Infernal Entity: Evolving With My Demonic System

Chapter 92: Take It Easy Big Boy

The Nexus Field had once been nothing more than an empty white space the last time Axel was in it.

The first time he entered it, there was nothing. Just a bright void that stretched endlessly in every direction.

Today was different because the Nexus Field was open.

No one knew who controlled it. No one knew who created it or owned it. People had stopped asking those questions a long time ago. All anyone knew was that the field opened once in a while, and when it did, students, humans, collectors, and mutants all came together—and today was one of those days.

It hadn’t even been two hours since the field opened, yet it was already packed with people shouting, cheering, and of course, booing. The sound echoed endlessly, rolling over itself like thunder trapped inside a hollow space.

The place that was once empty was now a massive circular stadium, stretching outward in all directions. Rows upon rows of spectators filled the stands, forming a complete ring around a wide arena at the center.

Axel walked forward with Dasha and her men as he took in the scenery with bewilderment. He stared openly at the place because he had never seen this many people gathered in one place before, and it was overwhelming.

"This is the Nexus Field when it’s active," Dasha said calmly, as if this was normal. "Get used to it. Hope you brought your cool sword?"

Axel barely heard her. His eyes stayed on the arena, where fighters were already clashing, powers flashing and colliding in the open space.

"Today, you’ll be fighting three opponents," Dasha revealed. That got his attention.

"Three?" Axel asked.

"Yes," she replied. "And since you’ve already made a name for yourself in the underground pits, you should have a few people here who are willing to bet all their CNTs on you."

"People are betting... on me?"

Dasha glanced at him. "Of course they are. Have you seen you fight? You should—" She stopped walking and turned to face him. "You win all three matches, and you walk away with fifty thousand CNTs."

Fifty. Thousand. Bloody. CNTs...!

If Dasha had been watching Axel’s face closely, she probably would have seen his pupils shift, changing, and the CNT symbol flashing across them.

"Fifty thousand? All I have to do is win three fights?" he asked as his heart started beating faster, but his thoughts followed immediately after.

"What if I don’t win all three? Let’s say I won the first and second but lost the third. What happens then?"

That question seemed reasonable. Did losing one fight ultimately mean he lost the previous ones he won?

"If you win the first match, you get five thousand CNTs," Dasha explained. "If you win the second one too, that’s another five thousand."

Axel didn’t need further explanation to know that the third fight was worth forty thousand CNTs. It meant that was the one that mattered, and that was the dangerous one.

For the first time since arriving, Axel felt uneasy. Dasha was clearly placing too much faith in him. Someone worth forty thousand CNTs was not going to be weak. There was no way.

Dasha noticed his expression and scoffed. "Stop making that face."

"You’re strong," she said flatly. "We both know it. Honestly, I don’t get why you’re hiding under a Lumina Three badge. You could be an Apex if you wanted. You could rule your classmates and possibly some of the second-years."

"Do you even know how rare it is," Dasha continued, "for a first-year to already be going toe-to-toe with upper ranks? It shouldn’t be possible. So whoever your last opponent is, they’re probably just some nobody who thinks too highly of themselves to place forty thousand CNTs on themselves."

Before Axel could respond, the crowd suddenly roared. A violent shout erupted from the arena.

Axel turned just in time to see one fighter grab another by the throat. The attacker’s hand began to glow bright orange. The air around it warped, then exploded outward.

The opponent’s head burst apart, and the body collapsed to the ground.

Axel screamed, "WHAT THE F—!"

Every head nearby turned toward him.

Dasha sighed and shook her head. "Cute..." she said. "...and stupid."

Axel stared at the arena, his breathing uneven. "That guy just died!"

"No," Dasha replied calmly. "He didn’t."

Axel looked at her in disbelief.

"The technology behind the Nexus Field is complicated," she said. "You’re here, but you’re also not here."

She gestured vaguely. "Your real body is still in the outside world. When someone enters the portal, their body collapses and goes unconscious. What you see here isn’t exactly your physical form. I don’t really know the science behind it, and I don’t care to."

Axel frowned, then thought about it for a moment. That explained why he always felt lighter here.

He hadn’t even noticed when it happened, so he pinched himself. It hurt.

"So this is still real," he muttered.

"Whoever created this place is one hell of a genius."

The body in the arena faded away, dissolving into light as if it had never been there in the first place.

A deep voice suddenly boomed across the entire Nexus Field.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT MATCH?"

The crowd erupted instantly.

Cheers thundered from every direction, shaking the white space itself.

The announcer laughed, clearly enjoying himself.

"You’ve just witnessed power," he said. "You’ve just witnessed dominance. But what comes next will be even better."

The lights above the arena shifted dramatically, glowing brighter.

"Entering first, representing speed, precision, and pain!" the announcer roared. "The woman who leaves her opponents begging for mercy!"

"WHIPLASH!"

The audience screamed her name.

From the opposite side of the arena, a figure stepped forward. Axel hadn’t seen her clearly at first, but as she moved closer, his eyes locked onto her.

She walked with confidence, slow and relaxed, like she already knew how this would end.

Red hair flowed down her back, bright and striking against the white surroundings. Her face was soft, almost harmless-looking. There was a playful curve on her lips, as if she found everything amusing.

"And now," the announcer continued, "our challenger. A rising name from the underground pits..."

"MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE RED IMP!"

"Why are humans so dramatic and noisy..." Aurora mumbled.

Axel stepped forward and walked into the arena. Thousands of people were shouting. Some were cheering. Some were booing. Some were chanting his name, others laughing at it.

He kept walking until he reached the center of the arena. The ground beneath his feet felt solid, even though he knew this place wasn’t fully real. He forced himself to breathe normally.

Whiplash stepped closer too. Up close, she was even more striking. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she looked Axel up and down, not with fear, but curiosity. Like she was sizing up a toy rather than an enemy.

Then she smiled and said:

"Take it easy on me, big boy."