CHAPTER-26

LEVEL 1: TRAINING GROUNDS

The air was electric. Dense with dread.

A massive hall stretched endlessly before them—cold, metallic, cavernous. The cracked stone walls loomed high, ancient and silent, as if watching the fresh blood enter their sacred domain. Overhead, rusted iron beams groaned. The scent of sweat, steel, and rot coiled through the air like a curse that had been waiting generations.

This wasn't a training room. This was a graveyard with ambitions.

Daigo strolled in first—grinning like a lunatic, swagger in full effect.

"Yo, bro! You ready to die?" he shouted, voice echoing through the chamber with zero respect for the mood.

Ishigo trailed behind, arms crossed. "You're gonna get flattened first."

Daigo slung an arm around him. "Wouldn't dream of it. We die together, remember?"

"Tch. Try not to get me killed, dumbass."

Off to the side, Yeaga stood with his usual relaxed posture, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the room like he was already bored. "You two are seriously married at this point."

He turned toward Reika, who hadn't spoken a word since they entered. Her arms were folded, eyes locked on the gate at the far end of the hall.

"What about you, Icy Queen?" Yeaga smirked. "Getting cold feet?"

"Don't call me that," Reika said without looking at him. "Or I'll break yours."

Yeaga whistled low. "Damn. Frostbite confirmed."

Then the floor rumbled.

The massive iron gate at the far end began to rise with a shriek of grinding metal. Behind it—only blackness. A void that pulled the light out of the room and refused to give it back.

The instructor's voice rang out over the intercom, clinical and cold.

"Welcome to Level One. Survive—and you may awaken."

The gate slammed shut behind them with a finality that echoed through bone.

For a second, no one moved.

Then it crawled out of the dark.

Its body slithered into the dim light—seven feet tall, gangly, with blistered green skin bubbling like it was boiling from the inside. Glowing red eyes blinked out of sync. Its arms dragged across the ground, too long, ending in claws that twitched with anticipation. Its mouth opened, revealing fangs like rusted daggers and breath that reeked of death.

A wet growl rattled the walls.

Daigo blinked. "Bro… what the fuck is that?"

Reika's eyes widened. Her heartbeat slammed against her ribs. This wasn't a mock fight. This thing wanted to tear them apart.

The Shikiban charged—unnaturally fast, claws tearing into the stone as it lunged straight at her.

"MOVE!" she shouted, springing back.

Its claws slammed into the floor where she stood a second ago—stone shattered on impact, chunks flying like shrapnel.

Reika twisted mid-air, landed low, slid into a crouch.

She raised her head.

The creature was already moving again.

Too fast. Too strong.

She spun, looking for backup.

Gone.

Daigo, Ishigo, Yeaga—gone.

Those bastards left me?!

The Shikiban snarled, charging again, black ooze trailing behind it.

Reika ducked under a swipe, then snapped upward, elbow-first, striking the creature's jaw. It reeled back with a hiss. She spun, slammed her heel into its ribs. A bone cracked.

It didn't care.

It retaliated instantly, one claw swiping her across the arm—just barely grazing her.

Pain bloomed.

She hissed, falling back. Blood dripped down her sleeve.

The wound pulsed—burned.

Poison?

The creature's body shuddered—its broken ribs bubbling, regenerating.

Reika's breath caught.

This wasn't just a test. It was execution.

Elsewhere…

Daigo sprinted down one of the branching corridors, laughing and screaming at the same time.

"Ishigo! Bro! It's ON MY BACK!"

A Shikiban had latched onto him—its limbs coiled around his chest, claws digging in, its wet face nuzzled into his neck like a lover from hell.

"Get it off, get it OFF!"

Ishigo was beside him, running with focused eyes, not breaking stride.

"You're the idiot who ran first."

"It was chasing us! I was leading it away!" Daigo shrieked. "Hero move!"

"You ran like a coward," Ishigo said flatly.

Daigo tripped—a Shikiban launched from the ceiling, slamming him down.

His body hit the ground hard—shoulder-first, pain flaring. He rolled, the monster clinging on, limbs tightening like a vice.

Its breath hit his face—wet and rotted.

"OFF. ME," Daigo snarled, headbutting the beast. It flinched.

Ishigo moved.

One, two, three steps—measured, calm. He pivoted—then drove his heel into the creature's exposed ribs.

CRACK.

The Shikiban was launched off Daigo, black ichor splattering across the floor.

Ishigo grimaced. "Gross."

Daigo groaned, sitting up. "Dude… thanks. You're the best."

"Don't talk to me," Ishigo muttered.

Then both froze.

The Shikiban twitched.

Then moved.

Already healing.

"Shit," Daigo muttered, raising his fists. "Round two."

Back in the main hall…

Reika's blade gleamed silver as it cut through the Shikiban's arm—severing it at the elbow. The limb hit the ground with a splat, leaking foul liquid.

But the creature didn't flinch.

Its mouth opened, and it laughed.

She stepped back, disgust twisting her gut.

Its remaining claw swept out—she dodged low, kicked out its knee, then spun and drove her palm into its chest. The hit landed—but it felt like striking wet concrete.

The Shikiban retaliated, backhanding her across the ribs. She was flung into the wall with a thud, air driven from her lungs.

Pain exploded across her side.

She coughed, blood staining her lips.

Can't stop. Can't freeze.

She stood, shoulders trembling. Her eyes narrowed.

"Fine," she growled. "Let's see if you can regenerate this."

She sprinted forward—fast, unpredictable—then vanished at the last second into a slide. Under the beast's guard, she struck upward, blade-first.

Steel met soft flesh.

SHINK.

She impaled it through the throat.

The Shikiban gurgled—its body thrashing violently.

Then stilled.

Her arms trembled as she held the blade, breathing hard.

Elsewhere…

Three Shikiban lay in pieces.

Yeaga stood alone in a shallow pool of blackened gore, blood dripping from his sword.

He rolled his shoulders.

"Ugly bastards," he muttered, wiping blood from his cheek. "You used to be human once, huh?"

He glanced around.

No sign of Reika.

No sign of anyone.

Then—

A distant ROAR shook the chamber. The kind that bent stone and chilled blood.

Yeaga turned toward the sound, smirking.

"Heh. Guess she found the boss."

He flicked his sword, black blood splattering the ground. His eyes gleamed.

"Time to catch up."