The moment Arion's breathing steadied and the core within his chest fell into a rhythmic pulse, the air around him shifted.
> "Core alignment complete. Mutation Stabilized."
"Tier 1 Foundation Realm confirmed."
"Host eligible for internal assessment challenge."
Would you like to begin your Tier 1 Mutation Trial?"
Arion opened his eyes. The hospital room dissolved in an instant. Gone were the walls, the medical instruments, and the faint scent of sterilized air. In their place, he found himself standing in a vast, gray expanse. Mist rolled across the ground, concealing everything below the knees, and a dull sky stretched endlessly above.
He didn't need to ask where he was. The sterile perfection of the space, the weightless pressure on his skin it was a construct. A System Trial Field.
> "Trial Objective: Survive until synchronization completes. Estimated time: 180 seconds."
"Threat Level: Controlled. Opponents will scale to current physical potential."
"Warning: Death within this trial will not be fatal, but pain will be real. Use caution."
Arion's lips curled slightly. "So we're doing this now."
He had seen hundreds of simulations like this in his past life illusory fields used to test potential disciples, crush unworthy candidates, or push elites beyond their limits. But this one was for him. Tailored to his new body. His new strength.
Before he could dwell further, the mist stirred.
From the fog, figures emerged humanoid, featureless, each composed of dark alloy like muscle. There were three at first, then five, then ten. No weapons. Just fists, feet, and aggression.
Arion dropped into a low stance, legs braced, heart calm. His body moved with instinct, flowing like water as one of the constructs lunged.
It was fast but he was faster.
His palm struck the side of its neck, twisting as he used its momentum to flip it overhead. The construct crashed behind him and dissolved into sparks.
Another came from behind. He pivoted, his elbow crashing into its chest with enough force to crack steel. It staggered back. He followed with a spinning kick, shattering its frame.
> "87 seconds remaining."
His breath came slow and steady, not from fatigue, but focus. His movements weren't flashy just efficient. Precise.
The last time he had fought like this, his body had been older, weathered by centuries of battle. Now, reborn in a vessel bursting with raw power and potential, he moved like a predator unchained.
A fresh wave surged forward larger constructs now, two meters tall with thicker arms and faster footwork. He didn't retreat. He advanced.
One reached for his throat , Arion ducked under, smashed his fist into its ribs, and used its body to hurl himself into another mid air. The second exploded into fragments as they collided. He landed with a roll, immediately springing up to deliver a double-strike that sent two more opponents collapsing.
> "42 seconds remaining."
The trial wasn't just physical. He felt it his core responding to each strike. The more he fought, the more synchronized his system became with his physique. It was like fusing two halves of a blade power and control.
But the final construct was different.
It stood alone. Humanoid like the others, but cloaked in bone like armor, with a glowing symbol embedded in its chest a red eye. It didn't rush him. It watched.
"Let me guess," Arion muttered. "You're the final test."
The construct bowed.
Then it moved.
Arion barely blocked the first strike, a whip fast jab that numbed his entire arm. He slid back, stunned. The construct didn't give him time to recover it followed with a sweeping kick that cracked the floor beneath them. Arion leapt above it, twisting mid-air, and delivered a hammering fist that dented the thing's mask-like face.
They clashed again. Fist met forearm. Knee met ribs. It was the closest thing to a true fight Arion had felt since his rebirth.
Every time the construct struck, he had to adapt. Rely on instincts honed over centuries not raw power. He couldn't overwhelm it. He had to out-think it.
Finally, as it lunged once more, Arion sidestepped, twisted behind it, and channeled his entire core into one strike to the symbol in its chest. The blow landednand the construct shattered into glowing fragments.
> "Trial complete."
"Synchronization: 100%."
"Mutation Core stabilized. Physical attributes optimized."
"Combat potential: Confirmed."
The mist dissolved.
Arion stood alone once more, his chest heaving not from exhaustion, but exhilaration. The trial hadn't broken him. It had awakened something deeper.
The system's voice returned, calmer now.
> "Host is now fully attuned. Training modules unlocked."
"Welcome to Tier 1, Arion. Your path begins here."
The world around him began to fade, pulling him back to the waking world. The trial was over, but something inside had changed something vital.
He hadn't just survived his mutation.
He had claimed it.