The GOD-SLAYER'S INFINITE REGRESSION

The First Purchase

"Move it, meat!"

A heavy boot slammed into my ribs. I tumbled onto the hot sand of the Vorax Pit. The sun blinded me. The smell of rotting meat and ozone filled the air.

"Get up, Vaxen!" a voice screamed from the edge of the arena.

I looked over. It was Jace, the boy from the cages. He was trembling.

"You really think you can survive this?" Overseer Malek shouted from the high balcony. "You humiliated my guards. Now, pay the price!"

"Is this the best you have, Malek?" I shouted back. "A pit and some sand?"

"Laugh while you can!" Malek roared. "Release the Gnasher!"

A heavy iron gate grinded open. A low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness. Then, the beast emerged. It was a mutated wolf, eight feet tall. Its fur was matted with gore. Its eyes glowed green.

"Oh gods," Jace whimpered. He was pinned against the wall. "We're dead. Vaxen, we're dead!"

"Stay back, Jace," I said.

"It's going to eat us!" Jace shrieked.

"I said stay back!" I yelled. "Don't move!"

The wolf locked its gaze on the easiest prey. It ignored me and lunged straight for Jace.

"No!" Jace screamed.

I sprinted. I intercepted the wolf just as its jaws snapped inches from Jace's throat. I rammed my shoulder into its flank.

"Run, Jace! Now!" I barked.

The boy scrambled away. I stood between him and the monster.

[ALERT: HEROIC ACTION DETECTED.] [FATE ALTERED: JACE SURVIVED.] [EARNED: 100 KARMA.]

"Finally," I whispered.

"What are you doing?" Malek yelled. "Kill the wolf! Stop dancing!"

"I’m not dancing, Malek," I said. "I’m shopping."

"Shopping?" Malek laughed. "The heat has cooked your brain!"

I flicked my wrist, opening the interface only I could see.

[DIVINE SLAYER STORE OPENED.] [BALANCE: 100 KARMA.]

"He's just standing there!" a spectator shouted. "The wolf is going to rip his head off!"

"Bet ten credits on the beast!" another yelled.

The wolf recovered. It let out a deafening howl. It crouched low.

"Vaxen, move!" Jace cried out. "It’s jumping!"

I stared at the list. I found it.

[PURCHASE: EYES OF THE FALLEN HUNTER (TIER 1) - 100 KARMA?] [YES / NO]

I slammed the "YES" button.

[PURCHASE COMPLETE.]

The wolf lunged. It was a blur of gray fur. To everyone else, it was a streak of lethal speed. But as the skill integrated into my nerves, the world shifted. The colors bled out. The air turned thick.

The wolf slowed down. It was crawling. I could see the individual hairs on its snout. I could see the exact trajectory of its leap.

"Die, trash," I whispered.

"He's frozen!" Malek shouted. "It’s over!"

I waited. I waited until the wolf’s snout was an inch from my face. I stepped to the left. It was a tiny movement. The wolf sailed past me. Its teeth snapped on empty air.

"What?" Malek gasped. "How?"

"Did you see him move?" a guard asked. "I blinked!"

The wolf crashed into the sand. It was confused. It growled, a deep vibration.

"Again?" I mocked. I beckoned with my hand. "Come on."

"Kill him!" Malek screamed. "Kill him now!"

The wolf charged again. This time it ran low. In my vision, its legs moved like they were underwater. I stepped over its head. I kicked it hard in the eye as it passed.

"AROOO!" the beast yelped. It tumbled across the pit.

"He's playing with it!" a slave shouted. "Vaxen is playing with the Gnasher!"

"Impossible!" Malek screamed. "No slave can dodge that!"

"Maybe your stats are wrong, Malek," I said.

I turned to Jace. "Vaxen? How are you doing this?"

"I told you, Jace," I said. "I’ve seen this all before."

"But your eyes," Jace whispered. "They're gold."

"Focus on the gate, Jace," I said. "When I kill this thing, the guards will come down. Be ready."

"You're going to kill it?" Jace asked. "With your bare hands?"

"I don't need hands," I said.

I picked up the rusted blade Torvin had given me. It was dull. It was pathetic.

"You think that toothpick will save you?" Malek mocked.

"It’s not the tool, Malek," I said. "It’s the hand."

The wolf launched itself. It aimed for my chest. This was the moment. I didn't dodge. I braced my feet. I held the rusted blade at a precise angle. I saw the mana flow in the beast's neck. A small, glowing point. The weak spot.

"Goodbye," I said.

The wolf hit me with the force of a truck. The crowd roared. A cloud of dust exploded.

"Yes!" Malek cheered. "Clean up what's left of him!"

"Wait," a guard whispered. "Look."

As the sand settled, the arena went silent. I was standing in the center. My arm was extended. The rusted blade was buried in the wolf’s throat. Blood gushed out. The beast was dead.

"No way," Jace breathed.

I yanked the blade out. The carcass slumped. I looked up at Malek.

"Are you entertained yet?" I asked.

Malek’s face was white. "You... you’re a monster."

"You have no idea," I said.

Ten guards armed with electric pikes marched into the pit.

"Surround him!" Malek yelled. "Don't let him move!"

The guards formed a circle. Their pikes hummed.

"Don't resist, Vaxen," the lead guard said. "Or we fry the boy."

I looked at Jace. Then I looked at my balance.

[BALANCE: 50 KARMA.]

"You're making a mistake," I told the guards.

"Shut up and move!" the guard barked. He shoved a pike into my back.

I started walking toward the dark tunnel. I caught Malek’s eye. He was trembling.

"Hey, Malek," I called out.

"What?" he spat.

"Tell the Gamemasters to watch the next round," I said. "I’m going to put on a real show."

"You won't live that long," Malek hissed. "You're fighting the Champion."

"Good," I said. "I need his head for my collection."

"You're insane!" Malek screamed. "The Champion hasn't lost in five years!"

"Then he's overdue for a funeral," I said.

The guards pushed me into the darkness. The heavy doors slammed shut.

"Vaxen, what happens now?" Jace whispered.

"Now," I said, "I buy more power."

The darkness of the tunnel swallowed us, but the gold in my eyes only burned brighter.