After a quick and very well-needed nap, I hop out of my ridiculously comfortable bed. I grab the sword art manual waiting on my nightstand and head toward the training grounds.
On the way, I try to ignore all the people staring at me and whispering behind my back.
God, I wish I could just look down at my phone and pretend none of them existed. But no—this shitty fake medieval world doesn't have phones.
Would it have killed the devs to toss in a screen or two? Just one hologram, even? Something?
I keep my face cool and composed as I walk through the academy's stone hallways, but the constant stares are starting to gnaw at me.
Is this what it feels like to be bullied?
I speed up my pace. Before long, I make it outside, where the freshman training grounds are located.
The field is bustling. Students are scattered across it, each practicing in their own way. A boy in mage robes hurls elemental spells with barely a pause between each cast. A dagger-wielding girl spars against another using a spear, both moving with serious intent. In the far corner, a complete maniac is busy destroying every training weapon he picks up, snapping wooden blades like twigs.
I take a look around but decide to start slow. I head to a nearby bench and sit down, pulling out the sword art Headmaster Graves gave me. The title reads The Starving Blade.
I open the first page and start reading. It takes me about thirty minutes to fully absorb the information.
Sword arts aren't skills—they're more like styles. Different philosophies of swordsmanship. Some are objectively stronger than others, sure, but each one also includes a method of channeling aether throughout the body.
While mages can imbue their bodies with aether, it comes far more naturally to warriors. Their bodies are just… tougher. More suited for it. That's why I rely on the [Reinforcement] spell instead of trying to use raw aether flow directly—at least for now. Still, I think I can find a way around it.
Thinking back, this might be a test. A challenge from the Headmaster. Can a mage like me learn and use a warrior's sword art?
The Starving Blade is a brutal, offense-focused style that completely abandons defense. It made sense when I saw it was only rated three stars, on the lower end of the spectrum. The best sword arts can go up to ten stars—if you're extremely lucky or stupidly powerful.
I can't use the aether circulation method it describes yet, but I can still practice the form. With [Reinforcement], I can manage about 60% efficiency. It doesn't let me isolate aether into specific body parts like proper aether circulation would, but it's something.
I get up and walk over to the corner of the training grounds, away from the others.
The first technique—well, in this sword art, they're called fangs—is named:
First Fang – Relentless Pursuit
A fast, lunging thrust meant to close the distance and pierce through the enemy.
Ideally, I'd focus my aether into my legs for an explosive dash, but [Reinforcement] strengthens my whole body, so… close enough?
I form an aether blade in my hand and adjust my stance. My knees bend slightly, weight forward, blade tilted down.
I quickly construct the spell for [Reinforcement] and draw a thin line of control, leaving the construct floating beside me.
Raising the blade, I pour strength into my legs and shoot forward—
—and immediately trip.
I slam into the ground with a thud.
Behind me, a few students start laughing. Great. Just perfect.
This is going to be a long training session.
Later, I sit back on the bench again, catching my breath and letting my aether replenish. My whole body aches.
Still… I smile. There's something about this world that's satisfying.
Back on Earth, I hated working out. I was always too impatient to wait for the muscle gains. But here, I could see something—however small—by the end of every training session.
I lean back, stretching slightly as I start theorizing ways to fix the aether circulation issue.
Maybe I could develop a skill from [Reinforcement]? I've been trying to do something similar with [Construct Sword], and I've seen a bit of progress. During the fight with Thraalvex, I even managed to create a dagger. Sure, it sucked, but it wasn't a sword—so that's something.
Or… I could experiment with my new [Runic Magic], try inscribing circuit-like tattoos on my body to mimic aether channels.
It's a scuffed idea, and probably unstable, but maybe...
In the middle of my thinking, a loud voice crashes into my thoughts.
A red-haired teen—buff, taller than me by at least a few inches—walks straight up to the bench. I don't recognize him from the game.
As soon as he gets within speaking range, he points at me and yells:
"You're Amit Neant, right? I heard you're strong—let's fight!"