Back in his room, Lucas cracked open the package. Inside, nestled in a special plastic case, sat a single, round black pill. He popped the seal. A faint scent, something like sandalwood, drifted out.


"So this is what a million bucks looks like," Lucas marveled.


This was the final hurdle. He just needed to Temper the skin and muscle around his skull, and his Whole Body Tempering would be complete.


It was also the part where people usually died. Or worse.


Most Martial Warriors wouldn't even attempt this without stacking up on Fortification Elixirs. The elixirs made the process smoother and acted as a safety net for your brain. Because if you slipped up while pumping energy into your skull? You could fry your neural pathways and end up a vegetable.


Lucas took a deep breath and swallowed the pill.


Almost instantly, he began guiding his Origin Force, surging it upward toward his head. His control had improved thanks to his rising Spirit Power, but that didn't make this any less terrifying.


Focus, he told himself. One slip and it's game over.


He pushed the energy into the skin of his scalp. Pain exploded across his face and head. It felt like needles were being driven into every pore.


Lucas gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. If he panicked now, the energy would spike, and his brain would crash like a hard drive.


Whether it was his own skill or the help of the elixir, he managed to hold it together. The pain crested, then faded.


It was done.


"I did it," Lucas breathed, rubbing his head. His scalp felt solid, durable. "I'm officially a Tier 1 Warrior."


By the time he finished, the sun was coming up. Lucas took a quick hot shower, grabbed breakfast, and headed to school, running on adrenaline.


Later that morning, after Sunday classes let out, Lucas was walking with Milo.


"Man, seriously," Milo laughed, clapping Lucas on the shoulder. "Liam is terrified of you now. Did you see him?"


Lucas smirked. Liam had tried to challenge him a few times over the last couple of days, and Lucas had swatted him down effortlessly every time. Liam might be a jerk, but he wasn't stupid; he knew when he was outclassed.


"Yeah, whatever," Lucas said, dismissing the thought of Liam. He turned to his friend. "Hey, what about that favor I asked you for? Any luck with that?"


"Found it," Milo whispered, glancing around like he was sharing state secrets. "Out on the outskirts of the Westside. There's a huge abandoned zone. We can practice there."


"Sounds good," Lucas said, nodding. "I'll grab some food and meet you after."


The moment Lucas walked through his front door, he found Luna already sprawled out on the sofa. She was watching Little Witch Bella on TV, looking entirely too comfortable.


Lucas felt a headache coming on instantly.


"Lucas! Hurry up and cook! I'm starving!" Luna shouted without looking away from the screen, her eyes glued to the cartoon witches.


"I got it, I got it." Lucas curled his lip. He glanced at the kitchen and saw that, to her credit, Luna had at least bought the groceries.


He whipped up two simple dishes, and they sat down to eat.


"So, Lucas," Luna said, patting her satisfied belly after cleaning her plate. "You want to hang out with us this afternoon?"


"I think I'll pass," Lucas said. He thought about her group of friends—teenage girls whose minds were constantly in the gutter—and shuddered.


"Tch. You wouldn't know an opportunity if it hit you in the face," Luna scoffed, giving him a look of pure contempt. "Enjoy being single forever, loser."


"I have things to do."


Lucas stood up and grabbed the long, rectangular ebony case containing the Sky Halberd. It had a strap attached, allowing him to sling the heavy box diagonally across his back.


"You're going to practice with that thing?" Luna asked, eyeing the box. "Instructor Yates said those heavy, sweeping weapons have crazy destructive power, but they drain your stamina like crazy. The difficulty level is way too high."


She smirked. "With your twiggy little arms and legs, you'll probably swing it twice and pass out from exhaustion."


"You're one to talk," Lucas shot back. "Some people can't even lift it off the ground."


"Whatever. Go wash the dishes. I'm heading out."


Ignoring the dish command, Lucas suited up in the Combat Suit he'd won from the System lottery and headed for the door.


"Stinky Lucas!" Luna pouted as the door clicked shut.


But then, a thought crossed her mind. Her control over her Origin Force was getting better every day. The corner of her mouth quirked up.


"I'm going to catch up to you," she whispered, pumping her small fist in the air. "I'll be a real Martial Warrior before you even know what happened!"


She drifted into a pleasant daydream where Lucas was crying and begging her to train him. Hmph. Just you wait.


Meanwhile, Lucas stepped out onto the street, the massive ebony case on his back and a bag of trash in his hand. The Sky Halberd was incredibly heavy, but with his strength stats increasing recently, it was manageable.


As he walked, people turned to stare at the strange load he was carrying.


A middle-aged man in a baseball cap walked toward him. There was a jagged scar near the corner of the man's eye. As they passed, the man stared intently at Lucas, his gaze lingering for a second too long before darting away.


Am I imagining things?


Lucas frowned as he passed the stranger. He had a weird feeling about the guy, a prickle on the back of his neck, but he couldn't put his finger on why.


Shaking it off, Lucas tossed the trash bag into a nearby dumpster. Down the street, Milo was already waving at him. Lucas nodded and jogged over. They couldn't train around here—the Sky Halberd was essentially a wrecking ball, and swinging it in a residential area was a lawsuit waiting to happen.


After Lucas disappeared around the corner, the scarred man doubled back.


"Is that kid... a Martial Warrior?"


The man frowned. He had sensed it clearly—the faint ripple of Origin Force radiating from the boy. Regular people wouldn't notice, but he could see that Lucas's skin had been Tempered.


The man looked at the dumpster where Lucas had just dumped his trash. Lying on top was a crumpled box stamped with the logo of The Warrior's Guild.


The man's eyes narrowed. Between the squint and the scar, he looked like a venomous snake ready to strike.




Following Milo's lead, Lucas biked out to the Westside suburbs. After a long ride on a pair of rental bikes, they pulled up to a dilapidated factory.


The main gate was rusted shut, and weeds were chewing through the concrete everywhere. But when Lucas peered through the fence at the vast, empty floor inside, his eyes lit up.