Zane turned toward the laughter and at once recognized the girl who'd guided him through Solaris—the city's A.I. in human form.

"Xoxo," he called. "Was this your doing?"

The girl smiled with the same innocent tilt that had unnerved him before. "Sure. I'm happy to help you."

"Help me?" Zane's expression hardened. "Am I the only one left here?"

Xoxo nodded, unbothered. "Yes. You're the only participant I've kept here."

"Why am I still here? There has to be a good reason." He sounded sharper than he intended. Ten days had already bled past—Mars, the Ruin, Solaris—and he'd been itching to get home.

Xoxo's smile widened. "Don't pout. I told you—I find you very likable. I gave you access to Solaris for six days. Three days remain. And look at what you brought back: the prototype saber. That alone makes you special." She let the praise hang in the air like a small, tempting promise. "Also, I'm opening a training cabinet just for you. The training grounds I can give you normally belong only to the highest Atlantis nobility."

Zane blinked. The offer dangled in front of him—danger and opportunity braided together. While he considered it, Xoxo leaned in, voice soft and coaxing. "Here you will fight youths from other intelligent species—Atlantis, Celestial, even Titan kin. This is a chance most never see."

"Fine," he said at last. "Lead the way. If this training's a joke, I'm out."

"Agreed." Xoxo's dainty hand flicked, and the world blurred.

The city folded and reformed around him. He felt the stomach-churning lurch of teleportation and then landed on a surface that reflected a night sky—familiar, then not. Xoxo's voice echoed, patient and inscrutable.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah. But first—why are you helping me?" Zane asked.

"Because you're interesting," she said simply. "And because interesting things make good data."

Before he could answer, the world changed again. He passed through a soft, humming barrier and fell—lightly—onto a plain vast enough to swallow the horizon. The ground was a sea of sunflowers, their yellow heads taller than his chest and nodding in a warm wind.

"What the…? Is this the training ground or the deity's garden?" he muttered. He started walking; the sunflowers rustled like an ocean.

Then Xoxo's voice sounded in his head—calm, almost clinical.

"Zane, kill everyone you meet."

He stopped so fast a sunflower brushed his cheek. "What?"

"Kill them," she repeated. "This is a projection of the Celestial Lord Guma's garden. A virtual arena. The opponents are real in combat effectiveness—Celestial-level youths. Kill to your heart's content. But be warned: Celestials are far stronger than humans."

Zane stared at the endless flowers, then into the shifting air ahead. He felt none of the usual System chimes; the System had been quiet since Solaris. He had to decide fast—accept the training and risk fighting beings who could outmatch him, or refuse and lose the chance Xoxo promised.

He breathed in, loosening his shoulders. "All right," he said to the empty field, surprising even himself with the steadiness of his voice. "Show them to me."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the air shivered. The sunflowers parted, and a silhouette stepped into the clearing: slender, tall, and swathed in robes that seemed spun from moonlight. Their eyes were a cold, clear silver that measured him in a single breath.

Behind them, more figures emerged: two, then five—each different, each carrying a presence that made Zane's muscles tense. Celestials, all right—graceful but dangerous, and they did not look like targets for mindless slaughter.

Xoxo's voice sat soft and dispassionate in his head. "This is a controlled projection. No one dies. The garden converts lethal force into data. The challenge: survive and neutralize three opponents without relying on outside help. Success grants high-tier combat experience and an aptitude spike. Failure results in a temporary stat penalty and withdrawal to the city proper."

Zane's jaw tightened. "Temporary penalty, huh?" He glanced at the nearest Celestial. They smiled—no warmth, just a flash of white teeth—and bowed in perfect courtesy.

The first opponent moved like liquid. Her limbs blurred, every step an expression of economy and intent. The second drew a staff that hummed with quiet power; the third's eyes glinted, and he had an aura of law—someone who bent reality, not with brute strength but with rules.

Zane tapped the ring on his finger—felt the heavier weight settle in—then focused. No System guidance, no Xoxo's hand on his forehead. This was him, his body, the weight, his skills and the lessons he'd been carving out with blood and stubbornness. He had come this far by taking chances.

"Remember," Xoxo's voice was a whisper now, almost fond. "You have three days. Survive."

He replied only with a nod, then pushed his weight forward.

Luminous Step ignited beneath his feet—a white thread of motion cutting across the sunflower plain. His senses sharpened; his heartbeat slowed into the familiar rhythm of battle. See. Move. Strike.

The sunflowers shivered as he surged ahead. Far in the distance, he caught sight of movement—a cluster of figures standing amid the golden field.

"So, they're the Celestials," he murmured. "Other than their golden hair and pointed ears, they look just like us. Let's see whether they're truly stronger… or weaker."

He drew in a deep breath and activated the core stone within his body. A vast surge of mana erupted from his core, flooding through every muscle, vein, and cell like molten sunlight.

His hands blurred through a series of seals.

"Celestial Step!"

His figure vanished, leaving behind only a streak of brilliant white.

When he reappeared, he was already closing the distance toward the five Celestial youths gathered near a cluster of tents.

They noticed the ripple of his aura instantly. All five turned as one—disciplined, elegant, and ready. The soft wind that had carried the scent of flowers moments ago now carried killing intent.

One of them—a tall youth clad in silver armor—reached behind his back and drew out a luxurious bow, its limbs carved with intricate glowing runes. He whispered a mantra under his breath and loosed an arrow.

The arrow whistled through the air—then, mid-flight, transformed into a serpent made of golden light. It coiled and twisted with terrifying speed, homing in on Zane's position.

The instant the snake-arrow lunged, Zane's grin widened. "Good. Let's play."

And thus, the training within the special chamber of Solaris City officially began.

High above the battlefield, Xoxo floated in her observation sphere, her translucent form bathed in holographic light. Her smile lingered, playful and curious—though even she could feel it slipping as the clash below began to shake the simulation's boundaries.