Ash stood at the threshold of the Stormlands, the great obsidian gates sealing shut behind him with a resounding clang. Their towering frames loomed like silent sentinels, cutting off any path of retreat. Before him stretched a realm forged by chaos itself—a tempest-ravaged expanse of jagged cliffs, storm-churned forests, and lightning-wreathed plains, all crackling with the raw, untamed power of Raijū. The air hummed with energy, static dancing along Ash''s skin like a whisper of the storm''s fury.


    His trial had begun.


    Rin''s voice crackled through his earpiece, calm yet unwavering. "I detect multiple lifeforms moving in formation. The Stormland Hunters have already begun their pursuit. Estimated time until engagement: thirteen minutes."


    Ash exhaled slowly, grounding himself. He had known this was coming. The trial was not merely about the hunt—it was about survival. If he was to succeed, he needed to stay ahead of his pursuers and secure his prey before they closed in. Every second counted.


    He tapped into his Kage Nu Jutsu—Fourth Veil, a series of shadow-weaving techniques honed for stealth, evasion, and lethal precision. But he was still locked at Fourth Veil. Until he fully synchronized with the Oni-Wraith, now lingering at a stubborn 57%, Level 5 would remain out of reach.


    Phase One: Vanishing Step


    His form flickered. The charged particles in the air became his allies as he manipulated the electromagnetic currents of the storm itself, bending light to create a mirage-like distortion. To the untrained eye, he was nothing more than a flicker in the rain, a ghost in the storm.


    He darted into the twisted woods, his footfalls soundless upon the damp earth. The Stormland Hunters were fast, relentless, but they were chasing a specter—a trace already fading from existence.


    Phase Two: Phantom Echo


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ash reached into his belt and activated a shadow beacon. A pulse of false energy signatures rippled outward, scattering identical bio-rhythms across the battlefield. The hunters, skilled as they were, now faced a dozen identical trails, each leading in a different direction.


    Rin''s voice returned, analytical yet tinged with satisfaction. "Hunters have detected the beacon. Three are diverting south, two are looping back to the ridge. You have successfully split their formation."


    A smirk ghosted across Ash''s lips. "Then it''s time to hunt my own prey."


    Phase Three: Predator''s Ascent


    With fluid precision, he scaled the towering basalt cliffs, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to weave through precarious footholds and jutting rock. Below, the valley stretched wide—a storm-torn battlefield where arcs of lightning slashed across rolling hills. And in the heart of that chaos, a monstrous figure prowled.


    The Thunderbeast.


    It stood nearly four meters tall, its obsidian hide lined with glowing bioluminescent veins, pulsating with the storm''s energy. Each step sent tremors through the ground, raw power incarnate. Its long, serrated fangs glinted in the erratic flashes of lightning, a beast of legend—Raijū''s fury made flesh.


    The Stormland Hunters were closing in. Ash could hear their footfalls echoing through the cliffs, their weapons humming with anticipation. They would not let him claim the beast so easily.


    Rin''s tone remained steady. "Engaging the Thunderbeast in direct combat is highly inadvisable. Recommended course of action: precision strike to disable its mobility."


    Ash unsheathed his blade. Dark metal hummed with latent energy, a whisper of violence yet to come. He narrowed his eyes, calculating the angle of approach. Lightning crashed overhead, illuminating the battlefield in an eerie glow. The Thunderbeast turned its head, its luminous eyes locking onto him.


    The hunt had begun.


    And the storm would bear witness to his trial.


    The Void – Oni Wraith


    Beyond the Stormlands, in the abyssal depths where shadow and silence reigned, The Oni Wraith stirred.


    The chains of partial control loosening, shifting the balance ever so slightly. A flicker of something new coursed through the void—acceptance. Approval.


    "The Shogun has chosen the path of solitude," the Wraith murmured, its voice curling like smoke through the darkness. "He seeks to prove himself without aid."


    The void trembled.


    Control had shifted.


    By five percent.


    The Oni Wraith''s hollow eyes burned brighter, watching, waiting.


    "Interesting."