"Alright, now I have a partner to practice with, just like Paltio and his friends. How interesting," Lukeandria murmured, observing the small green ferret with curiosity. "So this is your mental space, Lume?" she asked, glancing around.
"Yes, it is. And my master Kilibur told me to train you, so here we go," Lume replied with a mischievous smile before vanishing in a flash.
Suddenly, several identical images of Lume appeared in front of Lukeandria, moving rapidly toward her with clear intent to attack.
"Hah! Simple illusions won't be enough to take me down," Lukeandria exclaimed confidently, but she soon realized these were no ordinary illusions. They felt as real as she was, surrounding her from all sides and attacking mercilessly. Within seconds, Lukeandria was on the ground, gasping for breath and covered in small scratches.
"Hmm, I thought you'd be stronger. Didn't you say you were a warrior?" Lume teased, crossing his front paws.
"I am! You caught me off guard. Let's go again," Lukeandria retorted, getting back to her feet with determination.
The ferret gave her a challenging look. "Fine, let's do it again."
Meanwhile, Paltio trained with Toco-Toco, practicing the attacks and techniques he needed to master. He had to reach 100 percent of Golden's power, as Avocios had instructed him. Rykaru watched from afar, trying to mimic Paltio's movements. He felt a deep frustration over not having been able to protect his father in the past.
"Ah, I see you want to train too, little Rykaru," Golden said, approaching the small white being.
"Yes, I want to become strong to protect my daddy, Paltio," Rykaru replied with conviction in his voice.
"Good, that's the right attitude. I'm not sure how to train a Domadoin, but you can start with this," Golden said, creating a complex structure of floating hoops along the walls.
"This will test your agility," the golden being added, pointing at the hoops.
Little Rykaru nodded resolutely. "Alright." With an agile leap, he passed through the first hoop. Once accomplished, the walls began to transform, generating small moving platforms. Rykaru bounced between them quickly, jumping from one to another to reach the second hoop, then the third and fourth.
However, his labored breathing already showed signs of fatigue. Concerned, Golden intervened: "You're doing well, little one. If you want, we can stop for today."
Rykaru looked at him firmly. "Never. I won't give up. I need to get stronger to protect my daddy," he muttered to himself, encouraging his own resolve.
But when he attempted to reach the fifth hoop, which was much higher, he failed. He fell, unable to grab onto anything since he had no arms or hands. He screamed and cried, trying to use his ears to cling to the protruding walls, but it was useless. He continued falling, his body accelerating toward the ground from a dangerous height.
Golden reacted quickly, using his telekinetic power to slow the little one's fall. Rykaru floated gently down to the ground, trembling and with tears in his eyes.
Rykaru wanted to keep training, but he pouted, frustrated at not being able to complete the exercise. "I have to get stronger… I must," he murmured in a shaky voice, his small ears drooping with frustration.
"Calm down, little one. You won't become stronger in a single day, but if you train here, where time flows differently, perhaps in a month—which is equivalent to a day in the real world—you'll grow much stronger," Golden explained, trying to encourage him with a kind smile.
"Alright, but you need to teach me better," Rykaru insisted, looking at him with determination.
"Agreed, I'll try to create something more suitable for you," Golden replied, impressed by the little one's resolve. After all, his determined attitude deserved to be rewarded.
Meanwhile, Paltio heard something from afar. "Did I just hear Rykaru crying?" he asked, pausing his training for a moment.
"It was probably your imagination. You need to focus, meow," Toco-Toco said, skillfully wielding his two weapons as he watched Paltio with attentive eyes.
"Yes, you're right," Paltio responded, resuming his guard stance.
On the other hand, Mok was busy inspecting the vehicle while the others trained in their mental spaces. "Hmm, Master and Lukeandria are training in those mental worlds they described... Well, I'll have to keep reading this manual to see what other functions this vehicle has," he muttered to himself as he flipped through the manual curiously.
"Ah, there it is! This little machine can prepare tea very quickly without needing fire. Excellent. That professor really knows his stuff," he thought aloud, admiring the vehicle's technology.
The carriage was about to move forward when, suddenly, Mok spotted someone lying in the middle of the road. He decided to stop the vehicle before it could run the person over. Cautiously, he stepped out of the carriage, always alert to protect Paltio and Lukeandria.
He approached the stranger and leaned down slightly. "Are you alright?" he asked. However, the man didn't respond clearly; his face remained buried in the dirt, and his words were unintelligible.
Intrigued, Mok carefully lifted him to turn him over. Upon doing so, he discovered an elderly man with a long beard and fluffy hair, dressed in rags and visibly disoriented.
"Sir, sir, are you alright?" Mok asked, gently shaking him. The old man didn't wake up, which momentarily worried the butler. "It looks like he's dead," Mok thought, but upon checking his heart, he detected faint beats.
At that moment, Mok noticed a strange smell coming from the man's mouth. "Apparently, he's so drunk that he can't even react," Mok concluded, frowning. Quickly, he pulled out some Arajua tea, known for its revitalizing effects.
The elderly man, upon inhaling the intense aroma of the tea, began to regain consciousness. He blinked several times before speaking: "But what happened? What a great party it was yesterday! And now... where am I?"
When he opened his eyes and saw Mok standing in front of him, he recoiled clumsily in surprise. "Hic! And who might you be, well-dressed sir?" he asked, still under the influence of alcohol.
"We're in the middle of nowhere, sir. Do you have any idea how you ended up here?" Mok asked, trying to maintain his composure despite the surreal situation.
"Well, the only thing I remember is that I was celebrating at a tavern and had a couple of little drinks… nothing more! And after that… everything got blurry. Hic! Hic!" the old man babbled, scratching his head in confusion.
"He's still feeling the effects of alcohol," Mok muttered to himself, watching the man with a mix of patience and resignation. "I doubt he'll be able to give me any coherent answers in this state."
The man squinted, finally managing to focus on the carriage behind Mok. Immediately, his eyes widened, and an expression of awe—mixed with drunken admiration—crossed his face.
"That fancy vehicle of yours is far too luxurious for just any villager! You must belong to royalty," the old man declared, pointing a shaky finger at the carriage while letting out another hiccup.
Mok raised an eyebrow, slightly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention. "My name is Mok, and yes, it's a royal vehicle. Tell me, what is your name?" he asked politely, though his tone betrayed a hint of impatience.
"My name is… Hic! Hic! …" the old man stammered, bringing a hand to his forehead as if trying to recall something important. His memory seemed as clouded as his judgment at that moment. "I'm Luc…ca."