Asher shook his head at Finch's words, his purple eyes shifting toward Instructor Elowen, who stood at the side watching the three of them with a certain unreadable gaze.

"Instructor Elowen," Asher began, his composed voice drawing her attention fully toward him, "you said that I completed the highest possible level for a trainee. I would like to challenge the next level. Although I am no longer considered a trainee, and your next class is about to begin, let me show off a bit, since the two of them tend to call me a show-off." His tone remained calm as he spoke, and with an easy smile, he remained sat down on the floor, still relaxed, as though the request he had made was nothing out of the ordinary.

Finch and William paused when they heard Asher's words, exchanging brief glances before small smiles tugged at their lips. To them, this was an unexpected opportunity, one they welcomed eagerly.

They had seen Asher fight, seen him move, but seeing him participate in movement and balance training at its next stage was something else entirely. It was a rare moment to witness him move himself in a controlled environment rather than on a battlefield.

Instructor Elowen's lips curved into a faint smile at Asher's words. She did not doubt that he had grown stronger, faster, sharper, more balanced, but the next level of movement and balance training was not something she casually granted access to.

There was a reason she did not allow trainees to train at that particular stage. It was not designed for them. It was designed for individuals with far more refined bodies, heightened senses, and iron-clad precision and calculation.

But, for some reason she could not quite articulate, she found herself unable to refuse him. The Tenth Sun had done the impossible right before her eyes more than once during his time here. She reasoned that perhaps… just perhaps, he could put on one final show before her next training session with the incoming class began.

Besides, she was not certain when Asher would next return to this place. Finch and William would, of course, they still needed the training. But Asher, who had surpassed what the course was meant to instill, did not need it at all. This might very well be her only chance to see just how much he had improved.

"Although I would have had to say no," she said at last, still smiling faintly, "your ridiculous talent and senses make it impossible for me to refuse. But I must warn you, this training is nothing like what you have seen."

"I'll be careful, then," Asher replied with a light smile before turning his head toward William and Finch. "Since the two of you have called me a show-off twice in one day, I might as well live up to the name." He chuckled softly at the end of his words.

"Follow me," Instructor Elowen said. She spun lightly on her feet, her long hair flowing behind her like a dark ribbon as she walked forward with graceful steps. Asher, William, and Finch rose from the ground immediately, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Although Finch and William had yet to clear all the levels allocated to trainees, it did not diminish their desire to see what lay beyond. There was something inherently tempting about a level no trainee was ever meant to experience.

Instructor Elowen approached what appeared to be an ordinary wall. Placing her hand against its surface, her Astra energy pulsed, flowing smoothly into the structure. A gentle creaking sound echoed as the wall parted, revealing a hidden passage behind it. Saying nothing, she stepped inside, and the three boys followed her closely.

They walked through a narrow corridor. At the far end, she placed her hand on another wall and let her Astra flow into it once more. The wall shifted open.

What Asher saw beyond it made him pause.

The space felt almost surreal. Above them drifted soft white clouds, so convincingly real that Asher could not immediately tell whether they were genuine or conjured. The ground stretched out in a serene, quiet expanse, and from it rose towering beam poles, massive ones, far taller, thicker, and broader than anything he had encountered in the trainee section. They stood like silent giants, reaching toward the sky, forming an endless forest of pillars.

He could not help but marvel. Though he did not yet know the rules or structure of this next movement and balance challenge, something about the sheer sight of it stirred a quiet excitement in him. The place radiated danger and beauty at the same time.

"I introduce to you, 'The Killer,'" Instructor Elowen announced with a smile. Finch, William, and Asher turned toward her immediately, each of them silently questioning the naming choice, though Instructor Elowen herself appeared completely unbothered by their reactions.

"I call it 'The Killer' because it is designed to kill you," she continued unfazed. "Not literally, of course… but it is designed to inflict real, painful injuries. So you must be careful." She paused, turning her gaze from the towering structure to the three children in front of her.

"This movement and balance training is nothing like the one William and Finch just completed, where they merely had to dodge a few arrows and reach the other side," she explained. "Here, you must simply survive for as long as you can. And I believe I do not need to remind you: no Astra energy, no abilities, no techniques. Just you, your physical body, and your senses."

Her words created a heavy silence among the three boys as they processed what she had said. Asher did not yet fully grasp the extent of the challenge, but he understood enough, once he entered, he would have to survive. At the very least, he had Omni Perception to help him, though some might call it unfair. But it was part of his physique, integrated into him, not something he could turn off even if he wanted to.

"Isn't this a bit too much?" Finch asked quietly. Nothing had happened yet, but the seemingly tranquil sky above and the enormous pillars stretching endlessly before them radiated a dangerous, almost predatory feeling.

"Asher, I'm not sure you'll be able to show off here," William said. He did not doubt Asher's talent, not after witnessing him fight twice, each time leaving William completely overwhelmed. He didn't know the full extent of this 'survival course,' but he believed Asher could survive for a while. Still… Asher's intention had been to show off, not to endure something like this.

Instructor Elowen remained silent. If she had intended to stop him, she would never have shown him this part of the building. To her, this was a rare opportunity to evaluate how far the Tenth Sun had progressed, and perhaps see the impossible unfold before her once more.

Asher stayed silent for a moment before speaking. His words were directed solely at Instructor Elowen, ignoring Finch and William's concerns entirely. Why would he back out? This was a chance to see something new.

"How long is the survival course?" he asked.

A smile broke across Instructor Elowen's face. The question alone meant he had accepted the challenge.

"Because it was not built for trainees, the minimum duration is half an hour. After that, one hour, then one hour and a half, each increasing in thirty-minute intervals. There are no levels here. Only time differences."

Though she did not voice it aloud, excitement stirred within her. She had trained prodigies and monsters before, even the First Sun, Malrik, whose talent was abnormal by every known standard. Yet, to her, Asher's talent made Malrik's seem almost ordinary.

"Set the course for thirty minutes," Asher said calmly.

Without hesitation, he removed his jacket and began changing his clothes right there. He slipped into a black compression shirt and a baggy whitish-grey trouser that tightened at his ankles. After adjusting the fabric, he tied a black belt around his waist.

He stretched lightly, preparing himself. Though he did not fully know what awaited him inside, he did not hesitate. He wanted to be ready. And from the way Instructor Elowen spoke, it was clear that she herself trained in something like this.

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