Dame and Kenji stared at Van in awe, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Dude, that was insane!" Dame exclaimed, slapping his best friend on the back.
"Yeah," Kenji added, limping slightly as he walked toward them, clearly still injured. "If I didn't know any better... I would've thought you were an aetherbrid too."
Then suddenly—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Well done, young ones."
A familiar voice echoed through the grand hall.
Mr. Lee emerged from the shadows, his hands still clapping, with a stern-looking man trailing behind him carrying a first aid kit.
"Mr. Lee?" Van turned to him, still trying to make sense of what just happened. "Did you... know about this?"
"Hehe... sorry about everything," Mr. Lee said, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "Let's just say this was... a little evaluation test."
"You call that a little test?" Dame scoffed, half-annoyed, half-impressed. "That thing was strong! I swear, it felt like it was being controlled when it went into Level 2!"
"Indeed," Mr. Lee nodded. "I was controlling it. But rest assured, the Mechaman wasn't set to kill mode. If things ever got too dangerous, I would've stepped in immediately."
"He's right," Kenji said, finally catching his breath. "That robot wasn't trying to kill us... It was testing us. Measuring our combat level."
Kenji turned to Van and Dame, his expression serious.
In a low, uneasy tone, he muttered, "He saw me use my powers…"
Van and Dame froze, swallowing hard. Their eyes darted to Mr. Lee, who remained calm, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Hahaha… relax," Mr. Lee chuckled, folding his arms behind his back. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you this isn't the first time I've seen someone like you, Kenji."
Kenji narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying… you know about the Aetherbrid?"
Mr. Lee's smile deepened, his gaze sharpening as he took a step forward.
"I know far more than you think," he said, voice calm yet laced with weight.
"The fact that you're an offspring of an alien and a human… is only the beginning."
Mr. Lee's voice echoed through the training hall, calm yet rich with hidden truths.
"Many years ago," he began, walking slowly across the polished floor, "beings from different worlds—aliens, if you will—came to Earth. Some arrived by accident, others for exploration, research, or even exile."
He paused, turning to face the trio, his eyes filled with distant memories.
"But what none of them anticipated… was how deeply they would bond with the humans here."
Van and Dame leaned in, captivated. Kenji's brows furrowed, listening intently.
"Through these unexpected unions, a new generation was born," Mr. Lee continued, his tone shifting slightly, "a race neither fully human nor alien… but something entirely unique. They came to be known as the Aetherbrid."
He raised a finger, as though tracing destiny in the air.
"Depending on the genetic traits passed down, some Aetherbrid awaken special gifts—enhanced strength, elemental affinity, speed beyond human limits, even control over forces beyond comprehension."
His gaze settled on Kenji.
"You are one of them."
A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the soft hum of power vibrating in the walls of the ancient hall. A new truth had just reshaped everything they thought they knew.
Mr. Lee paused, his hands folded behind his back, his eyes reflecting the weight of the truths he was about to unfold.
Then, with a quiet breath, he continued.
"Although your kind is powerful—genetically superior to the average human—you Aetherbrid are not all the same. You are divided into four primary classifications based on potential and awakened traits."
He raised one finger.
"The Blue Aetherbrid. Though they possess enhanced abilities, they are considered the weakest tier. However, on rare occasions, a Blue can surpass even a Red, depending on unique genetic triggers or intense emotional awakenings."
Another finger rose.
"The Yellow Aetherbrid. Far stronger than Blues—these ones stand out. They possess growth potential. Evolution. Their abilities can transform into stronger versions, and sometimes... they gain entirely new powers."
He lifted a third finger.
"Then we have the Red Aetherbrid." His voice dropped an octave. "These are the rare titans among your kind. It is said a single Red could lay waste to entire cities, even planets, if left unchecked. Their energy burns hotter than the sun, and few survive an enraged Red."
Finally, he raised a fourth.
"And then… the White Aetherbrid." His tone reverent now, almost like he was invoking a legend. "The pinnacle. Beings so powerful they can challenge gods themselves. They are called Godslayers. Capable of obliterating galaxies, shaping dimensions with a thought… They are myths to some, warnings to others. But I've seen one… once."
Kenji staggered back slightly, his breath caught in his chest, the weight of the revelation crashing into him.
"H-How… how do you know all this?" he asked, his voice low, laced with awe and disbelief.
Mr. Lee turned, his expression unreadable, a shadow flickering across his face.
Mr. Lee gave a soft chuckle, the kind that echoed with secrets long buried and truths too vast for the average mind.
"Because I have a son… who is an Aetherbrid," he said calmly, his gaze distant, as if lost in memories of a different world.
Van's eyes widened. He took a step back, the weight of the revelation settling in his chest like a boulder.
"That means you... that means... you're—"
The pieces clicked together in his mind—Mr. Lee's impossible speed, his monstrous strength, the aura that didn't feel human in the slightest. No wonder he could destroy Mechamans with a mere flick of his hand.
"An alien," Mr. Lee finished for him, a knowing smile curving his lips.
Kenai bloodlines trace back to an Otherworlder origin. That's what gives you your speed... your heightened senses... your healing factor."
Dame let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair, his eyes still locked on Mr. Lee in disbelief.
"Man... and here I thought a human-sized robot trying to kill us was the craziest part of my day," he muttered.
He shook his head with a half-laugh, half-groan.
"But nope—this takes the cake. An alien mentor, alien hybrids, power classifications, and godslayers? This has to be, without a doubt, the craziest thing I've ever heard in my entire life."
Van nodded slowly, still processing, while Kenji remained silent—his expression unreadable, but his mind racing.
Mr. Lee chuckled, folding his hands behind his back as he turned toward the large hall's inner sanctum.
"There's a lot you boys don't know yet. But soon... you'll understand."