While Aron was still processing the abrupt announcent, Nova seized the opportunity to provide a potential explanation.
{My theory is this: ntal attacks function like inserting a conduit or a pipe between the caster and the target. If the target’s ntal defenses are stronger than the attack can penetrate, the attack rebounds. The returning force matches the strength of the target's ntal defenses. Given the system’s unknown yet undoubtedly superior level, it’s likely that the Zelvora fighter’s brain was effectively turned into mush from the backlash.}
Aron listened attentively as Nova continued her analysis.
{This situation would have been even more dangerous for the Zelvora because the attack initially succeeded before the system activated its defense. The connection was at its strongest when the system canceled the attack, aning the Zelvora’s ntal defenses were completely unprepared for the rebound’s intensity. And due to the connection, he was at his weakest when the backlash hit.}
To emphasize her point, Nova displayed slowed footage from the Zelvora fighter’s perspective.
The clip showed the Zelvora mid-smile, triumph radiating from his expression. But before the grin fully ford, blood began streaming from his facial orifices. In an instant, his body collapsed, lifeless, while his face remained frozen in an eerie semblance of joy.
"He died while he was at his happiest," Aron muttered, exhaling a sigh of relief. The fight had ended far sooner than he anticipated, sparing him from the need to face the Zelvora fighter's full arsenal of ntal abilities.
Still, a lingering suspicion crept into his thoughts. Was that truly the strongest attack the Zelvora had? He doubted it. The system’s intervention had neutralized what seed to be the fighter's most potent move based on their confidence, but Aron couldn’t shake the possibility that one of the Zelvora’s so-called "weaker" attacks might have found a way to exploit an unknown vulnerability in his defenses.
To the audience, the fight may have seed to end instantly, a re blink of an eye, but Aron, who had experienced the ntal assault for what felt like a month compressed into milliseconds, understood the gravity of the encounter.
He knew now, more than ever, that the Zelvora were not adversaries to be underestimated and he needed to maintain a favorable relationship with them.
Despite the system's intervention, there had been a fleeting mont where the ntal attack succeeded, proving it was powerful enough to affect him, even briefly. This was despite his reliance on Psionic Shielding, Tier 1—a system-acquired ntal defense designed specifically for situations like this and already standard issue for all soldiers. The fact that the Zelvora's attack bypassed it so effortlessly, as if it wasn’t even there, underscored the magnitude of their capabilities.
"I will be using my break period," Aron inford the AI referee the mont she appeared to pose her routine question. He needed ti to decompress after enduring what felt like a month trapped in the illusion.
Though he was accustod to spending extended periods in ti-accelerated simulations, those were designed with a deliberate logout sequence to ease the transition back to reality. The illusion, however, lacked such safeguards—an intentional design, as its purpose was to kill, not to return its victims alive. This left Aron in need of ntal recalibration, even though re milliseconds had passed in real-ti.
Following his announcent, Aron imdiately took a seat, focusing on absorbing the mana he had expended during the illusion. He was adamant about not leaving excess mana in the environnt, as that would only create an advantage for the opposing side.
As he worked to replenish himself, Nova took charge, taking him through the system's logout procedure. This sequence was specifically designed to accelerate his recovery, recalibrate his ntal state, and restore him to peak condition.
…………….
As soon as the rest period ended, the AI referee promptly called for the next contender to enter the arena. Before the protective shield could even open, the space a few kiloters from where Aron stood began to fracture visibly. The cracks spread like a web, accompanied by a sharp, resonating sound akin to glass shattering.
At the center of the fractures, a hand erged, prying the cracks apart as if they were a physical barrier. Slowly and deliberately, the figure stepped through what appeared to be a spatial doorway, the shimring edges of the rift radiating an otherworldly glow. The Trinarian fighter entered the Colosseum with an air of dominance, the manner of his arrival exuding both power and control.
The cracks behind the fighter vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving no trace of their existence. The shattered remnants of space sealed themselves seamlessly, restoring the area to its original state as though the phenonon had never occurred.
The only evidence that sothing extraordinary had transpired was the presence of a new figure, now standing a short distance away from the spot where the spatial disturbance had unfolded. The Trinarian fighter remained still, his imposing form radiating an air of calm confidence, as if his dramatic arrival had been an everyday occurrence.
Throughout this entire ordeal, the Trinarian fighter's eyes remained fixed on Aron, unwavering and unyielding. From the mont he stepped through the spatial rift, his gaze locked onto Aron and never strayed—not for a second.
It was as though Aron had beco the sole point of focus in his world, a target of absolute attention. The intensity of his stare carried an unsettling weight, as if he were silently conveying both challenge and certainty.
Aron, in turn, t the Trinarian fighter's gaze with calm resolve, unshaken by the pressure but fully aware of what was at stake. The technology in the hands of the Trinarian civilization was crucial to his plans moving forward, making this one of, if not the most important fight he had yet to face. He knew that securing a victory here would provide him with the ans to advance his ambitions but the fight was also shaping up to be one of the most difficult battles in the entire war.
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