Reizan's mind cleared, determination sharpening his focus. Okay, it's time to begin combat training.
The Time Dilation Chamber interface glowed softly in front of him, displaying a series of options.
[Lizardmen Selected ]
[State progressive - Stage 1 (10 Lizardmen) , Stage 2 (100 Lizardmen) , Stage 3 (1000 Lizardmen) ...]
[can stop before any Stage or when severly injured ]
[Choose Difficulty Power Stage :
Stage 1 - Novice (Genin)
Stage 2 - Intermediate (Chunin)
Stage 3 - Advanced (Jonin)
Stage 4 - Master (Kage)
Stage 5 - Grand Master ( Psuedo- Sage of six paths) ]
Reizan's eyes scanned the difficulty levels. Stage 4—Master (Kage). That'll be a solid baseline.
"I plan to push through the earlier stages first," he mused, "build up experience before taking on Grand Master."
With a steady hand, he selected Master (Kage).
[Time Dilation Chamber - Combat mode activating in 10 secs please prepare for Stage 1 - 10 Master Lizardmen]
Time ticked away on a silent countdown. Reizan created two more Truth-Seeking Balls, the orbs spinning in an ominous orbit around him. One orb shifted fluidly, morphing into the legendary Sword of Nunoboko.
Hovering in the air, his cloak billowed, the black armor made of Truth-Seeking Balls consuming his form, leaving only his blazing white-gold eyes visible—a divine demon risen from the abyss.
Behind him, five pitch-black spheres floated like stars in a dark void, humming softly with destructive potential.
Reizan's gaze hardened.
Let them come.
Soon, ten large lizardmen emerged across the barren desert field. Their scaled hides gleamed with green and earthy hues, armored with rough-hewn steel plates and clutching a variety of crude weapons—swords, spears, and bows.
They fixed their eyes on Reizan, who floated silently above the sand, a dark silhouette framed by his swirling cloak and the ominous Truth-Seeking Balls orbiting him.
The lizardmen hissed and muttered in an unfamiliar language, their voices rough and guttural. Reizan furrowed his brow—then a chime echoed softly in his mind a system notification popped up.
[Ding! Native languages detected. Automatic translation engaged.Your speech will also be translated to native tongue during communication]
Suddenly, their harsh words became clear:
"Look at that shadow floating in the air," the lead green-scaled lizardman snarled. "We must kill him! Form the C formation and attack with our fire-based assaults. Together, we can bring him down!"
Another with a jagged scar across his snout grinned. "I'll use my Wind Sword technique to boost our speed and strike faster than he expects!"
As they strategized, Reizan felt a flicker of irritation. Fools. They stood on their own battlefield, glaring up at him, casually plotting their attack as if they hadn't already sealed their fate.
Raising his hand deliberately, a single Truth-Seeking Ball detached from its orbit and shot forward—faster than the eye could follow, a streak of pure, destructive energy.
The lizardmen's eyes widened in terror. They tried to scatter, but the speed was impossible to outrun.
Before they could raise shields, strike, or flee, a blinding white glow enveloped them all.
BOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the desert, sending shockwaves rippling through the cracked earth. The ground beneath the lizardmen fractured and crumbled, pulverized into dust and ash.
Reizan hovered silently in the expanding cloud of sand and light, waiting.
[Congratulations for completing Stage-1- 10 Master (Kage) Lizardmen in 8 seconds ]
[Are you sure you want to continue Stage -2 - 100 Master (Kage) Lizardmen Yes/No ]
Reizan then pressed Yes
A new notification chimed sharply in Reizan's mind.
[Stage 2 will commence in 10 seconds.]
He exhaled slowly, steadying himself as the countdown ticked away.
From the horizon surged a massive group of muscular green lizardmen, some towering with broad wings, others earthbound but equally fierce. Their eyes glinted with feral intensity, and their breaths simmered with elemental energy — a strange mix resembling chakra, but tinged with raw fire and wind.
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
The winged lizardmen soared, clutching steel swords raised high, while those grounded readied for assault.
Suddenly, a sharp, commanding roar pierced the air.
The black-scaled lizardman leader thundered, "All troops, attack! Flying squad, form Formation B!"
The wingless lizardmen quickly lined up, their bodies radiating heat as they unleashed a colossal wall of fire-based attacks. Flames roared forward, scorching the air, while the aerial unit sliced through the sky, spinning their swords to conjure razor-sharp wind scythe blades.
Though chaotic in appearance, the fire and wind assaults intertwined flawlessly, forming a massive, blazing flame tornado that roared and twisted toward Reizan.
The sand beneath their feet turned to shimmering glass, and the air grew thick with heat and humidity.
But Reizan was faster.
Without a word, he rocketed forward, piercing the storm at a speed that blurred his form.
His Sword of Nunoboko gleamed in his hand as he spun it fiercely, conjuring a swirling black twister of chakra-infused darkness.
The two titanic forces collided with a cataclysmic roar.
The flame tornado was shredded apart, its infernal fury torn to shreds by the black vortex. The lizardmen inside it shuddered, chills running down their spines as the black twister stretched, extending its deadly reach.
Reizan materialized among the flying units.
With a sweep of his dark whirlwind, he sucked them in. The razor-edged sword spun violently, shredding wing and scale alike. Ashes spiraled out, dissolving into the dry desert wind.
More than half the aerial squad was obliterated; the remainder crashed to the ground, terrified and broken.
Without pause, Reizan conjured another Sword of Nunoboko with his free hand.
The blade extended downward, spinning faster and faster until it formed a second black twister.
The remaining lizardmen, grounded and stripped of flight, found no escape. Their fire and wind attacks faltered uselessly as the twister engulfed them.
One by one, they vanished—either shredded or consumed by the relentless cyclone.
Finally, silence.
Only the black-scaled leader remained, slumped and battered on the scorched earth.
Reizan reversed one of his swords back into a Truth-Seeking Ball, then appeared before the fallen lizardman in a blink.
He grabbed the creature by the collar with one hand and sneered.
"Inferior creatures who don't know their place are dealt with like this."
The lizardman's eyes blazed with hatred, pain, and powerlessness. His army lay in ruins—only he survived. Reizan's mocking smile cut deeper than any blade.
With a sudden brutal motion, Reizan ripped the lizardman's head off, green blood splattering across the battlefield.
"Formations? Strength as Kage? It means nothing."
A rush of exhilaration surged through Reizan—the intoxicating thrill of overwhelming power.
[Stage 2 cleared in 30 seconds.]
The system's voice echoed softly in his mind.
[Proceed to Stage 3?]
Without hesitation, Reizan pressed Continue.
The next challenge appeared:
[1000 Master-level Lizardmen]
Time began to tick.