Reincarnated in a novel: I am the villain!-Chapter 295: Imposter?

[Location: The Exchange – Stage Two Arena]

The event was a one-day event, so despite the large crowds, the next stage proceeded quite smoothly

Going up to the second stage, the floor of the Colosseum had retracted.

In its place lay a vast, shimmering lake of liquid metal. It rippled sluggishly, heavy and toxic, reflecting the neon lights of Argentum like a distorted mirror.

The Silver Sea.

It wasn’t water, no this was much more dangerous.

It was raw, liquefied Abyss Iron mixed with mercury and conduit mana.

The density was so high that a normal human would be crushed just by trying to wade through it, and the fumes alone could liquefy lungs.

"Stage Two," the Announcer’s voice boomed from the floating drones. "The Molding."

"The rules are simple: Reach the Center Island. Use whatever method you possess. Magic. Strength. Will. But be warned... the Sea is not ordinary."

Damien stood at the edge of the platform. Beside him, Argentus, the Silver Champion, was practically vibrating with excitement.

His liquid-metal skin rippled in sympathy with the lake.

"You should quit now, Solid," Argentus sneered, his body already beginning to lose its shape, melting into a puddle.

"This is my world. Here, I am a god, unlike you who will sink like a stone."

"We’ll see," Damien said, adjusting his gloves.

He looked down the line. The Iron Champion looked nervous; his heavy armor would be a death sentence here. The Gold Champion was busy bribing a referee.

But Damien’s eyes were drawn to the far end of the line.

To the Diamond Champion.

It was a creature of nightmare. A humanoid shape made of shifting, pale flesh that seemed to have too many joints.

It had no face, only a smooth surface where eyes should be. It stood perfectly still, radiating zero presence.

’The Ultimate Life Form,’ Damien thought, recalling Ziriork’s warning. ’It adapts to everything.’

"BEGIN!"

SPLASH.

Argentus unlike the others didn’t jump; he poured himself into the lake vanishing instantly as he merged with the silver fluid.

The other contestants leaped.

"ARGH!" The Iron Champion screamed immediately. He hit the mercury, but he didn’t sink.

The density was too high. He slammed onto the surface like it was concrete, shattering his legs.

The mercury began to boil around him, eating through his armor.

Damien stepped off the ledge.

He stepped out as if he were walking on pavement.

His boot hovered inches above the deadly liquid.

’Will overwrites Reality,’ Damien recited mentally.

He focused his Intent. He didn’t ask the mercury to support him rather he commanded it!

[Will Art: King’s Mantle!]

CRACK.

The liquid metal beneath his boot froze instantly.it solidified into a jagged, grey platform of solid iron under the sheer pressure of his Will.

Damien took another step. CRACK. Another platform formed.

He began to run.

He looked like he was sprinting across a frozen lake, creating his own stepping stones with every stride.

"Show off," Ziriork grumbled from the spectator stands, clutching his betting slip.

Damien moved fast, his black coat flapping behind him. He was gaining on the lead pack.

But the Sea wasn’t passive.

ROAR.

A massive shape erupted from the silver waves to his left.

It was a shark made of mercury,a construct controlled by Argentus.

"Drown!" Argentus’s voice echoed from the liquid itself.

The shark lunged, its jaws snapping toward Damien’s legs.

Damien didn’t break stride. He didn’t even draw his sword.

He simply stomped.

[Gravity control: Heavy Step.]

He channeled the ability he had copied from Isabelle.

BOOM.

A shockwave of gravity hammered the shark back into the sea. The liquid construct shattered into droplets.

"Is that all?" Damien called out.

"Not even close!"

The entire lake began to churn. Argentus was pulling the mercury upward.

A tidal wave, fifty feet high, rose in front of Damien. It blocked out the lights of the city.

"Let’s see you walk on this!" Argentus screamed.

The wave crashed down. Millions of tons of toxic metal threatened to bury him.

Damien stopped running.

He looked up at the silver wall of death.

He reached over his shoulder.

SHING.

He drew the Pantheon Sword.

The crystalline blade hummed. It was hungry.

"Pantheon Art," Damien whispered.

He thrust the sword upward.

"Gluttony."

SLURP.

The sound was sickening.

The Pantheon Sword drank the mana holding the wave together.

The silver tsunami lost its cohesion instantly. The magical structure collapsed.

The wave turned back into harmless rain, splashing around Damien without touching him.

He stood in the center of the downpour, his sword glowing with a satisfied white light.

"Cheater!" Argentus wailed, reforming his head from the puddle nearby.

"That sword isn’t normal, it eats mana!"

Damien sheathed the blade. "It’s not cheating, it’s called being overgeared!"

He started running again. The island was close.

But as he neared the finish line, he felt a chill.

Something was beside him.

He looked to his right.

Running parallel to him, keeping perfect pace, was the Diamond Champion.

The monster wasn’t using magic neither was itusing a sword.

It had changed.

Its feet had morphed. They were no longer humanoid feet; they were wide, flat pads, covered in hydrophobic scales that allowed it to skid across the mercury surface like a water strider.

It had evolved to match the terrain instantly.

It turned its faceless head toward Damien.

Flesh rippled. Two eyes opened on its smooth face.

One was Black. One was Gold.

Damien froze.

’It copied my eyes?’

The monster didn’t attack. It watched him. It studied his stride. It studied the way his Will interacted with the environment.

Then, the monster’s aura shifted.

It wasn’t radiating bloodlust anymore, It was radiating... a familiar wave of intent.

A crude, imperfect imitation of the Greedy King’s Intent.

"Interesting," Damien whispered, his competitive spirit flaring up.

He pushed harder, accelerating.

The Monster matched him instantly.

They hit the shore of the Central Island at the exact same second.

THUD.

Damien skidded to a halt. The Monster landed in a crouch, its limbs shifting back to a humanoid shape.

The crowd erupted. It was a tie.

The Diamond Champion stood up. The copycat eyes faded, returning to smooth flesh. But a mouth opened where there had been none before.

It smiled. A perfect, mirror image of Damien’s own arrogant smirk.

"Analysis complete," the Monster rasped, its voice a wet, gurgling sound.

"Subject Zero."

Damien narrowed his eyes.

"Stage Three is combat," Damien said cold. "Lets see if the fake can beat the original."

The Monster laughed.

"Stage Three," the Announcer boomed. "The Liquidation."

"Finalists: Zero vs. The Ultimate Life Form."

The floor of the island began to descend.

They were going to the Chrome Jungle.