Chapter 6: To Persevere Is to Learn, To Bleed Is to Grow
Rael watched curiously as his Sensei hammered a weapon inside the forge with flawless precision.
The fire danced around the man like living flames, illuminating the countless weapons embedded throughout the field.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Each strike echoed like thunder across the silent plains.
'Is this man actually real… or just something created by the Tower?' Rael wondered.
'And if he is real… why would someone like him stay in a place like this?'
Oddly enough, calling him Sensei no longer felt strange.
"Sensei," Rael finally spoke, breaking the rhythm of the hammering. "Can you explain this floor to me? I thought I'd be fighting monsters or something. This is… different."
"The Tower decides your challenge," the man replied calmly. "Never trust your expectations."
He continued forging for a moment before speaking again.
"As for this floor… you could call it my hobby."
"Hobby?" Rael blinked in confusion.
"Yes." The man's gaze remained fixed on the glowing metal. "The Tower granted me this floor as a form of privilege. Here, I can forge without interference. No politics. No wars. No disturbances from the outside world."
He paused briefly.
"But in exchange, I must fulfill certain obligations."
"I see…" Rael murmured quietly.
So this place was real.
Everything here existed beyond illusion.
"Yes," Sensei continued, as if reading his thoughts. "But this body is not my true self. What you see before you is merely an avatar."
Rael's curiosity deepened immediately, but before he could ask another question—
"We should begin your training."
A chill ran down his spine.
"What exactly am I supposed to do?"
Sensei turned toward him fully for the first time.
"At present, you are nothing more than a weak mortal."
His words were blunt.
"If you remain like this, your death is inevitable."
Rael silently clenched his fists.
"First, you will strengthen your body."
"Then you will learn how to use Eternium."
The pressure in the air became heavier.
"Before we begin…" Sensei's expression hardened slightly. "Understand this clearly."
"This training will not be gentle."
"You will bleed."
"Your bones may break."
"You will suffer."
"But all of it is necessary."
His dead gray eyes locked onto Rael.
"If you wish to abandon this path, I will allow you to leave this floor alive and return to your ordinary life."
"But if you choose to continue…"
A faint glimmer appeared within those exhausted eyes.
"…then do not give up halfway."
Rael hesitated.
Memories surfaced within his mind.
His parents.
His grandmother lying unconscious in the hospital.
The years of helplessness.
The fear.
The anger.
And finally—
'Promise me you'll keep moving forward, Rael.'
His grandmother's voice echoed within him.
Rael slowly tightened his fists.
Then raised his head.
"I'm ready."
—
—
[First Person — Sakura]
"Eternium?" I repeated curiously while sitting across from Sensei in the center of the library.
"Correct."
She lazily crossed her legs while floating books circled around us.
"Eternium is the primordial mystical energy permeating existence itself."
"Those who manipulate it can distort reality and transcend conventional laws of physics."
I listened more attentively than ever before.
For the first time in my life…
I genuinely wanted to learn.
"Those who master Eternium are called Weavers," she continued.
"Weavers shape reality itself by transforming 'what is not' into 'what is.'"
I frowned slightly.
"What does that even mean?"
A faint smile formed on her lips.
"It means they turn lies into truth."
She snapped her fingers.
Several blazing fireballs instantly materialized around her.
My eyes widened.
"Incredible… It's just like magic from the movies!"
I instinctively moved closer, fascinated, but Sensei immediately stopped me.
"These flames did not exist a moment ago," she explained calmly.
"They existed only within my thoughts."
"And through Eternium… I forced reality to acknowledge them."
Then—
She snapped her fingers once more.
The world distorted.
The endless library vanished.
Suddenly, we stood within a vast green plain beneath an endless sky.
Without warning, the fireballs shot toward distant boulders.
BOOM!
The massive rocks disappeared in an explosion of heat and light.
I stared speechlessly at the destruction.
"Incredible…"
"There are countless forms of mystical energy throughout existence," Sensei explained while approaching me. "But most are merely derivatives of Eternium."
"Different species possess different affinities."
"Others gain abilities through mutations, contracts, or external forces."
She stopped directly before me.
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"So tell me, little one…"
"Are you prepared to become a Weaver?"
Her voice became colder.
"Because once you begin this path…"
"…there is no turning back."
For a moment, her gaze felt genuinely terrifying.
As though she would kill me herself if I failed.
I swallowed nervously.
But strangely enough—
I also felt excited.
"I… accept."
—
—
[Rael POV]
"AAAGH!"
Pain exploded through my muscles as I struggled to continue.
At this point, I had already lost count of how many exercises Sensei forced me to do.
Right now, I was doing push-ups with several massive weights stacked on my back.
"One hundred and six…"
My arms trembled violently.
Sweat poured down my body.
Sensei had already explained the basics of Eternium manipulation earlier.
And honestly…
It sounded suspiciously similar to the powers those awakened humans used back on my world.
What surprised me most, however, was my own body.
Ever since becoming a Trailblazer, my physical capabilities had increased dramatically.
"Well done," Sensei said calmly while casually adding another weight onto my back.
"You're adapting quickly."
[The environment of this floor appears specifically designed to accelerate physical refinement and recovery]
'Wonderful,' I thought bitterly.
'That just means he can torture me more efficiently.'
After what felt like an eternity—
My arms finally gave out.
I collapsed face-first onto the ground.
'One hundred and eighty-seven…'
I breathed heavily.
'Only eight hundred and thirteen more until one thousand.'
'No big deal.'
"Rest briefly," Sensei said.
"We'll begin the next session shortly."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Eh?! That wasn't enough for today?!"
"No."
His answer came instantly.
"You will recover far faster here than outside the Tower. This level of training is merely the beginning."
I wanted to cry.
Instead, I simply sighed in defeat.
—
"We'll now train posture, balance, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand combat."
"Prepare yourself."
—
Over the next several hours, I learned how to properly hold a sword.
How to throw a punch.
How to shift my footing.
How to maintain balance.
How to breathe correctly.
And for every mistake—
Sensei forced me to repeat the exercise dozens of times.
Sometimes while striking me directly.
That was when I truly realized the difference between us.
Even while restricting himself to my level…
I couldn't touch him even once.
—
Several hours later—
Slash!
I swung my sword desperately toward Sensei.
Too slow.
Too sloppy.
Clang!
He blocked effortlessly.
I immediately tried repositioning for another strike, but my balance faltered.
In the next instant—
BAM!
I was launched backward.
The impact made my entire arm go numb.
"You're fighting with brute force," Sensei said coldly.
"A sword is not a hammer."
"It is an extension of your body."
"You will never strike your target until your mind and body move as one."
I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted beyond words.
Then—
Sensei approached while carrying a tray of food.
I had absolutely no idea where it came from.
It literally looked as though he had materialized it from thin air.
"Within this floor, you won't suffer from hunger or thirst," he explained calmly.
"But I imagine you would still appreciate a meal."
Honestly?
The food looked incredible.
"Thank you, Sensei."
"Your training for today is complete."
He turned away.
"Sleep."
"We resume the moment you awaken."
"Oh…"
I nodded while devouring the food almost instantly.
—
—
[Sakura POV]
"Come on…"
I concentrated desperately while attempting to gather the Eternium flowing through the room.
I visualized the effect.
Focused my thoughts.
Tried to force the image into reality.
But nothing happened.
Not even a spark.
The process sounded simple in theory.
Imagine.
Understand.
Manifest.
But no matter how hard I tried—
It failed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Then the voices returned.
'Did you really think you could do this?'
'You've never had talent.'
'Your sisters are better than you in every way.'
'Even your parents never believed in your dreams.'
'How pathetic.'
"IT'S NOT WORKING!"
I slammed my hand against the table in frustration.
Hours had passed.
And I had achieved absolutely nothing.
"Maybe…"
My voice weakened.
"Maybe this just isn't for me…"
Sensei silently lowered her teacup.
"There are individuals who dedicate entire lifetimes to mastering a single application of Eternium."
"Years."
"Decades."
"Centuries."
"Sometimes even millennia."
She lazily waved her fingers through the air.
A bed instantly materialized nearby.
"And yet…"
Her eyes suddenly glowed with terrifying intensity.
"You wish to surrender after only a few hours?"
I froze.
Then, just as quickly—
The pressure disappeared.
Sip.
She calmly drank her tea again.
"Sleep."
"We continue after you awaken."
I felt frustrated.
Embarrassed.
But…
I still didn't want to give up.
I quietly lay down on the bed.
The moment my head touched the pillow—
Darkness consumed me.
—
The woman watched silently as Sakura trembled in her sleep, mumbling fragmented words beneath her breath.
Nightmares.
Insecurities.
Fear.
With a soft sigh, she created a blanket and gently covered the sleeping girl.
"How can you expect others to believe in you…"
"…when you don't even believe in yourself?"
Despite the coldness within her crimson eyes—
Her movements were unexpectedly gentle.
"Sleep well, little one."