IMPERIUM:Earth’s Champion

Bogotá, Colombia – 11 Days Until the Next Fight

The world was too focused on Orion Graves, Wei Zhen, and Dimitri Volkov. The media buzzed about the "powerhouses," the "monsters" of the tournament—the ones who had already demonstrated terrifying abilities on a global stage.

But Colombia's champion hadn't been mentioned once.

That was by design.

Santiago Velásquez – The Phantom of Colombia

Santiago Velásquez sat alone in a private military facility on the outskirts of Bogotá, watching fight footage. His dark eyes remained unblinking, his posture relaxed, but his mind was anything but.

The government had already written him off.

Colombia wasn't a superpower like the U.S. or China. Their military was strong, yes, but not in a way that mattered in a tournament of supernatural combatants. The moment his name had been revealed, international analysts dismissed him.

"Colombia is participating, but they're not a serious contender."

"Their champion hasn't even revealed his ability yet—are they hiding something, or is he just weak?"

That's what the world thought.

Santiago intended to keep it that way.

His Ability – Apex Predator

Santiago's ability wasn't one that could be shown off easily. He didn't have explosive strength like Dimitri Volkov, or impenetrable defense like Wei Zhen. He wasn't a blur of speed like Ayanna Okafor, or someone who could vanish into afterimages like Camille Durand.

His ability was adaptation.

Apex Predator allowed Santiago's body to respond in real-time to his environment. Every moment of combat, every second of survival, his muscles, reflexes, and senses evolved to counter whatever he was facing.

A fighter faster than him? His body would optimize his reaction time.

A brute stronger than him? His muscles would reinforce themselves.

A technique unfamiliar to him? His instincts would start anticipating it before it happened.

The longer he fought, the harder he was to defeat.

And the best part?

No one knew about it.

Santiago had watched every fight, every opponent. He memorized their strengths, their patterns, their weaknesses.

But there was one fighter that stood out.

Orion Graves.

Santiago paused the footage of Orion's fight against Bakari Okoye, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

Orion had fought like a survivor, someone who wasn't just throwing power around, but actively learning during the battle. That alone made him dangerous.

And then there was his power.

Imperium.

Santiago had no idea how it worked, but he knew this much—Orion didn't fight fair. He changed the rules mid-fight. He made things happen that shouldn't be possible.

If Santiago wanted to beat him, he needed to understand what Imperium could and couldn't do.

Patterns. That was the key. Every ability had them.

Wei Zhen's Titan's Fortitude made him stronger the more damage he took—so the trick was to take him out early.

Dimitri Volkov's Iron Executioner built power over time—so the best move was to never let the fight drag on.

Ayanna Okafor's Velocity Burst gave her short bursts of extreme speed—so if she mistimed it, she would be vulnerable.

But Orion Graves?

He bent reality.

And that made him the most unpredictable opponent in the tournament.

– Santiago's Training –

In a private underground training facility, Santiago stood in front of his instructor—an ex-military combat specialist.

"How much have you adapted today?" the man asked.

Santiago rolled his shoulders. "We'll find out."

The trainer moved first—fast, calculated. A feint to the left, then a full-force punch aimed for Santiago's ribs.

Santiago didn't move. His body did it for him.

His torso twisted at the last possible second, the punch grazing his side instead of landing clean.

The trainer's next strike came even faster.

This time, Santiago caught the wrist mid-air.

He hadn't been fast enough to do that before.

"My reflexes adjusted again."

The trainer stepped back. "You're progressing faster."

Santiago exhaled. "That's how my ability works. The more I fight, the better I get."

"And against Orion Graves?" the trainer asked.

Santiago didn't answer immediately. He thought back to Orion's battle.

The way he erased movement, disrupted balance, made his enemy's actions irrelevant.

Santiago knew how to handle strength, speed, endurance.

But Orion was different.

You can't adapt to something if it doesn't follow the laws of reality.

The trainer studied him. "You think he's stronger than you?"

Santiago smiled. "I think he's the only real challenge here."

Santiago's government wanted him to make a statement. They wanted him to prove Colombia wasn't weak.

But Santiago had his own strategy.

He refused to show his power before the fight.

The less people knew about Apex Predator, the better.

Let them think he was weak.

Let them underestimate him.

Then—**when it mattered—**he would evolve beyond anything they had prepared for.

If he faced Orion Graves, he needed a strategy.

He couldn't outmatch raw power, and he couldn't counter something that ignored physics.

But Orion was still human.

And humans had patterns.

Orion relies on confidence. That means I have to break it.

He thinks he's unpredictable. That means I have to make him doubt it.

Santiago's best chance wasn't fighting Orion head-on. It was making Orion hesitate. Making him wonder if Imperium would even work against him.

Because once doubt entered Orion's mind?

That's when Santiago would strike.

He shut off the footage, exhaling.

"Let them think I'm weak."

"By the time they realize their mistake—"

"—it'll be too late."

10 Days Until the Fight.

To Be Continued…