After exchanging glances, Ray led the way.

The moment they stepped through, an indescribable sensation enveloped them. Ray felt as though his body was wrapped in pure energy.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the world changed.

They appeared in a vast, dark-blue chamber. Jagged stalagmite- and stalactite-like crystals gleamed around them, refracting light in mesmerizing patterns. The walls were forged from silver-white metal, cold and immaculate.

Raziel Phoenix and Lily appeared beside Ray in flashes of light.

"So this is spatial transmission…" Raziel Phoenix breathed. "Our exam site is ridiculous."

Alfred leaned casually against a wall. Suddenly, part of it slid open, revealing a massive screen filled with shifting symbols. A keyboard extended outward, and Alfred's fingers flew across it in a rapid blur.

"Identity confirmed. West Ocean's Little Kaelric."

"Test difficulty: medium."

"Participants: three."

"Commencing in ten seconds."

"Ten."

"Nine."

"What?! Why is it counting down already?" Raziel Phoenix shouted.

Alfred glanced at them. "You still want time to prepare? Just fight the way you always do."

"Eight… seven… six…"

"Three… two… one."

"Begin."

Three blue beams descended.

In a flash, the trio vanished.

*

Ray felt the familiar sensation of being wrapped in energy again, but this time it was far stronger. His body felt as though it was being torn apart.

He immediately circulated his soul power, accelerating his blood flow. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each pulse forcing the pain back.

After an indeterminate amount of time, another flash of light erupted.

Suddenly, he was weightless.

Not good!

Ray instantly fired Silverfalls Vine downward, desperately searching for something to anchor to. The world spun violently as gravity yanked at him.

The vines finally latched onto something.

Two flashes of light appeared nearby. Ray gritted his teeth and poured his strength into the grass, slowing his fall and creating a spring-like buffer for his companions.

The elastic tension snapped away just as his feet touched solid ground.

Raziel Phoenix and Lily were nowhere in sight.

Ray straightened and looked around, startled by the familiarity of the environment.

The ground was pure white. There was no sky, no horizon, yet the space felt endless.

It reminded him of the world where he had first met Grandpa Mel.

But this place was far more substantial. Far more real.

"Welcome to the Hall of Heroes," an electronic voice announced.

"First trial: medium difficulty."

"Participant: Ray. Age: ten."

"Objective: survive for thirty seconds."

Before he could even process the information, a beam of light appeared before him.

A young girl stepped out.

She had gentle eyes and a soft smile.

"Begin."

Her eyes flashed.

A yellow soul ring rose beneath her feet, and her figure blurred.

In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of him, palm striking toward his abdomen.

That footwork… Teacher's?

Ray reacted instantly. Dozens of Silverfalls Vine vines burst forth, forming a defensive net.

But a three-legged cauldron materialized above the girl's palm, black mist surging from it.

The cauldron slammed down.

The ground shook violently.

Ray was forced to hurl his vines upward, utterly unable to block the attack.

In that instant, her palm struck.

An irresistible suction force erupted, followed by an explosive release.

Ray was sent flying.

Thankfully, the Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium vest locked together, dispersing the force. Even so, his stomach felt as though it had been smashed by a battering ram.

Before he could rise, the black cauldron surged toward him again.

Purple light flickered in the girl's eyes.

Dizziness struck him like a hammer.

Yet even in that dazed state, Ray roared and drove his right fist forward.

Golden scales covered his arm.

Boom!

His Golden Dragon Claw collided with the cauldron in a deafening explosion.

But his strength was scattered, unfocused.

He was sent flying once more.

*

After violently shaking his head, Ray finally grasped just how terrifying his opponent was.

They both had only one soul ring.

Only one!

Yet her combat ability far surpassed his. The gap wasn't subtle, nor could it be explained by experience alone.

Calm down.

He forced himself to steady his breathing. Panic would only hasten defeat.

With a rapid sweep of his arms, Ray sent waves of Silverfalls Vine surging toward the black cauldron, attempting to bind her martial soul directly. If he couldn't restrain her, then restraining her weapon was the next best thing.

But the girl didn't even spare the cauldron a glance.

Instead, she accelerated straight toward him.

She wants close combat?

Golden scales spread across Ray's right arm as he drew in a deep breath. He planted his feet firmly, body as unyielding as bedrock. Speed wasn't his advantage. Strength and endurance were.

Several strands of Silverfalls Vine snapped back toward him, weaving into a layered defensive shell.

Her figure flickered.

Then vanished.

In the next instant, she seemed to appear everywhere at once.

Ray lashed out desperately with his remaining vines, trying to intercept her movements.

A sharp phoenix's cry tore through the air.

A flute had appeared in her hands.

The sound stabbed directly into Ray's senses. His thoughts slowed, his perception lagging behind reality. Even his Silverfalls Vine responded sluggishly.

In that instant of delay, the cauldron broke free of the bindings, soared upward, and slammed down on him.

Boom!

Numbness surged through his body as he was blasted backward with even greater force than before. Before he could recover, her jade-like hands shredded through his vine defense.

She flashed forward.

Both palms struck toward his abdomen.

I'm done.

That was the only thought that crossed his mind.

And yet, amid the danger, realization struck.

Twin martial souls.

Not only that—she was using both at the same time. No switching. No hesitation.

Her palms landed.

A strange, penetrating force flooded into Ray's body, abruptly washing away the numbness.

He barely had time to swing his right arm across his chest.

Bang!

A bone-shattering impact crushed into his arm, rebounding into his torso and sending him crashing backward once more.

This time, he didn't fly far.

He slammed straight into the cauldron behind him. Darkness flickered at the edge of his vision.

Yet she didn't stop.

She chased relentlessly, her right hand releasing a powerful attractive force that yanked Ray back toward her. At the same time, her left hand curled into a fist and smashed toward his chest.

Pain erupted through his body.

But pain also awakened something deeper.

Ray roared.

Golden light exploded from his right hand as it transformed into the Golden Dragon Claw. At the same time, a strand of Silverfalls Vine infused with gold light shot into the ground like a spear.

Using everything he had left, Ray wrenched his body sideways, barely evading her palm strike.

The attractive force worked against her this time.

He surged forward, flipping over her head, and seized toward her skull with his Golden Dragon Claw.

His first counterattack.

Another piercing phoenix cry rang out.

Ray froze midair.

Dizziness crashed down on him once again.

The girl landed lightly and extended a single finger.

The black cauldron shot forward.

Ray forced his claw to move and smashed it straight into the cauldron.

Boom!

The cauldron shattered completely, fragments scattering into nothingness.

The girl staggered from the rebound.

At that moment, Ray understood her rhythm.

As he withdrew his claw, the golden vine erupted from the ground and hurled him skyward like a launched arrow.

Thirty seconds… it should be almost over.

The girl hesitated when she reached the golden Silverfalls Vine.

Ray wasn't in good shape either. His soul power was dangerously low, drained by repeated bloodline activation.

The golden vine vanished as the light returned to his body, and Ray used every last moment of airtime to widen the distance between them.

"Thirty seconds elapsed. First trial complete."

He rolled upon landing, absorbing the impact, then looked up.

"The second trial begins. Defeat your opponent or survive another thirty seconds."

Ray went blank.

He had burned through nearly two-thirds of his soul power just to survive the first round.

And now… another thirty seconds?

The girl charged again, flute in hand.

Run?

Impossible. She was faster.

A battle of attrition?

If she truly only had one ring, then despite her twin souls, the consumption should be immense. If he could keep her fighting, he might outlast her.

Decision made.

Ray turned and sprinted.

Each step cracked against the ground as he propelled himself forward like a cannonball. His physical strength remained intact, and for a brief moment, he gained distance.

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