The underground chamber of Thorn Dojo was silent.
Only the sound of Kyle’s heavy breathing filled the room.
His body was covered in sweat, and his muscles trembled from the intense training he had endured for the past weeks.
Elias stood in front of him, calmly observing.
“The Artificial Awakening Ceremony is approaching.”
Kyle raised his head.
He knew.
The day that would decide his future was getting closer.
“For most people,” Elias continued, “the ceremony is a chance to awaken their abilities.”
“But for you…”
He looked at Kyle seriously.
“It is a race against time.”
Kyle clenched his fists.
“I know.”
Elias nodded.
“Your progress has been beyond my expectations.”
“In less than three months, you have built a foundation that most ordinary people would need years to achieve.”
“Your body is already close to the standard of a Rank One Body Cultivator.”
Kyle froze.
“Rank One…”
The words felt distant.
For his entire life, Rank One Awakeners had been people from another world.
The Void Serpents who killed his mother.
The powerful students at the academy.
The people who stood above ordinary humans.
And now…
He was approaching that level.
Elias crossed his arms.
“But approaching is not reaching.”
Kyle lowered his head.
“I understand.”
A faint smile appeared on Elias’ face.
“Good.”
“My disciple cannot be inferior.”
Kyle looked up.
“If you are going to walk my path…”
“If you are going to carry the name of my disciple…”
“You must become someone worthy of it.”
Kyle’s heart beat faster.
“What do I have to do?”
Elias turned around.
“Increase your training.”
Kyle followed him with his eyes.
“Increase?”
He had already been training until his body collapsed every day.
What could possibly be harder?
Elias stopped at the center of the training room.
Then…
He released his Aura.
BOOM!
The entire underground chamber shook.
Kyle’s eyes widened.
An invisible force crashed onto his body.
His legs immediately gave out.
Bang!
His knees slammed into the ground.
“What…”
Kyle struggled to breathe.
“What is this?”
Elias looked down at him.
“This is Aura.”
Kyle’s pupils contracted.
“Aura?”
“Every Awakener produces Aura.”
“It is the pressure created by an awakened body.”
“It can be released consciously or unconsciously.”
“A powerful Awakener does not need to attack an enemy.”
“Their presence alone can make weaker beings unable to move.”
Kyle gritted his teeth.
The pressure was overwhelming.
It felt as if an entire mountain was pressing against him.
His arms shook violently.
His muscles screamed.
His bones felt like they were about to break.
“And this…”
Elias said calmly.
“…is only a tiny fraction of my Aura.”
Kyle’s eyes widened.
Only a fraction?
Then how terrifying was Elias’ true strength?
“Stand.”
Kyle looked up.
“What?”
“Stand.”
“How can I…”
“Your body can.”
Kyle clenched his teeth.
He tried.
Nothing happened.
His arms trembled.
His legs refused to move.
Then suddenly…
A memory appeared in his mind.
His mother’s smile.
Her voice.
The day she told him to always keep moving forward.
Then another memory.
The Void Serpents.
Their laughter.
Their arrogance.
The leader’s words.
“If you want revenge, become stronger and come back.”
Kyle’s eyes slowly turned cold.
“No…”
“I can’t stay down.”
His fingers dug into the stone floor.
“I refuse…”
“…to stay weak.”
Every muscle in his body tightened.
His arms shook.
His legs trembled.
His entire body screamed in protest.
But slowly…
He rose.
One knee lifted from the ground.
Then the other.
His body shook violently.
His face was covered in sweat.
Yet his eyes…
Were filled with determination.
Elias watched silently.
Even he was surprised.
An ordinary person should have collapsed immediately.
But Kyle…
Kyle was forcing himself to adapt.
Finally…
Kyle managed to stand.
Only for a few seconds.
Then his legs gave way.
Bang!
He collapsed again.
The Aura disappeared.
Kyle lay on the floor, gasping for air.
Elias looked at him.
“You did well.”
Kyle slowly opened his eyes.
“Really?”
Elias nodded.
“But you made a mistake.”
Kyle frowned.
“A mistake?”
“You fought the Aura.”
“You tried to overpower something much stronger than yourself.”
Kyle remained silent.
“Strength is not only about resisting.”
“It is about adapting.”
“Your body must learn to carry the pressure.”
“Your breathing.”
“Your muscles.”
“Your mind.”
“Everything must work together.”
Kyle slowly sat up.
“I understand.”
Elias turned away.
“No.”
“You don’t.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“But you will.”
He looked back.
“Again.”
Kyle stared at him.
His body was exhausted.
Every part of him wanted to rest.
But he remembered his promise.
He stood.
“Again.”
The Aura descended once more.
And Kyle began his next step toward becoming stronger.
The days that followed became the hardest days Kyle had ever experienced.
The iron weights.
The endurance training.
The combat practice.
All of them had been difficult.
But Aura training was different.
It did not only test his body.
It tested his entire existence.
Every morning, Kyle woke up feeling like his bones had been crushed and rebuilt.
His muscles were constantly sore.
His movements became slower.
Even holding a spoon during breakfast sometimes felt exhausting.
But every afternoon...
He returned to Thorn Dojo.
And Elias waited.
"Again."
That single word became Kyle's daily challenge.
The moment the Aura descended, his body would shake.
His knees would weaken.
His breathing would become chaotic.
At first, he could only survive for a few seconds.
Then ten seconds.
Then thirty.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
His body began to adapt.
Elias noticed the changes.
Kyle was learning how to distribute the pressure.
How to control his breathing.
How to relax his muscles instead of fighting against the invisible force.
It was still painful.
But it was no longer impossible.
...
However, the price of this training was high.
Kyle could no longer attend school every single day.
After one particularly brutal session, his body completely refused to move.
He tried to stand.
His legs failed.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Elias looked at him calmly.
"Your body needs recovery."
Kyle frowned.
"But school..."
"Missing one day will not destroy your future."
"Destroying your body will."
Kyle had no choice but to stay.
The next morning, for the first time in weeks...
Kyle did not go to New Horizon Academy.
He spent the entire day recovering.
But instead of resting comfortably, he sat in the dojo and reviewed everything he had learned.
Awakener ranks.
Mana.
Body cultivation.
Monster classifications.
Combat techniques.
He refused to waste time.
...
When his body finally recovered enough, Kyle returned to school.
The changes were immediate.
Some students noticed.
"Where has he been?"
"He disappeared for days."
"Maybe he finally gave up."
Kyle ignored the whispers.
Before, those words would have hurt him.
Now...
They were meaningless.
His goal was bigger than their opinions.
...
One afternoon after school, Kyle walked through the streets of the Ash District.
The sun was slowly setting.
His mind was focused on returning to the dojo.
Then...
Several figures blocked the road ahead.
Kyle stopped.
The same boys.
The same faces.
The same people who had once beaten him whenever they wanted.
One of them smiled.
"Well, look who decided to appear."
Another laughed.
"The little Ash District rat finally returned."
Kyle stared at them silently.
No anger.
No fear.
No begging.
That expression irritated them.
"What?"
"Did you forget how things work?"
"You think skipping school and disappearing makes you special?"
The tallest boy stepped forward.
"We train every day."
"We're already close to Rank One."
"And you?"
He looked at Kyle's worn clothes.
"You're still the same poor kid."
Kyle said nothing.
The boy frowned.
"Why isn't he scared?"
A strange feeling appeared in his chest.
Something was different.
This wasn't the same Kyle they used to bully.
"Whatever."
He threw a punch.
Kyle moved.
The fist passed beside his face.
The boy's eyes widened.
"He dodged?"
Kyle didn't hesitate.
His body moved according to Elias' training.
His footwork.
His balance.
His timing.
Everything had improved.
He stepped forward and punched.
Bang!
The boy stumbled backward.
The others froze.
"What?"
"How did he learn that?"
Kyle didn't answer.
He continued moving.
One punch.
One step.
One breath.
He fought like Elias taught him.
But...
The difference in strength remained.
These boys had trained for years.
One of them caught Kyle's arm and slammed him into the wall.
Bang!
Pain exploded through his back.
Another punch hit his stomach.
Kyle coughed.
They were stronger.
Much stronger.
But Kyle refused to fall.
He stood again.
Again.
And again.
The bullies became more shocked.
"This guy..."
"Why won't he stay down?"
Kyle wiped the blood from his mouth.
Then he remembered Elias' words.
"A fighter who cannot survive has no chance to win."
"Sometimes retreat is not weakness."
"It is preparation for the next battle."
Kyle looked around.
He knew.
He couldn't defeat all of them.
Not yet.
His body wasn't ready.
So he made a decision.
He would survive.
He kicked dust from the ground into their eyes.
"Hey!"
The boys covered their faces.
Kyle turned and ran.
"What?!"
"He escaped?"
The boys chased after him.
But the Ash District belonged to Kyle.
He knew every alley.
Every shortcut.
Every broken road.
Within minutes...
He disappeared.
The bullies stopped at the empty street, furious.
"That rat escaped."
One of them clenched his fist.
"But..."
"He changed."
The others remained silent.
Because they knew it too.
The weak boy they used to beat without effort...
Was gone.
...
Far away, Kyle leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.
His body hurt.
He had lost.
But he smiled.
Because today...
He proved something.
He was no longer helpless.
And somewhere in the distance...
The Awakening Ceremony was getting closer.