The betting floor buzzed like a hive on fire. Wads of cash slapped onto greasy tables, crypto chips slid across palms, and names echoed through the smoke-choked air. Everyone wanted a piece of the fight.
Nearly every gambler stacked their money on Enoch Lander. He wasn't famous, not yet, but his reputation as a jujutsu elite carried weight. His scars told stories. His calm poise made even seasoned gamblers uneasy. He looked like someone who had already survived too much to lose now.
Kane Bernard, by contrast, looked like every other rookie dumb enough to throw himself into the cage. Slim frame, unscarred face, a hood that screamed "street."
"He doesn't stand a chance," one man laughed, tossing bills onto Lander's side of the board.
"Kid looks like he came here to die," another muttered, shaking his head.
Still, in every room there were gamblers who lived on long odds and miracles. A handful of them threw money on Kane, whispering about the unknown factor—rookies sometimes did the impossible.
Inside the cage, the referee stepped forward. A broad-shouldered man with cybernetic eyes, his gaze swept the fighters like a scanner.
"Alright, players," he barked, voice booming through the speakers. "Before you fight, open your Stake Menu. You know the rules—whatever you put up is what you risk. Could be cash, gear, even enhancements. When the fight ends, the winner takes everything."
Kane's HUD flickered alive, a translucent panel sliding across his vision:
STAKE: Select Item
His chest tightened. He hesitated—he had nothing but one thing worth a damn. He keyed it in, and the menu glowed:
Silver Glider Boots.
Chrome-threaded, sleek, worth a fortune on the resale market. They weren't just boots—they were the only gift his mother had ever managed to save for.
Kane swallowed hard. Then locked it in.
Across the cage, Lander didn't even blink. He typed in his entry: 2,000 grands.
The stakes locked with a metallic chime. Holo-screens above the cage displayed them for the audience:
Kane Bernard → Silver Glider Boots (Value: 2,500 grands)
Enoch Lander → 2,000 grands
The crowd erupted.
"Kid's an idiot!" someone jeered.
"He's finished. That's an easy payday for Lander."
Others laughed, cruel and certain.
Referee David raised his cybernetic arm for silence. His lenses glowed faintly as he spoke:
"Free trial confirmed for both competitors. Starting stats equalized at:
• Strength: 10
• Vitality / Stamina: 10 (HP 100)
• Intelligence: 10 (EP 100)
• Agility: 10
• Sense: 10
Understand this: for chip users, your HUD is your health. The Quantum chip overrides your natural genetics, rewrites your biology in real time. If your HP hits zero…" He paused, letting silence settle heavy. "The chances of death are extremely high. Remember that before you treat this like a game."
A ripple went through the audience. A few rookies in the back stiffened; veterans smirked like they'd already known.
David's hand cut down. "Stakes are set. May the fight begin!"
A faint overlay sharpened across Kane's eyes: bars for Health and Stamina, a glowing tab marked SPECIALS. His pulse quickened.
Lander tilted his head, voice cool. "Those boots don't look fake. Two and a half thousand, easy. You sure you're willing to risk them, kid?"
Kane smirked, though his chest felt tight. "They're real. My mom saved for years to get me those for my eighteenth. I'm not planning on losing them."
He lunged first.
His fist slammed across Lander's nose with a wet crunch. Blood spattered.
[Enoch Lander HP: 96/100]
The crowd gasped.
Lander wiped his face, eyes flashing. "Not bad… for a rookie."
He shot forward, movements fluid. His arm snaked around Kane's, legs snapping up in a scissor grip. In one smooth roll, he hurled Kane across the cage. Kane's body crashed into steel mesh, rattling the frame.
[Kane Bernard HP: 87/100]
Pain jolted through Kane's ribs, but adrenaline drowned it out. He forced himself up, heart pounding.
They circled.
Kane darted in with a sharp kick. Lander blocked, answering with a flurry of strikes. Kane caught two, dodged the third — but the fourth cracked his jaw sideways.
Kane spat blood, eyes hard. "He hits like a truck…"
He retaliated with a headbutt to the chest, following with a knee that drove Lander into the cage wall.
The crowd howled. The rookies were going blow for blow, their bars dipping almost in sync.
Lander snarled and spun, dragging Kane down into a choke. Pressure crushed his windpipe, black edging his vision.
[Kane Bernard HP: 70/100]
[Stamina: 84% → 72%]
Kane gritted his teeth. "Not… today!"
He slammed an elbow into Lander's ribs, once, twice. On the third, Lander's grip loosened. Kane twisted free, shoving him back.
The fight blurred into a storm.
Punches cracked ribs. Kicks tore into shins. Flesh met steel. Every strike shaved their numbers.
Both men were slowing, breaths ragged, sweat dripping.
Lander snapped a kick up high. Kane ducked under, planting his boot hard against Lander's thigh. The bigger man staggered. Kane drove his shoulder in, lifting him halfway before slamming him into the floor.
But Lander rolled with the impact, locking Kane's arm, twisting hard. Pain flared white-hot.
"Give up," Lander growled.
"Never," Kane rasped, forcing himself to roll, breaking the hold.
They separated again, both swaying.
HUDs flickered dangerously low.
[Kane Bernard HP: 39/100]
[Enoch Lander HP: 41/100]
Stamina: Both below 30%
Their eyes darted once to the glowing SKILLS tab. Temptation burned.
"One skill could end it," Lander thought. "But no… I'll crush him with my own hands."
Kane's thoughts echoed. "No shortcuts. I win this my way."
They both turned the tab away.
No Skills.
They charged.
The cage shook with the impact of their final clash. Kane's fist slammed into Lander's jaw even as Lander's knuckles smashed into Kane's ribs. HUDs bled red.
[Kane Bernard HP: 12/100]
[Enoch Lander HP: 0/100]
Lander dropped like a felled tree, his bar blinking empty.
Kane staggered, swaying on his feet.
David stepped forward, arm raised. "Winner — Kane Bernard!"
The hall exploded. Gamblers shrieked in rage, others howled with joy, fists pumping. A handful who'd bet on Kane clutched their winnings like lifelines.
"Is he dead?" Kane asked, glancing at Lander's still body.
David crouched, scanning Lander's HUD. "No. Unconscious. He'll wake up in time. You need to rest, too."
Kane nodded weakly, barely able to stand.
Sean Morgan shoved through the crowd, grinning like a devil. "That's what I'm talking about! Rookie comes in, takes down a jujutsu vet — you've just made yourself a name, Kane."
Kane barely heard him. His HUD pulsed warning red, his body trembling with exhaustion. He slumped against Sean's shoulder as medics rushed in to haul Lander away.
The last thing Kane heard before blacking out was the crowd chanting his name.
He woke later in the infirmary, staring at cracked concrete. Pain burned everywhere. Then the HUD shimmered with a fresh update:
Free Trial Over.
Congratulations on your victory.
Rewards: +2,000 grands
EXP: +3 (all stats)
Strength: 3
Vitality: 3 (HP: 30)
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 3 (EP: 30)
Sense: 3
+10 Distributable Points
Skill Earned: Dash Level 1 (10 EP)
Kane blinked at the glowing words, a tired grin spreading despite the ache.
For the first time, he understood what the Quantum grind really meant.
Blood. Pain. Numbers. Survival.
And this was only the beginning.