The glow of Arthur’s phone screen illuminated his face in the darkened hotel room as he scrolled through article after article, each new piece of information about Cara Lenning hitting him like a revelation. The digital clock in the corner of his screen showed the late hour, but sleep was the furthest thing from his mind as he devoured every detail about his forr classmate’s teoric rise to fa.
Cara Lenning, now known throughout the world by the nickna ’Lightbringer,’ had entered the second realm on August 26, 3036—the exact sa day as Arthur. Just like Arthur, she had been transported to a distant, undiscovered area of the second realm, a place teeming with powerful monsters. The parallels between their experiences were unsettling, yet the outcos couldn’t have been more different.
Unlike Arthur, who had struggled and fought alongside Aziel and the others just to survive, Cara had made it back in a single month. And she had done it completely alone, without the support system that had kept Arthur alive through his darkest monts. The thought of surviving that nightmare realm solo seed impossible to Arthur, yet she had erged victorious in just thirty days.
As Arthur continued reading, the pieces of her incredible story began to fall into place. It seed that Cara had been gifted with light-based powers, abilities that, much like Arthur’s dark powers, had never been docunted before in the history of the chosen. The rarity of her abilities alone would have made her noteworthy, but it was their practical application that had truly set her apart from every other chosen one.
Apparently her light powers worked as a direct counter to the void creatures and corruption. Where other chosen ones had to rely on brute force, strategy, and often sheer luck to combat these nightmare entities, Cara’s abilities gave her a distinct advantage.
But her remarkable survival and unique abilities were only part of what had made her a household na. The fact that she had managed to start her own guild as a chosen—sothing that should have been bureaucratically impossible—had sent shockwaves through the established order. Guild formation required extensive governnt approval, backing from existing power structures, and much more. Yet sohow, Cara had cut through all that red tape and established the Golden Hearts guild while still maintaining her rank one chosen status.
Her popularity had skyrocketed not just because of these incredible achievents, but because of how she chose to use her newfound power and influence. Unlike most chosen ones who focused primarily on advancing through the realms to increase their personal strength and status, Cara spent the majority of her ti on Earth actively combating gate outbreaks. While other chosen ones trained in the second realm, grinding their way toward filling their cores, or even simply doing nothing at all, Cara was out in the field, putting her life on the line to protect ordinary citizens from the monsters that spilled out of gates.
Arthur shook his head in amazent as he read testimonial after testimonial from people whose lives she had saved. Entire families spoke of how the Lightbringer had appeared just when all hope seed lost, her radiant powers driving back creatures that had seed unstoppable. The reports painted a picture of soone who had chosen to be a true hero rather than simply pursuing personal advancent.
The articles went on to explain that if Cara had chosen to spend her ti in the second realm rather than fighting off gate outbreaks, she would have filled her core even faster than she already had. The implication was staggering—she was already operating at a level that surpassed most chosen ones, and she was doing it while deliberately handicapping her own advancent to help others.
Her recent triumphs, particularly her efforts in District 3, had cented her status as what the dia affectionately called "the golden puppy of the public." She had beco possibly one of the most beloved of chosen today, her combination of incredible power and genuine heroism capturing the imagination of people around the world.
Perhaps most remarkably of all, multiple experts and forr chosen ones had stated on record that Cara was quite possibly the strongest rank one chosen in history. So comntators even suggested that her current abilities surpassed those of the legendary Fire Lord back when he had been a chosen himself—a comparison that would have seed impossible two years ago.
Arthur stayed up the entire night, his eyes growing wider with amazent as he read story after story about Cara’s incredible achievents. ’She’s so amazing,’ he thought to himself repeatedly, a mixture of admiration and sothing approaching awe filling his chest. The quiet, stoic girl he rembered from school had transford into sothing extraordinary, a beacon of hope in a world that desperately needed heroes.
Eventually, the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the curtains of his hotel room, casting golden streams across the floor and marking the official start of a new day. Arthur blinked in surprise, realizing that he had spent the entire night absorbed in research about his forr classmate. His eyes were dry and slightly burning from staring at the screen for so long, but his mind was awake and alert.
He wasn’t scheduled to et with Lara until tomorrow, and Aziel was still busy reconnecting with his family after their long absence, so Arthur found himself with an unexpectedly free day ahead of him. After a mont’s consideration, he decided it would be worthwhile to engage in so light training to keep his skills sharp, followed by a visit to the school library to research so of the questions that had been nagging at him during their ti in the second realm.
He was particularly interested in finding language books for the various tongues spoken in the different realms. Books of that nature were extrely rare and closely guarded by academic institutions, but if he was going to find them anywhere, it would be at the school’s extensive library.
Arthur finally dragged himself out of the surprisingly comfortable hotel bed and began getting ready for the day ahead. He took another luxurious hot shower, savoring the simple pleasure of unlimited clean water, before getting dressed in the practical training clothes the school had provided. A quick breakfast at the hotel’s modest continental buffet gave him the energy he needed for the physical training he had planned.
The local park was only a short walk from his hotel, and Arthur found it to be the perfect location for his morning workout routine. The early hour ant that the park was relatively empty, with only a few joggers and dog walkers sharing the space with him. The fresh morning air was crisp and invigorating, a welco change from the stale atmosphere of his hotel room.
Aziel had been very specific about the types of training that would benefit chosen, particularly speed-based swordsn like Arthur. Calisthenics and plyotrics, he had explained, would develop the explosive power and endurance that were essential for survival in the higher realms. Arthur started with the exact routine that Aziel had taught him, beginning with interval sprints that pushed his cardiovascular system to its limits.
The sprinting was followed by four demanding sets of twenty-five pushups, each repetition precise and controlled despite the burning in his chest and arms. Next ca four sets of thirty-five sit-ups that targeted his core muscles, building the stability he would need for complex sword techniques. The jumping squats that followed were particularly challenging, four sets that left his legs trembling with exhaustion, followed imdiately by a one-minute sprint that tested his ability to perform under fatigue.
Arthur completed several other exercises that Aziel had recomnded, each one specifically chosen to develop the physical attributes that would serve him best in combat situations. His muscles burned with the familiar ache of productive training, and sweat dripped from his forehead despite the cool morning air.
After finishing the strength and conditioning portion of his workout, Arthur spent a full hour practicing his sword techniques. He moved through the forms and combinations that Aziel had taught him, his blade cutting precise arcs through the air as he visualized the opponents he might face in future encounters. The muscle mory was still sharp, but he could feel areas where his technique could be refined and improved.
Finally, Arthur spent ti experinting with his unique abilities, carefully testing the limits of his powers in the relative safety of the park. He was cautious not to draw attention to himself, but he needed to understand his capabilities better if he was going to continue advancing through the realms. Each successful manipulation of his powers filled him with a sense of progress and growing confidence.
After several hours of intensive training, Arthur was thoroughly exhausted but satisfied with his efforts. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his muscles ached. He made his way back to the hotel, where another hot shower washed away the evidence of his morning’s labors and left him feeling refreshed and ready for the intellectual challenges that awaited him.
It was finally ti to head to the school library, where he hoped to find answers to the questions that had been burning in his mind.
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