Alex stared at the quest notification, his heart hammering against his ribs. The system was asking him to defeat an SS-Class entity. It should have been impossible, suicidal even.
His hands started trembling before he could stop them.
But the rewards...
An additional ability slot would fundamentally change his capabilities. With his Mimicry ability currently limited to holding just one copied power, gaining a second slot would double his tactical options. The instant level up and twenty stat points weren't insignificant either: that kind of enhancement could mean the difference between survival and death in future encounters.
More concerning was the quest's appearance itself. The system had remained dormant for weeks at the Academy, only awakening to grant experience when he'd fought life-or-death battles. Now it was actively encouraging him to engage the Arena Warden, suggesting this confrontation was inevitable rather than optional.
