Landen checked himself for any signs of injury. There was nothing—no cuts, bruises, internal damage, or cracked ribs. His body was completely intact. The only thing he felt was a deep ache in his muscles, as if he had been pushed to his absolute limit for days.

He rolled his shoulders as he followed them into the next battle room. “Yeah, let’s train.”

As they suited up, Landen asked Halvek how the training room worked.

“These are the Aegis Battle Rooms, designed by the top Array Masters in the world,” Halvek explained as he zipped up his suit. “These suits are specially designed to work with the formation. Without them, the formation would be incomplete.”

After fully suited, they entered the staging area. A laser swept over them.

“First is the scan,” Halvek said. “The system registers each suit and ties it to the person keyed in at the door.”

A hum filled the room as energy rippled across the fabric.

“Next is the fusion. The array merges the suit with your body, forming a connection that reverses any physical damage you sustain once you leave the formation.”

“Wait…” Landen said, amazed. “It heals you?”

“Not healing,” Maledic interjected, his deep voice cutting in. “It’s a state reset.”

Halvek nodded. “Correct, Mr. Thorne. The formation records your physical condition when you enter. Any damage you sustain inside is temporarily preserved by the array. Once you leave, your body is restored to its initial state.”

Landen’s mind returned to his brutal session with Professor Drex. The memory of being slammed into walls, struck by trees, and beaten down. He had thought Drex was trying to kill him.

No wonder Drex went all out on me. He knew I couldn't die cause I'd literally respawn, just like in a video game.

“Professor Drex must have roughed you up quite a bit,” Halvek said, noticing his reaction.

Landen nodded. “He attacked me until I was on the verge of death.”

Loud machinery clanked and clicked overhead as the ceiling began to part.

Halvek continued to speak as the platform rose. “Be careful around that professor.” His expression hardened. “Drex is a walking disaster. He has an ability that causes energy to build up inside him. The longer he goes without releasing it, the more powerful it becomes.”

“So he uses students as a pressure valve,” Maledic said flatly.

“Precisely. And unfortunately, the academy gave him the official excuse. And why he was given the title The Academy Punisher. Whenever a student needs discipline beyond standard measures, they send them to Drex.” He scoffed. “Though I will admit, the punishments work. No student goes back for a second round.”

The two looked at Landen as he pressed a hand against his chest.

“Although the array reverses the physical damage afterward, the pain, fear—the memories remain. I take it your bones are still aching?”

“They are.”

“That’s intentional,” Halvek said. “The array forces your body to retain the muscle memory of what happened, allowing you to actually learn from the experience.”

Finally, the elevator platform locked into place, revealing an area that was completely different from the previous one. A bright blue sky stretched overhead, with a large, blazing sun at its center, and the ground was covered in red, scorching sand. On one side stretched an expanse of blue water, while a mountain ridge rose along the other.

“The Array Masters created a formation that encompasses the entire room,” Halvek explained. “Each room is customized to its owner’s preferences. This is mine.”

Landen winced as a heavy pressure settled over him. The air felt thin, suffocating, and the heat radiating off the red ground was almost unbearable. He caught Halvek watching him, clearly questioning why he was even in this tier of training.

“Enough explanation,” Halvek said, approaching Landen. “Mr. Knight, the school year has barely begun, and you're already causing a significant amount of trouble. Mr. Thorne seems to think you need combat training, but I disagree. You are the support — the team strategist. Your focus should not be on physical prowess, but intel reconnaissance.” He stepped closer, locking eyes with Landen. “So, tell me... what are you actually trying to accomplish here?”

“With all due respect, sir, your evaluations are wrong. I am much more than an observer. I am a warrior. I—,” he hit his chest, “am a knight. That is my destiny.”

Halvek smiled. “Is that so? Well, let's see what you can do.” He kicked off his shoes.

“No footwear allowed.”

The others quickly did as told.

Then a blur crossed the distance, and a single, swift kick struck both of their faces simultaneously, sending them tumbling into the red sand.

“Argh!” Landen yelled—not from the blow itself, but from the searing heat of the ground. It felt like landing on hot coals. The moment his hands touched the sand, his skin blistered. Scrambling to his feet didn’t help either, as his soles scorched just as badly.

A few paces away, Maledic was gritting his teeth, hopping frantically from one foot to the other. “The sand—it’s not natural heat. It’s being heated by the formation.”

"Does that matter right now?!" Landen shot back.

“It means it’s only going to get hotter.”

Looking over to the professor, they saw him standing calmly at the center of the clearing, arms crossed, completely unfazed by the burning terrain.

How is he withstanding this heat? Landen wondered.

“We need to get back to the platform,” Maledic said.

“Too late,” Landen said as they watched the platform fall under the sand. “We need to defeat him.”

Maledic turned to look at Halvek. “That’s easier said than done.”

Landen made the first move, pushing off the ground to charge at Halvek, but the moment he put weight on his back foot, it sank deep into the loose, fluffy sand, burning his skin to the ankle and completely killing his momentum. Tears formed in his eyes, blurring his vision. As he looked around for another option, he spotted the nearby body of water. Landen changed course and went toward the shore instead, and once close enough, he jumped off the cliff.

“No! Don’t!” Maledic yelled.

It was too late.

As Landen hovered mid-air, he noticed the surface violently churning and bubbling. Regret hit him instantly.

“It’s boiling!” he gasped, right before splashing down.

Scalding water instantly engulfed his legs up to his knees. “Gaaah!” He scrambled back onto the burning bank, clutching his legs. “What kind of twisted training is this?!”

“Would you like to know why my feet aren’t burning?” Halvek asked coolly.

“Please!” they both said.

“It's a technique called Essence Skin.”

“Will you teach us?” Maledic asked, though his tone and deep voice made it sound more like a demand than a question.

“If you want to learn it.”

Landen hesitated, turning his thoughts inward. ‘System, can I even learn an ability outside what the MOBA system provides?’

“I don’t see why not,” the system replied.

That was all he needed. Landen turned to Halvek. “Yes. Teach us.”

Halvek instantly jumped over to Landen and hurled him high into the sky towards a small mountain pillar.

Landen soared through the thin air and slammed stomach-first onto the narrow peak, looking far down at Halvek’s small figure amongst the red landscape. Scanning around, he couldn’t find Maledic.

“Over here,” a deep voice called out.

Maledic was lying down on his own pillar with his feet raised, relieved to be off the sand.

Landen shot him a thumbs-up, sharing the same sense of relief.

However, relief was short-lived. Up there was its own kind of hell. The artificial sun was like a hot flame, and the formation thinned the air until every breath felt like sipping through a straw. Now instead of being fried on a pan, they were being baked.

Halvek’s voice echoed clearly, amplified by energy. “Essence Skin allows you to function normally in almost any harsh environment. It consists of four steps.”

He pointed toward the clock mounted on the artificial sky.

“You’ll have exactly one day to master each step. If you fail, you will not advance to the next. The formation will recognize your progress and remove you regardless of whether you pass or fail. If you leave without learning the step, don't bother returning.”

Halvek paused, his gaze settled on Landen.

“As for you, Mr. Knight. Essence Skin is a fundamental warrior technique. If you manage to learn it, I’ll acknowledge I was wrong about you.”

His expression hardened.

“But if you fail—then you’ve proven that you’re not meant to be here, and you will abandon the path of the warrior forever… Understood?”

The weight of the ultimatum hung heavy as Landen processed the terms.

“Yes, sir,” he said quietly.

Halvek closed his eyes.

“Then let us begin.”

He sat cross-legged on the red sand below, and the two above immediately mirrored his posture on their respective pillars.

“This ability demands absolute control over your essence. Step one is Extraction, the foundation of every ability you will ever learn. You must clear your mind, shut out the environment, and sink your consciousness into the energy within your dantian.”

Landen closed his eyes and listened.

“The extremity of this environment is intentional—it forces your core into survival mode, making the energy far easier to sense for a beginner. Once you locate it, I will guide you into your dantian to draw out a small, precise thread.”

A familiar voice suddenly interrupted.

“Sir,” the system said. “The Essence Skin ability is available in the MOBA library. You can spend the points to master it instantly. Shall I initiate the download?”

‘No. Absolutely not.’

“But, sir—”

‘You don’t get it,’ Landen cut in. ‘If I rely on you for everything, I’ll never grow beyond the system's limitations.’

The System fell silent for a moment.

“You could at least utilize the MOBA training room to accelerate the process,” the System suggested.

‘No.’

Landen took a slow breath.

‘Halvek is right. If I can't learn this on my own within the time he's given me, then I don't belong in this world.’

‘Now stay quiet,' he said, turning back to Halvek’s voice.

“From now on,” Halvek continued, “listen to my guidance, and do as I say.”

— — —

The next morning, the recovery room was more lively than usual. Three members of Team Halvek B had gathered around one of the beds, where Ember sat upright for the first time since the battle.

“You look better today,” Veya said, studying her face.

“Yeah, she definitely looks less pale today,” Elle added.

Ember smiled. “I feel better. How are you all recovering?”

“Better than new,” Elle said, hopping on one foot then the other.

“Fully restored,” Veya said, rotating her wrist and flexing her fingers.

“Stronger than ever!” Jareth flexed both arms, puffed out his chest, and gave it an exaggerated slap.

The others laughed.

Ember watched them joke and tease each other, a warmth spreading through her chest. Just seeing everyone together again—standing, talking, and acting like themselves—made her happy.

Before the freshman outing, they had been nothing more than a group of students assigned to the same team.

Now, they felt different.

They had fought together. They had put themselves in danger for one another. They had experienced fear, pain, and exhaustion together, and somehow, coming through it all had brought them closer.

They weren't just teammates anymore. They felt like a real team.

Ember's smile faded slightly as she looked around the room.

Someone was missing.

“Where’s Landen?”

Her eyes settled on the one empty chair in front of her bed—the same chair where Landen had spent so much of his time during their recovery.

The room fell quiet.

Elle and Veya exchanged a quick glance.

“He…” Jareth started, then scratched the back of his head. “He went to take care of something.”

Ember raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of something?”

Jareth opened his mouth, but no answer came.

The last time they had seen Landen, he had gone to the Underground, but they hadn't heard or seen him since.

A brief silence settled over the room as they each wondered the same thing—where could he be now? Hopefully, wherever he was, he was getting stronger. And if there was anyone they didn't need to worry about taking care of himself, it was Landen.

Jareth finally cleared his throat.

“I think we should get moving too. We’ve all leveled up. That means we need to learn a new ability. If we want to get stronger, we need to start now.”

“He’s right,” Ember said.

She pulled the blanket aside and carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

Elle immediately reached out.

“Easy.”

“I’m fine,” Ember assured her, though she moved a little slower than usual. “And you don't need to stay here just because of me. I can take care of myself.”

The three exchanged uncertain looks.

“Don’t worry,” Elle said. “You two can go. I’ll stay with her.”

Veya frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’m a Vesperine. My techniques were set at birth, and I’ve spent my entire life learning to use them. There aren’t any new abilities waiting for me to discover. You two should go. Learn your abilities and get stronger. We’ll need all the strength we can get.”

Jareth nodded.

“Then we’ll do exactly that.”

Veya gave Ember a small smile. “We’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Go,” Ember said. “I’ll be fine.”

The two turned toward the door.

But before they could take another step, the academy's intercom crackled to life.

A voice echoed throughout the recovery room.

“Attention, all freshmen. Report to the Aegis Amphitheater immediately for your Essence reassessment.”

Everyone froze.

Ember looked at the others. An Essence reassessment. After everything that had happened, she couldn't help but wonder how much they had grown.