Lunaris woke with swollen eyes and dark shadows beneath them. Though his Sovereign Body granted him inhuman stamina, virility, and slow aging, even it couldn't keep up with his current schedule.
He'd been sleeping barely two hours a night since the commencement of the Plan.
'A small price to pay for those who bare their teeth at my family,' he thought.
With a low groan, he sat up and called for the maids waiting outside.
"Prepare my bath, a change of clothes, and breakfast."
"Yes, Young Lord!" they chorused, their voices eager, too eager.
A few of them openly lifting their chests, trying to draw his attention. It had become a daily irritation since his announcement as the Successor of The Clan.
He paused by the three most obvious offenders.
"What are your names?"
Hearing this, a smile blossomed on their face, believing they have caught his eye as they happily replied.
"Yu Mei, Sir."
He nodded, then turned to the next.
"Anna."
"Harumi."
Lunaris gave a faint smile. "Meet me during dinner. I have some business with you."
After saying this, he walked away, thinking.
'They might prove useful for the Plan.'
The three maids exchanged delighted glances once he was gone.
"Young Lord is quite naughty," Yu Mei giggled.
"Yeah. To do it while having dinner," Anna teased.
"Maybe he wants to eat something else." Harumi said with a knowing smile.
"Well, he is a young boy." Yu Mei said, her hands drifting towards her lower abdomen.
"We should wear something… appealing underneath," Harumi purred.
"Or nothing at all."
Their laughter echoed through the hall, light, foolish, and unaware that they'd just signed their own tickets to the Underworld.
After bathing and eating a quick breakfast, Lunaris left his manor. The sharp rhythm of metal striking metal reached his ears. Curious, he followed the sound and found Caelrisu being battered by Namgoong Gyo, her sword barely keeping up for even a few seconds.
'Ah, so her training's begun,' he thought, watching quietly.
'I wonder how strong she'll become.'
Unlike what Lunaris has seen, Caelrisu couldn't even last 2 seconds against him; those 5 seconds only happened because Namgoong Gyo allowed it to boost her confidence.
"Try not to instinctively block when my sword reaches your face, young lady."
"Why? Isn't blocking and attacking the basics of combat?"
"It is," Namgoong Gyo replied, "but not always the most efficient."
"Please elaborate."
He smiled faintly. "Sure. First of all, I'm physically stronger than you, and my weight is nearly twice yours. That means every one of my strikes is fundamentally heavier. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Now, every time you block head-on, that force travels straight through your arms. You feel that tingling sensation, don't you?"
Caelrisu blinked. "Hmm?"
"Hold your sword. I'll show you."
She picked up her broadsword and stepped into her stance.
"Raise it above your head. You'll understand soon enough."
She did as told. Namgoong Gyo swung his sword downward in a clean arc, not at full strength, but precise and heavy.
Clang!
The impact made Caelrisu's knees buckle. A numbing shock raced through her arms and shoulders, freezing her for an instant. Before she could recover, Namgoong Gyo's blade stopped just shy of her throat.
"See?" he said calmly. "That's what I meant. A woman generally has lower muscle density and can't generate the same raw strength as a man."
"Yes," Caelrisu admitted through her breath, "I've read about that."
He nodded approvingly. "Even so, your muscle structure and bone alignment are better than most men your age. But remember, your enemies won't be just normal humans trained in martial arts. You'll be fighting an Awakened brute blocking, which could be dangerous."
He tapped her sword lightly. "You need to deflect. Redirect the impact, let it flow past you, and don't take it head-on."
"But I am also an Awakened as well as you, Instructor."
"Yes, that's why I want you to use everything while fighting me. Martial arts and awakened abilities should be used together to amplify your combat abilities."
Caelrisu steadied her grip, eyes sharp and analytical.
"Yes, Instructor. Please… another round."
Namgoong Gyo smiled faintly. "Good. Again."
***
After another 5 hours of thorough beating, Caelrisu decided to write a diary reflecting her mistakes and Namgoong Gyo's abilities, which she gathered with Analyst Ability.
Day 1
"I couldn't even last two seconds against him.
At one point, I lasted five, but that was clearly because he held back to spare my confidence. He tried to hide it, but I noticed.
I guess I'm quite smart. Hahaha…
Still, it doesn't make sense. His muscle movements are nearly identical to mine, just more refined from years of real-life experience. Even if his muscle density is two or three times mine, that alone shouldn't generate that kind of force.
Tomorrow, I'll try to replicate his exact movements. I've already analyzed them with Analyst. Let's see what happens."
Day 2
"After losing more than a thousand bouts in two days, I can now copy his movements almost perfectly.
But when I tried to use them… my muscles screamed in protest. My body strained as if something was tearing from the inside.
It seems our bone alignment and muscle structure differ too much; his body was built for those movements; mine isn't.
I suppose I should be grateful that nothing tore apart completely. It must be thanks to my special body.
He said I'm currently at the level of a second-rate warrior by Eastern Continent standards. He, on the other hand, stands two whole levels above, at Peak Rank. That's… a mountain I can't even see the top of yet."
Day 5
"I lasted five seconds against him, without him holding back this time.
He looked impressed, but honestly… it's nothing worth celebrating.
The only reason I survived that long was because I accelerated my thoughts using Analyst, predicting and thoroughly analyzing his muscle movement before each strike.
Then came the deflection training. Gods, that's harder than I imagined.
Dodging, redirecting, keeping my vitals guarded, and positioning my sword precisely where it needs to be… every movement felt like walking on a blade's edge.
And no matter how I analyze it, I still can't comprehend how he generates so much raw force! It's… monstrous."
Day 10
"I finally lasted twelve seconds today. One-fifth of a minute.
For the first time, I thought I was making progress, but that joy didn't last long.
Now, Instructor Namgoong forbids me from blocking entirely, focusing entirely on deflecting.
If I don't do it, he ends the session immediately.
My average time dropped back down to five seconds.
I've finally realized what makes his strikes so devastating; it isn't just strength or form. It's his Essence Technique. Unlike most young Awakened, he doesn't channel Essence instinctively; he thoroughly uses it, bringing it to where it needs to be.
But I can't analyze Essence flow yet. I can't sense it. That limitation infuriates me.
Tomorrow, I'll consult with Lunaris and Fremileo.
Lunaris should know something; he's practically living in the Clan Library."
Day 11
"Fremileo is a genius."