Chapter 705: An Instant

Grey kept staring at the simulated heart floating above the stage while Breejara ran through the rest of the rules. Bit by bit, the grin he’d worn when he accepted Aelthar’s challenge gave way to something far more serious.

He was arrogant enough to believe he could figure out almost anything if he got the chance. However, he wasn’t stupid enough to confuse being a genius with already knowing the answer. Everything he understood about this challenge told him there was a very real chance he was about to die.

Fortunately, dying wasn’t exactly new territory for him. Unfortunately, it had gotten expensive.

Rebirth had always cost more energy the harder Grey got to rebuild. That made sense, since every advancement added something new that had to be reconstructed along with his flesh.

Reaching Soul Link had lowered that cost for the first time, as though linking his soul directly to his Neural Frames had given Rebirth a clearer blueprint to work from. But then, Prometheus had advanced into Vector Class and dragged Grey’s existence up along with it, wiping out most of those savings.

Normal Cyber Cores didn’t cut it anymore. Every Rebirth now needed Blue Cyber Cores. Grey checked what he had in storage and confirmed he had enough for 3 full restorations before he’d be gambling with a death he couldn’t undo.

Three deaths... Four attempts.

That wasn’t a lot, considering the challenge was to destroy his own heart and figure out how to replace it with something his species was never built to have. Grey had no intention of wasting his first attempt trying random shit just to see what happened.

If he was going to die, he wanted every death to teach him something. That way, the next version of himself could walk back into the same moment with an advantage nobody else in the auction knew about.

Breejara finally turned to him, hands spread elegantly to either side.

"Aelthar Infernis has selected water despite possessing a natural affinity for fire, while Grey Temolt remains free to select any recognized element he believes will help him survive the terrible decision he made approximately five minutes ago."

"Fire."

Breejara’s smile immediately turned more amused.

"Of course. Why simply challenge one of the finest Elementals of his generation at Element Formation when you can also choose the element his Race understands best?"

Grey ignored her. His choice had nothing to do with proving he understood fire better than Aelthar.

For one, Solveign already gave him far more heat resistance than any normal human should have, which took care of at least one obvious problem. For another, the portable oven sitting on his wrist held a Prince of the Fire Elementals that Grey had spent an unreasonable amount of time studying.

That bastard had taught Grey more about the structure of Elemental existence than almost anyone from Earth could reasonably know. It wasn’t enough to win. But, it might be enough to start.

The stage changed around them as the System accepted their choices. Crimson formations spread out under Grey’s feet, and translucent rings of water rose up around Aelthar.

Fire curled around Grey without touching him yet. Every strand of it carried so much concentrated elemental energy that even his Solveign resistance could feel the heat.

Meanwhile, the water around Aelthar moved with such natural synchronization that it didn’t look like something he was controlling. It looked like another part of his body, just waiting to be used.

Grey glanced toward his private room. Sabrina already looked miserable.

She had moved farther away from the projection than anyone else, arms folded tight under her chest, as though she could convince herself this wasn’t really happening if she just stood far enough back.

Grey couldn’t blame her. The rules were about to make him shove his own hand through his chest.

He took a deep breath. He’d just have to make this worth watching.

Breejara raised her hands as the formations brightened.

"Once the challenge begins, each contestant will destroy the organ they have designated as vital and use only their chosen elemental energy to form a replacement. The first contestant whose replacement is recognized by the Genesis System as stable, self-sustaining and functionally equivalent to the destroyed organ will be declared the victor."

Grey rested his palm on his sternum and felt the steady beat under it.

His mind was already running through blood pressure, chamber structure, valves, electrical impulses and every other mechanical function that let a heart do its job. After everything he’d learned about crafting and the body, he probably understood the organ better than most doctors.

However, none of that answered the one question that actually mattered.

How the fuck did you make fire pump blood?

"Begin!"

Grey drove his hand into his own chest. Sabrina turned away before his fingers had even broken the skin.

Pain tore through him as bone, muscle and flesh gave way under his hand. His current body was so durable that reaching his heart took far more force than it would have in the past.

He finally closed his fingers around it. Before his instincts could talk him out of it, he crushed down, and felt the last natural beat of his heart shudder against his palm as the muscle collapsed.

Across from him, Aelthar’s hand sank into his own chest with almost insulting ease.

Red-gold flame parted around his fingers until they reached whatever structure served the same purpose as Grey’s heart. That glowing knot dissolved under his touch. Before Grey had even pulled his hand back out of his chest, water was already flowing in to replace it.

Grey didn’t have time to admire the difference. His blood pressure crashed almost instantly.

Fire rushed into the hollow in his chest as Grey used his Neural Frame to seize control of the elemental energy. He shaped it according to the image already burned into his mind.

Four chambers formed first. Crude valves followed, along with the pathways that would connect to his veins and arteries, while Grey forced the whole structure to contract in the same rhythm his heart had kept only seconds earlier.

For an instant, it worked.

Then, the first surge of blood hit the flames.