The second day arrived quietly.

Deep inside the forest, three teams were still moving carefully between trees and broken ground.

They had fought many beasts, gathered plenty of second-realm corpses, and trained nonstop.

But none of them had encountered a third-realm beast yet.

That fact made the mood a little awkward.

Rynar wiped sweat from his neck and clicked his tongue.

"Tch… Don't tell me we're going back empty-handed."

One of the inner disciples glanced at him nervously.

"S-Senior Brother… We did kill a lot of second-realm ones."

Rynar crossed his arms.

"I know. But I awakened a [Unique Physique]. If I come back without a third-realm corpse, the girls will laugh at me for a year."

Not far away, in another part of the forest, Rynor kicked a rock in frustration.

"This is bad," he muttered. "Real bad."

Seira glanced at him from the side. "You're noisy."

Rynor sighed.

"I don't care about noise. I care about pride. If the girl's group really killed a third-realm beast and we didn't…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood.

Meanwhile, Arden's team was resting briefly near a stream.

Arden stood with his arms folded, calm as usual, but even he felt a small pressure in his chest.

"We'll keep moving," he said.

"No rush. Third-realm beasts won't appear just because we want them to."

Still… he knew it would look bad if they returned later with less.

Back at the God Gym, the atmosphere was completely different.

Dahlia's group had already returned.

Three massive corpses lay neatly arranged in front of the main hall: a demonic drake, a black-scaled wolf, and a horned ape.

Their bodies still radiated faint pressure, making the nearby disciples swallow nervously.

Garion stood in front of them, hands behind his back.

He didn't look at the corpses first.

He looked at the three women.

His eyes narrowed slightly, then widened.

"…Oh."

That was all he said at first.

System panels flickered briefly in front of his vision.

[Unique Physique: Sky Dragon]

[Description: A physique blessed by the sky and infused with dragon power, granting control over wind, air pressure, storm energy, and the ability to manifest draconic features.]

---

[Unique Physique: Illusion]

[Description: A physique infused with illusion-aspected mana, allowing control over perception, visual distortion, and sensory deception while enabling the user to blur presence like a living mirage.]

---

[Unique Physique: Ghost]

[Description: A physique infused with ethereal power, allowing silent movement, sensory suppression, and brief shifts into a mist-like, intangible form.]

Garion froze, looking at the three new [Unique Physiques].

"Sky Dragon… Illusion… Ghost…" He let out a slow breath.

"What the hell… Is this really my cultivation path?"

For a moment, the courtyard was quiet.

Dahlia stood straight with her arms crossed and chin lifted, clearly enjoying this reaction.

Clara leaned forward slightly, hands behind her back, rocking on her heels.

Her grin made it obvious she had been waiting for this exact moment.

If Garion praised her even once, she looked ready to explode with joy.

Eliza stood a step behind them, calm as always.

Garion rubbed his forehead and laughed under his breath.

"The boys awakened elemental physiques," he said slowly.

He looked up again, eyes sharp now.

"But you three… This isn't straightforward at all."

Dahlia smirked. "Strong isn't always simple, Master."

Clara nodded quickly. "Exactly! Power that messes with the enemy is way more fun."

Eliza added quietly, "…And more efficient."

Garion shook his head, amused and slightly terrified at the same time.

"Sky Dragon is already two paths in one," he said, gesturing at Dahlia.

"Dragon body and sky-aligned control."

Dahlia puffed her chest. "I told you I'd be amazing."

Then he turned to Clara.

"Illusion… that's not just tricking the eyes. That's controlling perception itself."

Clara tapped her temple. "Once they're inside, it's my world."

Garion clicked his tongue and looked at Eliza last. "…And Ghost."

Eliza tilted her head. "It works as described."

"That's the problem," Garion muttered. "It shouldn't."

The three girls exchanged looks, then smiled together.

"Looks like the boys won't be teasing us anymore," Clara said cheerfully.

Dahlia laughed. "They'd better watch their mouths now."

Eliza nodded. "…Payback is fair."

Garion chuckled, already imagining the twins' reactions.

"Yeah… they're going to be very unlucky later."

---

Arden moved steadily deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning the trees and the ground ahead.

He suddenly slowed down and glanced back.

"Valtor," he said, voice firm. "Don't stand on the front line."

Valtor blinked, then laughed and rolled his shoulders. "Relax. I'm fine."

Arden frowned slightly. "You're still in the First Realm."

"So what?" Valtor thumped his chest with a grin.

"I already drank the super spicy red potion and that super bitter green one."

He made a face, clearly remembering the taste.

"Both were horrible," he added quickly.

"Like… really horrible. But I can feel it. My body's stronger, my muscles respond faster, and I've got way more energy than usual. Feels like I can keep fighting all day."

He clenched his fist, veins faintly showing. "So don't worry about me."

Arden stopped walking and turned fully toward him.

"That's exactly why I'm worried," he said calmly.

Valtor paused, confused. "Huh?"

Arden sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Those potions are powerful. But you know how Master's creations work. The stronger the effect…"

"The worse the side effects," Valtor finished, his grin fading a little.

Arden nodded. "Later, your body will pay for it. Hard."

Valtor scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… probably."

Arden turned his head slightly. "Dion."

Dion, who had been walking quietly with an easy smile, looked up. "Hmm?"

"Please take care of him," Arden said. "If he overextends himself, stop him."

Dion chuckled softly. "You make it sound like babysitting."

Arden didn't smile. "I'm serious."

Dion raised both hands. "Alright, alright. I've got him."

He stepped closer to Valtor and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You heard the strategist. Don't do anything too stupid."

Valtor smirked again. "No promises."

Arden shook his head and turned back toward the forest.

"Just don't die," he said simply.

Valtor laughed. "With you here? Not a chance."

As they moved forward again, Dion watched Valtor more closely now, while Arden's gaze sharpened.

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