Chapter 2: Infernal Training

All common sense collapses, and the door to an unknown world opens in silence.

The boy’s name is Eden.

He steps into a world beyond the reach of human logic—a place where gods and monsters dwell.

What awaits him there is not warmth, but a harsh reality.

To protect… to reclaim…
All he needs is one thing: power.

His resolve will be tested.

And then, deep within the abyss…
something awakens.

——————————————————————————————————————————

A heavy stillness lingered in the air. The destruction still hung in the dust, floating like ash, and the crunch of shattered debris echoed beneath their feet. Amid the ruins of what was once his everyday life, Eden stood silently. His eyes, still clouded with confusion, landed on Shun—arms crossed, waiting patiently.

“Are you ready to leave?” the man asked calmly, as if the question were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Eden frowned, bewildered.
“Huh? Right now?”

Shun nodded firmly.
“Yes. This place is no longer safe.”

Eden looked down. His voice came out soft, resigned.
“I thought… I’d have more time. To say goodbye to my friends…”

“I’m sorry,” Shun cut in. “If you do that, you’ll be putting them in danger.”

Silence fell between them like a curtain.

“…I understand.”

Shun’s expression softened.
“But don’t worry. You’ll see them again. Once you’re stronger… and the threat is gone.”

“Okay. So… where are we going? And how?”

A slight smile played across Shun’s lips.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle that.”

“How?”

Shun stepped forward, raised his hand, and traced a glowing symbol in the air.

“Spatial Technique: Gate of Cerberus.”

A sharp sound cracked through the space. In front of them, reality itself split open, revealing a massive, ancient gate. It was dark, carved with the heads of three silent, roaring beasts.

“What the hell is that…?” Eden muttered, stepping back.

“Welcome to a new world,” Shun said with a crooked smile. “Are you ready?”

Eden nodded, hesitant—but just before stepping through, something caught his eye. He turned sharply.

“Wait a second…”

He ran to a pile of rubble and began digging frantically. His hands stopped when they found something.
A black sword, half-buried under the debris.

“This is…”

Shun’s body tensed.
How did I not notice it before…? That sword has a massive aura…

“Do you know whose it is?” he asked, cautiously.

Eden nodded, holding it reverently.
“Yes… It belonged to my grandfather.”

“Your grandfather had this…?” Shun narrowed his eyes. “There’s no way he was just a normal man.”

Eden tightened his grip on the hilt.

Grandpa… I swear I’ll bring you back. I promise.

He turned, eyes full of resolve.
“Let’s go.”

“Before we enter, I should warn you,” Shun said with a mischievous smirk. “You might end up kissing the ground.”

“Huh? What are you talking ab—”

Without another word, they stepped through the gate.

And then—everything changed.

Eden’s body was violently slammed to the ground, the pressure crushing him like a mountain had fallen on top of him.

“What the hell is happening?!” he screamed, sinking into the earth.

“The gravity here isn’t like the one in your world,” Shun explained, walking as if nothing was wrong.

“How the hell am I supposed to move?!”

Shun sighed, then raised his hand again.

“Spatial Technique: Terrestrial Atmosphere.”

An invisible sphere expanded around them. The gravity eased, and Eden finally managed to rise to his knees, gasping for breath.

“What kind of hellish world is this…?
Seriously… I’m never coming back here.”

His voice faltered the moment he looked up.

Before him stretched a vast and desolate landscape. Rivers of lava flowed between jagged cliffs. Deformed beasts roamed in the distance. The sky was painted in hues of red and violet, and impossible mountains rose far beyond the horizon.

Eden stammered, his eyes wide.
“W-what is this place…?”

“Welcome to the Greek Underworld,” Shun announced bluntly.

Eden stepped back.
“Underworld? What the hell were you thinking bringing me here?!”

He grabbed his head, overwhelmed.
“Are you some kind of angel of death? Did I die in the attack?! Or is this just a bad dream and I’ll wake up without my legs?!”

Shun facepalmed, visibly exasperated.

“You need to calm down. I’m not an angel of death. You’re not dead. You’re not here to pay for your sins. And no, you’re not waking up without legs. Who the hell even comes up with a theory like that?”

He let out a long sigh.

“This is... really hard to explain without sounding like a lunatic.”

Eden lowered his gaze.

“Honestly… part of me still thinks this is all just a nightmare. That my grandfather’s still at home… waiting. But if there’s anything you can explain to me… then do it.”

Shun looked at him seriously.

“…Alright.”

He paused for a few seconds, as if choosing his words carefully.

“Did your school ever teach you anything about mythology or religion?”

“A little… the basics,” Eden replied.

“Good. Now mash all that together. Gods, creatures, legends… and make it real. That’s how this world works.”

Eden swallowed hard.

“The world… forgot?”

“Yes. But once, gods and humans lived side by side. They spoke to each other. Then… something happened. Something that changed everything. Since then, that bond was broken.”

“What happened?”

Shun crossed his arms.

“That’s a complicated subject. I’m not explaining it now.”

“You think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”

“I don’t think it. I know it,” Shun said with an ironic smile. “You’re traveling with a complete stranger who could hurt you at any moment. Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to talk to strangers?”

Eden narrowed his eyes.

“Would you hurt me, though?”

Shun looked away, smirking.

“You really do sound like you’re inside a novel.”

Suddenly, without warning, Shun vanished—like a flash slicing through the air. In the blink of an eye, he was standing atop a sharp mountain ridge behind Eden. His silhouette framed against the grayish sky of the Underworld looked like part of the landscape itself.

Eden turned to look, stunned.

He’s too fast… If we were fighting, I’d already be dead.

“I’ve got a test for you,” Shun said, his voice firm.

“A test? What do you mean?”

“Sure, I brought you here—but I haven’t seen your strength yet. I want to see it for myself.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“You’ll face some of this world’s smaller creatures. That’ll be enough to gauge how prepared you are.”

Eden scowled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me… I don’t even know how to fight. How the hell do you expect me to—?”

“There’s just one rule: you can’t use your grandfather’s sword.”

He ignores me, and now expects me to fight unarmed? Who the hell does he think I am? Eden thought, clenching his teeth.

Shun gave a short whistle.

“Let the test begin.”

“Damn pink-haired bastard! You didn’t even give me a warning!” Eden muttered, just as a series of footsteps echoed nearby.

“They’re coming…” he whispered, shifting into position.

Tiny creatures began to rise from the ground. Their skin looked like charcoal, and their eyes glowed like burning embers.

Eden blinked in disbelief—then let out a nervous laugh.

“Seriously? You said they were small, but this is just ridiculous.”

He crouched down and patted one on the head.

From high above, Shun watched silently.

Idiot... I said they were small. I never said they were weak.
And there’s another problem…

Suddenly, one of the creatures slammed its fist into Eden’s stomach. The hit landed with a dull thud.
Eden collapsed to his knees, coughing from the pain.

“What the hell—?!”

The ground began to tremble. One by one, the creatures started to mutate. Their bodies stretched. Claws grew. Their spines arched grotesquely. With every passing second, their size and ferocity increased without limit.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!!”

Eden bolted instinctively, eyes wide with panic.

“I don’t think that’s gonna help you,” Shun called from above. “They’re known as the fastest creatures in the Underworld…
And right now, they’re moving in much lower gravity than what you’re used to.”

“ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!”

A new voice broke through—calm but firm.

“So that’s why you asked me to release them…”

A sharp-eyed man with dark hair stepped into the scene.
His name: Tenzak.

“Yeah,” Shun replied without turning. “Though I might’ve overestimated him a bit.”

“At the very least, did you teach him how to use one of the Zenka energies?”

Shun let out a small laugh.

“About that… I forgot.”

“Are you serious?!” Tenzak stared at him like he was insane.
“Those creatures can’t be taken down by someone who doesn’t even know what Zenka is!”

“That just makes it more interesting… don’t you think?”

“…Why did I ever agree to work for you…”

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, one of the beasts landed a brutal hit to Eden’s side.
A sickening crack echoed.
Eden collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.

That strike… would’ve killed anyone else, Shun thought. What the hell is this kid’s body made of?

Tenzak clenched his fists, frustrated.

Am I really supposed to just stand here and watch? I know Shun wouldn’t let him die…
But can I really trust that…?

The creatures kept attacking without mercy. Eden bled, his body wracked with pain—
but his eyes remained open.

Is this real? Will I ever be strong enough to beat those two?
Can I really save my grandfather…?

Unable to take it any longer, Tenzak lunged at Shun, grabbing him by the collar.

“Do something, damn it!”

For the first time, Shun’s expression changed.
His eyes darkened.

And then—Tenzak dropped to his knees, trembling.
His strength vanished in an instant.

“Do you really believe you can defy me…?” Shun whispered, his voice so calm it sent chills down the spine.
“You’re only alive… because I allow it.”

From the ground, black chains rose up and wrapped around Tenzak, holding him in place.

“Maybe you haven’t realized it yet,” Shun added,
“but there’s something inside that boy… something neither you nor I… can begin to comprehend.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Shun’s eyes narrowed.

“Watch closely. See what happens next…”

Then came a voice—guttural, dark, like an echo whispering from the depths of the mind.

Kill them all…

From Eden’s body, an amorphous energy began to surge—an overwhelming presence that filled the air with crushing pressure.

Tenzak felt a chill crawl down his spine.

What is that…? Why do I feel like I’m going to die?

The creatures, once bloodthirsty and relentless, froze in place.
They were trembling. Retreating.
Their bodies—built to survive the Underworld—were now filled with fear.

That aura… this fear… it’s a clear message:
I’m going to die.

Tenzak swallowed hard.
A thought struck him like lightning.

You’re worse than a monster…

And for the first time, as he looked at Shun, he understood—with true terror:

What… are you?