[ Valen's POV ]
The scenery was something I couldn't have dreamed of even if I tried.
It looked like the floating mountains from Avatar, huge cliffs suspended in the air, waterfalls spilling down into endless mist. Sunlight cut across the ridges, turning the spray into silver shards. Chains and rope bridges swayed between peaks, thin threads connecting giants.
[Image of the mountains]
But the most insane part wasn't the mountains. It was the beast.
A creature, massive, furious, chained with spears jammed into its hide. And a man was fighting it like he'd stepped straight out of a fantasy movie.
[image of the beast]
"Well, that one's stubborn. Refusing to die…" one of the men with us muttered before casually jogging off to join the battle. He waved over his shoulder. "I'll catch up with you later."
Dad turned to me. "Come, son. Let's give you a tour."
He motioned for me to follow. I did, stepping onto one of the rope bridges. The whole thing swayed with every footstep, creaking like it wanted to snap. Beneath us? Nothing but clouds and dark.
"How is this even possible?" I muttered.
The negotiator, must've heard me, because he strolled up behind, grinning. "Right? Wild, isn't it? This is one of five pits around the world. Oh, name's Ried, by the way." His form shimmered as he shifted into something more human, then he stuck out a hand.
I shook it. "Valen. What's a pit?"
Ried nodded and tilted his head. "You ever heard of the Thousand Year Battle?"
"As in… from the stories?"
"Yeah, those stories."
"Well, yeah. As much as anyone knows, I guess."
"Good enough. Except, uh, those stories are real."
"Damn."
He blinked. "That's it? No laughing, no dramatic reaction? Monotone 'damn' is all I get?"
I just gave a Shrug
I've literally reincarnated into a TV series. Reality's already maxed out on weirdness, dude.
"So what's a pit?"
"It's-", Ried opened his mouth, then stopped, glancing forward. "Well, guess I'll explain later. Looks like we're here."
I followed his gaze, and my jaw dropped.
In front of us was a massive building straight out of a wuxia series. Dark wood, sweeping roofs, curved edges that clawed at the sky. Ancient. Weathered.
[image]
"Welcome to the Heavenly Abode, kid," one of the men said, nudging me toward the entrance.
Inside, the place was no less impressive, intricate carvings, lanterns that glowed with faint blue fire, walls breathing with centuries of culture.
Then a voice reached me. "Damn, y'all actually brought him!"
Before I could even react, someone blurred across the room and grabbed my hands.
"YO, MAN! FINALLY!"
The guy looked about my age, maybe a little older. Black skin, wide grin, energy crackling off him like static. "Valen, right? I've heard about you! I'm Alex. Bro, I've always wanted a Mustang, and also to ride a hot-air balloon-oh, and did you know-"
He didn't stop. Words poured out of him like a broken faucet.
I forced an awkward laugh while he shook my hand like he was trying to rip it off. Is this guy on caffeine pills? And why is he so strong?
"Alright, Alex, you'll have plenty of time to talk later," one of the others cut in.
Alex nodded so fast I thought his head might fly off. "Right, right. Later!" Then he bolted back the way he came, like a human firework.
I exhaled. "What the hell was that?"
*
I was currently sitting in an office. Not some dusty, cobwebbed dungeon like I half expected, blame all those jade novels I used to binge, but a place that looked almost too well-maintained.
Dark wood walls polished to a shine, lanterns humming faintly, carpets that probably cost a small fortune. It felt like the kind of office where ominous decisions were made, except instead of old men with long beards muttering about "courting death," the seats were filled with Outcasts.
Everyone was here. The Ashen Circle. Eight members total if you included Dad, all arranged in a semi-round table with their eyes pinned on me like I was some specimen under a microscope.
Even the kid from earlier, Alex, was here. He was leaned back casually, munching on a bag of Lays like this was movie night. He caught my stare and grinned, motioning toward me with the bag. 'Want some?'
I shook my head. He shrugged and shoved another handful into his mouth, crunch echoing like gunfire in the quiet room.
Looking at the setup, I figured maybe this was it. Storytime with answers.
"Alright, Valen." Dad's voice was calm. "Good job keeping yourself together. I know you've got a thousand questions. Let me explain, and then you can ask what you need."
I nodded.
"Okay," he said, clapping his hands once. "First, introductions. These are the members of our organization. Cole, Ried, Dax, Ezra, Zane, Luca, Karo, and the kid, Alex. And of course me. By extension, you."
Each name was followed by a nod, a wave, or in Karo's case, a grunt that might've been hello.
I gave a slow nod back, like I was accepting some ancient pact.
Dad continued. "The Ashen Circle is one of five organizations responsible for guarding the pits. This one is in China, under the Eidolons. Another's in India, run by the Yakshas. One in Brazil by the Boitatá. Britain has the Redcaps. And Russia… the Rusalkas."
I blinked. "…Damn."
"Exactly." Dad's tone didn't even twitch. "We Eidolons have guarded this pit for centuries, never relying on outside help. Now that includes you. Any questions?"
I raised a hand slightly. "Um, yeah. You didn't actually explain what a pit is."
He coughed, loud, theatrical. The others chuckled.
"You know the Thousand Year Battle, right?"
I nodded.
"That was what happened. We won. But the space tears never closed. The floating mountains? That's the effect. The pits are scars left behind, doors that never fully shut."
And yeah… it made sense. Mostly.
"Okay then," Dad said briskly, standing. "Time for training."
"…Hold up." I raised a hand again. "What about the whole 'heir' thing? And maybe, just maybe, sleep? I haven't closed my eyes in hours."
My voice was tired, because I was tired. Mentally fried, physically done. But Dad just gave me the stoic statue face, then turned his gaze to the one called Dax.
Dax stood up so fast his chair nearly flipped. His voice thundered across the room. "Is that an excuse, son!?"
Before I could even respond, Alex shot to his feet and screamed, "NO SIR!!"
Everyone turned to stare. Some of the Circle chuckled.
Alex froze, then scratched the back of his head with the oiled hand, with an awkward laugh. "Oh… uh, my bad. Muscle memory, ehehe"
Dax wasn't amused. His glare could peel paint. "One hundred laps. Now."
"YES SIR!!!" Alex shouted, saluted like he was in the damn army, and bolted.
I sat there wide-eyed. What the hell is this, boot camp?
"Do you need an invitation, boy!?" Dax's roar cracked against my ears. "RUUUUN!"
My feet moved before my brain did. Next thing I knew, I was out of my chair, sprinting after Alex.
Alex slowed to a comfortable pace, laughing like this was a game.
"What the hell was that about?" I panted.
"Oh, Sir Dax is always like that," Alex said cheerfully, as if 'screaming drill sergeant' was a normal personality trait. "He's been training me. Guess you're joining too now. Finally! It was boring before, you know?"
I groaned but nodded.
*
We'd been running… and running, and honestly, I didn't even know how long anymore. All I knew was that somehow, against every law of physics and common sense, I was still moving.
The "laps" Sir Dax had assigned weren't a track around a field. No. They were fifteen mountains. Fifteen floating, jagged, swaying peaks, connected by rope bridges thinner than my patience. That was one lap. And he wanted one hundred.
We were only on lap twenty.
My lungs burned, my legs ached, and every step across those rope bridges felt like a death wish.
And through it all… Alex talked. Nonstop. Like a human podcast that couldn't be paused.
I swear, if words were calories, this guy would've burned through all his body fat already.
"So…" I said, more to distract myself from the stabbing in my side than actual curiosity, "how long have you been here?"
"Me? Hmm." He tilted his head, thinking way too hard for such a simple question. "I don't know. Like forever, I think? Lost count after the first fifty laps." He laughed, sweat dripping into his grin.
I stared at him. Is this guy actually brain damaged? Did he fall on his head the second he was born? Maybe twice?
Still, I tried again. "Okay… but like, when does training end? Not today, I mean in general. In years."
Alex's eyes lit up, glowing like he'd just discovered the meaning of life. "Ohhh, that!"
For a second, I actually thought he had an answer. Like, a real one.
Then with a smile shrugged, and said, "I dunno."
I bit down on my lip hard enough to taste iron. My fingers twitched like they wanted to wrap around his throat.
Control yourself, Valen. Deep breaths. Don't kill the retard. Not yet.
But God, the urge was there. Every word out of his mouth was like sandpaper on my brain.
I should really kill this motherfucker.
"But I heard them talking about you. Something about until you're in high school. Man, I really wanna try school life. The books make it sound so fun! Classes, lockers, cafeteria food, drama clubs, you know about-"
Seven years.
My stomach sank.
Seven. fucking . Years.
Fuck.
------
A/N – Okay, so for the training arc I'm stuck.
I honestly don't like those arcs that are just pages of people exercising, sweating, and counting push-ups. Feels like filler episodes. Right now, I'm leaning toward a straight-up 7-year time skip. Maybe one or two chapters sprinkled in to show what Valen gained during those years (with some interesting events thrown in so it doesn't feel boring). But still, not sure.
So, POLL TIME:
Should I skip the 7 years?
Or should I actually make a training arc?
Time Limit- 15 hrs!
And yeah, this will be the last poll on Webnovel.
By the end of this week, early access chapters will drop on my Patreon. If you want extra perks like exclusive reference images, side stories, and early chapters, join up, it would really help support the story(me). Don't worry, free chapters will still be updated here regularly.
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