Kaen stood, his heart pounding, as he anxiously waited for the thirty-minute countdown to end. His nerves buzzed, and doubt gnawed at him. "That guy didn't even bother to show me how to use Manu properly... How am I supposed to fight like this?" He glanced at the floating hologram screen in front of him, the timer flashing ominously. Five minutes left. Five minutes, and he still had no plan.
"Damn it, I have to figure this out. There's no backing out now." Kaen muttered to himself, trying to calm his racing thoughts. His mind briefly drifted to the other trainees, wondering how they were handling their challenges.
[The appointed time is about to end. Please prepare in 5, 4, 3...]
The AI's cold, mechanical voice snapped him out of his daze. His eyes sharpened with focus as the countdown ticked. "Alright, I have no choice. I'll push through somehow!"
He quickly dropped into a fighting stance, relying on the scraps of street fighting experience he had picked up in his rough neighborhood. With a deep exhale, he steadied his nerves, watching as a dark mist began to swirl before him, twisting and thickening into shape.
Then it appeared.
A shadow beast, the size of a car, materialized from the mist, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice.
"Only one?" Kaen muttered in relief. "I thought they'd throw a whole horde at me. Damn AI system."
The beast looked around in confusion, momentarily disoriented by its sudden arrival, but it didn't take long to lock onto Kaen. It roared—a terrifying, guttural sound that echoed in the chamber—and lunged at him with murderous intent.
"ROAAAAAR!!!"
Kaen barely sidestepped in time, feeling the rush of air as the beast's massive claws slashed at the spot where he had just stood, leaving deep gashes in the ground. "Holy—this thing's no joke," he muttered, his adrenaline spiking.
But something inside him shifted. He wasn't as afraid as he thought he'd be. His eyes narrowed, and a surge of reckless confidence flared within him. "You're not as big as the last one I saw… I can handle this!"
With a burst of energy, Kaen leaped forward and delivered a powerful front kick to the creature's side. The sheer force of his attack sent the beast tumbling across the field, crashing into the ground with a thud.
"What the...?" Kaen stared at his own leg in disbelief. He hadn't expected to hit that hard. "Did I just... do that?"
But the shadow beast wasn't done. It quickly recovered, rising to its feet with another deafening roar, charging straight at him once again. Kaen met it head-on this time, spinning with a sweeping kick that connected with the beast's face. The impact sent it flying, disoriented and skidding across the ground.
"That's insane!" Kaen gasped, feeling the burning sensation on his cheek from earlier. His hand instinctively brushed the mark, and he wondered aloud, "Could this strange power be coming from this?"
There wasn't much time to ponder. The beast was already rushing at him again, but now Kaen was ready. Feeling a newfound strength coursing through his veins, he dashed forward with superhuman speed. In an instant, he unleashed a furious barrage of punches, each one landing with bone-shattering force. His fists moved faster than he could keep track of, and with a final, devastating strike, the beast disintegrated into nothingness.
"Whew…" Kaen exhaled heavily, collapsing onto the ground for a moment to catch his breath. His muscles ached, but he couldn't deny the thrill of victory coursing through him. Just as he began to relax, the AI's emotionless voice chimed again.
[Sending the second wave.]
Kaen's eyes widened in horror as two more dark mists swirled into being, each one spawning a new, hulking shadow beast.
"Two of them now? Are you kidding me?" Kaen groaned, pushing himself to his feet. His body screamed in protest, but there was no time for rest. He fixed his stance once more, determination visible in his eyes.
"Bring it on, then."