The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky as the Phantom Force team practiced intensely on the field. The air was thick with sweat, focus, and determination. Everyone was pushing themselves, preparing for the upcoming semi-finals. Amidst the organized chaos, Jim suddenly paused mid-drill, wiping his brow and frowning slightly.
"I don't have much control over my dino sprite… Something's missing," Jim thought to himself.
The realization hit him hard., his fierce dinosaur sprite, was powerful — but unpredictable. Jim knew he couldn't afford to enter the semifinals without sharpening his skills.
He approached Coach Tenjo with a determined look.
"Coach… I want to visit my village for a few days. I want to spend some time with my grandpa."
Tenjo glanced at him, raising a brow. "Your grandpa, huh? Semi-finals are just five days away, Jim."
"I know. I'll be back in four days," Jim promised, hiding the real reason behind the request. What he didn't say was that he was planning to secretly visit Master Kenzo — the same mysterious man who had helped him gain control of Ravyn during his last slump.
Tenjo sighed, then nodded. "Alright. Don't waste time."
As Jim packed his bag later that evening, Volt watched him with narrowed eyes. Something didn't feel right. Jim was acting strangely familiar — the same way he had acted just before he returned as a completely different player the last time.
Volt ran to Alex, who was sipping water calmly.
"Hey, Alex! Something suspicious is going on again. I think Jim is going for some secret training," Volt whispered. "Last time he said he was going to his village… and came back like a monster! Improved basics, full sprite control... and he couldn't even awaken Ravyn on command before!"
Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I mean seriously! Who helped him fix his flaws? That kind of sprite control — even better than us! Better than anyone in the club!" Volt continued, animated.
Alex finally responded calmly, "Control your imagination. He probably realized his mistakes when he failed last time and corrected them."
Volt folded his arms. "Exactly! And who made him realize those mistakes? That's what I'm saying. Someone's helping him, and he's hiding it!"
Alex stayed quiet for a moment. Then nodded slowly. "Your point has weight. Let's go with him."
The next morning, just as Jim was about to leave, Alex and Volt blocked his way.
"Hey Jim, we were getting bored with this training, so we want to come with you to your village," Volt said with a grin.
Alex threw a light punch at Volt's head. "Idiot. Don't say training."
Jim blinked. "Training?"
"Oh—I mean—we just want to get some fresh village air and spend time together," Volt corrected himself quickly.
Jim looked cornered. "No. Never. My grandpa is full of anger. He won't accept strangers. I can't take you."
Volt leaned closer to Alex and whispered, "See? He's hiding something."
Alex nodded. "Yes. You're right."
Coach Tenjo walked over, overhearing them.
"If they want to spend time with you, let them go with you to the village," he said simply.
Jim sighed. "Okay, Coach. If you say so… they can come."
Volt jumped in excitement. "Yeah!"
As they traveled to the village, Volt turned to Jim again.
"So… what kind of training are we gonna do there?" he asked slyly.
"Training?" Jim said innocently.
Alex leaned forward. "Don't act like you know nothing. Everyone knows you were missing for five days. And when you returned, you were completely transformed. You weren't the same guy we grew up with."
Jim chuckled quietly. "So you caught me…"
He stopped walking for a moment, turning to them. "Actually, you're right. I was training with someone — a truly amazing person."
Volt shouted, "SEE?! I was right!!"
Alex remained composed. "Yes. You were."
They finally reached the hidden mountain village. Master Kenzo was standing at the edge of his small dojo, arms crossed, his sharp eyes watching them approach.
Kenzo's voice echoed. "What do you want now? And who are they?"
Jim smiled nervously. "They're my friends. They want to train with me."
Kenzo gave them a long, hard stare. "I need 2000 yen."
All three of them were shocked.
But then Kenzo smirked. "That was a joke."
Volt groaned. "That was such a boring joke…"
The training began.