Tenjin flopped onto the bed with a sigh of disbelief. A bed. An actual bed. The soft mattress cradled him like a cloud, and the smooth, clean sheets felt like luxury against his skin.

  His room was small but cozy. The walls were a warm beige, the faint glow of a mana-powered ntern casting a soft light across the space. A wooden desk sat in one corner, its surface polished and clear, save for a simple inkwell and quill. Across from the bed, a modest wardrobe stood, its doors slightly ajar to reveal neatly folded clothes his clothes now, apparently.

  And then there was the bathroom. Tenjin had spent a good ten minutes marveling at the running water earlier. A mirror hung above a porcein sink, and a compact mana-heated shower was tucked in the corner. This was beyond anything he'd experienced in the slums.

  "This is so crazy," he muttered, lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. A ceiling without cracks, he noted. "I even have my own bathroom!"

  Tenjin chuckled to himself, letting out a deep sigh of contentment. "This is so good."

  He stretched, sinking deeper into the mattress. "Alright, let's sleep for tonight."

  The next morning, Tenjin found himself in the training room, yawning as he tightened the grip on his sword. The room was massive, more like an underground arena than a gym. The floor was made of sturdy stone tiles, worn from years of combat practice. Enchanted sigils lined the walls, glowing faintly to absorb stray magic and prevent damage.

  Several training dummies were stationed near one end, some standard and others imbued with minor enchantments to mimic real opponents. At the center of the room, a sparring circle was drawn, its edges glowing faintly with mana. The space thrummed with an almost tangible energy, a pce dedicated to honing one's craft.

  Tenjin gnced around, taking it all in. "What exactly is this pce?" he asked, turning to Lysara.

  She smirked, crossing her arms. "You really want to know?"

  "I'm standing in a magical castle thats inside a broken down salloon that apparently belongs to the Rebellion. Yeah, I think I want to know" Tenjin said, raising an eyebrow.

  Lysara chuckled. "Alright, listen up, newbie. This castle is inside of a pocket space"

  "A what?" Tenjin's brows furrowed.

  "A pocket space," she repeated, gesturing around them. "Think of it as a small, self-contained dimension. It exists parallel to the real world but separate from it. The castle—everything you see here—is anchored in that dimension."

  Tenjin blinked. "That… doesn't make sense. How did we even get here?"

  Lysara grinned. "Through the door, obviously. The pocket space is connected to the real world through specific entry points. Those entry points are enchanted doors scattered across the nation. Each one is tied to this space, and we can turn them on or off as needed."

  "Wait," Tenjin said, holding up his hand. "So, you're saying there are doors… all over the pce… that lead here?"

  "Exactly," Lysara replied. "And when the door's enchantment is active, it links to this pocket space. When it's off, it's just a regur door to whatever's on the other side."

  Tenjin's jaw dropped. "That's insane. How does it even work?"

  "Oh, it's insanely complicated," she said, her tone teasing. "But basically, it's all thanks to high-tier spatial magic. The original caster wove the spells so intricately that the pocket space remains stable no matter what happens outside. And the best part?"

  "There's more?"

  "Of course," Lysara said, smirking. "The doors aren't permanent. We can move them. All it takes is a skilled mage to re-anchor the enchantment to a new location."

  Tenjin's head was spinning. "So… you could just set up a door anywhere and boom, instant base?"

  "Pretty much," she said with a shrug. "It's how the Rebellion stays mobile. If the Authorities ever figure out where a door is, we just deactivate it and relocate. They could storm the entire building it's attached to, and they'd never find us."

  "That's… genius," Tenjin admitted, staring at the glowing sigils on the walls with newfound respect. "And terrifying."

  Lysara ughed. "You catch on quick. Now stop gawking. We've got work to do."

  They stepped into the sparring circle. Lysara's crimson eyes gleamed as she stretched, her blood magic fring to life. Veins of glowing red spread across her arms as her muscles tensed, her body surging with enhanced strength and speed.

  "Ready?" she asked, her voice teasing yet sharp.

  Tenjin nodded, raising his sword. He took a deep breath, mana coursing through him as faint arcs of bck and white fme flickered at his fingertips.

  The fight began.

  Lysara lunged, her movements a blur. "Too slow!" she shouted, her fist aiming straight for Tenjin's ribs.

  Tenjin sidestepped, the air whooshing past him as her strike grazed his shirt. He countered with a quick ssh, aiming for her exposed side, but Lysara spun, her enhanced reflexes letting her dodge effortlessly.

  "Not bad," she said, her tone pyful. "But not good enough!"

  Her palm shot out, a tendril of blood shing toward him like a whip. Tenjin barely managed to raise his sword in time, the weapon deflecting the crimson strike with a sharp cng. The force pushed him back, his feet skidding against the stone floor.

  Think, Tenjin. She's faster and stronger. How do I counter?

  He adjusted his stance, letting his mana flow into the sword. The fmes at his fingertips fred brighter, licking up the bde's edge. When Lysara charged again, he swung the weapon in a wide arc, releasing a wave of bck-and-white fire.

  Whoosh! The fmes roared toward her, forcing her to halt and leap back.

  "Now we're talking!" Lysara grinned, wiping sweat from her brow. She dashed forward again, this time feinting left before spinning right. Tenjin anticipated the move, ducking under her strike and pivoting behind her.

  His sword sshed horizontally, but Lysara twisted, her enhanced agility saving her at the st second. Still, the bde grazed her arm, drawing a thin line of crimson.

  "Lucky hit," she muttered, her grin unfaltering. She flicked her wrist, her blood forming a hardened spear in her hand.

  Tenjin's eyes narrowed. A spear now? Great.

  She thrust the weapon with incredible speed, forcing Tenjin on the defensive. He parried the strikes, each impact reverberating through his arms. Sweat dripped down his face as he tried to find an opening.

  There! He saw a brief pse in her stance and lunged, his bck lightning surging around his legs to enhance his speed. His bde cshed against her spear, sparks flying as the two weapons met. The force sent them both staggering back.

  Tenjin's chest heaved as he steadied himself. He couldn't help but grin. "You're holding back, aren't you?"

  Lysara shrugged, spinning her spear. "Maybe. But you're getting better, I'll give you that."

  They charged at each other again, the sparring circle filled with the sounds of cshing steel, crackling fmes, and sharp breaths. Tenjin focused on predicting her movements, using his fmes to create barriers and counterattacks. Lysara, meanwhile, tested his limits, her blood magic keeping him on edge with its unpredictable shifts between offense and defense.

  Each day followed a simir rhythm. Mornings were spent sparring with Lysara, afternoons filled with individual drills and refining his control over his fmes and endurance training. By the end of the week, Tenjin had learned to read her movements better, his own attacks becoming sharper and more deliberate.

  On the final day of their training, they faced off one st time. Lysara unched herself forward, her blood-formed spear hurtling toward him like a bolt of crimson lightning.

  But Tenjin was ready.

  He sidestepped the attack, fmes and lightning igniting around his feet to propel him forward. His sword arced in a controlled strike, cutting through her spear and forcing her to retreat. Without missing a beat, he spun, releasing a surge of fire that encircled her.

  Lysara's eyes widened as she realized she was boxed in. She attempted to leap over the fmes, but Tenjin was already there, his bde pointed at her throat before she could nd.

  "Yield," he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion in his limbs.

  For a moment, she stared at him, then let out a ugh. "Alright, alright, you win." She stepped back, her blood magic fading. "That was impressive."

  Tenjin lowered his weapon, a grin breaking across his face. "I had a good teacher."

  She smirked. "Fttery will get you nowhere, but I'll admit, you've come a long way."

  By the end of the week, Tenjin stood in the training room, his sword glowing faintly with the residual mana he'd infused into it. His fmes burned brighter, steadier, and his confidence had grown alongside his strength.

  Lysara crossed her arms, nodding in approval. "Not bad, newbie. You might actually survive this mission."

  Tenjin smirked. "Might?"

  She grinned. "Let's hope you don't make me regret vouching for you."

  Tomorrow...