Harold poured himself a glass of wine as Edoran limped into the study, fresh bruises painting his skin from Gary's previous session.
"You look like a corpse," Harold noted dryly.
Edoran collapsed into the armchair, clutching his ribs. "I feel worse."
"Good," Harold said. "You should know what you're up against."
He stood and turned to the large painting behind his desk. It showed a massive arena, etched into a mountain, surrounded by flags from three nations—Greenglow, Megamio, and Synthara.
"This," Harold said, "is the Crucible of Reverberation. The oldest inter-nation tournament in this hemisphere. It runs once every five years, hosted by Nova Star."
Edoran blinked. "I thought this was just a Faulkner family event?"
Harold smirked. "No. It was an event between the three greatest companies from each country. Now, it's a proving ground for all Tiered Resonators—levels one through four. The best of each country are sent to compete. Victory brings legacy, sponsorships, and power."
He raised his glass.
"For the last five tournaments—twenty years straight—Kareem was the undisputed champion. Across all four tiers."
Edoran sat up slightly, startled.
Harold's voice turned reverent, almost bitter.
"Kareem fought in Tier-1 at fifteen. Tier-2 at sixteen. Tier-3 by seventeen. And by nineteen, he was already tearing apart Tier-4 contenders like they were paper."
Edoran stared at the painting again. "Who came second?"
"Velcrina," Harold said. "The warmonger."
He stepped forward, lowering his voice.
"She earned the title Warmonger after slaying a Tier-5 mythical savage. 'The Bard,' they called it—a creature said to weave death through sound. Her jaw was broken, half her chest flayed open—and still, she sang louder. Until The Bard fell."
He looked at Edoran, eyes cold.
"That's the level of dominance we had. Faulkners were at the peak. Kareem was the king of the battlefield. Velcrina the storm behind him. No other country could match us. They didn't even come close."
Edoran swallowed. "And this year?"
Harold turned fully.
"This year, Kareem has stepped down from tier -1, 2 and 3. He will only participate in tier-4."
A beat of silence.
"This year, you, Tobias, and Lily will represent the Faulkner family in Tier 1."
Edoran's stomach twisted.
"You are the lambs sent to replace lions," Harold said. "So if you wish to avoid public slaughter, I suggest you work harder."
"By the way, the training with Shin is in Nova Star."
Edoran sighed heavily as he thought about that place again.
The Nova Star training hall was massive—vaulted like a cathedral, carved from jet-black stone. Enchanted sigils floated near the ceiling, crackling with silent energy. Artificial sunlight bathed the arena, but the air was unnaturally sterile, clinical… too still.
Edoran stood alone in the center, already sweating, steam rising off his back.
"I hate the outside," came a voice from the stands. "Too much damn breeze. Makes me itchy."
Shin stepped onto the training platform, barefoot, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His pale blue hair was tied in a loose knot leaving his shaven side even more prominent.
His eyes were covered with dark shadows under them which made him look as though sleep had long since abandoned him.
He tilted his head at Edoran and sighed.
"Well? Don't make me wait."
Edoran grimaced. His entire body was already aching from Gary's earlier drills. But this was a different battlefield, a mental one to be precise.
He took a breath and bit his inner cheek, then focused on activating his core.
Lightning cracked through his spine as his body warped. Scales replaced skin. Muscles bulked and swelled until he towered, his vision contorting as the world turned red and blue again.
And immediately, the training began.
Shin didn't transform at first. He simply blurred forward with an afterimage that shattered the floor behind him. Edoran raised an arm, too slow, and Shin's palm met his ribs like a hammer.
Even though Edoran saw each motion made by Shin frame by frame, his body was too slow to keep up.
CRACK.
Edoran coughed blood and flew backward, skidding across the obsidian tiles.
"Don't fall!" Shin barked. "If you fall in battle, it's your end. Again!"
Edoran forced himself to his feet, the savage form flickering from the strain.
It took all he had to keep it stable.
But Shin was already mid-air above him.
Then came the sound of something erupting.
Five stalks erupted from Shin's back in a bloom of glowing green crystal. Each twisted upward like serpents, ending in massive, jagged Venus flytraps that snapped hungrily. His skin shimmered with jade plating across his shoulders and chest.
"Tier-3 minor savage, Venus Jade" Shin said, deadpan. "You get the honor."
Edoran's instincts screamed.
He ducked left as one flytrap slammed into the floor, splashing acid that hissed and chewed into the hard stone floor. Another came from behind, as he rolled around it.
The precognition in his savage form sparked again. Half a second before Shin moved, he saw it.
Shin would go in for a right hook, a spin kick, and an acid spit by the topmost Venus flytrap.
He dodged the first two, but the flytrap to his right unloaded a stream of green mist. The acid singed his leg and he roared in pain.
"Good!" Shin grinned. "Let it hurt! Let it wake you up!"
Edoran charged forward, roaring. His claws met Shin's arm and slid off harmlessly. The jade on his skin too was tough.
But he didn't stop. He lunged again, and this time his tail whipped out, catching Shin's hip.
A direct hit!
For a moment, Edoran felt a thrill.
Then Shin vanished.
He reappeared above upside down mid-flip and kicked Edoran square in the back of the neck. The collar rang like a bell.
(Weakling.)
Edoran dropped, choking.
"You're using instincts," Shin muttered, circling. "But you're not trusting them."
Edoran got up again. His legs scraped the ground. His form was wavering, his scales pulsing and his claws twitching. It was getting harder to breathe.
And then Shin vanished again without a trace.
The blue trajectory of Shin was everywhere but Shin was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly he saw a flash.
He dropped into a crouch. Shin's jade-plated fist whooshed past, missing his skull by an inch. Edoran twisted, swept Shin's leg, and leaped, trying to bring his clawed fist down like a guillotine.
Shin blocked with one arm and grinned.
"Finally."
A flytrap launched from Shin's back and grabbed Edoran's shoulder. The teeth didn't pierce him but the acid sprayed directly into his eyes.
He screamed. The form began to flicker again.
Shin didn't bother to stop. He closed the distance, and struck Edoran with a flurry of rapid jabs, each one hitting vital points, in a mechanical killer way. He hit the nerve clusters. He hit the gaps between his scaled body.
Edoran coughed and clawed blind. The beast screamed inside.
He couldn't tell if he was winning, surviving, or dying.
Lightning rippled up his spine. His tail coiled like a whip and struck blindly—it hit nothing.
Then the acid hit again.
His legs buckled.
Shin didn't pause. He summoned another flytrap, and it bit into Edoran's side. Its maw was not enough to tear flesh, but enough to burn. His savage form shuddered and nearly vanished again.
Shin knelt beside him, watching him bleed.
"You think this hurts? Good. It's supposed to."
Edoran spat blood. "I can't… hold it…"
"Then die," Shin said casually.
He stood and took three steps back.
"Collapse. Let your body break. Then start again. Or stand and show me that you're worth the monster you house."
Everything felt broken. His ribs were threatening to stab his lungs. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even see anymore as his eyes were burned.
He could only see the blue and red forms dancing around.
But he was still in form.
The Draconius Equus form was quite damaged and needed to be allowed to heal or he may lose it forever.
"I'm not done," Edoran rasped.
Shin nodded once. "Then you're learning."
The collar awoke once again.
(Rise. Rise, you fool. You are nearly there.)
The form stabilized. And for just a moment, Edoran felt time stretch. He saw a whole sequence of actions Shin was going to follow, not just a flicker.
He stepped aside as a flytrap lunged. He twisted just in time to block Shin's elbow.
His core was about to run out of energy but he felt the most powerful at that moment.
"Damn, you guys train like monsters. Mind if I join you?"
A tall man with slightly dark skin and long black hair grinned at them. Even in their savage form, both Edoran and Shin only slightly towered the man.
"Kareem. Why not?" Shin said while smiling.
Edoran gulped as he saw the mammoth take off his suit and roll up his sleeves, ready for battle.