“Stop.”

Grey stopped, halting his body in the middle of a movement. The apparition of Swordmaster- a collective intelligence meant to tutor the promising imperial candidates in combat- walked around him, its blunted weapon tapping parts of his body and nudging him into proper form. It was the reward- the ‘ability’- for this section of the trial. His own trainer. When it stood in front of him once more, it waved him on.

Grey completed the combat forms, wielding a long glaive. It was similar to a spear, but it had an outside edge as well as a pointed tip on its slightly curving blade. They were traditionally used as an anti-cavalry weapon, yet Grey and Swordmaster had seen another use for the weapon. Specifically, killing large monsters and superhumans.

Besides its reach, the weapon allowed him a large amount of versatility. It was heavy, but Metallurgy allowed him to move the weapon in ways that even Chi Breathing would not have. He could replace one hand with a mental one, add more weight to his strikes, and shoot the weapon out of his grip. He had even played with moving his armor instead of his limbs, though it was not practiced enough yet.

Swordmaster was helping him develop his style, though it would be a long, long time before it resembled anything cohesive, at least until he upgraded his Warrior Path. Grey worried more about his stamina, however. His style needed Metallurgy, but the Evolution was more draining than Battle Scripting by far.

Swordmaster had discussed options with him. There were several Evolutions that could reinforce physical and mental stamina, but Grey wanted optimization. He would only choose an option that had promising future combinations.

That was on the backburner for now. Developing basic technique came first, and even more pressing than that was progressing through the trial. He had an allotted amount of time in his head for how long he wanted to remain here. Jessica had to be given enough time to feel secure but not enough to sus out his location or bring in many reinforcements. He had a suspicion that the last was hardly a worry, however. Even though her uncle had power, the nation that had bestowed it upon him was in its death throes. Communication with the executive branch and the other cities had basically halted by the time Grey went to the Hunters.

As for progressing forward, he had stepped into the next room the day before. It was simple enough, giving him a simulation of a small squad engaging an opposing force. He had total control of one group and had managed to lead it from victory. The size of the forces at play had only increased with each room, and today, he planned on completing the fifth, which placed him in control of multiple battalions and thousands of soldiers.

It was an idealized version of war, he knew. His commands were obeyed immediately and without hesitation; no commander in the history of Earth had ever received a fraction of such obedience. Still, more dramatic tests of his strategic abilities would come eventually if he had to guess.

He moved through a few more forms at Swordmaster’s request, moving slowly. In theory, he understood the practice. If he couldn’t master the movements at a slow speed, completing them in combat was surely beyond him. He didn’t allow himself to question the tutoring beyond that. Fools were people who questioned the knowledge of experts and never their own, and Grey Shor had never counted himself a fool.

He finished his workout, storing the glaive in his Inventory. Swordmaster told him of his mistakes and offered advice, while he listened and sipped from a bottle of water. His mistakes were plentiful, but he had known that would be the case. His training was all self-taught, and his opponents had never had any subtlety to them, not in the desert. He had become a butcher, more physicality than technique.

He would have to repair that. Soon Earth would be home to multiple sentient species, and great warriors would abound. His goal wasn’t necessarily to be the strongest, but it was to win. He needed to hoard advantages and stuff as many cards as he could fit up his sleeves.

He spared the Swordmaster a final nod of respect, offering the sort of bow he had given in many of his martial art classes. After that, he entered the rooms beyond, finally coming to a room that had yet to be beaten. It was empty, but that soon changed, the room fading to an enveloping black before a glowing map appeared in front of him.

The map had textures to represent elevation, and his troops were represented by glowing blue blocks. The enemy opposite them was red. Grey took the situation in quickly. Their numbers were relatively even, though the composition was different. His army consisted mostly of heavy infantry and light cavalry, while the opposing force had a more even composition. They met in what seemed like a valley.

“Move ranged units E and F into these two locations,” he said, tapping two rocky areas that rose above the rest of the relatively flat terrain. “Heavy infantry units A, B, and C move to the choke point here, and light cavalry units D and G will false retreat and draw the enemy infantry between heavy infantry units H and I, which will stand behind here and here.”

He was not looking for a pyrrhic victory here, not that the challenge would accept one. He wanted domination, absolute and complete. Settling for any less would defeat the purpose of training. He allowed the battle to proceed, commanding the simulation to proceed at double speed. He slowed it when the armies drew close.

The thing with battle was that it was unpredictable. There were too many changing variables that played with the outcome, and while good strategy was perhaps one of the most important ones, it could still mean relatively little in the greater picture.

When the two armies crashed, Grey made small adjustments. His original plan wouldn’t work. The enemy had scouted one of his hidden forces out, so he started withdrawing the unit towards the choke point at the end of the valley where the cliffs narrowed. At the same time, he moved his three units at the choke point forward. The enemy pursued, sending units to take his ranged forces out.

With the enemy engaged, his other hidden unit of heavy infantry advanced into the enemy’s flank, and the three- now four with the retreating unit- others crashed into their front, screened by his own light cavalry. It was not an easy win, but like any of Grey’s victories, it was an inevitable one.

The battle finished, and the room grew dark, no sound or sight piercing the grasping void. Until something did. It was a half-circle of steel run through with small glowing swords. It was a crown, one shattered into half, and it hovered above his hands, growing smaller and smaller until it hit his hand. It disappeared into his skin.

“Half a King,” Grey said to himself, but he knew it was more than that. This was a summonable power, one that he would gain when he used the main part of Dungeon Master.

His Dungeon Evolution was strange in a way. As it was Rank E, it consisted of two primary functions. The first, of course, made him appear non-hostile to Dungeon monsters, meaning he could have a shot at negotiation or even rule. The second allowed him to draw power from such Dungeons through their Keys, and it was this ability that earned the Evolution its Diamond rarity. There was a cap on what he could draw on and for how long that depended on his Rank, but it was still an incredible power- one that in this case required him to earn the summonable abilities in question.

He now had what he needed to move forward. He had proof of his success in the trial, he was rapidly improving his fighting technique, and he was more sure than ever that the Steel Legion based much of their culture off of war. With some more time under Swordmaster, Grey would be ready to start the sequence that would not only end Jessica Wells, but also bring the entire city under his control.

Before then, however, he had an ability to test. He walked back through the now vacant rooms until he stepped into the great training room in which Swordmaster stood unmoving in the center. The mannequin turned to face him, executing a bow.

“Would you like to train?” it asked.

“I would. Can you summon four enemies for me to face and at least two allies?”

“Of course. Wait a moment.”

On one side of the stone room, six suits of armor rattled to life, if it could be called that. The ribbons across the chest of two were green. The others showed red. They strode to the center of the room before halting.

Grey held up a hand at Swordmaster, withdrawing the Gold Key of the Dungeon. A thought absorbed it into his skin. The half-crown burst into existence around his head, the miniature swords running through its steel band clad in white fire. His head filled with pain. Void. Then two pinpricks of silver roared into the void behind his eyes, and Grey felt his mind merge with two others.

He was First, and he was in control. The two others- Second and Third- moved as he willed. Across from them, the enemy moved. They numbered four, each wielding swords and shields.

Second and Third linked shields and pressed forward. First’s glaive darted over their shoulders and shields, ramming into one of the enemy. Second and Third’s swords darted out past their shields, finishing the enemy off. The now three enemies advanced.

First’s glaive claimed another enemy, while Third took a sword to the side and then the chest. Then Second threw itself forward, turning the two remaining enemies towards it. The glaive struck, rending steel and caving in helms.

First turned to the last suit in the room, the one known as Swordmaster. “More,” he said. New enemies, and new allies came to life. Three became one.

Some time later, the crown dissipated. Grey frowned, coming back to himself in bits and pieces. The activation time of the ability was short, but it also didn’t last long. Deactivation also left him defenseless. His mind pondered over this new item.

To relate it to a game, it was as though he was earning the Dungeon’s loot. The power offered versatility, but in that way, it also lacked optimization. In theory, he could combine his powers so they fed into each other. One Evolution caused an effect, another absorbed it, and a third used that energy to create an attack greater than the sum of the Evolutions independently. The problem with such a build was that only one link in the chain had to be cut off to shut down the three Evolutions. With Battle Scripting and Dungeon Master, he lacked the raw attack power of such a loop, but he would never be planned for, never shut down.

As for the half-crown itself, the ability was quite unique. Contrary to what his senses had told him, he wasn’t quite merging with the minds of his allies, not as equal partners at least. It was almost like developing a hive mind with his own consciousness at the helm. Instead of one body, he had multiple, which meant an increase in sensory information and tactical options. If he could keep several bodyguards with him at all times, it would prove quite powerful.

He also had another hunch. Though it was probably impossible at his current Rank, the crown seemed to be upgradeable if he progressed further in the trial. It might even grow to the point where it mirrored the tests he had completed, the ones that offered him near total and instant control of his own forces. He could have his armies function under his mind.

Essentially, Dungeon Master was a Diamond Evolution that was giving him access to limited versions of the Steel Legion’s racial Evolutions. He knew it was not quite that simple, but at the moment, it gave him an idea of what was ahead.

A warm feeling grew in his stomach. This was… optimal.

“Swordmaster, spar with me.” Grey lifted his glaive.