The victory over Baron Vane had changed everything, yet nothing at all. The morning after the duel, Konja woke up in his family's small shack, his muscles screaming in a language of pure pain. Every inch of his body felt as though it had been tenderized by one of his own meat mallets. Beside him, Zale was curled into a ball of blue fur, snoring softly, tiny sparks still occasionally leaping from his tail—a sign that the Prana-Burst had taxed the creature's core just as much as Konja's."You're awake," a voice grunted.Konja sat up, wincing, to see his father, Garam Munka, sitting at the small wooden table. Garam was a man of few words, his hands scarred by years of high-heat cooking and his back bowed from a life of labor. On the table sat a single, steaming bowl of medicinal broth."The Elder sent word. Baron's father paid the taxes," Garam said, his eyes fixed on the bowl. "The Munka name isn't a punchline in the market today. But listen to me, Konja. That silver light in your eyes... it's a beacon. And beacons attract predators.""I had to do it, Dad," Konja whispered, his voice hoarse. "They were going to take the cart.""I know," Garam sighed, finally looking at his son. "But you've opened a door you can't close. You need real training. Not just the Kata I taught you for the kitchen. You need to understand the Flow of the Five Flavors—the elemental martial arts of our ancestors."The Shadow in the MarketLater that afternoon, despite his father's warnings to rest, Konja pushed his wobbly-wheeled cart back toward the Lower Sluices. He expected the usual taunts, but instead, a strange silence fell over the vendors as he passed. Some nodded with newfound respect; others looked away in fear."Back at it already? You're either the bravest cook in Oakhaven or the stupidest."Konja looked up to see Renzo leaning against a stone pillar, his Leaf-Blight sharpening its scythes against the rock."The debt is paid, but the stomach doesn't stay full on its own," Konja replied, setting his brake. "What are you doing here, Renzo?""Waiting for you," Renzo said, his expression darkening. "There's a rumor in the Upper District. The Vane Family isn't just going to take a loss like that. They've called in a 'Specialist' from the Iron Spire Academy. A real combatant, not a spoiled brat like Baron."Before Konja could respond, a cold breeze swept through the humid street. The scent of ozone and chilled steel filled the air. A girl walked through the crowd, which parted for her like water before a blade.She looked to be sixteen, with hair as white as a mountain peak and eyes the color of a frozen lake. She wore a high-collared combat tunic of deep charcoal gray. Hovering behind her was a Crest-Mon Konja had never seen: a Frost-Wraith, a translucent, floating entity that left a trail of rime on the cobblestones.She stopped in front of Konja's cart. She didn't look at him with anger, but with a clinical, chilling curiosity."So, you are the one who broke the Searing Palm with raw Prana," she said. Her voice was like ice cracking. "I am Kalia Frost, the First Seat of the Iron Spire's junior class. My family handles the 'problems' the Vanes cannot resolve.""I'm just a cook," Konja said, his hand sliding toward the iron spatula hidden beneath his apron. Zale woke up, his fur standing on end, sensing the drop in temperature."A cook with the Silver-Eye Bloodline," Kalia corrected. "That power is wasted on someone flipping skewers. I'm not here to fight you today—you're too weak, too unrefined. You'd die in three moves."She reached out, and with a flick of her finger, a small shard of ice shot forward, freezing Konja's grill solid in a second."The Tournament of the Crimson Moon is in one month," Kalia continued. "If you want to keep your family's 'legacy' and your life, you will enter. If you don't show up, my family will buy the land your shack sits on and level it. Consider this your invitation."A New Ally and a New PathKalia turned and vanished into the mist created by her own presence, leaving Konja shivering in the sudden cold."Well," Renzo said, stepping forward and clicking his tongue. "You've officially moved up from 'street-rat' to 'assassination target.' Congratulations.""I can't beat her, Renzo," Konja admitted, looking at his frozen grill. "I don't even know how I did what I did yesterday. It just... happened.""That's why you're coming with us," a new voice joined them. Mina Sol appeared from behind a vegetable stall, her face determined. She wasn't carrying herbs today; she was wearing her family's traditional green-and-gold scouting gear. "My family has a secret training ground in the Whispering Woods. It's hidden by illusions. You can't stay in the village; the Vanes will have you jumped in an alleyway before sunset."Konja looked from Mina to Renzo. For the first time, he didn't feel like a solo vendor fighting the world. He felt the beginning of a team."Why help me?" Konja asked.Mina stepped closer, her eyes softening but her voice remaining firm. "Because Oakhaven is rotting, Konja. The rich families think they own the very air we breathe. When you stood up to Baron, you gave people hope. I'm not letting that hope freeze to death."Renzo grinned, revealing a chipped tooth. "Plus, if you become a legendary warrior, I can say I knew you when you were just a kid with a broken cart. Now move. We leave for the woods now."The Training of the SpiritThe Whispering Woods were dense, the trees so tall they blotted out the sun. Here, the air was thick with Natural Prana, the raw energy of the earth itself."To beat Kalia, you need to master Crest-Syncing," Renzo explained as they reached a clearing with a waterfall. "Zale isn't just a battery for your punches. He's a partner. You need to learn the Flow of the Dragon's Breath."For the next week, Konja's life was a cycle of agony and discovery. Mina taught him about Spirit-Circulation, showing him how to move energy through his meridians without burning his own veins. Renzo pushed his physical limits, forcing him to spar against the Leaf-Blight's blindingly fast strikes."Again!" Renzo shouted.Konja surged forward. "Iron-Palm: Sizzling Strike!"His hand glowed with a faint blue light, but as he moved to strike the Leaf-Blight, Zale fumbled the synchronization. The energy sputtered out, and the mantis-creature tapped Konja on the forehead with the flat of its blade."You're thinking like a cook again!" Renzo yelled. "You're trying to control the flame. You have to be the flame!"Konja fell to the grass, panting. He looked at Zale, who looked equally frustrated."It's not working," Konja groaned.Mina sat down beside him, handing him a water canteen. "You're trying to force it, Konja. Look at how you cook. You don't tell the seasoning where to go; you feel the heat, you listen to the sizzle. Use your instincts."Konja closed his eyes. He stopped trying to pull energy from Zale. Instead, he reached out with his spirit and felt the little creature's heartbeat. It was fast, energetic, and playful. He didn't want to command Zale; he wanted to dance with him."Zale... let's just... play," Konja whispered.The little creature chirped and hopped onto Konja's head. This time, there was no forced glow. Instead, a soft, humming resonance filled the clearing. Konja stood up, his movements suddenly fluid, almost effortless.He moved toward Renzo, but he didn't use a martial arts stance. He moved like a bolt of lightning through a summer storm."Munka-Style: Flash-Fry Step!"He disappeared. Renzo's eyes widened. Before the Leaf-Blight could react, Konja was behind them, his palm hovering an inch from Renzo's back, crackling with a refined, stable blue energy."Whoa," Renzo whispered, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck. "That... that wasn't just speed. That was a Spatial Flicker."Mina clapped her hands, her face beaming. "You did it! The first gate is truly yours now!"Konja looked at his hands. They weren't shaking anymore. He felt a deep connection to Zale that he had never known. But his moment of triumph was cut short by a low, gutteral roar that echoed through the woods.Birds took flight in a panic. The ground trembled."That's not a Crest-Mon," Renzo said, his hand going to his blade. "That's a Wild Colossus. And it's coming from the direction of the village."Konja's heart sank. Oakhaven was under attack, and he was miles away
