"What do you mean by the origin of the Dark Power?" Saruto stared at the mysterious being before him.
"What didn't you understand?" the being replied in a steady, emotionless voice. "The Dark Power that permeates your body, the power you rely on in combat… I am its origin."
Saruto eyes narrowed in surprise. "So… if you didn't exist, the Dark Power wouldn't exist at all?"
"Yes. You're right," the being replied without hesitation.
Void took a step forward, peering at him with cautious curiosity. "If that's the case… what's your name? We can't keep calling you 'Being.'"
A short silence followed, then he said in a deep voice, "You can call me… Origin."
Saruto glared at him. "And what is this test about, Origin?"
The Origin smiled an invisible smile and replied with surprising calmness, "There is no test."
Saruto and Void were both taken aback. Before they could speak, the Origin continued, "Because I will train you both myself… and I will make your powers one."
The air around them trembled as he added in a heavier tone, "I will make you… half-rulers."
Saruto eyes widened. "Half-rulers?" he asked, surprised. "Does that mean I'll become a ruler like Umbra?"
"Not a full ruler… half-rulers," the Origin replied coolly.
Saruto and Void exchanged a silent glance, then nodded in agreement. Inwardly, Saruto thought, "If I become half-rulers… I might finally be able to face Umbra."
The Origin clapped once. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake and move. "What's happening?" Void asked anxiously.
But before he could answer, the ground began to unravel, transforming into giant cubes that rose into the air, floating like independent platforms in infinite space. In moments, all three found themselves standing on separate cubes. "No more wasting time," the Original said decisively. "Let's begin training."
"And what do we have to do?" Saruto asked.
"You both have to touch me," the Original replied with chilling simplicity. "To pass the test, you must pass."
The next moment, another copy of the Original appeared and climbed onto a neighboring cube. "You, Saruto, catch me," the Original said. "And you, Void, catch my copy."
Void grinned confidently. "Sounds easy."
He sprinted toward the Original. But just as he was close, a floating cube shot out with tremendous force, slamming into him and knocking him off balance. "I didn't say training would be easy," the Original chuckled.
Suddenly, a huge number of cubes began floating in the air, spinning and moving at unpredictable speeds. Saruto raced toward the Original, trying to grab him.
A cube shot out to block his path, but he skillfully dodged it and was about to reach his target when the Origin suddenly moved the cube he was standing on, moving away with lightning speed. Startled, Saruto said, "Saruto… don't let your guard down."
Saruto didn't understand until a cube slammed into him from behind, violently throwing him away. He flew through the air, then clutched at another cube, gasping for breath. "This training is going to be… much harder than I expected," he said between ragged gasps.
Outside the cocoon world, Hades stood before the cocoon containing Saruto, gazing at it silently. "Why am I worried about this boy?" she whispered to herself, her voice filled with concern. "Am I… starting to get attached to him?"
She shook her head vigorously, trying to banish the thought. "No… I am a ruler. How could I get attached to a mere mortal?"
Then she turned and took a step back, trying to regain her usual composure. Inside the training world, Saruto moved with incredible speed, dodging the attacks of cubes that pursued him from every direction. His movements became more precise and sharper. The Origin watched him intently and said with barely concealed admiration, "Your speed is impressive… but it's not enough."
He pointed a finger. In an instant, a huge cube appeared above Saruto and landed on him with crushing force, shattering the ground beneath him. But Saruto rose from the dust and leaped onto another cube. Then he noticed something strange.
The cubes were no longer just following him; they were beginning to disappear and reappear from various places. The Origin said with a sly smile, "I saw that the training was getting boring… so I made some adjustments."
Then he added sarcastically, "Do you like it?"