Hiro slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a massive waterfall cascading into a crystal-clear lake. Strange fish and creatures swam beneath the surface—beings unlike anything he had ever seen before.
For a moment, Hiro simply stared.
The atmosphere of this place was overwhelmingly peaceful. The grass seemed greener than anywhere else in the world, while the sky and water glowed with impossibly vivid shades of blue.
Near the lake stood a massive stone boulder beside a circular dirt field, as though the area had been shaped intentionally for combat.
Hiro sat up slowly.
Only then did he remember the journey through the forest.
The speed.
The running.
The training grounds.
Yet despite all of that, he didn't feel tired in the slightest.
His muscles carried no soreness. His breathing was steady. His body felt lighter than ever before.
This body…
Hiro clenched his fist.
It's incredible.
He looked down at himself in disbelief.
I don't even feel human anymore.
A bitter smile spread across his face.
Is this how the other races feel all the time?
Now he understood.
Humans were cursed.
Cursed to live their entire lives without ever experiencing this kind of strength.
"Boy! Get over here. We have much to discuss."
Theo's voice shattered Hiro's thoughts.
Hiro turned toward him with a grin.
"I thought we were jumping straight into training. I feel amazing."
Theo gave a faint chuckle.
"I know exactly how you feel. You've finally experienced a glimpse of what true power feels like."
His expression hardened.
"But as you are now, you still couldn't defeat a single goblin on your own."
Hiro blinked.
"…What?"
He stood up immediately.
"Didn't you see what I did last night? I'm stronger, faster—what more would I need to kill a goblin?"
Theo sighed.
"You possess power. That much is true."
He pointed toward the forest around them.
"But you have only begun to understand how powerless you still are."
Theo's gaze sharpened.
"You may currently possess more raw strength than any ordinary human. However, the beings you wish to fight were born with power equal to—or greater than—what you currently possess."
His voice remained calm, almost cold.
"And unlike you, they have spent their entire lives mastering that power."
Theo folded his arms.
"They have combat experience. Different forms of magic. Specialized abilities. Some possess bodies naturally resistant to magic itself."
He looked directly into Hiro's eyes.
"You haven't even awakened your elemental affinity yet."
Hiro's excitement faded slightly.
"So even now… I still couldn't beat anyone important?"
Theo walked over to a nearby tree and snapped a small twig from one of its branches.
"If humans were measured on a scale of strength…"
He held up the leaf attached to the twig.
"An ordinary human would be this leaf."
Then he raised the twig slightly.
"You, at best, are now this."
Theo pointed toward the massive tree towering above them.
"The demihumans would be the tree itself."
His voice grew quieter.
"And the monsters above them…"
He slowly looked toward the endless forest surrounding the training grounds.
"…would scale beyond this forest hundreds of times over depending on where they stand in the hierarchy."
Theo tossed the twig aside.
"In simple terms…"
He smiled faintly.
"You would lose."
Hiro clenched his fists.
"Then what was the point of telling me all of this?!"
Anger crept into his voice.
"Why give me power if I'm still too weak to change anything?"
Theo suddenly laughed.
"Because that is exactly why I brought you here."
He spread his arms toward the training grounds.
"This place overflows with magical energy. Magic exists in everything, but here it flows in abundance."
Theo's eyes narrowed.
"What might take years to learn outside this place could take mere minutes here."
He picked up another stick from the ground.
"We will cultivate the spark inside you until—"
Theo casually flicked the stick forward.
BOOM.
The stick pierced through several massive trees before embedding itself deep into the giant stone boulder nearby.
Hiro's eyes widened.
Theo smiled.
"—until nothing in your path can stand before you."
Hiro nearly vibrated with excitement.
"So where do we start?!"
Theo knelt and began drawing symbols into the dirt.
Chains formed from magic itself, emerging from the ground alongside glowing runes.
The restraints radiated heavy pressure.
Hiro frowned.
"What are those?"
"Magical restraints," Theo answered casually. "The more you wear them, the heavier they become."
Theo looked up.
"And they are fueled by your own magic."
"…That sounds horrible."
"You'll wear them until you can no longer feel their weight."
Theo's smile widened.
"If all goes according to plan, your power should increase a hundredfold."
He paused briefly.
"Try not to die."
Hiro stared at him.
"And if things don't go according to plan?"
Theo shrugged.
"Then die, I suppose."
"…You really are insane."
Theo ignored the comment.
"Your elemental affinity will eventually awaken as your magical power grows stronger. But before that…"
He pointed toward Hiro's chest.
"…we must increase your magical awareness."
Hiro tilted his head.
"My magical awareness?"
"How exactly do you train something like that?"
Theo's expression became serious.
"Right now, you can only sense the magic inside your own body. That is why your power feels overwhelming to you."
His voice lowered.
"But the moment you begin sensing the magic surrounding you…"
Theo smiled faintly.
"…you may very well be crushed by your own inadequacy."
Hiro cracked his neck.
"Whatever you say, old man. So how are we doing this?"
Theo stepped forward calmly.
"By fighting."
"…Seriously?"
"When your life is in danger, your senses sharpen naturally."
Theo slowly removed his scarf.
Scars covered his body beneath it, while his lean frame carried the build of someone forged through endless battle.
"I'll simply place you in situations where your survival depends on awakening those senses."
Theo raised one hand behind his back while extending the other forward.
"I'll hold back enough so that you don't die instantly."
Suddenly—
The air changed.
Hiro's body froze.
Every instinct within him screamed to run.
But at the same time, it felt as though something invisible was dragging him toward Theo like gravity itself.
Theo spoke calmly.
"Black Hole: Giga Impact."
The pressure vanished for a split second.
Then—
AGONY.
A horrifying pain exploded through Hiro's stomach.
His body left the ground instantly.
Time itself seemed to slow as Hiro watched Theo's fist buried deep in his abdomen while the world spun upside down around him.
The sky became the ground.
The ground became the sky.
Then everything turned black.
---
This pain…
It was beyond anything Hiro had ever experienced.
His organs felt shattered.
His stomach burned as though molten iron had been poured inside him.
Did I die…?
No.
The pain was too intense for death.
Strangely enough, part of him wanted to remain within that darkness forever.
Quiet.
Still.
Free from pain.
"Get up, Hiro."
Theo's voice dragged him back to reality.
"That attack was less than ten percent of my full strength."
Hiro coughed violently.
"What kind of monster are you…?"
Theo smiled.
"The kind that prefers his weapons standing."
Hiro trembled as he forced himself upward.
It felt as though a warhammer had crushed his entire body.
"You're not dead," Theo continued. "That means you can still move."
Theo slowly raised his hand again.
"Next time, sense my magic and avoid the attack."
Hiro's eyes widened.
"NEXT TIME?!"
He pointed at Theo in disbelief.
"At this rate I'll be greeting Cerberus at the River Styx!"
"That only happens if you fail to dodge."
Theo's expression darkened.
"Sense my magic… or die."
"Wait! Hold on! I don't even know how to—"
Theo returned to his stance.
Instantly, Hiro felt the pressure again.
But this time…
It was different.
This time, Hiro could feel death staring directly at him.
"Come on…" Hiro thought desperately.
"If there was ever a time for my body to figure this out, it's now…"
Energy swirled violently around Theo.
His killing intent intensified.
This time, Theo was genuinely prepared to kill him.
"Awaken…" Theo said coldly.
"…or die."
Theo's fist pulled back.
"BLACK HOLE—"
The world itself seemed to tremble.
"—GIGA IMPACT!"