Eclipsed Realms: The Tamer's Path

As I stepped into the reflex training area, I noticed the line of tamers waiting outside the training rooms. Each door had a number lit above it, indicating which room was in use. The faint sounds of impacts and energy pulses leaked from the closed doors. I sighed and leaned against the wall, waiting my turn.

While waiting, two tamers approached me, clearly curious. They were both Iron Rank and seemed a little hesitant to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, you're the Bronze Rank guy everyone's been talking about, right?" one of them asked. He was a wiry man with short brown hair and a bright, curious expression. Beside him slithered a sleek Emerald Fang Viper, its scales shimmering faintly green under the overhead lights. Its triangular head was alert, its tongue flicking as it surveyed the area.

"Yeah, that's me," I replied casually, my eyes flicking to his partner. "Nice viper. It's quick, I bet."

"Very," he said, his pride evident. "Helps with ambushes and precision strikes. I'm Tyler, by the way."

His companion, a taller man with broad shoulders, stepped forward with a nod. He looked more serious, and beside him stood an imposing Obsidian Blade Mantis. The creature had a jet-black exoskeleton, razor-sharp scythe-like arms, and compound eyes that gleamed red. Its stance was tense, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"I'm James," he said. "This is Raxa. She's all about close combat. Fast, but durable too."

I nodded, impressed. "Both solid partners. What's your team setup like?"

Tyler answered first. "I've got the viper and a Hydroalligator—a water-element predator with great strength and decent speed."

James added, "I have Raxa and a Tempest Harpy Eagle, a wind-element flier with sharp talons and excellent mobility."

The harpy eagle intrigued me. "What's it like?"

James smiled slightly. "The Tempest Harpy Eagle is a hybrid of wind and predator skills. It's a master of aerial combat and can generate powerful gusts with its wings. It's built for speed and precision strikes from above."

They both glanced at me expectantly. "We're looking to expand our teams," Tyler said. "Got any recommendations?"

I thought about the creatures I'd encountered in the forest. "If you're looking to round out your teams, you could consider an Illusion Monarch Butterfly. It's a rare species that can manipulate the battlefield with hallucinations and misdirection. It's not much of a fighter, but its utility in combat is invaluable."

James raised an eyebrow. "Illusions, huh? That could pair well with my eagle for ambush tactics."

I nodded. "It can also help your Hydroalligator. You could create fake terrain or prey to lure enemies into the water."

"And the other option?" Tyler asked.

"A Thunderclaw Margay," I said. "It's a lightning-element predator about the size of a panther. Agile and powerful, it's excellent at hit-and-run tactics. It would pair well with both of your teams for mobility and high-speed attacks."

James and Tyler exchanged a look, clearly intrigued.

"Thanks for the advice," Tyler said. "Those sound like great additions."

Before we could talk more, my turn was called. I excused myself and stepped into the training room.

---

Reflex Training Room

The reflex room was stark white, with no discernible features other than a glowing control panel on the far wall. Once I activated the settings, the room came alive, generating holographic targets and directional turrets.

"This will be interesting," I muttered as I called my partners into the space.

---

Lilia

Lilia stepped forward first. She'd done reflex training before, so I set the difficulty to sniper-level bullets. As the countdown began, her petals spread out in anticipation, their glow brightening.

The first shot came from her right, but she spun gracefully, her petals forming a shield to deflect it. Another shot zipped toward her from above, but she dodged, her movements fluid despite the rapid pace of the attacks.

"Good, Lilia! Stay light on your feet," I called out.

She nodded, focusing intently. By the end of the five minutes, she hadn't taken a single hit, though her petals had dimmed slightly from the effort.

"You handled that well," I said as she stepped back, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths.

---

Elythia

Elythia entered the field next, her wings buzzing lightly as she assessed the room. When the first bullet fired, she darted forward with incredible speed, dodging effortlessly.

"This is boring," she said, tilting mid-air to avoid another round.

"Deflect them, then," I suggested.

Her stinger glowed faintly as she began swatting the bullets away, her movements precise and calculated. At one point, she even let a bullet graze her side just to prove she could recover mid-flight.

"Show-off," I muttered, earning a satisfied hum from her as she finished unscathed.

---

Sangrelis

Sangrelis looked unimpressed as he took his position.

"Let's see how this compares to the real thing," he said, flaring his wings.

The first few bullets were easy enough for him to dodge, but as the shots grew faster, his overconfidence got the better of him. A round grazed his wing, causing him to snarl in irritation.

"Watch your ego, Sangrelis," I warned.

"I'm fine," he said, narrowly avoiding another shot.

By the end of his session, he'd taken a few hits but managed to finish without major injuries. He landed with a huff, muttering something about needing more of a challenge.

---

Nyxarath

Nyxarath's turn was almost laughable. The moment the bullets began firing, his shadowy form seemed to melt and reform around them, making it impossible for the projectiles to hit him.

"This is beneath me," he growled, his tone dripping with disdain.

"It's not about the difficulty—it's about control," I reminded him.

He didn't respond, simply letting the session end without breaking a sweat—or whatever the shadow equivalent was.

---

As the session concluded, I gathered my partners and stepped out of the room. While they'd all performed well, there was still room for improvement.

"Next time, we'll push harder," I told them.

They nodded in unison, their expressions ranging from confident to begrudgingly determined. It was a solid start, but the road ahead was long. With that moved on to the next training area.

As I waited for my turn in the defense training area, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on the group of five Iron-ranked tamers in front of me. They were talking animatedly about some competition—regional and world championships for tamers and their monsters. It sounded like a big deal, especially since the championships were split by rank. Iron-ranked champions fought against other Iron-ranked competitors, and the same applied to other levels.

"Roxas is going to win the Bronze Regional Championship this time, you'll see," one of them said confidently. "His Earth Titan is just too strong."

"Maybe, but Serena's got that new Lava Anaconda. I've heard she's been training it nonstop," another one countered, shaking his head.

"Zhao's no slouch either," a third added. "He's got that crazy Chimera, right? Not to mention Subaru, but they've been pretty quiet lately."

The names went on, but I didn't recognize most of them. It was clear that competition was fierce, even among tamers at my level. I made a mental note to look up these champions later, curious about who they were and what made them stand out.

---

The door to the training room slid open, and it was finally my turn. I took a deep breath and led my partners inside. The room was stark, with only a control panel on the wall and a large circular platform in the middle. A series of holographic terrains surrounded the platform, ready to be activated at various levels of difficulty.

The system used here was all about endurance. We were going to face extreme environmental conditions designed to test our defenses.

"Okay, Lilia," I said, "You're up first. Try level three—it's going to be tough, but you've got this."

Lilia nodded, her petals fluttering gently as she stepped forward. I activated the system, and the first environment materialized: a brutal desert, where the sun blazed down mercilessly. The heat was oppressive, the air thick and dry. Lilia immediately started to adapt, using her energy to cool her body and create a shield of petals around her to shield from the sun's intense rays.

She didn't seem bothered at first, but the heat increased rapidly, and soon the sand beneath her feet started to shimmer from the extreme heat. As the temperature soared, cracks began to form in the ground, making it harder for her to maintain balance.

"Watch out for the fissures, Lilia!" I called out, hoping to guide her.

She darted forward, narrowly avoiding a large crack that had opened up beneath her. But the temperature continued to rise, and the air around her began to warp. Suddenly, the terrain shifted again, and a blinding sandstorm whipped up, reducing visibility to almost zero.

Lilia was quick to react, her petals glowing brightly to illuminate the storm. She created a bubble around herself with her petals, protecting herself from the worst of the sand and heat. Still, she was visibly sweating, her movements slower as the strain built.

"Five more minutes, stay strong!" I urged.

As the environment changed again, this time to a boiling volcanic landscape, Lilia struggled to keep up her defenses. Lava began to spill from cracks in the ground, and the air became thick with toxic fumes. She managed to summon roots from the earth to help keep her steady, but the constant onslaught of heat and danger was starting to take a toll.

When the timer finally went off, Lilia stepped out of the environment, panting heavily but with a satisfied expression. She had endured a lot, but she had completed the course.

"Good job, Lilia. You did great," I said, stepping forward to check on her.

She smiled weakly. "It wasn't easy... but I'm fine. A bit overheated, though."

Next up was Nyxarath, the shadow.

I activated the system again, and the terrain shifted once more. This time, it was a dark, oppressive forest, with mist swirling around. Shadows shifted in the corner of my eye, but I knew the environment was only a projection. The challenge was for Nyxarath to endure the psychological pressure the darkness created.

Unlike Lilia, Nyxarath seemed unaffected at first. His shadowy form blended perfectly with the surroundings, and he seemed to revel in the eerie atmosphere. The temperature dropped dramatically, and soon snowflakes began to fall from the darkened sky, creating a freezing cold environment.

"You're doing well, Nyx," I said, watching as he effortlessly moved through the cold. "But remember to stay focused. We don't want you freezing up."

The shadow didn't respond, but his movements slowed slightly as the freezing wind began to bite. Then, the environment shifted again, and lava exploded from the ground, covering the entire area in a haze of steam. Nyxarath simply melded into the steam, the heat barely affecting him. His body evaporated, sliding through the air like smoke, completely unbothered by the blistering conditions.

"Alright, I think that's enough," I said as the timer buzzed, signaling the end of his session. Nyxarath returned to his corporeal form, his red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

"That wasn't bad," I added with a smirk. "You did well."

---

After Nyxarath, it was time for the wasp, Elythia. She had the advantage of speed and agility, but I knew the extreme environments would test her endurance.

This time, I set the environment to a volcanic field with eruptions occurring at random intervals. The heat was unbearable, and the air was thick with ash. Elythia darted around, her wings buzzing furiously as she avoided falling debris and sudden bursts of flame.

Despite her speed, Elythia took a few hits—one of the eruptions sent a wave of lava in her direction, and although she tried to dodge, the heat singed her wings. She winced, but she didn't slow down. She kept darting around, evading the worst of it.

"Hang in there, Elythia!" I called.

She buzzed back towards me, dodging another explosion in the process. "I'm fine!" she said, though her voice was strained.

When the session ended, she was covered in soot, her wings slightly scorched but nothing too serious.

"Good work," I said, walking over to check on her.

---

Finally, it was Sangrelis' turn. The bat wasn't as agile as Elythia, but his toughness would help him through the extreme heat and physical strain.

I activated the final environment: a blizzard mixed with volcanic eruptions. The temperature dropped dramatically, and the ground froze over, while ash and molten rocks collided in mid-air.

Sangrelis grunted, his wings flapping heavily to keep him in the air. He flinched as the cold hit him, but he quickly adapted. His thick fur helped shield him from the worst of the cold, though he was constantly on the move to avoid the volcanic explosions.

After the environment switched a couple of times, he finally finished the course. He landed next to me with a heavy sigh.

"That was brutal," he muttered.

I nodded, agreeing. "But you did it. Good job, Sangrelis."

---

The training ended with all my partners visibly exhausted but proud of their performance. They had pushed through difficult environments, suffered some damage, but ultimately showed their resilience.

"You guys did great," I said, grinning. "Now, let's get some rest. We've got more to do."

As we left the training room, I couldn't help but think about how much stronger we were becoming. There was still a long way to go, but each step was getting us closer to our goal.