Chapter 39 – Silent Foundations Being Built
One month had passed since Hideo Takumi began his intense training regime with the Takumi household's forces.
And in such a short time, much had changed.
What had once been basic survival drills and physical conditioning had evolved into tactical combat sessions, group coordination exercises, and even the integration of magic into military maneuvers.
The Takumi forces, once merely a gathering of standard soldiers, were slowly transforming into a disciplined, well-organized unit.
But Hideo understood—physical strength alone wasn't enough.
The real pillars of battlefield strength were forged through mental resilience, trust between comrades, and the courage to withstand overwhelming pressure.
Thus, every training session was designed not just to defeat an enemy, but to protect one another, to cover vulnerabilities, to read the terrain—and to survive as a single entity.
Through relentless repetition, a foundation was being laid: not merely a force, but a family forged on the battlefield.
Among them, Zane—now Hideo's right-hand man—had shown extraordinary growth.
With his unwavering focus and sharp instincts, he could now lead small units through increasingly complex simulated battles with ease.
From the sidelines, Hideo observed their progress silently, a rare flicker of satisfaction crossing his features.
Just then, a notification quietly appeared before his eyes:
"Quest Complete"
Quest Name: Training the Takumi Household Soldiers
Evaluation: A
Reward: 1 Random Skill
"New Skill Acquired: Healing Touch (F)"
[Description]
Grants light healing and minor stamina recovery through touch. Ineffective against severe injuries or major illnesses but highly valuable for battlefield first aid.
Hideo gazed at the notification for a moment and exhaled softly.
A healing skill...
It might prove useful, he thought—especially to aid his uncle, Hisashi Takumi, whose meridians remained damaged.
He dismissed the notification and summoned his personal status screen.
"Status Screen"
Name: Hideo Takumi
Race: Human
Age: 17
Jobs: Swordsman (D) | Mage (E) | Assassin (D) | Acolyte (F) | Archer (E) | Alchemist (E) | Summoner (F)
Current Status:
• Mana: D+
• Strength: D+
• Intelligence: S+
• Speed: D+
• Endurance: D › D+
Skills: Learn (~) | Memory (~) | Hiding (~) | Giving (~) | Mana Sensory (F › E) | Theoretical Convergence (E) | Meridian Sync (E) | Basic Extraction (E) | Organic Synthesis (E) | Triple Arc Slash (D) | Shadow Sever (C) | Healing Touch (F)
Over the past month, Hideo hadn't just supervised the training.
He himself had undergone grueling personal regimens:
Sharpening his sword techniques to strengthen both his offense and posture.
Meditating under the pressure of magic fields to fortify his internal mana flow.
Dodging physical and magic attacks to enhance his reflexes and adaptability.
These consistent drills didn't yield flashy results, but they built something far more valuable—a solid foundation.
His mana grew increasingly stable.
His reflexes became sharper.
His body could now withstand far heavier burdens.
All achieved through painstaking effort—without shortcuts, without miraculous breakthroughs.
After wrapping up his review of the day's training, Hideo decided to visit the Takumi household's library—a place of quiet refuge and endless learning for him.
In one of the deeper corners, he uncovered several old tomes discussing the intricate art of Summoning.
As he read, a realization settled in:
Summoning wasn't merely the act of calling spirits from another world.
It was the forging of a bridge between realities.
Not just spirits—
But hidden dimensions, unseen realms, even entities that humanity had no knowledge of.
Those who mastered Summoning didn't simply chant spells.
They synchronized their soul frequencies, stabilized the world's energy pathways, and forged intangible contracts with beings beyond space and time.
Spirits, energy entities, ancient monsters, living artifacts—all could be summoned, provided the caller had the strength and will to connect both worlds.
Hideo absorbed the theory with serious focus, connecting it back to his own experiences during the rigorous training days.
But even as he learned, he understood one simple truth:
No theory—no matter how brilliant—could replace real experience.
Memorizing books would open the door, yes.
But true mastery would only come through falling, failing, learning—and rising again.
There were no shortcuts.
Closing the last book, Hideo gazed out the library's old window.
The sky outside was bathed in a deep orange glow—the color of twilight.
He clenched his fists slowly.
"It's fine... step by step. I'll master it all. My way."
Perhaps his pace was slower than the heroes sung of in ancient legends.
Perhaps he wasn't born a prodigy.
But one thing was certain—
Every step Hideo Takumi took, no matter how small, pushed him forward.
And the world...
had yet to realize that the small shadow it ignored today
would one day rise as a storm that would shake everything to its core.