The arena stretched across five thousand square kilometres, divided into three massive biomes. The desert in the north burned under the sun, sand rippling endlessly. To the east, the plains rolled with tall grasses and scattered rock formations. The jungle in the south sprawled thick and tangled, a labyrinth of massive trees. Sunlight filtered through the interlocked canopies in fractured beams, scattering shadows across the floor. The air was heavy, thick with moisture and decay. This was where Edward Thorne had been placed.
The jungle was alive. Moss covered the trunks of towering trees, vines hung in heavy curtains, and fallen leaves mixed with rotting wood littered the floor. Insects scuttled across every surface, and distant calls echoed from hidden creatures. Occasionally, branches snapped, hinting at predators moving cautiously through the undergrowth. The forest revealed nothing easily, but every small sound and vibration carried meaning.
Edward stood in a small clearing, taking it all in. Cursed energy pulsed faintly through him, irregular and difficult to channel. He was not weak, but he was far from strong. Cursed Energy: 150/1000. Cursed Energy Manipulation: 50/1000. Enough to maintain his connection to the two Divine Dogs, summon them, and execute minimal commands, but he could not directly affect the environment yet.
'I only have the Divine Dogs for now,' he thought. 'Everything else is just potential. I hope this will be enough to survive the first encounters.'
The shadows along the forest floor shifted as Edward performed the hand signs to summon his shikigami. Two forms coalesced from darkness, emerging as his Divine Dogs. Their eyes glimmered faintly, and their bodies moved fluidly, instinctive and alert. He knelt and gave them names. 'Ash for the darker one, Fang for the lighter one,' he thought. 'Naming them makes them feel real. I have to trust them, and they have to trust me.'
Through the shadow connection, he sent simple commands: scout, observe, attack lightly. Subtle instinctive feedback pulsed through him, conveying vibrations in the soil, the shifting of leaves, and hidden movement. It was faint, but enough for him to sense creatures that were otherwise invisible.
'I can barely control them,' he thought. 'They have minds of their own. If I understand them, they could become an extension of my senses.'
Edward decided to test their offensive capability in a controlled manner. He found a thick branch partially broken near the clearing's edge. 'Let's see what you two can do,' he murmured. 'Nothing crazy, just a test.' Ash and Fang leapt at the branch, striking it simultaneously with their claws and jaws. The branch groaned under the impact, splintering but not snapping. A few more strikes, coordinated and deliberate, finally broke it. Wood splintered and fell. Edward exhaled.
'Not bad,' he thought. 'It takes effort, but you can break solid wood. I need to measure this for future encounters. I have to know how much focus is required to control their power output without overexerting myself.'
Encouraged, Edward chose a thin tree still standing upright. 'Let's try something bigger,' he thought. 'I need to know what I can take on if this gets serious.'
He gave Ash and Fang precise commands through their connection, focusing on timing and coordination. They leapt and attacked in synchronized bursts. The trunk shook violently under the combined force. Bark flaked off, and tiny cracks began to appear along the base. Edward maintained his focus, feeling strain as he monitored every feedback pulse. After several tense minutes, the tree groaned and finally toppled, crashing to the ground in a shower of leaves and dust. Ash and Fang panted, watching him expectantly. Edward wiped sweat from his brow.
'That worked,' he thought. 'I can direct them efficiently with careful commands. It's exhausting, but I can manage this. I just need to conserve energy for when it matters most.'
He continued testing with more trees and thick branches, varying angles and force. He timed attacks differently, observing how the dogs shifted their weight, adjusted angles, and applied impact. Sometimes, he overestimated their coordination, and the tree only cracked partially. Each partial failure was a lesson. He adjusted commands, refined timing, and learned to anticipate the dogs' instinctive responses.
'Even partial successes teach me something,' he thought. 'I can feel their strength limits and see how much effort it takes to break tougher obstacles. This will be useful in combat.'
Hours passed as Edward explored the jungle more aggressively. Ash and Fang practiced coordinated strikes against fallen logs, thick vines, and smaller trees. He continued to study instinctive feedback, noting subtle vibrations, shifts in weight, and environmental cues.
'If I can understand them fully,' he thought, 'I could use them almost like a radar. Every movement of the dogs could tell me what's nearby without me having to see it.'
Edward experimented with cursed energy refinement, focusing on controlling the smallest possible pulses. He tried sending barely perceptible pulses just to maintain awareness through the dogs' connection, learning how to conserve energy while staying fully alert. Every micro-adjustment was taxing, but it taught him patience and subtlety.
'This is frustrating,' he thought. 'I know what I want to do, but I can't quite make it happen. I just need to be patient and keep practicing.'
As dusk approached, Edward explored even further. Ash and Fang scouted ahead, alert to every rustle and movement. He practiced subtle commands and timing, having them attack multiple targets in sequence. The dogs broke branches, stripped bark, and tested their limits. Edward observed their movements closely, noting how force was applied and how instinct guided them. Each successful strike built his confidence.
'Even minimal mastery is useful,' he thought. 'I can sense the jungle, coordinate attacks, and measure strength. It's exhausting, but I'm making progress.'
The jungle grew quiet as night fell. The forest was no longer bathed in warm sunlight, but in dim, fractured shadows. Edward let the dogs rest briefly while he reflected on what he had learned. He was exhausted, muscles sore, and energy reserves only partially restored, but his confidence in their combined capabilities had grown.
Then, the undergrowth rustled violently. A massive wild boar charged out, tusks gleaming, eyes wild with panic and aggression.
'Of course,' he thought. 'I knew this jungle wouldn't stay quiet forever.'
The Divine Dogs reacted immediately. Ash lunged to intercept, nudging the boar slightly off balance, while Fang flanked from the side. Edward issued sharp commands through the connection, coordinating attacks and timing. He let instinct guide the dogs while keeping focus on observing the boar's movements.
The boar struggled, but the coordinated strikes from Ash and Fang weakened it. With one final, synchronized strike, the creature collapsed from exhaustion. Edward exhaled deeply, heart pounding.
'That was too close,' he thought. 'I can barely manage this. What happens if it's bigger? Humans will be far trickier than animals.'
The system chimed softly, and a notification appeared:
System Message: 1 point awarded.
'One point,' he thought. 'Small progress, but it counts. I'll need to be careful when humans show up.'
He leaned against a tree and brought up the system interface, reviewing his progress:
System Interface:
Ten Shadows Technique: Beginner
Cursed Energy: 150/1000
Cursed Energy Manipulation: 50/1000
'Beginner,' he thought. 'I can barely control the dogs properly and I am just starting to understand cursed energy.''My energy isn't huge but it isn't tiny either. I need to learn how to make every pulse count and conserve it.'
The night pressed in, dark and quiet. Ash and Fang circled the clearing, alert and instinctive. Edward watched them, listening to the faint pulses of feedback transmitted through the connection. Every movement, every instinctive signal, was a lesson. The Ten Shadows Technique was more than summoning; it was a network of perception and power extending from his mind, through the dogs, and into the world around him.
'I hope I can do this,' he thought. 'I really hope I can survive what's coming next.'