CHAPTER 166: THE UNBURNT

Tasha gasped. "Jayden...?" she rasped, her voice trembling with hope... and dread.

Jessica instantly grabbed her hand. "It’s okay. I’m sure he’s fine," she said, though the uncertainty in her own voice betrayed her.

Tasha nodded quickly, almost desperately. "Yeah. He is. He has to be."

Cassandra remained silent, her gaze locked on the thick plume of smoke twisting up from the center of the arena. Her heart thudded in her chest like a war drum, her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t speak. She couldn’t. Not until she saw something... anything.

Jacob jerked upright, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went pale. He was tense, barely breathing. Then...

"He’s fine. Trust me," Penelope said beside him, her voice strangely calm, eyes unblinking.

Jacob looked at her, but didn’t answer. His gaze drifted back toward the arena... where the dense cloud of ash and fire began to thin, piece by piece, like curtains being drawn back to reveal a secret.

Carl stood near the edge of the battleground, body coiled like a spring. His flames simmered low, waiting. His jaw was set, eyes narrowed in dark anticipation.

He didn’t celebrate.

Not yet.

Not until he saw Jayden... burned, broken, beaten.

Then, finally, the smoke cleared.

And someone stood amidst the scorched battlefield.

A single figure.

It was Jayden.

Alive.

Standing tall.

And completely untouched.

Unburnt

The crowd gasped in collective shock.

Jayden took a step forward, then another. He was chuckling. Not in arrogance, but in quiet amusement, as if he had just solved a difficult puzzle and was proud of himself.

"I must admit," Jayden began, his voice clear and calm, "You’re really good. So good, I had to resort to my ability in the end."

The tension exploded. Murmurs swept across the audience like wildfire.

And then they noticed.

Jayden’s clothes... his shirt and jacket, were gone, reduced to ash. Only his pants remained. But the real shock was what lied beneath the clothes.

His body.

It was shimmering.

Shining.

Silver.

His entire form... skin, hair, even his irises, was a radiant, polished metallic silver. Not cracked, not scarred, not even scratched. It was like someone had sculpted a flawless statue from pure titanium and brought it to life.

"What the hell...?" someone whispered.

"Is that some kind of armor?"

"No... it’s not armor," another student said slowly, voice trembling. "That’s his skin."

"Holy shit... is this his ability?"

Jacob let out a shaky breath and slowly sank back into his seat, stunned but relieved.

Penelope smiled. "Told you he’s fine."

Cassandra sighed in relief. Tasha beamed.

Jessica, however, was frozen, eyes fixed on Jayden. "Is that a werewolf thing... or something else?" she wondered

Carl’s eyes widened in disbelief. He took a step back without meaning to. "No. No, that’s not possible. You were supposed to burn. Your... your skin. It’s..."

"Metal?" Jayden smiled, a metallic glint of amusement. "I know. Thanks to this."

He raised his hand and opened his fist. A small, silver bar clattered to the ground at his feet.

He had pulled it from his inventory in the final moment... absorbing its properties just as Carl’s flames had reached him.

The crowd stared in confusion.

What did a piece of metal have to do with this?

But in the stands, Principal Thompson’s eyes lit up.

The two EVA agents beside him exchanged looks.

The female agent leaned forward, her voice a soft whisper. "Is that what I think it is?"

The male agent nodded. "Yes. This kid possesses one of the rarest abilities in all five planets... Matter Absorption."

Principal Thompson chuckled, clearly thrilled. "You sure are full of surprises, kid." he muttered to himself.

Back in the arena, Jayden stretched his arms slowly, his muscles gleaming like liquid metal under the spotlight. His eyes... twin orbs of polished silver, reflected the blazing remnants of Carl’s attack.

He turned toward Carl, the ground cracking under his titanium-clad feet.

Then he smiled.

It wasn’t a cruel smile. It wasn’t even smug.

It was confident. Unshakably confident.

"Alright then," Jayden said, raising a hand, his voice laced with power. "Let’s end this."

Carl’s mind raced. The crowd was cheering, shouting, but he barely heard it. All he could see was that silver form walking toward him... unbothered, unscarred, invincible.

But he wasn’t done.

He couldn’t be.

Not now. Not when everything wqas on the line. His pride, his reputation, his fans... they demanded he keep fighting.

With a furious roar, he charged forward, his fist engulfed in flames. But as he struck, Jayden weaved effortlessly to the side, twisted behind him, and delivered a savage kick to his back.

WHAM!

It landed hard... not enough to send him flying, but enough to make him stumble.

Carl staggered forward, gritting his teeth.

"GRAAGH!" With a growl of frustration, he turned and charged again, letting out a battle cry. His hand reached out, aiming for Jayden’s head, but Jayden ducked and countered, slamming a punch straight into Carl’s stomach.

BAM!

Carl grunted in pain, stumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing and lashed out, sending a scorching wave of fire toward Jayden.

But Jayden didn’t move. He didn’t dodge. He just stood there.

BOOM.

The flames hit.

But they did nothing.

The fire washed over his skin and fizzled out, leaving no mark, no burn.. nothing.

Jayden’s body was coated in titanium. He was basically indestructible.

Carl’s eyes widened in disbelief. His strongest asset... his fire ability, was useless. The one thing that gave him the upper hand had no effect on Jayden now.

What does this mean for him?

Defeat?

He couldn’t accept it. He refused to accept it.

Carl screamed in frustration, unleashing a barrage of fireballs, bursts of flames, waves of heat. But none of it made a difference. Each attack bounced off Jayden’s metallic body like paper hitting stone.

Jayden stood still, unfazed.

Carl’s heart pounded. He was dismayed, but not done. He needed to switch tactics.

He rushed in again, closing the distance for hand-to-hand combat. He swung toward Jayden’s neck, hoping for a critical hit, but Jayden dodged again, a blur of motion, then spun into a controlled backflip...

CRACK!

His heels collided brutally with Carl’s jaw mid-air in a perfect upward arc that sent Carl flying.

THUD.

He slammed into the arena floor, hard. His body twitched, smoke curling from his clothes.

Groaning, he pushed himself up and spat out blood.

Jayden stepped forward, eyes cold.

"You should surrender," he said indifferently. "It’ll be easier that way."

Carl scoffed, wiping blood from his lips. "Never!"

With a cry of fury, his aura exploded in heat. The air shimmered around him. He clasped his hands together, flames swirling and condensing until they formed a gigantic fire cleave... a ten-feet weapon of pure blazing energy. Then, with a roar, he slammed it sideways toward Jayden.

Jayden reacted instantly, crossing his arms.

But this time, the metal coating his body shifted... extending outward from his forearms, forming a makeshift shield. A thick, sleek barrier of titanium.

The students gasped in awe, excitement erupting from the stands.

BANG!

The cleave collided with Jayden’s shield, the impact thundering across the arena. Jayden skidded across the ground, bracing against the blast, then suddenly leapt upward, flipping cleanly over the cleave as it crashed into the arena barrier behind him and dissipated in a burst of flame.

Carl dropped his arms, heaving in exertion.. but still, he didn’t quit.

Jayden landed and stood calmly, watching him. "You’ve pushed yourself too hard," he said. "Leveling up usually takes a toll on people. Doing so in the middle of a fight is understandable... but I think it’s time you got some rest."

Carl’s fury boiled over. "Don’t underestimate me, Starrk!" he shouted.

He charged one final time.

But Jayden was no longer there.

Carl’s eyes widened. He scanned frantically.. but it was too late.

BAM!!

Jayden suddenly appeared right in front of him and drove his knee straight into Carl’s gut.

GASP.

Carl’s mouth opened in a silent gasp as the air was knocked clean out of him. His eyes widened in pure shock.

His body recoiled and bent forward, but he didn’t fly... Jayden had controlled his strength perfectly to deliver a solid, but less fatal hit.

Carl dropped to his knees, sweat dripping from his brow. His arms hung limply as he groaned.

"Y-You were supposed to be weak... powerless," he whispered. "How did you... get so strong?"

Jayden exhaled and crouched in front of him, his titanium form unmoving. His gaze was sharp.

"Lots of training, and determination... I think." he said simply.

Carl let out a weak, broken chuckle. "Yeah... no shit, Starrk..." And then, his body gave out. He collapsed to the ground, passing out from pain, exhaustion, and the final blow.

Jayden stood up slowly, the victor.

At first, silence gripped the arena. The students were stunned.

But then...

The crowd erupted.

Thunderous applause. Deafening screams. Cheers exploded through the hall, students leaping to their feet in awe. Even those who had doubted Jayden were now chanting his name.

Jacob let out a triumphant laugh, clapping wildly. Penelope smirked, smiling knowingly.

Cassandra, Tasha, and Jessica exchanged grins, relief and pride shining in their eyes.

Principal Thompson crossed his arms, satisfaction written across his face. "Well, well... looks like you’ve outdone yourself kid. Perhaps you’re ready."

The EVA agents leaned forward, their expressions unreadable, but their interest was undeniable.

Jayden stood in the center of the arena, his metallic sheen fading as his body returned to normal. He glanced at the unconscious Carl, then at the roaring crowd.

For the first time since the tournament began, he was genuinely thrilled.

The students began to make assumptions of how Jayden was undoubtedly stronger than Carl and was probably stronger than Tasha.

But one thing was clear to everyone in that hall... a new powerhouse had revealed himself.

And he was a total monster.