As they walked further inside, Namari eventually came to a stop once they reached the edge of the golden arena. However, instead of stepping onto it, she turned around to face Renan directly.
Then, with a dramatic pause, she gestured toward the golden arena behind her and spoke in a bold, almost theatrical voice.
"This place… is called Solace Ground."
"Solace Ground," Renan repeated the name of the ground, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and uncertainty.
"Yes," Namari nodded her head and reaffirmed, "this is Solace Ground, where you will be training for the next two years. So, get ready and step onto the arena. We will be starting the training immediately. Also, transform into your dragon form," she instructed with a smile.
Renan nodded his head and swiftly shifted into his dragon form while stepping onto the golden arena. His mind was filled with curiosity as he wondered, ’Hmm, I wonder what kind of training this will be?’ But before he could dwell on the thought any longer, Namari followed him onto the arena, cracked her neck from side to side, and spoke in a confident tone.
"So, are you ready, Renan?" she asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
"Yes, Mother, I’m ready, but what type of—" Before Renan could even finish his sentence, Namari vanished from her spot, disappearing right before his eyes.
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
His instincts screamed at him to move, and without hesitation, he dropped to the ground at full speed. The instant he did, Namari reappeared beside him, swinging her clawed hand toward him in a sharp, decisive motion. Her entire arm was covered in scales, giving her hand the appearance of a deadly weapon.
The moment her arm cut through the air where Renan had just been standing, an intense pressure surged forth, sending violent gusts howling across the arena. The sheer force of her swing created five deep claw marks on the solid wall in front of her, which were quite far away from her as if the wall had been struck by an actual blade.
Renan lay flat on the ground, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he slowly turned his head to look at Namari, who now stood behind him.
Namari observed his reaction and smirked. "Not bad, Renan. Your instincts are sharp. If that hit had landed, you would have been split in half at the waist," she said, pulling back her outstretched hand. There was no malice in her voice—only pride, as if she were pleased with his ability to dodge.
Renan, however, had a completely different reaction.
*GULP*
A loud gulp escaped him as he thought, ’Has this woman gone completely insane? What is she saying about me getting split in half? Is she actually trying to kill me?’ His mind raced as he slowly got back on his feet, instinctively backing away from Namari step by step.
"Mother, what are you saying? Wouldn’t I die if I got split in half?" Renan asked nervously, his body tensing up as he cautiously kept his distance from her.
Namari, at the question of Renan, suddenly facepalmed, realized something, and sighed. "Oh, my bad, Renan. I forgot to tell you something important," she admitted before explaining further. "The injuries you sustain in this place are healed instantly, except for fatal injuries like beheading or getting your heart pierced. But aside from those, any wound will heal in no time. That’s why this place is called Solace Ground. So, you don’t need to worry—you won’t die, even if you get split in half," she explained casually, as if it was common knowledge.
Renan stopped moving when he heard her explanation, his nerves settling slightly. However, a new concern arose in his mind, and he hesitantly asked, "But, Mother… does that also mean pain is removed?"
That was the most important question for him now. After all, he still remembered the excruciating pain he had experienced when his arm was severed in the awakening hall. Just the memory of it sent shivers down his spine.
Namari shook her head. "Of course not, Renan. You will feel every bit of pain," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Otherwise, it wouldn’t feel like a real battle, now would it?"
Renan’s face paled instantly.
"But Mother—" Renan tried to protest, but Namari cut him off.
"No buts, Renan. You need to understand that this is for your own good," she said firmly.
Before Renan could respond, Namari disappeared from her spot again.
This time, she came straight at him from the front with such speed that he barely had any time to react.
’Fu#king hell!’ Renan cursed inwardly, knowing that this training was going to be torture.
His body moved instinctively, stretching out his hands in front of him at full speed. Within moments, he conjured a massive ball of flames—three times his size—and hurled it straight at Namari.
But instead of dodging the incoming attack, Namari charged directly into the heart of the blazing inferno with an unshaken smile on her face.
Renan’s eyes widened in shock.
’Huh!’ he thought, expecting at least some sign of burns or damage. But to his horror, Namari emerged from the flames completely unscathed. Not only was her body untouched—even her clothes remained perfectly intact.
"How?" Renan muttered in disbelief.
But he had no time to think. Namari had already closed the distance between them, her fist swinging toward him with frightening precision.
Reacting at the last possible second, Renan activated his space element, teleporting himself away just before the impact. He reappeared a good distance from her, his breathing heavy.
"Mother! How is this fair?! You’re using your full strength, while I’m only at the Fifth Circle! This isn’t fair at all!" Renan shouted in frustration.
Namari didn’t respond. Instead, she disappeared from her spot once again.
This time, however, her speed was so overwhelming that even Renan’s instincts couldn’t even register the threat in time.
Before he knew it, she was right behind him.
"Of course, Renan, I know this battle isn’t fair," she whispered near his ear. "But you should also understand—real battles are never fair. When people fight for their lives, fairness doesn’t exist," she said as she use her arm like a sword.
Her hand, shaped like a blade with sharp black scales covering it, sliced through the air with terrifying force.
Renan barely had time to react. Desperate, he used every element in his arsenal to form a defensive barrier around himself. But it was useless.
Namari’s arm cut through his elemental defenses like paper.
In an instant, her clawed hand pierced straight through his back, emerging from his chest.
*COUGH*
A choked gasp escaped Renan as blood spilled from his lips. His vision blurred, and the pain was so intense that his mind could no longer process it.
Within seconds, he lost consciousness.
And that was the day Renan’s training under Namari officially began.
It was also the day he realized—his father’s training, which he once thought was hellish, was nothing compared to this.