He woke up to the scent of grass and medicine.
The first thing he saw was Shang Jiao sitting beside him, arms crossed, her vine armor dissolving into green smoke.
"How do you feel?"
Her voice was softer than usual.
Tianyu blinked around the temporary field tent. His limbs trembled as he tried to sit up.
"I feel… sore. Really tired… but I'm okay."
He downed the warm water she handed him. Shang Jiao sighed.
"You're lucky you're just tired. First time armor transformation—and you go fight a Bronze-level beast head-on. Nobody else would be crazy enough to try that."
Her tone was scolding, but her eyes were glowing with admiration.
"When I was your age, if I saw a Bronze-level beast, I'd run in the opposite direction," she muttered.
*
A deep, hearty voice came from the entrance of the tent.
"So this is the famous Tianyu?"
Chief Instructor Lin Zexian stepped inside, towering and broad-shouldered. His presence alone felt like a pillar pressed into the earth.
