**Chapter 7: The Grind Begins**
**Part 1: Day 1 – Welcome to Hell (Rabbit Edition)**
Dawn broke over the Threshold with a soft golden haze that did nothing to soften the chill in the air. Saferu stood in the central clearing—a wide, root-ringed space hidden among the burrows—wearing the simple leather tunic and pants the rabbit-kin had given him. The ear-slitter hung at his belt; his old navy shirt was folded away like a relic. He felt exposed, lighter, but still clumsy in this new body.
Grokemon hovered at shoulder height, cyan circuits glowing brighter in the morning light. "Day one of Operation: Turn Regret Gremlin into Functional Human. Mana at 82%. Stamina… questionable. Try not to trip over your own feet in the first five minutes."
Kaelin waited in the center, arms crossed, scarred ears perked. Beside her stood a new face: a young rabbit-kin male, silver-gray fur sleek, ears pierced with a single bone stud, twin curved daggers already in hand. His tail flicked impatiently.
"This is Rin," Kaelin said flatly. "He'll be your sparring partner. Don't kill him. Or let him kill you."
Rin grinned, teeth sharp. "A Fool, huh? Heard you took down three Echoes. Must've been luck. Let's see if you can handle someone who fights back."
Saferu exhaled. "Nice to meet you too."
Grokemon spun once. "Ego detected. Designating target: Ego-kun. Threat level: medium. Roast potential: high."
Rin's ears flattened. "What did the blue toy just call me?"
"Toy?" Grokemon's visor narrowed. "I'm a premium sarcasm engine with cheat-code privileges. You're a walking anger-management issue with fluffy ears. We're not the same."
Kaelin ignored them. "Lesson one: integration. Your Blue Affinity is calm—water, illusion, chains. Our way is motion—vanish, strike, vanish. Combine them. Or die trying."
She demonstrated: one breath, and she melted into shadow. A heartbeat later, her dagger pressed lightly against Saferu's throat from behind.
"Again," she said, stepping back.
**Part 2: First Sparks**
The morning blurred into drills.
Rin was fast—too fast. He darted in low, twin blades flashing. Saferu summoned a water shield; it cracked under the strike. Rin vanished, reappeared at Saferu's flank, kicking his legs out. Saferu hit the dirt hard.
Grokemon hovered above. "Posture rating: drunk salaryman at family reunion. Suggestion: stop telegraphing. Illusion first, then move."
Saferu rolled, focused. A flicker—two copies of himself appeared, mirroring his stance. Rin slashed one; it dissolved into mist. The real Saferu lunged, chains snapping from his palm. They wrapped Rin's ankle—barely. Rin twisted free, grinning.
"Not bad. But slow."
Another round. Saferu tried blending illusion with stealth—his outline blurred, footsteps muffled by rabbit-kin footwork drills. Rin hesitated for half a second. Saferu closed in, dagger grazing Rin's arm.
Rin hissed, but his eyes gleamed. "Better."
By midday Saferu's lungs burned, bruises bloomed across ribs and shins. Kaelin called a break. Mirae—the tribe's healer—approached with her satchel. Soft brown fur, white streaks at the ears, gentle but firm hands.
"Sit," she said, pressing glowing herbs to his cuts. Warmth spread, pain easing. "You push too hard. Resilience is strength, but so is rest."
Saferu winced. "Rest got me nowhere in the old world."
Mirae's eyes softened. "Then learn balance here. The Forger taught us: survive first, then thrive."
Grokemon floated closer. "Healer lady has a point. Mana regen jumps 40% when you're not bleeding out. Also, your emotional firewall is leaking. Keep that up and the next Echo surge will eat you for breakfast."
Saferu managed a tired smile. "Noted."
**Part 3: The First Unlock**
Afternoon brought group drills—four rabbit-kin trainees (including Rin) circling Saferu in a loose ring. Goal: survive five minutes without taking a clean hit.
Rin struck first. Saferu vanished—mostly. His outline shimmered. Rin slashed air. Saferu countered with chains; they grazed Rin's tail. The other trainees pressed—blades whistling.
Grokemon's voice cut through. "Mana at 95%. Threshold reached. Unlocking basic overlay. Enjoy."
Cyan grids traced Saferu's vision: faint bars for mana/stamina, weak-point markers on opponents (Rin's left shoulder glowed red—old injury?), trajectory lines for incoming strikes.
Saferu dodged a slash he shouldn't have seen coming. Illusion flickered—three versions of him scattered. Rin hit one; the real Saferu drove an elbow into Rin's ribs.
Rin grunted, staggering. "Cheat."
Grokemon laughed—a short, digital bark. "That's right, Ego-kun. Welcome to augmented reality. Host just got wallhacks. You're welcome."
Kaelin ended the drill. "Enough. You survived. Barely."
She looked at Saferu—almost approving. "Tomorrow we add pain. Real pain."
Saferu wiped sweat from his brow. Bruised, exhausted, but something hummed in his veins—stronger, clearer.
Grokemon hovered close, visor glinting. "Day one complete. Progress: from 'hopeless meatbag' to 'slightly less hopeless meatbag.' Keep this up and we might actually cross that death forest without becoming monster chow."
Saferu looked toward the darkening depths beyond the ravine.
Three weeks.
He could do three weeks.