The night air settled over the training grounds like a quiet veil, cool and steady, carrying with it the faint scent of iron and grass that always lingered after a long day of drills.
Zevi sat alone on one of the worn wooden benches near the edge of the field, leaning back with his arms stretched across the backrest, one ankle resting over his knee as he stared lazily at the sky.
The moon hung high and pale, its light spilling over the empty ground, and for a while he simply watched the clouds drift past it in slow, indifferent patterns.
As the minutes passed, that lazy expression on his face began to sink into something heavier, something tinged with restlessness and impatience.
'Ahh… did I come too early?'
He let out a long breath, dragging a hand down his face before pushing himself upright. The silence around him felt thicker than usual.
'I can't even practice properly by myself. I've gotten used to duels with Ashan… and now I'm practically addicted to it.'
He clicked his tongue softly. It wasn't just the thrill of combat. It was the presence. The back-and-forth. The way Ashan pushed him without saying much. Fighting alone suddenly felt hollow in comparison.
'Well… having someone by your side is energizing, I guess.'
His gaze drifted back to the moon, but this time there was a faint crease between his brows.
'These morons… if you're going to duel, at least be motivated enough to come early. I'm dying here.'
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring at the empty training field as if willing them to appear.
And then, as though summoned by his irritation, he caught sight of two familiar figures approaching from the far path.
Ashan walking at a steady pace, Nevil beside him, the two of them talking about something quietly.
'There they come.'
The irritation vanished instantly. Zevi sprang to his feet in a single fluid motion, landing lightly on the packed dirt before raising a hand high in the air and waving exaggeratedly.
"I was just cursing at both of you for not coming sooner!" he called out, grinning. "I thought I was going to die from boredom."
Nevil chuckled sheepishly as they reached him, scratching the back of his head in apology.
"Sorry about that," he said. "I really did plan to come early… but I ended up spending time with Elara and completely lost track of time."
Zevi exhaled through his nose, though a smile tugged at his lips despite himself.
"Yeah, yeah. Priorities," he muttered, though there was no real bite in his tone.
He reached behind him and unsheathed his weapons, the familiar weight settling comfortably into his hands. The anticipation that had been simmering inside him finally began to rise properly.
"It's fine," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's not waste any more time."
Before he could step forward, Ashan lifted a hand, his voice calm but firm.
"I have a suggestion. How about we move somewhere else? Somewhere completely isolated."
Zevi paused mid-motion and tilted his head, suspicion flickering across his face.
"Why?" he asked. "We can just train here. No one's around. Only cameras."
Ashan nodded once, acknowledging the point.
"I know. But I have a specific reason. It's about something that could help us significantly."
The seriousness in Ashan's tone made Zevi's playful expression fade slightly. He studied him for a moment, trying to read his face, but as usual, Ashan's gaze was steady and difficult to decipher.
"…Alright then," Zevi said at last. "You've got something in mind?"
"Yes," Ashan replied without hesitation. "Follow me."
Without another word, Ashan turned and began running in a swift, controlled sprint toward the outskirts of the grounds.
Nevil and Zevi exchanged a brief glance before pushing off the earth and following after him, their footsteps carving through the quiet night as the three figures disappeared beyond the main field.
They ran until the structures and lights of the training complex were far behind them, until trees began to cluster thicker and shadows grew longer.
Eventually, Ashan slowed near a dense patch of forest, where towering trunks rose like silent sentinels around a clearing barely touched by moonlight.
Zevi glanced around, eyebrows climbing.
"What the hell? This place looks haunted," he muttered. "Why did we come here?"
Ashan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward into the center of the clearing and brought his hands together in a deliberate clap before forming a precise hand seal. The air around him seemed to tighten, as if something unseen had begun to gather.
"Guys," he said quietly, though the weight in his voice made both of them straighten instinctively.
"I'm about to show you a technique that no one else has ever seen. I'm doing this because I trust you both completely."
He looked at them directly.
"Can you promise me that this will not leave this circle?"
Nevil didn't hesitate. He nodded firmly, expression serious.
"You have my word."
Zevi shifted slightly, a flicker of nervous energy flashing through him, but after a brief pause, he gave a sharp nod as well.
"Alright, buddy. Just show it already."
Ashan inhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling once.
Then he spoke. Silent.
"Domain Expansion: Horizon of the Captivating Skandha."
The world fractured.
Reality bent and peeled back like wet paint sliding off glass. Colors drained into deep, endless blues. The ground beneath their feet dissolved into nothingness before reforming into fine white sand, stretching outward into an infinite shoreline.
A vast ocean spread in every direction, its surface shimmering under a brilliant sun that now hung overhead where the moon had once been. The sky was impossibly clear, and the air carried the scent of salt and something ancient.
Nevil staggered, his breath hitching as his balance faltered. Zevi flinched hard, eyes wide as he spun around, trying to grasp the impossible shift.
They were standing on a small island surrounded by boundless sea. The sound of waves echoed from everywhere and nowhere at once. And most striking of all, there was no trace of mana in the air. None.
Only Ashan's cursed energy pulsed faintly, filling the entire space like an invisible ocean beneath the visible one.
"What… is this?" Zevi breathed, voice barely above a whisper.
Ashan walked toward them across the sand, his steps calm, controlled, as though this place answered solely to him.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly. "Welcome to my domain. The place where my will defines reality."
Nevil swallowed hard and took a cautious step toward the water's edge, watching how the surface reflected the sky so perfectly it seemed unreal.
"Ashan…" he murmured. "This isn't just a technique. This is something beyond comprehension."
Ashan's faint smile returned.
"I know. That's why you two are the only ones seeing it."
Zevi's excitement began to override his shock.
"Explain," he demanded, eyes gleaming. "How did you even pull this off? This isn't spellcasting. I don't feel a single trace of mana. So what is this?"
Ashan turned his gaze toward the endless ocean.
"You know I can manipulate water," he began. "Not through spells, but through a technique tied directly to something else entirely. This subspace is the pinnacle of that control. A domain manifestation."
He gestured lightly.
"In here, I am amplified. The sand, the sea, the sunlight; everything is shaped by my imagination and sustained by my energy."
Zevi let out a low whistle.
"To think you could do something like this all along…"
Ashan's expression sharpened slightly.
"There's more. I can summon water constructs within this domain. They possess a sure-hit effect. Dodging them is impossible."
Nevil stiffened.
"And the worst part?" Ashan continued. "No one except me can see them when they attack. And once the domain is cast, entry and exit are sealed. It's a complete trap."
Both Zevi and Nevil stared at him with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"Man…" Zevi exhaled, shaking his head. "This isn't something that can even be ranked. If people knew about this, your entire standing would change overnight."
Ashan's smile faded slightly.
"And you think I'd still be free if that happened?"
Zevi paused, then grinned.
"…Fair point. You'd be hunted or controlled in no time."
Silence lingered for a moment, broken only by the distant crash of waves.
"So why bring us here?" Nevil asked.
Ashan's gaze shifted between them.
"To train. At night, our senses dull slightly. But here, under constant sunlight and endless space, we can push ourselves further. The sea will sharpen your movements, force your bodies to adapt."
Zevi's grin returned in full force.
"You're insane. I love it."
He stepped closer to the shoreline, flexing his fingers eagerly.
"Let's go until morning. No one's allowed to pass out."
Ashan and Nevil both laughed.
Ashan tilted his head up toward the radiant sun overhead.
'Since I already have a vast reserve of cursed energy stored, I can maintain this domain for a long duration. I just need to keep my concentration steady.'
He glanced at his two friends.
'I trust them. Completely. And I'll continue revealing my strength step by step. One day, they'll stand behind me, not as followers, but as equals in standards.
A faint shimmer flickered in front of his vision.
A translucent window materialized.
—------------------------------------
A new mission…
Help Zevi and Nevil train and enable them to win.
Rewards:
- Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique
- Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation Technique
- Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique
—------------------------------------
Ashan's eyes widened slightly.
'Isn't the system being a bit too generous?'
A slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Zevi already sprinting into the waves and Nevil preparing his stance on the sand.
"Alright," Ashan murmured, stepping forward as the ocean answered to his will.
"Let's see how far we can go."