Try Again.

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Ashen's routine remained mostly unchanged.

He activated his bracelet to practice the breathing technique whenever he had free time. 

Cramming his head with information about wild beast behavior, from their names to their habitats and so on, had also become routine.

As for the coach's physical training? It didn't stop after the breathing exercises were introduced… If anything, it got even more brutal, much to everyone's misery.

On the bright side, after enduring the agony of MistForge Breath for an entire week, Ashen finally passed the first level.

He felt a strange clarity then. The discomfort was still there, but it became secondary. His body was adapting to the foreign breathing pattern, making it feel slightly less alien.

Of course, the second level brought everything back. And then some. So for now, the agony continued.

*

At present, Ashen stood among twenty other trainees, waiting for their turn to try the rumored Dream Dive Devices.

These were the same machines he had stumbled upon on his first day at the academy. 

Back then, Sabrina had explained that they allowed users to experience combat scenarios in vivid, hyper-realistic dreams, providing unfiltered training in a perfectly safe environment.

What she hadn't mentioned was that this was just preparation.

In two weeks, they'd be sent on mandatory missions where they would be forced to venture into the nearby forest. 

And that place was teeming with danger and hungry beasts eager to tear them apart.

At least the coach had assured them that they'd start weapon-handling classes this week.

So there was that.

A few minutes later, Ashen found himself strapped onto a pod-like bed, a sleek helmet snug over his head.

He took a deep breath, trying to temper his excitement. After all, he was about to live out one of his childhood fantasies.

Then, a robotic voice echoed in his ears.

[Dream start]

The world around him melted away.

When his vision cleared, he was standing in a dense forest, one eerily reminiscent of the place he had dropped into after his kidnapping.

Ashen took a moment to process his surroundings. Every detail felt real. The scent of damp earth, the cool breeze brushing against his skin, even the subtle stickiness of humidity clinging to the air.

'Creepy…'

His gaze landed on a rack of weapons, completely out of place in this environment.

He didn't dwell on the details and simply grabbed a sturdy spear, giving it a test grip before turning his attention back to the forest.

Just as he took a step forward, a familiar sound sent a chill down his spine.

"Aouuu!"

The distant howl was unmistakable.

His body tensed on instinct, muscle memory recognizing the threat before his mind could catch up. 

He knew that sound too well… anyone would, after being hunted by dozens of those hyena-like beasts for days.

His legs moved before he could think, propelling him forward as he dashed into the trees, putting his now somewhat trained body to work.

But no matter how fast he ran, the growls only grew closer.

Goosebumps prickled his skin as though he could feel their hot breath against his back.

Then, a thought struck him.

'Wait. Why am I running?'

His steps skidded to a stop.

Gripping his spear tighter, he turned to face the approaching beasts, forcing the tension in his chest to steady.

'It's not like I can die here. Might as well face them and learn something.'

The reassurance barely kept his nerves in check, but it was enough.

As the first beast lunged, his breath instinctively aligned with the first pattern of MistForge Breath.

Time seemed to slow.

The creature's powerful jaws gaped wide, aiming for his flesh—

—but a perfectly timed thrust drove his spear straight into its open maw.

A strangled yelp and then a spray of blood…

Ashen yanked the spear free, swallowing down the nausea clawing at his throat.

Another beast lunged from the side. He swung in a wide arc, the spear slicing across its flank and sending it tumbling.

For a brief moment, he thought he had control of the fight.

He was wrong.

Out of nowhere, a beast dropped down from the treetops, its claws raking against his shoulder as it crashed into him.

"AH—!"

The force sent him sprawling at the feet of three more waiting beasts.

They pounced immediately on the now-free meal.

Agonizing pain erupted across his body as sharp fangs tore into his flesh. His spear slipped from his grasp, his limbs jerking involuntarily.

He barely managed to rasp out the emergency keyword—

"R—RESET!"

Everything shattered into white particles.

A message flickered in his vision, asking if he wanted to try again or quit. A timer hovered at the edge of his sight, indicating his remaining session time.

Ashen just stared, breath heaving, body still rattling from phantom pain.

Even knowing it wasn't real didn't make it any less terrifying.

Finally, he let out a shaky chuckle.

'Now I know why most people refuse to use all their allotted time…'

His fingers hovered over the options.

His hands were still trembling slightly, but…

"Haah… here goes nothing."

With a deep breath, he pressed "Try Again."

*

When the session time expired, the device disconnected automatically. 

Ashen removed the helmet and sat up groggily, still dazed by the dozen near-death encounters he had just endured.

As he came out of his stupor, he found himself face-to-face with Sabrina, looking as prim and proper as ever. She regarded him with a faint smile.