Chapter 9: The Path to Mastery
Relentless Training
Two more days passed in exhausting, merciless training.
My muscles burned, my mana reserves ran dry, and my body still struggled to fully adjust to the changes from my transmigration.
But there was no room for complaints.
Because I had a goal.
And that goal was survival.
Every drop of sweat, every aching limb, every moment spent training—it all brought me one step closer to breaking free from fate.
This world had already written my death sentence.
I refused to let it be carried out.
---
Weapon Art Proficiency System
One of the most important mechanics in the game—and now in real life—was the Weapon Art Proficiency System.
It determined how well someone could use a combat technique, measuring skill level in precise percentages.
The rankings were as follows:
1. Novice (0-19%) – Barely grasping the basics. Clumsy execution.
2. Adept (20-49%) – Basic understanding. Movements become smoother.
3. Expert (50-79%) – High-level execution. Most professional knights fall here.
4. Master (80-94%) – Refined skill. Movements are instinctive, nearly flawless.
5. Grandmaster (95-100%) – Legendary level. Masters capable of dueling entire armies.
Each level was exponentially harder to reach.
Novice to Adept? A few weeks of training.
Adept to Expert? Months to years.
Master and beyond? Only true geniuses or lifelong practitioners ever reached that level.
And right now?
[Phantom Edge Sword Style – 20.7% (Adept)]
Not bad for a beginner.
But nowhere near good enough.
The only good news was that lower-ranked techniques were easier to master. If I kept training, I could likely push this to Expert Level in a few months.
But before that—
I needed to refine my fundamentals.
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Day 3: Refining Phantom Edge
I stood alone in the training yard, facing a wooden dummy.
Phantom Edge wasn't about brute strength. It was about deception—feints, unpredictable footwork, and sudden bursts of speed.
I took my stance and moved.
Step. Fake left. Pivot. Slash from the right.
I could feel it—my movements were still stiff. Too predictable.
Again.
Step. Fake. Pivot. Slash.
Faster this time.
Again.
Step. Feint. Slash. Retreat. Counter.
Hundreds of repetitions. Sweat poured down my face. My arms ached, my legs burned, but I forced myself to keep going.
Then—
---
[Proficiency Increased!]
Phantom Edge Sword Style: 20.7% → 23.5%
---
I exhaled.
Slow progress. But progress nonetheless.
Still, training alone had limits. What I needed was actual combat experience.
And I knew exactly how to get it.
---
Day 4: The Combat Dummies
On the fourth day, I changed my strategy.
Instead of just repeating movements, I activated one of the academy's combat dummies—special enchanted constructs designed to simulate real battles.
The stone figure stood motionless at first.
Then—
WHIRR!
The dummy activated, glowing runes appearing on its chest. Its arms moved into a combat stance.
A mechanical voice spoke:
[Training Mode Activated. Difficulty: Low.]
[Opponent Level: D-rank.]
A D-rank opponent? That was perfect.
I gripped my wooden sword and took my stance.
The dummy lunged first, its training sword whistling toward my ribs.
Too slow.
I sidestepped, my Eclipse Vision activating—allowing me to read the movement in advance.
Then, I countered—a swift diagonal slash to its arm.
CLANG!
A metallic impact. No damage.
I frowned. Even though I landed the first hit, my attack was too weak to matter.
The dummy retaliated, slashing toward my shoulder.
I barely dodged. The wooden blade grazed past me.
Damn. I need to focus.
This time, I wouldn't just dodge.
I would deceive.
When the dummy attacked again, I pretended to dodge left—then abruptly twisted and struck from a blind spot.
SLASH!
A sharp impact. A visible crack formed on the dummy's stone body.
A grin formed on my face.
Now we're getting somewhere.
---
Status Update
By the end of the fourth day, I was physically drained.
My arms felt like lead. My legs burned. My mind screamed for rest.
But the effort was paying off.
---
[Status Window]
Name: Alden Blackwood
Rank: E-
Mana: E
Strength: E-
Agility: E
Intelligence: C
Stamina: E-
Skills:
[Mana Control (Basic) – E+]
[Eclipse Vision]
Traits:
[Voidstep]
Weapon Arts:
[Phantom Edge Sword Style (C)] – Proficiency: 28.1% (Adept)
---
Four days of relentless training.
And my Phantom Edge proficiency had jumped from 20% to 28%.
My movements were faster. My dodging was sharper. My counters were smarter.
But I still had a long way to go.
Now that I had the basics down, I needed to shift my strategy.
---
The Next Steps
For the coming week, I needed to focus on three critical goals:
1. Combat Sparring:
Fighting a dummy was one thing. Fighting real opponents? That was an entirely different battlefield. I needed to spar with someone—without revealing my true strength.
2. Mana Expansion Training:
Even though my mana control improved, my total mana capacity was still too low. If I wanted to use my Eclipse Vision freely, I needed more reserves.
3. Finding a Proper Weapon:
The academy only provided standard training swords. But if I truly wanted to excel, I needed a real weapon—one that fit my new style perfectly.
---
Final Thoughts
I sat down in the training yard, staring up at the night sky.
Four days ago, I was nothing.
A weak extra. A scorned noble. Someone destined to die early.
But now?
I wasn't strong yet.
But I was no longer powerless.
One step at a time.
One fight at a time.
And soon enough—
No one would ever look down on me again.