A lot of good things happened four days ago.

  The blessing of the river. Not to mention the System, of course. And whatever it was that the Great Regent did to my senses.

  Whatever it was, it enhanced my perception of the world around me.

  The air felt lighter, the colors a bit more vibrant.

  My body reacted faster, my mind absorbed patterns with a crity I had never had before.

  It was as if a curtain had been removed from my eyes.

  But that...

  Didn't mean I was close to reaching those above me.

  — Continue.

  My instructor's tone was neutral, but there was a subtle demand in his voice.

  He wouldn't repeat the order. I knew that.

  My instructor was one of the cn's elite soldiers, Rein Velnore.

  He was a man who mastered fencing as if it were a natural extension of his body.

  Not as good as my mother. But good nonetheless.

  — You can do better, can't you?

  His sharp gaze examined every movement of mine. He caught every mistake, every hesitation, every slip-up.

  It was like a damn camera.

  — Remember the basics, young master — Rein stated. — Focus on the beginning. Not the end.

  Earlier, we had spent a long time on the fundamentals.

  Thrusts.

  Defenses.

  Guard transitions.

  Repetitive movements until they became automatic. But now...

  Now it was real combat.

  Even taking it easy, Rein was still superior. Unreachable.

  My rapier sliced through the air, searching for an angle, an opening—anything. But his bde was always there, ready to intercept.

  My mind processed the attacks, my body reacted without me needing to think. The System, my enhanced senses—all of that helped.

  But it wasn't enough.

  He was fast. Not the kind that disappeared from sight, but the kind that made every move seem inevitable.

  A thrust. I dodged by a hair.

  A diagonal cut. My legs moved instinctively backward.

  A bde spin. My body twisted to the side, avoiding the strike at the st moment.

  But all I could do was avoid.

  No space for a counterattack. No openings. I was like a leaf in the wind, just being pushed back.

  And then—

  —I lost my bance.

  It was a subtle mistake.

  My feet, my damn footwork.

  Rein slid to the side, his rapier tracing a low arc. I tried to retreat, but my base wavered—weak, unstable.

  The impact came before I could correct it.

  My guard was broken. My body spun.

  And then, the ground came rushing toward me.

  The shock ran up my spine as I fell on my back, my breath leaving me in a sharp gasp.

  Silence filled the space between us. Only the sound of metal returning to its sheath echoed through the hall.

  — Your technique is refined for your age.

  Rein stepped back, his eyes still impassive.

  — But until you learn to use your feet properly, you'll never be able to face a real opponent.

  I knew that.

  It had been three years since I started training.

  Since I was five, my mother had put me to learn the fencing used by the other members of the Velnore family.

  But the technique of the direct heirs...

  She said it wasn't yet time for me to learn it.

  The Velnore family's fencing technique was built around absolute precision.

  No extravagant movements or unnecessary gestures.

  Each attack, each defense, each guard transition was refined to the extreme—designed to be fast, lethal, efficient.

  And, deep down, the principle was the same for the direct heirs of the house.

  But the difference...

  Was in the essence.

  The cultivation method. The flow of mana that permeated the strikes. The way the attacks were named and coordinated in specific sequences.

  I still knew nothing of this.

  I only followed what was allowed to me.

  The common technique of the Velnore family.

  And, apparently, I wasn't even executing that properly.

  — You think fast, but you still move slowly.

  Rein's voice cut through the silence, dragging me back to the present.

  I was still on the floor.

  I let out a short sigh before pushing myself up, forcing my muscles to ignore the pain. My rapier made a soft clink as I sheathed it.

  — I did my best.

  — And it wasn't bad.

  Rein crossed his arms, his eyes still analyzing me from head to toe.

  — But fighting like that is like trying to hit an enemy in the dark. You need to feel the flow of the battle. Anticipate.

  He took a step back, gesturing with one hand.

  — Go on. Execute a thrust.

  I swallowed and nodded, taking my stance.

  The sound of steel slicing through the air filled the room as I advanced, the tip of my bde extending straight ahead.

  Rein didn't even need to move.

  — Too te.

  He pointed to my feet.

  — Your step was hesitant. You thought before attacking. But in a real fight, you don't have that luxury.

  I clenched my fists for a moment.

  I knew that.

  But hearing it like this made it seem like I was at the level of a beginner.

  — Again.

  I performed the strike again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Rein simply observed.

  — You need to find the bance between precision and instinct.

  — It's hard when you correct me every time I try something new. — I murmured.

  He let out a small sound of derision.

  — Better to be corrected now than to die ter.

  I didn't have time to respond.

  From outside the training room, a sound echoed down the hall.

  Firm knocks.

  Rein turned his head slightly before sighing.

  — Looks like my presence is required.

  The door opened, revealing one of the house's butlers.

  — The Mistress is waiting for you in her office, Master Rein.

  Rein didn't hesitate. He just gave me one st look before turning away.

  — Keep practicing. If your feet fail, your body will fail with it.

  And then, he was gone.

  Silence hung in the hall.

  My body was still warm from the fight, my mind buzzing with every detail I should have gotten right.

  I took a deep breath.

  — Bolster Up.

  A translucent screen materialized in front of me.

  [Mission Avaible]

  [Name: The Way of the Swordsman]

  [Description: The Velnore family's fencing is built on solid foundations. To advance, you must master them completely.]

  [Objective: Execute 300 thrusts, 300 side cuts, 300 guard transitions, and perfect your movement base.]

  [Rewards: Title Acquisition; 2 stat points; ???]

  I stared at the words for a moment.

  This is going to take a while.

  I let out a long sigh before speaking again:

  — Bolster, show me Rein's movements.

  This time, the response came with an almost teasing tone.

  [Is that all?]

  I furrowed my brow.

  — What do you mean?

  [I can go further. Not just your memories of the fight, but also the scrolls you've read about the technique. Cross-referencing all this information.]

  A second of silence.

  [Do you want me to do that?]

  I blinked.

  How did I not think of that...?

  Is that... possible?

  The idea of seeing Rein's movements combined with theoretical knowledge gave me a strange shiver down my spine.

  But at the same time...

  It was exactly what I needed.

  I clenched my fists.

  — Do it.

  The screen flickered for a moment.

  And then—

  A hologram began to form in the center of the hall.

  A translucent figure appeared, its rapier moving through the air with a precision that made the very space seem to tremble.

  The Velnore Technique.

  Perfectly executed. No errors at all.

  It was like watching the theory book unfold (however strange that sounded).

  This time, I would see every detail.