After receiving their licenses, the seven successful candidates went their separate ways. The three identical triplets—Kaito, Kenji, and Sato—left the guild building together, moving with synchronized precision that made them seem almost like one person split into three bodies.
They traveled to the outskirts of Blackwater Ridge, to a small safehouse hidden among abandoned warehouses. Inside, a man waited for them—tall, with graying hair at his temples and eyes that held the weight of countless battles.
Marcus.
"Master," the triplets said in unison, bowing respectfully.
Marcus looked up from the map he'd been studying. "How did the examination go?"
"As expected," Kaito replied. "We passed easily."
"However," Kenji continued, "we encountered something unexpected."
"Your son," Sato finished. "Nelson was among the candidates."
Marcus's expression didn't change, but his fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the map. "I see. And?"
"He didn't recognize us, of course. But he has potential. Raw, unfocused, but definitely there."
Marcus nodded slowly. "Good. Continue monitoring the situation, but don't interfere. Not yet."
Meanwhile, Itachi left the guild with an unexpected companion—Beto, still wearing his hood despite having revealed his appearance during the tournament final.
"Where are we headed?" Beto asked, his deep voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"North," Itachi replied simply. "There's a portal manifestation I want to investigate. Interested?"
"Always."
The two disappeared into the crowded streets of Blackwater Ridge, an unlikely partnership that would become legendary in its own right.
And the brothers? They returned to their modest hotel, exhausted but satisfied with their progress. They had licenses—even if they were only beginner rank—and they were one step closer to finding their father.
Late that night, as Laurel was reviewing their remaining funds and Nelson was attempting to cook instant noodles on the room's single hot plate, both their phones chimed simultaneously.
They looked at each other, then checked their Adventurer Apps.
**MISSION ALERT**
**Time Remaining: 16:42:33**
**Location: Warehouse District, Sector 7**
**Instructions: Arrive at designated coordinates before timer expires. Failure to comply will result in license revocation.**
"Sixteen hours," Nelson said, his face pale. "They're not giving us much time."
Laurel was already packing their bags. "We sleep in shifts. First thing tomorrow morning, we head out."
Neither of them slept well that night.
The next day, they arrived at the warehouse with two hours to spare. The building looked abandoned from the outside, but as they approached, they noticed something odd—military personnel stationed at seemingly random positions around the perimeter.
One of the soldiers stopped them. "IDs."
Laurel and Nelson showed their phones, displaying their Adventurer App profiles. The soldier scanned them with a device, nodded, and stepped aside.
"Through the main entrance. Follow the others."
Inside the warehouse, the brothers found themselves in a large, mostly empty space. But what drew their attention immediately was the swirling, glowing circle of energy suspended in the center of the room—a portal, roughly ten feet in diameter, rippling like water despite being vertical.
Other people were already there, all staring at their phones, waiting. Laurel recognized a few faces from the examination, including Maya.
"Guess we're all in the same boat," she said, walking over to them. "Beginner rank?"
"Yeah," Nelson replied. "You?"
"Same. Six hundred and counting, according to that." She pointed to a massive digital display mounted on the wall, currently showing the number 487.
As they watched, more people filtered in through the warehouse entrance. The number ticked upward: 488... 489... 490...
"How many of us are there?" Laurel wondered aloud.
They got their answer when the counter stopped at exactly 612.
The portal's swirling intensified, and a single figure stepped through from the other side—a veteran adventurer based on his confident bearing and battle-worn appearance. Behind him, military personnel moved to secure the portal, positioning themselves in a protective formation around it.
The man, muscular with dark skin and short-cropped hair, stepped forward.
"I'm Carlos," he announced, his voice carrying easily across the warehouse. "I'll be supervising your training. This isn't just a mission—it's an examination. If you want to advance beyond beginner rank, you'll need to pass. Now, everyone through the portal. Time's wasting."
Stepping through the portal felt like passing through a waterfall—a moment of cool pressure, then sudden release. Laurel stumbled slightly as he emerged on the other side, then caught his balance and looked around.
They were standing on a beach, but not the warehouse. The sky was a different shade of blue, and two moons hung visible even in daylight. Behind them, the portal shimmered, now anchored between two stone pillars that looked ancient beyond measure.
"Welcome to Lunecia," Carlos said as the last of the 612 candidates emerged. "An island nation in a parallel dimension. This will be your training ground."
The candidates were herded toward a large clearing where temporary structures had been erected—supply tents, cooking stations, and what looked like a command center. Carlos climbed onto a raised platform so everyone could see him.
"Let me be clear about what's at stake," he began. "There are five ranks of adventurers: Beginner, Amateur, Elite, Veteran, and Special. You are all beginners, and you have one year maximum in that rank. After that, if you haven't advanced, you're done. Eliminated. No exceptions."
Nervous murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Rank isn't determined by how many stages of Vitra you've mastered. It's determined by how strong you are, how effective your techniques are in real combat. I've seen people master only two stages and achieve Elite rank because their application was devastating. I've seen others master three stages and barely qualify as Amateur because their techniques were weak."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"The only way to advance is by mastering Vitra—the manipulation of vital energy. There are four stages of Vitra mastery. To leave beginner rank, you must master at least the first two stages and develop combat techniques strong enough to pass our evaluation."
Carlos raised his hand, and suddenly a glowing sphere of energy materialized above his palm, then shifted into a blade, then a shield, demonstrating abilities that seemed impossible.
"Stage One: Pulse Control. Mastery of opening and closing Pulse Nodes—vital points in your body—at will. This prevents unwanted Vitra leakage, stabilizes your stamina, and allows you to sense the vital energy of others."
"Stage Two: Enhancment and Infusion. Mastery of sending Vitra into objects (infusion), altering their properties and enhancing them beyond their normal capabilities (enhancement)."
"Stage Three: Creation. Shaping Vitra to create temporary constructs, mimic objects, or fabricate forms with real physical properties."
"Stage Four: Projection (also called separation). Full separation of your Vitra from your body, allowing for clones, remote manipulation, and even teleportation."
He let that sink in before continuing with a harder edge to his voice.
"One critical fact you must understand: Your vital energy never regenerates. What you're born with is all you'll ever have. Every time you use Vitra, you're spending from a finite pool. Use too much, and you die. This is why most people who don't know about Vitra die young—they're constantly leaking energy they can't control. Skilled users who manage their energy carefully can live over a century, but that energy never increases, only decreases with use."
The crowd fell silent, the weight of this revelation settling over them.
"To master Pulse Control, you must meditate. Learn to feel the flow of vital energy through your body. Your Pulse Nodes are already open—that's why you get tired, why you age, why your energy constantly leaks away. Learning to control them, to open and close them at will, is your first task. Begin now."