Amidst the late afternoon's ambient hue, Steven, Mayo, and Zero walked along a pathway lined with ancient-looking jade stones. The stones seemed to hum, a resonance echoing the deep energy within them. The sky above was painted with a blend of orange and pink, and everything felt like a prelude to another chapter, another play…

…another rain.

Mayo's eyes sparkled with anticipation, "Look, I told you, the cultivation ground for freshmen is no ordinary place! First of all, it's on a floating island."

"A floating island?" Steven asked, "Aren't islands expensive?"

"Yeah, I guess," Mayo shrugged. "Anyway, legends… the school's manual… say that time flows differently there. A single day inside could feel like minutes outside. And the concentration of spiritual energy is off the charts! The ground itself can accelerate our cultivation! And, oh! You really need that boost if you want to rank high in the Freshmen Duels. Look, we need to get there right now, cause the next hour is the best time slot!"

"Best time slot?" Steven asked.

"Yes, that's when the energy is at its peak," Mayo added, "Trust me on this! And if we get in, we get that peak energy for days!"

Steven paused to pop his contacts back into place.

–BZT! The familiar pop-up format appeared, almost immediately:

[Dieze: "Hi! Analyzing CURRENT class standing... PROCESSING… Total Academic Merits: -150 points. Ouch. You really know how to keep things challenging, don't you?" X]

Steven rolled his eyes, flashing a couple choice words in sign language,

- 'Ding!'

'Unlocked Title: Bottom-Of-The-Barrel Class Student'

'Equipped Status Effects: [+10 Stamina], [+10% Faster Recovery from Embarrassment]'

['Description: Your class is ranked the lowest, and has continued to underachieve for… three days. This is impressive!' X]

Steven walked ahead, ignoring Dieze.

LOADING…

INITIALIZING: Cloudy Atmosphere... RENDERING: Floating Island Terrain... GENERATING: Mist and Luminous Wisps... TIP: Don't fall off! Reviving is difficult.

INTEGRATING: Root-Bridge Physics… ASSEMBLING: Reflective Water Surfaces • • •

- 'Ding!'

"NEW Location Unlocked! [Floating Island A]"

Steven blinked as he read the interface, taking a moment to adjust to the new surroundings. As the atmosphere solidified, the distant hum of voices grew clearer. It seemed they weren't the only ones headed to the cultivation area.

[Dieze: 'ALERT! Limited spots left!' X]

A group of boys blocked the entrance, but one among them demanded attention:

With features that stood out like a lone, vibrant flower in a sea of grass, his eyes were pools of deep, royal blue flecked with gold. The boy radiated an aura of…

Regality.

It was like he had graced the ground with his perfectly-proportioned existence. His lean body seemed to be the exact triangle and hip ratio that everyone sought for… like he had been crafted in a bakery with imperially-decorated cakes. Even though he was just 'standing there', he was tagged along by an entourage from higher-ranking families, which only made him look like a well-groomed swan standing among fluffy ducks. (Steven supposed that this was what friends were like for Daseos.)

Indeed. Daseos, that was the name of the boy in the center.

Steven looked around, taking the view in and disregarding the group of boys ahead. Well, the scenery certainly looked… dangerous? A floating island kind of seemed like a construction-hazard.

Shaking off the thought, he took a deep breath.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Mm…" Somehow, it tasted better than any breaths he had ever taken before.

And finally, his gaze was drawn up ahead—a mesmerizing blend of mist and wisps of luminescent energy. A delicate bridge, crafted from interwoven roots, spanned ahead, hovering above a shimmering pond that mirrored the twilight hues of the sky. Nearby, a mystical flora, known as ["Luminous Wisterias" X], reacted to the presence of strong cultivation energy by emanating a soft glow. Their tendrils swayed gracefully, their flowers shimmering like countless little stars… And according to Dieze, whenever any cultivator drew on their power, these plants would flutter and shine even brighter.

The last thing he noticed: the air felt alive, thick with charged energies, occasionally giving rise to minute whirlwinds or transient ripples.

"Oh no," Mayo sighed. "Isn't that…"

Steven looked ahead again, catching the two familiar faces: Jackal, his distinctive dirty-blonde hair more ruffled than ever and Kuro, his iridescent blue hair stark against his slightly flustered face. He remembered seeing them on… the first day of school? Maybe yesterday, too.

Why were they all the way over there?

Twitch! Kuro's tail gave an occasional nervous flick, while Jackal's face contorted in anger, displaying faint animalistic traits. It was like both of the boys had different things to say and different ideas of how to say it.

Daseos's gang seemed to be accosting Kuro. "Look at this...imperfect transformation. A failure, if I ever saw one," one of them jeered. "Trying to take out spots, huh?"

Jackal, defensive of Kuro, growled darkly, "Leave him alone!"

Another one of the boys sneered, "What's this? Another one of these 'bun-bun's trying to play human? Oh, can't control emotions, yet? How many YEARS have you cultivated already?"

"Clearly not enough," One of the girls giggled. The entire group burst into laughter.

Mayo clenched her fists, "They have no right..."

"I'm confused," Steven muttered, "What's this about, anyway?"

[Dieze: 'PROCESSING… This conversation is about Banban's. (Pronounced closer to Bun-bun).' X]

"Banban's?" Steven asked, scratching his head.

"That's the term they call animal sprites. Or spirit beasts. Animals that have been cultivated for years to become human." Mayo explained.

"Ban-Hua-Yao." Zero uttered, the tones of his voice changing and sloping like he was speaking an older language, "Bu-Wan-Yao. Half-complete."

'Not fully developed,' Dieze helpfully explained, providing an example:

['Your brain is banban.' X]

With a deep breath, Steven took a step forward, choosing to ignore the comment. His eyes met Daseos's for a heartbeat… and then he shifted his gaze, trying to assess the situation more fully.

"Hey," Daseos finally spoke up, like he was already tired, "Don't you know the rules?"

"W-we got here first." Jackal protested, glaring at him.

"Our group needs the spots more. You're… only two." Daseos looked at them, his deep royal blue eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and self-assurance. "Want to… challenge us for it?"

A murmur rustled through the members of Daseos's gang. Several of them smirked, clearly enjoying the prospect of the brewing confrontation. A tall girl with raven-black hair and piercing green eyes stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. Next to her, a boy with dark-green hair flashed a grin like they had been waiting for this.

"Arriving first means nothing," the green-haired boy began, addressing Jackal and Kuro, "Only power and skill matter here! And you ain't got neither of 'em."

The tall girl chuckled. "And-" Finally noticing the trio, she gave them a side-eyed look. "I don't suppose you two are part of the same class, right?"

"Yep." Mayo nodded, curiously meeting her gaze.

"Huh… There's three? That little girl is so… forgettable!" The raven-haired girl looked disappointed—like she had held her hopes up only for them to be dashed. She let out a breath and then continued, looking away, "Anyway, I hope you're not thinking of challenging us, especially when your backup… looks so... un-im-pres-sive."

"Did they just call us back-up?" Steven whispered to his friends. Zero nodded while Mayo's eyes turned more and more… stormy.

"How about this?" Daseos suggested, maintaining his regal stance. He whipped out a Meteor Hammer on his finger, the ball gleaming dangerously. "A friendly duel! Winner gets the time slot."

The whisper of a challenge. Somehow, the air grew even thicker, with the whirlwinds nearby seemingly growing more and more frustrated. Although Jackal seemed ready to pounce, Kuro looked like he was searching for the nearest hole to hide in.

"Like cowards like them would fight." The tall-girl snickered, before grinning mischievously. She took off her beautifully crafted coat. The fabric shimmered in the light, but it was the unmistakable pattern of a tiger's fur that caught everyone's attention. "Oh, this?"

She laughed, covering her mouth. "My father gave it to me. It's from the fur of a thousand-year old 'bronzegrass tiger'." She held it up, "Want it? I'll give it to you guys if you win! It's MORE than you can afford! Plus, it's so pretty, and it's made from…" She glanced over at Kuro.

"...Spirit beasts."

A clear and deliberate message.

"Y-you," Kuro's eyes widened, but before he could get his words out—

There was a loud ripping sound. SRRRRR…

"Got-dam, I was getting tired of this!" The green-haired groaned, holding his head.

Snickers ran through the crowd.

Steven hadn't even seen the motion, but one second, Kuro had a shirt, and the next, his torn shirt draped off his shoulders. Kuro's shirt was torn open, revealing marks across his body that looked suspiciously like intricate tattoos.

Black. Red. Chains. Broken—shivering. Pains. Break…

Break-

-BREAK!

For a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze. There was a shimmer in the air, and where Kuro once stood, a light blue cat materialized, panic evident in its large eyes. Without a second's hesitation, it darted away, leaving a trail of shocked faces behind.

Jackal, without hesitation, chased after his friend, leaving Steven, Mayo, and Zero in a confrontational standoff against Daseos and his gang.

"Well," Daseos mused, his voice dripping with mirth, "looks like we'll need replacements. Care to step in?" He walked his gaze over to Steven.

Technically, they never agreed to anything.

"Yeah, you bet we will." Mayo stepped forward, her eyes brewing like witches potions in a ghastly cauldron.

Wait, what?