Days later…
"Ahhh!" Rael cried out in pain as he pressed his hand against the boiling metal. Embers from the forge below scorched his chest, sending waves of agony through his body. He collapsed, then forced himself back up, each movement more excruciating than the last. Sweat poured down his face as if his bones were being reduced to ash.
Thoughts of giving up crept into his mind. But his body kept moving. Unrelenting.
"I'll do whatever it takes... whatever it takes!"
His muscles trembled violently, but still, he rose and lowered himself again—one more push-up. Then another.
And another.
His arms burned, but his resolve burned hotter.
A previously untapped energy coursed through him as if answering his pain, desire, and determination.
Despite what many believe, Eternium is more than just a fundamental "energy" flowing through existence—it responds to emotion, will, and belief. It almost feels alive.
At this moment, Rael had only one wish: to become stronger.
And so… many days passed.
-
-
[RAEL – POV]
BAM!
My hands burned as they smashed into the metal wall before me.
It had been weeks of this. Endurance training, weapon drills, reflex testing, conditioning beneath literal fire—Sensei had been unrelenting.
But I asked for it. No, I begged for it.
Each push-up brought me closer to the flames, closer to the pain. But I had to keep going. That's what Sensei taught me.
Now, my body felt transformed—unrecognizable. I was no longer the powerless boy I once was.
"Now…"
My right hand pulsed with bluish energy—like the cosmos, like starlight.
I clenched my fist and shifted into my stance.
"BREAK!"
My punch struck the metal wall—only this time, there was no pain.
BOOM!
The wall exploded on contact. This wasn't ordinary metal—it was far more resistant than stone. And yet, it wasn't just the wall that cracked.
Behind it, a gaping hole stretched over thirty meters deep.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Haha…"
A faint laugh escaped my lips. A laugh of satisfaction, of joy.
"Axis, what are the odds I could beat that awakened guy from the alley?" I asked with a half-smile.
[Analyzing memory… Based on your current capabilities, your chances are approximately… 99.87%.]
I let the number roll through my mind. Not 100%. But close enough.
"Good enough."
[Tomorrow is your last day here. Are you ready for the last challenge?]
I sighed at Axis' words. That's right.
Tomorrow, I'll fight Sensei again. One last time.
I was nervous—more than I wanted to admit. Not because I feared losing… but because I didn't want to disappoint him.
I didn't want to leave this place having failed.
[Be optimistic. You've grown tremendously. Let's face it together.]
"…Thanks, Axis."
A small smile formed on my lips.
---
[SAKURA – POV]
"You've done enough for today. Go rest."
I opened my eyes, breaking concentration, and found Sensei standing in front of me, her expression as unreadable as always.
"Agh…" Pain spiked through my skull as soon as I moved—a side effect of overusing Eternium.
"Using Eternium puts a tremendous strain on your body. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow," Sensei said before turning away.
...Sigh.
I held my head, trying to push the pain aside.
"The day's almost here, huh…" I whispered, summoning a small flame in my hand. My time here was ending. After everything, it had gone by so fast.
Sensei once told me that being able to manipulate Eternium in under three months was rare. Most Weavers took years to do what I had done in mere months.
But it wasn't just talent—it was Axis… and something inside me changing.
It's hard to explain.
It's like I can see the lines that shape the world… and now, somehow, I can touch them. Reshape them. Bend them to my will.
But not like Sensei can—not yet.
'One day,' I told myself.
Even with Axis helping, I still couldn't change Eternium's form the way she could.
"Anyway… I need to sleep. I can't keep my eyes open."
Before I could finish the thought, sleep pulled me under.
-
-
Elsewhere, In the Void Between Floors…
Two figures stood in the endless void, surrounded by silence.
One was Yerin, her eyes sharp with irritation as she stared at a third figure—a terrified, broken man mumbling incoherent words.
The man was none other than the awakened man who had attacked Rael's grandmother. His body trembled as if something unseen whispered into his ear.
"Master, are we really keeping this garbage alive?" Yerin asked, one hand twitching, ready to strike him down.
Yato, standing beside her, gazed into the abyss with a faint smile.
"Don't rush, little one," he said softly. "Everyone has its use… eventually."