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A month had passed since Adam began his training, and the days melted into one another in a rhythm of sweat, sore muscles, and quiet determination.

Every morning began the same: an early breakfast with Old Bai, a few hours with the younger students at the academy where he stumbled over unfamiliar characters and practiced shaky penmanship, followed by long, grueling sessions in the training fields with the older students.

Though Adam initially struggled to keep up with the pace, he was a fast learner. His body adapted quickly to the physical toll. The pain in his limbs became a familiar companion, and the once-foreign martial forms now flowed more naturally.

Old Bai watched over him with a proud but quiet satisfaction, occasionally correcting his stances or pointing out flaws with gentle but firm words.

Adam always looked formard to his pointers, sometimes a few words from old Bai were more enlightening than a whole day's lectures. This really surprised Adam and made even more curious about the old man.

It wasn't all training and repetition, though. During that month, Adam made his first true friends aside from his previous companions in the fields.

Zhao Yun, the fiery and outspoken sixteen-year-old who had first spoken to him in the academy, quickly became his closest friend in the village. The two sparred daily, teased one another mercilessly, and often shared their lunch under the old tree by the field.

"You're slow," Zhao Yun would say with a smirk after disarming Adam for the third time in a spar. "Are you sure you're not hiding your age? Maybe you're actually forty?"

"And yet, you're still shorter than me," Adam would shoot back, grinning as he rubbed his sore shoulder. "So what does that say about you?"

Joining them was Lan Xue, a graceful but strong-willed nineteen-year-old woman who was known as one of the most promising young martial artists in the village. Unlike Zhao Yun's brashness, Lan Xue was composed, observant, and often acted as a calm counterbalance to their loud antics.

At first, Adam found her hard to approach. She rarely spoke unless necessary, and her piercing gaze made him feel as though she could see right through him. Not to mention, she was something of a celebrity around the training grounds. Not only was she one of the most beautiful young women in the village, but her father was also a respected martial instructor in charge of training the older groups. That alone was proof that he had likely walked quite far along the martial path.

But over time, that distance shrank. They trained side by side often, and Adam soon realized that beneath her stern exterior was someone patient, passionate, and deeply loyal.

"I heard you're finally able to finish writing your own name," Lan Xue teased one afternoon as they rested after a tough session.

"Barely," Adam admitted with a laugh. "At this point, even my handwriting looks like it's been through a war."

"Then it matches its owner," Zhao Yun said laughing loudly, even Lan Xue showed a rare smile.

Despite his daily grind, Adam's presence in Bai Village had become a welcomed one. The villagers, grateful for his sincerity and effort, helped him build his own small wooden home beside Old Bai's. The structure was simple, one room, a window, and a roof made from thick thatch, but Adam took immense pride in it. For the first time, he had a place to call his own.

"Next thing we know," Old Bai joked one day, "you'll be asking me for advice on finding you a wife and starting a family."

Adam nearly choked on his tea. "Let me survive training first."

The sense of belonging settled into his bones, yet the drive to grow stronger never left him.

Toward the end of the month, after gaining a better grasp on the basics, Adam was finally allowed to choose a weapon. Master Liu, the senior instructor overseeing martial training of the younger groups, gathered the students at the armory one morning.

"It's time you all select the weapon that best fits you," he said, his voice booming across the courtyard. "You've trained with staffs, daggers, spears, and swords these past weeks. Now, choose wisely—your path depends on this."

Adam walked through the rows of weapons, picking each one up, feeling its weight and balance. He had practiced with most of them already: the spear felt powerful but unwieldy; the twin daggers were quick but too fragile in his hands; the staff gave him distance but lacked the edge he sought. Finally, his fingers wrapped around the hilt of a simple longsword.

The moment he held it, something clicked.

It wasn't particularly ornate, nor did it glow with mysterious energy. But it felt right. It felt natural, as if his hands had always known this grip, as if it was an extension of himself rather than a separate tool.

"You've made your choice?" Lan Xue asked, walking up beside him, holding a curved blade of her own.

Adam nodded. "I have. The sword feels… balanced. Not too fast, not too slow. Offensive and defensive. It suits me."

Zhao Yun peered over his shoulder. "Typical. Everyone picks the sword first. You better not embarrass the weapon."

"I'll make it proud," Adam grinned.

With the selection of their weapons, their status had also changed. They were no longer just a group of kids with no idea what they were doing—Adam could only smile awkwardly at that thought—but they became martial trainees who had begun grasping the fundamentals of martial arts. Now, they were ready to train with their chosen weapons alongside their regular body-strengthening exercises.

From that day on, his training focused heavily on swordsmanship. He started with basic forms, repeating each motion until it became second nature. His arms ached, his fingers blistered, but his resolve never wavered. Every stroke, every parry, every mistake pushed him forward.

One night, after dinner, Adam stood alone outside his new home. He looked up at the stars that dotted the dark sky. The world felt vast, filled with both wonder and danger. But here, in Bai Village, under the soft glow of lantern light and the quiet hum of crickets, he found a sliver of peace.

And yet, deep inside, something stirred.

This peace wouldn't last forever. He knew that. The world outside was still unknown, still full of secrets and threats. But for now, he had friends, a roof over his head, and a sword in his hand.

And for the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged somewhere and wasn't just a hollow chell as he used to feel before arriving at Bai village. He finally had a home.