The arena was carved into the heart of the City of Chains—an underground coliseum where screams echoed louder than cheers. The crowd above was a mixture of prisoners and wardens, hungry for blood and spectacle.
Hajun stood in the center, shackles still clamped around his wrists, humming with suppression runes.
The announcer's voice boomed.
"Today, a nameless challenger dares to enter the Festival of Shackles. Rules are simple: survive. Fight. Win. Or die trying."
A heavy gate screeched open.
From the shadows, a monstrous figure stepped out—a butcher-ogre, six meters tall, with hooked blades for arms and a mask nailed to its face. Once a hunter who defied the gods, now turned into a beast of punishment.
Hajun's hands flexed.
The crowd roared.
"BEGIN!"
The ogre lunged.
Hajun ducked under a sweeping blade and slid between its legs. The shackles glowed, resisting his movements—but he twisted mid-roll, kicking off the wall and landing behind the beast.
[System Override – Copy Skill Activation: Temporary Unlock 1 Slot Available]
[Analyzing Target… Skill Available: Berserker Flesh]
[Copy Berserker Flesh? Y/N]
"Yes."
[Skill Copied: Berserker Flesh (Lv.1)]
A sudden jolt surged through Hajun's veins. Muscles tightened, his eyes burned red, and his suppressed strength roared back—if only a fraction.
He smirked. "Round one, then."
---
The fight exploded.
Blades clanged. The ogre roared. Hajun used broken weapons as stepping stones, flipping off debris, slamming into the beast's gut with amplified strength. A kick to the chin snapped the ogre's neck back.
It roared again, stabbing downward.
But Hajun was already gone.
One punch—straight to the core.
The rune embedded in the ogre's chest shattered.
BOOM!
The beast dropped.
Dead silence. Then—
Thunderous cheers.
Chains around Hajun's arms loosened slightly.
---
[Festival of Shackles – Round One: CLEAR]
[Copy Skill Slot: Recharge in 23 Hours]
[Partial System Access Restored: Status, Inventory, Basic Skills Unlocked]
---
From the stands, Winter clenched her fists. "That's it. Shake this city, Hajun."
But deep in the tower, Justine's eyes narrowed.
"So... you're still crawling toward me."
---