The next morning ca with no ceremony. No bright light filtering dramatically through the windows. Just a muted gray hanging over the apartnt like the sun hadn’t committed to the day yet.
rlin rolled out of bed and imdiately regretted it. Every joint felt like it had been filed down with a brick.
’Why does everything in this world hurt like it ans it?’
He shuffled to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, and stared at his reflection. His hair was a ss, stuck out in the back like it’d made its own architectural decision overnight.
"Cool," he muttered, dragging fingers through it.
The system didn’t ping. The white-haired man didn’t appear in the mirror. No prophetic warnings. Just him and a toothbrush and the slow tick of the wall clock that might’ve been broken.
He found Nathan already dressed in the kitchen, nursing a cup of sothing dark and vile.
"Did you make coffee or engine oil?" rlin asked, grabbing a piece of toast that hadn’t been offered but was clearly ant for him.
Nathan sipped with a straight face. "Both."
rlin chewed silently for a minute, then swallowed.
"We should train today," he said.
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Now that you’ve rembered how to eat and sleep?"
"Yeah."
There was a beat of silence before Nathan stood, setting the mug down with a soft click.
"Lead the way, champion."
—
The field had been built for combat training but was clearly underfunded. The grass didn’t grow evenly, and one of the dummies looked like it’d been stabbed out of pity.
rlin rolled his shoulders. "Try not to hold back too much."
Nathan cracked his neck. "Don’t cry when I win."
"Keep dreaming."
They didn’t need an audience or a referee. They just moved to opposite ends of the worn-out field and waited.
Nathan struck first, fast, a blur of motion that covered the space between them in a heartbeat.
rlin ducked low, twisted his weight, and countered with a sharp upward strike that forced Nathan to jump back.
’His footwork’s better than last ti.’
Nathan didn’t pause. He pushed forward again, landing a strike to rlin’s ribs.
rlin grunted, staggered slightly, and retaliated with a burst of raw mana through his palm.
Nathan skidded to the side, barely avoiding it.
"You almost cooked my eyebrows off."
"Still cute," rlin shot back, wind gathering around his legs.
He surged forward, two quick steps and then vanished, reappearing behind Nathan with a faint shimr.
Nathan twisted just in ti to block a spinning kick with both arms.
The impact knocked him back a few feet, but he didn’t fall.
rlin didn’t stop. He pressed in, short, fast strikes, feints, and bursts of mana ant to overwhelm, not kill.
Nathan parried, dodged, countered,but the pace was too much.
Within thirty seconds, he was flat on his back, blinking up at the clouds.
"Alright," Nathan said, chest rising fast. "You win."
rlin held out a hand.
Nathan grabbed it and hauled himself up.
"Seriously, man," he muttered. "You’ve gotten scary good."
rlin didn’t say anything.
’This isn’t even close to where I need to be.’
They walked off the field together, both breathing heavier than they let on.
Nathan clapped him on the back. "Next ti I’m bringing a sword."
"I’ll still win."
"Arrogant."
"Confident."
Nathan shook his head. "You’ve changed."
rlin didn’t answer.
Because he had.
And he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing anymore.
—
They circled each other again.
Nathan had grabbed a pair of training batons from the rack at the edge of the field. rlin didn’t bother. His hands were already more than enough.
"You ready for round two?" Nathan asked, twirling the baton with that lopsided grin he always wore before he lost.
rlin rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles.
"Your funeral."
Nathan lunged again, aiming low this ti, probably hoping to catch him off balance. rlin side-stepped with minimal effort, letting the baton whistle through air inches from his leg. He brought his knee up, clipped Nathan in the ribs, and watched him stumble back with a grunt.
’Sa angle as last ti. You telegraph too much when you shift your weight like that.’
He didn’t say it out loud. No point. Nathan wasn’t listening for critique, he was here to keep up, to fight, to not fall too far behind.
Nathan ca in again. Faster this ti. One strike, two, three. All blocked. rlin didn’t even move his feet for the first two.
He ducked the third, swiped a leg out, and dropped Nathan again.
Flat on his back.
"Damn it," Nathan muttered.
rlin reached down, pulled him up again.
Nathan coughed. "Okay. You’re... actually terrifying now."
rlin just shrugged.
’This is still just muscle mory. Barely scratching the surface.’
[Notice: Physical performance operating at 27% synchronization with inherited skillset. Unlocking threshold delayed until host body fully adapts.]
’Figures.’
The fight kept going. Not really a spar anymore. Just rlin slowly letting Nathan try everything and countering each move with more ease than the last.
And rlin wasn’t even drawing from mana heavily yet. He didn’t need to.
The difference in ability had beco a canyon. It wasn’t just talent. It was weight. Pressure. History. rlin carried a thousand lifetis of Rathan’s skill like a coat that didn’t quite fit, but still wrapped him in sothing untouchable.
Nathan finally dropped both batons and collapsed onto the grass, panting.
"I’m gonna start pretending you’re cheating," he wheezed.
rlin dropped down beside him, arms draped over his knees.
"You’re not wrong."
Nathan raised an eyebrow at him, but rlin just looked straight ahead, lips pulled into a crooked half-smile.
’There’s no reason to explain. Even if I did... it wouldn’t help him.’
[System Update: Physical combat rating increased. Partial unlock of martial subskills now available.]
[Current Sync – Rathan Archive: 32%]
He kept his face still.
Just a flicker of a heartbeat longer.
Then he stood up again, brushing grass off his pants.
"I’ll grab water."
Nathan waved a hand from the ground. "I’ll stay here. Maybe forever."
rlin headed back toward the equipnt station. The sun had finally pushed through the gray above, and it made everything feel too bright for how exhausted he suddenly felt.
’Why does it feel like I’m just climbing a bigger wall every ti I get stronger?’
The system didn’t answer.
It never did when he asked that.
—
rlin’s foot connected with Nathan’s side and sent him sprawling back onto the dirt.
Again.
Nathan let out a grunt as he hit the ground, rolling once and popping back to his feet. His shirt was already soaked with sweat, his breathing sharp and uneven. A long cut traced down his forearm, not deep, but enough to sting.
rlin stayed where he was, arms loose at his sides.
"You’re holding your core too tight again," he said, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. "You keep trying to muscle through the magic like it’s going to bow to you just because you shout."
Nathan spat to the side and wiped his mouth. "That’s rich coming from the guy who can apparently bend air with a thought."
rlin didn’t smile.
’It’s not even a fair fight anymore. I’m too fast. Too strong. I’m pulling punches, and he still can’t keep up.’
He shifted his stance slightly as Nathan circled around, trying to find a better angle. The kid had always been smart, quick on his feet. Just not fast enough.
Not anymore.
[Current Advantage Ratio: 5.4x – Physical | 7.9x – Magical]
[Skill Synchronization: 67%]
The system popped up quietly in the corner of his vision. He blinked it away.
Nathan lunged forward again, sword angled low. rlin let him get close, on purpose, before side-stepping, grabbing Nathan’s wrist, and twisting just enough to force the blade loose.
The tal clattered against the floor.
Nathan swore under his breath.
"Again?" rlin asked.
Nathan pushed his hair back, glaring. "You sure you’re not cheating sohow?"
"I train more than you," rlin said.
"Like hell you do. I sleep next to you. You haven’t trained once."
rlin shrugged. "Then maybe I’m just better."
Nathan rolled his eyes and bent down to grab his blade again. "You’re getting cocky."
’No. Just tired of pretending I’m not this far ahead.’
rlin backed up a few paces, planting his feet and raising both hands.
Nathan charged again, this ti faster. His aura flared. Not much, but enough to force rlin to actually pay attention.
’Finally.’
Nathan swung hard.
rlin blocked with one hand and pald Nathan in the chest with the other, knocking the wind out of him.
He staggered back, wheezing. "Okay... okay, yeah. That one hurt."
rlin lowered his hands. "You’re still pushing too much energy into the swing. That’s what gives it away. You need to flow it through your whole arm evenly."
Nathan coughed once and leaned forward, hands on his knees. "Says the guy who moves like he’s got cheat codes."
’Technically I do. But sure.’
rlin walked over, offering a hand. Nathan took it.
"I’m serious," rlin said. "You’ve got power, Nat. You’re just wasting half of it trying to impress ghosts."
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