Kai had barely caught his breath before the dojo doors slammed shut behind him.
The Crimson Fang Dojo's inner halls weren't clean or ceremonial like other schools he'd seen in scrolls. No incense. No grand tapestries. Just stone floors, red training mats, and weapon racks stacked with serrated daggers and curved blades—tools of those who valued speed over grace, violence over elegance.
An instructor stood waiting at the far end. Shirtless. Scars across his chest. One arm replaced by a jagged iron prosthetic, fused directly into muscle.
[Scan Successful: Master Fang Duun | Rank: Crimson Elite | Level: 22]
"Outer disciple Kai, huh?" the man said, voice like gravel and steel. "You're the third to survive Rae's trial this month. Not bad."
Kai bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master."
"I didn't say it was a compliment."
The man turned and barked: "Training circle, now."
Ten minutes later, Kai stood in a line of other Outer Disciples—most older, stronger, and visibly annoyed that someone his age was standing beside them.
"Fang Step is your entry ticket," Fang Duun barked. "Not a shield. You want real training? You bleed here."
He pointed to the stone ring ahead of them, about ten meters wide, surrounded by broken training dummies and deep gouges in the floor.
"You'll all fight. Not for survival—but for placement. The top three get access to the Fang Pool. The rest? Scavenge scraps and earn what you can."
A whisper swept the line: the Fang Pool was a sacred resource—a small, underground chamber where condensed Ki formed liquid energy from beast cores and elemental residue. One soak in it could push a disciple to the edge of a breakthrough.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
He needed that pool.
The first match started.
A boy wielding twin hooks darted into the ring, facing a hulking girl with a sledgehammer.
Their weapons clashed. Sparks flew. Ki flared.
And in less than a minute, it was over.
The boy coughed blood. The hammer girl stepped over him, victorious.
[Name: Rila Stonearm | Level: 9 | Iron Body Technique]
Kai took mental notes.
By the third match, it was his turn.
He stepped into the ring—and across from him stood a wiry youth with short silver hair, a long scratch blade at his hip, and eyes that glowed faintly red.
[Scan Successful: Varin Tal | Level: 8 | Crimson Fang Duelist]
Hidden Trait: Bloodlust Instinct (Passive – Unstable)
The whistle blew.
Varin blurred forward.
His blade came fast—slashing high, low, then feinting right before spinning into a diagonal strike. It was a practiced dance, deadly and fast.
Kai activated Fang Step—
[Skill Activated: Fang Step – Lv.1]
—and flashed behind him with a flicker of speed, rolling into a sweep that nearly caught Varin off balance.
The older boy snarled and retaliated with a burst of Ki through his feet, pushing off and aiming a thrust at Kai's shoulder.
Kai blocked it, barely, his sword singing with vibration.
[Health: 72%]Ki Control holding steady…]
Then Kai saw it—a rhythm in Varin's breathing.
He waited.
Blocked again. Moved right.
Then struck into the tempo, breaking the flow with a backhand slash.
Blood bloomed across Varin's shoulder.
[First Blood – Victory]XP Gained: +110Skill Progression: Fang Step → Lv.2 (Cooldown reduced)]
Silence.
Then claps from the watching instructors.
Fang Duun chuckled low. "He's got rhythm. The smart kind."
Kai lowered his blade, chest rising and falling.
He didn't just want a place here.
He wanted the top.
And the System responded.
[System Notification: Combat Trial Success – Ranked #2]Reward Unlocked: 1 Hour Access to Fang Pool | 2 Stat Points]
He smiled.
That night, deep beneath the dojo, Kai stood waist-deep in glowing red water.
The Fang Pool buzzed with heat, Ki energy surging into his veins like fire.
He closed his eyes.
[Passive Ability Forming…]New Trait Detected: Emberflow Core – Increases fire-based Ki regeneration during battle.]
When he emerged, steam rising off his skin and eyes sharp as blades, he wasn't the same.
He was stronger. Faster.
And more determined than ever.