The morning light seeped through the thin curtains of the hidden house, painting the wooden floor with soft golden stripes. Zero awoke, muscles sore from yesterday's grueling training, yet a spark of anticipation ran through him. Today, he would step beyond raw strength. Today, he would learn to fight not just with power, but with precision, stealth, and cunning.
The old man waited outside, calm as ever, leaning on a wooden staff. His eyes, still sharp and penetrating, followed Zero as he approached.
"Yesterday was only the beginning," he said. "Strength is the foundation, but control and strategy will be your pillars. I sense something about you — your elemental fragments are mostly sealed, yet a sliver remains. Dark elemental. You can wield it, but only at a basic level. It is a small ember, nothing more. To truly harness it, you must learn to cultivate your inner strength, you know what i mean right, because i was tell you before, your energy within. Only then can your skills merge with this power."
Zero listened intently, nodding. His fists, still slightly trembling from the prior day, clenched in determination.
The training began with basic ninja techniques, now enhanced subtly with his Dark Elemental fragment.
Kunai practice: Zero learned to throw small, sharp blades imbued with a faint dark aura. The old man corrected his grip, stance, and follow-through, guiding him to subtly channel the fragment's energy through each motion.
Shuriken practice: These spinning stars now glimmered with a aura, requiring timing, focus, and elemental coordination. Zero's first attempts faltered, but the old man's tips gradually sharpened both his skill and elemental control.
Shadow Clones exercises: At first, simple illusions. Now, the fragments of his Dark Elemental allowed his shadows to hold brief forms, moving with him in attack sequences, creating openings, and practicing elemental synergy.
Hours turned into an entire day. Zero moved tirelessly, sweat mixing with dust. Each skill demanded focus beyond physical endurance — his mind had to anticipate, plan, and react with precision, while channeling the tiny ember of Dark Elemental energy within.
The old man watched silently as Zero completed another round of kunai throws, shuriken spins, shadow-clone tricks, and controlled bursts of dark aura. When Zero finally paused to steady his breathing, the old man tapped his wooden staff against the ground.
"Good," he murmured. "But training is not mastery. Now we test."
Zero swallowed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Test...how?"
The old man lifted his staff and pointed toward the forest behind the house — dense, misty, and unnervingly quiet.
"Your inner strength, your instincts, and the fragment of darkness within you… all of it will be judged."
His tone grew sharper. "Follow me."
They walked deeper into the woods until the trees swallowed the sunlight. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, and the air felt heavier.
The old man stopped in a small clearing, surrounded by tall bamboo and drifting fog.
"This place," he said, "is where students face their truth. Let us see yours."
Before Zero could respond, the old man tapped his staff on the ground — once.
The fog shivered.
Shadows around Zero twisted, elongating, forming into three dark silhouettes. They resembled Zero's own figure, but warped hunched, predatory, and flickering like living smoke.
Zero's eyes widened. "Shadow constructs?"
"Not mine," the old man said. "Yours. They are shaped by your inner chaos. Overcome them… or they will tear you apart."
The first shadow lunged without warning.
Zero dodged, rolling back. His kunai flashed with a faint dark aura as he counter-threw but the shadow blinked into mist and reformed behind him. Another swept its clawed arm across Zero's ribs, forcing him to stagger.
They're fast...they're me, but darker.
"Don't run!" the old man called out. "Control the darkness don't let it control you!"
Zero steadied his breath. He closed his eyes for a split second, searching inside for the ember of Dark Elemental energy. It pulsed weakly… but it was there.
He let the aura seep into his limbs.
When he opened his eyes, a thin dark glow rippled down his arms.
The shadows attacked again.
This time Zero met them head-on.
He stepped into the first strike, driving his knee into its center. The figure staggered, its form glitching. Zero spun, launching a shuriken the dark aura sharpening its spin mid-air. It sliced the second shadow cleanly, dispersing it into smoke.
The third shadow flickered behind him.
Zero's instincts screamed.
He clenched his fist, channeling the ember of darkness, and struck backward with a precise, controlled punch not brute force, but refined intent.
Boom.
The shadow dissolved completely.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Zero fell to one knee, chest heaving… but victorious.
The old man approached, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly, but with unmistakable approval.
"You're beginning to understand," he said. "The darkness within you is no longer wild. You've taken your first step in bending it to your will."
Zero looked up, still panting. "Was… was that enough?"
"No."
A faint smile touched the old man's lips.
"But it proves you are ready. From this point forward, your training will change. Your fragment is awakening… which means your enemies will feel it, too."
Zero's heart pounded not from exhaustion, but from the promise of what lay ahead.
During a short break, Zero finally dared to ask, "Do you… know the Shadow Master?"
The old man's expression remained neutral, but his eyes flickered briefly with memory. "I have crossed paths with him, long ago. Powerful...formidable. But that is a story for another time. For now, your focus must remain on mastering yourself and learning to integrate what little remains of your elemental fragment with your inner energy."
Zero nodded, sensing both the weight of the answer and the unspoken secrets lurking beneath it.
By dusk, Zero was exhausted but exhilarated. His movements had become smoother, more deliberate. The kunai flew true, the shuriken spun and struck as intended, and his shadows moved in sync with him, confusing even his own perception at times.
The old man observed silently, then finally spoke, voice calm but firm:
"You are learning quickly. Your control over the skills, your remaining Dark Elemental fragment, and your inner strength… they have all improved. But mastery is more than skill alone. Soon, I will send you to an island a place few know, uninhabited by ordinary people. It is filled with creatures from the Underworld — demons, beasts, remnants of a fallen civilization. For three months, you will survive there. Hunt, fight, adapt, and endure. Only if you return alive will you truly be ready to face the Tower."
Zero's eyes widened, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension stirring within him.
The old man continued, "There, you will test your elemental abilities, refine your techniques, and deepen your inner energy. Every challenge will push you to your limits. Prepare yourself only then you can face what awaits in the Tower."
Zero exhaled, determination settling in his chest. The sun dipped low, casting long golden rays across the land. The distant horizon hinted at the island shrouded in mist and mystery, where his survival and growth awaited.