Chapter 6: The First Step
The First Step
I stepped into the academy's unused training yard just as the morning sun cast long shadows across the stone pavement. The air was crisp, carrying the distant sounds of students practicing in the main courtyard. But here?
Silence.
This place was mostly forgotten, reserved for lower-ranked students—those barely qualified to be at the academy. In other words, those no one paid attention to.
Which made it perfect for me.
No prying eyes. No arrogant noble brats. Just me and my first day of training.
I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders as I mentally reviewed my plan for the day.
Training Objectives:
1. Physical Conditioning – Adjust to my enhanced body.
2. Mana Control – Strengthen my reserves and refine my flow.
Simple on paper. Brutal in execution.
---
Phase 1: Physical Conditioning
I started with basic exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, squats. Nothing fancy, just enough to wake my muscles up.
And immediately, I noticed something was off.
Even though I had ranked up from F- to E-, I still felt sluggish. It wasn't that my body was weak—quite the opposite. It was too strong for my instincts to handle.
My movements felt off-balance, delayed, awkward. The best way to describe it was like wearing a suit of armor one size too big. Everything required adjustment.
To test my agility, I performed a simple jump—
And overshot it.
I landed clumsily, barely catching myself before falling.
"Damn it," I muttered.
My muscle memory was still wired for my old, weaker body. My brain was telling me to exert one level of strength, but my body was outputting far more than expected. If I didn't fix this soon, I'd be a disaster in actual combat.
I forced myself through an hour of movement drills—sprinting, dodging, controlled jumps, light sparring motions. With each repetition, I got better, my body gradually syncing with my intent.
By the end, I wasn't perfect, but at least I wasn't tripping over my own feet anymore.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and exhaled.
"Good. Now for mana training."
---
Phase 2: Mana Control
In this world, mana was everything.
The stronger your mana core, the more powerful your techniques became. Knights, mages, assassins—it didn't matter. Without mana, you were nothing.
And right now?
I was just a step above nothing.
I sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor and closed my eyes, focusing inward.
Mana training had three fundamental steps:
1. Sensing Mana – Becoming aware of the natural energy within and around you.
2. Guiding Mana – Learning to move it consciously through the body's pathways.
3. Expanding Mana Reserves – Strengthening the core through repeated circulation.
For most people, step one alone took weeks.
But thanks to Eclipse Vision's heightened perception, I could already sense mana with ease.
I concentrated, feeling the faint warmth of energy inside me—a tiny, flickering candle in an ocean of darkness. It was weak, fragile, but it was there.
Slowly, I attempted to move it.
And then—
Pain.
A sharp, stabbing sensation shot through my chest, as if someone had just rammed a dagger into my ribs.
I gasped, nearly losing control.
The mana resisted me. Like trying to force a river to flow upstream.
Sweat dripped down my temple as I grit my teeth, pushing through the discomfort. My veins burned, my body protested, but—
Ding!
A chime echoed in my mind, and suddenly, a translucent blue window appeared before me.
---
[System Interface]
[Status Window]
Name: Alden Blackwood
Race: Human
Class: None (Unawakened)
Rank: E-
Mana Core: E-
[Basic Stats]
Strength: E-
Agility: E-
Intelligence: C
Mana: E-
Stamina: E-
(Grades range from F- to SSS.)
[Skills]
Eclipse Vision – Grants heightened perception, allowing the user to predict movements, copy techniques, and cast powerful illusions that distort reality.
Mana Control (Basic) [E] – The ability to manipulate internal mana with basic efficiency.
[Traits]
Voidstep (Trait) – Allows the user to phase through objects and enter a personal pocket dimension. Can teleport by stepping through space itself.
[Arts] (Weapon & Combat Techniques)
Basic Swordsmanship [D] – A foundational style for sword combat.
None – (More techniques can be learned.)
---
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding.
I had officially unlocked Mana Control.
My stats were still garbage, but this was a crucial first step. Now, I could start actively increasing my mana reserves instead of being stuck with my pitiful E- core.
And the best part?
I wasn't limited to system-given skills.
Unlike the protagonist, who was locked into a pre-determined skill tree, I had the freedom to develop my own techniques.
If I trained hard enough, I could eventually create my own abilities—
Ones that had never existed in this world before.
A slow grin spread across my face.
I clenched my fists, feeling the faint hum of mana inside me. Weak now, sure—but soon?
I would change that.
I stood up, shaking off the lingering fatigue.
The real work was just beginning.
"Alright. Let's see how far I can push this."