Heaven Dou Imperial City – North Gate
The queue to enter the capital was long. Merchants, travelers, and nobles waited impatiently as the city guards checked papers and inspected carriages.
Two figures stood at the back of the line. They wore heavy, nondescript grey cloaks that covered their faces.
One of them, a short, twitchy man, was clicking two metal spheres in his hand.
Click. Click. Click.
"I hate lines," the short man hissed. His voice sounded like a wire being pulled tight.
"So many people. So much noise. Can I throw a rat? Just one little rat? Boom. Line gone."
This was Spark. Shadow 8 of the Broken Circle. Level 74 Soul Sage. A man who solved most problems with high explosives.
The taller figure beside him sighed. It wasn't a normal sigh, it sounded like steam escaping a pipe.
"We are not here to make noise, Spark," the tall figure replied. His voice was smooth, and oddly polite.
"We are here to find the Anomaly. Varian was clear. Silence."
This was Whisper. Shadow 7. Level 82 Soul Douluo.
"Silence is boring," Spark muttered, scratching his neck.
"And Varian is stuck in his ice mountain. He doesn't know how boring lines are."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, metallic sphere. It wasn't a soul tool. It was a tech grenade. An EMP device.
"Put it away," Whisper ordered without turning his head.
"You're no fun." Spark shoved the grenade back.
When they finally reached the front, the guard held up a hand. "Halt. Papers? Identify yourselves."
Whisper stepped forward. He didn't reach for papers. He simply reached out and lightly tapped the shoulder of a wealthy merchant who had just passed through.
Skill: Tech Augmentation – Holo-Projector.
A faint shimmer passed over Whisper's body.
In the blink of an eye, his grey cloak moved slightly. His height changed slightly. His face shifted.
He now looked exactly like the wealthy merchant: a fat man with a red beard and fine silk robes. Even his voice box adjusted.
"My good sir," Whisper said revealing face, using the merchant's booming voice.
"I already showed you my papers! Do you not recognize Master Chen of the Silk Guild? My servant here is just carrying my samples."
The guard blinked, confused. He looked at the real Master Chen walking away in the distance, then at the man in front of him. His brain tried to process two Master Chens.
"Uh... sorry, Master Chen," the guard stammered, deciding it was safer not to question a wealthy noble. "My mistake. Go ahead."
Whisper nodded haughtily and walked through. Spark followed, snickering under his hood.
Once they were in a quiet alley, the hologram flickered and died. Whisper returned to his tall, faceless grey form.
"Stupid guard," Spark giggled. "You didn't even use your Mist soul. Just the light trick."
"People see what they expect to see," Whisper stated.
"Now, focus. The Artifact signals disappeared two years ago. The trails went cold. But Varian sensed a ripple. Someone is collecting them. We need to find who has the capacity to hide from us."
"So we look for strong guys?" Spark asked.
"No, we look for weird guys," Whisper corrected. "Anomalies. Things that don't fit."
He turned and walked deeper into the alley, Spark following close behind. The shadows swallowed them both.
-------
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy – The Cafeteria
"My legs are jelly," Osler complained, poking his breakfast with a fork. "Literal jelly. I think my bones have dissolved."
The Royal Team was sitting at their usual table. It had been three days since the "Iron Body" training started. The weights in their vests had increased by five kilograms.
"Stop whining," Dugu Yan said, though she was massaging her own shoulder. "It's working. Yesterday, I dodged Yu Feng's dive without using my eyes. I just felt the air pressure."
"That was luck," Yu Feng grumbled, nursing a bruise on his wing. "Or maybe I was just tired from carrying a mountain on my back."
Arthev sat at the head of the table, peeling a hard-boiled egg. He looked fresh, rested, and annoying.
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body," Arthev quoted calmly. "Or in your case, it is the weakness screaming as it leaves."
"You enjoy this," Ye Lingling accused him gently. She looked tired. Being the team's battery was exhausting work.
"I enjoy efficiency," Arthev replied. He popped the egg into his mouth.
"Speaking of efficiency, we have a year until the tournament. The first phase of physical conditioning ends next week. Then we move to Phase Two."
The table went silent.
"Phase... Two?" Yu Feng, asked with dread. "What is Phase Two? Do we run with bigger weights?"
"No," Arthev smiled. It was a terrifying smile.
"Phase Two is Survival. We will go to the Star Dou Forest. Not the outskirts. The mixed zone. And I will forbid you from using your third soul skills."
"You want us to die," Osler whispered.
"I want you to learn resource management," Arthev corrected.
"Also, pass the salt."
-----
Heaven Dou City – The Great Spirit Arena
It was evening. The city was alive with lights and music. Whisper and Spark stood on a rooftop overlooking the Great Spirit Arena.
"This place smells like sweat and desperate gambling," Spark wrinkled his nose. "Why are we here?"
"Because arenas are where people show off," Whisper said. "If there is a new genius or a strange power, it will appear here first."
Whisper's body dissolved into a grey fog.
He drifted down from the roof, slipping through the ventilation grates of the arena.
Spark sighed, activated a stealth cloak device on his belt, and climbed down the wall like a gecko.
They met in the records room. It was dark, filled with scrolls and ledgers.
"Look for anomalies," Whisper ordered, solidifying back into human shape. "High win streaks. Strange abilities. Unknown backgrounds."
Spark started rummaging through the papers, tossing them over his shoulder.
"Boring. Boring. Blue Wolf... boring. Fire Tiger... boring.... Hey, look at this."
He held up a ledger.
"Some kid named Sage. Registered a month ago. Fought five matches in one day. Won all of them. Then disappeared."
Whisper floated over, taking the ledger. His faceless mask seemed to stare at the text.
"Sage," Whisper read. "Martial Soul: Elemental Tree. Plant type."
"Plant type?" Spark laughed. "A gardener?"
"Read the match reports," Whisper said, his voice tightening.
"Defeated an Agility Master without moving. Defeated a Defense Master with a single palm strike. Defeated a Fire Control Master using sand."
"Sand?" Spark stopped laughing. "A tree using sand? That sounds... dumb."
"It sounds impossible," Whisper corrected.
"Plant spirits do not control sand. Unless..."
"Unless it's not a normal spirit," Spark finished, his eyes gleaming with malicious excitement. "Do we have a winner?"
"Maybe," Whisper said. "Where did he go?"
He flipped the page. There was a note from the arena manager.
Recommendation: Recruitment by Prince Xue Qinghe. Status: Enrolled in Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Whisper closed the book.
"He is in the school," Whisper said softly.
"Protective custody of the Royal Family."
"Ooh," Spark rubbed his hands together. "A school? Full of little noble kids? Can I blow it up? Please tell me I can blow it up."
"No explosions yet," Whisper commanded.
"We need to confirm if he is the Anomaly. If he has the Artifacts. We need to get close."
"How?" Spark asked. "Walk in and ask for a tour?"
Whisper turned to look at the window. His form shimmered. He suddenly looked exactly like a middle-aged teacher with glasses and a stern expression.
"We go to school, Spark," Whisper said, his voice changing to match the teacher's. "I hear they are hiring."
Spark groaned. "I hate school. I failed math three times."
"Just carry the bags and don't eat the students," Whisper said, walking toward the door. "We'll start tomorrow."
-------
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy – Night
Arthev sat on the roof of his dorm. The moon was bright.
Inside his mindscape, the Tailed Beasts were restless.
'Something feels itchy,' Shukaku grumbled, scratching his sandy ear. ' Like a flea bite on the back of my neck.'
'Atmospheric disturbance,' Matatabi noted. 'Faint traces of foreign energy in the city. Very faint. Like static.'
Arthev opened his eyes. He activated the Shinragan. The world turned monochrome.
He scanned the horizon toward the city.
He saw nothing specific. Just the usual flow of soul power.
"Paranoia?" Arthev muttered.
'Or instinct,' Isobu whispered. 'Be careful, Arthev. The water is calm, but the sharks swim deep.'
"If they come," Arthev whispered to the wind, "I hope they bring something better than a bison."
'If they bring a bison, I'm eating it,' Shukaku declared.
Arthev smiled, deactivated his eyes, and went back to sleep.
To be continued.....