Two months had passed since the massacre at Heaven in Hell.
Having successfully survived Trial One, Kenshin, Liz, and Zeke were promoted to Orange-Rank fledglings.
Back in the Valley of Order, Zeke traveled alone through the winding tunnels toward the residence of his newly appointed magic instructor, Den Mother Vivien.
Of all the people within the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows, she was one of the few he genuinely respected.
After witnessing him awaken his First Magical Circle, Vivien agreed to personally oversee his magical training. Since then, she had discovered what Zeke already knew.
He was a prodigy.
His growth only accelerated after receiving the Immortal System reward known as Chantless Casting, a rare talent normally reserved for Seventh-Circle Mages and above.
The reward had been granted after earning an S Grade for surviving Fox's trap.
Remembering that battle, Zeke couldn't help but reflect on the events that unfolded inside Heaven in Hell.
After assassinating No.320, he implanted Blood Arts into the corpse and used it as the catalyst for a bloody explosion.
The blast created the perfect environment for Clouded Reflection.
A technique that allowed him to manipulate allies from the shadows while subtly influencing those caught within the illusion.
The problem was numbers.
To create the illusion he needed multiple participants.
Using Blood Phantom, a lesser version of Blood Clone, he created a duplicate to mirror Fox.
Even then, he still lacked a second person capable of replacing No.444.
With Liz being too weak for the role, he had been forced to rely on an unexpected ally.
No.711.
The same woman who had previously failed to protect No.701.
While observing the restaurant, Zeke had quickly noticed her lurking nearby.
The moment he realized she was still alive, he guessed that Reaper Ono had likely given her one final opportunity to redeem herself.
Initially, Zeke planned to eliminate her later.
Unfortunately, Fox's intervention forced him to adapt.
After rescuing Liz from No.444's scheme, Zeke stored her inside a special-grade Spatial Pouch capable of housing living beings.
Unlike standard pouches, this custom creation could temporarily sustain living occupants.
Once Liz was secured, Zeke approached No.711 through Voice Transmission.
Their interests aligned.
Both wanted to survive.
The agreement was simple.
She would follow instructions.
He would handle everything else.
From there, Zeke focused on separating Fox and No.444.
That had always been his true objective.
Neither opponent could be defeated if allowed to work together.
Using Clouded Reflection, he carefully controlled the pace of both battles, forcing them further apart with each exchange.
Eventually, No.444 made the mistake Zeke had been waiting for.
Scaled Guardian.
The venomous serpent formed from Qi was directly linked to the user's Spiritual Root.
When No.444 blocked the Blood Scythe, traces of Zeke's corrupted blood were unknowingly absorbed into the technique.
At that moment, the battle was already decided.
All Zeke needed was for No.444 to retract the serpent back into himself.
By repeatedly attacking his pride and fragile ego, Zeke pushed him into a berserk state.
The moment Scaled Guardian merged back into No.444's body, the contaminated blood entered his inner system.
From there, Zeke used the unique properties of his Blood Physique to drive the Blood Centipede into a frenzy.
No.444's death became inevitable.
More importantly, Fox became distracted.
Exactly as planned.
Concerned only with preserving No.444, Fox exposed an opening.
One that Zeke exploited without hesitation.
The Instructor ultimately died to the very type of sneak attack he had intended for others.
When the Echo Chamber finally collapsed, color returned to Heaven in Hell.
The grisly scene left behind was something best forgotten.
Standing as the sole victor, Zeke eventually found No.711 unconscious and poisoned among the carnage.
The temptation to finish her off crossed his mind.
Ultimately, he refrained.
One of the few principles he still clung to was honoring agreements he willingly made.
That did not mean he trusted her.
While curing the poison, he secretly infused a drop of his blood into her system.
If necessary, he could influence her Blood Centipede in the future.
After collecting every worthwhile reward, Zeke disappeared without leaving a trace.
Later, news of the unsolved massacre spread throughout the Hidden Cave.
No culprit was ever identified.
...
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?"
Liz's voice pulled him back to the present.
She stood at the entrance of Den Mother Vivien's modest hut near the edge of the Pit of No Return.
Arriving before him, Liz and Kenshin were already seated inside beside the fireplace.
Ever since Trial One, Liz had slowly begun warming back up to the two boys she considered her brothers.
Fascinated by Zeke's magical talent, both she and Kenshin had made a habit of watching his lessons.
"Nothing much," Zeke replied.
"Just thinking about tomorrow's trial."
Flick.
"Ouch!"
Liz rubbed her nose.
"Why do you keep treating me like the younger sister when I'm three years older?"
"Because your behavior says otherwise."
Zeke answered bluntly.
If she wanted to survive in the future, she needed to become stronger.
Much stronger.
"Hmph! Just wait and see! One day you'll call me big sister!"
Liz puffed out her cheeks.
Standing eye-to-eye with him, she was determined to prove him wrong.
Watching them, Kenshin stepped between the pair.
"Now, now. As the oldest sibling here—"
"Shut up!"
The two immediately shouted in unison.
Kenshin blinked.
Then shrugged.
"Well, I'm glad you finally agree on something."
The tension broke instantly.
"Anyways," Kenshin continued, turning toward Vivien, "are you sure there's nothing else you can tell us about Trial Two?"
"I'm afraid not."
Vivien folded her hands.
"Unlike Trial One, the second trial changes every cycle. The only constant is that it tests one's mental fortitude."
"Well, that's unfortunate."
Kenshin sighed.
Vivien shook her head.
"Rid yourselves of unnecessary worries. If I know Sister Elizabeth, she prepared all three of you with everything needed to succeed."
Those words affected each of them differently.
Kenshin felt motivated.
Liz looked saddened.
Zeke felt his desire for revenge burn hotter.
Realizing the atmosphere had become heavy, Vivien stood.
"Now then."
She motioned toward the door.
"Let's begin today's practical lesson."
The group followed her outside.
Standing near the cliff's edge, Zeke took his usual position overlooking the endless darkness below.
Without hesitation, he extended his hand.
"Ignite."
A torrent of flames erupted from his palm.
Although he possessed Chantless Casting, his inexperience still forced him to rely on verbal triggers for most spells.
Magic was not as simple as speaking a name.
Each spell required understanding.
Runes.
Sequences.
Mana flow.
Structure.
Every component mattered.
Months of study under Vivien had taught him that much.
The blazing stream of fire stretched far over the abyss.
"Whoa!"
Liz's eyes sparkled.
"Impressive."
Even Kenshin looked impressed.
"Not bad."
Vivien allowed herself a rare smile.
As a Third-Circle Mage, she understood better than anyone how absurd Zeke's talent truly was.
His mana output frequently surpassed expectations despite being only a First-Circle Mage.
Not wanting his ego to grow too large, she quickly moved on.
"Next spell."
...
A new day dawned over the Valley of Order.
Without warning, a familiar horn echoed throughout the underground cavern.
The signal summoned Unit One back to the training grounds.
There, Trial Two awaited.