Chapter 2: The Floor is Lava (Literally)

The first round of the Gauntlet dropped Devin into an arena where the floor was actual lava and his opponents were three B-rank fire elementalists who looked deeply offended by his presence. Devin had no fire resistance. No combat skills. No weapon. What he did have was a janitor’s intimate knowledge of every drain, vent, and maintenance tunnel beneath the arena. While the elementalists rained fireballs down on the spot where he’d been standing, Devin was already crawling through a service shaft, dripping wet from the emergency sprinkler he’d triggered on his way down. The System displayed: TACTICAL RETREAT. EFFICIENCY: 100%. UNKNOWN SKILL TYPE. The crowd started to laugh. Then they started to cheer.