Reading the information on her next two opponents as she bathed gave Eve some insights. The Drowned Man was a woman who specialized in Elemental Water. Rumors described the Champion as a bit of a crazy type who liked to drown her beaten opponents. Eve could tell that The Drowned Man appeared to experience an almost sickening pleasure from such acts.

On the other side of the coin, the Stonesmash Giant had a rigid honor code. As a member of the giant race, more specifically the Mountain Giant race, the poor creature was rumored to have been tricked into signing a contract to fight in the Arena. Using the giant race's ability to cultivate mana with a heavy affinity for earth, the Stonesmash Giant had managed to become one of the Arena’s Champions. Eve checked the provided information once more.

Rank Fourteen, Stonesmash, Giant.

Specialty: Defense.

Favorite Attacks: Stone Throw, Crushing Blow.

Savage Survival Mind didn’t care about the enemy’s circumstances. All that mattered was ensuring Eve was victorious, and the prey was annihilated. There were no extraneous thoughts of mercy or kindness in Eve’s mind. Were one of the opponents to escape by faking death, illness, or injury, Eve would reap their lives with less effort. The massive web of contracts, bets, wagers, and more tied her securely to a single goal.

Victory. Eve thought, rising from her tub as the chime sounded once more in the waiting room. Fluffy paper towels dried her off before the paper combat robes once more adorned Eve’s body. Once she was fully dressed with all swords, daggers, and rings in place, Eve proceeded to float up the ramp heading for the stone dais on the Arena sands.

Once she arrived at the raised stone dais, Eve took a good look at her opponent. Across from her was the massive form of the Stonesmash Giant towering to the heavens. The gigantic humanoid form was draped with multiple bear pelt furs like a barbarian and carried a Titanic-sized stone club of brutal proportions in one hand. Much like Thomas, a solid armor of Earth forged from the Arena's sands adorned the giant like a second skin with the addition of being transmuted to pure slate grey stone. The very foundations and space within the Arena had been enlarged by spatial trickery so that the giant would fit inside and fight comfortably.

Tough. Eve thought her mind searching for a path to succeed as she ignored the announcer’s words. But, as soon as the announcer finished, she sprang into action to test the waters.

A teleport brought her directly to the giant’s foot, and Rot slashed out with a flicker of motion. The distinct lack of injury demonstrated that the armor was more than a mere show. Eve observed the total amount of mana fixated into the sand, realizing this fight would be anything but fast as the giant retaliated with a stomp. Eve effortlessly teleported to a safe distance.

The only way to eat a mountain was one pebble at a time. With that concept, Eve began testing further. Blood had no effect, as the fluid within the giant’s body was something akin to oil instead of blood. Disease failed for the same reason Rot couldn’t take hold. Feebleness was ineffectual since the Stonesmash Giant was a paragon of physical Stats. If there was any enfeebling effect, it was too small to see.

Dancing between the stone club’s blows, Eve tested the final sword, Weakness. Again, the effect of her last sword was pronounced, lighting the stone skin up in a myriad of colorful cracks. Savage Survival Mind quickly deduced that the colors corresponded to how devastating the strike was in total damage done along the visible fracture lines.

Teleporting between club blows, kicks, and the odd punch from the Stonesmash Giant was effortless as Eve considered her options. It didn’t escape her eyes how the giant always kept one foot on the ground no matter what. Nor did she fail to see the giant stone circular stone wall rising behind the giant, slowly inching forward to close off her options of dodging as the wall claimed more and more space.

Eve allowed Weakness to float alongside her, the point challenging the sky, while she pulled Nota from her belt. As the book’s pages opened, countless papers flooded out, covering the Arena sands in a thick layer. She had timed her attack in between a kick, causing the giant only to be connected to the earth by a single thick leg pillar. Weakness speared forward faster than mere sight could follow, tapping the single exposed giant’s leg stuck fast to the ground while the other was still raised in the air. As soon as she located the most effective place to strike, Shatter devastated the fracture line exposed by the Weakness and cut the titan off at the knee.

Without delay, Eve teleported to the severed foot, paper from Nota wrapping it like a gift package. Then, the entire stone foot vanished into her inventory with a brutal smile. Since the stone foot was no longer connected to a living body, it was no longer shielded from absorption. In the fractions of time remaining as the giant toppled to the ground, paper spread like a malignant growth filling the Arena floor, walls, and overhead shielding.

Since she wasn’t using the paper to attack, merely as an environmental effect, it didn’t turn to dust. The loophole was the same that allowed her clothing to remain intact upon her body. Since the dress provided no defense, it was considered an environmental effect on her body. Eve’s robe couldn’t stop anything more potent than a passionate stare.

When the Stonesmash Giant toppled, a thundering crash akin to a dragon’s roar pulped Eve’s ears, causing the world to go silent. But, while inconvenient, it didn’t stop Savage Survival Mind from seeing the mana structure of the giant’s body shift from stone to flesh. As she had suspected, there was no way a mortal would be able to keep their entire body invincible without drawing power from somewhere.

Cut off from the earth’s boundless might, the Stonesmash Giant’s stone body reverted to mere flesh and blood once more. With brutal efficiency, all five swords struck as one carving off the giant’s second leg. With both legs crippled, Eve repeated, wrapping the severed foot before dumping it to her inventory. Taking stock of the incredible regeneration she witnessed, Eve split Rot and Disease to each leg stump, stabbing them into the hilt to stop the enemy’s recovery. The wounded giant backed up until his spine touched the stone wall that had been created. Unfortunately, whatever he was attempting to do failed, as he wasn’t in contact with the stone, merely a paper that mimicked its appearance.

Savage Survival Mind tamped down on the excitement, refusing to rush in for the kill. There was no telling what tricks such a massive Champion still had, so Eve allowed Blood to strike open multiple vicious wounds. Without mercy, the death of a million papercuts commenced upon the Stonesmash Giant. Each injury that opened could not regenerate due to Blood’s harsh effects as the Curse ripped liquid from the flesh with glee.

The daggers Slow and Blind were used to press the advantage, further removing the giant’s sight and limiting his speed to a snail’s pace. Even as the battle tilted toward victory, Eve kept a cautious eye on her enemy, which saved her life.

With a titanic roar, a stone spike erupted from the wall. The giant's back was against piercing through his flesh. The sudden connection to the earth restored the boundless might the giant had lost. With uncanny speed, his legs regenerated even as skin turned to stone once more. A wave of power rippled the floor of the Arena, turning it into a spiked forest that exploded upwards toward Eve. Unfortunately, Shatter had been kept in reserve and now struck with blinding speed. Onlookers watched as the spikes reaching for Eve were disintegrated into nothingness.

While the giant turning back to stone was indeed annoying, it was less problematic this time around. Weakness and Shatter moved in a delicate dance. One identified the fracture lines with the most stress, and the other shattered them into powder. Flexing her mana, Eve pumped power into the connection between her Soul Sheets, pushing them to a higher magnitude of speed. No longer was the sword and teardrop visible, as they were moving faster than mortal senses could locate.

Feet were severed from legs, hands from arms. Each time a piece fell, Eve packaged it into inventory. Boundless regeneration was met with crushing brutality. She refused to believe that whatever ability the Stonesmash Giant was using had no cost, and her belief was vindicated when a finger was severed without regeneration. Before the opportunity to dismember the giant was realized, the creature stepped back into the stone wall that covered roughly thirty percent of the Arena now.

Savage Survival Mind recognized a prey attempting to hide and regain strength to fight the hunter. Immediately the sword, Weakness, tapped with blurring speed along the length of the stone wall. Shatter followed behind, breaking massive chunks off, and Eve packaged them into inventory in an almost routine manner.

Foolish. Eve thought. There was nowhere to run now, the delay merely serving to hold death off for a short time. As more of the stone wall was taken apart, it became clear the giant had lost the race. Paper flew from Nota, coating, and wrapping with abandon as Eve sped up. Soon a fingertip was exposed, then a toe, and finally, the giant was forced out of his stone shell.

Endless paper flowed, sealing the Arena into a web of parchment. Only a tiny section of space upon which the Stonesmash Giant stood remained accessible, but that same section of the earth was a devilish trap. Eve won if the giant were to move off it. Even staying connected was worse. A stationary target was nothing but fodder to her powers. Weakness and Shatter both commenced their dance for the third and final time.

As soon as the giant’s knees were broken once more, the final gasp of bare earth was sealed by paper. Eve took no chances this time, compressing the paper sheeting until even the sharpest stone would fail to break through.

As the Stonesmash Giant’s body reverted once more to the flesh, the dreadful butchery began once again. Pieces of the giant were chopped, packaged, and inventoried with machine precision. Eve could hear some of the crowd losing their lunch while others gave excited screams at the bloody display.

Once the giant’s extremities were removed, the long slow process of carving out organs began. Even halfway to the grave, a giant’s vitality was nothing to underestimate. The round was finished when the heart was finally removed, and the brain pulverized. Eve took great care to package the entire giant.

It wouldn’t do to waste such a valuable trophy!

The crowd chanted Eve’s name as she departed for her waiting room and was summarily ignored. It was clear the opponents were getting harder, as evinced by the attempts to control the environment.

Stripping, setting a bath, eating, and brushing her teeth were done mechanically as Savage Survival Mind considered the next fight.

Upgrade. Eve thought. It was the only path forward, and she had just the plan prepared for it.

All the swords, daggers, and teardrop hidden weapons moved to float like obedient children to the side of Eve’s tub. Stripping, she entered the warm water letting the sensation soak away exhaustion. With extreme care, the Soul Sheets unraveled as Eve began crafting a masterpiece.

The range was king, but the armor was the emperor!

Minutes passed as Eve crafted armor to see her through the next six rounds. Taking the basic form from one of the popular anime her brother had forced her to watch, a chameleon suit of paper armor formed. Stretching the paper was child’s play with her Domain, and Eve abused the ability to the fullest.

Truth became the visor.

Slow became the torso.

Weakness spread across the surface like a billion fiber antenna.

Shatter became the arms and legs.

Rot, Disease, Blood, Feebleness, Blind, Thirst, Confusion, Laughter, and Madness became the armor layers.

Soul Burning and Ageing were the tendrils that sprouted from the back ending in broad-bladed segments.

The armor layers could shift among themselves, bringing each to the upper layer. This allowed the armor to do things like Rot surrounding material that touched it or pass on Disease simply by exposing a different layer to the surface. Weakness was composed of innumerable strands of fiber surrounding the armor in an almost invisible array of sensory threads. Anything that touched the lines would reveal its destruction.

It was also possible to have different segments at the surface, for example, bringing up Shatter on the left arm and Blood on the right. The incredible ability to mix and match or coat herself in a single Soul Sheet was one of her proudest tricks to date.

As a soft chime sounded in the waiting room once more, Eve rose from the bath.

Six. Eve thought.