Broken Arts Collector

The piercing sound of the alarm shattered the pre-dawn silence at exactly 5:00 AM. Min-woo jolted awake, his body still aching from yesterday's brutal assessment. Around him, his teammates stirred reluctantly from their makeshift beds in the underground facility.

"Rise and shine, failures." Master Ryu Cheon-myeong's voice echoed through the dormitory speakers with cold precision. "Training Complex Omega. Five minutes. Anyone late gets double punishment."

Han-eul groaned, rolling off his cot. "Five minutes? Is he insane?"

"Probably," Dae-seong muttered, but he was already pulling on his training uniform with practiced efficiency. Despite his complaints about modern methods, the traditional martial artist understood the value of discipline.

So-ra was already up, checking her smartwatch with mechanical precision. "4 minutes 47 seconds remaining. We need to move."

Min-woo forced himself upright, fighting through the fog of exhaustion. The weight of Master Ryu's words from yesterday still pressed down on him: "84 days. Exactly 84 days left. Waste even one day, and you'll be eliminated in the first round."

They stumbled through the corridors in various states of consciousness, following the glowing arrows that led deeper underground. The elevator descended past the second basement level, past the third, finally stopping at a level Min-woo didn't even know existed.

The doors opened to reveal Training Complex Omega.

"What the hell...?" Han-eul breathed.

The space before them defied logic. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, disappearing into darkness above. The floor was marked with intricate geometric patterns that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. Strange crystalline formations jutted from the walls, humming with barely contained energy.

But it was the air itself that hit them like a physical blow.

Min-woo gasped, his lungs burning as if he'd suddenly been transported to the top of a mountain. The atmosphere felt thick, charged, almost liquid. Every breath required conscious effort.

"Energy density increased by 35%," So-ra's analysis device beeped frantically. "This is... this shouldn't be possible."

Master Ryu emerged from the shadows, his presence seeming to amplify the oppressive atmosphere. His cold eyes swept over their struggling forms without a trace of sympathy.

"Welcome to your new reality," he said, his voice cutting through their labored breathing. "For the next 84 days, this will be your world. This environment simulates the energy conditions you'll face against national-level opponents."

Han-eul dropped to one knee, clutching his chest. "Master, this environment is too..."

"Too what?" Master Ryu's gaze fixed on him with laser intensity. "Too difficult? Too demanding? Let me enlighten you about reality, boy. The strongest fighters in the nation maintain perfect combat effectiveness in conditions far worse than this. If you can't even breathe properly here, what makes you think you deserve to stand on the same stage as them?"

Dae-seong, despite his traditional training, was also struggling. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought to regulate his breathing using ancient internal energy techniques. "Master Ryu, perhaps we could gradually increase the intensity—"

"Gradually?" Master Ryu's laugh was like ice cracking. "Do you think your opponents will gradually increase their power to accommodate your comfort? Do you think the tournament will wait for you to adjust?"

Min-woo forced himself to stand straighter, drawing on every ounce of willpower. The Infinite One's presence stirred within him, offering strength, but he pushed it down. This was a test he had to pass with his own power.

"The energy resonance here will force your bodies to adapt or break," Master Ryu continued, beginning to pace around them like a predator circling wounded prey. "Your energy circuits will either strengthen to handle the load, or they'll tear apart completely. There is no middle ground."

So-ra's legs trembled as she struggled to remain upright. "The risk of permanent damage—"

"Is exactly what you'll face in real combat," Master Ryu cut her off. "Every technique you use in the tournament could be your last if you're not strong enough to handle it. This environment will teach you that lesson without the consequence of death."

He stopped in front of Min-woo, his eyes boring into the young martial artist's soul. "You have 84 days to become warriors worthy of the national stage. Day one starts now. If you can't handle this much, then pack your bags and go home to your comfortable, mediocre lives."

The silence that followed was broken only by their ragged breathing and the ominous humming of the energy crystals.

"Today's lesson is simple," Master Ryu announced. "Survival. Adapt to this environment, or suffer. There are no shortcuts, no excuses, and no mercy."

He turned and walked toward the center of the complex, where even more challenging training apparatus waited in the shadows.

"Follow me. Your transformation begins now."