Thump—
I pressed the stamped mission paper onto the reception desk.
"Don't test me."
My eyes glinted—crimson flickering, pupils narrowing into slits.
"Now. My reward."
The man stiffened.
The earlier confidence drained from his face as he quickly took the paper, checked the seal, and reached beneath the counter.
A pouch landed in his hand.
Fifty silver.
He passed it to me without hesitation.
"It was… only a suggestion."
I took it.
The coins clinked softly as my fingers closed around the pouch.
I didn't respond.
I turned—and left.
—
Outside, Austin summoned a portal.
The world folded.
And I returned to the dorms.
—
I dropped onto the bed.
The softness sank beneath me, unfamiliar after everything.
"…Null."
"Yes, my prince."
His voice echoed through my mind.
"Austin's generals can move you to Village Remva, correct?"
"They can."
"Good. Then listen carefully."
I exhaled slowly, organizing the thought as it formed.
"When you arrive, search the surrounding areas. Any planes. Any signs of plane fractures."
A pause.
"Collect everything of value. Bones. Scales. Materials."
My gaze drifted to the ceiling.
"Make it routine."
"Understood, my prince."
Silence followed.
…
Fatigue settled in.
Heavier than expected.
My eyes closed.
—
Morning.
I waited.
Listened as the dorm gradually emptied—footsteps fading, voices dissolving into distance.
Only when silence settled did I move.
The cafeteria was nearly empty.
I bought something simple.
Ate without thinking.
And returned.
—
The moment I stepped back inside—
"Aaron."
Austin's voice cut through sharply.
"As long as you remain below the rank of Prince—insufficient in strength—I have been granted authority to command you."
A pause.
Then, colder:
"So. Get in here."
Something in me tightened.
My will—
Collapsed inward.
I didn't resist.
…
The Soul Space.
—
I stood within it—
But it had changed.
Expanded.
Structured.
An arena stretched before me, vast and enclosed.
No sky.
Only light.
Chandeliers of condensed mana hung above, illuminating everything in a steady glow.
Dummies lined one side.
Wooden. Still.
Weapons filled another—mounted along the walls in perfect order.
Weights.
Reinforced structures.
And opposite—
A plain wall.
Different textures embedded across its surface.
Testing grounds.
…
Wings cut through the air.
Austin descended.
"Welcome to the Trial Ground of Cernyx."
His voice carried.
Measured. Absolute.
"Here, I will train you."
A pause.
"As your mother intended."
Another.
"And as His Majesty decreed."
Something in my chest shifted.
Unsettled.
"What do you mean…"
My voice came slower now.
Controlled—but not entirely steady.
"…my mother?"
My gaze locked onto him.
"And who… is 'His Majesty,' Austin?"
"Don't bother Aaron anyway try to reach here be for the time runs out!"
Austin's eyes gleamed.
His hands moved—forming a strange, deliberate symbol.
The ground trembled.
Stone shifted.
Platforms surged upward from the arena floor—some fixed, others hovering, drifting slightly as if suspended by unseen force.
A vertical maze.
I stood at the very bottom.
"It begins!"
Austin's voice boomed across the arena.
——————————————
Mentor Austin has issued you a task:Reach him before the time expires.
01:52 remaining…
——————————————
I activated—
[Phantom's Dash]
The world blurred.
I landed on the first platform—stable.
Then I moved.
Upward.
Tile after tile—
A leap.
A step.
Another burst of speed.
My gaze stayed locked above, tracking the path ahead.
Then—
The pattern shifted.
The platform beneath me sank.
Others rose.
The formation warped mid-motion.
I adjusted instantly, pushing forward, redirecting—
Running along a wall in short bursts before launching myself higher.
But each time I gained ground—
The tile beneath me dropped.
Again.
And again.
I'd had enough.
I pushed more magic into my limbs—
Leaped faster.
Higher.
The air tore past me—
Then—
"Time is over. Task failed. Resetting."
—
The world twisted.
My vision swam—
And I was back at the beginning.
01:58
The timer restarted.
I clenched my jaw.
And ran.
—
Again.
—
And again.
—
And again.
Time blurred.
Attempts bled into one another—failures stacking, repeating, erasing themselves.
Fatigue crept in.
Slow.
Relentless.
But I didn't stop.
—
Another run.
I moved—platform to tile, tile to wall—
Then—
Something shifted.
Not outside.
Inside.
A faint pull.
An instinct.
It would happen—
Now.
The platform beneath me dropped—
Whoom—
But I had already moved.
Mid-air, I adjusted—
The next platform rose to meet me.
A smile tugged at my lips.
"…Got it."
I ran.
No hesitation.
Each step aligned with the shift—
Rise.
Fall.
Change.
I followed it.
Matched it.
Controlled it.
—
And then—
I reached the top.
Standing before Austin.
Austin only waved—
And everything dissolved.
The platforms. The tiles.
Gone, as if they had never existed.
"As you've seen," he said, "learning the path of adaptation—like liquid—is difficult. But once mastered, it becomes essential."
He flicked his wrist.
A vial arced toward me, filled with a bubbling blue liquid.
"Drink. Restore your stamina. That body of yours still requires training."
A pause.
"The Totality aspect of combat, when refined… is formidable."
I caught it—and drank without hesitation.
The liquid burned cold as it went down.
Then—
Relief.
Fatigue vanished. Muscles steadied.
Restored.
—
The arena settled back to its base form.
Solid ground.
Unmoving.
Austin moved toward the weight section, selecting two compact stones from a rack. Ropes were fastened to each.
He turned to me.
"Aaron. Squat—and hold it."
His gaze sharpened.
"Move, and I'll summon Null to discipline you."
I lowered myself.
He stepped closer—
And secured the ropes over my shoulders.
Then let them drop.
—
Impact.
The weight dragged down instantly.
Like two bodies hanging from me—
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
My legs tightened.
Muscles strained.
"What's with that expression?" Austin's voice cut through. "This is the way of Cernyx. If you can't endure this—then you are not a Cernyx."
I steadied my breath.
Forced control back into my limbs.
—
"Now move."
His tone sharpened.
"Forward. Remain in the squat. Maintain position."
A brief pause.
"Arms out. Like a cross."
I obeyed.
Each step was slow.
Heavy.
My muscles resisted every movement—
Then—
Impact.
Something struck my back.
Sharp.
"Move, Aaron."
Austin's voice followed.
Cold. Unyielding.
"Straighten your posture. Faster."
A pause.
"…or face Null."
I pushed forward.
Faster.
Faster.
The strain built—but I didn't slow.
Then—
Impact.
Austin's flag struck me squarely.
"Again," he said. "You're still learning."
I steadied myself—
And ran.
—
The weight—
It started to feel… lighter.
Not gone.
But manageable.
My pace increased.
Steps grew sharper. More controlled.
I didn't stop.
Didn't count time.
Only movement
Which was in this case…..
Only forward
—
Then—
"Enough."
Austin's voice cut through.
"Stand."
I rose slowly, muscles tight, controlled.
"Activate Beastialification. Remove the weights."
I exhaled.
And activated —
[Beastialification II]
—
…