Astral Devourer: Rise of the Forbidden King

Chapter 6: Learning the Arena

Theo arrived at the gym at exactly 8 p.m.

The building was quieter than usual. Only the faint sound of equipment clanking and distant footsteps echoed through the training hall.

Without wasting time, Theo headed straight for the training area and began his daily physical routine. Push ups. Squats. Core exercises. Stretching.

Two hours passed quickly.

Sweat rolled down his neck as his muscles burned, but he forced himself to continue until the routine was complete.

Suddenly a familiar sound echoed in his mind.

Ding!

Daily Quest Completed

5 EXP Gained

EXP: 20 / 150

Theo exhaled slowly and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

After finishing his training, his gaze drifted toward the VR pod section of the gym.

Rows of sleek circular machines stood silently against the wall.

Surprisingly, none of them were currently in use.

Theo walked closer, curiosity shining in his eyes. He had seen people use them before, but he had never tried one himself.

He stood there for a moment, studying the machines.

The problem was simple.

He had absolutely no idea how to operate them.

Theo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked around, hoping someone could guide him through the process.

Just then, someone approached him.

"Good evening, Theo."

Theo turned around and saw Paul walking toward him.

"Good evening, Paul," Theo replied politely.

Paul looked at the VR pods, then back at Theo.

"Is there a problem? I noticed you standing in the VR section."

Theo smiled nervously while scratching the back of his neck.

"Actually... this is my first time here. I do not really know how to use the VR pods. I was looking for someone who could show me how everything works."

Paul chuckled lightly.

"No problem. I will walk you through it."

Relief immediately appeared on Theo's face.

"Thank you."

They walked toward two of the VR pods together.

The machines were circular in shape with a sleek blue outer shell. A transparent panel served as the entrance door, and inside there was a comfortable chair designed to support the user's body during the simulation.

Soft lights glowed along the edges of the machine, giving it a futuristic appearance.

Paul tapped the control panel and the door slid open smoothly.

"Since you do not have a mercenary ID yet, you will have to enter the simulation as a guest," Paul explained.

"As a guest, you can only be matched with ability users between Level 1 and Level 3. If you want to fight demonic beasts, you can only select basic demonic beasts for now."

Theo nodded carefully, listening to every detail.

"Once you enter the VR room, I will send you an invite. I will explain the rest inside."

Paul looked at him and smiled.

"Just relax your mind."

Theo nodded.

He stepped inside the VR pod and sat down.

The door closed.

A moment later, the world around him disappeared.

When Theo opened his eyes again, he found himself standing inside a vast white space.

The room looked endless.

There were no walls.

No ceiling.

Only an infinite expanse of glowing white.

Theo blinked slowly.

This place looks familiar…

A faint memory surfaced in his mind.

This was almost identical to the space where the system had shown him his skill tutorial.

While he was lost in thought, a translucent screen suddenly appeared in front of him.

"The Wall has sent you a room invite."

Theo frowned slightly.

The name was strange.

Without thinking too much, he instinctively accepted the invitation.

In the next second, a figure appeared in front of him.

Theo's eyes widened.

Instinctively, he stepped backward.

Standing before him was a tall figure wearing brown steel armor.

The armored figure raised his hands calmly.

"Relax. It is me. Paul."

Theo stared for a moment before letting out a breath.

"Paul... you look completely different."

Paul laughed.

"The VR simulation allows you to customize your avatar however you want. You can also register your equipment and use them inside the simulation."

Theo looked around the endless white room again.

"I did not know technology had advanced this far."

Paul shrugged casually.

"Most people are surprised the first time."

He continued explaining.

"Since you do not have a mercenary ID or hunter ID, the system will assign you a random avatar."

Theo nodded.

"Now let me explain how the VR simulation works."

Paul gestured toward the empty space around them.

"In the simulation, you can choose any ability you want to use in battle. However, most people prefer using their real abilities. There is no point training with powers you cannot use in reality."

Theo listened attentively.

"You can also choose the level of the opponent you want to face. Right now, you can only choose opponents between Level 1 and Level 3."

Paul raised a finger.

"For demonic beasts, you can only fight basic types for now."

He continued.

"Demonic beasts are generally divided into three main types."

"Speed based beasts."

"They are extremely fast, much faster than the other types. However, their attack power and defense are lower. Occasionally, some rare ones have high attack power as well."

"Defense based beasts."

"They have extremely tough bodies and high durability. However, they move very slowly."

"And attack based beasts."

"They have balanced speed and defense but possess extremely powerful attacks."

Theo absorbed the information carefully.

Paul's voice lowered slightly.

"There is also a rare category called humanoid demonic beasts."

Theo's expression stiffened.

"They look almost human and possess intelligence. They can use combat techniques similar to martial arts and have high speed, attack, and defense."

Paul smiled faintly.

"You will learn more about them when you enter the military academy."

Theo nodded slowly.

Paul stepped back.

"If you want to practice, you can use this white space freely."

"You can test abilities or start a battle whenever you want."

He added one last thing.

"If the system cannot find a real opponent, it will match you with a pre recorded combat avatar."

Theo bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Paul."

Paul's avatar dissolved into particles of light and disappeared.

The white room fell silent again.

Theo stood there quietly, wondering what he should do next.

Then Zero's voice sounded inside his mind.

"Master, why not test your skills and understand how they work?"

Theo nodded.

"Good idea."

He raised his hand slightly.

"Status Window."

A translucent blue panel appeared before him.

For a moment, Theo simply stared at it, studying every detail carefully.

STATUS WINDOW

Name: Theo Taylor

Level: 2

EXP: 15 / 150

Race: Werewolf

Rank: Young Wolf

Class: None

Ability: None

Stats

HP: 35 / 35

Stamina: 11

Strength: 11

Agility: 11

Defense: 11

Attack: 11

Theo’s gaze slowly moved downward as another panel expanded.

Skills

Claw Strike

Requirements

Stamina: 5

Strength: 5

Attack: 5

Agility: 5

Skill Cost: 5 Fatigue Points

Iron Hide Guard

Requirements

Defense: 8

Stamina: 5

Strength: 5

Skill Cost: 20 Fatigue Points for every 10 seconds used

Martial Art: Lupine Combat Art

First Form: Predator's Entry

Fang Drive

Requirements

Stamina: 10

Strength: 10

Agility: 5

Skill Cost: 15 Fatigue Points

Claw Rend

Requirements

Stamina: 10

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Attack: 10

Skill Cost: 20 Fatigue Points

Second Form: Moon Hunter Style

Moonstep

Requirements

Agility: 12

Stamina: 10

Skill Cost: 25 Fatigue Points

Wolf Fang Counter

Requirements

Defense: 10

Stamina: 8

Strength: 8

Attack: 8

Skill Cost: 25 Fatigue Points

Throat Sever Strike

Requirements

Stamina: 10

Agility: 10

Strength: 10

Attack: 10

Skill Cost: 30 Fatigue Points

Final Form: Sovereign of the Crimson Hunt

Requirements

All stats: 20

Skill Cost: 50 Fatigue Points

After reading through everything, he frowned slightly.

"I can barely use half of these..."

He rubbed the back of his neck while staring at the skill costs.

Then something caught his attention.

Fatigue Points.

Theo frowned slightly.

"Zero?"

"Yes, Master."

"What exactly are fatigue points?"

Zero replied calmly.

"Fatigue points measure how many times you can use your skills before your stamina and energy are exhausted."

"And your current fatigue points are 100."

Theo blinked.

"That feels... very little."

Zero answered immediately.

"Do not worry, Master. As your level increases, your fatigue points will increase as well."

"You can also gain additional fatigue points when your stats pass certain thresholds."

Theo nodded slowly as he absorbed the explanation.

"So the stronger my body becomes... the more techniques I can perform."

"Correct."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Theo’s face.

This system was more complex than he first imagined.

If he wanted to become stronger, he needed to understand every skill he possessed.

Theo closed the status window.

He then began practicing his skills.

Claw Strike.

Iron Hide Guard.

Predator's Entry.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Time passed quickly.

Thirty minutes later, Theo suddenly realized something strange.

He was not tired.

Not even slightly.

His fatigue points had not decreased either.

"Zero?"

"Yes, Master."

"My fatigue points are not decreasing."

Zero answered calmly.

"That is because you are inside the VR simulation."

"Fatigue points only decrease in real combat."

Theo's eyes brightened.

"So I can train here as much as I want."

"Correct."

A smile slowly appeared on Theo's face.

Then he continued training.

Another thirty minutes passed before Theo finally stopped.

This time, he decided to find an opponent.

Since he had no ability, he chose to fight a Level 1 water ability user.

The environment around him suddenly changed.

The white room vanished.

Theo found himself standing inside a massive stone arena.

It looked like an ancient coliseum.

Towering stone walls surrounded the battlefield while rows of empty seats stretched endlessly into the distance.

Theo's opponent stood across the arena.

A male avatar wearing simple clothing with no equipment.

Above the opponent's head, a name appeared.

Wave.

Above Theo's head, a different name appeared.

Anonymous.

A system voice echoed through the arena.

Battle will begin in 10 seconds.

Basic attacks deal 5 HP damage. Critical attacks deal 10 HP damage.

Both fighters have 100 HP.

The countdown began.

Three…

Two…

One…

The match begins.

The water whips cracked forward like lightning….

And Theo moved.