Krad watched Queen Hania from across the plaza, his chest tight with guilt. Every time he looked at her face, so similar to Hanan's, he remembered the moment his fist had nearly shattered her core completely.
"Stop brooding," Mist said, settling down beside him with a wince. His wound was healing, but slowly. "You saved her. That's what matters."
"I almost killed her," Krad muttered. "Hanan's mother. If you hadn't stopped me..."
"But I did." Mist's voice was firm. "And now she's free. Focus on that."
DING!
System Alert!
Training Evaluation Complete
Combat Performance: B+
Emotional Stability: D-
Recommendation: Further training required before Rage Tournament
Krad groaned. "Even my system thinks I'm a mess."
Well, duh! You had a complete breakdown in the middle of combat! And don't get me started on your mana management!
"I was under magical corruption!"
Excuses, excuses! A real pro fights through mental manipulation!
Mist chuckled despite his pain. "Your system has a point. The Rage Tournament won't give you time to have emotional crises."
The mention of the tournament made Krad's stomach clench. Three days. That's all he'd had originally, and now...
"How much time do we have left?" he asked.
Mist's expression darkened. "Less than two days."
Queen Hania approached them, her footsteps silent on the ancient stone. "The Rage Tournament," she said softly. "I've heard whispers of it, even in my cursed state. It's dangerous."
"Yeah, well, this participant barely survived training," Kraid muttered.
"But you did survive," she pointed out. "And you've grown stronger. I can sense it."
She's right! Level 56 with 1000 HP! You're basically a mini-boss now!
"I don't feel like a mini-boss," Krad said glumly.
"That's because you're thinking like a human," Mist said, struggling to his feet. "The Moon Eater's power isn't just about raw strength. It's about control... and right now, you're fighting it instead of working with it."
Kard frowned. "Work with it? That thing almost made me kill you!"
"Because you're afraid of it," Mist replied bluntly. "Fear makes the Moon Eater aggressive. But if you could find balance..."
"Balance?" Krad laughed bitterly. "I can barely use Evade without running out of mana!"
"Which is exactly why we're not done training," Mist said with a grin that made Krad's blood run cold.
The next morning, Krad woke to find Mist already up, despite his injuries, practicing sword forms in the dawn light. Queen Hania sat nearby, watching with the patient attention of someone who had all the time in the world.
"Rise and shine, sunshine!" Mist called cheerfully. "Time to fix your terrible combat habits!"
Oh boy! Training montage time! I love training montages! Especially when you suffer!
"Why do you sound so excited about my pain?" Krad grumbled, pushing himself up.
Because your failures are hilarious! Remember when you punched that tree and cried?
"That was one time!"
"Focus," Mist interrupted. "We have exactly thirty-six hours before the tournament begins. That means no breaks, no meals, and definitely no whining."
Krad's stomach growled loudly. "No meals?"
"Food is for winners," Mist said seriously. "And right now, you're not a winner."
Queen Hania cleared her throat delicately. "Perhaps some sustenance would---"
"NO!" Mist's voice echoed through the ruins. "He needs to learn to fight on empty! When you're facing Liyab, you think he's going to pause for lunch breaks?"
He has a point! Liyab probably eats lightning for breakfast and punches mountains for fun!
"That's not helping!" Krad snapped.
"Actually," Queen Hania said thoughtfully, "I could create some basic rations with my magic. Nothing fancy, but enough to maintain strength."
Mist considered this. "Fine. But only energy bars. Tasteless, efficient energy bars."
Ooh, can they be flavored with suffering?
"System, I swear---"
"Enough!" Mist bellowed. "Stop arguing with your brain computer and start moving!"
What followed was the most brutal training session of Krad's life.
Mist, despite his injuries, seemed to have infinite energy for making Krad's existence miserable. He conjured mist doubles that attacked from all angles. He created obstacle courses that defied physics. He even convinced Queen Hania to cast minor illusions to mess with Krad's depth perception.
"TRIPLE FLASH!" Mist shouted as three mist clones attacked simultaneously.
Krad flickered to the left, but one of the clones predicted his movement.
THWACK!
He hit the ground hard.
Ooh! That looked painful! Damage taken: 45 HP!
"I can see my own health bar!" Krad wheezed.
Just making sure you're paying attention!
"Again!" Mist commanded.
"I can barely breathe!"
"Liyab won't care about your breathing! Again!"
This went on for hours. Triple Flash, get hit, get up, repeat. Krad's mana ran dry so many times that the system started making sarcastic comments about his impressive consistency in failure.
But slowly, something changed.
By the afternoon, Krad was lasting longer between hits. His dodges became more fluid, more instinctive. He stopped thinking about when to use Evade and started feeling it.
"Better," Mist admitted grudgingly. "But you're still too predictable."
"Predictable how?" Krad panted.
"You always dodge left first. It's like you have a sign on your forehead saying I'm going left!"
He's right! You're basically a walking pattern!
"Then how do I fix it?"
Mist grinned. "By fighting someone who knows all your tells."
He raised his sword, and the air around him shimmered with power.
"Oh no," Krad muttered.
"Oh yes," Mist replied. "Round two, kiddo. And this time, I'm not holding back."
Mist moved like shadow, his blade dancing through the air with terrifying precision. Every strike was calculated to push Krad to his limits without actually killing him.
Krad managed exactly three successful dodges before Mist adapted to his pattern.
CLANG!
The flat of Mist's blade caught him across the ribs, sending him sprawling.
Owie! That's gonna leave a mark!
"You're telegraphing!" Mist called out. "Your shoulders tense before you dodge! Your breathing changes! You might as well shout your intentions!"
Krad rolled to avoid another strike. "How am I supposed to dodge without moving my shoulders?!"
"Figure it out!"
Queen Hania watched from the sidelines, occasionally offering gentle advice that was completely drowned out by Mist's aggressive coaching.
"Breathe through your core, not your chest," she suggested.
"Louder!" Mist barked. "He can't hear wisdom over the sound of his own failure!"
I'm starting to think Captain Mist might have anger issues.
"You think?" Krad gasped, barely avoiding a thrust that would have pinned him to a pillar.
The training continued as the sun moved across the sky. Krad's HP dropped steadily, only to be restored by Queen Hania's healing when it got too low. His mana cycled through depletion and recovery so many times that he started to feel the ebb and flow like a tide.
And then, something clicked.
It happened during what felt like his hundredth failed dodge. Mist's blade was coming for his left side, and instead of thinking about where to go, Krad just... moved.
He launched himself into the air, using a broken pillar as a springboard, and came down behind Mist with his fist already swinging.
Mist spun and blocked, but for the first time all day, he looked surprised.
"Now that," he said with genuine approval, "was unpredictable."
DING!
Skill Evolution!
Evade → Moon Step
New Effect: Can now dodge in three dimensions, including vertical movement Mana Cost: Reduced by 15%
"Did I just evolve a skill?" Krad asked, staring at the notification.
Yeah! And only took you fifteen hours of getting beat up! Such efficiency!
Queen Hania clapped softly. "Well done. You're learning to think beyond the obvious paths."
Mist nodded approvingly. "Good. But that's just the beginning, now we work on offense."
Krad's heart sank. "There's more?"
"Oh, so much more," Mist said with a terrifying smile. "We haven't even started on combo attacks yet."
This is gonna be fun! For me! Not for you!
"I hate everyone," Krad muttered.