The instant Markandeya accepted the Subspace Arena challenge, his inner realm shivered. The spiral of qi, the glowing chakra node, and even the silent embers of his proto-realm responded to an unseen force. A ripple, like a cosmic pulse, echoed through his soul. Light twisted, folding reality into threads, and a vortex opened.
> [Challenge Accepted: Baptism of Will - Tier Ascension Trial] Subspace Arena Initialization... Realm Constructed: Willforge Bastion Opponent Assigned: Reflective Clone - Emotional Mirror Win Condition: Survive and Stabilize Self-Construct for 30 minutes
Markandeya felt himself pulled through the thread of creation. His vision blurred, not from movement, but from transformation. When the world resolved, he stood on a circular stone platform suspended in a silver void. Above him hung a fractured moon, and below, countless stars twinkled like watchful eyes.
The arena pulsed with ancestral energy. Runes on the floor shimmered with every breath he took. There were no spectators, no crowd—only a test.
Across from him, a figure stepped into being.
Himself.
But not exactly.
This Markandeya bore all his scars. All his guilt. All his anger.
Eyes burning with abandonment.
Shoulders bent with burdens too young for the age he carried.
> [Opponent: Emotional Mirror - Hostile Self Constructed from Karmic Residue and Suppressed Trauma.] Status: Fully Synchronised
Markandeya clenched his fists. "So it's that kind of trial."
The clone moved first—fast. Not with enhanced speed, but with purpose. Every motion familiar, yet twisted. A left jab turned into a burst of fire chakra; a spin kick followed with soul pressure meant to fracture focus.
Markandeya responded instinctively. He ducked under the jab, kicked a pillar of qi into existence, and used it to vault back. He needed distance.
"I don't want to fight myself," he muttered.
His clone laughed. "You always say that. But you are your own worst enemy."
The clone struck again, this time unleashing a phantom thread—one of Markandeya's recent techniques. Soul Thread Recoil activated automatically, saving him from overload.
"You've learned well," the clone said. "But so have I."
---
Time lost meaning.
Fifteen minutes in, the real battle began. Not between fists, but within the soul.
The clone whispered as they clashed, each blow laced with memory.
"Remember when you blamed yourself for Father's silence?" Whip of guilt.
"How you hated being average in a world that asked for brilliance?" Slash of resentment.
"That night you cried alone under broken stars and wished to disappear?" Hammer of despair.
Markandeya faltered.
But only briefly.
He planted his foot and drew not from rage, but from reflection. He was guilty. He was afraid. He did hate parts of himself.
And that was okay.
"I'm not perfect," he said aloud, clashing with his clone. "But I'm surviving. Evolving. That's enough for today."
The arena pulsed.
> [Self-Stabilization Threshold Passed. Emotional Integrity: 74% -> 93%]
The clone stumbled.
"You… forgave yourself?"
Markandeya nodded. He stepped forward and embraced the clone. Energy sparked. The clone convulsed—and dissipated into threads of light.
> [Victory: Self Integration Complete.] Reward: +500 Soul Points | Trait: Will Anchor | Access Unlocked: Subspace Layer I]
---
The arena dissolved. Markandeya appeared once more in the core realm, his body floating gently above his proto-inner realm.
But something had changed.
A circle of gold now glowed beneath him.
The system pinged.
> [Trait: Will Anchor - Acquired] Description: When facing emotional instability or spirit-level illusions, user gains 50% resistance. Boosts long-term soul cohesion.
> [New System Feature: Subspace Layer I] Function: A personalized trial world accessible from inner realm. Can spawn enemies, simulate conditions, or reconstruct past events.
Markandeya exhaled.
Growth wasn't always about destruction. Sometimes it was about integration.
He sat cross-legged and activated Subspace Layer I.
The world around him warped into a smaller arena—this time, a wooden dojo. Calm. Quiet. Configurable.
He began recreating past techniques, refining chakra-flow, experimenting with dual-path applications.
Hours passed.
He recreated the boneleaf cloak and tested its properties in simulated hunts. He practiced delayed soul thread applications and layered qi-fire-illusion constructs. He mapped chakra paths using mist from the spirit beast realm.
His power was no longer just raw. It was becoming refined.
---
As he logged off the Subspace, a message blinked.
> [Chat Lobby - Priority Notification from Member: Void-Eyed Saintess]
> "New ruins detected in the Faith Nebula Belt. Tier-1 Trial confirmed. Recruiting members with creative path merging and strong mental resistance."
Markandeya stared.
He wasn't ready to join such elites.
Or was he?
His fingers hovered.
He tapped: [Interested. Requesting Details.]
A reply came instantly:
> "You survived Baptism of Will on your first attempt. You're already above most. Come prepared."
His heart pounded.
A new chapter was opening. Not of fear. Not of reaction.
But of choice.
---