018 THE FAVORITE TARGET LIST
The bell rang.
Santiago thundered forward, his pincer hands raised to crush. But before he could close the distance, Sonic blurred behind him, driving a sharp kick into his back.
"Arghhh!" Santiago roared, stumbling.
He spun to retaliate…only to find his opponent gone. A flash above—then Sonic crashed down from the air, his heel smashing into Santiago's neck.
The crowd went wild.
From the opening moments, it was clear Santiago was outclassed. He was stronger, yes, but he was far too slow. He couldn't land a single strike on Sonic.
"If Santiago gets in just one hit, Sonic's done," Damen insisted.
"Not a chance," Mikey replied without hesitation.
As the cheers reached a fever pitch, Sonic suddenly faltered. His body wavered, and in a shocking misstep, he crumpled right in front of Santiago.
The giant froze for half a second in disbelief….then seized the opening.
"Pincer Strike"
With a deafening crack, his pincer slammed into Sonic, sending him flying across the ring in a spray of blood. Gasps and cries of horror filled the air.
Santiago lumbered after him and hammered down another crushing blow.
Sonic collapsed, unmoving.
"9… 8… 7…" the referee began the count.
The crowd sat stunned, their loud and frenzied cheers silenced into confusion.
"How the hell did Sonic just collapse like that?" Mikey whispered, his eyes wide and wondering.
Suddenly, Sonic vanished—only to reappear in front of Santiago in a blur of speed. The crowd roared to life. He wasn't finished yet.
"Hey, buddy, forget your phone. Watch the match, this is getting exciting," Mikey nudged Damen.
"I am watching. I need this recorded," Damen replied, angling his screen.
"You've got a point. This could be the first time Santiago actually wins," Mikey muttered, pulling out his own phone too.
Inside the ring, Sonic's body flared with crackling energy. He was charging his ultimate move. The air around him weaved into a cocoon.
"It's the Wave Strike!" the crowd cried.
The Wave Strike was infamous. It's equal in destructive power to Santiago's crushing pincer arm.
Santiago's expression was flat. He was too slow to dodge it, and it was too late to counter. He braced himself.
Then—
"Arghhh! Who the hell… used a mental attack on me?!" Sonic staggered, clutching his head. The gathered energy dissolved before he could release it.
Santiago seized the chance.
He launched upward, his pincers raised high, and came down like a meteor. The blow slammed into Sonic, shaking the ring.
"Arghhh!" Sonic cried, collapsing under the impact.
The referee started the count.
"9… 8… 7…"
Sonic pushed against the mat, about to rise—when another unseen strike hit him. He dropped flat again.
"Who's attacking me?!" he roared, thrashing in confusion.
"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Knockout!"
The referee grabbed Santiago's normal arm and lifted it high.
The stadium fell silent. Stunned. The crowd didn't cheer and they didn't boo…. they were too shocked to react.
But no face looked more bewildered than Santiago's own.
He had no idea how he had just won.
-----
During the recess, Damen slipped away from the stadium seats, leaving Mikey happily buried in snacks. He didn't want anyone, especially Mikey, to see him collect the winnings.
He told Mikey he had something coming up and would not join him for the remainder of the match.
Damen wagered his last 2,000 Aurs on Santiago.
That was all that remained after stealing from Mad Cat. After spending most of the money to cover a month of daily gym passes, that was what is left.
It was a desperate bet, but one that had just paid off.
At the Betting Station, Damen slid his ticket across the counter.
The girl behind the glass blinked at it, her expression flickering with surprise. "How in the world did you know Santiago would win?"
Damen froze for a beat.
He couldn't exactly tell her the truth—that he had mined Sonic's attributes and caused him to collapse mid-fight and thereby losing the fight to Santiago.
So, he forced a sheepish smile. "Honestly? Pure luck. I barely know anything about these matches. I actually meant to bet on Sonic, but… I messed up."
The girl laughed a little, shaking her head. "That explains it. Nobody sane would bet on Santiago." Her suspicion melted away. Insane as it may be, but outrageous bets… or mistakes… were nothing new in her line of work.
She pushed four sleek Aur cards across the counter. "Twenty thousand, all yours."
Damen pocketed them, his pulse quickening.
"I'm rich again."
Suddenly there was a new notification on his phone. "A new message now? what could it be this time?" he asked himself.
He tapped the message open.
[You have acquired compatible meta to upgrade Flash Dash. Proceed? Y/N]
Damen's eyes widened. "An upgrade?"
"Yes. Definitely yes," he whispered, pressing confirm without hesitation.
A thrill shot through him. He hadn't known the app could do this—not just steal, but refine and strengthen what he already had.
Then Damen understood.
"It's the Acquire on Sonic. I've acquired four times on him, so I've stolen part of his skills. He was obviously using Flash Dash in his fight with Santiago… guess I stole or learned his skill", Damen reasoned.
Damen knew now that he could acquire skills and improve them with his Acquire function. The possibilities stretched out before him like a horizon he'd never seen before.
----
Damen left the MMA stadium, making a point to wave at the security cameras on his way out. That would serve as his alibi.
He crossed the street to a quiet little café and ordered an iced coffee. The place smelled of roasted beans and sugar—calm, harmless, nothing like the loud chaos he'd just left behind.
"Could you switch the TV to the live match at the stadium?" he asked the waiter.
Once the screen flickered onto the broadcast, as Damen leaned back, pulling out his phone.
His thumb hovered over one of the app's newer functions—a feature he'd dismissed as useless when it first appeared: the Favorite Targets list.