Ben and Malcen parted ways, each disappearing into the crowd with different expressions—Malcen calm and unreadable, Ben thoughtful and quietly tense. The city lights flickered across the reflective surfaces of Keli's cityscape as Ben made his way back to his hotel. He upgraded his suite and added ten more days without hesitation; he knew he needed them. The weeks ahead would decide far more than the outcome of a few sparring matches.
Once inside, Ben tried calling Rebecca. The line rang and rang, then cut off—no response. That confirmed it for him. She was still training, buried deep in preparation. He didn't want to interrupt her rhythm, so he turned to his own.
He fell into routine quickly. Hours slipped by as he meditated, circulating his aura. When he trained, the room vibrated slightly as if the air was adjusting around him. His body strengthened, his mind sharpened, and his aura stabilized.
By 6 PM he was ready.
He took a long breath, grabbed his training band, and headed toward SMT—the Sparring Martial Tower arena. Malcen was already waiting.
"Registered already," Malcen said. "And I opened the match for betting. People love wagering on rookies."
Ben gave a small nod. "Any reason?"
Malcen's smile was faint but meaningful. "Keli is under strict martial supervision right now. A safe space for planning… if you play your cards right. But I can't do anything openly. So everything has to fall under the umbrella of martial training. Public duels, even bet matches, are perfect camouflage."
Ben finally understood. He followed Malcen inside. They both stepped into the arena chamber—it was the standard chamber but designed for a more intensive fight. The area was larger.
Ben cracked his neck and exhaled, rolling his shoulders. Malcen smirked.
Malcen: "Are you ready to get your butt kicked?"
Ben: "…."
Malcen laughed. "Boy, you really suck at trash talk."
Ben's silence wasn't arrogance—he genuinely wasn't good at verbal sparring. So he let his aura answer instead.
A deep sound—like distant rumbling—vibrated through the arena.
Malcen straightened immediately.
Ben's aura rose like a towering mountain pushing through the earth. Heavy. Stable. Ancient. The arena's light warped slightly around him as if gravity itself was acknowledging his presence.
"Impossible…" Malcen whispered internally. "This power… earth-aligned? And so naturally compatible? How does a Shamanic meridian wielder possess this?"
Ben shifted into his fighting stance. With each breath his power multiplied, compressing and condensing around him like a living mantle.
Malcen grinned. "Alright then."
Lightning sparked across Malcen's body—thin threads at first, then thicker, pulsing arcs. Ben felt the static crawling along his skin, raising every hair on his arms. Malcen's aura sharpened, crackling, buzzing, filling the arena with an electric tang.
He took a classic spear-and-shield stance—one arm forward like a piercing blade, the other held back, charged with enough electricity to melt stone.
A stance meant for defense. Or stationary attacks. At least, in conventional schools.
Ben tightened his muscles. Malcen's eyes narrowed.
For a heartbeat, everything was still.
Then—
BOOM.
A flash of white-blue light erupted. Malcen's aura spiked violently, like a thunderstorm condensed into a single man.
Ben didn't even see the movement. He only felt the impact. His body was lifted off the ground like a rag doll.
CRASH!
He slammed into the arena wall, the protective barrier rippling from the force. Pain exploded through him. Sparks danced across his limbs. His vision blurred for a second.
The audience screamed in excitement.
Ben tried to rise—
—but his body didn't respond.
A violent jolt tore through his nerves. His muscles seized. His fingers curled uncontrollably.
He was paralyzed.
The electricity Malcen left lingering in his aura had infiltrated Ben's nervous system, freezing movement without needing a second attack.
Malcen stood calmly at the center of the arena, lightning flowing off him like a cloak of living storm.
Ben was wondering how he moved from that stance. It was not meant for such movement. That was when he looked at the lightening. Ben deduced that he had used the electricity to speed up his own perception and reflexes. It was a pretty basic application of aura.
Malcen moved again and all Ben could see was blue blur. He quickly activated humming shirt and also externalized his aura. But even then, a bit of the electricity was seeping in and making him experience the stun effect.
Ben understood that he could not keep going like this. He had to find a solution.