Kailash sat on a wooden bench at the edge of the arena, wiping sweat from his brow.
His gloves still hummed faintly with residual Qi from the battle, and every muscle in his body ached.
Winning his first fight had been exhilarating, but the hardness of the tournament was beginning to make him worry.
He had to win 5 matches matches in the preliminary round to qualify for the second stage.
He groaned softly. "Four more wins? My body might just give up halfway."
As if sensing his frustration, a familiar ding echoed in his mind.
The System's screen popped up in front of him, and he quickly glanced around to make sure no one else could see it.
The last thing he needed was someone discovering his secret advantage.
[System Notification]
Congratulations! You have unlocked your Tournament-Ready Mode. Special Role: System Scout!
You can now analyze opponents' Qi levels and cultivation techniques during battle. Accuracy depends on the user's cultivation level.
New Store Items Available:
1. Stamina-Boosting Elixir – 10 Gold
2. Quick Reflex Pill – 15 Gold
3. Reinforced Qi Barrier Scroll – 20 Gold
Kailash's eyes widened. "Scout mode? You're telling me I could've analyzed that staff guy earlier? Thanks for the late memo, System!"
The system, of course, didn't respond. It never did.
Kailash sighed and opened the store, hoping for something affordable.
He saw the Stamina-Boosting Elixir and immediately bought it, leaving him with a single Gold.
The vial materialized in his hand, glowing faintly. Without hesitation, he uncorked it and downed the contents.
A burst of energy flooded his body, and he let out a satisfied sigh. "Okay, maybe you're not entirely useless," he muttered, stretching his arms.
He still had four matches to go, and the next one was coming up fast.
For the second match when Kailash stepped into the arena for his second fight, he found himself face-to-face with a tall, wiry boy wearing vibrant orange robes that shined in the sunlight.
The boy with a pair of short swords, each one gleaming with a faint, eerie light.
"I am Kethis of the Sunfire Sect," the boy announced, striking a dramatic pose. "Master of the Twin-Blade Dance. Prepare yourself for humiliation!"
Kailash raised an eyebrow. "Twin-Blade Dance? Sounds exhausting."
The boy's grin faltered slightly. "It's an ancient, unstoppable technique, you ignorant villager!"
"Sure, sure," Kailash said, casually cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how 'unstoppable' it is."
The overseer gave the signal, and Kethis immediately launched into action.
His swords spun in a mesmerizing arc, creating a glowing circle of light as he darted toward Kailash.
For a split second, Kailash felt genuinely impressed until Kethis's foot caught on a loose rock, and he stumbled forward.
Kailash didn't waste the opportunity. He surged forward, landing a solid punch to Kethis's shoulder that sent him rolling.
The crowd erupted in laughter as Kethis scrambled to his feet, his face red with embarrassment.
"That was a warm-up," Kethis snarled, twirling his swords again. "The real fight starts now!"
The next few minutes were a full of flashing blades and dodged strikes.
Kethis was fast, his movements erratic and unpredictable, but his flashy style left plenty of openings.
Using his Scout Mode, Kailash quickly identified a pattern in Kethis's attacks and timed a counter perfectly.
As Kethis lunged forward, Kailash sidestepped and delivered a powerful Qi-infused uppercut to the boy's chest.
Kethis hit the ground hard, his swords clattering to the side.
He groaned, clearly winded, as the overseer declared Kailash the winner.
Kailash's third opponent was a towering boy built like a boulder.
His head was shaved, his skin glistened with sweat, and his weapon of choice appeared to be a pouch of… pebbles.
"What's with the rocks?" Kailash asked, genuinely confused.
The boy grinned, his teeth crooked but menacing. "These ain't just rocks, little man. You'll see."
The overseer signaled the start, and Kailash barely had time to dodge as a pebble zipped past his ear, embedding itself in the stone wall behind him.
He turned, his eyes wide. "You're kidding me! Rocks?"
Another pebble whizzed by, this time grazing his arm and leaving a faint scorch mark. Kailash hissed in pain. "Okay, not just rocks."
The boy laughed, tossing the pebbles with uncanny precision.
Each one glowed faintly with Qi, exploding on impact like tiny bombs.
Kailash ducked, rolled, and weaved, trying to close the distance while avoiding the onslaught.
"You can't dodge forever!" the boy taunted, hurling a particularly large pebble.
Using his Qi-Infused Gloves, Kailash punched the pebble mid-air, shattering it into harmless fragments.
The crowd gasped, and Kailash seized the moment.
He sprinted forward, closing the gap in a burst of speed, and landed a powerful kick to the boy's knee.
The giant staggered, dropping his pouch.
Before he could recover, Kailash drove a punch into his gut, sending him out.
The overseer's voice rang out. "Victory to Kailash Varuna!"
By the time Kailash entered the arena for his fourth match, he was running on fumes.
The Stamina-Boosting Elixir was wearing off, and his Qi reserves were dwindling.
He glanced across the arena and felt his stomach sink.
His opponent was a thin, pale girl with hollow eyes, her arms covered in strange tattoos.
She raised her hand, and two life-sized wooden puppets stepped forward, each one wielding a spiked club.
"Great," Kailash muttered. "Creepy puppets. Just what I needed."
The girl didn't say a word, her blank eyes fixed on Kailash as the puppets moved with unnatural precision.
They attacked simultaneously, their clubs swinging with enough force to crack the ground.
Kailash dodged and countered, his gloves amplifying his punches as he struck one puppet in the chest.
It staggered but didn't fall, its wooden body repairing itself almost instantly.
"Seriously?" Kailash yelled, ducking another swing. "What are these things made of?"
The girl smirked faintly, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air.
The puppets' movements grew faster, more coordinated, forcing Kailash to retreat.
"Scout Mode, help me out here!" he thought desperately.
The system analyzed the puppets, highlighting a faint glow in their chests, their Qi cores. Kailash grinned. "Gotcha."
He dodged another attack, then leaped forward, delivering a precise punch to the core of the first puppet.
It shattered in a burst of splinters, and the puppet collapsed.
The second puppet attacked furiously, but Kailash used its momentum against it, flipping over its swing and landing a crushing blow to its core.
The second puppet crumbled, leaving the girl defenseless.
She raised her hands in surrender, her hollow expression flickering with frustration.
The overseer declared Kailash the winner, and he staggered out of the arena, barely able to stand.
Back at the competitor's area, Kailash collapsed onto a bench, his chest heaving.
Ravi approached with a water flask, his face a mix of pride and amusement.
"You look like you've been through a meat grinder," Ravi said, handing him the flask.
Kailash took a long drink, grimacing. "That's because I have. Did you see those puppets? Creepy as hell."
Ravi chuckled. "You're doing well, kid. Four wins already. One more and you're through to the second round."
Kailash groaned. "One more? At this rate, I'm going to need a miracle."
Ravi smirked. "Well, you've survived this far. Just don't lose your head out there."
Kailash nodded, leaning back against the wall.