The next morning, the sky was clear, the arena waiting like a silent beast. I arrived early, Perin perched on my shoulder, half asleep and drooling.
Om Sai was already there, sitting cross-legged atop a giant boulder like some lazy monk who had overslept by accident.
He looked at me with half-lidded eyes.
"Morning, nightmare boy."
I paused mid-step. "…What?"
He yawned. "You walked in here like someone punched your soul. Didn't sleep well?"
I looked away. "I'm fine."
He squinted at me for a moment more than usual… then hopped off the rock, landing in front of me.
"Let's begin."
Training — Round Two We started with movement drills, Astra flow awareness, and close-quarter pressure strikes.
Om Sai was much harsher today. He pushed me harder, forcing me to adapt quickly.
At one point, I launched a punch infused slightly with intent rather than brute force—
Om Sai suddenly stopped moving.
Just froze.
Eyes slightly narrowed… watching my arm.
"…That wasn't normal," he murmured quietly.
I blinked. "Huh?"
He stared at me like trying to hear a distant echo.
"Your energy… it flickered." He stepped forward, almost curious. "Something was there. Just for a moment."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
He was silent for three seconds.
Then shrugged.
"No idea."
I just stared.
He walked away. "If it hasn't fully awakened, no point thinking. Let's keep beating you up."
"…That's your solution?"
"Beating solves 90% of life problems."
"What about the other 10%?"
"Beat harder."
I sighed. "You're insane."
"Repeatedly confirmed."
Hours Later… I was drenched in sweat, chest heaving, legs numb. My knuckles ached, lungs burned, but I could feel something… sharpening inside me.
Not like a full awakening.
But like something watching me quietly… waiting.
Om Sai stretched lazily. "Not bad. You didn't die."
"That's my achievement now?" I gasped.
"Yes. Feel proud."
Before I could respond, footsteps approached from the arena entrance.
Shivani walked in, arms behind her back, expression neutral but slightly annoyed.
Om Sai's eyes brightened immediately.
"Ohhooo, if it isn't Captain Lightning-Temper," he smirked, leaning casually on a pillar. "Did you come to see me? I understand, my charm is blinding—"
WHACK!
Her fist connected with his face so cleanly that he spun halfway around and stumbled.
"Shut up, clown," Shivani said calmly.
Perin snorted approvingly.
I blinked. "…Does that happen often?"
She dusted her knuckles. "Every time he opens his mouth."
Om Sai stood up again like nothing happened, still grinning. "Ahh… love hurts."
Shivani ignored him completely and looked at me.
"Temporary outside mission came in. You're assigned under supervision. Prep yourself."
She glanced at Om Sai. "And ignore this idiot."
I nodded, catching my breath.
Perin jumped to my shoulder, excited for something new.
Om Sai cracked up behind us, rubbing his cheek. "Heh. A mission, huh?"
His grin turned slightly sharper.
"Good. Let's see how far the ripple goes."
I left the arena still bruised, but mentally sharper.
Shivani walked slightly ahead of me, arms crossed. "Om Sai is not coming," she said without looking back.
"Why?" I asked.
"He volunteered," she said flatly, "so I specifically told him not to."
I blinked. "…You just enjoy ruining his day, don't you?"
A faint smirk. "Daily exercise."
Perin snorted.
We reached MEU central gates. Two squads were already assembled in formation — their uniforms marked:
👤 Unit 3 (Shivani's squad) – Blue-lined gear.
👤 Unit 4 – Red-lined gear.
One soldier from Unit 4 whispered, "That's the guy… the anomaly one."
Another muttered, "He beat our squad captains? No way."
"Hey, is that a pet or a mobile plushie?"
Perin hissed.
Shivani's cold gaze shut them all up instantly.
She stood before both squads.
"Objective is simple," she stated. "Tier-2 mana stone retrieval from Sektor-9 Forest. Mana stones are generated inside beasts' cores. Kill, extract, return. No heroics."A muscular Unit 4 soldier with a jagged scar along his jaw stepped forward.
"Captain," he said, eyeing me, "Why bring him? He's not ranked and not bound by Astra Corps certification."
Shivani replied without expression, "Because he will be."
The soldier didn't look convinced.Another soldier — a calm-looking woman wearing red-unit gear, with sharp grey eyes — studied me quietly. No mockery, no fear. Just… curiosity.
Shivani turned to me.
"You stay near me or Commander Rava," she said, gesturing to the grey-eyed woman. "Do not engage alone."Perin puffed chest out proudly.
A voice came from behind — sarcastic and lazy.
"Aw, he has a babysitter squad? How adorable."
We all turned. It wasn't Om Sai.
It was a male Unit 4 soldier leaning against the gate, chewing on straw. Long bangs shadowed one eye. His unit badge read: "Hazen – Scout Type: Long-Range"
Hazen looked straight at me. "Try not to die. Carrying corpses is annoying."
I just stared back. "I'll try to stay alive for your convenience."A few soldiers snickered.
Hazen tilted his head slightly as if impressed.
We moved out in formation — Unit 3 leading, Unit 4 providing rear and overwatch.
The path turned greener, darker, quieter.
Leaves rustled like whispers.
"Forest air…" I muttered. "Feels… alive."
"It is," Rava said softly from my left. "Sektor-9 is thick with raw Astra. Monsters here evolve faster."
Further ahead, a younger soldier from Unit 3 (barely older than me) looked nervous, gripping his spear too tight."First mission?" I asked.He flinched, then nodded. "Y-yeah."
I gave him a casual thumbs up. "Just don't die."He stared at me like that was the worst encouragement ever.
A low growl echoed.Rustling.
Rava raised a hand. "Formation halt. Eyes up."
Three beasts emerged from the shadows — each the size of a wolf, but their bodies crackled faintly with blue energy lines. Eyes bright, movements sharp."Tier-1 Mana Hounds," Shivani said. "Easy warmup. Unit 4, take lead."
Hazen smirked, already drawing his bow lazily. "Let the pups stretch."Unit 4 soldiers moved like a machine — precise, confident.
One hound lunged forward—
WHIP!
A spear from Unit 3 impaled it mid-air before Unit 4 could react.Heads turned.
The nervous boy from earlier stood there, spear raised, shaking slightly.
His breathing was ragged… but his throw was perfect.Hazen paused mid-smirk.
Rava gave a calm nod. "Good."
The boy trembled as if just realizing what he did. I gave him a grin.
"See? Just don't die."He almost dropped his spear from shock.Shivani walked past us. "Next wave incoming."
I felt it too.Something bigger. Heavier. Stronger.Perin's tail bristled.A deeper growl echoed through the forest.And this time… it didn't sound like a warmup.
The first hounds were nothing but fallen, fading husks now — their blue-core energy dispersing into mist.
Silence returned.
For a moment.
Then the forest trembled.
A slow, heavy thud…thud…thud…
Rava's eyes narrowed. "Formation. Defensive ring."
Unit 3 and 4 quickly formed a split formation — shields front, ranged in back.
Perin tensed on my shoulder, fluff bristling.
Leaves shivered overhead as something brushed the treetops.
From the darkness… a pair of glowing golden eyes appeared.
Then the creature stepped forward.
It was like a lynx — but three times larger, muscles coiled like steel beneath obsidian fur, streaked with faint glowing blue veins pulsing like living lightning. Its fangs were saber-long, its tail lined with sharp, metallic quills that crackled with energy.
A Tier-2 Thunderclaw Lynx.
Rava's expression stiffened. "Shit. Everyone fall back carefully. We take it slow and—"
BZZZT!
The lynx vanished in a crackle of lightning.
Someone screamed.
A soldier from Unit 4 was caught mid-step, claws tearing through his shoulder in one swift slash, flinging him like a ragdoll into a tree trunk with a shattering crash.
"Dammit! Tier-2s are assassins!" Shivani cursed, whipping out twin short-blades that hummed with Astra energy.
Another bzzt — it reappeared on top of a shield bearer. Before its claws could land, three arrows — thp! thp! thp! — struck its side, forcing it back.
Arin had already stepped forward.
Shivani noticed. "Arin! Stay behind—!"
He didn't.
His eyes narrowed. His breathing slowed. Something inside him sharpened.
The lynx glared at him — then vanished again with a crack of lightning.
Perin growled — and before the lynx fully blinked back into reality behind him, Arin had already twisted to the side, arm raised.
CLANG!
He caught its claw with his forearm.
Soldiers froze in disbelief.
Shivani muttered, "That's… impossible—"
The lynx snarled, muscles pushing against him, electricity crackling. Arin's arm trembled—not from fear, but excitement.
"Oh, this feels like Lang," he whispered without realizing.
Then he grinned.
With a sudden pivot, he threw the lynx off-balance and slammed his knee into its chest, launching it back with a small shockwave that cracked the dirt.
The soldiers gaped.
Rava blinked. "Did… he just kick a Tier-2 like a football?"
Shivani suppressed a smirk. "Freak."
The lynx roared and charged again, lightning coiling around it.
Arin stepped forward casually, rolling his neck. "Faster."
Its strike blurred—but he slipped aside like water flowing around a blade.
CRASH!
It struck the ground, earth exploding upward.
Arin raised his hand to strike—light energy swirling faintly around his fist, Echoform instinctively awakening—
But before he could punch—
Perin leapt off his shoulder.
FWOOM!
The tiny creature transformed mid-air — fur bristling, claws glowing a faint teal, unleashing a surprising burst of force that struck the lynx directly in the face.
BAM!
It stumbled, stunned.
Everyone froze.
"…THAT THING JUST HEADBUTTED A TIER-2?!" someone screamed.
The lynx stood, shook off the daze—only to meet Arin's elbow smashing its jaw sideways in a clean, brutal arc.
CRACKKK!
The lynx collapsed.
Breathing weakly.
Before anyone reacted further, Shivani shouted, "Don't kill it! Get the core!"
But Arin was already stepping back, Echoform fading. He blinked, realizing he'd gone too far without meaning to.
Shivani quickly ordered, "Team 4, restrain and extract the mana stone. Team 3, secure the wounded!"
As they moved, Perin climbed back onto Arin's shoulder, puffing its fur proudly like it just saved the world.
Arin scratched Perin's head. "Good job, little lion-bear."
Purrrp.
Shivani approached, arms crossed, hiding amusement. "You two are insane."
He shrugged. "He started it."
She exhaled. "Whatever. Don't do something that stupid without orders again."
Then, quieter—
"But… nice work."
He almost smiled.
That's when Rava clapped his back — perhaps too friendly.
"Congrats, rookie! You just soloed a Tier-2."
Arin paused.
"I held back," he said, without ego—just stating fact.
Everyone stared at him like he was a baby dragon that might explode at any time.
And somewhere, deep inside him…
A faint voice whispered.
/Good… kill more./
He blinked, cold sweat breaking out.
"No," he muttered under his breath.
But the whisper stayed—watching.