Albert's words lingered in the air, heavy with both pride and caution. His hands, still calloused from decades of battle, gently adjusted the blanket over me. It was strange, really—how someone so deadly could be so careful, so precise in a simple, tender gesture. But that was Albert. Ruthless in combat, yet fiercely loyal to those he chose to protect.
"You are indeed talented, youg master" he said quietly, more to himself than to me. "But even geniuses need rest."
The hum of the train vibrated softly beneath us, a steady rhythm that matched my slowing heartbeat. I stared at the ceiling, my breath still shallow, chest rising and falling as if I'd been through a war. In many ways, I had. A war of flesh, of will, of soul.
Albert sat down across the cabin, folding his arms. His eyes, old and sharp, watched me not just with concern—but with expectation.
"You've nearly completed the first seal," he said after a long pause. "Few ever make it that far without collapsing much earlier. You're ahead of schedule... but you must learn when to stop."
I swallowed, my throat dry. "Stopping... feels like failure."
Albert raised an eyebrow. "Failure is when you don't get back up."
His words were simple. But in them lay the essence of every battle he had survived. Every decision he had made to live, to fight another day.
The silence that followed was oddly comforting. Outside, the landscapes blurred by—vast stretches of wilderness and broken cities, ruins of the old world scattered across the horizon. Carrol City still lay many hours away, but its presence loomed ever closer in my mind.
That place would be nothing like home.
It was where factions vied for dominance—where political power, magical strength, and ancient bloodlines clashed beneath the surface of a glittering facade. I wasn't just going there to train. I was going there to claim my place among the elite.
Hearing Albert, I simply nodded and closed my eyes to rest. It was just a short power nap—something I had developed into a habit over the years. My father and mother had trained both me and my sister, Miche, every day. Whether it was hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, or various battle arts, we were constantly pushed beyond our limits.
It was all for our survival. That's why I'd picked up the habit of taking short, focused naps that left me fully recharged.
After around 30 minutes, I stirred from my rest.
"Master, we still have 13 hours," Albert said calmly, his voice steady.
I nodded once again and stood up, ready to dive back into the Supreme Combat Exercise.
This time, I focused hard—pushing through the intense mental resistance as I moved through all 24 poses. As I completed the final pose, something washed over me. A stillness. A powerful silence that seemed to hum with energy.
Suddenly, I felt the shift. Mana began to fill the room. It wasn't gradual—it surged like a flood.
Albert stepped back slightly as the air thickened with power. The mana condensed into visible threads, swirling together into a shape—a glowing symbol. Then, almost as if guided by instinct, the mana rolled forward and was sucked into my body in one breathless instant.
I could feel it: the surging energy coursing through my veins, moving to my core, spreading through my limbs. The Supreme Combat Seal was forming.
Then, a red light flared briefly on my temple before fading.
I sat cross-legged, breathing heavily as the last of the energy settled into me. The pain I had felt earlier had vanished, replaced by a strange warmth. Not just healing—but strengthening. It was as if my muscles, bones, and even my mind had been reforged.
"Congratulations, young master," Albert said, his voice low with awe as he looked at me. I nodded, now sitting at the edge of my bed.
I was just about to prepare for the next cycle—my momentum unshaken—when a soft chime rang out from my system, breaking my concentration.
A notification hovered in the air before me.
[ Supreme Training ]
Objective: Create an Amethyst Seal within one month
Reward: 1 Skill Gacha, 1,000 Gold Coins
Seeing the quest, I blinked in surprise. This wasn't some random side objective. It was a major milestone.
Creating an Amethyst Seal wasn't just about effort—it was torturous. It meant I had to form ten normal Supreme Combat Seals and these will combine into an Amethyst Seal, and I had just completed one.
It was a challenge designed for someone far beyond my current level.
And yet…
I grinned.
Challenge accepted.
After another brief rest, I began again—my body aching, but my resolve unshaken.
I launched into the Supreme Combat Exercise once more, completing the first cycle with a deep, focused breath. My muscles groaned, already fatigued, but I pushed forward without hesitation.
As I continued through the second cycle, the pain came quicker—sharper. Each pose felt twice as intense as before.
That was the curse—and beauty—of the Supreme Combat Exercise.
Each completed seal increased the difficulty of the next by 100%. No recovery. No shortcuts. Just raw endurance and willpower.
I clenched my fists, teeth gritted. I was already pushing myself harder than ever. My vision blurred at times, sweat pouring off me in rivers as I reached the 23rd pose.
My body screamed.
"Just one more... just one last pose..." I whispered with a tired smile.
My arms were shaking, legs near collapse, and yet my will refused to break.
I was going to complete the second seal.
No matter what.
I told myself that over and over again as I pushed forward.
This was my third attempt at the second cycle, and for some reason—it felt different. Like something in me had changed. Maybe it was because I was no longer afraid of the pain. Or maybe it was because the mana was starting to respond to me.
At first, I thought I had stopped at the 12th pose. My mind was hazy, lost in the intensity of it all.
But when I came to, I was already at the 23rd.
And standing there—barely upright—I took a trembling step into the 24th and final pose.
As I completed it, a sudden rush of energy burst through my body. Mana surged again, fiercer than before, as the room dimmed and a second seal began to form in front of me.