the academy lights went out.
Not gradually. Not sector by sector. Instantly.
Training Sector Three vanished into darkness, while emergency systems failed simultaneously across the entire combat complex. The only remaining illumination came from the crimson warning lights flickering weakly throughout the shattered arena and the terrifying glow radiating from Huang Ming's eyes.
For several long seconds—nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because the pressure filling the battlefield had become overwhelming.
Smoke drifted across the ruins of Platform Seven, while fragments of shattered steel floated motionlessly through the air beneath unstable gravitational distortions. Massive fractures stretched throughout the arena walls, while shattered stabilisation barriers sparked continuously around the battlefield. Entire support pillars had collapsed inward, while emergency drones drifted lifelessly across the destroyed sector. The academy's combat reinforcement systems continued malfunctioning, while alarms echoed faintly through distant corridors like dying mechanical screams.
And standing at the centre of it all—
Huang slowly lifted his head.
Black mist spiralled around his body more violently now, while darkened veins spread farther beneath his skin. Chaotic spiritual energy pulsed rhythmically outward from him in enormous waves that distorted the surrounding air with every heartbeat.
THUMP.
The entire battlefield trembled.
THUMP.
Cracks spread farther across the arena floor.
THUMP.
Several nearby students collapsed to one knee instantly beneath the pressure.
Far above the battlefield, emergency backup systems finally activated partially, while red containment lights flickered weakly throughout the observation room. Instructors stared toward the destroyed arena with pale expressions, while warning messages flooded every remaining functional display.
"Synchronisation instability exceeding maximum threshold…"
"Unknown energy signature detected…"
"Containment probability dropping…"
"Neural corruption levels rising…"
"Spatial distortion detected inside Sector Three…"
The older instructor remained motionless while staring toward Huang.
Or rather—
Toward the thing awakening inside him.
"…Director status?" one instructor asked nervously.
"No response yet."
Another instructor looked visibly shaken.
"What if containment fails before he arrives?"
Nobody answered.
Because none of them had an answer anymore.
At the center of the battlefield, Rex Hao slowly stepped backward again while breathing unevenly. His reinforcement energy had almost completely destabilized now beneath the overwhelming pressure radiating from Huang. Sweat dripped from his face while his arms trembled uncontrollably beneath the weight of the spiritual force crushing the arena.
For the first time in his life—
Rex felt powerless.
Not weaker.
Not disadvantaged.
Powerless.
Because every instinct throughout his body understood one horrifying truth now.
If Huang lost control completely—
Everyone here would die.
"…Huang…" Rex said quietly. "Can you hear me?"
For several seconds—no response came.
Then slowly—
Huang turned his head slightly toward him.
The movement felt unnatural.
Too slow.
Too heavy.
And when Huang finally spoke—
Two voices echoed together again.
"…Barely."
The instant those words spread across the battlefield, several nearby students visibly panicked because the second voice no longer sounded faint.
It sounded clearer now.
Older.
Colder.
Hungrier.
Inside the synchronization space, endless darkness trembled violently around the gigantic chained entity. Countless broken restraints now hung across portions of its body while enormous fractures spread through the remaining chains binding it.
And for the first time—
The entity no longer seemed distant.
It stood closer now.
Much closer.
Huang staggered backward internally while pressure crushed him from every direction. The synchronization space itself had begun destabilizing completely while cracks spread throughout the darkness like shattered glass.
"You need to stop!" Huang shouted desperately.
The entity stared downward silently.
Its glowing eyes reflected endless age.
Endless exhaustion.
And endless violence.
Then slowly—
It spoke.
"You are afraid."
Huang clenched his fists immediately.
"…Of course I'm afraid!"
The entity remained silent briefly.
Then—
"Good."
Huang froze.
The gigantic figure slowly lowered itself slightly while broken chains dragged endlessly through the darkness beneath it.
CLAAAAANG.
CLAAAAANG.
The sound echoed like collapsing worlds.
"Fear keeps weak creatures alive."
The words carried no mockery.
No anger.
Only certainty.
Back in reality, another pulse erupted from Huang's body.
BOOOOOOOM.
The shattered battlefield exploded outward again while nearby debris launched violently into the air. Several remaining stabilization pillars collapsed entirely while emergency reinforcement barriers flickered dangerously.
Students throughout nearby sectors screamed as evacuation forces rushed people toward sealed exits.
"MOVE!"
"DON'T STOP RUNNING!"
"HURRY!"
But despite the chaos—countless eyes still remained locked onto Huang.
Because the pressure surrounding him had started changing again.
Before, it felt chaotic.
Now—
It felt controlled.
That realization terrified the instructors even more.
Inside the observation room, one specialist suddenly looked up from a damaged console in horror.
"…Wait…"
Another instructor turned immediately.
"What is it?"
The specialist's face had gone pale.
"His synchronization rate…"
The older instructor narrowed his eyes.
"What about it?"
The specialist swallowed hard.
"…It stabilized."
Silence filled the room instantly.
Because stabilization should have been impossible.
Not at this stage.
Not with that level of pressure.
Unless—
The thing inside Huang had started synchronizing back.
Meanwhile, deep inside the synchronization space, Huang suddenly realized the pressure crushing him had become smoother.
More stable.
And that terrified him instantly.
Because the entity no longer felt restrained by instability anymore.
It felt patient.
The gigantic figure slowly stared downward while fractured chains continued breaking one after another across its body.
CRRRKK.
CRRRKK.
Then—
The entity took another step forward.
This time the synchronization space nearly shattered completely.
Endless darkness collapsed inward while violent shockwaves exploded throughout Huang's consciousness. Cracks spread through the void itself while fragmented whispers erupted everywhere simultaneously.
Huang screamed instantly.
Back in reality—the black mist surrounding him exploded outward. Every remaining light throughout Training Sector Three shattered simultaneously.
And for one horrifying moment—
Two glowing eyes appeared behind Huang inside the darkness.
Not beside him.
Not above him.
Behind him.
Massive.
Ancient.
Watching.
Several students screamed instantly.
One instructor stumbled backward in horror.
"…Did you see that?!"
"That wasn't spiritual projection—!"
"What the hell IS THAT THING?!"
The gigantic shadow behind Huang flickered only briefly before dissolving back into the darkness surrounding him, yet the pressure it released remained lingering throughout the battlefield like a suffocating nightmare.
At the center of the ruined arena, Huang's breathing became heavier while black mist poured from his body continuously now. The ground beneath him no longer merely cracked.
It decayed.
Steel rusted.
Stone fractured.
Spiritual reinforcement formations collapsed the moment his energy touched them.
And slowly—
Huang raised one trembling hand in front of his face.
The glowing energy surrounding his fingers no longer looked human.
It looked alive.
Inside the synchronization space, the gigantic entity watched silently.
Then finally—
For the first time—
It smiled fully.
And every remaining chain binding its body began to crack at once.
CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAKKKKKK.
The sound echoed across the synchronization space like the breaking of heaven itself.
Huang's eyes widened instantly.
Because now—
He could finally see the entity clearly.
Its body towered endlessly within the darkness while ancient scars covered portions of its form like shattered worlds frozen into flesh. Fragments of black and crimson energy drifted endlessly around it while broken chains hung from its arms like ruined celestial restraints. Its glowing eyes no longer looked merely monstrous.
They looked intelligent.
Ancient beyond comprehension.
And focused entirely on him.
Huang immediately staggered backward.
"No…"
The entity slowly lowered its massive face closer through the collapsing void while endless pressure consumed everything surrounding it.
"You understand now."
Huang shook violently.
"…No…"
"You were never chosen."
The synchronization space trembled harder.
"You were compatible."
Cold fear spread through Huang's entire consciousness.
Because somehow—
That sounded infinitely worse.
Back in reality, another catastrophic pulse erupted from Huang's body.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The remaining sections of Platform Seven completely collapsed. Nearby containment walls cracked while several instructors were thrown backward beneath the expanding shockwave. Emergency barriers flickered violently as the academy itself began trembling beneath the pressure.
Far above the battlefield, the older instructor's face finally changed completely.
Because he recognized the energy now.
Or at least—
Part of it.
And that realization terrified him.
"…Impossible…" he whispered.
Another instructor immediately turned toward him.
"You know what this is?!"
The older instructor remained staring downward at Huang while fear slowly spread across his face.
"…No…" he answered quietly.
Then after several seconds—
"…But someone once warned us this could happen."