Dawn broke differently now.
Not soft.
Not gentle.
But demanding.
Aetherion Academy — The Training Grounds
The students no longer returned home.
The academy had become their world.
Dorms. Grounds. Arena. Silence.
Everything now revolved around one thing—
Growth.
The morning air was cold, carrying a sharp edge that bit into the skin.
Rows of students stood across the vast training field.
Wooden swords in hand.
Bodies tense.
Eyes forward.
Jin Sakamoto stood at the front, arms crossed.
"Begin."
The sound of wood cutting air echoed in unison.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Repetition.
Discipline.
Precision.
Arios stood slightly ahead of his row.
In his hand—
A wooden sword.
Not ordinary.
Not simple.
It was the one given to him by Lucien Dreamveil.
And it had grown with him.
Same weight.
Same balance.
Same feeling.
Like an extension of his existence.
Swing.
The blade cut forward.
Clean.
Swing.
His stance adjusted.
Refined.
Swing.
His breathing aligned with motion.
Unlike the others—
Arios didn't feel burdened.
He felt… alive.
His body had changed over the past days.
Muscles defined.
Movements sharper.
Every swing carried intent.
And with each repetition—
A faint whitish-blue aura began to radiate from him.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
Inside his mind—
The system responded.
Ding.
Host has trained sufficiently.
Daily Quest System Unlocked.
Instant Zones Unlocked.
Note: Failure to complete daily tasks will result in forced entry into an Instant Zone for 4 hours of survival.
Reward: Instant Recovery.
Arios didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't react outwardly.
He simply—
Continued.
999.
His arms burned.
His muscles trembled.
But his grip didn't falter.
1000.
The final swing cut through the air—
Perfect.
Ding.
Daily Quest Completed.
Reward Activated: Instant Recovery.
A surge of energy washed through him.
Fatigue—
Gone.
Muscle strain—
Gone.
His body reset instantly to peak condition.
Arios blinked once.
Then smiled slightly.
"…That's useful."
From a distance—
Jin noticed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
A faint smirk formed.
He recovered instantly…
So that's how it is.
"He's royalty after all… it should be expected."
But even then—
Jin's gaze lingered longer than usual.
Across the field—
The girls trained differently.
Body conditioning.
Balance drills.
Core strengthening.
Control exercises.
At the center—
Lysera Dreamveil moved with quiet precision.
Her long half-white, half-black hair swayed with each motion.
Her crimson eyes—
Focused.
Calculating.
While others strained—
Lysera adapted.
Each movement refined itself.
Each action became more efficient.
More controlled.
Inside her mind—
Her system pulsed.
Steady.
Constant.
Ding.
Experience Accumulated.
Soul-Based Growth Threshold Reached.
Reward: Soul Bead Acquired.
A small, glowing orb manifested within her internal space.
Dense.
Pure.
Radiating quiet power.
Lysera paused for a fraction of a second.
Then continued training.
So this is how it works…
Not just body.
Not just technique.
But—
Soul.
She smiled faintly.
Not far from them—
The other royal bloodlines trained with equal intensity.
Borus — Void Eclipse crackling faintly around his arms as he pushed through physical drills.
Lex — Fire energy suppressed but visible, heat radiating subtly as he endured strain.
Destiny — movements precise, almost… predictive.
Cecil — grounded, stable, like an ocean holding itself together.
Veldama — blood aura faintly pulsing beneath her skin, controlled but dangerous.
None of them complained.
None of them slowed.
They all understood now—
This wasn't preparation.
This was selection.
Hours passed.
Sweat.
Strain.
Silence.
Finally—
Jin stepped forward.
Clap.
The sound echoed across the field.
Instantly—
Everything stopped.
"Good work," Jin said calmly.
"I've seen improvements."
The students breathed heavily.
But something was different.
They could feel it.
Their bodies—
Stronger.
Their minds—
Sharper.
Their instincts—
Awake.
Arios flexed his fingers slightly.
I got stronger…
Not by a lot.
But enough.
Lysera closed her eyes briefly.
The soul bead… I'll use it soon.
Jin's gaze swept across them.
Measuring.
Evaluating.
Then—
He smiled.
Just slightly.
"For the afternoon lesson…"
A pause.
The air shifted.
"…you will spar against each other."
Silence.
Then—
Energy.
Arios' lips curled into a grin.
Finally.
Lysera tilted her head slightly.
Her crimson eyes gleamed as her hair shifted with the wind.
Across the field—
Borus smirked.
Lex cracked his knuckles.
Destiny's eyes sharpened.
Cecil stood firm.
Veldama smiled faintly.
The tension rose.
Not hostility.
Not rivalry.
Excitement.
Jin turned away slightly.
"Prepare yourselves."
Because now—
They wouldn't just train.
They would fight.