"Huff, huff..."
Seth gasped for breath as he darted through the forest, weaving skillfully between the trees with practiced ease.
'I need to find cover!' he thought, pushing himself to his limits.
Just then, a stray arrow tore through the air, speeding straight toward him. In the split second before impact, Seth twisted his body and drew a dagger in one smooth motion, slashing at the projectile with pinpoint accuracy.
With a sharp clang, the blade met the arrow mid-flight, deflecting it just in time. Without missing a beat, Seth hit the ground running, not daring to slow down.
Several more arrows whistled through the air toward him, but Seth dodged them with sharp movements, weaving between the trees and using their trunks as cover.
'Where is it? I can't keep this up much longer!' he thought, gritting his teeth as another volley of arrows zipped past him- each one narrowly missing its mark.
After what felt like an eternity of running, his eyes finally caught a glimpse of red fluttering just ahead, swaying gently in the breeze.
'There it is!' A surge of relief and excitement rushed through him as he pushed forward, his target now within arm's reach.
But luck wasn't on his side. Just as his fingers brushed the flag, a loud rumble echoed beneath him- the ground gave way, crumbling beneath his feet and swallowing him into a gaping pit.
Pain exploded through his body as he crashed down. It wasn't just dirt and rocks that accompanied his fall; thick wooden logs had been laid across the bottom of the trap, turning his landing into a brutal impact.
"Ughh..." Seth groaned, wincing as he struggled to push off the debris that had nearly buried him alive.
"Still alive?" a voice called down from above the pit.
"Ugh... everything hurts, so yeah, I guess that means I am," Seth muttered, finally pulling himself free from the debris- though, he had no idea how he'd get out.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wonder for long. A rope dropped down in front of him, swaying slightly- a clear invitation to climb his way back up.
Gritting his teeth, Seth grabbed the rope and began the painful ascent. Every pull sent fresh jolts of pain through his arms and ribs, but he forced himself upward, refusing to let the trap be the end of him. Dirt crumbled under his boots as he climbed the pit walls, rough and uneven.
Finally, with one last heave, he dragged himself over the edge and collapsed onto the forest floor, chest heaving.
Standing over him, arms crossed and wearing an unbothered expression, was Sir Vince.
Seth shot him a look somewhere between exhaustion and annoyance. "I asked you to train me, not try to kill me."
Vince raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be in pieces at the bottom of that pit. Consider this... incentive."
"Incentive?" Seth coughed, brushing dirt from his clothes. "You call nearly breaking every bone in my body incentive?"
"If you want to survive out here, you'll need to do more than dodge a few arrows. That was another lesson- expect the unexpected."
Seth groaned, dragging himself to his feet. "Next time, just write me a handbook."
Vince chuckled. "Where's the fun in that?"
It had been fourteen days since Seth's trial, and just as he'd asked, Vince had agreed to train him. From that day forward, hellish experiences like the one moments ago had become routine. Vince didn't believe in easy lessons- he had placed Seth under a relentless training regimen that tested every limit of his body and mind.
They began with brutal physical conditioning meant to toughen Seth's frail frame. Endless runs through the dense forest, uphill climbs with weighted packs, and punishing sparring sessions left him battered and breathless. More than once, he found himself in the healer's hut, nursing cracked ribs, sprains, and bruises so deep they turned nearly black. Vince, however, showed no signs of concern- only a nod of approval when Seth showed up again the next day, limping but determined.
The pain was constant, but so was the change.
His endurance slowly increased. His strikes grew sharper, his balance steadier. He began to move with more confidence, reacting faster, thinking more clearly even under pressure. Though his body ached, and his spirit was often pushed to the edge, something in him had begun to shift.
Seth was no longer just enduring the training. He was adapting to it. And with every drop of sweat, with every fall and recovery, he was becoming stronger.
Obviously, Mira wasn't happy about it- but there was little she could do. Deep down, she knew the harsh truth: if the boy had any hope of surviving even a single year in Thornspire, he would need Vince's special training. No matter how brutal it was, it was the only path that gave him a fighting chance. "Here, take this," Vince said, snapping Seth out of his thoughts. His hand was outstretched, offering a marble-sized pill.
Seth took it carefully, shifting into a sitting position on the ground. Without hesitation, he popped the pill into his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, it melted almost instantly, sliding down his throat like liquid fire. A sudden burning sensation flared in his abdomen, and his expression tightened, his body tensing from the unexpected discomfort.
"Remember to take deep breaths," Vince instructed, his gaze steady and focused as he watched Seth closely.
What Seth had just ingested was known as a Force Gathering Pill- a supplement Vince regularly provided to assist in drawing internal force through his force veins. It was a vital aid in his cultivation, one that made the otherwise grueling process just a bit more bearable.
Unlike mages, who draw their power from elemental essences, knights and other non-magical warriors relied on a different source of strength- Qi, or as it was more commonly called across the Eastern Continent, Internal Force. This invisible energy was the universal life force that flowed through all living things, a power that could be harnessed by those with the discipline and talent to wield it. Those individuals were known as Force Bearers.
Where essence granted mystical powers and supernatural abilities, internal force worked differently- it enhanced the physical. A skilled force bearer could run faster, hit harder, react quicker, and recover from wounds that would cripple an ordinary person. Their senses sharpened, their endurance increased, and their vitality surged beyond natural limits.
Internal force was cultivated through a disciplined process of absorption and control. Force bearers drew it from the very air around them, guiding the energy through their meridians, also known as force veins. This path, however, was not an easy one. It demanded focus, patience, and no small amount of pain- something Seth was quickly learning firsthand.
Unfortunately for Seth, his force veins had been severely damaged from birth, making the cultivation of internal force nearly impossible. No matter how much he tried, the energy simply wouldn't flow naturally through his body. That is, until Vince stepped in.
With the help of the Force Gathering Pills, Vince managed to offer him a lifeline. The pills acted as a catalyst, stimulating the flow of internal force and temporarily bypassing the worst of the damage. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was enough to give Seth a fighting chance- to keep him from being left behind.
Exhaling softly, Seth opened his eyes as the burning sensation in his core finally began to fade.
"You've made some progress," Vince said, offering a hand to help him up. "Though, as expected, the pace remains frustratingly slow- understandable, considering the extent of the damage to your veins."
Seth took his hand and stood, wincing slightly. "If my progress is that slow, then shouldn't I focus on something I can actually do? Like magic?" His tone carried a tinge of frustration.
"It's natural you'd think that," Vince replied calmly. "And yes, learning a utility spell in such a short time was impressive- a feat most would struggle with. But advanced magic takes years to master, and time is a luxury you don't have."
He turned away to collect the arrows he'd fired earlier, his voice steady but firm. "Besides... I doubt there's a mage in the clan willing to teach you. And even if there was, the odds of them having an affinity for Umbra? Practically nonexistent."
Seth's shoulders slumped slightly, disappointment settling in.
Great... he thought, a shadow of frustration and defeat creeping in.
Noticing the look on Seth's face, Vince spoke up, trying to lift his spirits. "On the bright side, you've nearly mastered every basic sword movement I've taught you. You've got a knack for it—it's clear you've got talent with the blade." He gave Seth a firm pat on the back.
Seth managed a faint smirk. "I'm a quick study, I guess."
Although Seth gave a casual response, deep down he knew the real reason for his swordsmanship talent- it came from another life. In truth, he carried the memories of Lin Jie, the legendary Sword Grandmaster. Even now, recovering those memories felt surreal, as if he were watching echoes of someone else's life play out in his mind.
What made it stranger was the nature of those memories. While the core experiences- like the massacre of the Azure Sect, the final battle against the Devil King, and his mastery of the sword remained vivid and sharp, the finer details of day-to-day life were hazy at best. The mundane, the personal, what might have grounded him as Lin Jie- those recollections felt distant, like half-remembered dreams.
If Seth had to describe it, he'd say he possessed the memories and knowledge of his past life, but not enough for his current identity as Seth to be overshadowed or worse, completely consumed by who he used to be.
Right now, he had little control over what had happened... or what might still awaken within him. So he had made a conscious decision not to dwell on it too much.
'I'll just have to take the good with the bad,' he thought, pushing the weight of those memories to the back of his mind.
"What's on the agenda for physical training today?" Seth asked, shifting his focus back to Vince, who was busy sorting arrows back into his quiver.
"Oh, today?" Vince replied casually. "You won't be breaking any bones."
Seth's face immediately lit up with relief. "Finally, some good—"
"Hold your horses," Vince interrupted, that all-too-familiar wicked grin spreading across his face. "You won't be breaking any bones because you'll be too busy filling that pit... with sand."
Seth's expression fell flat. "Of course I will," he muttered, his brief elation thoroughly crushed.