Leonel's lungs burned as he rested against a tree, still recovering from their intense escape from the multiplying panther-monsters. His clothes were torn, his energy was drained, and his will to live was at an all-time low.
Aina, on the other hand, stood nearby, completely unbothered.
"Alright," she said, stretching. "Time to move."
Leonel wheezed. "Time to what? No, no, no. I need at least three business days to recover from this emotional trauma."
Aina rolled her eyes. "If we stay here too long, something worse will find us."
Leonel groaned. "Worse than self-duplicating panther-spiders?"
Aina smirked. "Oh, you have no idea."
Leonel wanted to protest more, but honestly, he was too afraid to find out what else this nightmare dimension had in store. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up.
"Fine. But if I collapse and die, I want you to know… I blame you entirely."
Aina shrugged. "Duly noted."
A Meeting with a Legend (Or So He Claims)
After walking for what felt like hours, Leonel was about to pass out again when they finally stumbled upon something different—a clearing in the forest.
And in the middle of it…
A small hut made of wood, vines, and what looked suspiciously like bones.
Leonel froze. "I hate this already."
Aina, however, didn't hesitate. She strode forward and knocked on the wooden door.
Leonel grabbed her arm. "Are you INSANE? This has evil hermit who eats people written all over it!"
Aina pulled her arm free. "Relax. I know who lives here."
Before Leonel could argue, the door swung open.
Standing there was a short, old man, wrapped in tattered robes, his long white beard reaching down to his waist. His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes glowed with an unnatural light.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then the old man spoke.
"I knew you would come," he said, his voice deep and mystical.
Leonel gulped. "Oh no. He's one of those guys."
Aina bowed slightly. "Grandmaster Xun. It's been a while."
Leonel choked. "Grandmaster?!"
Xun nodded sagely. "Yes. I am the guardian of this realm, the keeper of ancient knowledge, the master of—"
Leonel snorted. "Okay, but like, do you actually do anything useful, or is this just your entire personality?"
Aina facepalmed.
Xun's eye twitched. "You dare mock a Grandmaster of the Fourth Dimension?"
Leonel shrugged. "Listen, my guy, I've had a very long day. I've fought cosmic horrors, I've been chased by mutating jungle cats, and I may or may not have accidentally headbutted an interdimensional god to death. So unless you've got superpowers that can fix my suffering, I'm not impressed."
Xun stared at him for a long time.
Then—
He burst out laughing.
Leonel blinked. "Wait. What?"
Xun wiped a tear from his eye. "You… you remind me of myself when I was younger!"
Leonel grimaced. "Oh god, there's more of you?"
Xun ignored him and turned to Aina. "Why have you come, child?"
Aina nodded. "We need guidance. The world is collapsing, the Fourth Dimension is descending, and Leonel—"
She hesitated.
Leonel narrowed his eyes. "Leonel what?"
Aina sighed. "Leonel might be… special."
Leonel grinned. "Finally, someone acknowledges my greatness."
Aina continued. "Or he might be an accident of cosmic proportions. We're still figuring it out."
Leonel's grin vanished. "Excuse me?"
Xun stroked his beard, eyeing Leonel. "Interesting…"
Then, without warning, he punched Leonel in the gut.
The Training from Hell Begins
Leonel collapsed instantly.
"GAAAH! WHAT THE HELL, OLD MAN?!" he wheezed, clutching his stomach.
Xun simply nodded. "Yes, yes. Weak but has potential. Needs work."
Leonel rolled onto his back. "How about I punch you in the gut and see how much work you need?!"
Xun smirked. "Very well."
Before Leonel could react, Xun vanished—then reappeared behind him, tapping him lightly on the back of the neck.
Everything went black.
Leonel's Soul Takes a Detour
When Leonel opened his eyes, he was somewhere else.
He stood in a vast, empty void, surrounded by swirling galaxies and shifting realities.
A voice echoed around him.
"Who are you?"
Leonel gulped. "Uh. Leonel?"
"No. Who are you?"
Leonel frowned. "What kind of cryptic nonsense—"
Suddenly, memories flashed before his eyes. His life. His struggles. The day the world collapsed.
The day his abilities awakened.
And then—
The moment he headbutted the Sentinel.
For a split second, he saw it again.
The way its body fractured. The way reality itself twisted in response.
Then, he was back in the hut.
Gasping, he shot upright. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
Xun chuckled. "A glimpse into your own existence."
Leonel scowled. "You could've just told me!"
Xun shrugged. "This is more fun."
Aina smirked. "I like him."
Leonel groaned. "Of course you do."
Xun stood. "Now. If you truly wish to survive the coming storm, you must train. Your power is not teleportation, boy. It is something much greater."
Leonel crossed his arms. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"
Xun grinned.
"You are not shifting through space. You are breaking it."
Leonel froze. "...That sounds dangerous."
Xun nodded. "It is."
Leonel sighed. "Of course it is."
Xun clapped his hands. "Now! Training begins!"
Leonel raised a hand. "Wait, do I get a—"
Xun promptly kicked him into the air.
Leonel screamed.
The Next Level Begins
As Leonel crashed through several trees, Aina simply shook her head.
"This is going to be fun."
Xun nodded. "Indeed."
Leonel, lying in a pile of broken branches, groaned.
"Someone save me…"
Unfortunately, no one did.
Training from hell had officially begun.