SSS-RANKED Awakening: Supreme Fate-breaker System

Ethan's eyes narrowed, scoffing inwardly at Ryker's desperate move. His sword flashed out—

Ember Slice again...

but Ryker ducked, feeling the blade's edge sing above his head.

'That was a close one'

Ryker was close now.

Desperately, Ryker threw himself at Ethan, aiming to tackle him to the ground.

'Hmm?' Ethan's expression hardened.

Rather than back away, he stepped into Ryker's attack and slammed his shoulder into him, stopping Ryker's momentum cold.

The impact was brutal. Ryker felt the air leave his lungs in a violent gasp.

'Damnit!' Ryker cursed staggering, he tried to catch his breath—but Ethan wasn't giving him a second.

Ethan spun his blade one-handed—

Burning Spiral— before crouching low and unleashing a devastating wide sweep.

'Inferno Sweep.'

The horizontal arc caught Ryker's side.

Pain exploded through his ribs.

The sheer force sent Ryker flying backwards, crashing onto the arena floor, rolling uncontrollably before coming to a stop.

The crowd went silent.

Ryker coughed violently, forcing himself up on trembling arms.

His vision blurred slightly, but he steadied himself.

He wasn't done.

He refused to be done.

Groaning, Ryker forced himself to his feet.

Ethan watched him quietly, sword lowered, almost respectfully.

"...You're tough," Ethan said. "I'll give you that."

Ryker's eyes was fiery, grinning through the pain. "And you're... a damn monster..."

Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Ryker charged one final time.

He weaved erratically, his footwork wild, unpredictable.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

He raised his sword—

Ryker feinted left.

Ethan swung—

Ryker spun right, reaching—

For a moment, Ryker's fingertips brushed Ethan's waist—so close to a full grip—

But Ethan moved.

Faster than Ryker could react, Ethan twisted, disarming Ryker's grab with a smooth parry, and slammed the pommel of his sword against Ryker's abdomen.

The blow knocked the air out of Ryker's lungs again.

His body folded forward—and Ethan's next motion was fluid.

A clean, fast Ember Slice came down, stopping an inch from Ryker's neck.

The instructor immediately raised his hand.

"Match over! Winner: Ethan Drakethorne!"

The arena exploded into cheers.

Ethan lowered his sword and stepped back, giving Ryker space.

Ryker dropped to his knees, panting heavily, his entire body shaking—not just from pain, but from the overwhelming emotions crashing into him all at once.

Disappointment. Pride. Exhaustion. Relief.

He had lost.

But he had fought with everything he had.

Ethan sheathed his sword and walked over, offering Ryker a hand.

Ryker hesitated for a moment... then took it.

Ethan pulled him up with a small smile. "You did good, Ryker. Real good."

Ryker let out a weak laugh, his chest heaving. "I'll get you next time."

Ethan chuckled. "I'll be waiting."

They shook hands after that. The finals was over and Ethan had won.

The crowd roared even louder, not just for the winner—but for the fierce battle both fighters had given.

And Ryker, standing battered but proud in the center of it all, felt something deep inside him ignite.

This wasn't the end.

This was just the beginning.

After everything was concluded, Ryker and Ethan walked back to their respective positions...

Ryker lowered himself onto the bench reserved for participants, running a hand through his sweat-matted hair as he let out a long breath.

A dull ache pulsed along his ribs where Ethan's final sweep had caught him, but Ryker ignored it.

Instead, his mind drifted elsewhere.

Second place.

He couldn't deny the small, bitter sting... but almost immediately, it was drowned out by a different emotion—relief.

'Second place was enough. More than enough.' He clenched his fists at this thought.

The mana stones alone were already a priceless prize.

They could serve as currency among the Awakened, sure... but more importantly, they could replenish mana in desperate situations—a literal lifeline during a dungeon raid.

Some machinery and technology, like interspace phones, even used mana stones as their core batteries.

Ryker smirked to himself.

An interspace phone... as they're called, could mainly be used for communication between people separated across pocket spaces. Between someone deep in a labyrinth and someone in Nexa. Or even labyrinth to labyrinth.

Dungeon connections were more unstable, but for communication from low-end dungeons to Nexa or from low-end dungeon to labyrinths, it worked.

He knew what the stones meant. What they were worth.

But he wasn't planning to sell them all.

Only enough to survive until he could stand firmly on his own feet.

As for the weapon he had won alongside them?

Selling it had never even crossed his mind.

That weapon would be a critical tool—

For raiding dungeons.

Slaying beasts in Nexa for money, all of which he'll be authorised to do once he joins a Guild or mercenary group.

Selling it would be nothing short of a huge waste.

Ryker leaned back slightly, letting his gaze drift upwards toward the sky.

A crooked grin tugged at his lips.

'Yeah... I did good.'

****

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Ethan sat quietly, sheathing his sword across his back as he walked to his position.

Mana stones?

He barely even thought about them.

His mind was already fixed on the main prize—the sword.

To his father, that 1st position prize was Ethan's gift for Awakening, and the tournament, based on his rigid ideology; nothing was to be handed over easily, was just the trial Ethan had to pass to get it...

It was extremely risky, giving one's son a gift in such a manner, what if another random person had claimed the prize, then what?

Gareth would simply shrug it off. He had even better weapons and rewards in stock.

So if Ethan didn't get this one, he could still 'gift' him again... but the trial to get the next 'gift' might prove to be extremely hard, even impossible for the current Ethan to get.

Worst still, as punishment, there just might be no 'gift'

That's just the kind of man Gareth Drakethorne was.

Ethan understood that mentality, that's why despite his background, he was not willing to let it go.

It was extremely important to his future plans when he departs from the protection of his family