Sigh.
"Good thing I used Tombstone on that guy, otherwise he would've been a real problem… But what even is a physique treatment?"
Kyle frowned slightly, his thoughts drifting. He had never heard of such a thing before. In his world, people often spoke of enhancements or mutations, but never anything like a "physique." It sounded foreign, almost ancient, something belonging to a different kind of science altogether.
The closest thing he could compare it to was genetic modification. That was a common practice back home. Many people altered their genes to improve their physical structure and mental endurance, pushing the limits of what a human body could handle. With the right modifications, one could use advanced Shi'en freely, without the constant dependence on monthly serums.
But Kyle had never trusted such procedures. Genetic modification came with its own risks, irreversible changes, possible mutations, and sometimes complete organ failure. He'd heard stories of people whose bodies twisted beyond recognition after the process went wrong. That fear alone was enough for him to avoid it entirely.
Instead, he relied on serums. A simple injection every month was enough to keep his body stable and his Shi'en in balance. It wasn't as efficient as genetic modification, but it was safer… at least, most of the time.
Last month, he had missed his dose. The memory alone made his skin crawl. The pain had been unbearable, like every vein in his body was tearing open at once. His muscles had convulsed uncontrollably, and blood had seeped from his pores until he could barely move. He remembered lying there, gasping, praying the agony would end.
That was the consequence of skipping a serum. The body couldn't handle the stress of advanced Shi'en on its own. Not for long. The energy inside him was powerful, but it was also destructive, like a storm trapped within fragile glass. Push a little too hard and the will breaks it own vessel.
Even those who had undergone genetic modification weren't completely safe. Their bodies could handle more, but they still needed the Serum if they intended to use advanced Shi'en actively for extended periods. Without it, even the strongest enhanced body would eventually turn against itself, breaking down from the inside.
Kyle exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside.
He looked around. Only a little over twenty participants remained. Each one of them was strong, skilled, and experienced, the kind of fighters who didn't go down easily. The air was thick with pressure, every clash echoing with power and precision.
The battles now were far more intense than before, but Kyle knew this was only the beginning. As time passed and exhaustion set in, the true monsters among them would start revealing themselves. The fight was going to get a lot more brutal and he had to be ready for it.
"Lucky I used the Serum before all this madness started, or I'd be in serious trouble," Kyle muttered, praising his luck.
With how much strain Shi'en placed on the body, he would've already started showing signs of breaking down. Even those few seconds he used Celestial Edict would have been enough to bring him to his knees, beating the Kimto siblings would have been a problem let alone ranking top three or last man standing.
If not for the serum he took beforehand, his body might've already begun tearing itself apart from the inside.
He exhaled slowly, letting the tension ease from his shoulders.
"I wonder how the others are doing," he murmured. "Mum won't have as much trouble as I'm having… but Sis… Well, the Elder did say the trial won't be beyond our abilities."
As he took a moment to recover, his thoughts drifted to his family. He wasn't too worried about his mother, she was a strong and capable woman. After all, she had raised both him and his sister alone after their father's death, standing tall even under the pressure of their father's enemies. If anyone could survive something like this, it was her.
His sister, however, was a different story. She was only seventeen, barely exposed to hardship before today. Her life had revolved around academics and studying, planning, dreaming. Her goal was simple, to start her own business one day and live peacefully. Kyle doubted she had ever even been in a real fight before.
If her trial was anything like his, then she was in trouble. Not because she was weak, but because she lacked the combat experience to endure something this brutal.
"But this trial… the Elder never mentioned it would take place in another world." Kyle frowned, scanning his surroundings. "Now that I think about it, the participants and even those in charge seem completely oblivious to the fact that I just appeared out of nowhere. Maybe this is the world that the so called Divine Towers and the Elder come from."
The thought unsettled him. When he was first teleported here, not a single person neither participant nor overseer had recognized or even acknowledged his presence. It was strange. He had expected shock, confusion, or at least curiosity, but there was nothing.
It was as if his sudden appearance was normal routine, even. Or maybe they simply hadn't noticed. But Kyle couldn't accept that. With how powerful the individuals in this place seemed, there was no way they could have missed something so significant. The idea bothered him deeply, gnawing at the edges of his mind as he watched the ongoing chaos.
The world itself resembled his own in many ways. The terrain, the air, even the faint hum of energy felt familiar, yet there were differences he couldn't ignore. People here seemed fond of wearing long robes etched with symbols, their arms marked with spiral tattoos. Crystalline shards hung from their belts or floated near them, glowing softly like fragments of starlight.
Despite the differences in culture and appearance, the technology here didn't seem inferior. If anything, it might even surpass what he knew from his world. The structures, the materials, the weapons, everything radiated a level of advancement that piqued his curiosity.
"Hey, friend. I watched you fight those three, and I've got to say, you're strong."
The voice came from above. Kyle looked up to see a figure standing on a nearby pile of rubble, gazing down at him. The man's cloak fluttered gently, swayed by a wind that seemed to exist only around him.
He wore a mask that looked as though it had been carved from cosmic crystal, its surface faintly reflecting the surrounding light. On one ear hung a beautiful crystalline shard earring that shimmered each time the wind shifted. His eyes glimmered with streaks of silver lightning, sharp and unpredictable just like a storm waiting to strike.
Without saying another word, the man leapt down from the rubble, landing lightly on the ground. The moment his boots touched the arena floor, he drew his saber in a single, fluid motion, pointing it directly at Kyle. It was a clear challenge. One that carried confidence maybe even arrogance.
Kyle felt the weight of his presence immediately. It was distinct, chaotic like standing at the edge of a raging tempest. Just being near him made the air feel heavy and unstable, as though the world itself was reacting to his energy.
This was one of the two cloaked participants from earlier.
He exhaled quietly. He knew this moment would come eventually. To win this tournament or even rank among the final three he would have to face monsterous fighters like this man. There was no avoiding it.