Dream's Perspective

  mg: year 5003 Month of Frost Flowers: Day : 7

  The first thing Dream felt upon waking was the cold. It wasn't just data about temperature; it was a genuine sensation of frost that had seeped into the fine cracks of his stone body. He opened his optical sensors. The world was white. A thick layer of snow covered the entire training ground, burying his body up to his waist. Above him, the sky was a pale gray, continuing to shed its icy flakes in silence.

  For the first time, he didn't see the world as separate data points. He felt it. He felt the faint, dormant 'Rei' in every snowflake, in the still air, and in the frozen earth beneath him. He had become part of this world's fabric, not just an observer of it.

  Suddenly, a sound rose from every corner of the palace. It was not a single voice, but a choir of thousands of masculine voices, chanting a majestic and powerful anthem that shook the cold air itself.

  Inside Dream, in that silent space of his consciousness, Hong-min's voice erupted, sarcastic and filled with hate. he said bitterly.

  O winds, rage in the sky ,O mountain roots, tremble below us ,From the earth's core to the heavens' throne, our voice is heard, An eternal power, forged to rule the world.

  Everything on the training ground froze. The warriors who had begun their morning training stopped, standing rigidly, their faces turned toward the gray sky, their hands on their chests in a reverent salute. Even those in mid-strike froze in place. It was absolute discipline, a blind obedience to an auditory symbol.

  The enemy trembles, their name forgotten ,We are Gu, for whom defeat has no meaning.

  

  When the anthem ended and silence once again fell upon the grounds, everyone returned to their training in the same instant, as if nothing had interrupted their routine.

  "Finally."

  The voice was gruff and calm. Wěn stood a few steps away, steam rising from his breath in the cold air. He showed no signs of surprise, only a quiet acknowledgment of a long-awaited fact. "You smell disgusting. Go bathe first."

  Dream rose from the snow with a muffled crunch. He felt the dried bird droppings and frozen leaves fall from his shoulders. Wěn sent an invisible wave of his will across the grounds. Within seconds, the silent servant appeared from one of the corridors, as if she were part of the shadows.

  "This is telepathy," Wěn said, seeing Dream's analytical gaze. "'Rei' can carry more than just power; it can carry sound. You will learn this later. But first... Kāgē, you smell that, don't you?"

  Kāgē nodded without any expression. "Yes, Wěn."

  "Take him to bathe."

  "Very well," Kāgē said. "Follow me. Quickly. And keep your distance."

  Dream walked behind her, leaving huge footprints in the clean snow. She led him to a rear area with a row of massive wooden buckets filled with near-freezing water. "Clean yourself," she said and turned, but did not leave, instead standing with her back to him like a silent guard.

  Dream removed the black clothes of "Deo". He was unaffected by the cold. He submerged his body in the icy water, feeling six months of accumulated snow and dirt melt away. When he emerged, his clothes were gone. In their place, he found simple, black Gu clan training garments. He put them on, and they felt foreign on his body.

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  "Let us return to the training grounds," Kāgē said, walking ahead of him. "From today, I am responsible for you. If you wish to go anywhere, you must inform me first. I will always be near."

  When they returned, Wěn was waiting for them. "Thank you, Kāgē." The servant nodded and disappeared into the shadows.

  "Six months have passed," Wěn said. "Considering you have more than one Soul Gate, that is a reasonable time. As your personal instructor, I will tell you this: master each energy one at a time. For now, you will learn 'Rei' from me. After you have achieved a reasonable degree of mastery, perhaps you will learn other types. But do not think it will be easy. The more energies you learn, the harder it becomes to learn the next, as your body and soul become accustomed to a certain rhythm."

  He paused for a moment, then gestured to the "Ash Blade" hanging at Dream's waist. "Now, show me your sword."

  Dream gave him the sword. Wěn held it in his single hand, feeling its weight and balance. "Excellent craftsmanship," he muttered. "Do you know the sword classifications?"

  "Yes," Dream said, and in his mind, Hong-min's memory flowed like a river.

  

  "I believe this sword is at least at the level of 'Cloud's Edge'," Wěn said, confirming the memory's analysis. "But it is not made for a being of your size. It seems made for a being shorter than the average Murai. A longer sword would suit you better. But I don't think you will find a better one, especially since it is a 'rapier' type, which is very rare now. Use it. Let's test you."

  He returned the sword to Dream. Wěn drew a simple wooden sword from his belt. "Fight me. Fight me as if you want to kill me. Begin."

  Dream attacked. There was no hesitation. His logic analyzed the situation instantly: the opponent has one arm; that is the opening. He lunged, targeting the undefended left side.

  But Wěn wasn't there. He moved with astonishing agility, like a leaf in the wind. He easily dodged the attack and appeared behind Dream. Dream attacked again, a series of quick, calculated thrusts, each aimed to achieve maximum damage with minimum effort. But Wěn evaded them all, his wooden sword parrying the "Ash Blade" with a sharp tak sound each time. He was dancing around him, his eyes never leaving Dream for a moment, studying every move, every reaction.

  "Efficiency..." Wěn said as he dodged a thrust that nearly pierced his shoulder. "Your attacks are efficient, but that is more of a flaw than an advantage."

  Suddenly, he stopped evading.

  The moment Dream lunged again, Wěn moved. He didn't attack; he flowed. He slipped under Dream's extended arm and, in a single, fluid motion, was behind him, the cold edge of his wooden sword resting against Dream's stone neck.

  "You are dead," Wěn said quietly.

  Dream froze. He had lost. He felt the same sensation he had felt before Ling Gu. The feeling of weakness. A faint red flash ignited in his consciousness.

  Wěn stepped back. "You are weaker than I thought. You have the talent and the body, but that is all. You are an unpolished gem. Your first problem is that you rely on efficiency, on the optimal strike for the situation. After a few skirmishes, your strikes became predictable, robotic. Real combat is not just calculations; it is rhythm, deception, and spirit."

  "I will search the library for a fighting style that suits you and your sword. Tomorrow, you will begin to learn it. And you will also begin to learn how to use 'Rei'. But for now... you must go somewhere."

  Wěn sent another telepathic signal. Kāgē appeared from the shadows. "Take him."

  "Yes," she said. "Follow me."

  "Where to?" Dream asked.

  "You are going to meet the revered leader of the Gu clan, the great Tai Gu," Kāgē said. "Be polite."

  She led him through the palace again. The further they went, the more luxurious and quiet the corridors became, and the more powerful and stern the guards. They finally arrived at two giant doors of black wood, before which stood two guards in silver armor. Kāgē bowed, and the two doors opened silently.

  "Enter."

  Dream entered. The room was immense, larger than anything he had seen. The walls were covered in black silk, and the floor was polished white marble. There was no furniture, only a raised platform at the far end of the room.

  And from that platform, he felt it. An aura, an enormous energy pressure that made the 'Rei' he had just awakened tremble within him. All his instincts screamed at him to flee.

  On the platform, a man sat cross-legged. He resembled Ling Gu but was older, in his forties, with sharper, more powerful features. He wore simple clothes, and his eyes were closed.

  This was Tai Gu.

  Dream stood in silence. A minute passed, then two.

  Then, slowly, Tai Gu opened his eyes. They were not like Ling Gu's arrogant eyes. They were calm, deep, and carried the weight of centuries of power and wisdom. He looked at Dream, one long, appraising look, as if he were reading every line of his history, every crack in his soul.

  Then, a faint, mysterious smile formed on his lips.

  And he nodded.

  He did not say a word. There was no need for words.