SWISH!!
The white tiger vanished.
Not fast.
Instant.
The space where it had stood distorted violently, leaving behind only rippling air.
My instincts erupted.
Every nerve screamed.
Behind.
I twisted.
SHRRRK!!
Silver claws carved through the space my neck had occupied a fraction of a heartbeat earlier.
The force behind the strike tore through the heavy air.
A violent shockwave erupted as the claws slammed into the alloy floor.
BOOOM!!
The chamber trembled.
The tiger landed several metres away.
Soundlessly.
Gracefully.
Its Azure eyes never left mine.
Neither did mine leave it.
For a long moment...
Neither of us moved.
It wasn't hesitation.
It was observation.
A hunter never rushed.
It studied.
Measured.
Calculated.
The tiger lowered itself once more.
Its muscles relaxed.
Not because it was lowering its guard.
Because it was preparing to explode.
Then—
It moved.
Its first claw swept towards my ribs.
I stepped sideways.
The second came immediately.
Not after.
During.
As though it had predicted where I would evade.
I bent backwards.
Its claws missed my face by barely an inch.
A tail whipped towards my legs.
I jumped.
The tail passed beneath my feet.
The instant I landed—
Its jaws lunged towards my throat.
I rotated.
Its fangs snapped shut beside my ear.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary force.
Every strike flowed seamlessly into the next.
Like flowing water.
Like breathing.
It wasn't attacking wildly.
It was teaching.
Its first strike tested reaction.
The second tested recovery.
The third tested adaptation.
Every mistake would become the opening for the next attack.
Interesting...
Very interesting.
The tiger attacked again.
This time—
Faster.
Its claws blurred.
The surrounding air screamed beneath every swing.
I shifted.
The claws brushed my robe.
A deliberate adjustment.
It was learning.
No...
It was measuring.
Every successful dodge revealed another piece of my rhythm.
Every movement gave it more information.
It wasn't becoming stronger.
It was becoming more accurate.
Around me—
The chamber echoed with collisions.
BANG!!
A silver wolf slammed a trainee backwards.
BOOOM!!
A crimson serpent wrapped around another cultivator's arm before hurling him across the floor.
Several prodigies had already abandoned evasion.
Instead—
They blocked.
Golden barriers appeared.
Azure shields condensed.
Divine energy clashed violently against claws and fangs.
A mistake.
Blocking consumed energy.
Dodging consumed skill.
The difference seemed small.
Until the battle dragged on.
The tiger attacked again.
Claw.
Tail.
Bite.
Shoulder check.
Every attack connected to the next with frightening precision.
My movements became smoother.
One step.
One breath.
One shift.
Nothing more.
The smallest motion.
The greatest result.
The heavy gravity no longer felt oppressive.
Instead—
It became part of every movement.
Each step borrowed its weight.
Each dodge flowed naturally.
Without warning—
The tiger accelerated.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The increase was subtle.
Almost impossible to notice.
Except...
Those blue eyes noticed everything.
A cool light spread through my pupils.
Azure.
Ancient.
Predatory.
The world slowed.
Every strand of white fur.
Every contraction of muscle.
Every minute shift in balance.
Everything became clear.
Crystal clear.
I no longer watched the tiger.
I read it.
Its shoulders moved first.
Its hips followed.
The claws came last.
Every attack announced itself long before it was launched.
The tiger vanished again.
SWISH!!
Left.
I leaned sideways.
Silver claws flashed past my chest.
Below.
My foot left the ground.
Its tail swept harmlessly beneath me.
Above.
I lowered my head.
Its jaws closed on empty air.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Every strike missed by the narrowest margin imaginable.
The chamber gradually fell quieter.
Not because the battles had ended.
Because attention had shifted.
One by one...
The other prodigies began noticing.
The white-haired youth.
The one with the blue eyes.
He wasn't fighting.
He wasn't struggling.
He was dancing.
Even beneath two hundred times gravity.
The tiger retreated.
Its breathing remained steady.
Its muscles coiled tighter than before.
Its Azure eyes narrowed.
It had stopped measuring.
Now...
It acknowledged me.
Across the chamber—
Caelion sat silently.
He hadn't spoken since the battle began.
His golden eyes calmly observed every trainee.
Every mistake.
Every success.
Every hesitation.
Then...
They settled entirely upon me.
Upon those eyes.
For the briefest instant—
Something changed.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
His fingers tapped the armrest once.
Softly.
"...Blue..."
The whisper was almost inaudible.
"...interesting."
No one heard him.
No one except himself.
The tiger attacked once more.
This time—
There was no restraint.
Its entire body exploded forward.
The alloy floor shattered beneath its paws.
BOOOOM!!
The distance between us disappeared instantly.
Its claws descended.
I didn't retreat.
For the first time...
I stepped forward.
The tiger's pupils contracted.
It hadn't expected that.
Neither had the others.
Our bodies crossed.
SWISH!!
Silence.
The tiger landed behind me.
I stood where it had been.
Neither of us moved.
A single strand of white fur drifted through the air.
Then...
The tiger slowly turned.
Its Azure eyes met Mine ones once more.
This time...
There was no trace of contempt.
Only acknowledgment.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
Interesting.
The construct wasn't merely testing strength.
It could recognise growth.
It could recognise intent.
Which meant...
Caelion could as well.
Across the chamber—
The instructor slowly rose from his chair.
For the first time since the lesson began.
Every trainee froze.
Even the battling constructs paused.
The chamber became deathly silent.
Caelion looked only at me.
His expression remained unreadable.
Yet the predatory gleam within his eyes had become unmistakable.
The hunter...
Had finally found something worth hunting.
A faint smile curved across his lips.
"Very good..."
His calm voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"So..."
"You've finally stopped thinking."
A pause.
"And started hunting."
The corner of my lips rose.
Without realising it...
The same predatory smile had appeared on my own face.
Our eyes met across the vast chamber.
Hunter.
And hunter.
The first lesson...
Was only just beginning.
— End of Chapter 25 —