Ares walked into the Squad 4 training hall, usual calm mask faintly disturbed by a slight frown. His gaze was distant but sharp, appearing to be deep in thought.
His hand moved with a relaxed swing at his side, yet it had a strange rhythm to it, almost like he was cutting through the air with a sword.
As he swung his hand, a faint, mystical halo appeared around it, shimmering with an otherworldly glow.
It was barely visible, but if anyone looked close enough, within its misty light, ancient runes seemed to drift, containing traces of primordial power that made it look both mystical and hauntingly powerful.
Below his feet, a faint circle of light appeared every few steps, pulsing in sync with the halo on his hand.
Each time the halo became more real, the circle would flash beneath him, like his energy was so intense that even the ground couldn't stay unaffected.
Ares had discovered this strange new ability only the night before.
After watching the Sword King fight through the first five floors of the Zenith Tower, Ares had returned to his training room feeling slightly disappointed.
Although the Sword king was definitely not bad with the sword, Ares just didn't find him special in any way. Especially after sparring with Commander Selene for so long.
He had been expecting a lot more from someone proclaimed as the strongest youth in camp or the king of the sword.
When he returned to his training, he'd focused on his wings first, honing their precision and control. He managed to get the hang of hovering, although it was still very tasking for him.
But when he shifted to practicing with his sword, something unexpected happened. For a brief, intense moment, he experienced a flash of insight, a sliver of enlightenment.
His practice took on a new dimension, and, to his amazement, he found he could call forth the faint halo as long as he held a sword—or anything with a blade-like edge.
Intrigued, he'd spent the entire night practicing this newfound skill, learning to summon and control it at will.
He still hadn't managed to completely control it though. It was very elusive.
As he walked into the hall, the halo faded from his hand, blending back into the air. All around him, the youths of Squad 4 were hard at work, training with everything they had.
As he entered, they looked up and greeted him with smiles and cheers.
"Squad Leader!"
Ares nodded back, replying in his usual calm voice before moving to an empty area to begin his warm ups.
He was only a few minutes into his routine when the doors of the hall swung open with a loud creak, and Sergeant Zeke, the squad's official, entered with a powerful presence.
The sergeant's voice boomed as he called the squad to attention, and the bustling room quickly fell silent.
"Listen up!" Zeke's voice was steady and commanding. "I've got news for you all. Squads 1, 2, and 3 have completed their Zenith Tower trials. The squad Leader from Squad 1—the Sword King—has reached the highest floor count so far with eight floors cleared."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, impressed whispers spreading among the youths. Reaching the eighth floor of the Zenith Tower on the first attempt was an incredible feat.
Afterall, the youths had not even spent a month in the camp.
Zeke continued, "The other squad leaders each reached the seventh floor. Tonight, it's our turn. All of you are expected to meet at the Zenith Tower at precisely 7 p.m. sharp."
Zeke's gaze swept over them with a look of pride and expectation. "Now… it's time to train!"
The entire hall burst into action as everyone threw themselves into training, pushing their bodies and spirits as they prepared for the trial ahead.
The energy in the room was electric; everyone could feel the importance of the task that lay before them. They had a chance to prove Squad 4's strength, and no one wanted to waste it.
The training session was intense, pushing everyone to their limits. By the time they were done, the youths of Squad 4 staggered out of the hall, drenched in sweat, breathing hard but with eager smiles on their faces.
Ares walked out among them, feeling the familiar ache of a hard training session. As he walked, he was quietly shaking his head at the ongoing argument between Cerberus and Mink in his mind.
They were debating who among them was truly the strongest, their voices bickering like two old warriors stuck in a stalemate.
Before Ares could tune them out, he heard someone calling his name.
"Ares!"
He looked up to see Lisa and her friends catching up to him, grins plastered across their faces.
"Ares, did you hear about the betting going on in the camp?" Lisa asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
Ares raised an eyebrow. "Betting?"
Lisa laughed, nodding. "Yeah! Everyone's placing bets on which squad leader will reach the highest floor in the Zenith Tower trials this time. Most of them are betting on their own squad leaders, but the Sword King has the most bets so far. But guess what? We all pooled together and put our money on you!"
Ares sighed, feeling a mix of exasperation and resignation. "You did what?!"
"Of course!" Lisa said, her eyes shining with determination. "We believe in you! You're going to show everyone what Squad 4 is made of."
Curious now, Ares glanced at her, "Alright… but how much did you bet?"
Lisa grinned, her expression mischievous. "One lesser Primordial stone each."
Ares froze mid step, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you insane? One whole Primordial stone from each of you?"
Lisa shrugged with a smile, her expression totally fearless. "We're just that confident in you, Squad Leader. Don't let us down."
Ares shook his head, slightly feeling the pressure building but also a spark of determination.
If everyone believed in him this much, then maybe tonight, he would show them exactly what Squad 4's squad leader could do.
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.