The warehouse complex on Jalan Pending looked abandoned from the outside.
Rusted metal walls, broken windows, overgrown weeds – exactly the kind of place normal people avoided. But Ah You's Root Network passive ability told a different story. Underground, he could sense a massive structure. Reinforced foundations. Energy formations. Hundreds of people.
This was no ordinary abandoned building.
Ivy stood beside him, both of them wearing the combat gear Kenneth had provided. Reinforced clothing that looked normal but could resist basic attacks. The enhancement gloves. The protective pendant hidden under his shirt.
"You ready?" Ivy asked.
"No. But let's do this anyway."
They walked through the rusted gate at exactly 6 PM.
Inside was transformed.
The warehouse exterior hid a subterranean complex that must have taken years to build. Concrete stairs descended three levels underground into a massive arena space – easily the size of two football fields.
Professional fighting rings set up at intervals. Stadium seating around each ring. Medical stations. Vendor booths selling equipment, enhancement items, even betting services.
And fighters. Everywhere.
Some looked professional, wearing team uniforms and expensive gear. Others were clearly underground types – scarred, dangerous, wearing whatever they'd fought in before.
Ah You's Nature Sense and Root Network were both active, scanning constantly. He could sense plants in pots scattered around the complex – decorative, but useful if he needed them. More importantly, his Root Network extended through the building's foundation, giving him a vague sense of the entire layout.
[ROOT NETWORK ACTIVE: Mapping environment...]
[267 human presences detected]
[42 have esper energy signatures (fighters)]
[Remaining are spectators, staff, organizers]
Registration was at the center of the complex. A desk staffed by two serious-looking people with tablets and scanning equipment.
"Name?" the woman asked without looking up.
"Li Ah You."
She scanned something on her tablet. "Age nineteen. Level fifteen. Nature ability type. Sponsored by Kuching Arena. Confirmed." She handed him a wristband with the number 27 on it. "Your fighter number. Bracket assignments will be announced at 7:30 PM. First matches start at 8 PM sharp. If you're late for your match, you forfeit. Clear?"
"Clear."
"Medical waiver." She pushed a tablet toward him. "Sign here, here, and here. Acknowledges you understand the risks, waive liability for injuries including permanent disability or death, and confirm you're participating voluntarily."
Ah You signed without reading. He'd already committed.
The woman finally looked up at him. Her expression was flat. "You're young. Advice: if you're clearly outmatched, forfeit immediately. Pride isn't worth your life. We have healers, but they can't fix everything."
"Thanks for the concern."
"It's not concern. Dead fighters are bad for business. We prefer injuries we can heal." She stamped his registration. "Move along."
Ivy registered next – fighter number 33.
They found a spot in the preparation area, a section with benches and lockers for fighters to store gear and warm up.
Ah You recognized some faces from the roster Kenneth had shown him.
Sarah Tan, the Level 16 Metal Control user, was stretching near the far wall. She saw Ah You and gave a small nod of acknowledgment. No hostility – just professional recognition.
Razak bin Abdullah, the Level 17 Beast Tamer, sat cross-legged on the floor with three animal spirits floating around him – translucent, ghostly forms of a tiger, a hawk, and a python. His eyes were closed in meditation.
And in the corner, surrounded by a group that looked like professional handlers, was Victor Chen.
Level 19. Shadow Manipulation.
Even from thirty meters away, Ah You could feel the difference. Victor's presence was heavy, oppressive. Darkness literally seemed to pool around him, shadows moving independently of any light source.
[WARNING: EXTREME THREAT]
[Victor Chen - Level 19 - Shadow Manipulation]
[Power Assessment: Far beyond your current capability]
[Recommendation: AVOID AT ALL COSTS]
"That's him," Ivy whispered. "The favorite."
"Yeah. Let's hope we don't draw him early."
At 7:30 PM exactly, the lights dimmed.
A man walked onto a raised platform in the center of the complex. Chinese, maybe fifty, wearing an expensive suit. His voice carried through speakers hidden throughout the space.
"Welcome to the Borneo Shadow Tournament. Forty-two fighters. Six rounds of elimination. One champion."
The screens around the arena lit up, displaying the tournament bracket.
Ah You found his name immediately.
Round 1, Match 7: Li Ah You (15) vs. Marcus Teo (16) - Fire Generation
A Level 16 fire user. Not terrible, but not easy either.
He looked for Ivy's match.
Round 1, Match 3: Ivy Chen (15) vs. Rachel Wong (14) - Wind Manipulation
Level 14. Ivy had a favorable matchup.
And Victor Chen?
Round 1, Match 1: Victor Chen (19) vs. Ah Beng (13) - Earth Manipulation
"That's a massacre," someone nearby muttered. "Poor bastard drew Victor first round."
The announcer continued. "Standard rules apply. Matches end when one fighter surrenders, is incapacitated, or dies. Killing is discouraged but not prohibited. Intentional rule-breaking will result in disqualification and... consequences."
The way he said "consequences" suggested they weren't legal ones.
"Betting is open. Medical services are available. Food and drinks are on sale." The announcer smiled thinly. "Entertainment begins in thirty minutes. Make yourselves comfortable."
The first match was at 8 PM.
Ah You watched from the stands with Ivy, studying the fighters, learning their patterns.
Victor Chen entered the ring first. The shadows around him deepened, darkness pooling at his feet like liquid night.
Ah Beng entered second. A stocky Chinese guy in his thirties, hands already glowing with earth energy. He looked nervous but determined.
The referee – a neutral esper with barrier abilities – stepped into the ring. "Fighters ready?"
Both nodded.
"Begin!"
It was over in twelve seconds.
Victor didn't move. The shadows did.
They erupted from the ground beneath Ah Beng, wrapping around his legs, his arms, his throat. Lifted him into the air. Squeezed.
Ah Beng tried to summon earth to break free, but the shadows drained his energy faster than he could gather it.
"I yield!" he choked out.
The shadows dropped him immediately. He collapsed, gasping.
The crowd roared approval.
Victor walked out of the ring without a backward glance, his expression completely neutral. Like he'd just completed a boring chore.
"Holy shit," Ivy breathed. "He didn't even try. That was casual dominance."
"If I draw him in later rounds, I'm forfeiting," Ah You said. "No shame in that."
"Smart."
Match 2 was longer – a brutal fifteen-minute fight between two Level 15 fighters, one with enhancement abilities, one with electricity. The enhancement user won by outlasting his opponent's energy reserves.
Match 3 was Ivy's.
Ah You watched tensely as she entered the ring.
Rachel Wong, her opponent, was Malaysian-Chinese, early twenties, with wind constantly swirling around her body.
"Begin!"
Rachel attacked first, sending compressed air blades at Ivy from range.
But Ivy was ready. She grew wooden shields from her arms, deflecting the air blades, then shot vine whips that wrapped around Rachel's legs.
Rachel generated a wind burst to break free, but Ivy had already created multiple attack angles. Vines from the floor, wooden projectiles from her hands, even spores that she released into the air.
Rachel's wind abilities were strong but purely offensive. She had no good defense against sustained multi-directional assault.
After eight minutes, Rachel was exhausted, breathing hard, barely able to maintain her wind shields.
Ivy pressed the advantage, creating a cage of hardened wooden vines that closed in from all sides.
"Yield!" Rachel called out.
The crowd applauded appreciatively. It had been a technical, well-executed victory.
Ivy returned to the stands, barely winded.
"Nice work," Ah You said.
"She was predictable. Strong but one-dimensional." Ivy wiped sweat from her forehead. "Your turn is coming up. Match seven. You ready?"
"As ready as I'll be."
He watched matches 4, 5, and 6 carefully.
Match 4: A water manipulator against an ice user. Ice won – apparently water users struggled against opponents who could freeze their element mid-attack.
Match 5: A beast tamer versus a martial artist with physical enhancement. The tamer won by using coordinated animal spirit attacks from multiple angles.
Match 6: Two fire users. It came down to who ran out of energy first. The Level 17 outlasted the Level 15.
Then the announcer called: "Match 7: Li Ah You versus Marcus Teo!"
Ah You stood. Checked his equipment. Activated his abilities.
[NATURE SENSE LV4: ACTIVE]
[ROOT NETWORK: ACTIVE]
[GUARDIAN'S TERRITORY: Ready (10m radius, 10 min duration, 24hr cooldown)]
He walked to the ring.
The crowd murmured. He heard fragments:
"That's the plant kid from Kuching..."
"Level 15, beat a Level 8 at the Arena..."
"Nature type? In a death tournament? Bold or stupid..."
Ah You ignored them. Focused on his opponent.
Marcus Teo was Chinese-Malaysian, late twenties, muscular build. Flames already dancing on his hands. He looked confident, experienced.
[OPPONENT ANALYSIS: Marcus Teo - Level 16]
[Ability: Fire Generation (Advanced)]
[Threat Level: High]
[Recommended Strategy: Maintain distance, use environment, avoid prolonged engagement]
They stood at opposite ends of the ring. The referee checked both fighters.
"This is an elimination match. Surrender, incapacitation, or death ends the fight. Understood?"
Both nodded.
"Fighters ready?"
Ah You took a deep breath. Centered himself. Let his Nature Sense expand to its full range.
"Begin!"
Marcus didn't hesitate. A massive fireball launched across the ring.
Ah You dove left, the fireball missing him by inches. He could feel the heat even from the near-miss.
But he'd been ready. While dodging, he'd scattered seeds from his pocket across the ring floor.
GROW. RAPID. NOW.
Plants erupted from the seeds. Thick grass, climbing vines, bushes with woody stems. In three seconds, the ring floor was covered with vegetation.
Marcus grinned. "You just gave me more fuel, plant boy."
He unleashed a wave of fire across the ground.
The plants ignited. Smoke filled the ring.
But Ah You had expected this. While Marcus was burning the first wave of plants, Ah You was growing more behind him, using the smoke as cover.
Vines. From behind. NOW.
Thick vines shot from the smoke, wrapping around Marcus's ankles.
Marcus turned, startled, and blasted fire at the vines. They burned, but Ah You was already moving, using the distraction to close distance.
He activated Nature's Wrath.
Thorn Projectiles.
Dozens of hardened thorns launched from the remaining plants, converging on Marcus from three directions simultaneously.
Marcus created a fire shield, burning most of the thorns. But a few got through, striking his arm and leg. He grunted in pain.
"Not bad!" Marcus called out. "But fire beats plants every time!"
He slammed his hands together and created a massive explosion of fire, centered on himself. A shockwave of heat that incinerated everything in a five-meter radius.
All of Ah You's plants turned to ash instantly.
Ah You had retreated to the edge of the ring, but the heat was intense even from there.
[MP: 145/180]
Marcus advanced, hands blazing. "You're out of tricks, kid. Time to end this."
But Ah You smiled.
"Who said those were my tricks?"
He activated Guardian's Territory.
The ring floor – all ten meters of it – suddenly became his domain.
Every plant that had been burned to ash? Still connected to the root network underground. Still part of the ecosystem. Still responsive to his will.
And in the decorative pots around the arena? Fresh plants he could pull energy from.
RESURRECT. GROW. OVERWHELM.
The ash began to glow green. New plants erupted from the burned remains, growing faster than before, stronger than before, fueled by the Guardian's Territory ability and the ambient energy in the tournament complex.
Marcus's eyes widened. "What the—"
Vines wrapped around his legs, his arms, his torso. Roots burst from the ground, tangling his feet. Bushes grew around him, forming a living cage.
He burned them, but they grew back faster than he could destroy them.
[MP: 110/180 - Guardian's Territory reducing costs by 50%]
Ah You poured more energy into the assault. Thorned vines. Toxic sap from pitcher plants. Strangling roots.
Marcus was strong. He fought back hard, fire erupting in all directions.
But he was fighting an entire ecosystem now, not just one esper.
And ecosystems were patient.
After three minutes of sustained assault, Marcus was breathing hard, his fire output weakening.
"This is impossible," he gasped. "Plants shouldn't... you can't..."
Ah You didn't gloat. Just pressed harder.
More vines. Tighter constriction. Nature's Wrath bombardment from every angle.
Finally, Marcus's fire sputtered out. He was exhausted, MP depleted, wrapped in so many vines he could barely move.
"Yield," he said quietly.
Ah You released the vines immediately.
The referee raised his hand. "Winner: Li Ah You!"
The crowd erupted.
Not just polite applause – actual excitement. Apparently they hadn't expected the Nature-type to win.
Ah You deactivated Guardian's Territory, feeling the strain of that much sustained ability use. His MP was at 95/180.
[VICTORY!]
[+400 EXP]
[Tournament Progress: 1 win, 0 losses]
[Advancing to Round 2]
Marcus stood up shakily, vines falling away from his body. He walked over and extended his hand.
"That was... I've never seen Nature abilities used like that. The resurrection trick was brilliant."
They shook hands.
"You're strong," Ah You said honestly. "If this had gone much longer, I'd have run out of MP first."
"Maybe. But you controlled the battlefield from the start. That matters more than raw power." Marcus limped toward the medical station. "Good luck in the next round. You'll need it."
Ah You returned to the stands where Ivy was grinning like crazy.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" she practically shouted. "The Guardian's Territory reveal! The ecosystem resurrection! You made plants look badass!"
"Thanks. How many matches left in round one?"
"Fourteen. Then we get bracket updates for round two."
They watched the remaining matches.
Some were quick. Some were brutal.
A Level 14 surrendered immediately when matched against a Level 18.
Two Level 16 fighters went to a full fifteen-minute slugfest that ended with both unconscious – the one who recovered first was declared winner.
One fighter died. A Level 13 who tried to attack a Level 17 poison user head-on. The poison worked faster than the medical team could respond.
By 11 PM, round one was complete.
Twenty-one winners. Twenty-one eliminated.
The bracket updated on screens.
Round 2, Match 1: Victor Chen (19) vs. Sarah Tan (16)
Poor Sarah. She'd won her first match but now faced Victor.
Round 2, Match 4: Ivy Chen (15) vs. Liu Mei (15) - Illusion
Illusion abilities could be tricky. But Ivy was smart.
Round 2, Match 6: Li Ah You (15) vs. Razak Abdullah (17) - Beast Tamer
Ah You's stomach dropped.
Level 17. Beast Tamer with spirit animals.
That was going to be rough.
Round 2 matches would start tomorrow at 6 PM. Fighters were dismissed to rest and prepare.
Ah You and Ivy left the complex together, emerging into the Kuching night.
"Level 17 Beast Tamer," Ivy said. "That's a bad matchup. His spirits can attack from multiple angles and they're hard to hit with physical attacks."
"I know. I watched his first match. Tiger spirit for direct assault, hawk for aerial attacks, python for constriction. He coordinates them well."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Working on it."
His phone buzzed. Linda:
You won! Congratulations! The consortium members are pleased. Keep it up and we'll have bonus payments ready.
Another text from Kenneth:
Well done. Round 2 is where it gets serious. Level 17 is a significant gap. Don't take unnecessary risks. Advancing to top 8 is already impressive for a first tournament.
A third text from an unknown number:
Impressive performance. Your Guardian bloodline is manifesting faster than expected. After the tournament, we should talk about your future. There are opportunities beyond what Melissa offers. - V.C.
V.C.?
Victor Chen?
The Level 19 Shadow Manipulator who was probably going to win the tournament?
Why was he texting Ah You?
"Something wrong?" Ivy asked.
"I don't know. Maybe." He pocketed his phone. "Let's get food and rest. Tomorrow's going to be hell."
They found a late-night mamak stall still open and ordered roti canai and teh tarik.
As they ate, Ah You's mind was already working through strategies for fighting a Beast Tamer.
Spirit animals weren't physical. That meant his thorn projectiles might pass right through them.
But they had to have some substance to attack physically. And they were still animals – which meant they had instincts, behaviors he could predict.
More importantly: they were spirits. Sustained through the tamer's energy.
What if he made Razak burn through MP faster than he could sustain all three spirits?
It was risky. But it might work.
His phone buzzed again. Melissa:
One more win and you're in the top 8. Prize distribution starts at quarterfinals. Push hard. The items at stake could be worth more than our entire contract.
Everyone had opinions. Everyone had stakes in his performance.
But at the end of the day, it was just Ah You in that ring, facing opponents who could and would kill him if given the chance.
No pressure.
Just survival.
---
The next day passed in a blur of preparation.
Ah You visited the Arena early, using the meditation chambers to recover MP and mental energy. His Guardian's Territory ability was still on cooldown from yesterday – wouldn't be available until 8 PM tonight.
Zara ran him through specific drills for fighting incorporeal opponents.
"Spirit animals are energy constructs," she explained. "They can't be destroyed conventionally, but they can be disrupted. Enough force, enough energy interference, and they'll disperse temporarily."
"How much force?"
"More than your thorn projectiles can deliver. But your acid sap? That's energy-charged. Might work. And your strangling vines – if you can wrap around the spirits fast enough, you might be able to constrict their energy flow."
It was all theoretical. But it was better than nothing.
At 5 PM, he headed back to the tournament complex.
The crowd was larger today. Word had spread about yesterday's matches. More spectators, more betting activity, more energy in the air.
Ah You found Ivy in the preparation area.
"Ready?" she asked.
"No. But when has that stopped us?"
Round 2 began at 6 PM sharp.
Victor Chen versus Sarah Tan was first.
It lasted twenty-three seconds.
Sarah created metal projectiles, metal shields, even tried to encase Victor in a metal cage.
The shadows simply passed through all of it, wrapped around her, and squeezed until she yielded.
Victor advanced to the quarterfinals without breaking a sweat.
Match 2 and 3 were more competitive. Both went over ten minutes, both winners advancing by narrow margins.
Match 4 was Ivy's.
Liu Mei, the Illusion user, was clever. She created multiple false copies of herself, made Ivy see attacks that weren't there, tried to confuse and disorient.
But Ivy had a counter: she closed her eyes.
Using only her Nature Sense – enhanced by their resonance training – she tracked Liu Mei by sensing her body's electromagnetic signature through the plants scattered around the ring.
Illusions couldn't fool plant-based sensing.
Ivy won in twelve minutes, strangling the real Liu Mei with vines while ignoring all the false copies.
The crowd loved it. Clever tactics always impressed more than raw power.
Match 5 ended in a forfeit. A Level 15 took one look at her Level 18 opponent and surrendered immediately.
Then the announcer called: "Match 6: Li Ah You versus Razak Abdullah!"
This was it.
Ah You entered the ring. Activated all his abilities.
[NATURE SENSE LV4: ACTIVE]
[ROOT NETWORK: ACTIVE]
[GUARDIAN'S TERRITORY: Ready - Will activate when optimal]
Razak entered from the opposite side. His three spirit animals materialized around him – tiger, hawk, python. All translucent, ghostly, radiating spiritual energy.
The tiger growled. The hawk screeched. The python hissed.
Razak himself looked calm, experienced, confident.
"I've fought Nature-types before," he said conversationally. "Your plants won't hurt my spirits. They're not physical enough."
"We'll see," Ah You replied.
The referee checked both fighters. "Begin!"
All three spirit animals attacked simultaneously.
The tiger lunged at ground level. The hawk dove from above. The python struck from the side.
Ah You scattered seeds and activated Guardian's Territory.
GROW. DEFEND. NOW.
A dome of thorned vines erupted around him, creating a barrier between him and the spirits.
The tiger crashed into the vines and passed right through them – as expected. But the thorns, charged with energy from Guardian's Territory, disrupted its form slightly. The tiger flickered, became less solid.
The hawk tried to dive through the dome's top but got tangled in rapidly-growing aerial vines. It screeched, pulling free, but it had been slowed.
The python wrapped around the vine barrier, trying to crush through.
Ah You used the momentary defense to go on offense.
Nature's Wrath: Acidic Sap Spray
He channeled energy-charged sap toward the tiger. The acidic spray hit the spirit animal, and something interesting happened – the acid, being energized by his MP, actually affected the spirit's cohesion.
The tiger roared, its form destabilizing.
Razak frowned. "Interesting. But you can't get all three at once."
He was right. While Ah You focused on the tiger, the hawk and python attacked from different angles.
The hawk raked ethereal claws across Ah You's shoulder. Pain flared – spirit attacks hurt even though they weren't physical.
[HP: 265/280]
The python tried to wrap around his legs.
Ah You grew vines to constrict the python back. The vines passed partially through the spirit but disrupted it enough to slow its coiling.
This was the problem: he could affect the spirits, but not easily. They could hurt him normally. It was an unfair exchange.
[MP: 140/180]
Time to change tactics.
Ah You stopped trying to fight the spirits directly. Instead, he targeted Razak.
Vine Assault. Overwhelm the tamer.
Dozens of vines erupted from the ground, all targeting Razak himself.
Razak called his spirits back to defend. The tiger intercepted vines, shredding them with claws. The hawk divebombed, disrupting the vine growth. The python coiled protectively around Razak.
But defending Razak meant the spirits weren't attacking Ah You.
And that gave Ah You time.
He poured MP into plant growth, creating a forest in the ring. Thick bushes, tall grass, climbing vines covering every surface.
[MP: 105/180]
"What are you doing?" Razak called out. "More plants just means more targets for my spirits!"
"We'll see," Ah You repeated.
He activated his trump card.
Root Network. Connect everything. SHARE SENSES.
All the plants he'd grown linked together through their roots. And through Guardian's Territory, they became extensions of his perception.
The tiger spirit moving through the forest? He could sense its energy signature disrupting the plants as it passed.
The hawk diving? He felt the air displacement through the leaves.
The python slithering? Its spiritual energy created ripples in the root network.
He could track all three spirits simultaneously through the plant network.
And more importantly: he could predict where they'd be next.
Ambush positions. Set traps. NOW.
When the tiger lunged again, vines were already waiting at its landing point, wrapping around it the instant it materialized.
When the hawk dove, acid sap sprayed from flowers directly in its path.
When the python struck, thorned vines constricted from three angles simultaneously.
The spirits were disrupted, destabilized, forced to withdraw and reform.
And that reformation cost Razak MP.
[OPPONENT MP: Estimated 60% remaining]
Ah You pressed harder. More plants. More traps. More coordinated attacks.
He was burning through MP fast, but so was Razak maintaining three spirits under constant assault.
[MP: 65/180]
After five more minutes of sustained offense, Razak was breathing hard. His spirits flickered, becoming less stable.
"You're... you're draining me," Razak realized. "Making me spend energy defending them instead of attacking with them."
"Smart strategy, right?" Ah You said through gritted teeth. His own MP was critically low.
This was going to come down to who ran empty first.
Razak made a decision. He recalled two spirits – hawk and python – dismissing them completely. Focused all his remaining MP into the tiger.
The tiger spirit grew larger, more solid, more dangerous.
"All or nothing," Razak said. "This ends now."
The enhanced tiger charged with devastating speed.
Ah You had one shot.
He gathered every remaining point of MP he had and channeled it into one final attack.
Nature's Wrath: Explosive Seed Pods. Everything. NOW.
Dozens of seed pods formed on the plants throughout the ring. Supercharged with his last reserves of energy. All aimed at the tiger spirit.
They detonated simultaneously.
The explosions rocked the entire ring. The plants themselves were destroyed in the blast. But the concentrated energy disrupted the tiger spirit completely.
It dissolved into wisps of spiritual energy and dissipated.
Razak collapsed to one knee, completely drained.
Ah You was on his knees too, MP at 5/180, vision blurry from exhaustion.
Both fighters struggled to stand.
The referee watched carefully. "Can either fighter continue?"
Razak tried to summon his spirits again. Failed. His MP was empty.
Ah You tried to grow even a single vine. Failed. His MP was equally depleted.
It came down to physical stamina.
Both fighters staggered to their feet.
Razak threw a punch. Slow, exhausted.
Ah You dodged, barely, and countered with his own punch.
It connected. Razak stumbled.
Ah You threw another punch. Razak blocked, countered.
They fought like drunk amateurs, all technique gone, just two exhausted espers throwing wild strikes.
Finally, Razak missed a punch, lost his balance, and fell.
He tried to get up. Couldn't.
"I yield," he gasped.
The referee raised Ah You's hand. "Winner: Li Ah You!"
The crowd went absolutely insane.
[VICTORY!]
[+600 EXP]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 16!]
[Tournament Progress: 2 wins, 0 losses]
[ADVANCING TO QUARTERFINALS]
Ah You collapsed immediately after.
The medical team rushed in. Someone was shouting about MP depletion and exhaustion.
But through the fog of consciousness, Ah You heard the announcer:
"Li Ah You advances to the quarterfinals! Top eight finishers confirmed!"
He'd done it.
Top eight.
Prize distribution.
And one step closer to the championship.
Then everything went black.
---
[To Be Continued]