Chapter 16: Training

The ruins of Ealao stretched around them in the morning sun. Among the wreckage sat Tayo, Hiro, and Henry, each perched on time-worn rocks. Daro stood before them, arms folded, framed by the jagged remnants of a once-great hall.

His voice rang out, firm and instructive. “Because you are warrior-class gamers, there is almost no limit to what you can achieve—”

“—If we believe?” Henry interrupted with a smirk.

Daro didn’t appreciate the interruption. “Slow down,” he said, his tone dry. “Belief is key, yes, but tell me—have you ever tried to break steel with graphite?”

Henry blinked. “What?”

“The graphite shatters,” Daro said coolly. “You are graphite. You see steel, and you try to fight it head-on—you’ll break. So, you use your head… or your legs.”

From the side, Tayo muttered, barely loud enough to be heard, “That’s what I was trying to do…”

Daro’s eyes flicked to him, sharp with disdain.

“But,” he continued, ignoring the comment, “it’s not all hopeless for graphite because under the right circumstance graphite becomes diamond. My job is to help you transform, to bring that version of you into existence. But transformation isn’t gentle. Are you ready for the temperature, the pressure?”

The three of them offered no answer. Tayo’s gaze drifted over the fantastical landscape.

“Fine,” Daro said. “Hiro, Henry—you’ll be training together. Raise your levels to twenty-five. Ray…” He turned to Tayo. “You’re going to clear this area.” Tayo gives him a questioning look and Daro replied, “of the rubble.”

Tayo’s mouth opened slightly. He looked around. The rocks weren’t just numerous—they were massive, some the size of carts. But he didn’t object. Instead, he swallowed his frustration and gave a stiff nod.

At the riverbank, the water sparkled under the midday sun. Daro stood on the rocky edge with Hiro and Henry at his sides. In his hands were two long, serrated knives.

“To gain experience, you guys will exterminate the river monsters,” he said, handing them the blades. “If you can hunt in water, the land becomes child’s play.”

Without another word, he dove into the crystalline river. Hiro and Henry exchanged a look, then followed.

Underwater, the world became eerily serene. Light fractured through the ripples above, shimmering across the moss-covered rocks. But its serenity was deceptive.

Tentacles lashed out from the depths. A giant river squid twisted through the currents, eyes glowing dimly in the murky gloom. But Hiro and Henry were fast—unnaturally fast. Their bodies, refined by this digital world. They moved like birds in flight, dodging, diving, striking with expertise and grace.

Daro’s voice echoed, “At twenty you've exceeded all human capabilities, you're faster than the fastest, stronger than the strongest.”

With coordinated precision, they sliced through the squid’s flesh. It writhed once, then went still, leaving the waters stained and still.

Back on the riverbank, the sun baked down as Henry dragged the body of a massive fish from the river. Hiro stood beside Daro, both of them dripping wet and catching their breath.

“And you’re above all that… because you’re an elf?” Hiro asked, arching a brow.

Daro nodded. “Yes, humans are baseline creatures.”

Hiro scoffed, somewhere between insulted and impressed.

Henry looked down at the creature he’d hauled out. “Food… or XP?”

“Both,” Daro said simply.

Elsewhere, under the pitiless sun, Tayo strained under the weight of a boulder nearly twice his size. His shirt clung to him, soaked in sweat. His muscles, lean and defined. The rubble around him never seemed to end.

Daro’s voice keeps echoing, “Anyways, you gamers can go even further. With every level you add, your health and strength increase and you become more powerful.”

From a distance, Daro watched.

Tayo continued his task. He didn’t stop, not even when his arms trembled or his feet tripped. He was building towards something. If he could do this perhaps, he could free them all.

Daro walked up to Tayo who now looked completely exhausted. He is contemplating a boulder that is larger than usual. Daro spoke up, “Your goal is to be at least 35 by this training's end.”

“I can't move this,” Tayo replied.

“What do you do when you have a big problem?” Daro asked.

With this response, Tayo heaved a sigh of relief. He already knew what to do.

Three torches glowed around Tayo, casting flickering shadows over the shattered stones. He swung a sledgehammer with rhythmic grunts, striking a massive boulder again and again until it cracked.

Then the hammer’s handle snapped.

For a moment, he stood stunned, holding the broken shaft in limp hands. Then slowly, eyes closed, he clenched his fist. Then drove it into the rock.

Pain seared up his arm. The stone cracked—barely.

He staggered back, clutching his hand, teeth clenched to hold back a scream. He couldn’t. He howls in pain. Daro shook his head as he watches from afar.

But he notices how Tayo has gathered and arranged the rocks. Three names have been spelled. SIMON, GUY and the last one EA. Daro’s gaze softened. In this graveyard of an ancient civilization, Tayo had managed to make a monument to his dead compatriots.

Rain tapped gently against the windows as grey light spilled into the small classroom they’d prepared among the ruins. Gravel, water, soil were arranged across a long table.

Daro entered carrying a bowl of hay and a bucket of water. Tayo followed behind him.

Henry slumped in his chair. “I thought we were resting today.”

“And here I thought you’d be excited to learn magic,” Daro replied. “But if his majesty insists, we can wait until next week.”

Hiro rolled her eyes.

Daro dropped the hay in front of her and turned to Tayo. “I took a look at the sword. I'm not certain of its nature but I think it's lightning.”

Hiro’s attention sharpened. “I have a question Daro. What are these things pursuing us? Are they from Yugen?”

“If Yugen were pursuing you,” Daro said, closing the windows, “Lucky for us, he no longer inhabits this realm. It's Gotar, those are his kind.”

Tayo and Daro are still clearing and arranging the room and closing the windows. Daro pours some oil into the bowl of hay.

“The one that killed the professor?” Hiro asks.

“Right now, he is the greatest obstacle this realm has to offer,” Daro explains.

Tayo latched the last window. “All set.”

Daro nodded. “Then let’s begin.”

“Although there are more ancient natures, today most warriors manifest one of five. FIRE.” Daro spoke as he stood before them, and with a single touch, he lit the bowl of hay. Flames danced to life.

He lit a torch with it and placed it in front of Henry who is about to doze off. Hiro reached out, trying to shape the flames with her hand.

“Earth.”

He tossed a chunk of gravel at Tayo, who with one punch broke it apart mid-air with ease.

“Water.”

He used a bowl to scoop up some water. He initially is about to place in front of Tayo but instead he poured it on Henry because he had fallen asleep. Henry sputtered in outrage.

“What the—!”

Daro didn’t care. He continued.

“Air.”

He exhaled deeply, the wind from his lungs sending Hiro’s hair flying. She pinched her nose dramatically. Daro ignores her taunt.

“And finally—Lightning.” He raised his index finger. A spark crackled into life.

“They all have 3 forms and it's a combination of these forms that birth spells. Today, we learn the first two: Control and Creation.”

Tayo reached toward Henry, focusing on the moisture dripping from his clothes. The droplets quivered… but didn’t move.

Not yet.

Storm clouds rolled over the horizon. Lightning flared in the distance. On a rocky plateau, Daro handed a sword to Tayo.

“I use lightning magic,” he said, and placed his palms together. A thin ribbon of lightning stretched between them as he pulled his hands apart. Then it vanished.

“That’s Creation.”

He pointed to Tayo. “You’ll start with Control.”

“But I tested positive for water,” Tayo said. “Not lightning.”

Daro’s eyes narrowed. “Then let’s hope there’s a little lightning in you after all.”

Tayo’s fingers tightened around the hilt of the sword.

“Are you going to be the battery I practice with?” he asked.

Daro smiled.

“You’re going to learn to command the most volatile force in existence—lightning itself. It doesn’t like to be tamed. I hope you’re ready, graphite.”