The simulation arena was enormous.
Cold metallic walls surrounded the wide circular battlefield, reinforced with multiple layers of enchanted alloy designed to withstand the destructive power of high-rank hunters.
Above the arena, observation windows stretched across the upper level where technicians and researchers gathered.
Large digital screens displayed various readings.
Energy levels.
Movement speed.
Impact force.
Every detail of the evaluation would be recorded.
Inside the arena, however, the atmosphere was completely different.
Quiet.
Tense.
Auren stood alone in the center of the vast training field.
His silver hair swayed slightly as the air circulation system hummed above.
He looked small compared to the massive machine standing several meters away.
The Combat Golem.
A heavy testing construct built to simulate the strength of a real monster.
Its body was made from thick reinforced metal plates.
Dark red sensors glowed where its eyes should have been.
The machine stood nearly three meters tall.
Heavy pistons in its legs hissed softly as it activated.
Behind the glass observation wall, technicians whispered to one another.
"That thing is calibrated to B-Rank combat levels."
"Isn't that too much?"
Another technician shrugged.
"The investigator ordered it."
Dr. Malik Hassan watched the arena with interest.
"Let's see what happens."
Beside him, Elena Richter stood calmly with her arms crossed.
Her sharp eyes remained focused on the silver-haired hunter below.
And leaning casually against the wall behind them stood Garrick, who looked far more relaxed than anyone else in the room.
"Kid's got weird moves," he said.
"But he'll manage."
---
Inside the Arena
Auren exhaled slowly.
The room felt colder than the hospital.
He glanced up briefly.
Through the observation glass he could see silhouettes watching him.
So many people.
Watching.
Studying.
Judging.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…This is embarrassing."
Then the system window appeared again.
---
System Notice
Combat Simulation Detected
Adaptive Response Mode Activated
---
Auren blinked.
"…Adaptive?"
Before he could think further—
The arena speakers activated.
Elena's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Combat evaluation will begin in five seconds."
"Please defend yourself."
The golem's eyes flashed red.
Its body shifted slightly as internal engines roared to life.
Heavy metal fingers clenched.
Auren swallowed.
"…Right."
He relaxed his shoulders.
The moment he did—
Something inside him shifted.
The strange instinct that had appeared inside the dungeon returned.
His body loosened.
His posture became lighter.
More flexible.
Almost… elegant.
Like a dancer preparing for a performance.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
The golem moved.
The massive machine exploded forward with surprising speed.
Its heavy footsteps cracked the reinforced arena floor.
Auren's eyes widened slightly.
"That's fast."
The machine's arm swung toward him like a battering ram.
Auren's body moved instinctively.
He stepped lightly to the side.
The motion was smooth.
Effortless.
The massive metal fist smashed into the ground where he had been standing.
BOOM.
Dust burst upward.
Shockwaves spread across the floor.
The technicians watching gasped.
"That strike would break a human in half!"
But Auren had already moved.
His feet glided across the floor.
His body rotated gracefully around the golem's second strike.
To the observers above…
It looked like he was dancing.
A fluid step.
A gentle spin.
A slight lean backward to avoid a sweeping metal arm.
Garrick chuckled quietly.
"Told you."
Dr. Malik adjusted his glasses.
"…Remarkable agility."
Energy readings on the monitors began rising rapidly.
"His reaction speed is beyond beginner level."
Inside the arena, Auren continued moving.
The golem attacked relentlessly.
Punch.
Kick.
Heavy sweeping strikes.
Each attack powerful enough to crush stone.
Yet none of them touched him.
Because Auren wasn't fighting like a normal hunter.
He wasn't blocking.
He wasn't overpowering the machine.
He was simply… avoiding it.
Gracefully.
Beautifully.
Even he didn't fully understand how his body was moving this way.
But the rhythm felt natural.
Almost instinctive.
Then he raised his hand.
Silver light gathered in his palm.
The energy condensed.
And the weapon formed again.
The Celestial Spirit Blade.
Its slender glowing edge reflected across the arena.
The technicians gasped.
"That weapon again!"
"Energy manifestation!"
Dr. Malik leaned closer to the screen.
"Energy density rising rapidly."
Inside the arena, the golem charged again.
This time Auren didn't dodge immediately.
Instead…
He stepped forward.
The movement surprised everyone watching.
The machine swung its arm downward.
Auren twisted lightly beneath the strike.
His body spun.
Hair flowing like silver ribbons.
The glowing blade traced a beautiful arc through the air.
SLASH.
The sound was soft.
But the effect was immediate.
A deep glowing cut appeared across the golem's armored leg.
The massive machine staggered slightly.
Technicians stared in disbelief.
"That armor is reinforced!"
"How did he cut it?!"
Dr. Malik whispered softly.
"…Energy concentration."
Elena watched silently.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Something about this hunter felt… unnatural.
The golem roared mechanically and attacked again.
But now Auren had found the rhythm.
His body moved like flowing water.
He stepped around another strike.
Spun lightly behind the machine.
SLASH.
Another glowing cut appeared.
Then another.
The blade danced across the machine's armor.
Every strike precise.
Every movement elegant.
It truly looked like a performance.
Not a battle.
Not a struggle.
A dance.
And the center of that dance was Auren Kairos.
Finally—
The golem attempted a powerful overhead smash.
Auren's eyes flickered.
He saw it.
A weak point.
The energy core inside the machine.
Without hesitation—
He moved.
Astral Step activated.
His body vanished briefly.
Then reappeared above the machine's shoulder.
The observers gasped.
"He teleported?!"
Auren's body twisted gracefully in mid-air.
The glowing blade flashed.
Then—
THRUST.
The Celestial Spirit Blade pierced directly into the golem's energy core.
The machine froze.
Lights flickered violently across its body.
Then—
BOOM.
The construct collapsed.
Its massive frame crashing against the arena floor.
Silence filled the observation chamber.
No one spoke for several seconds.
The monitors displayed the final result.
Combat Test — Complete
Result: Target Destroyed
Dr. Malik slowly removed his glasses.
"…Impossible."
Elena stared at the arena below.
The silver-haired hunter stood quietly beside the fallen machine.
His glowing weapon slowly fading into particles of light.
He looked almost embarrassed by the attention.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen."
Garrick laughed loudly.
"Told you the kid was weird."
But Elena wasn't laughing.
Her mind was racing.
Because the data appearing on the screens made no sense.
The energy readings.
The movement speed.
The combat adaptability.
Everything about this hunter broke the standard rules.
She whispered quietly.
"…What exactly are you?"
And deep inside Auren's mind—
The Eternal Gate System responded.
---
System Progress Updated
Evolution Progress: 25%
Next Phase Approaching
---
The journey of the Spirit Sovereign had only just begun.