Another grueling day unfolded in the Underworld of Universe 7, Level 1.
A subtle tremor coursed through the blackened terrain of our training grounds. Across from me stood Anita, transformed. Her hair spiked upward in a beige blaze with jet-black bangs. Light-blue energy radiated from every inch of her form. Her emerald eyes glowed with fierce determination. Clad in her signature assassin outfit, she had ascended into Celestial Mode 1.
I hovered a few meters above the ground, cloaked in my own luminous energy. My transformation pulsed with golden-yellow light, my hair a corona of gold streaked with crimson bangs. My right eye glowed an icy blue, the left burned red. Golden plates inscribed with the sigils of House Ishtar covered my body. My only weapons were my elemental gloves, each one brimming with the primal forces of fire, wind, frost, and electricity.
The air was dense with tension. Then we collided. BOOM.
The clash was not fast like Blitz Mode, but each strike felt like a tectonic upheaval. Her Kali blades met my bare fists with a force that rippled through the ground.
"Tectonic pressure rising beyond safe limits," my PQC calmly notified.
I tuned it out. We were not sparring. We were forging destiny.
Anita's healing Smart Contract Ability surged, rapidly regenerating her wounds in real time. She lunged forward, blades flashing. I blocked with a counterstrike and leapt back.
"Mt. Pinatubo," I intoned.
Behind me, a colossal volcano erupted into being, its summit glowing with magma. Heat distorted the air. Lava began to rain down, an infernal storm designed to break wills.
Anita screamed through gritted teeth as she activated another healing protocol. Her light-blue aura shimmered against the lava's fury. Step by step, she pushed through the deluge, enduring unimaginable heat.
Then her glow flickered.
"I am out of crypto," she gasped, knees buckling. "Break time..."
She collapsed on the couch in our portable house bunker, steam rising from her skin.
I descended, powering down my transformation. Sweat clung to my face as I tossed her a damp towel.
A few hours passed. Anita stirred, blinking at the ceiling.
"Hey. Was your training this bad when you were learning Celestial Mode under Lilith?" she asked weakly.
I smirked. "Worse. Lilith never played fair. She poisoned my coffee once."
"What?!"
"Yeah. And she changed gravity settings mid-battle just to watch me struggle. I never defeated her. Not even once."
"But you are a genius in technomancy! Did you not develop more Smart Contract Abilities than anyone else?" Anita protested.
"Titles never meant anything to Lilith. She operated on her own wavelength, untouchable, unpredictable, and beyond what anyone could define."
At that time, my final test to become a certified technomancer had begun. Being Lilith's disciple was not just difficult. It was war. Lilith was wrapped in mystery. No background. No identity trail. Whenever I asked, she would just pull a weird face, completely dodging the question.
On one occasion, I accidentally teleported us to the Peruvian plains. I ran and hid for hours. Not because I was afraid of failing, but because I knew how strong she was. And I did not want to hurt her. I cared for her. She was my mentor and my friend.
"Pat!" her voice thundered, echoing through the landscape.
"I will drain your celestial power and reshape the world! I will create devastating viruses, like the Coronavirus!" she roared.
"No way! Not that word! I hate that word!" I shouted back.
That was supposed to be my final test. But then, the guild emergency came.
Back in the present, I watched Anita sleep. Her transformation had taken its toll. Quietly, I covered her with a blanket and leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling.
She stirred. "Master. Did you ever finish your final test in the Quantum Knights Academy?"
"No, Anita. I never passed."
Her eyes widened. "What? But you are a full technomancer now!"
"Not because I was not strong enough," I said, gently brushing my gloves. "But because war broke out."
She blinked. "War?"
"Yes. Back then, during my final test, everything was going well. I was about to face my last trial when my PQC buzzed with a system-wide emergency alert. I still remember the words: URGENT: All Quantum Knights, prepare for engagement. Category Red Threat Detected. Enemy: OBPs, Off-Biochain Penetrators."
"Those OBPs were real?" she whispered.
"Very real. They were intruders from beyond the Biochain, entities that could breach and corrupt the entire universe. The academy shut down instantly. All trials were canceled. Students, instructors, even support units. Everyone was sent to the front lines."
Anita looked stunned. "So you were never able to complete your test because of the war?"
"Exactly. That was the end of my academic journey and the start of real war."
She exhaled. "That is heavy."
"It was. But when I returned to the academy, they told me I did not need to re-enroll. You remember that, right?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"I think the Quantum Knights Guild ended up recognizing what I did during the OBP Wars. Honestly, I did not expect any special treatment. I just came back hoping to re-enroll with you and pick up where I left off. But instead, they told me I did not need to start over. I guess everything I had done during the war counted for more than I realized. I was surprised, really. I never fought to be recognized. I just did what I had to do."
Anita was silent for a moment, then said, "That explains so much."
"And that is why I train you this hard. Because someday, you might face something even greater. And I want you to be more than ready."
She gave me a tired but grateful smile. "Thanks, Master."
"Rest now. You have earned it."