Nathan sighed, watching the gears turn in rlin's head. "Great. Now he's thinking even harder. I hate when he does that."
Adrian leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "So, what's the plan? Are we gonna throw a bunch of books at his head until he magically understands combat better?"
rlin ignored them, flipping through the pages with renewed focus. What Seraphina and Liliana had pointed out—it wasn't sothing he had truly considered before.
Up until now, he had been reinforcing his body instinctively, prioritizing raw durability and brute strength. But speed—reaction ti, perception, efficiency—those were different aspects entirely.
Seraphina tapped the page. "Start here. This passage discusses using reinforcent to heighten sensory input. If you can accelerate your perception, you might not need to match her speed completely—just predict her movents fast enough to counter."
'Fantastic. The author never actually explained how these things worked in the novel.'
rlin absorbed the information, scanning the mana flow diagrams and application breakdowns. The principles were sound. If he could apply them properly, it might give him an edge.
Liliana tilted her head. "Of course, overdoing it has risks. Increasing perception too much can cause a sensory overload—your brain processes more information than it can handle, which slows you down instead."
Nathan perked up. "So you're saying if rlin screws this up, he might just stand there drooling while soone smacks him across the face?"
Liliana sighed. "Not exactly how I'd put it, but… yes."
Adrian grinned. "Suddenly, I support this experint."
rlin shot them both a flat look before returning to the book. "I won't ss it up."
Seraphina nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then test it."
Nathan blinked. "Wait—test it? Right now?"
Seraphina was already standing. "Why not? The training grounds are still open. If he's serious about improving, he should see if the application works in practice."
Adrian groaned. "You people are relentless."
rlin was already closing the book. "Fine."
Nathan threw his hands up. "And just like that, we're doing this. Again."
Liliana gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "You knew what you signed up for."
Nathan muttered sothing under his breath as they all stood, leaving the quiet of the library behind.
—
The training grounds were mostly empty this late in the evening. A few students lingered, practicing individual drills or light sparring, but the space was otherwise clear.
rlin stepped onto the floor, rolling his shoulders. His body still ached faintly from yesterday's exertion, but it didn't matter.
Seraphina watched him critically. "Use your reinforcent the way we discussed. Don't focus on just speed—focus on processing speed. Keep your movents efficient."
rlin exhaled, focusing inward. He had already mastered standard reinforcent—now, he needed to shift his approach.
He closed his eyes.
Beneath his skin, mana pulsed.
'This feeling..'
Slowly, he adjusted the flow, guiding it toward his senses instead of his muscles. Enhancing—not just his body, but his mind's ability to register and process movent.
His heartbeat steadied.
When he opened his eyes again—
The room felt sharper.
'It's addicting.'
Every movent in his periphery was more distinct—the way Adrian absentmindedly shifted his stance, the way Liliana adjusted her footing, the way Nathan blinked just a fraction slower than before.
It was working.
Seraphina tossed him a training sword. "Let's see how well."
'This feels insane.'
rlin caught it without looking.
Adrian smirked. "Alright. Let's see if this stops you from getting your ass kicked."
rlin adjusted his grip. "It will."
Nathan leaned back against the wall. "I'm taking bets."
Liliana sighed. "Of course you are."
Seraphina raised her own sword. "Whenever you're ready."
rlin exhaled—
And moved.
The air between them tensed.
rlin's grip on the sword tightened, his stance shifting as he exhaled. Seraphina's expression remained calm, her blade steady in her grasp. No wasted movent. No openings.
The mont his foot touched the ground, he moved.
Mana surged through his veins, sharpening his reflexes, reinforcing his body. His sword cut through the air in a clean arc, aid directly at Seraphina's open side.
She reacted instantly.
Her blade flicked up in a precise parry—except this ti, rlin was already adjusting.
The second he felt resistance, he twisted his wrist, letting her deflection guide his montum rather than stopping it. His blade curved with the motion, seamlessly flowing into a follow-up strike.
Seraphina's brow furrowed.
Her footwork adjusted—barely. She stepped back, angling her blade to counter—
rlin pressed forward.
A sharp feint to her left. A flicker of hesitation.
There.
He shifted directions in an instant, cutting toward her right instead. Seraphina's eyes widened—not much, but enough.
She barely brought her sword up in ti. The force of the impact sent her skidding back a step.
Adrian let out a low whistle. "Oh, that's new."
Nathan leaned forward. "Did he just—"
rlin didn't let up.
His strikes ca faster now, each one flowing seamlessly into the next. There was no overcorrection, no hesitation. Every movent was calculated.
Seraphina's defense, once flawless, was beginning to crack.
She shifted to block—but her form was just slightly off-balance.
rlin saw it.
He moved in, closing the gap before she could recover.
A reinforced step—his sword angling upward—
Seraphina twisted—too late.
The flat of rlin's blade pressed against her collarbone.
Silence.
The training hall, once filled with the rhythmic clash of blades, was suddenly still.
Nathan's mouth fell open. "No fucking way."
Adrian blinked. "Huh."
Liliana, watching intently, slowly smiled.
Seraphina stood frozen, silver eyes locked onto his.
Then, after a long mont, she exhaled and lowered her blade, her mouth twitching. "…You won..again."
rlin pulled his sword back, breath steady. His muscles burned, but he barely noticed.
Nathan finally snapped out of his shock, throwing his hands up. "Alright, that's it. I've seen everything. rlin won against Seraphina again."
Adrian smirked. "I an.."
Liliana shook her head. "Another win for Mr.rlin."
Seraphina studied rlin for another second before nodding slightly. "…Your movents were more refined. Less hesitation. You're improving…way too quickly. Like a damn monster."
Nathan gasped dramatically. "Is that actual praise? From Seraphina Alden?"
Seraphina shot him a look.
Nathan grinned. "Don't worry, I'll treasure this mont forever."
'It felt way better..I could have swept the floor with her if it was just raw strength. But this technique makes …feel amazing.'
rlin rolled his shoulder, letting his body relax. The fight had been close—closer than he would've liked. But he had won.
And that was what mattered.
Adrian stretched. "Alright, great. We've had our dramatic battle mont, now can we eat?"
Nathan groaned. "Please, yes."
Liliana chuckled. "I'll admit, I'm hungry too."
Seraphina sheathed her sword. "…Fine."
rlin exhaled and finally relented.
As they left the training hall together, he flexed his fingers, recalling the feeling of that last exchange.
It was just the first step.
But it was progress.
—
The dining hall buzzed with energy, students scattered throughout the vast space, so deep in conversation, others hunched over their plates after a long day of training.
The scent of roasted at, fresh bread, and rich stews lingered in the air.
rlin and the others stepped inside, their presence barely drawing attention at this point—except for a few passing glances.
Nathan stretched his arms over his head. "Alright, I'm calling dibs on the best food before rlin inhales everything like a starved beast."
'So annoying.'
rlin gave him a flat look.
Adrian smirked. "You say that like you don't eat just as much."
Nathan gasped, placing a hand over his chest. "How dare you? I am a refined eater."
Seraphina ignored them entirely, already heading toward the line. Liliana followed with an amused shake of her head.
rlin rolled his shoulders, feeling the dull ache of fatigue settle in. He moved toward the counter, scanning the available options.
Nathan, standing beside him, nudged his arm. "So. How's it feel?"
rlin didn't glance at him. "How's what feel?"
Nathan grinned. "Winning."
rlin paused slightly. His grip on the tray tightened, but his expression remained unreadable.
"I expected to win."
Nathan raised a brow. "Oh? No satisfaction? No smug sense of accomplishnt?"
rlin grabbed a bowl of stew. "If I had lost, I would've trained more. Since I won, I'll train more."
Nathan stared at him for a long mont before sighing heavily. "I genuinely worry for your ntal health sotis."
Adrian, grabbing a plate of roasted chicken, snorted. "That's a lost cause."
Liliana appeared beside them, balancing her tray effortlessly. "Honestly, I'm just relieved he's actually eating again."
Seraphina, already seated at a nearby table, barely spared them a glance as she cut into her al. "If he passed out from overwork, it would only waste more ti."
Nathan smirked. "Ah, there it is. The classic 'I'm concerned, but I refuse to say it outright.'"
Seraphina shot him a withering look.
Nathan grinned. "I'm sorry."
rlin ignored their bickering and sat down, pulling his plate toward him. The warmth of the stew seeped into his fingers. He took a bite—savory, rich, filling. His body, despite its exhaustion, welcod the sustenance.
Across the table, Adrian propped his chin on his hand. "So, what's next for our resident combat maniac?"
rlin didn't pause. "Training."
Nathan groaned. "You just won, can you at least pretend to relax for five minutes?"
rlin t his gaze. "If you have ti to complain, you have ti to train."
Nathan looked genuinely offended. "That's my own line thrown back at , and I don't appreciate it."
Liliana chuckled. "You walked into that one."
Adrian smirked. "Look on the bright side, at least he's consistent."
Seraphina took a sip of her tea. "It's better than complacency."
Nathan sighed dramatically, stabbing his fork into his food. "Fine, fine. But if you drop dead one of these days, don't expect to carry your body."
Adrian grinned. "I'd loot his stuff first."
'I need to get stronger…a major event is approaching.'
rlin ignored them.
His mind was already elsewhere. Reciting the events of the novel.
Today had been a step forward.
But he wasn't satisfied. Not even close.
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