Ayush's eyes slowly fluttered open. A faint, soothing warmth clung to his skin as he raised his head, staring blankly at the arched ceiling above. He was lying on a soft, surprisingly comfortable bed draped in woven silk. Automatically, his hands rushed across his chest and arms, checking his body—the deep slashed cuts, the agonizing third-degree burns, and the intense physical trauma from the devastating clash with Len were completely gone. Every single wound was fully healed, leaving behind smooth, unblemished skin.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position, a sudden spike of sharp anxiety hitting his chest as he glanced around the unfamiliar, stone-carved room.
"Where are Aryan and Vikas...?" he thought, his lungs tightening as his breathing quickened. They weren't with him. The silence in the room was deafening. He was completely, utterly alone.
Ayush swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. His knees felt slightly weak and shaky, but he managed to force himself forward, walking slowly toward a large arched window on the far side of the chamber. He leaned his weight against the cold stone frame, looking outside—and the breath instantly left his lungs.
It was a realm so vast, boundless, and breathtaking that it defied every rule of logic and geography he knew. The landscape stretched out as far as his eyes could see, carrying an air of incredible beauty and serene, undisturbed peace.
Down below, dozens of monstrous creatures were scattered across lush, glowing glades. But they weren't fighting, roaring, or slaughtering each other as the Guild textbooks always claimed. Little monster cubs were laughing, chasing floating specks of ambient light, and playing games together in the grass. The adult creatures stood in small circles, conversing quietly, their faces illuminated with genuine happiness. It looked like an absolute, heavenly paradise carved out of a dream.
Ayush squinted, instinctively shielding his eyes as he looked up toward the sky to find the source of the soft, golden illumination. There was no sun.
As he observed the ceiling and horizon closer, a chilling realization slowly washed over him: this entire endless realm was completely underground. The glowing atmosphere wasn't sunlight at all—it was being produced by massive, bioluminescent crystal clusters and ancient, magical roots running deep within the earth's crust.
"How is a place like this even possible under the surface...?" Ayush whispered to himself, his voice lost in the grand scale of the domain.
He tilted his head further up, peering directly into the shadowy depths of the colossal cavern roof. Suspended high above the peaceful sanctuary were massive, ancient monster skulls and the fossilized remains of colossal, primordial spiders—monstrous structures so immense that just dropping a single bone could easily obliterate an entire human kingdom in a matter of seconds.
Ayush rubbed his throbbing temples, mentally piecing together everything that had transpired before he lost consciousness. The desperate fight, Len's overwhelming strength, the terrifying lava domain, and the inferno that consumed the forest...
TAP.
A soft, measured footstep echoed off the stone floor behind him. Ayush spun around instantly—and froze.
Len was standing near the doorway, leaning loosely against the frame, looking as composed, cool, and completely unbothered as ever.
Instinct took over instantly. Ayush's eyes flared with sudden hostility as he immediately channeled every drop of his remaining mana, activating his newly unlocked skill: [Shadow Knight]!
FWOSH—!
A violent vortex of pitch-black energy coiled tightly around his forearms, transforming his hands into razor-sharp, dark-armored talons that hummed with killing intent.
Len didn't even bother drawing a weapon. He didn't even shift his footing. He simply raised his right hand, casually flicking his wrist in a slight, effortless circular motion.
BOOM—!
An invisible, gravity-defying wave of crushing pressure slammed down onto Ayush like a falling mountain! Ayush instantly collapsed onto the hard stone floor, his knees crashing down with a sickening thud. Before he could even try to push back against the force, the system window hovering in his vision flickered violently and completely vanished into thin air. His dark armored gauntlets dissolved into smoke, forcing him straight back into his base human form.
A sharp, throbbing headache surged straight through Ayush's temples as he desperately gripped his head, gritting his teeth hard against the cold stone floor.
"Not in here, kid," Len said calmly, lowering his hand back into his coat pocket. "Don't bring that meaningless violence into this sanctuary."
Len took a few slow steps closer, stopping right in front of the struggling boy and looking down at him. "You remember our deal, don't you? As of now, I am your master. And starting from today, I'm going to teach you how to actually use the raw power sitting inside you."
Ayush pushed himself up onto his trembling elbows, glaring up at Len with a chaotic mix of sheer shock and lingering pride. "Bro... what?! Are you serious right now?! I literally almost defeated you back in that forest!"
Len looked down at him dead in the eyes, a faint, amused smirk playing on his lips.
"Bro... that was literally just my Phase One," Len replied dryly, his tone completely flat. "And I wasn't even using 30% of my full capacity. Remember, kid—I am a monster, not a human."
Len casually gestured with his chin toward the window, where the peaceful creatures were still playing outside. "By the way, you can't just wander around out there looking like that. Everyone in this haven is a monster. If a human walks out looking like an outsider, they'll get uncomfortable... maybe even scared of you."
Len reached into his inner coat, pulled out a sleek, obsidian-dark mask, and tossed it toward Ayush. It landed softly on the edge of the bed.
"Put this on," Len instructed.
Ayush stared at the sleek dark mask for a long moment, let out a heavy sigh, and picked it up, securing the straps tightly over his face. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, testing his balance as his strength slowly returned.
Len turned toward the heavy wooden door, his long cloak fluttering behind him as he stepped into the hallway. "Let's go. Your training starts today."
Ayush cracked his knuckles, adjusting the mask over his nose, and let out a dry, defeated laugh under his breath. "Alright... fine. What choice do I even have right now anyway? Let's go."