Kaseun was a cool-headed man who kept his word. Yuda didn’t know what he had misunderstood, but it felt like he had enlisted in the army and stepped straight into boot camp. Like a drill sergeant in a black cap, Kaseun worked him hard on the training ground, showing him firsthand that hell wasn’t so far away.
If it had not been for the stamina he had built up over time, he might have collapsed on the training ground with tongue hanging out.
Kaseun’s lessons lasted three hours a day. That might sound short, but from the person going through it, it felt endless.
The first hour was warm-ups, starting with laps around the field until his stamina was drained. The second hour was all about the sword. At first, he just repeated simple movements. Downward strikes, slashes, upward cuts. But over time, Yuda began to understand why.
His sword’s path wasn’t clean. If he imagined drawing a line through the air, it wobbled and strayed.
Reality wasn’t like a game. His body couldn’t keep up with his mind. It was natural, but it still left a sour feeling.
Still, the traits 〈1 Lord’s Blessing〉 and 〈Warrior’s Spirit〉, plus the buff from gazing at Yophiel’s statue at the cathedral, helped him grow faster than others. After two weeks, he could finally draw clean lines in all eight directions. Seeing that, Kaseun called it talent and pushed him even harder. But it paid off. Yuda could feel the clear difference that came from having a proper mentor.
He was exhausted, but his skills improved every day. After the grueling three hours, he’d head home, rest a bit, then go up to the second floor to practice dual-wielding alone, using shadow sorcery to craft weapons.
As a shadow magic swordsman, his skill traits required him to hold a dagger in a reverse grip in his left hand, and a longsword or bastard sword in his right. It wasn’t efficient without decent strength and agility, but it was necessary to maximize the skill’s effects. He wasn’t dual-wielding just to look cool.
Every day followed the same rhythm. Whenever he had time, he trained. Even when there wasn’t a particular reason, he moved just to fend off boredom. And strangely enough, training all day caused one stat to rise more than expected:
[You operated mana relentlessly every day. The efficiency was downright brutish, but it still worked. Mana rose by 6.]
[Through endless stamina training, strength and stamina stats each rose by 5. But it seems further basic training alone won’t yield more stat increases.]
One year. An entire year. He hadn’t raised his level once, but his stats had grown impressively.
Oddly, even though this world was real, seeing a stat increase still felt like scoring rare loot in a game. The joy of it was hard to describe. Hoping to gain even a little more, he trained alone on the second floor once again.
That floor had two rooms, and one was completely emptied out. He used it to swing swords in the air every day. With no one watching, there was no hesitation.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, he activated his skill.
─Shadow Sorcery (邪法)
──Form 4, Lesser Black Gear Crafting
As his mana drained, black energy rose from his hands like a haze.
It gathered, forming a longsword and a dagger. He imagined an enemy in front of him, the mercenary he had killed three years ago which was the the clearest image he could summon. Taking a stance, he swung.
Whoosh!
The axe that had once come crashing down beside his bed now blocked the attack in his mind. He practiced the movement—how to swing naturally, how to follow up with a counter.
Not enough.
But lately, this training wasn’t doing it for him. His stats hadn’t moved in over a month.
It wasn’t getting him anywhere anymore. He sweated buckets, but when things felt off, he couldn’t even focus.
The image of the mercenary blurred, then vanished entirely.
“Ha…”
Frustration turned into a long sigh. He had knowledge of shadow swordsmanship and sorcery etched into his mind, but no one to test it against. He couldn’t risk revealing it to others either. Well, there was one option.
“…Should I head outside the city?”
South of Serenia, white and black wolves fought over territory. The west was crawling with monsters. The north led to the knightly land of Philoria. Given his age and skills, the east or south were his best bets for real experience.
He let the mana go, releasing the longsword and dagger. They crumbled like melting snow, dissolving into the air.
Thinking he should shower, he headed downstairs, stretching out his stiff muscles. That’s when he noticed something moving near the window.
“Hm?”
The blinds were drawn, but sunlight cast a thick shadow through them. A rustling noise followed.
A thief?
But no thief would be that obvious. Maybe kids again, like last year?
He approached and lifted the blinds—
“!”
Two faces appeared immediately, making him freeze. Two kids clung to the window frame. One was a blond boy with a handsome face, the other a girl with unusual pink-tinged hair. The boy knocked like he wanted in.
Kain Sabnak?
The grandson of Kaseun Sabnak, and the one who would later be chosen by the Temple as Gabriel’s Sword. In other words, the hero tasked with retrieving the fragments of Fernlern in this world
And the protagonist of the game I made.
Yuda had seen him a few times at the mansion so he could recognize him. Since when had he been here?
Kain grinned brightly, knocking again. The girl beside him looked like she was about to fall, frowning in panic. After a brief pause, Yuda wiped sweat from his forehead and opened the window.
Kain vaulted inside with a cheerful “Up-cha!” Landing lightly, he dusted off his hands and looked around.
“Wow, this is your house? It’s clean. Totally different from the mansion.”
“…Help me, Kain.”
The girl clung to the window frame, her face on the verge of tears. Kain ignored her and wandered in—still wearing shoes, which made Yuda’s eye twitch. But before saying anything, Kain helped the girl in first.
“Thanks.”
Relieved, she climbed over and sent Kain a resentful look before stepping forward. Yuda blocked her.
“Why?”
“Shoes. Take them off. You too.”
They looked confused, then noticed his bare feet. After a beat, they nodded, removed their shoes, and placed them by the door. They seemed amused walking barefoot. Yuda wiped where they’d stepped and faced them.
They’d passed each other often over the past three years, but this was their first real conversation.
“What did you come for?”
If they had a reason, they would’ve knocked. Why the window?
“Hmm, wanted to duel with you?”
Kain grinned mischievously. Not what Yuda had expected.
He thought it might be an errand, or simple curiosity—but dueling?
It was so out of left field, he didn’t know how to respond.
“I heard from Grandpa. You’re getting good with a sword, huh?”
“…What?”
“I wasn’t that interested before, but Grandpa kept praising you. Hearing that made me want to fight you, so here I am. How about it—wanna duel?”
Yuda stared. Kain met his eyes without hesitation. Clear eyes. Hard to believe they could be so direct.
As expected of the hero chosen by the oracle.
Or maybe he was just a kid, unburdened by doubt.
“Why? Don’t want to?”
Kain tilted his head at Yuda’s silence.
Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Moments ago, he had craved a proper dueling partner. So why hesitate.
It felt like he was saying all that with just a look. …He might not be able to try out Shadow Swordsmanship, but gaining experience through dueling was certainly valuable. Yes, in fact, this kind of situation was something to be welcomed.
“…Alright. Let’s do it.”
“Oh! Then let’s go to my place! Grandpa’s out, so we can duel in secret!”
Kain dashed back to the window and hopped out. Why he used the window when the door was right there, Yuda had no clue. The girl didn’t seem to get it either. She sighed.
“What an idiot… Should’ve known when he suggested this.”
Now that Kain was gone, Yuda took a better look at her.
“Riel! I didn’t bring my shoes! I’ll wait by the door!”
Kain’s voice rang from outside.
“Then why did you go out the window in the first place?!”
Grumbling, she frowned. A cute girl with distinct light pink hair. Probably wouldn’t grow into a world-shaking beauty, but would definitely be considered pretty. And despite her petite frame, Yuda could feel faint mana from her.
A mage?
She said her name was Riel. He remembered now.
The first companion NPC. Kain Sabnak’s childhood friend. Riel, from the Rangritsa Magic Tower.
She starts as a D-rank mage when leaving Serenia, but by the end, she becomes an A-rank tower master—one of the strongest allies. Many players saw her as essential early on.
Noticing his gaze, she turned and glared.
“What? Something on me?”
“No. Just wondering if you’d also leave by the window.”
“Don’t lump me in with that idiot! Climbing in with a skirt was already humiliating!”
Puffing out her cheeks in genuine irritation, she made a face. Yuda chuckled.
“I’m Yuda.”
“…I’m Riel.”
After a moment, Kain’s voice called again, urging them to hurry.
Riel tugged Yuda’s sleeve.
“I said it earlier, right? Let’s go out normally. Through the door. The door!”
* * *
──────────────────────────────
Tip 7: A Spirit Sword means adding a blade of mana over a weapon’s edge—like a sword, spear, or arrow. For warriors, this is basic, just like strengthening the body.
However, regular mana blades only boost durability and sharpness. They can’t be projected.
A Spirit Sword is different. Vivid in color and powerful enough to break city gates when launched. It’s not just a glow, it’s a weapon. Strong enough to slice rocks like tofu.
Those who can wield such blades are honored with the title: Spirit Sword Bearer.
「Status Window」
[Name: Yuda Arshe]
[Title: None]
[Level: 4]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman(Hidden_A)]
[Revival Count: 1]
[Strength: 32(D) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 31(D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 27(D) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 37(C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 51(B) / Potential S]
[Knowledge: 13(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 79(B) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 3]
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s notes***
A Spirit Sword Bearer is just a swordmaster.
Anyway, guys, why are you doing this to me!
I swear, I’m a rookie!
This is my first time writing in the fusion genre, okay?
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