At the training grounds, a young boy around his age was already there swinging a wooden sword, focused, serious, clearly from a knightly family. Kyle had seen him around but never spoke to him.
Kyle grabbed a wooden blade too.
He tried his usual stance…but something felt wrong.
Off-balance. Awkward. Almost childish.
"This is how I always trained… so why does it feel wrong?"
He let out a slow breath.
"Fine… let's try something else."
He relaxed his grip.
Let his shoulders loose.
Let his mind empty.
And then
He moved.
Fast. Smooth. Effortless.
His body flowed like it had known this for decades—not years.
Every swing was cutting through the air with precision. Every step was silent. Every motion was instinct.
The boy training nearby froze and narrowed his eyes.
"What technique is that…?" mumbled the boy. as he activated Aura Sense to gauge Kyle's mana levels.
And what he saw made him step back in shock.
An aura...
snow-white
vast
overwhelming
radiated from Kyle like a rising storm.
Kyle didn't even notice. He was too lost in the rhythm, blade dancing in his hands with an elegance he couldn't explain.
The boy stared, heart racing, he had finally found someone who could give him a challenge.
"That's… the style of a master swordsman. But he's… my age?"
Kyle finally stopped, exhaling slowly, a new confidence settling across his face.
Not the timid boy from yesterday.
His posture was straight. His eyes sharp. His voice deeper, steady.
The mana had changed him.
The boy stepped forward.
"You. Spar with me."
Kyle raised a brow, smirking a hint of pride he had never shown before.
"Are you sure? I won't hold back."
The boy swallowed. He could feel it.
This wasn't some servant kid anymore.
This was a prodigy waking up.
Kyle tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
"Alright then," he said, tone cool and confident. "Let's see what you've got."