Shu woke in a cold, damp dungeon, arms chained above his head. His body was battered and bloody, but his spirit was unbroken.
A voice echoed from the shadows.
"Awake at last. You've endured well, Shu. But your years as a mentor have softened you. Tell me—who did you give the scroll to, and what are they capable of?"
Shu spat blood onto the stone floor. "You'll never break me. Isn't this what you trained me to endure, Vulcan?"
Footsteps approached—step… step… step—until an old man emerged from the darkness. White hair, a scar slashed across his clouded eye, and a grin colder than steel.
"I didn't train you everything I know," Vulcan said, pressing a glowing hand against Shu's face. "And I will break you. It's just a matter of when."
Shu screamed as searing energy burned into his skin.
---
Back in Shen's room…
Shen groaned awake, cheek still stuck to the marble floor, butt embarrassingly in the air. A glowing message hovered before his eyes:
[Energy Restored.]
He sighed, remembering the Water Blade fiasco. Okay, no more fainting like a chump. Time to figure out what this "system" really is.
'System. I need answers.'
[What would the host like to know?]
Shen blinked. Oh damn, that actually worked.
"What are you?"
[I am Prototype One of the System of Power.]
"…Cool name. So why'd you knock me out before?"
[Host energy capability insufficient for prolonged use of Water Blade.]
Shen groaned. "Why didn't you tell me that before I used it?"
[Would you like to calibrate the system for easier use? Yes/No.]
Shen froze. …Wait. I could have calibrated you this whole time?! Who built this thing, a sadist?!
"YES."
A menu flashed open in front of him, making him stumble back:
[Enemy Detection On/Off]
[Energy Meter & Information On/Off]
[Health Updates On/Off]
[Threat Analysis On/Off]
[Trainer Mode On/Off]
[Voice Activation On/Off]
[Custom Mode On/Off]
[Gain knowledge to unlock more settings and upgrade existing ones.]
Shen's jaw dropped. "…This is basically cheat-mode."
He immediately toggled on everything except Trainer and Custom Mode.
[Enemy Detection: ON]
[Energy Meter: ON]
[Health Updates: ON]
[Threat Analysis: ON]
[Voice Activation: ON]
Two new windows appeared:
[Energy: 10/10]
[Health: 100/100]
Shen stared at the numbers and felt despair collapse onto him like a piano. "Ten?! Only ten energy?! My life is a joke…"
[Would host like to increase energy stores? Yes/No.]
His eyes lit up. "YES!"
[To increase storage, host must train an energy manipulation skill. Example:
Shen pumped his fist. "Finally, a way to grind this out!" He crossed his legs and activated
[4:59:59]
And so the training began.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle…
In Cain's chambers, the brothers argued.
"I don't trust him," Cain growled, slamming his fist against the chair arm. His legs dangled just above the floor. "I don't know why Father does."
"You distrust everyone," Leonidas replied calmly. "It's only been two weeks. He's still settling in."
"Then let's check on him," Cain pressed. "He hasn't left his room all day. Sebastian's already been watching the door."
Leo frowned. "Cain! He's a guest of our father. You can't treat him like a criminal."
"Just one peek," Cain promised, fingers crossed behind his back. "Come on, aren't you curious?"
After a pause, Leo sighed. "Fine. But only if you swear to stop spying on him after."
"I promise," Cain said, smirking.
Together, they crept to Shen's door and cracked it open. Inside, Shen sat cross-legged, eyes shut, glowing faintly with energy. The air hummed with power.
"That's
"But—but that's impossible!" Cain stammered. "Even I needed two months—"
Before he could finish, both brothers were yanked into the air by their collars.
"What," a thunderous voice growled, "are you two doing?"
It was Aceton. His glare burned hotter than fire as he held them aloft.
"You dare invade the privacy of our guest?" His voice boomed. "It seems you need a lesson in manners. And I know just the one who will teach you."
Cain and Leo's faces drained of blood.
"No, Father! Not her! Anyone but Monsoon!" Leo pleaded.
Cain flailed. "Wait! We were only checking if he was alright—"
"Silence," Aceton snapped. "Your tongues are silver, but my ears are gold. Come."
The boys kicked and screamed as they were dragged off to their punishment.
---
Inside his room, Shen smirked. His system had already alerted him to their presence. Now that they were gone, he returned to training, determined to push his energy higher.