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Chapter 22: The Hidden Arena
They didn't know where they were going.
Unit 06 had been summoned by Leo No explanations. No hints. Just a command: Follow me.
They obeyed.
Boots clacked in eerie unison as they descended deeper into the underbelly of the Battalion Vanguard Academy. The halls grew narrower, colder. Bright fluorescent lights gave way to low, pulsing panels embedded in the walls—marking a section of the base that few had ever seen. The air itself grew denser, charged with quiet electricity, like the atmosphere before a storm.
Elliot walked near the back of the group, eyes sharp. He couldn't shake a feeling—a memory creeping up from within. That battle with the StoneGod. That moment when his strength failed. Not his fists. Not his speed. But something deeper—his soul. That was the moment he realized brute force meant nothing without control.
He clenched his fists, jaw tight.
The others were silent too. Kayden walked with squared shoulders, unshaken. Zane's eyes flickered, calculating. Henry whispered a nervous joke to himself, but even he couldn't hide the tension. Kira was unreadable, her gaze fixed ahead. Devin's fingers twitched like he was already building something in his mind.
Finally, Leo stopped before a massive sealed door.
It wasn't metal. It was something older. He placed his hand on a panel—ancient script flaring to life—and with a thunderous groan, the door split open, revealing a room unlike anything they had ever seen.
The Simulation Arena.
It stretched infinitely, a dome of black glass and swirling mist. The walls shimmered with unseen energy. Above them, the ceiling dissolved into pure darkness. There were no targets. No weapons. Just space—and the sense of something alive, waiting.
Leo turned to them.
"This is where your real training begins."
His voice echoed.
"You've been taught the theory of soul energy. You've learned how to center it. But now—it's time to train it. This room is your mirror. Your battlefield. Your crucible."
He pointed toward the ground— this is a simulation arena designed to train warriors without the limitations of death and injuried
"You will each enter an isolated simulation, one tailored to your soul's nature. No one will see what the others face. You will not fight each other. You will fight yourselves. Your doubts. Your fears. Your instincts. And in that fight—you will create your Soul Skill."
Henry viewed the vast room, then at Leo. "So... no pressure?"
Leo's eyes narrowed.
"This arena has one rule: survive. Pain will be real. As real as it gets. The simulation can replicate injuries up to 99%. You won't die, but your mind will believe it. If you panic, if you fall—your soul may lock itself. You might never unlock your potential."
A heavy silence followed.
"This is not meditation. This is not peaceful. This is war. You will draw from your soul sphere, visualize your soul energy, and force it out. If you can't? You don't belong here."
Elliot took a slow breath. This is it.
"Brace yourselves
Each member of Unit 06 moved to different positions. The floor pulsed beneath their feet—an ancient rhythm matching their heartbeats.
"You will not return until your SoulSkill manifests."
Leo gave one final look—no smile, no mercy—then stepped back into the shadows.
The lights surged.
The world shattered.
And one by one—Elliot, Kira, Kayden, Henry, Devin, Zane—were consumed by light and hurled into their own inner war.
The training had begun.
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