"The winner is Kaali Billi from the Human Clan!" Sushant the snake shouted, his voice echoing across the arena.
A wave of noise erupted from the stands — a mix of cheers and groans. Some roared in excitement, while others clutched their heads in disbelief. Coins and betting slips were already being exchanged.
"Yeah!!!" Jack pumped his fist. "I knew that boy had something in him!"
But his celebration didn't last long. A horrifying realization struck him like a punch to the gut.
"Wait… WAIT!" Jack's eyes widened as the truth hit him. "MY MONEY!!!"
Leo, standing beside him with his arms crossed, sighed. "Relax, Jack. It's common to lose a bet."
Jack ignored him, already frantically calculating in his head. "No, no, no… If I'd bet on the kid, the odds were crazy… That means… That means I could've won…" His eyes narrowed dangerously as the numbers aligned in his mind. "500 times more?! Are you kidding me?!"
Leo's mouth twitched into a small smile. "165 gold coins, to be exact."
Jack froze. "Huh? You mean to say you—"
Leo pulled a small slip of paper from his sleeve and held it up between two fingers. "He gave me 33 silver coins and told me to place a bet on him before the match. Under his name."
Jack's eyes bulged. "WAIT. YOU'RE TELLING ME… HE PLACED A BET ON HIMSELF?!"
Leo's smile widened. "Yep."
Jack's mouth opened and closed as his brain scrambled to process the news. Slowly, he turned toward Sumit, who stood nearby with a smug grin.
"YOU… WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO WIN?!" Jack shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Sumit.
Sumit chuckled.
Jack grabbed his head with both hands. "AAAAAHHHHHH!!! THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN MY MONEY!!"
Sumit's grin deepened. "That's what you get for lying to me."
Jack collapsed to his knees, sobbing dramatically. "I was so close… So close to fortune…"
Leo patted Jack on the back, his rare amusement showing. "You'll win next time."
Sumit's satisfaction was interrupted by the quiet approach of a figure in white robes. A cat beast-person with pale blue eyes beneath a hood stood before him — a priest of life.
"You're injured," the priest said in a calm voice. "Come with me to the medical room. We'll heal you."
Sumit hesitated, but the dull throb in his shoulder and the taste of blood in his mouth convinced him otherwise. "Yeah… I probably need that."
"Come on," Raph grunted as he stood beside Sumit, rubbing the cut on his ribs. His silver aura still faintly flickered around his broad frame. "I'll come with you."
Sumit gave a tired nod, following the priest as he led them through a narrow passage beneath the arena.
As they walked, Sumit's gaze drifted toward the entrance of the tunnel. A tall figure stood at the edge of the arena, preparing to enter.
A lion beast-man.
Golden mane, fierce amber eyes, and a body carved from muscle and raw power. His aura pulsed around him like a steady drumbeat, calm but devastatingly powerful.
Sumit's breath hitched. Even from a distance, he could feel the sheer pressure radiating off him.
He's strong.
No — stronger than anyone Sumit had faced so far.
I need to get stronger.
Sumit's fists tightened. His body still ached from the fight, but his mind was already sharpening.
...
In the medical room, soft white light filled the air as the priest's aura worked through Sumit's wounds. His bruises faded, and the ache in his shoulder softened into a dull throb. The quiet hum of the priest's aura blended with the faint rustle of cloth and the muted sounds of the arena beyond the thick stone walls.
Raph sat beside him, his broad chest wrapped in white bandages. His scarred arms were crossed as he studied Sumit with quiet focus, his dark eyes sharp beneath the heavy ridge of his brow.
Sumit's gaze slid toward him. "What? Why are you staring at me?"
Raph's brow furrowed in thought. "In my whole life, I've never seen or heard of a human tribe. But… it's not like I've met every tribe." His gaze narrowed slightly. "That explosion technique of yours — it must be a tribal technique."
"Tribal technique?" Sumit repeated.
"It might be called something else in your tribe," Raph said. "It refers to techniques passed down within a tribe. Normally, they're kept within the tribe, but there are cases where one tribe teaches its technique to another."
Sumit's eyes glinted. "Oh, yeah. Definitely a tribal technique," he said, lips curling. "So… you want to learn it from me?"
Raph's mouth twitched into a slight grin. "Yes. In exchange, I'll teach you my tribal technique."
Sumit's brows lifted. "You mean the earthquake thing?"
"Rumbling," Raph corrected. "I call it Rumbling. I'll teach you — but I'm not guaranteeing you'll be able to learn it."
Sumit's smirk widened. "We'll see about that."
"Then let's go" said Raph
"Where?" asked Sumit.
"Outside to learn and teach," said Raph
"What about the match?" Sumit asked.
"Your next match will be tomorrow and recommend you to learn it before your next match or do you want to see another's match?" said Raph
Sumit thought for a movement and said "Fine, let's go"
...…
In an empty field near the coliseum, Sumit and Raph stand in the middle of the field. The place was empty as everyone was at the coliseum.
"So you are telling me that all I have to do is pour a little amount of aura enough to make it glow and throw it?" Raph asked
"Yes, try it," said Sumit
Hearing this Raph picked up a stone and poured aura to make it glow, then he threw it
Boom!
"It did work but the quality was bad, maybe it is the amount of aura?" said Raph "I need to practice it more but first let's your turn to learn"
"So, how do I do it? Do I stomp my feet hard with aura or something?" asked Sumit.
"First try doing it with your hands, it's easier that way," said Raph. "Sit down and try to flow your aura into the ground"
Sumit sat cross-legged on the rough, uneven on the ground. His breathing was steady, golden light flickering faintly around his hands as he focused his aura into the ground beneath him.
The ground remained still.
Sumit frowned, his hands pressing into the dirt. He pushed more aura into the earth—still nothing. His golden light shimmered weakly, but the ground beneath him stayed stubbornly unresponsive.
He tried again, and again, and again and again, but nothing happened.
"Tsk." Sumit gritted his teeth. "Why isn't it working?"
"Because you're doing it wrong."
Sumit's eyes snapped upward. Raph stood at the edge of the ground, arms crossed over his chest. His dark gray hide gleamed under the sunlight, and his heavy frame cast a long shadow over Sumit.
"I've been doing exactly what you told me to do," Sumit said, frustrated.
"No, you haven't." Raph stepped closer, his silver aura flickering faintly around his feet. "You're forcing it."
Sumit's brow furrowed. "What's the difference?"
Raph sighed, dropping to one knee. His thick fingers brushed against the dirt. "Aura isn't about force. It's about connection."
Sumit's eyes narrowed. "Connection?"
"Watch."
Raph's silver aura pulsed through his hand. The light seeped into the earth—not in a flood, but in slow, steady pulses. The ground beneath his hand trembled faintly.
Sumit watched as tiny cracks spiderwebbed across the dirt beneath Raph's palm. The ground didn't resist—it responded.
"You're trying to dominate the ground with your aura," Raph said. "But the ground isn't an opponent—it's an ally. You have to coax it, not crush it."
Sumit frowned. "That… sounds vague."
"Of course it does," Raph said with a snort. "It's a tribal technique. You don't learn it by thinking about it—you feel it."
Sumit closed his eyes. His golden aura flowed through his arms and into the ground. He focused on the soil beneath his fingers, imagining it as an extension of his body. He pushed his aura downward—
The earth absorbed it.
Sumit's aura scattered across the surface of the ground, fading into nothing. He opened his eyes with a scowl. "I don't get it."
Raph shook his head. "Stop pushing so hard. Relax."
Sumit's jaw tightened. "I am relaxed."
"No, you're not." Raph's silver aura flared beneath his feet. The ground beneath him pulsed softly, shifting without cracking. "Your aura is like a hammer. My aura is like water."
Sumit's brow furrowed. "Water?"
"You can't smash water into the ground and expect it to stay. You have to let it flow."
Sumit's eyes darkened. "I don't know how to."
"Clearly." Raph stood, towering over Sumit. "That's why you're failing."
Sumit exhaled sharply. "Alright, fine. Show me again."
Raph's silver aura pulsed gently into the ground. The earth beneath his feet trembled, shifting without resistance. The ground seemed to welcome his aura.
"Feel the ground beneath you," Raph said. "Don't force your aura into it—let it merge with the earth."
Sumit placed his hands on the ground. He drew his golden aura into his arms—but this time, he hesitated before releasing it. He closed his eyes and focused not on the force, but on the sensation.
The coolness of the dirt. The roughness of the pebbles beneath his fingertips. The faint vibration of the earth beneath him.
Sumit slowly released his aura—not in a surge, but in a steady trickle. His golden light seeped into the ground.
The ground shock.
Sumit's eyes widened. "It's… shaking?"
"Good," Raph said. "Now control it."
Sumit's aura faltered—and the ground stopped moving. He scowled. "What happened?"
"You panicked." Raph's voice was calm. "You have to trust the ground. Keep your aura steady. If you pull back, it will reject you."
Sumit took a steady breath. He tried again. His golden aura seeped into the ground, flowing slowly this time. He focused on the sensation beneath his palms—
The ground trembled faintly. Sumit's eyes sharpened.
"Now…" Raph's voice lowered. "Shift it."
Sumit's golden aura pulsed. He imagined the ground moving, not violently—but deliberately. His aura responded. The dirt beneath his hands vibrated, tiny cracks forming beneath his palms.
Sumit's golden light flickered—
—and the ground beneath Raph's feet trembled.
Raph's eyes widened slightly.
Sumit's aura wavered—but he steadied it. The trembling beneath Raph's feet grew stronger. Dust curled into the air.
Sumit's breathing quickened. His arms tensed.
"That's enough!" Raph barked.
Sumit pulled his aura back. The trembling stopped instantly. His golden light faded, and his arms slumped at his sides.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, chest heaving. "Did… did I do it?"
"You barely scratched the surface," Raph said, arms crossed. "But… it's a start."
Sumit's breath slowed. He sat back, golden light still faintly shimmering around his hands. "So… the secret is flow?"
"The secret is connection," Raph said. "You don't control the ground. You work with it."
Sumit's golden aura flickered faintly across his fingers. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I think I'm starting to get it."