The Last Road Home

Chapter 2

Aren pulled his right arm back and locked eyes with Grimjaw. The thing had nearly killed him once. This time he was going to hit back.

The monster roared and attacked. Aren waited until it got close this time, then slammed his fist directly into its stomach.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent a gust of wind across the arena. Grimjaw staggered backward, its massive body jolting from the unexpected blow, while the spectators fell silent.

A notification appeared before Aren's eyes.

[SUCCESSFUL HIT CONFIRMED.]

[SPECIAL TRAIT ACTIVATED: RETALIATION GROWTH.]

[STRENGTH DOUBLED.]

A surge of strength spread through Aren's muscles. Although his injuries still hurt, he could feel the difference. His trait worked exactly as the combat record had promised.

“So that's how it works,” he muttered.

Grimjaw bared its black teeth and charged again. Aren waited until the monster came within reach before striking its left cheek with his fist.

BOOOOM!

Grimjaw's head snapped sideways, and its enormous body crashed onto the stone floor. Cracks spread beneath it as dust filled the air. The spectators erupted into cheers, amazed by the sudden change in the battle.

Before Aren could follow up, Grimjaw swung a fist at him from the ground. He dodged the attack and kicked the monster's hand aside, triggering another surge of strength.

“Still want to fight?” Aren taunted.

Grimjaw struggled to rise, but Aren gave it no opportunity to recover. He rushed forward, leaped above the creature, and brought his heel down toward its head.

CRAAACK!

The blow shattered Grimjaw's skull against the arena floor. Its massive body collapsed and stopped moving.

For a brief moment, silence filled the stadium before the crowd erupted into cheers.

Aren stood over the corpse as another notification appeared.

[SUCCESSFUL HIT CONFIRMED.]

[SPECIAL TRAIT ACTIVATED: RETALIATION GROWTH.]

[STRENGTH DOUBLED.]

He glanced at the message, then at the defeated monster. Each successful hit had increased his strength, allowing him to overcome an opponent that had seemed impossible to defeat moments earlier. He still had no explanation for his arrival in this world, but he had discovered that his ability could give him a fighting chance.

A trumpet sounded throughout the stadium, announcing the end of the match. A gigantic screen appeared above the arena, displaying Aren's bloodied face as the crowd celebrated his victory over Grimjaw, the monster classified as a Catastrophe-level threat.

“I won,” he muttered. “I actually won!”

His excitement faded as the pain in his chest and jaw increased. He needed medical attention before he could worry about anything else.

Several small goblins hurried into the arena and gathered around Grimjaw's corpse. Green light spread from their hands, lifting the enormous body off the ground so they could carry it away with their magic.

Aren watched them disappear through the gate before noticing three women approaching from the edge of the arena. All three had long golden hair and wore elegant clothing that drew the attention of the spectators.

“Congratulations on your victory,” said the woman in the middle, her blue eyes brightening as she placed a hand on his arm.

Aren blinked at her. After nearly being killed by Grimjaw, he had not expected his victory to attract this kind of attention.

“I could get used to winning if this is the reward,” he replied, trying to sound confident despite his battered appearance.

The woman laughed and touched one finger to his lips. “Don't get too excited. You should enjoy your victory while you can.”

“Come with us,” the woman beside her said, slipping her arm through his. “We'll take you somewhere comfortable.”

Aren followed them out of the arena. When the third woman reached up to examine his face, however, her touch sent a sharp pain through his jaw, and he winced.

“Could I have some cold water first?” he asked. “My mouth hurts terribly.”

The blue-eyed woman nodded. “Of course. We'll take care of your injuries. A winner deserves a proper reward.”

They led him through a passage into a big room. Once the door closed, the noise of the stadium faded into the distance.

“Sit down,” the blue-eyed woman instructed.

Aren settled on the edge of the bed while another woman picked up a small glass bottle containing a bright blue liquid.

“Please open your mouth a little wider.”

She brought the bottle closer. Aren noticed the liquid glowing inside it and pulled back.

“What is that?”

“Phoenix tears,” she explained. “They're used to heal injuries. Your wounds should recover quickly, and your teeth may even grow back within two days.”

“My teeth will grow back?”

“If you drink it, your body should recover much faster than it would naturally.”

Aren eyed the bottle suspiciously. “Are you sure it won't hurt me?”

“Phoenix tears are commonly used to treat injuries like yours,” she assured him.

He hesitated for a second, then took the bottle and drank. The liquid was surprisingly sweet. Warmth spread through him and the pain in his jaw eased a bit, though the injuries were still there.

Aren lowered the bottle, surprised by the effect. “That really works.”

“Of course,” the blue-eyed woman replied. “Now you should rest.”

Aren looked around the room and spotted a mirror next to a wooden cabinet. He got up and walked over, wanting a closer look at his injuries.

The moment he saw his reflection, he stopped.

The man in the mirror was a stranger.

He leaned closer. The reflection had thick black hair, sharp gray eyes, and a strong jawline. Its shoulders were broader than he remembered his own being, and its well-built frame looked nothing like the body of an unemployed university graduate who had spent much of his free time playing games.

Aren raised his right hand, and the reflection followed. He touched his face and ran his fingers through his hair, but the stranger remained.

“What the hell is going on?” he whispered.

Behind him, the three women exchanged puzzled looks. Instead of resting after the battle, their guest was staring at himself as though he had never seen his own reflection.

Aren turned sideways and examined his unfamiliar clothes. He remembered going to bed in his mother's house after playing Realm of the Forgotten with his friends. Now he had awakened in a stadium, fought a monster, and found himself in a body he did not recognize.

“This isn't my body,” he said quietly.

He had no explanation for what had happened, and the women seemed unlikely to provide one. His gaze fell on the black band wrapped around his right wrist.

“Maybe the system can help.”

He touched the band, bringing up the combat record he had seen during the fight.

[COMBAT RECORD]

[NAME: AREN VALE]

[LEVEL: 40]

[SPECIAL TRAIT: RETALIATION GROWTH]

[EFFECT: EVERY SUCCESSFUL HIT ON AN OPPONENT DOUBLES YOUR STRENGTH.]

Aren stared at the name. He remembered being Darius, yet the system identified him as Aren Vale. He didn’t remember ever using that name, and the face in the mirror didn’t help either.

He started moving his fingers over the interface, hunting for settings, a profile, anything that would let him log out. If this was somehow a VR game, there had to be a way to quit.

However, the screen offered no exit command or information about the world around him. It displayed his combat details and nothing more.

“Sir?” one of the women asked cautiously. “Is something wrong? Do you need us to call someone?”

Aren barely heard her as he continued searching the interface.

“What is he doing?” one woman whispered.

“I'm not sure,” another replied. “Perhaps the battle affected his head.”

Their voices pulled Aren’s attention back to the room. He wanted to ask where the hell he was and who these people were, but something worse was starting to sink in.

The pain during the fight, the blood in his mouth, the way his strength had jumped every time he landed a hit — all of that had felt completely real. If this wasn’t a game, then Grimjaw hadn’t been some computer-generated monster either.

He stared at the strange face in the mirror again.

“Oh, shit.”

He put both hands on his head, trying to get his mind around how completely everything had just changed.