"Sword check. Uniform check. Dried persimmon status… good. Let's move."
Dawn registered 05:30. Too early for any child to be roaming, but for me it's the hour of clarity.
Time had slipped away all the way to the precious weekend; why I was up this early? Training.
"Chen, Talulah. Let's go."
This time, surprisingly, Chen Feijie was joining the drill.
From my perspective, it was perfect.
As a six-star Guard Operator and swordswoman, sparring with Chen was something I looked forward to, and I was grateful the opportunity came so soon.
"Ugh… you know it's 05:30, right?"
"I know. Do you think anyone here can't read a clock?"
"Our training was set to start at 07:00, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, I know that too. But it's boring to go alone."
"Damn it, shut up…"
"Wow, listen to this woman. You won't make any friends with that mouth of yours."
I swear, she's spitting against her own face.
"What? I consider this mild."
Seriously, if you want real insults, join a ranked match in the season's online competition. Forty minutes of the worst curses you can imagine.
"You're basically shitting out words with that mouth of yours."
"Shut your trap."
The hellish imagery—talking about defecation from your mouth—is disgusting.
"It's cold. Close the door and get back in here."
"Oh? Then pardon the intrusion."
"Ugh… go wake up Talulah first."
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Back to bed… I'm freezing… ah!"
"Look at those cheeks. Nice and warm. That's a find."
Where are you going? If you're awake, put on your gear and get ready. Not a sign of discipline.
"They say cheeks are hard to slim down…"
I've only recently indulged and added some weight, but our Chen was always lean. These cheeks still look youthful. I kind of like it.
"It's cold, let go!"
"Promise me you'll be ready to head out, and I'll let go."
"Fine! Okay, I get it!"
Just agree when I suggest getting ready. Why say you'll turn back in, forcing me to press cold hands against your face?
"Chen, aren't you freezing?"
"I'm fine, Talulah. It's only twenty minutes out, and the cold wind will wake me up."
"You'll regret this."
"Since I'm not the one doing it, worry about yourself."
She's going to be damned cold. Whatever—her call.
At dawn, Yongmun stirs to life. Couriers ship goods, chefs dive into auctions for quality ingredients, and some sharpen blades, lying in wait for their targets.
"Looks like Jay left with the uncle."
Up before dawn to buy cooking supplies? Give credit where it's due; he's industrious too.
Maybe I'll join the market next time.
It looked interesting. I'm curious what's on offer. They say the local spots hold the real gems.
"Shall we grab some food here later?"
A quick sparring session in the morning, then lunch is my own time. I could sneak away.
"Ugh… cold…"
"Told you it'd be cold."
Should've listened instead of turning myself into a frozen roast.
"Talulah, how long do you think it'd take to run from here?"
"Running, probably ten more minutes."
In ten minutes, Chen would freeze solid faster than a poultry carcass.
"Sigh… no choice. Get on my back. I told you to bundle up."
"What? Should I carry you on my back?"
"You heard me the first time. No need to repeat. Put on my parka too—less cumbersome when we run."
I thought it'd burn into her, feeling the chill when she took it off. I guess I'd be the one turned into iced chicken.
"Wow, lighter than I expected."
"'Lighter than expected'? Do I look that heavy to you?"
Draconic and other reptilian races pack muscle density; they're heavier than they look. But Chen isn't that heavy. Maybe she's still young?
"Hold tight. If you fall, you're on your own."
I loosened up, inhaled deeply, and woke my dormant body. Muscles expanded, lungs opened, blood flow accelerated. My core heated up.
"Let's go!"
[Breeze—Tailwind]
I unfolded my Arts and pushed my speed to a mid-tier output. Chen gasped in wonder behind me.
"Aren't you faster than the wind?"
"Would you be upset if I said I'm not even at top speed yet?"
Now that my body was limber and the Arts familiar, I'd push to my limit.
"Wait, that's too fast!!!"
The passing scenery blurred like strokes of paint merging into a single canvas.
"Touchdown! How was that? Unbelievably fast, right?"
"I was dizzy… that was insane speed…"
Granted, the distance wasn't great enough to run flat out, but a morning sprint felt invigorating.
"My feet are frozen! Let's get inside and crank the heater."
"Agreed. I'm about to die out here."
But I sensed something was amiss…
"You guys left me behind and just took off…"
"Oh—sorry. I absolutely didn't forget. Not for a second."
"So you're saying it wasn't the cold making you bolt off?"
"Both of you, your acting is terrible."
"If she had pulled it off, I'd buy it. But me? You blame me now?"
"After carrying you on my back like that…"
"That's one thing, and this is another! You act like you don't even know what acting is!"
"What? Don't turn on the heater. Go outside and generate your own heat."
"You little runt! This is Yongmun's tax money!"
"I'm a citizen of Danguk. None of your business."
"Both of you, stop."
"But she started it…"
"What are you talking about? You did it first!"
"Ugh… enough. I'm not mad. Since we got here first, let's set things up so it's easier for everyone who's still coming."
"Right. Good idea."
"If it weren't for Talulah, I'd have you run outside for sure."
"At least get up, you runt."
God. You died in the spar.
"Hey? Everyone's already here?"
"What? Sergeant? You signed up too?"
Our section sergeant, team members, plus faces I didn't recognize. Around twenty people were assembled.
"I signed up. I figured… survival was going to be rough. The detectives over there thought the same."
"Makes sense. The more competitors the better."
They were all loosening up. Time for me to stretch.
The friction of steel echoed as I drew my blade from its scabbard. We couldn't use real swords for training, but I carried mine for visualization in my drills—and, frankly, I felt naked without it.
My imagined opponent: Otis.
The strongest rival I've sparred with. I memorized her patterns through beaten flesh. Now, I could anticipate her swordplay blindfolded.
First move: [Blade Kick]. Transition into [Right Crosscut].
At the draw, I lunged two steps forward—but the mental image of Otis sidestepped three paces back.
"Don't underestimate each form!"
Next: I channeled blue sword aura into my blade, thrust deep, and detonated the strike—only to have it deflected by a slight sidestep. The sound of steel cutting air marked the only victim: empty space.
"Here she comes…!"
A feint, then a downward strike. I raised my blade to block, bracing for the follow-up—her signature intercept posture.
"Don't move hastily or you'll be cut. Stand firm until the very moment before contact… now!"
The [Intercept Stance]. I perfectly deflected the blow, then sprang forward in [Maengho Eunlim Form] to close the gap, chaining into another bursting Arts technique.
"Good, you wavered!"
She stumbled, her stance broken. No reason to hold back now.
[Behemoth Bull Confrontation]
The blade, ignited with pent-up fury, sliced through Otis's illusion.
"Hah… body's warm, right? Sorry to keep you waiting. Everyone, step up… what? Why are you spacing out?"
We're just getting started. Where are all your heads?