "What do you mean by 'iing'?" Oliver asked.

  "Usually, on the lower floors, you only enter amateur fighters; it's rare to find someone from a great family or with good training," Nico replied.

  "And are there marained fighters today?" Oliver stood up, trying to see the quality of the fighters iher arenas.

  "Much more than on a normal day. I weeks, the quality of the fights has increased signifitly," Niented, his face turning more serious this time. "This isn't a good sign."

  "Don't tell me—it'll be harder to reach the tenth floor," Oliver remarked.

  "That too. But think about it: why would the families send more people to the Tower? I only imagihat, like you, they need real bat experience," Nico expined. "I only suspect that a Wave is approag. Maybe they know something that hasn't beeed in the news yet?"

  Oliver didn't yet know what it was like to gh a Wave, but Nico's reasoning seemed to make sense.

  "Well! Either way, we're not going to find out anything here. You o rest and prepare for your fight. We should have a few more hours before you head to the arena on the sed floor," Niented.

  "What?! I'm going to fight today?" Oliver asked.

  "Of course! You only have one week; your training 't stop you from advang iower," Nico replied.

  With his body pletely sore, Oliver began to questioher he should have taken it easier during training.

  'Damn! How am I going to fight like this?' the boy thought as he massaged one of his legs.

  "How much should I bet today?" Nico said to himself.

  After Oliver rested and they watched some of the fights, it was time for the boy to get ready for his match.

  Accessing the sed floor was quite simple. In the same elevator that took them to the training area, a dispy allowed them to select their floor. Since Oliver had only woch, he had limited access beyond the sed floor.

  The boy had a slight expectation that the hall would be pletely different from the first floor; however, he was disappoihe only difference was that there were even fewer people than on the first floor.

  "There's almost no one on this floor," Oliver ented.

  "That's normal. The lower floors aren't famous; there's not as much 'excitement' as on the higher ones," Niented. "The first floor is an exception since many are looking to fialents."

  "But then, how am I going to find new sponsors?" Oliver asked.

  "Don't worry; if you made a good impression in the first fight, you should have gained some followers. Oting panel, we mark iing fighters and know when they will start a new match—even searatches that have more people watg," Nico expined.

  They both headed to one of the preparation rooms, where Oliver would wait until his match started.

  "Focus on having a good fight, and you'll get your sponsors," Nico assured.

  Oliver nodded, entering the preparation room. Uhe previous day, he was alone in the room. No hters were waiting to pete.

  The boy walked around the room, taking a bit more time to explore. Besides the bathroom for those who wished to ge clothes, there were some benches and dispys to watch hts. Oliver sat on one of the beo observe what was happening but didn't have much time to rest.

  Buzz| fight in 5 minutes.| Go to the end of the corridor; prepare for your match.

  'Already?!' Oliver thought.

  He wasn't nervous but hadn't expected it to be so soon.

  'At least I won't have to wait long.' Oliver shrugged as he walked down the corridor leading to the arena.

  Upon reag the end of the corridor, he waited until the tdown timer hit zero and his entrance was authorized. The arena's light was blinding, but he gradually got used to it and was finally able to see again. The arena was simir to the one on the lower floor, just a bit rger.

  The judge's hologram was already at the ter of the arena; oher side, his oppo roag.

  Oliver squio get a better look at whom he would be fighting—it seemed to be a girl. His oppo was a bit taller than him but more slender. However, he wasn't sure since she wore a white mask. The sed thing that caught his attention was the girl's attire.

  While Oliver was wearing the Academy uniform and protective hand s, the girl, besides the white mask, was wearing a vest with the logo of IWT, one of the rgest defense CORPs.

  "What the hell is this?" Oliver said to himself.

  Ding| Betting el| [NicoY] Bet 2,000 credits| - End of bets

  Ding| [NicoY] Bet 10 Credits - Message: It's unon, but some CORPs send their employees to train irial Towers.

  " he hear me?" Oliver asked.

  But there was no response.

  'Damn! How does he read my mind?' Oliver thought.

  Again, no response.

  The boy shook his head in frustration for wasting time on this.

  "I will judge this fight—basic rules: no prote, armor, or ons. If you lose sciousness, it's an automatic defeat. Immobilizing your oppo is an automatic defeat, ahmatches are not allowed. Uood?" the floating head asked.

  Both fighters nodded in agreement.

  "Sponsorships begin at my signal!" the floating head annouo the audience. "3! ... 2! ... 1! Start!"

  'Let's finish this quickly,' Oliver thought.

  Without waiting to see what his oppo would do, he rushed toward her as soon as the signal sounded; she only had time to raise her guard.

  [Observation] Oliver activated the boon to see his oppo's possible attacks.

  But with his decision to advance quickly, he could see that she was focused entirely on her defense, allowing him to attack without hesitation.

  As the oppo raised her hands to protect her face, the boy had already leaped, aiming to strike her face with his knee.

  Oliver felt the impact of his knee against the oppo's mask as her head snapped back from the force. It was all in a matter of seds; when the boy nded ba the ground, his oppo was already lying on the arena floor.

  Ding! Ding! Ding!

  Just as the boy was about to advaoward her again, the judge's hologram reappeared in the arena.

  "Match over! Bets are finished!" The judge announced.

  Oliver's body was once again paralyzed, uo move an inch. The Tower's team quickly removed his oppo before he regained trol of his own body.

  'Damn! I hate this,' Oliver thought. The sensation of being trapped inside his own body was suffog, even if only for a few seds.

  Ba the preparation room, the boy waited for Nico to arrive. In the meantime, he checked the betting el.

  | Betting el| [NicoY] Bet 10 Credits - Message: It's unon, but some CORPs send their employees to train irial Towers.| [Bibliokiller] Bet 200 Credits - Message: That was too short.| [FryerTuck] Bet 300 Credits - Message: I wish it had sted longer.| [BlueLagoo 191 Credits - Message: Could he be one of those Speed Runners?

  'The same ones as st time,' Oliver thought. 'Maybe I've captured their attention?'

  As he was thinking, the preparation room door opened, and Nitered.

  "gratutions, kid! You tell that today's training has already made an impact. You made a quick decision to rush and attad mao finish the mat record time," Nico said.

  "It was a bit of luck. I think the girl was surprised, and that's why I mao nd a heavy attack," Oliver expined.

  "Yes, but luck is also essential in a fight," Nico replied. "Now, now. Move. We still have things to do tonight."

  "What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

  "Are you injured?" Niquired.

  "No," Oliver responded.

  "Then you keep climbing. Let's go to the floor!"

  GCLopes