Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start-Chapter 253 - 254 - Alex vs. Vaelith 2.

Within the shadows of a secluded temple on Originveil City, where the dim glow of torches flickered against the cold stone walls, a group of cloaked figures sat in a perfect circle.

Their faces remained hidden beneath the thick hoods, their breaths slow and measured.

Low growls echoed from the temple’s depth, the unmistakable sound of beasts lurking in the darkness beyond their sight.

In the center of their gathering, a floating projection shimmered with an eerie glow, displaying the battle raging within the Colosseum.

Alex stood tall, his silver-white hair catching the sunlight, while Vaelith lay sprawled against the barrier, the remnants of the slap still lingering in the air.

The crowd’s laughter and jeers at Vaelith’s expense reached even this distant, forsaken place.

"It is nearly time," a deep voice intoned, filled with reverence. "The star has begun to shine the brightest. The moment of reckoning approaches."

"Yes," another voice chimed in, more sinister in its mirth. "What better moment to plunge the world into despair than when it believes in its hero the most? The fall is most exquisite when it begins from the peak."

A rustling moved through the cloaked figures, like the shifting of the wind through dead leaves.

They all understood. The moment when joy reached its pinnacle was also the moment their god would show the world the true artistry of destruction.

One figure, draped in crimson, placed a hand over their heart. "Vaelith has served his purpose well. The past hero, discarded and ridiculed, has played his role as the perfect stepping stone."

Pausing as his red eyes squinted, he focused on the projection. "Because of him, the star now burns brighter. And that brightness will make its fall all the more devastating."

"So let us pray," another murmured, bowing their head. "May our god have mercy. May he grant us the strength to unveil the truth. And may the world understand the beauty of destruction, when done right, when done at the height of their happiness."

The circle of figures joined in unison, their low, haunting chants filling the temple.

The growls from the shadows grew louder, as if the unseen beasts, too, hungered for the chaos to come.

...............................

Back at the Colosseum, unlike the temple’s eerie atmosphere, the crowd had erupted into deafening cheers and laughter.

"The Maneater has returned!" A voice roared, joined by a chorus of agreement.

"One slap! One slap and Vaelith’s already tasting dirt!"

"Man, I should have bet on Alex. I’d be rich by now."

"Did you see his face? Looked like he saw his ancestors for a second there!"

Some students clutched their sides; others wiped away tears of laughter. For the first time since Vaelith had arrived, they were enjoying a fight.

Zahara, standing within the crowd, smirked, her arms crossed, while Gurrak let out a low chuckle.

Aelora, however, only shook her head. "They shouldn’t get too comfortable..."

Mira was the same. She knew that the last slap had connected; the sound had echoed through the arena, but for some reason, she felt uneasy.

The first to notice it was Zahara as her smirk vanished.

Her fingers gripped the railing in front of her as a tremor ran through the arena, barely noticeable at first but soon undeniable.

Then, Vaelith roared.

A wave of raw, suffocating energy blasted through the arena, silencing the laughter instantly.

The ground cracked beneath him as his golden eyes flared with something beyond fury.

"Enough!"

His aura surged, twisting unnaturally, and then—

Crack.

The very fabric of space splintered around him.

Thin, jagged fractures formed in the air, writhing like hungry jaws eager to consume anything they touched.

Alex’s gaze sharpened as he felt the change.

’It’s good that I had them rescued.’ His gaze turned serious.

While the crowd was cheering for him, Alex, knowing that this fight wasn’t over, had gestured for the medics to quickly withdraw the students lying injured in the arena, and the medics had heeded his order.

If not for that, the students would’ve already been shredded by those spatial fractures.

Alex could tell that Vaelith wasn’t just angry anymore. He had realized it.

"So," Vaelith growled, his voice like grinding steel. "It was gravity manipulation. That’s how you sent me flying." His hands flexed, fingers twitching with power. "Not anymore."

The space around them warped as if thickening, its density increasing to a terrifying degree.

The very air pressed down on Alex, attempting to crush him and deny him the ability to move freely.

Meanwhile, the space cracks grew, hungry, malevolent rifts that could shred a body with a single misstep.

Vaelith was truly angry now, and although it clouded one’s judgment, he didn’t care about it. He had sworn that he would never be humiliated in this life, yet this all happened.

This hurt his long-established pride.

A hush fell over the Colosseum as fear replaced excitement.

Will Alex be able to win? Such doubts appeared again as this looked different from the Wyvern fight.

In that fight, Alex was fighting a beast, but here, Alex had to fight a skilled human. If that wasn’t enough, the said human had space affinity, and his attacks were extremely dangerous.

Vaelith’s smirk returned, but this time, it wasn’t amused—it was murderous.

"I’m done playing," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet it carried to every corner of the arena. "I’m going to kill you."

Alex knew that he needed to fight earnestly now. Of course, only by revealing the part of his strength he had before.

He was going to use gravity, fire, water, and thunder magic only. Among them, gravity was the one he would use the most, as he could literally manipulate gravity.

With that thought, nine illusionary stars burning with intense light appeared on his chest, swirling at a very high speed before he cast multiple weightlessness on his body while increasing the gravity of his surroundings exponentially.

He was going to restrict Vaelith’s movements as well.

Without thinking much, Alex flared his mana, and he decided to activate his physique as well.

Nine illusionary stars burned brightly on his chest, spinning in a mesmerizing, chaotic dance.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted, making Vaelith narrow his golden eyes as an invisible force swirled around Alex.

His body became wreathed in an ethereal glow, his very essence shifting into something beyond mortal comprehension—his astral form.

The audience gasped. This wasn’t just magic. This was something else entirely.

"What... the hell is this?" Vaelith muttered, taking a half-step back, his instincts screaming at him.

Alex’s eyes snapped to him, colder than before. He had activated his Eternal Devourer Physique. His power surged, an overwhelming tide that sent tremors through the arena.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he vanished from sight.

Vaelith barely had time to react before Alex was upon him.

BOOM!

A fist, backed by gravity magic and enhanced strength, drove into Vaelith’s gut with crushing force.

The impact sent him skidding backward, his boots digging trenches into the stone.

The crowd erupted.

"HE’S OVERPOWERING HIM!"

"Maneater isn’t just back—he’s stronger than ever!"

Vaelith clenched his jaw.

He seemed to have again underestimated this brat.

He had thought that, even with gravity magic, Alex couldn’t match his speed or strength. But now?

He was being pushed back.

Alex’s movements were swift and precise.

Weightlessness allowed him to move like a phantom, and when he struck, he increased the weight behind his fists, turning each blow into a meteor crashing down upon Vaelith’s defenses.

For the first time, Vaelith found himself forced to dodge instead of attacking outright.

No matter how many spatial fractures he summoned to force Alex back, it didn’t work; it was like trying to trap a storm—which was impossible.

A left hook—Vaelith dodged.

A knee strike—he barely avoided it.

A downward punch—he parried, but the force cracked the stone beneath his feet.

The crowd’s cheers soared.

"HE CAN WIN!"

"HE’S BEATING VAELITH!"

But Vaelith had been planning something all along.

Unbeknownst to Alex, while they fought, Vaelith had been shifting the spatial fractures around them, subtly and carefully.

Each rift was placed not at random but strategically, forming an intricate trap around his opponent.

And then, in an instant, they snapped shut.

"Checkmate."

Before Alex could react, the fractures closed in from all sides.

Like the jaws of a beast, the spatial rifts surrounded him, leaving no room to escape.

The Colosseum fell deathly silent.

"A-Alex!"

Mira’s voice trembled as her eyes darted frantically toward the shifting void about to consume him.

Zahara’s fingers tightened into fists as she stood up, ready to jump into the arena.

Gurrak’s expression darkened. "That... doesn’t look good."

Vaelith’s grin widened, his chest heaving from exhaustion, but triumph gleamed in his eyes.

"You were strong; I’ll give you that," he sneered, throwing his arms wide. "But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Because space devours all. And now? You can just die in there."

The fractures pulsed violently, distorting the air as if reality itself were breaking apart.

Booms and crashes were heard. One could tell Alex was trying to break free from it, but nothing seemed to work.

Finally, as if Alex had given up, no sound could be heard.

The panic among the crowd rose to new heights as they felt that Alex, the one who brought hope, was about to be killed.

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But then—

A sigh.

Soft. Low. Filled with defeat.

It echoed through the arena, sending a bone-deep chill crawling down Vaelith’s spine.

And for the first time since the fight began, he felt fear.