"Huuuu."
"Well, I can't dwell on it anymore. One thing's for sure—one day, I'll have it back," Ryuk said, stepping away from the mirror.
He moved to the wardrobe, grabbing a short-sleeved black shirt and matching trousers.
Then, he picked up one of the scarfs meant to be worn around the neck, wrapped it around himself, and let the rest drape over his shoulders.
One glance back at the mirror showed a clear difference.
Now, at least, he looked like a person.
His hand reached for his bag, pulling out a comb. He brushed his messy hair into long, flowing strands of ocean blue behind him.
Some parts of the left side covered his eyes, which he disliked, so he picked up a tiny thread and tied his hair, keeping it in place.
"Now I look a bit better. But without my strength… it's nothing."
"So, I need to get back my power," he said aloud.
He moved out of the bedroom, turned off the lights, and stepped into the living room, heading for the exit.
Pushing on the glass door, he gave one last look around.
His eyes scanned everything, taking note of the positions of even the tiniest objects before he finally stepped out and shut the door behind him, the lights switching off with a click.
HOOOOWLL
The sound of howling was the first thing he heard the instant his staff touched the ground. Ryuk's eyes flashed, scanning the area.
There was nothing—yet the howl was loud, and his clothes and hair flapped wildly against his neck.
"Quite the breeze. But I'm close to the edge of the mountain." he mused.
He fully stepped off the stone floor of his house and began walking into the distance—straight toward the tip of the mountain.
The sky had gone dark. The sun had vanished, leaving only flickering stars above.
In this world, there were countless bright stars, along with green lights circling through the sky.
It was a beautiful scene, albeit unfamiliar.
When he looked down from the edge of the valley to the Royalty Children's training grounds, he noticed they were all gone.
Even the instructor was no longer there, leaving the place silent and desolate.
Ryuk looked from where he stood to the ground below—roughly a 25-meter drop.
His gaze sharpened.
'Hey, system. If I jumped from here and landed on my head, would I be injured?' he asked mentally.
[Yes, Host. Landing on your head will leave you disoriented, and it will take time to recover.]
"Huuuuu," Ryuk exhaled deeply as he looked at the drop beneath him.
His hand slowly tightened around his staff.
"It's the only way down…"
VROOOOOOOOOM!
The wind roared against his face as his body tore through the air, gravity pulling him down with fierce speed.
As he neared the ground, his left hand stabbed toward the mountain wall. His claws pierced through like butter, dragging through the terrain.
The force of it slowed him just enough.
He landed on his feet and rolled once before regaining his balance.
Rising with the help of his staff, his eyes drifted to his clawed hands—they flashed faintly.
"I might not be able to control it well, but the tips of these claws can pierce through nearly anything. That's good," he muttered, then turned his attention to his surroundings.
Where he had landed, just a few steps ahead, was the only green patch where the children and their instructor had once sat.
Ryuk walked forward, the only sounds being the howling wind and his staff clanking softly against the ground with each step.
After walking for 10 minutes, he realized that the longer he walked, the easier it became. So he continued on, aimlessly wandering for over an hour—until he finally arrived.
A plane of endless green, but not only that.
Before him were massive, round stones, each the size of a standing man. Around twenty-five of them stood in the area. To the side, a shelf held an array of various weapons.
Most were swords, but there were also a few axes and spears.
What caught his eyes, though, was a strange runic platform in the center.
Walking toward it, Ryuk knelt down to get a closer look.
It was made of silvery-white material, its surface etched with unusual runic lines.
Cautiously, he reached out, his fingers tracing along the edges of the runes before pressing slightly on the surface.
RIIIIIIIIIIIPPLLLLLLLLEEE
In the next instant, a powerful silvery ripple surged out from the point he touched, spreading across the field. Ryuk watched as silvery glass began covering the entire area—but it wasn't the only change.
In an instant, new structures began emerging from the silver-covered ground.
Various areas extended outward as far as the garden once did.
The setting had changed.
What was once an empty grassy field with scattered stones and weapons now transformed into a fortress holding various chambers, terrain simulators, and isolated zones.
As the light faded, a panel appeared in front of Ryuk's face, and he read the contents.
{Welcome to the Setting Expansion: Remyore Plateau Fortress, known as the "Kazuryn Base."}
{A gift from High Scholar Emiers. This installation was built to train Royal Children from total beginners to above-average Silberuninc warriors.}
{Various zones can now be accessed. Host can choose environments, adjust conditions (gravity, temperature, terrain), and set custom time drills.}
{The zones are generated via a combination of spatial fold tech and dual-biome chambers.}
{Common selected zones include:
1. Track Zone
Purpose: Agility + Endurance Training
2. Gravity Sink Zone
Purpose: Raw strength+ Core stabilization
3.Obstacle Matrix Zone
Purpose: Reflex + Agility
4. Impact Chamber:
Purpose: Endurance + Physica; Reinforcement
5. Combat Gauntlet Zone
Purpose: Strength+ Reaction Sync}
"Hmmm," Ryuk hmmed as he looked at the notifications and his eye flashed and he decided to begin form the basic.
"Activate Track Zone!" As he pressed his hands on the interface, a quiet hum resonation across the plain.
He watched as the simulation began deconstructing itself around him and his eyes flashed with disbelieve as he unconsciously muttered.
"This is next level..."