Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start

The world slowed. Alex barely had time to brace himself as the creature's distorted blade swung toward him, a glitched blur of pure destruction. The attack was too fast. Too absolute. And then— It stopped. Just an inch away from his torso, the jagged, flickering sword remained suspended in the air, frozen mid-swing. The abomination's corrupted form quivered, its face twisting into an expression of utter confusion. Its fractured head tilted slightly as if trying to process why its blade had failed to cut down its prey. It applied more force, its arm convulsing, attempting to push through the invisible resistance, but it was useless. Alex, blinking in disbelief, let out a sharp exhale. His heart pounded in his chest, his lungs burned, but he was still standing. 'It worked,' he realized, relief washing over him. The creature, however, screeched in frustration. It tried again, this time pouring its unstable energy into the strike, but something—someone—was stopping it. The more it struggled, the more its body glitched, its unstable frame flickering violently as cracks of distorted energy rippled around it. Then, a voice cut through the chaos. "Enough." The moment that single word was uttered, the creature was slammed into the ground with an ear-shattering boom. The impact shook the Colosseum, sending deep fractures across the arena floor. BOOM! A shockwave burst outward, yet Alex, standing mere inches away, felt nothing—no force or heat, not even the wind shifting around him. The monstrosity, however, writhed, its form twitching and glitching uncontrollably, as though something far greater was pressing down on it with an unseen force. It shrieked in agony, its voice a bluster of broken sounds and digital static. Then the fire came. A firestorm erupted beneath the creature, consuming it in a vortex of searing flames. The blaze roared with a force beyond comprehension, golden and crimson embers swallowing the abomination whole. The screeches that followed were nothing short of agony, its body burning from the inside out, twisting and cracking as its very essence was reduced to ashes. The corrupted code that had formed its existence crumbled, dissolving into the inferno. Alex, still standing beside the burning creature, ignored it and bowed his head slightly, his voice steady. "Thank you." There was no response. Whoever had intervened had chosen to remain unseen, but Alex didn't need to see them to know they were there. His gratitude was genuine. He knew the one who saved him was one of the academy's higher-ups observing him. As Alex had known, the academy didn't care if hundreds of students died if they could groom one elite. But there was another thing Alex knew. The academy would never let promising prospects die—at least not until they had turned evil. The gamble Alex had made was simple: if he were the one the academy was observing, then they would intervene, and if not, they would let him die. Looking at the result, he now knew that he was under surveillance. That, however, wasn't good news for him. It was something that could be used, but it wasn't good, as this meant his every action within the academy was being observed, including everything he had done until now. But for now, Alex waved them off, as he had many other things to worry about. As Alex walked off toward the exit, wanting to check up on his companions, the Colosseum, once filled with desperate cries and curses, fell into stunned silence. "H-He's alive?" "What just happened?" "The creature... it just got flattened—no, burned—who the hell did that?!" "Did you see who it was? Was it the elder? Or—?" "No... but... Alex... he—" "Why do I feel like he knew this would happen?" "Shut up. Just say that you don't want to believe that someone would be willing to die for others." Many thought of different things, sharing their opinions. Most of them were moved, making it hard for those who were suspicious or doubtful to not voice out their opinions. Even those who had cursed him mere moments ago now stared in shock, unable to reconcile what had transpired. Some still held onto their resentment, unwilling to admit that they had been wrong. Others, however, couldn't deny the truth—they would have died if not for him. And they would have never rushed toward the creature, even if they somehow knew there was a chance of them being saved. One student, who had been the loudest in blaming Alex earlier, clenched his fists, unable to meet anyone's gaze. Another simply muttered, "Damn bastard... really pulled it off." Alex, however, paid them no mind. He simply walked away from the arena, leaving the mess behind as he knew the one who had acted to save him wouldn't have done a half-assed job. It was over now—at least for today. ................................. In the medical ward. The quiet hum of the medical ward was a stark contrast to the chaos of the Colosseum. The soft glow of healing arrays shimmered in the dimly lit room, casting gentle, pulsing light over the still bodies of the wounded. Alex sat between two beds, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers interlocked as he gazed at Zahara and Mira. Their breathing was steady but shallow, their bodies wrapped in enchanted bandages, recovering from wounds they had sustained. Gurrak lay on the far end, his breaths rough as he seemed stressed, while Aelora was beside him, her pink hair splayed across the pillow. Both were unconscious, their chests rising and falling in a slow rhythm. 'They're safe,' Alex reminded himself, yet the tension in his chest refused to fade. The battle had been brutal, and even though he had survived, a lingering unease clawed at the edges of his mind. He wasn't foolish enough to think that was the last he'd see of those creatures. Being relaxed was the reason why he had, for the first time, lost a fight. Yes, he did survive, but he didn't win. He wasn't the one who killed his enemy. [It's fine to lose, Alex...] Sophie's voice echoed in his head, calm and soothing, as if trying to help him relax. 'I know.' Alex leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling for a while. He knew that losing sometimes was fine. No one can always keep winning; only by tasting defeat can they become stronger. But accepting it was harder than he had thought. His first defeat weighed on him more than he had thought—especially when he had almost lost people close to him because of this. Rubbing his face, he sighed, addressing what needed to be discussed. 'I need answers, Sophie. What were those things?' [Corrupted constructs,] Sophie replied without hesitation. [Not natural beings. They were created—fabricated through an external force.] Pausing for a bit, she continued, [They were once humans but were now turned into those things. They were failures as they were meant to be something more... experimental.] Alex frowned. 'Experimental?' [Think about it. They weren't just mimicking abilities. They were absorbing them, merging, adapting—becoming something else entirely. The one you fought at the end wasn't just a doppelganger. It was a culmination of every fallen copy, an amalgamation of knowledge and power.] Alex clenched his fists. 'That means someone designed them.' [Exactly.] Sophie's voice darkened slightly. [And that means whoever did this could manipulate the essence of combat data and souls. That isn't something just anyone can do, Alex.] Alex's face turned serious as he realized that. 'Do you have any idea who it is?' [No,] Sophie said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. [But this kind of creation—this level of intricate corruption—takes more than just sheer power. It takes precision, knowledge, and intent.] Alex leaned forward, staring at the unconscious forms of his companions. They had fought beside him and suffered because of this, and for what? Some twisted experiment? 'Do you know why they seemed to be targetting me?' He inquired, and Sophie, although regretful, couldn't find an answer to it. [No,] she replied, her voice low, but Alex shook his head. 'Don't worry about it. Just getting some information was good enough.' For a while, none of them spoke anything, staring at Zahara and Mira before Alex spoke. 'How long have you known about these beings?' His question slumped Sophie, as she herself didn't know. [To be honest, I don't know. When they appeared, information about them directly flooded my head.] Alex frowned at that but didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. 'Well, I just need to grow stronger, I guess...' [Yes,] Sophie said, her voice solemn. [Because this was only a test run. And if I'm right, the real battle is yet to come.] Alex exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. He already knew that. Deep down, he had known the moment that the firestorm had erased the creature. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. He glanced at Zahara and Mira again, reaching out to hold their hands, his grip firm but gentle. 'I won't let this happen again,' he vowed silently.