The sun filtered through the dense canopy of the Star Dou Forest. It was a beautiful morning, peaceful and quiet.
SNAP.
"Ah, not again."
Yu Tianheng sat by the smoldering fire pit. He held the two halves of a metal spoon.
He had just tried to scoop some oatmeal.
"That is the third spoon, Captain," Arthev noted, sitting nearby and sharpening a kunai.
"We only brought ten. At this rate, you will be eating with your hands by lunch."
Yu Tianheng looked at his hands. They were covered in dried blood and grime, but beneath the dirt, the skin looked tougher.
"I can't control it," Yu Tianheng admitted, frustration leaking into his voice. "I try to grip it gently, but my fingers just... crush."
He picked up his canteen to take a drink.
CRUNCH.
The metal canteen crumpled like a paper cup. Water squirted all over his face.
"Refreshing," Osler snickered from his sleeping bag.
"Shut up, Osler," Yu Tianheng grumbled, wiping his face.
"It is a stat adjustment," Arthev explained, not looking up from his sharpening.
"The 10,000-year ring didn't just give you a skill. It rewrote your muscle density. You are operating on hydraulic press logic while your brain is still using chopsticks logic."
"How long until I stop breaking things?"
"A week," Arthev said. "Which is good, because we have six days left in the forest."
Dugu Yan groaned from the girls' tent. "Six... more... days? I have run out of wet wipes. I am officially a savage."
Qin Ming dropped from his tree branch. He looked fresh, having eaten a breakfast of wild berries he didn't share.
"Tianheng," Qin Ming said. "Before we continue the survival training, we need to document the Fourth Skill. The Academy Board will want to know what a Black Ring does to a Soul Ancestor."
The team gathered around. Even the Graphite Brothers stopped wrestling (they were bored) to watch.
"Pick a target," Qin Ming ordered.
Yu Tianheng stood up. He looked around the clearing, flexing his fingers. Then he shook his head.
"No target. Hit me."
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Test it," Yu Tianheng said, rolling his shoulder.
"If this skill is what I think it is, I need to know its limits. Full force, Instructor."
Osler cracked his knuckles immediately, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"I volunteer. I've been dying to punch you for real ever since you crushed my canteen."
Shi Mo grunted from the side, "Let him. We want to see if the Captain's new scales are tougher than ours."
Shi Mo nodded in agreement.
"If they're not, we're still the wall of this team."
Before anyone could stop him, Osler lunged. His fist, coated in a thin layer of yellow soul power, rocketed straight for Yu Tianheng's chest.
"Fourth Soul Skill."
The Black Ring erupted from Yu Tianheng's feet. But instead of launching him skyward, the violet lightning solidified.
"Thunder-Scale Tyrant Armor."
CRACKLE—THOOM.
The blue lightning vanished, replaced by thick, oppressive metallic-violet scales that erupted across his entire torso, shoulders, and right arm. They weren't translucent energy, they were physical, overlapping like dragonhide, steam hissing from the interlocking joints. His right hand elongated into wicked, clawed digits. He looked like a half-dragon warlord.
Dugu Yan stopped mid-moisturize, her eyes widening.
"Oh. That's... actually impressive."
Yu Feng lowered his bow, genuinely startled. "He looks like a monster."
Shi Mo stepped forward involuntarily.
"Those scales... they're denser than my Rock Armor. By a lot."
Osler's fist connected square with his chest.
CLANG!
The sound was like a sledgehammer hitting an anvil.
Osler froze, his knuckles pressed against the violet plating. His grin faltered.
"Why does it feel... tingly?"
ZZZZZAP—BOOM!
Violet arcs detonated from the point of contact. Osler was hurled backward like a ragdoll, crashing through a bush and skidding to a stop against a tree. Smoke curled from his singed sleeves. His hair stood straight up.
"Tingly," Osler croaked, twitching on the forest floor.
"He said tingly."
Yu Feng rushed over.
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm seeing... sounds," Osler mumbled.
Arthev knelt beside him, checking his pulse.
"He'll live. But that was just a recoil from a casual punch. If an enemy commits to a full-power strike?"
Arthev looked up at Yu Tianheng.
"They'll be fried instantly. This skill perfectly counters close-combat fighters."
Qin Ming wasn't satisfied. He drew his sword, condensing a razor-sharp crescent of wind energy.
"Stand still, Tianheng. I need to see the upper ceiling."
SWISH—CRASH!
The wind blade slammed into Yu Tianheng's chest. The force sent him sliding backward two meters, his feet carving deep trenches in the dirt. Dust and debris exploded outward.
When it cleared, Yu Tianheng stood unharmed. A few superficial scratches marred the violet scales, but they were already knitting back together with faint sparks.
"Unbelievable," Qin Ming whispered, lowering his sword.
"That strike would have pierced three inches of steel plate."
Yu Tianheng looked down at his draconic arm, flexing the claws.
"The activation cost is lighter than I thought, maybe 25%. Sustaining it drains about 10% per minute. I can hold this for a full fight."
Arthev's eyes gleamed with calculation.
"A supreme defensive skill. It releases a counter-shock the moment you're struck."
He looked at the captain.
"You're not a diver anymore. You're a walking fortress. Any team that relies on brawlers or assassins will shatter themselves against you."
------
Day 3
The supplies were gone. The fish in the nearby river had migrated or rather fled from Osler's splashing.
"I am hungry," Shi Mo announced. "I need meat. Big meat."
"We hunt," Arthev said.
They split into pairs. Arthev went with Osler.
"Why do I get you?" Osler whined as they crept through the bushes.
"You're scary."
"Because you are fast, and I am quiet,"
Arthev said.
"Shh."
Arthev pointed. A large, fat Forest Rabbit was chewing on a root. It was a 10-year soul beast. Lunch.
"Get it," Arthev whispered.
"Easy."
Osler activated his Ghost Leopard speed. He dashed forward.
Snap.
He stepped on a dry twig.
The rabbit's ears perked up. It saw the drooling boy in leopard print coming at it.
The rabbit didn't run. It spun around and kicked.
Thwack.
The rabbit's powerful hind legs hit Osler right in the nose.
"OW!" Osler grabbed his face.
The rabbit hopped away, pausing only to wiggle its tail in mockery.
Arthev sighed. He picked up a small stone. He didn't use soul power. He just calculated the trajectory.
Fwip. Thump.
The rabbit fell over, unconscious.
"You got beat up by a bunny," Arthev noted, picking up dinner.
"It knew kung fu!" Osler defended himself, checking his nose for blood.
"That was a martial artist rabbit!"
----
Day 5
It rained again. The forest was soaking wet.
The team sat huddled under Arthev's tree-canopy shelter. They were cold. They were miserable.
"I want soup," Yu Feng whispered.
"Hot soup. With cream. And croutons."
"We have water," Arthev said, stirring a pot over the fire.
"And we have... things."
"What things?" Dugu Yan asked suspiciously, peering into the pot. The liquid was a questionable shade of brown.
"Roots," Arthev said.
"Mushrooms."
"Are the mushrooms poisonous?" Ye Lingling asked.
"Only if you eat them raw," Arthev lied (mostly).
"Heat breaks down the toxins."
He ladled out bowls.
The team stared at it. It smelled like earth and garlic.
Shi Mo took the first bite. His eyes widened.
"It... has flavor," he gasped.
"Wild garlic and star-anise root," Arthev explained.
"Nature is a spice rack if you know where to look."
They ate it like it was a five-star meal.
"Arthev," Dugu Yan said, wiping her mouth.
"You know, if you weren't so annoying with the training, you would make a good husband. You can cook, you can build houses, and you are rich."
Arthev looked up.
"Those are survival skills, not husband qualifications. Besides, I charge consultation fees."
Dugu Yan laughed.
"You really know how to ruin a compliment."
------
High above, Spark was also eating. He was eating a cold, hard biscuit.
"They have stew," Spark whined into his comms.
"I can practically smell the garlic through the feed .
"You cannot," Whisper replied flatly.
"I know, but my imagination can."
"Maintain distance. Have you observed any anomalies?"
"The Captain breaks everything he touches," Spark reported.
"He crushed his water bottle. He ripped his pants trying to sit down. It's hilarious."
"Strength increase," Whisper noted.
"And Arthev?"
"He's cooking. He's lecturing them on mushroom identification. He's... boring."
"Boring is often a disguise," Whisper said. "Keep observing."
Spark tore off another bite of his biscuit.
"I swear, if they start roasting meat after this, I'm requesting hazard pay."
Whisper ignored the complaint.
"Continue the observation."
Spark grumbled and kept watching the tiny figures around the campfire, wishing he were anywhere but the academy cafeteria.
-----
Day 7
The week was over.
The Royal Team stood at the edge of the forest. They looked different than when they entered.
Their expensive clothes were stained and torn. Their hair was wild. Osler had a scratch on his nose from the kung fu rabbit.
But their eyes were different. They weren't looking at the ground anymore. They were scanning the perimeter. They stood balanced, ready to move.
"We survived," Shi Mo said, patting his stomach. "And I lost two kilograms."
"I gained muscle," Yu Tianheng said, clenching his fist. He didn't crush the air this time. He controlled it. "I can hold a spoon now."
"Progress," Arthev nodded.
Qin Ming walked out of the woods. He looked exactly the same as he did seven days ago. Clean. Rested.
"Well done," Qin Ming smiled. "You didn't die. And you didn't call for help. I am impressed."
"We are awesome," Yu Feng declared.
"Now, can we go back to the dorms? I need a mattress. A soft, fluffy mattress."
"Yes," Arthev said.
"We walk back."
"WALK?!" The team screamed in unison.
"Just kidding," Arthev smirked.
"Teacher Qin Ming has called the carriage yesterday. It's waiting around the bend."
The team cheered. They actually hugged Arthev.
"You have a heart!" Dugu Yan cried.
"It is a small heart," Arthev said, patting her back awkwardly.
"Let's go."
As they loaded into the plush, velvet carriage, Arthev looked back at the forest.
He tapped his eye.
'The rat is still there,' he thought.
'He's persistent,' Shukaku grunted. 'Want me to bury him?'
'No. Let him follow. We are going back to the Academy anyway.'
The carriage rolled away, leaving the Star Dou Forest behind. Inside, the Royal Team fell asleep instantly, piling onto each other like puppies.
Arthev stayed awake, watching the trees blur past.
To be continued...