Morning came slower than usual.

  Not because of exhaustion, although everyone still felt the echoes of the mine’s explosions deep in their

  bones, but because the Ark itself seemed quieter. As if the halls recognized the team needed the space

  to breathe.

  Bash arrived at the Guild cafeteria to find the others already gathered at one of the long tables near the

  back windows. Vanra sat at the head, posture relaxed for once, hands wrapped around a steaming mug.

  Orran and Korvex were arguing over portion sizes. Kayris was using her fork like a conductor’s baton

  while talking to Rhoen. Tyrish sat with his back to the wall, arms folded loosely but not in his usual

  defensive posture.

  Bash slid into the open seat next to Korvex.

  “Morning,” Bash said.

  “Morning,” the team echoed back, almost in unison.

  Vanra looked around the table, her voice calm. “Today is recovery. No portals. No gear checks beyond

  the basics. Nothing strenuous.”

  Orran let out a low groan of relief. “Good. My ribs need a day off.”

  Tyrish gave him a look. “Your ribs? Mine took direct fire blasts.”

  Kayris stabbed her food. “I nearly got cooked alive. So I win.”

  Rhoen raised a hand. “Everyone wins. Because we all walked out.”

  Vanra nodded. “That is exactly why today matters. Yesterday was too close. We have grown confident.

  Perhaps too confident. We underestimated the situation and the environment. Confinement. Volatility.

  Self sacrificing behavior.” She shook her head. “A combination even Black portals rarely present at the

  same time.”

  Orran huffed. “Imagine that. After all the time we’ve spent in black worlds, it is a blue one that almost

  erased us.”

  Kayris nudged Bash lightly with her elbow. “And imagine this guy pulling us out of it.”

  Rhoen leaned forward, expression softer than usual. “Bash, what you did saved us. I wanted to say that

  again. We were going over it last night. If you had not shielded me and Vanra, we would have been

  thrown into the wall or knocked unconscious. The mites would have overwhelmed us.”

  Vanra met Bash’s eyes. “That decision ensured we walked out of that portal. Thank you.”

  Bash shifted uncomfortably. Praise always felt strange. “We are a team. That is what we do for each

  other. Besides, when I finally unlock, maybe I will actually contribute to your level.”

  Korvex smirked. “Pretty sure taking multiple T3G explosion directly counts as contributing.”

  Kayris rested her head in her hand. “Speaking of which, I never thanked you for snagging me when that

  magnetic faultline flipped two days ago. If you had not reacted, I would have been upside down in a

  crater.”

  Bash shrugged. “Right place, right time.”

  Tyrish, who had been silent until now, leaned forward slightly. “Bash.”

  Bash looked up.

  “We saw your file.”

  The table quieted.

  Tyrish continued. “You won the tournament. Your team of non-Green Novarchs is the most successful

  squad ever recorded through a cycle. Your file says four of your teammates finished in the top ten, as

  non-Green Novarch. And you emerged as champion. It also says you interacted with every known beast

  affinity in the cycle and still did not unlock.” Tyrish tilted his head. “And you fought two Reincarnates

  the day after you emerged from the cycle chamber. I would like to know if all of that is actually true.”

  The others nodded slowly, curiosity and admiration mixing in their expressions.

  Bash took a breath. “Most of it is accurate.”

  Kayris leaned closer. “Most?”

  Bash rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, the part about the Reincarnate is… mostly luck.”

  Orran barked a laugh. “Sure. Luck. That is how a fight between Novarchs with Reincarnates go. Pure

  luck.”

  Bash shook his head, smiling faintly. “No, really. The rest though, the tournament, the cycle… that was

  not luck. It was gear. And my team.”

  Tyrish raised an eyebrow. “Gear.”

  Bash reached down and unclipped one of his Razorvein throwing knives, setting it gently on the table.

  The blade caught the cafeteria lights and shimmered faintly, the mineral core visible beneath the

  surface.

  “These,” he said. “T2G blades. One of my teammates and I placed top three in the Novarchs. That

  earned us T2G gear early. Then we won the team event against a summoner and were awarded more.

  By the time the tournament came, we were each outfitted with multiple T2A equipment.”

  Rhoen whistled. “In Grey portals? That would make you unstoppable.”

  “It did,” Bash admitted. “We had synergy. Perfect synergy. And when you multiply that by gear well

  above what anyone else had.

  Four of us made top ten in the tournament. That earned us a T3G piece each. And because I won, I

  earned two T3G pieces.”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Orran laughed as he leaned back. “So the Grey portal wonder-squad was actually a well geared

  machine.”

  “That is one way to put it,” Bash agreed.

  Kayris laughed. “No wonder you all crushed the cycle. I thought that part had to be exaggerated.”

  “It was not,” Tyrish said, folding his arms. “I read the report twice. Honestly expected it to be

  embellished.”

  Bash’s smile faded to something more humble. “It was not skill alone. Not at the beginning. It was

  preparation and teamwork.”

  Korvex tapped the table lightly. “And the Reincarnates after your emergence?”

  Bash hesitated.

  Then he smirked. “That one was luck.”

  The table erupted in laughter.

  Vanra shook her head and stood. “All right, if we let Tyrish keep grilling him, we will be here all day.

  Finish eating. Then we are heading to the nexus. Simulation drills.”

  “Simulations?” Orran groaned. “On recovery day?”

  Vanra gave him a look. “Formation optimization. With Bash on the team, we need to tighten our

  responses. Yesterday proved that. We will not push hard. Strictly tactical scenarios.”

  Kayris stretched her arms. “Fine. But I am not cleaning up after Orran if he falls over in the pod.”

  Orran threw a piece of bread at her. Kayris dodged and grinned.

  Bash finished his food in quiet amusement.

  SC’s voice entered his thoughts. “The simulation pods provide secure local access to the Nexus. I can

  examine additional systems while you train. I’ll see if there is anything new I can find.”

  Bash nodded slightly.

  “Sounds good to me,” he replied internally.

  They finished the meal and headed to the nexus wing. The simulation room was wide, lined with ten

  sleek, pod-shaped interfaces set into the walls. Holographic displays hovered above them, each one

  showing the team’s standard formation.

  Vanra started the session by having them run through simple scenarios. Line formations. Overrun

  scenarios. Enclosed flanking patterns. The team adjusted quickly, shifting Bash into different roles,

  testing how his presence changed timing and spacing. SC made subtle suggestions through the neural

  link, helping Bash match their rhythm perfectly.

  Hours passed. They shifted from simple drills to more complex simulations involving multi-directional

  strikes. Then to environmental hazards. Then to resonance interference.

  And eventually, the seriousness dissolved.

  Kayris lost her footing during a zero-gravity simulation and kicked Orran in the head, which sent him

  stumbling into Tyrish, who shoved him back, which made Kayris tackle Tyrish’s legs, which made

  Korvex laugh hard enough to trip and crash into Rhoen.

  Vanra had to stop the entire sim because every single team member, including Bash, was wrapped in a

  chaotic brawl against the simulation environment.

  When the pods finally opened, the team spilled out still laughing as they replayed the absurd chain of

  collisions.

  Tyrish wiped his eyes. “Let’s do it again, but no weapons next time.”

  Orran shook his head. “Do it again? You headbutted me.”

  “That was your face hitting my forehead,” Tyrish argued.

  Kayris grinned. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

  Bash leaned against the pod wall, shaking his head but smiling despite himself.

  Tyrish pointed at him suddenly. “You know, Bash, you fight pretty well without abilities. Even in

  simulations.”

  Orran perked up. “Yeah, that reminds me. You want to duel?”

  Bash blinked. “What?”

  Tyrish nodded slowly, eyes narrowing as if studying a rival for the first time. “A duel. You versus me.”

  Bash raised both hands. “I would not stand a chance. Your gear is three times better than mine. You

  have abilities. I have none.”

  Orran waved a hand. “Nah. Do it without abilities. No gear. Strip the simulator rules to basics. Two

  tournament champions. Just fighting skill.”

  Bash stared at him. “You won the tournament too?”

  Tyrish nodded. “Four or five cycles ago.”

  Korvex nearly choked laughing. “Oh this will be good.”

  Kayris started clapping her hands like it was a festival show. “Do it. Do it. Do it.”

  Vanra sighed, but she was smiling. “If you are going to do this, do it properly. Set the simulation to

  neutral field. No resonance. No enhancements. No gear. Pure fundamentals.”

  Bash looked from her, to Tyrish, to the team chanting under their breath, to Orran smirking like a proud

  instigator.

  “Fine,” Bash said at last. “Let’s see how it goes.”

  Tyrish’s eyes lit up. “Finally.”

  They moved to the pods again.

  Tyrish stepped into one. Bash stepped into another.

  The rest of the team pulled up a holographic display between them, leaning in close, excitement

  buzzing through the air.

  Kayris grinned wickedly. “All right. Place your bets.”

  The pods closed.

  The simulation loaded.