FISTBOUND. I Ascend With Every New Upgrade.

Levi sat slumped against the cold wall, the weight of his own body too much for his broken limbs to carry. His breath came shallow. Blood crusted over his mouth, the taste coppery and thick. Every blink was a fight. Every movement was a war.

His wrists ached where the manacles bit into them. Somewhere above him, a vent hummed weakly. The only other sound was the soft whir of the surveillance camera in the corner, swiveling every so often—like it was breathing.

Then, static. The speaker crackled.

Viktor's voice returned.

"You surprised me, you know that?" he said, his tone maddeningly casual. "I thought you'd fold before the second round. But you've got some… teeth."

Levi didn't answer. Couldn't.

"I'm sending someone in to patch you up a little. Wouldn't want you dying before the next round. That would ruin the money shot."

A loud buzz followed. The heavy steel door creaked open.

Two men stepped in—medics, or maybe just butchers in white coats. No words. No warning. One jabbed a needle into Levi's neck. Cold fire surged through his bloodstream. Adrenaline? A stabilizer? Whatever it was, it forced his eyes open, his heart thudding like war drums.

They left as quickly as they'd come.

Levi breathed hard. His body was trembling. Then… something strange happened.

The lights flickered.

No, not just the lights.

Reality itself seemed to lurch.

A sharp pulse thundered through his skull, and suddenly the air around him warped—like heatwaves rippling through cold air. His vision trembled. Then turned black.

A voice echoed from somewhere inside him.

[FISTBOUND Core Activated.]

"Pain is the currency. Blood is the price. Victory is the path."

Levi gasped.

He wasn't in the cell anymore.

Or maybe he was, but the walls had peeled back. It was dark—formless—but glowing geometric symbols drifted through the space, burning like ancient circuitry. A transparent interface floated in front of his face.

Initializing Host Sync...

Name: Levi LupinStatus: Fractured | Near-collapseSync Rate: 37%... 59%... 87%...Sync Complete. Welcome, Host.

⚙️ FISTBOUND Core Online🧬 Core Stats Unlocked:

Strength: 4

Endurance: 5

Dexterity: 6

Focus: 3

Resolve: 7

[Surge Point Achieved – Endurance +1]Nerve Channels Reinforced. Muscle Density Increased.

Levi clutched his head, pain spiking like lightning across his nerves. His memories spun—Dorian's death, Lilith's tears, his father's body swaying in the stairwell. Everything. Raw, undiluted pain crashing into him.

[You have unlocked the FISTBIND Upgrade Tree.]Choose your path:

Juggernaut – Strength-based brutalism. Endure and crush.

Phantom – Speed, misdirection, technical punisher.

Revenant – Pain-as-fuel, berserker state, regenerate through suffering.

Levi's fingers twitched. He couldn't speak—but something deeper than words moved him.

You are not ready to choose a Path.

Locked. Conditions unmet: "Trauma Convergence Required."

The interface blinked. A new pane slid into view:

[Augmented Move Unlocked]Knucklebreaker Mk I – Counter elbow strike. Fractures bone if used under 10% stamina.Condition Met: Multiple Rib Fractures + Blood Loss Threshold

Then everything shut off. Like a light bulb snapping.

Levi collapsed fully, the room returning—concrete, blood, silence.

But he was different.

He could feel it. Like wires had been pulled taut inside him. His pulse no longer weak. Something surged behind his eyes, burning.

The door opened again.

This time, no medics. Just two men with shock batons.

"Up," one of them barked. "Round Two."

Levi didn't speak.

He stood.

Chains still on his wrists, body still battered—but he stood.

The guards hesitated. There was something new in his stare. Something unhinged.

They led him down a narrow hall, past blast doors and gun-mounted sentries, into another chamber. This one smaller. No arena. Just a pit.

And a single man already inside.

Bigger than Dorian. A walking slab of muscle and metal. Cybernetic limbs. A red HUD eye. Combat junkie.

"Name's Rook," the man growled. "Heard you killed Dorian. Let's see what's left of you."

The gates shut behind Levi.

[Combat Trigger Detected – System Syncing...]

Stamina: 38%Pain Threshold: Critical

Rook lunged.

Levi barely dodged, twisting his torso. Pain lanced through his side, but he moved smoother than he should have. Reflexes sharper. The blow skimmed past him, tearing concrete where his head had just been.

Levi answered with a feint-left, elbow-right.

[Augmented Move: Knucklebreaker Mk I – Activated]

CRACK

The elbow connected. Rook's jaw snapped sideways with a metallic clang. Sparks flew. He stumbled, stunned.

Levi spun low, kicking out the cybernetic knee joint. It buckled.

Rook roared, swinging wildly. Levi ducked, his breathing fluid, a rhythm in his movements like something ancient was waking in his blood.

He fought like a ghost made flesh.

Not flawless—but fast. Efficient.

It didn't matter if it hurt. He was past that now.

Rook tried to crush him with both fists, but Levi stepped in close—too close—slamming an uppercut under the man's ribs. Flesh met steel. Pain exploded through Levi's arm. But Rook bent forward.

Levi grabbed the man's head, jumped, and drove his knee into his skull.

Once. Twice.

Blood and sparks.

Rook fell. Hard.

[Surge Point Achieved – Strength +1]Bone Structure Reinforced. Grip Pressure Increased.

Levi dropped to his knees, panting.

The chamber door slid open. Viktor stepped in, slow clapping, his expression unreadable.

"Well," Viktor said. "Looks like you're finally blooming."

Levi stared at him through the blood, through the trembling.

"You knew," Levi rasped. "About this... system."

Viktor just smiled. "You think you're the first?"

He stepped forward, boots echoing.

"Your father, Magus Lupin. He had it too."

That name punched the air from Levi's lungs.

Viktor leaned down, eyes glittering. "But he couldn't handle it. Burned out. Crashed. That system needs something more. A will to survive hell."

Levi's hands trembled.

"This is your inheritance, boy," Viktor said. "And you're just getting started."

He turned and walked away, his voice echoing in the chamber:

"Rest up. Next fight's in forty-eight hours. And it won't be a man. It'll be something worse."

As the guards approached Levi again, something inside him stirred—deep in his chest.

Not fear.

Resolve.

The chains couldn't hold it back.

Not anymore.

[FISTBOUND Core – System Stable.]Soul Debt: 7%You have only just begun to pay the price.