Biting the inside of my lip, I prevent a smile from forming on my mouth. Maintaining a calm façade, I blankly stare into Rosa's eyes. Though I am clueless as to the significance of Tension bone conversion, the advantages of learning a technique from an awakened Tension Master are undeniable. Even still, to give this beast of a woman the satisfaction of knowing that she's aroused my enthusiasm...

Could it be described as anything other than simply unacceptable?

With a loud huff, Rosa stomps a foot on the ground. Her bloodless cheeks burn red, and vociferously, she snorts gales of air from her nostrils.

'Did all mankind become fools since I died? How could you show such little regard for what I have to offer you? Even if you are ignorant to the details of my technique, surely even one such as you is able to appreciate the value in the teachings of a renowned Escalade such as myself.'

Pursing my lips, I tilt my head to the side, raise a single eyebrow, and continue to stare at the woman in front of me.

'Renowned? I've never heard of you.'

Her reaction...

Glorious.

In what can only be described as a furious tantrum, she begins to bash her foot on the floor, flail both arms, and scream profanities until her face tints blue from her lack of breath.

'Which of my transgressions in life has damned me to such humiliation in death!' Permeating my frozen heart, her wails deform, turning from searing rage to sodden desolation. Kneeling on the floor, she tucks her head beneath her chest and begins to sob.

Turbulent air gushes from my nostrils; I clench and unclench my hands before pinching the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb. Resolved, I fall to one knee and bow my head.

'Wait! Did you say your name was Rosa Umbridge of the Celestial Umbridge Clan? How could I have been so deaf as to not recognise your name? Your deeds truly are renowned! The children of my village still sing songs in remembrance of your gallantry and might.'

Lifting her face from her knees, she looks at me with watery eyes. 'Boy, do you speak the truth?' Returning her stare, I gently nod my head. 'What deeds of mine did you find most inspirational in your younger years?

Shit! Couldn't you have just accepted the lie without question? My brain races to form an answer. Thinking back to the portraits decorating the entrance of this tomb, I piece together a response in my mind.

'To this day, I find myself singing of the time you faced one thousand men single-handedly under the blood moon sky.' Rosa rises to her feet. Whether by habit or compulsion, she brushes her leggings and skirt despite the impossibility of filth clinging to her incorporeal form. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Rosa straightens her back. She Places her hands to her hips, takes a sidewards pose, tilts her head down, and locks eyes, once more, with me.

'In truth, it was more than one thousand men. Each one was a powerful Escalade in their own right, but on that fated evening, I was fighting for honour and justice. I could not have been defeated had they doubled, nay, tripled their numbers.'

Standing over me, Rosa rests her weightless hand on my shoulder and "permits me to stand."

'Though you are nameless, and in your ignorance, you caused me offence, I see now that you are not the wastrel I had mistaken you for. Through learning my technique, I have no doubt that you will be reborn as a man of true nobility.'

Nobility?

Nobility is nothing but a title that grants its holders the right to murder and pillage under the pretence of righteousness. Resisting the urge to scoff at her words, I nod my head.

'You have mentioned Tension bone conversion. If my lady would indulge my enthusiasm and provide me with the details of your most noble of techniques, I would be eternally grateful.'

'Of course, young one, you are my inheritor, after all. As you know, in life, I was an awakened Tension Master. In my final years, I had reached the peak of the awakened realm. In an endeavour to form my root of ascension, I had attempted to merge the principle of death with the principle of body Tension I had cultivated to that point. My attempt, a failure, unfortunately, I suffered a crippling backlash.'

Pausing, Rosa's eyes begin to water. She turns her back to me, and with her sleeve, she wipes away the tears. Clearing her throat, the muscular woman returns her face to my direction. Though all signs of tears have cleared from her face, her countenance still bears the marks of her lingering grief.

'My apologies. As I was saying, though I failed in my quest to ascend, it was through that failure that I stumbled upon bone Tension conversion. Put simply, it is a method for converting all of the neutral Arts of a body-Tension Master into body-Tension Arts.'

My heart pounds in my chest, each thump like the beat of a drum. Time slips away, my breathing staggers and slows. My surroundings fade from my awareness. Only one thought is present in my mind…

No matter the price...

I must learn this technique.

This woman is right to take pride in her discovery; it is simply incredible.

Of the nine principles of higher form Tension: body, mind, life, and death are known to be the most troublesome to cultivate. Though they in no way lose out, a significant drawback to those four principles of Tension is the inability to convert set Arts into elemental Arts.

While a fire Tension Master can easily ignite his Arts thus simultaneously increasing its power while decreasing its cost by way of corruption, no such option exists for one who walks the path of body-Tension mastery. In essence, a body-Tension Master only enjoys half of the benefits of being a practitioner of higher-form Tension.

However…

If what Rosa says is true, bone Tension conversion would allow me the full benefits of being an elemental Tension Master. The Arts I would be able to use without rest would double, and their power could increase by as much as fifty percent.

'I can see from your face that you appreciate the significance of my technique.' Acknowledging the truth of her words with a nod of my head, I cause the brutish woman's lips to part into a broad grin.'Though I may have failed in my ascension, I cannot consider the pursuit to have been a failure.'

'For you to have gone through the trouble of creating this heritage, can I assume that learning your technique isn't going to be as simple as asking you to teach it to me?'

'Indeed, you are correct. I created this tomb in order to test the wit, bravery, and might of my future inheritor. In reaching this room, you have already passed the first of my tests. You now have a choice.' Pointing to the end of the room, Rosa draws my attention to the door.

'If you so desire, you can pass through that door. On the other side, I have stored a variety of treasures, including enough ether-crystals to ensure your advancement into rank-four. You will also find a relocation scroll, use it and you will exit this tomb and return to the surface. If, however, you choose to follow me, you will face a challenge from which fleeing is not an option. Succeed, and I will pass on to you my most prized technique. I must warn you; unless you are confident in your power, you should progress no further. Whichever choice you make, it is permanent. Once you leave this tomb, it will collapse in on itself, destroying forever all that remains.'

There's no question that the treasures accumulated by an awakened Tension Master would be of exceeding benefit to me. Beyond that door are resources I can only dream of. I need only walk forward, and my advancement into rank-four would be assured.

However…

While rapidly advancing into the fourth rank could only be called a most excellent result, when compared to the prospect of gaining the knowledge of one who has surpassed the mortal realms, I am unable to view such advancement as anything more than conciliatory. Taking the path of least resistance may net me great power in the short term, but my foundations would be weak.

Is it not the preferred choice that I embrace all risks?

Is it possible to attain true power in this world without doing so?

Is this even a question?

Am I really so pathetic as to hesitate?

No.

The path I walk is not paved in fortune, but rather in blood and sacrifice. I will not bow to the whims of my own weakness. Whatever may lay ahead, I will face it head-on. On this day, I shall either soar to the heavens or crash into the grave. Whatever my fate, there will be no regrets.

Freezing my resolve, I ball my hand into a fist. I focus my gaze on the woman before me. Eyes locked with eyes, with no words spoken, I communicate my conviction.

'So you shall face the trial. Young champion, I wish you luck. Follow me.' Rosa walks to the side of the room, she faces the wall and steps through. From the bricks she had walked through, a hand reaches out. With a bend of its finger, the hand gestures for me to follow. I step through the wall.

Skeletons.

Dozens of them, maybe more.

Lining the far side of the subterranean arena, an army of skeleton soldiers stand in place. In each hand, a sword; on each head, a helmet. In place of the void that should occupy the space, black smoke dances in the centre of their eye sockets.

'There's no turning back, young challenger. Survive this, and you shall inherit my powers.'

As if confused, the skeletal soldiers shuffle slowly forward. Shifting their heads from shoulder to shoulder, they examine me. Bringing to my mind the impression that it doesn't believe its own senses, a single skeleton breaks from the pack and approaches. The stench of death drifts into my nose as the creature comes closer and closer. Less than a meter from where I stand, the soldier extends its bony arm and strokes the side of my hand. Swiftly withdrawing its touch, the skeleton places the front of its hand to the side of its face.

Turning to face its comrades, the lone creature lets out a guttural roar. Inspired by its cry, the monsters burst forward.

Without further delay, I draw my sword and slice through the cause of the commotion. Undeterred by the true death of their ally, the army of skeletons continue onwards. I don't wait for their arrival. I flood my body with Tension and sprint towards the enemy.

Breaking through their ranks, I descend into a world of chaos. Surrounded by monsters, I avoid fatal strikes by the faintest margins as I cut through my foes. Emptying my mind, I fight by instincts alone. The melee hardly registers in my thoughts as Father's training seizes my movements. Cleaving bone from bone, I mindlessly slaughter the herd. Their numbers dwindle around me; their remains lay scattered on the ground.

Of the dozens I had faced, only one is left. Frantically, it waves its sword at me. Its strike deflected, I cut through the creature from shoulder to hip. With the last creature dead, I feel my mind return. The ice in my veins thaws, allowing me to appreciate the works of my hand.

'That was most impressive, young champion. However, do not think my greatest technique so easy to acquire.'

As if compelled by Rosa's words, the bones lying on the ground begin to vibrate. Scraping the stone ground beneath, they slide towards one another. Lifting to the air, the bones join together. Piece by piece, they form structures; from the legs to the tail to the torso, neck, and head, the bones combine to create a towering creature.

A Skeletal Dragon.