[3:15 A.M.]
RINGGG!!!!!
Fan Yumei woke to the alarm she'd set on her Oni9X. She stretched with a huge yawn, shaking her head and blinking herself halfway awake.
She clicked off the alarm and turned to see her two sprawled-out beasts.
She grinned. "Hey, kiddos, you know the drill. Get up — it's time to get to work."
Maxius let out a grumble but got up and stretched his wings. Lufei gave a soft bleat and hopped off the bed. Fan Yumei walked to the window, cracked it open, and stuck her head out.
"Mystic!"
The great cloud leviathan floated lazily in the sky just above the house, resting on a soft, thick cumulus mass. Her smooth, silky skin gleamed under the early drizzle as she hummed contentedly, her tail swishing slowly.
Fan Yumei smiled at the sight. Mystic had stretched out in full form, not her usual compact cloud disguise. The rain had just begun—light and refreshing. The smell of heavy moisture clung in the air.
Fan Yumei quickly washed up, wiped down Lufei and Maxius. To her surprise, Maxius didn't even fuss about the rain.
Next came the weights:
• Fan Yumei: 15 pounds on each wrist and ankle, plus a 50-pound weighted vest.
• Lufei: 15 pounds on each leg, 50 on her body.
• Maxius: 20 pounds on each wing, 15 on each leg.
They were already grumbling under their breath.
Fan Yumei walked into the kitchen, Lufei and Maxius trotting behind her. She blinked when she saw the lights were already on.
[3:27 A.M.]
Her parents were both up.
Ka Sanni was plating food. Several boxes were stacked neatly on the counter. Fan Yumei guessed the extras were for Jin Minhe, Kai Shi, Min Zhao, and Zhou Qian—and their beasts.
Fan Yangwei spotted Fan Yumei first and gave the new family head greeting salute. "Greetings to the Family Head. And good morning to my sweet girl," he said warmly, palm extended forward.
Fan Yumei, still not fully used to this, touched Fan Yangwei's palm back in acknowledgment and blessing.
Just behind her, Ka Sanni stopped what she was doing and gave a similar salute. Fan Yumei stepped forward and touched her mother's palm as well—signifying mutual recognition.
Ka Sanni smiled gently. "No, we're used to the noise. You used to be a lot louder. This is an upgrade."
Just then, Mystic floated by the kitchen window and blew in a light puff of cloud. It dispersed right on Ka Sanni's face.
Both mother and daughter burst into laughter.
"I think she's telling you to hurry up and feed her," Fan Yangwei said with a chuckle.
Ka Sanni glared playfully at the cloud beast, who gave an exaggerated body shake before floating away.
"Hurry up and feed your beasts and leave before you're late to training," Ka Sanni said with a huff.
"Mom, don't be that way," Fan Yumei laughed, gathering up the boxes of food and placing them into her spatial pouch.
Then she laid down Lufei and Maxius's plates and got to work on her homemade vitamins and energy bars.
Ka Sanni tilted her head, clearly curious. "What are those? Homemade treats?"
Fan Yumei nodded. "They're beast energy bars and vitamins. These are for Lufei and Maxius—packed with qi and soul nutrients. Mystic's are a bit different. I added some cloud essence and star herbs. We found a patch of cloud berries while hunting for meat last night."
Fan Yangwei perked up. "Oh? What kind of meat did you use? Was the hotpot good?"
"Yeah," Fan Yumei grinned. "We got a few one- and two-star magical beasts. Mystic helped us score a three-star wolf beast too. Its meat was gamy, but once I marinated it and slow-roasted with sauce… chef's kiss."
They all chuckled. Fan Yumei then went outside and put Mystic's flipper weights on—four in total, each with its own strap. Then she pulled out Mystic's massive bowl and dropped in half a two-star fish beast.
Mystic gave a delighted spin in midair.
Fan Yumei patted her head. "Eat fast. Stretch. When I activate the weights, we're adjusting mid-run. Then we're heading to the Academy dorms to pick up the crew."
Mystic gobbled it all up.
Fan Yumei activated the rune-sealed weights. The pressure dropped instantly. All four of them stumbled a bit.
She gave a long, sharp whistle. They gathered up.
Jogging laps through the village, rain misting their faces. By the time they returned to the house, they were already adjusting to the weight increase.
They stretched one last time, said their goodbyes, and left.
[3:47 A.M.]
Fan Yumei ripped open a teleportation scroll.
"Destination: Federation Academy Dorms."
Mystic soared upward, wings cutting through the air as Fan Yumei held Lufei and Maxius perched on her shoulder.
Within seconds, they reached the dormitories.
Mystic hovered beside each window of the four dorm rooms—one by one.
Fan Yumei tapped the window.
Chaos erupted.
"AHHHH! WHAT IS THAT?!"
"Ancestor help me!! I said I was sorry! I won't skip morning prayers again!"
"OH MY GOSH A MONSTER—"
"I knew it!! My mom was right! Staying up all night playing holo-console games would fry my brain! Yukon, bro! Help! I'm seeing floating whales!!"
Fan Yumei cackled silently.
By [4:05 A.M.], the four targets—Jin Minhe, Kai Shi, Zhou Qian (the girl), and Min Zhao—were lined up sleepily, barely functioning. They all swayed like zombies, half asleep, trying not to tip over.
Fan Yumei handed them each a breakfast box.
"Eat. You'll need it."
Mystic created a staircase of clouds. They climbed up, yawning and groaning as they sat in a circle.
Fan Yumei pulled out her notes.
"Training from now on will be structured. You'll train like me, with me. These weights—" she pulled out a few spares— "are yours now. No refusals."
Everyone groaned.
She tapped Mystic's back. "Let's move out. Wild zone. Behind my dome house. Outer city skirts."
They all froze.
Oh no.
As Mystic flew them out toward the forest edge, Fan Yumei pulled out her tactic journal—a beat-up black book full of notes, strategies, and formations. Her so-called "evil spell book."
Even the beasts perked up nervously.
Then she snapped it shut.
She stared directly at them.
Every single one of them jolted straight. Eyes wide. Back rigid.
Fan Yumei's voice was low and fierce.
"Are you ready?"
Silence.
"I don't want to hear whining. No crying. You work hard. You grow strong. You push, you thrive. Turn pain into power. No excuses. No exceptions."
They all shouted:
"No excuses, no exceptions!!"
She smirked.
Then she pointed down. "Why are you just standing there looking dazed?"
They blinked at her, dazed.
"Put on your weights and let's get moving! You're burning the morning oil."
They stared at her like she was the devil incarnate.
What had they gotten themselves into?