Chapter 29: You Can’t Outrun Yourself
Zik lay there, panting, his body trembling from exhaustion. His clothes were soaked, the eerie sensation of that thick, black liquid still clinging to his skin even though the ground beneath him was now solid.
Reyes stood over him, arms crossed, watching.
Not with sympathy. Not with concern.
Just calm, analytical interest.
Zik groaned, turning his head slightly to glare at him. "You just watched me nearly drown in nightmare water, and you didn't think to, I don't know, help?!"
Reyes shrugged. "You weren't gonna die."
Zik sat up, slowly, rubbing his face. "I felt like I was going to."
"Yeah," Reyes said, voice level. "That's the point."
Zik's hands froze. The point?
Reyes took a step forward, kneeling slightly to meet Zik's exhausted gaze. "This domain doesn't just throw you into a bad situation. It doesn't just make things hard for you." He tapped the side of his head. "It builds itself around your mind."
Zik swallowed, his throat dry. "Meaning…?"
"Meaning you created that nightmare water, not me."
---
Zik froze.
That—that wasn't possible.
Right?
He looked down at his hands, shaking slightly, then around the twisted, warped environment. The sickly gray light, the shifting shadows, the strange whispers that weren't whispering actual words, but still felt personal.
The way the air pressed down on him. The way the ground pulled at him.
Reyes sighed, standing up straight. "I've seen a lot of fighters break in here, kid. Some get thrown into heat so unbearable their bodies shut down. Some get trapped in claustrophobic voids where the air runs out. Some—" He gestured around. "Get swallowed by things their own minds create."
Zik clenched his jaw. "I— I didn't create this!"
Reyes raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you?"
Zik's breath caught in his throat.
Reyes kept going, his voice steady, matter-of-fact. "Your biggest weakness isn't your lack of strength, Zik. It's not your abilities. It's not even the fact that almost everyone in the final round is stronger than you."
He crouched again, resting his forearms on his knees, staring straight into Zik's exhausted, wide eyes.
"Your biggest weakness," Reyes said slowly, "is that you still think you're just some unlucky kid who gets tossed around by the world."
Zik stiffened.
Reyes gestured around them. "Look at this place. Look at what it's doing to you. You aren't fighting me, Zik. You're fighting your own damn mind."
Zik wanted to argue, wanted to say That's not true, I don't think like that, but—
His throat locked up.
Because deep down, he knew.
It was true.
---
Reyes exhaled through his nose, standing back up. "This domain doesn't create random nightmares. It puts you in a space where you will lose. If you rely on speed, it slows you down. If you rely on strength, it weakens you. If you rely on strategy, it makes everything unreadable."
He turned, taking a few slow steps away before glancing over his shoulder. "And if your biggest weakness is your own self-doubt, then it turns your thoughts into the worst battlefield possible."
Zik swallowed. The weight of the air, the whispers, the shifting shadows— everything around him suddenly felt ten times heavier.
Because Reyes wasn't just explaining how Hell Domain worked.
He was explaining how Zik worked.
---
Zik clenched his fists. "So how do I beat it?"
Reyes didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned fully, studying him for a moment before finally saying:
"You don't."
Zik blinked. "What?"
"You don't beat it," Reyes said, voice calm. "You outlast it. You adapt to it. You stop giving it what it wants."
Zik's breathing was uneven, his muscles aching, but he forced himself to stand. "And what does it want?"
Reyes smirked.
"It wants you to keep running."
---
Zik froze.
His entire body locked up as Reyes' words slammed into him like a freight train.
Every fight.
Every moment of survival.
Every time things got bad—
He always ran.
He always dodged.
Because that was what he was good at. That was what had kept him alive.
He ran from his bullies.
He ran from failure.
Even now, he was running from his own thoughts.
The domain had realized it. And so it took running away.
---
Zik's breathing slowed.
His pulse pounded in his ears.
Reyes watched him closely, nodding slightly when he saw the realization dawn in Zik's expression.
"Now," he said, voice low. "Try again."
Zik looked around at the warped, impossible world.
He could still feel the shadows shifting at the edge of his vision. The whispers, crawling at the edges of his thoughts. The heavy, clinging air.
He exhaled.
And then—
Instead of fighting against it—
Instead of running from it—
He took a step forward.
Zik walked forward.
One step.
Then another.
The ground still clung to his feet like something alive, the air still pressed against him, and the shadows at the edge of his vision still twisted and stretched like they were waiting for him to slip.
But now?
Now he wasn't fighting it.
He wasn't trying to escape.
He simply moved.
---
The whispers didn't stop, but their tone shifted.
Less mocking.
Less cruel.
More… uncertain.
The thing in the darkness, the one that had touched his shoulder, the one that had been breathing down his neck—
It didn't disappear.
But it hesitated.
As if watching. Waiting. Studying him just as much as he had been studying it.
And Zik?
He kept walking.
Even as his legs screamed in exhaustion.
Even as his lungs burned from the thick air.
Even as the world around him swam and twisted, trying to make him falter.
He walked.
And the moment he stopped reacting to the whispers—
They faded.
The moment he stopped fearing the ground beneath him—
It solidified.
The moment he stopped seeing the shadows as something he had to escape—
They simply became shadows again.
---
The landscape shifted.
The sickly gray light flickered, like an old film burning at the edges.
The air lightened.
And then—
Just like that—
Zik was standing outside the domain.
---
He stumbled forward, gasping, his body trembling from sheer mental and physical exhaustion.
The real world—**or at least, Reyes' training ground—**had never looked so beautiful.
And right in front of him, waiting as if he'd never moved at all, Reyes stood with his hands in his pockets.
Smirking.
"You figured it out," he said simply.
Zik wheeled around, looking at the space he'd just left.
But there was nothing there.
No twisted shadows. No suffocating air. No nightmare.
Just the faint memory of it lingering in his chest.
Zik swallowed hard, turning back.
"So… what now?" he asked, his voice rough.
Reyes tilted his head. "That depends. What'd you learn?"
Zik hesitated, his hands tightening into fists.
Then, finally, he answered.
"I don't have to run anymore."
Reyes nodded once. "Good."
Then he cracked his knuckles.
"Now let's see if you can fight."
And with that—
Training really began.
Zik barely had time to breathe before Reyes rushed him.
No warning. No hesitation. Just pure, overwhelming force.
The world around them shifted, the twisted remnants of Hell Domain flickering at the edges of Zik's vision. It was as if the nightmare still lingered, waiting for a chance to drag him under again.
But this time?
Zik planted his feet.
He wasn't running.
Not anymore.
---
The First Blow
Reyes moved faster than Zik's brain could process. One second he was standing a few feet away—
The next?
A fist slammed into Zik's ribs.
A normal punch shouldn't have hurt that much.
But this wasn't a normal punch.
This was Reyes.
A man who had spent his entire life perfecting combat. A man who instinctively knew how to throw a punch that didn't just hit—it broke.
Zik staggered back, gasping as the impact rattled his bones.
But he didn't fall.
Didn't run.
He clenched his fists.
And countered.
---
A Clash of Speed and Precision
Zik threw a Speed Strike, his fastest attack, aiming straight for Reyes' chest.
For a fraction of a second, he thought he might land it.
Then Reyes tilted his body ever so slightly—
And Zik's fist passed through thin air.
Before he could even recover, Reyes grabbed his extended arm—twisted—
And suddenly, Zik was airborne.
A heavy thud echoed through the battlefield as he slammed into the ground, dust kicking up around him.
Zik groaned, trying to push himself up—
And Reyes' foot pressed against his chest, pinning him.
"That's your problem," Reyes said calmly. "You're fast, but predictable."
Zik gritted his teeth. "Oh yeah? Then predict this!"
He activated Telekinesis, pushing Reyes back just enough to roll away and get to his feet.
Reyes grinned. "Better. But still not good enough."
And just like that, he attacked again.
---
The Breaking Point
Zik barely dodged the next series of attacks.
Reyes wasn't just strong. He wasn't just fast.
He was precise.
Every hit targeted weak points. Every movement cut off Zik's escape routes.
Zik threw a Calf Kick, trying to knock him off balance—
Reyes countered with a perfectly timed step, making Zik's kick glance harmlessly off his leg.
Zik tried a Spinning Speed Kick, putting all his power into it—
Reyes simply leaned back, letting it pass inches from his face before countering with an elbow to Zik's side.
Zik hit the ground again, coughing.
His lungs burned.
His muscles screamed.
And yet—
Despite everything—
He still stood back up.
---
The Moment Everything Changed
Reyes watched him carefully, waiting for Zik to make a move.
Zik's entire body ached, but something inside him refused to quit.
This wasn't just training anymore.
This was a test.
A test of how far he'd come.
A test of how much further he could go.
He wasn't running.
And the domain?
It knew.
The world around them shifted, the suffocating pressure that had weighed on Zik easing ever so slightly.
His heartbeat slowed.
His breathing steadied.
And at that moment—
He unlocked something new.
---
New Skill Earned! 🎉
Grit (E-Grade)
Effect: Reduces the effects of exhaustion, pain, and mental strain when under extreme stress. The more Zik is pushed to his limit, the longer he can hold out before breaking.
---
Zik exhaled sharply.
Reyes' eyes narrowed slightly. "You felt it, didn't you?"
Zik nodded, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah. And I'm not done yet."
For the first time, Reyes smiled.
"Good."
Then, without hesitation, they clashed again.
And this time—
Zik lasted longer.
Zik's Updated Status Window
---
Level: 9 ⬆️ (Previously 7)
EXP: 10% to Level 10
---
Abilities
1. Super Speed
Grade: D
Level: 7 ⬆️ (Previously 5)
Description: Allows Zik to move at speeds up to 180 km/h, with enhanced reaction time and agility.
Recent Upgrades:
Increased acceleration and burst movement.
Can now maintain speed longer without excessive stamina drain.
Improved footwork for better dodging in tight combat situations.
2. Regeneration
Grade: C
Level: 4 ⬆️ (Previously 2)
Description: Passively heals injuries over time, with accelerated recovery for moderate injuries and increased stamina efficiency.
Recent Upgrades:
Can now recover from deep bruises and fractures in half the previous time.
Increased stamina retention during prolonged fights.
Minor resistance to toxins and fatigue-based attacks.
3. Telekinesis
Grade: D
Level: 5 ⬆️ (Previously 3)
Description: Allows manipulation of objects within a medium radius. Effective for combat utility, multitasking, and controlling the battlefield.
Recent Upgrades:
Increased precision when manipulating multiple objects.
Can now briefly repel or attract objects at short range.
Improved focus, allowing better simultaneous control over multiple actions.
4. Super Intelligence
Grade: C
Level: 11 ⬆️ (Previously 9)
Description: Enhances analytical abilities, problem-solving, and combat adaptability.
Recent Upgrades:
Can now predict an opponent's next move with greater accuracy.
Improved ability to make split-second tactical decisions.
Enhanced recall of past battles, allowing quicker adaptation to repeat opponents.
5. Stealth
Grade: E
Level: 4 ⬆️ (Previously 2)
Description: Allows Zik to blend into shadows and reduce detection in low-visibility environments.
Recent Upgrades:
Improved noise suppression while moving.
Can now hold longer durations of blending in shadows.
Less visibility in peripheral vision when crouching or moving at slow speeds.
6. Crafting
Grade: E
Level: 6 ⬆️ (Previously 4)
Description: Enables Zik to dismantle and assemble items, creating gear with minor enhancements. Can now imbue E-grade abilities into items.
Recent Upgrades:
Increased material efficiency when crafting.
Can now restructure weaker materials to be more durable.
Improved auto-produce function, allowing for more precise adjustments to gear stats.
7. Light Manipulation
Grade: E ⬆️ (Previously F – Ability Upgrade Earned! 🎉)
Level: 3 ⬆️ (Previously 1)
Description: Grants Zik the ability to control light, adjusting brightness, focus, and reflections.
Recent Upgrades:
Improved Flash Surge: Increased blinding intensity.
Can now bend light slightly to create momentary distortions in visibility.
Minor light-based illusions that can create false shadows or decoys in low light.
8. New Skill Earned! 🎉
Name: Grit
Grade: E
Level: 2 ⬆️ (Previously 1)
Description: A passive skill that reduces exhaustion, pain, and mental fatigue when under extreme stress. The harder the fight, the more Zik can endure.
Recent Upgrades:
Boosted recovery rate while under high stress.
Can now push through stunning effects for a short duration.
Reduces negative effects of prolonged battles, keeping his mind clearer for longer.
---
Skills
1. Speed Strike
Level: 7 ⬆️ (Previously 5)
Description: A high-speed attack that combines Super Speed with a concentrated punch.
Recent Upgrades:
Higher impact force.
Can now strike consecutively with improved efficiency.
Improved precision when targeting vital points.
2. Power Strike
Level: 5 ⬆️ (Previously 3)
Description: A heavy strike that deals increased damage, ideal for breaking through defenses.
Recent Upgrades:
Can now channel force into a single focused point for better armor penetration.
Improved balance during execution, reducing self-staggering.
3. Calf Kick
Level: 4 ⬆️ (Previously 2)
Description: A precise, low kick targeting an opponent's leg to disrupt balance.
Recent Upgrades:
Faster execution and increased knockback effect.
Now has a slight stunning effect on impact.
4. Spinning Speed Kick
Level: 4 ⬆️ (Previously 2)
Description: A spinning back kick enhanced by Super Speed, maximizing rotational force.
Recent Upgrades:
Lower stamina drain, allowing more frequent use.
Increased flexibility during execution, making it harder to counter.
---
Inventory
1. Reinforced Gloves (E-grade)
Special Property: Enhanced Grip (E-grade Ability) — Boosts grip strength, aiding in holding onto objects and resisting disarms.
2. Padded Bracers (E-grade) ⬆️ (Upgraded from F!)
Special Property: Deflect (E-grade Ability) — Improved chance to deflect small projectiles.
3. Utility Belt
Storage for small tools, materials, and crafting components.
4. Reinforced Boots (E-grade) ⬆️ (Upgraded from F!)
Special Property: Shock Absorb (E-grade Ability) — Reduces impact when landing from jumps or falls.
5. Lightweight Cloak (E-grade) ⬆️ (Upgraded from F!)
Special Property: Complements Stealth by improving blending in low-light environments.
6. Stamina Shoes (E-grade)
Special Property: Endurance Boost (E-grade Ability) — Grants a moderate endurance boost, improving stamina recovery.
---
Notable Changes
Zik has leveled up to Level 9!
Super Speed, Telekinesis, and Regeneration have all improved.
New ability unlocked: Grit (E-grade)!
Light Manipulation upgraded from F to E-grade!
Stealth and Crafting have improved significantly.
Several skills increased in level!
Multiple inventory items have upgraded to E-grade!
---
Zik exhaled sharply, his entire body aching from the fight, but something inside him felt different.
Stronger.
Reyes stood across from him, arms crossed, studying him like a puzzle piece that just clicked into place.
"You're getting there," Reyes said simply. "But don't think for a second that means I'm going to go easy on you."
Zik wiped sweat from his forehead, his muscles screaming in exhaustion—but despite everything, he grinned.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."