I woke to the gentle murmur of the waterfall, the air in Alina’s hidden sanctuary still smelling impossibly fresh.

  The crushing exhaustion from forming the Ki core had faded, replaced by a vibrant energy thrumming deep within my chest. It wasn't just the familiar river of Ki anymore; it was a reservoir, a dense, contained sun radiating power.

  Even as a Dull tier core, rough and unrefined as Alina called it, the difference was staggering. I felt… amplified. Stronger than I had moments after the bandits, maybe stronger than I’d ever been in this life. My baseline felt higher, the potential greater. I estimated my current output, even controlled, probably surpassed anything I could manage before the core formed.

  A soft yawn cut through my thoughts. Alina stretched languidly on the oversized dog bed, golden eyes blinking open.

  "Well, look who decided to rejoin the world of the conscious. Feeling less like a half-dead sack of potential this morning?"

  "Much better," I admitted, swinging my legs over the cot. The stiffness was gone, replaced by a feeling of coiled readiness. "That core… it feels different. Powerful."

  "Mwehehe~ Told you so," she preened, hopping onto the table. "Now, don't get too cocky. You've got a shiny new engine, but you still drive like a drunk farmer. We need to address your rather… limited combat experience before we head off."

  "Head off? I thought we were continuing to Silberstrom?"

  Alina waved a dismissive paw. "Plans change, kiddo. We'll get to that later. More pressing matters first. You've fought a Wind Mage – your dear old Dad – and one glorified icicle thrower. That's it. Both times, you relied on overwhelming them or catching them off guard. You showed a distinct lack of experience against varied magic."

  She wasn't wrong. My instincts were honed against physical combatants, Ki users from my past life. Magic, with its diverse elements and unpredictable nature, was still a dangerous unknown.

  "I learn fast," I stated, a spark of defiance lighting in my chest. "All I need is one battle to get the hang of an opponent."

  "Oh, is that so?" Alina's grin was pure feline mischief. "Good. Because I've prepared a little… remedial lesson."

  That unsettling rainbow shimmer pulsed around her again. The wall opposite me dissolved into the same swirling vortex as before.

  "My friends are eager to meet you."

  Friends?

  I followed her through the portal, bracing for the strange, syrupy transition. This time, it opened not onto the serene riverside meadow, but a vast, empty field under the same impossibly bright sky. Featureless brown earth stretched in all directions.

  Standing silently in the middle were four figures. Identical. Bald, dressed in simple grey tunics and trousers, their faces utterly blank, devoid of expression.

  Yet… something was off. The Ki sense prickled at the back of my neck. They felt… hollow. Not truly alive.

  "Those people aren't real, Niko," Alina's voice sounded beside me, confirming my suspicion. "Constructs. So don't worry about harming them permanently. Think of it as… aggressive sparring."

  She gestured towards them. "Each one specializes in a different element. Wind, Water, Fire, Earth. Standard stuff. Your test? Beat all of them before we leave."

  Damnit. Another test. Still, the prospect of facing different elemental mages, even constructs, sent a thrill through me. This was exactly the experience I needed.

  "Alright, Alina. Fine. But what do you mean, 'not real'?"

  She laughed, that dry, breathy sound. "You'll find out one day, kiddo. For now, just focus on not getting turned into a pincushion or a charcoal briquette." She hopped onto a conveniently conjured earthen perch.

  "First up, Wind. This should be quick. Try not to disappoint me too much."

  The construct designated as the Wind mage stepped forward. Instantly, swirling wind mana coalesced around its fists, forming translucent gauntlets identical to Father's technique, but radiating significantly more power.

  This thing was stronger than Father, a former A-class adventurer? My guard went up instantly.

  The construct wasted no time. Its hands blurred, launching not the blunt gusts Father used, but sharp, shimmering blades of wind that sliced through the air towards me with lethal speed. Any one of those could carve me open.

  My usual tactic against Father wouldn't work here. Time for a new approach.

  Drawing Ki from the newly formed core felt different – smoother, faster, more potent. I gathered it, compressing it beyond the fifty percent limit, pushing towards that dangerous eighty percent edge, feeling the familiar strain but also the exhilarating surge of amplified power.

  "Full power shockwave!" I roared, punching forward.

  My fist broke the sound barrier with a sharp crack. The shockwave that erupted was visibly denser, faster, hitting the air like a physical hammer blow as it shot towards the Wind construct.

  But the construct reacted instantly. Wind swirled violently around it, forming a rapidly spinning shield that met my shockwave head-on. Air slammed against mana, the air exploding in a concussive blast that threw up clouds of dust. The shield held, deflecting the force, though the construct staggered back a step.

  I leaped back, my arm throbbing from the sheer force of the non-contact impact. Damn. Even with the core, unleashing that much power still carried a cost. Using shockwaves repeatedly wasn't sustainable, not yet.

  Alright, Plan B. Close combat.

  I powered up again, pulling a steady, controlled stream of Ki from my core, enhancing my body but keeping it well within the fifty percent safety zone. I launched myself forward, a low blur across the packed earth.

  The Wind construct met my charge, its wind-gauntleted fist aiming for a straight right. Too predictable. I slipped inside the punch, flowing to its right, and drove a Ki-powered uppercut into its jaw.

  The construct sailed upwards, crashing against the unseen ceiling of this dimension with a dull thud before dissolving into motes of light.

  I may not have magic, I thought with grim satisfaction, but in close quarters, with Ki, I am unmatched.

  A slow, sarcastic clap echoed from the earthen perch.

  "Bravo, bravo," Alina drawled, feigning a yawn. "Took down the warm-up dummy. A bit too easy, though, wouldn't you say, Niko?" Her golden eyes gleamed. "Let's make this more… educational. Alright boys," she called out to the remaining constructs, "You're all up! Let's see how our prodigy handles a real party!"

  The remaining three constructs stirred. The Fire mage's arms erupted in roaring flames. The Water mage conjured a swirling sphere of churning water, crackling with contained pressure. The Earth mage stomped, and jagged spikes of rock began thrusting from the ground around it.

  This… this would be difficult.

  The Fire mage dashed forward, fists wreathed in flame, while spears of rock and compressed water balls shot towards me from the other two. Chaos erupted.

  I leaped backwards, then sideways, Ki flaring as I dodged the ranged attacks, the heat of the fire mage’s passage scorching the air beside me.

  Strategy clicked into place instantly. Take out the ranged threats first. Just like in the games from my old world. I targeted the Water mage standing furthest back. Launching myself forward, I aimed to close the distance before he could react.

  "Not so fast!"

  A wall of solid earth erupted from the ground directly in my path, conjured by the Earth mage. I slammed into it, Ki flaring, shattering the packed dirt but losing crucial momentum.

  It was enough. A blast of fire impacted my back, sending me staggering forward uncontrollably, right into the Water mage.

  He was ready. The swirling sphere of water he’d been holding expanded instantly, engulfing me. It wasn't just water; it was dense, pressurized, impossible to swim through. My lungs screamed for air as the construct manipulated the sphere, trying to drown me.

  Think! Panic threatened, but training took over. Control. Core. Shockwave.

  "That's not enough to bring me down!" I roared, pulling Ki from my core, focusing it inwards, then blasting outwards. A contained explosion, not aimed, just pure disruptive force.

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  The water sphere detonated, sending the Water mage tumbling backwards, stunned.

  Now! While they were disorganized, I burst towards the staggering Water mage. A clean punch to the side sent him crashing against the invisible wall of the arena.

  No time to savor the victory. The Fire mage was on me again, a fist trailing flames skimming past my head. I countered instinctively, spinning, grabbing his outstretched arm, using his momentum to throw him face-first into the hard-packed earth. A sickening crunch echoed as he impacted, leaving a shallow crater.

  One left. The Earth mage.

  I charged, Ki powering my limbs, planning to end it quickly with a decisive strike. But he anticipated me. As I launched my punch, he sidestepped with surprising agility and drove a fist hardened with earth-mana straight into my stomach.

  Bwah!

  The impact knocked the wind out of me, sending me flying backwards, stars exploding behind my eyes. I crashed onto the ground, gasping for air.

  Damnit! Reckless! Charging in headlong… stupid. I needed to control the pace, exploit openings, not create them for my opponent. Speed blitzing only worked if they couldn't react.

  My thoughts were cut short as the Fire mage, surprisingly resilient, reappeared from his crater, slamming me back down with another fiery blow just as I was getting to my feet.

  Agony flared. My first instinct was to unleash everything, break the dam, shatter him with raw power. But Alina’s warning echoed: Control.

  The Fire mage was charging another blast, flames gathering around his fists. I rolled, dodging just as the fire erupted, scorching the ground where I’d been. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another sphere of water hurtling towards me – the Water mage wasn’t down yet?

  They were trying to box me in, force me into a predictable dodge.

  A shockwave would disperse the water, but leave me open to the Fire or Earth mage. Dodging would put me where they expected. Taking the hit… Ki offered resistance, it wouldn't be lethal. Best option.

  I turned, braced, and charged through the water sphere. The impact was jarring, soaking me, but my Ki shield held against the kinetic force. The Water mage looked stunned by my direct approach. He tried to block as I closed the distance. Too slow.

  A jab to the face. A cross to the sternum. A vicious hook to the liver. Another to the kidney. Each blow powered by Ki. He staggered back, defenses crumbling. I coiled for the final blow, aiming for the temple—

  Danger! Ki sense screamed. The Fire mage, recovered, fists blazing, was right behind me.

  Now was the time for power.

  As the Fire mage swung, I didn't dodge. I exploded upwards, using a sharp Ki burst. His fiery fists missed me entirely, slamming into the already weakened Water construct with devastating force. The construct dissolved instantly.

  One down.

  The Fire mage looked up, fury contorting his blank features. He leaped, fists coated in roaring flames. I met him mid-air, launching myself forward with a Ki-assisted shockwave. Fist met fiery fist. Our energies clashed, grinding against each other. For a few seconds, stalemate. Then, I channeled another burst through my legs, adding momentum. His arm buckled under the strain. He went flying across the field like a discarded toy.

  Before he could recover, I was on the move again, bursting towards the last remaining opponent - the Earth mage, who was desperately trying to conjure another spell, the ground rumbling around him. An earthquake?

  A thick earth wall shot up between us. Fine. If I stayed grounded, the earthquake would get me. If I went aerial, he'd likely impale me with earth spikes. The only path was across the unstable ground itself.

  I leaped, Ki flaring, bouncing from one solid patch of earth to another, dodging fissures that opened beneath me. It was a treacherous, improvised dance, but I closed the distance. He tried to sidestep my right straight – just as I expected. It was a feint. My left hook connected cleanly with his temple.

  A wet crunch echoed, and the construct dissolved into dust.

  Silence. Then… coughing. From across the field. That damned Fire mage was getting up again?

  Alina's laughter floated down from her perch. "Wow, Niko, this is beyond impressive! Didn't actually expect you to take down three of them! But one is still standing… time for the final boss!" Her voice gained a mischievous edge. "Hey buddy!" she called to the staggering Fire construct. "Here's a little power-up!"

  The air around the Fire mage warped. The flames engulfing him intensified, turning from red-orange to a blinding, molten white. The ground beneath him began to glow.

  Lava. She’d given him lava manipulation?

  The construct smirked, a truly unsettling expression on its blank face. The ground beneath my feet exploded upwards in a geyser of molten rock. Searing heat washed over me as I leaped away, but not fast enough. Droplets of lava spattered onto my left leg, instantly burning through my trousers and searing flesh. The smell of burning meat filled the air. My meat.

  Damnit! I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the agonizing burn, dodging another eruption of lava, leaping desperately around the rapidly melting battlefield. He was faster now, stronger, the lava attacks relentless.

  My Ki faltered for a brief moment – a consequence of the earlier exertion and the shock of the burn – and another geyser caught my left arm, engulfing it in searing agony.

  "Gah!" I ripped my arm free, trailing smoke, the skin blackened and blistering.

  Shit. Running low. The realization hit me hard. The Ki core… it provided a reservoir, yes, but it wasn't infinite. Not like my natural Ki flow. This extra boost, this ability to go beyond… it was finite. Like mana. And I was draining it fast.

  I needed to end this. Now.

  A mock battle? Maybe. But the warrior inside me screamed for victory. And victory demanded… more. Beyond the limits. Beyond control. Beyond Alina's warnings.

  Screw it.

  I let everything go. The dam shattered. The carefully constructed control vanished. My Ki core pulsed violently, dumping its entire remaining reserve into my system, merging with my natural flow, becoming an unrestrained flood. My body screamed in protest, threatening to tear itself apart.

  The white aura around me erupted, turning a furious, blood-red, shimmering violently as if the air itself was boiling around me from the sheer pressure.

  I burst forward. Lava erupted, fireballs flew, but I moved faster than thought, faster than magic, weaving through the onslaught, the world slowing down around me even as my body screamed in agony. The pain was irrelevant. Victory was the only thing that mattered.

  In an instant, I was before him. The air crackled, compressed by my speed. A sonic boom ripped through the space as my fist broke the sound barrier. All the pain, all the rage, all the unrestrained power focused into a single point.

  "KING'S IMPACT!"

  The construct's head ceased to exist. Obliterated. Just… gone. Alina's earlier joke flashed through my mind – blowing someone's head off. At least this one wasn't real. Right?

  Then came the recoil. Searing, blinding pain erupted in my right arm. I looked down. Shattered. Fragments of bone jutted through torn flesh, just like against the bear. The price of unrestrained power.

  "Yay! Go Nikolai! Woo-hoo!" Alina cheered from the sidelines, utterly unfazed by the violence or my injury. She hopped down, landing gracefully beside me as I collapsed, panting, clutching my ruined arm.

  "Nicely done, kiddo! Gotta say, I didn't actually expect you to beat all four, especially after I juiced up Mr.Flame there." She nudged the dissolving remains of the Fire construct with her nose. "Those constructs were rated B-class individually, but fighting together? Definitely an A-tier threat. Color me impressed."

  I could only groan, cradling my mangled arm. "Heal… please…"

  "Right, right." Alina walked over, the rainbow shimmer intensifying around her. That strange, resonant energy flowed, knitting bone, sealing flesh. Again, the impossibly fast, scarless healing. I didn't even bother asking how this time; I knew I wouldn't get a straight answer.

  As the last vestiges of pain faded, leaving only profound exhaustion, Alina sat back on her haunches, regarding me with those unnervingly perceptive golden eyes.

  "Alright, Niko. Now that I've helped you train and saved your sorry hide twice, it's time to continue your journey. But first…" Her voice lost its teasing edge, replaced by something sharp, knowing. "Let's drop the act. So, what do you really wanna get outta this life?”

  My heart dropped, a cold dread washing over me despite the warmth of the healing. “What… what do you mean?”

  Alina scoffed, a distinctly un-catlike sound. "Pfft, c'mon, kid, you think I couldn’t tell? That fighting style? Way too refined, too brutal, for some ten-year-old country bumpkin who’s supposedly never left his village. It’s nothing like what they teach around here. And the Ki? Super rare to begin with, but your control, even sloppy as it is, screams experience."

  "Then there's the fact that you handle life-or-death situations like you're ordering breakfast. A normal ten-year-old would be a crying, pants-wetting mess after getting skewered by bandits and nearly drowned by a magic construct! But you?" She leaned closer, her golden eyes pinning me. "You act like a stone-cold killer planning his next move. So don’t ask me 'What do you mean?' Spiel."

  My breath caught. She knew. Somehow, this impossible creature knew. I blinked, trying to process, trying to find a denial, but my face felt like stone.

  "Hey," her voice softened slightly, losing its mocking edge. "Don't worry! Lips are sealed. Cat's honor." She gave a theatrical wink. "I won’t tell anyone. You have my word!”

  Damnit. My biggest secret, the truth of my entire existence, laid bare before a sarcastic, magically-powered cat. Could I trust her? Did I have a choice?

  Exhaustion warred with ingrained caution. But looking into those ancient, knowing eyes… denial felt pointless. Maybe… maybe honesty was the only path forward.

  “Fine,” I sighed, the admission feeling like a physical weight lifting. “You got me. I… I’m not from here. Not originally.” The words felt strange, admitting the impossible truth aloud for the first time.

  "What I want out of this life…" The answer surfaced instantly, unbidden, surprisingly clear.

  "I want to experience love." The confession felt raw, vulnerable. "I don’t want to be a 'stone-cold killer,' as you put it. I want a family. People to share meals with. People to… create cherished memories with. My past life… it was all combat, blood, and endless loneliness. I had no one." The desolation of that existence washed over me, a chilling echo. "I won’t let that happen again.”

  Alina regarded me silently for a long moment, the usual sarcasm absent from her expression. Then, a slow, genuine smile spread across her feline features.

  “Good answer, Nikolai.”

  She cleared her throat, the formality returning. "Anyways, Nikolai, time we headed to our next destination." The mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "Silberrrrrr... nope! The Kingdom of Arcadia!"

  "What?" My head snapped up. "Arcadia? I thought you were taking me to Silberstrom! That's where the Academy is! That was the whole point!"

  Alina sighed dramatically. "Nikolai, Nikolai, Nikolai. Trust me on this. Arcadia will be much more… beneficial for you right now. Think of it as a necessary detour. Builds character! Besides," she added brightly, "Silberstrom Academy isn't going anywhere. Tuition's paid, right? They'll hold your spot. Consider this… advanced placement fieldwork."

  I stared at her, frustration warring with weary resignation. She'd healed me, revealed the path to greater power, and now she was hijacking my entire journey? But arguing felt futile. And maybe… maybe there was a reason.

  "Alright," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Arcadia it is. But… you answer one question first."

  Alina tilted her head, considering. "Hmm. Depends on the question. But fine. Shoot."

  "That rainbow power you use," I asked, gesturing towards the spot where the portal had been. "The healing, the portal… what is it? It's not Ki, and it's not mana."

  Alina sighed again, a long-suffering sound. "Nosy, aren't we? Let's just call it a… special power. Not Ki, not Mana. Something else. It’s not important for you right now, kiddo." Her golden eyes held a cryptic promise. "But maybe… one day… you'll learn how to wield it too."

  Not a real answer, but more than I expected. What did it do? What was she? More questions piled onto the mountain of unknowns.

  "Right then," Alina chirped, seemingly satisfied with my reluctant agreement. The rainbow shimmer pulsed around her again, the wall dissolving into the swirling vortex. "C'mon, Niko! Chop chop! Adventure awaits! And try not to get yourself killed again before lunchtime, okay?"

  Taking a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever came next, I stepped into the portal after her, leaving the impossible training ground behind and stepping towards an equally unknown future in the Kingdom of Arcadia.