The Strix estate was vast, but to Zerath, every corridor, courtyard, and training ground was a testing ground. By the age of eleven, the boy who had once been a precocious toddler was now a youth of uncanny presence. His obsidian-black eyes, rimmed faintly with red glints, measured everything—the angle of the wind, the stance of an opponent, the subtle tension in a tree branch. Every motion, every thought, every heartbeat had been honed under the watchful guidance of Nyx.
[Nyx] "You will continue to evolve, Zerath. The Evolving Dominion Body Cultivation Art does not rest. Every exertion, every observation, every calculated motion strengthens you. Efficiency is perfection."
Zerath nodded, barely speaking. Words were rarely necessary. His body and mind responded immediately to Nyx's guidance. Every step he took across the estate was precise. Every leap, every pivot, every lift was calculated. Even in silence, he dominated the courtyard. Those who trained alongside him felt an instinctive hesitation, a fear of committing to a move against someone who had already measured them in a fraction of a second.
The years from eleven to thirteen were focused on refining his body and instincts. Sparring with specially trained attendants, climbing obstacle towers, and enduring the harshest physical tests—all were amplified by the cultivation art. Though his Primordial Dominion Physique had yet to awaken fully, the Evolving Dominion Body Cultivation Art silently adjusted his muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Movements became faster, reactions sharper, and strikes more devastating, even when controlled.
[Nyx] "Notice how your body adapts without conscious thought. That is the art. Let it learn, let it correct, let it evolve. The Primordial Dominion Physique will obey you fully when the awakening comes, but even now, it is shaping you."
Zerath often walked alone through the estate at dawn, observing birds in flight, shadows stretching across the walls, the smallest ripple in the air. His Gun-inspired precision, calm ruthlessness, and ineffable dominance were already subtly evident. He did not seek conflict unnecessarily, but those who challenged him—even in play—found themselves subtly subdued by his presence alone.
By fourteen, his body was a weapon in latent form. He could lift twice his own weight with one hand, run faster than the fastest attendants, and endure physical punishment that would cripple ordinary youths. Nyx monitored everything, making adjustments through the cultivation art. Subtle changes occurred each day: muscle fibers thickened without bulk, reflexes shortened neural response times, bone density increased without slowing agility. Zerath's movements were silent, precise, and efficient, every ounce of effort accounted for.
[Nyx] "Do not grow complacent. Observe your limits, then surpass them. Efficiency is not just power—it is survival, dominance, and inevitability."
It was during this time that Zerath's interactions with Nyx deepened. She became more than a guide; she was a partner, a strategist, a voice in his mind that challenged him to improve in ways no human mentor could. Unlike Goo from distant worlds he had known, Nyx was quiet but sharp, her instructions deliberate, her corrections precise. Zerath learned to communicate efficiently with her, exchanging silent commands, mental calculations, and instinctual responses.
[Zerath] "Nyx, the left stance—it feels slower. Correct?"
[Nyx] "Adjust the angle by 3.7 degrees. That will minimize wasted energy and increase striking efficiency."
A small nod from him, and the movement flowed naturally. Nyx's guidance became second nature; her subtle corrections fused with his instincts, making his every motion a blend of his natural predatory precision and the art's evolution.
By fifteen, Zerath had begun to anticipate the strategies of his attendants before they acted, subtly guiding their movements during sparring to test and correct himself further. Nyx's voice was a constant whisper in the back of his mind, ensuring that every adaptation of his body was permanent, compounding day by day. The Evolving Dominion Body Cultivation Art allowed his latent Primordial Dominion Physique to remain in restrained perfection, ready to awaken fully but already far beyond any child in the Strix estate.
He began to demonstrate early signs of tactical genius, often positioning himself so that his opponents' mistakes were revealed naturally, allowing him to correct them subtly without aggression. He was ruthless in calculation but calm in execution, embodying the personality traits of the predator he was destined to become: efficient, dominant, and utterly in control.
At sixteen, a few weeks shy of his ceremonial awakening, Zerath's presence had become legendary across the Strix estate. Even elders, once skeptical of his youth, felt the weight of his latent power. Shadows seemed to retreat from his movements. Attendants approached him with careful respect, children paused mid-play, and animals sensed his dominance instinctively.
[Nyx] "Tomorrow, Zerath, the awakening will occur. The Primordial Dominion Physique will finally respond fully to your will. But even today, you are already a predator among mortals. Observe, adapt, and internalize every motion. Efficiency is perfection, and perfection is inevitability."
Zerath remained silent, absorbing the last lessons from Nyx, his mind sharp, his body a latent engine of destruction. Every movement, every thought, every instinct had been honed for years under her guidance. He had become more than a child; he was a force, a predator, a calculating storm awaiting release.
The chapter closes on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, one day before the awakening ceremony, with Zerath standing atop the main terrace of the Strix estate. The wind tugged at his dark hair, his eyes reflecting the faint crimson glint of an emerging storm. The years of training, observation, and subtle evolution under the Evolving Dominion Body Cultivation Art had shaped him into something beyond comprehension.
Tomorrow, the dormant Primordial Dominion Physique would awaken fully. But tonight, he was already a predator—methodical, ruthless, efficient, and unstoppable.
And the world would soon understand the storm that was Zerath von Strix.