The morning light struggled to pierce through the narrow windows of Leo's workspace, casting long shadows over the stacks of freshly drawn manuscript pages. On his desk, the system interface hummed softly with active notifications.
[System Notification: Sync Points Accumulated — 1,200 SP]
[Reader Sync Threshold Reached: 5% Resonance in Tétouan District]
[Unlocking Chapter Concept: The Pirate Hunter's Oath]
Leo stretched his shoulders, feeling the low hum of Conqueror's Haki circulating beneath his ribs. It wasn't full-fledged intimidation yet, but his physical presence had noticeably shifted. The subtle pressure in his aura was enough to make the ambient mana in the room bend away from him whenever he focused.
Across the district, inside the training courtyard of the Local Guard, an iron sword clattered heavily against the stone floor.
"Again!" shouted Captain Kael, wiping sweat from his forehead as he faced his younger brother, Ren. "Your form is sloppy, Ren. You rely too much on basic fire runes. If an enemy closes the distance, your magic is useless."
Ren retrieved his practice blade, his knuckles white against the hilt. He wasn't thinking about fire runes or guild martial techniques. His mind was entirely fixed on the double-page spread he had read late last night in Leo's manuscript—the image of a green-haired swordsman wielding three blades, standing unyielding against impossible odds.
Three Swords Style... Three paths of momentum, Ren thought, recalling the precise cross-hatched linework that illustrated the sword trajectory.
Without activating a single spell circle, Ren shifted his stance lower, placing his weight onto his back foot. He swung his iron blade in a sharp, concentrated arc that mimicked the flow of the manga panel. A sudden burst of compressed air whipped off the edge of his sword, leaving a shallow gouge in the stone wall three paces away.
Captain Kael froze, staring at the mark on the stone. "What spell was that? There was no mana invocation."
Ren looked at his own trembling hands, a wide grin breaking across his face. "That wasn't magic, Captain. That was technique."
Back in his workshop, Leo smiled as the system interface flashed green.
[System Alert: Secondary Character 'Ren' Has Intuited 'Flying Slash' Concept]
[Feedback Bonus: +300 Sync Points Granted]
Before Leo could celebrate, a heavy, rhythmic knock echoed against his reinforced oak door. The magical ward he had placed on the entrance hummed in warning, sensing a high concentration of refined arcane energy waiting outside.