The next evening, Jelo entered the Arena Nexus.

The virtual world loaded around him in layers. First came the sky, a neutral gray that held no sun or clouds. Then the ground materialized beneath his feet—a flat stone field that stretched in every direction, perfectly level and featureless. The air felt neither hot nor cold, existing in that strange neutral state that marked it as artificial. His avatar solidified last, and he flexed his fingers, testing the responsiveness of his virtual body.

Jelo navigated the interface with practiced ease, clicking on the multiplayer combat option. The system began searching for an opponent, and he waited in the empty field, feeling the familiar anticipation building in his chest. This was where he could practice freely, where he could use his abilities without restraint or consequence.

The matching process took only moments. The world shimmered, and his opponent appeared across the field.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark skin and close-cropped hair. He wore leather armor reinforced with metal plates, and a greatsword hung across his back. His username floated above his head in glowing letters: StoneFist. The moment he fully materialized, he didn't hesitate or wait for pleasantries.

StoneFist rushed him head-on, his boots pounding against the stone as he closed the distance with surprising speed for someone his size. His hand went to his sword, drawing it in a smooth motion as he charged.

Jelo raised his hand and fired two compressed fireballs in quick succession. They streaked through the air, tight spheres of flame that left trails of heat in their wake. The first one came fast and direct, aimed at the center of mass.

StoneFist brought his greatsword up, the flat of the blade intercepting the fireball. The impact scattered flames across the metal, but the man kept coming. He didn't account for the second fireball that followed immediately behind the first.

It hit him square in the chest, the compressed fire exploding on impact. StoneFist staggered, his charge broken, his armor smoking from the hit. The damage indicator flashed red above his head.

Jelo didn't give him time to recover. He formed his fire into a short sword, the flames coalescing and solidifying into a blade shape that burned bright and hot in his hand. The weight felt right, familiar, an extension of his will made manifest. He closed the distance in three quick steps, his movements fluid and precise.

StoneFist tried to bring his greatsword back into position, but he was still off-balance from the fireball hit. Jelo cut across his torso in a clean horizontal slash, the fire sword burning through the virtual flesh. The damage was immediate and fatal in the context of the match.

StoneFist's avatar flickered and dissolved, the match ending before he could even attempt a counterattack. The system's voice echoed across the empty field, announcing the result. Victory. The system sent a notification

[Opponent defeated +20 Ess]

Jelo stood in the now-empty field, his fire sword still burning in his hand. He dismissed it with a thought, watching the flames disperse into nothing. The fight had been quick, almost disappointingly so, but it had served its purpose. He was warmed up now, his reflexes sharp.

He requested another fight through the interface, and the system began searching again. The wait was brief.

His second opponent materialized across the field. This one was a woman with pale skin and long blonde hair pulled back in a practical braid. She wore flowing blue robes that moved despite the lack of wind, and her eyes held the calculating look of someone who fought with strategy rather than pure aggression. Her username read: Tidecaller.

Tidecaller didn't rush him. Instead, she raised both hands and pulled water from seemingly nowhere, the liquid forming and flowing in defiance of physics. She shaped it with practiced movements, the water extending and dividing into multiple tentacles that writhed in the air like living things.

The tentacles struck at Jelo, whipping through the air with tremendous force. They came from multiple angles simultaneously, making them difficult to dodge through conventional movement alone.

Jelo used Wingburst. Fire exploded from his back in two powerful bursts, the force launching him sideways across the stone field. The tentacles cracked against the ground where he'd been standing, water splashing and dispersing. He moved mid-dash, his body still in motion from the wingburst, and his hands were already forming the next attack.

He hurled a fireball while still airborne, the projectile streaking toward Tidecaller before she could reposition her water defenses. It hit her shoulder, spinning her around and disrupting her concentration. The water tentacles collapsed, losing their form without her focus to maintain them.

Tidecaller stumbled, trying to recover, trying to pull her water back together. But Jelo was already moving again, his fire sword reforming in his hand as he closed the distance. She managed to raise a hasty water shield, but it was thin and poorly formed.

Jelo brought his sword down in a diagonal slash, the fire burning through the water and continuing into Tidecaller's avatar. The damage was severe, her health dropping to zero in an instant.

She dissolved like StoneFist had, her avatar flickering out of existence. The system sent a notification

[Opponent defeated +20 Ess]

Jelo didn't pause this time. He immediately requested a third fight, feeling the rhythm of combat settling into his bones. The system matched him quickly, perhaps sensing his eagerness.

The third opponent appeared with the username: Swiftwind. He was lean and athletic, with short dark hair and sharp features. He wore minimal armor—just bracers and shin guards—prioritizing mobility over protection. A staff appeared in his hands, simple wood but held with the confidence of a master.

This one was faster than the others. Swiftwind moved the moment he fully materialized, closing the gap between them with quick, efficient steps. His staff became a blur of motion, striking at Jelo from multiple angles in rapid succession.

Jelo found himself forced back, his fire sword coming up to block and deflect. Each impact sent vibrations through his virtual arms, and Swiftwind's strikes came too fast for him to mount an effective counterattack. The staff user controlled the tempo of the fight, dictating distance and forcing Jelo into a defensive position.

Jelo retreated, using Wingburst to launch himself backward and create space. The fire erupted from his back, carrying him several meters away. But Swiftwind pursued immediately, his speed allowing him to close the gap almost as fast as Jelo could create it.

Jelo used Wingburst again, this time launching sideways to avoid a particularly vicious overhead strike. The staff cracked against the stone where he'd been standing, and he could see Swiftwind was already pivoting to follow.

But this time, Jelo planted his feet as he landed. He channeled his fire into a larger, wider fireball, pouring more energy into it than he had with his previous attacks. The sphere grew in his hands, becoming less compressed and more diffuse, trading penetration for area coverage.

He released it directly at Swiftwind, who tried to bat it aside with his staff. The fireball was too large, too spread out. It engulfed the staff and continued forward, overwhelming Swiftwind's guard entirely. Flames washed over him, and his health bar plummeted.

Swiftwind staggered back, his defense broken, his rhythm disrupted. Jelo stepped in immediately, his fire sword already formed and positioned. He thrust forward in a clean, economical motion, the blade piercing through Swiftwind's chest.

The avatar dissolved. The system sent a notification

[Opponent defeated +20 Ess]

The arena faded around Jelo, the stone field and gray sky dissolving back into abstract data. He stood in the neutral loading space for a moment, then opened his system interface with a thought.

His essence total displayed clearly: sixty essence. Twenty from each victory, accumulated and ready to be spent. He navigated to the shop section, scrolling through the available skills and upgrades.

Fire Vortex caught his eye—a technique that created a spinning column of flame that could trap and damage opponents. Twenty essence. He selected it and confirmed the purchase. The essence deducted from his total, and he felt the knowledge of the technique integrate into his understanding, as if he'd always known how to do it.

Next, he found Inferno Strike. This one was more expensive at thirty essence, but its description promised a devastating overhead attack that combined raw power with explosive area damage. He purchased it as well, watching his remaining essence update to ten.

His stats now showed:

**Name:** Jelo Milton

**Rank:** Level 4

**Species:** Dragon

**Speed:** 42

**Strength:** 42

**Stamina:** 42

**Draconic Essence (Ess):** 10/1000

**Health:** 20/100

**Flaw:** Draconic Hoard

Jelo closed the menu and allowed himself a small smile. Three victories, three new opponents with different fighting styles, and two new skills added to his arsenal. He could feel the phantom weight of the techniques in his mind, understanding their mechanics even though he hadn't physically performed them yet.

It was time to find out what these new skills could do.

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