Shubh and Williams stepped onto Floor 290. The air itself felt heavier here, charged with raw energy. Tower 290 wasn't just a floor—it was a city designed for warriors of unmatched skill. Massive arenas dotted the landscape, observation platforms hovered above, and streams of glowing energy crisscrossed the streets like veins of power.
Williams glanced around, awe in his eyes. "I… I've never seen anything like this. The energy—it's insane."
Shubh's gaze was calm, unflinching. "This is where the strongest live. Where the Tower tests its legends."
They were guided through a colossal archway into the inner sanctum. The room shimmered with energy, golden light bouncing off polished floors. And there he was—the man they had come to meet.
Sun of West stood tall, aura radiating authority and power. Even from a distance, Shubh could feel the weight of his mastery. This was no ordinary Master; this was someone who could erase half the Tower if he wished. Yet he regarded Shubh with a steady, unreadable gaze.
"You've arrived," Sun of West said, his voice deep, measured, commanding. "You've climbed from Floor 40… directly to 290. Impressive. Most would falter long before this point."
Shubh bowed slightly—not in submission, but in acknowledgment. "I am here to prove myself," he said.
Sun of West's eyes narrowed, studying him like a predator sizing up prey. "Before you can truly prove anything, you must answer a question. One choice will shape your next battle. Choose incorrectly, and even a warrior like you may fall."
He paused, letting the weight of the moment sink in. Then he spoke clearly:
"If faced with a foe who can manipulate time or a foe who can manipulate space, which would you confront first?"
Shubh's eyes flickered. He didn't answer. He felt the question's gravity; the answer wasn't obvious, and the knowledge would only matter in the heat of battle.
Sun of West's lips curved slightly, almost a smirk. "I expected silence. Good. You will face the consequences of your choice soon. Prepare yourself. Learn quickly, because your next fight will demand the answer."
Williams broke the silence. "What… does he mean by that?"
Shubh shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I'll find out when the fight comes."
---
The First Battle on Floor 290
The massive doors of the next arena creaked open. Lightning danced across the sky, and a faint shimmer twisted the air inside. Shubh's heart beat steadily, multiple affinities thrumming inside him.
Across the arena stood the challenger—a Space Manipulator, a Master-class opponent whose aura warped the ground beneath his feet. Around him, stone pillars floated, bending and stretching unnaturally. The Tower had selected this fight for a reason: Shubh needed to answer Sun of West's question correctly.
The battle began.
The Space Manipulator's first strike shattered the floor beneath Shubh, attempting to crush him with warped gravitational pockets. Shubh countered instinctively:
"Gravity Bind!"
The air thickened around the manipulator, forcing him to stagger. The boy wasn't just defending—he was mapping the battlefield, feeling the distortions in space as they shifted beneath his feet.
"Collapse Strike!" Shubh surged forward, amplifying his gravity with light and fire affinities. The manipulator twisted reality, dodging narrowly, but Shubh adjusted mid-strike, landing a glancing blow that sent him skidding across the arena.
The manipulator's eyes widened. "Impossible… how are you bending more than one law at once?"
Shubh's mind flashed back to Sun of West's question. Time… Space… If I know this, I can anticipate.
He took a deep breath and focused. Reality slowed slightly for him as he harnessed the Gravity + Light + Fire combination—a synergy he had only used once before.
"Celestial Blades—Warp Edge!"
The air split as glowing blades formed around Shubh, then sliced through the distortions of space, targeting the manipulator's core. Time and space twisted violently, but the strike hit, disrupting his control and sending him crashing to the arena floor.
The crowd—masters, challengers, and observers—sat in stunned silence. Shubh had not only won, but he had answered Sun of West's question without words, mastering the choice intuitively in combat.
He lowered his hands, breathing steadily. The Space Manipulator struggled to rise, defeated but alive. Shubh's eyes met Williams's briefly. A silent understanding passed between them: they were far from finished, but the Tower now knew Shubh was extraordinary.
From high above, Sun of West's gaze followed him, unreadable yet approving. The boy's potential had been proven—enough to merit personal attention, training, and perhaps the next step toward Legend of Omniverse.