"Ha."
"Ha."
"Calm down, take it easy."
As I asked her to wait, a punch narrowly missed my face. If I had been a bit slower...
"No mercy."
Without giving me a second to rest, Alexandra, taking advantage of my dodge, attacked me with a kick.
"Why?"
To understand what's happening, let's go back to the morning.
"Daddy, daddy, look what I learned!"
Luna, all excited, started performing a shadow fight.
Alexandra, who was nearby, saw Luna demonstrating the moves she had learned.
"That's amazing, Luna. Where did you learn this?"
"I saw some people doing it when they challenged the dungeon, and I decided to imitate them. Am I doing it right?"
"You're doing well, just a few things to fix."
Looking at Luna's form, different from Alexandra's, I found it simply incredible and flawless. It made me realize that Luna alone is stronger than all of us.
"Jeff, I need to show Luna how it's done, and I need a sparring partner... I mean, a training partner. Get in position."
Before I could say anything, Alexandra started attacking me, using the same form Luna was using, while explaining the differences.
"Calm down, take it easy."
While Alexandra attacked, I was doing my best to dodge or block.
"Ahhhh, I get it now, this is how it's done."
Luna seemed to understand what Alexandra was saying.
While I dodged a blow that I clearly couldn't avoid.
Plaft.
I only saw everything spinning, and before I knew it, I was on the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Offering me a hand to get up, Alexandra asked about my well-being.
"I'm fine."
"I think you should train a bit more. You can dodge and fight well, but you lack some experience."
"Yeah, I was thinking of learning some new techniques, but I guess I'll have to rethink that."
My plan was to use my talent and learn as much as possible, but I think I was rushing it.
"If you want, I can help you train."
"Me too, Daddy."
"Thank you both. I think I'll accept your help."
***************** PoV Change *****************
My name is Jason, and I had a life that many envied.
From a young age, I accompanied my grandfather as he forged. He did it as a hobby, unlike today; he lived most of his life in a time of peace.
Although he did a bit of everything, he loved creating swords and knives the most. Every piece he made, he made with great spirit.
When I visited them as a child, I would always find my grandfather in the forge. As he pounded on the metal to shape his creations, his expression was always serious. At first, I found it a bit intimidating, but as I grew up, that expression seemed cooler and cooler.
Throughout the process, he remained extremely focused and wore the same expression until the product was finished. Often, when he finished, an unparalleled smile would appear on his face as he admired his creation.
It was there, watching him, that I decided what I wanted to do when I grew up.
When I told my parents this, they were a bit hesitant and asked if I was sure. After convincing them, they decided to support me.
With that, my grandfather began to teach me the art of forging and many other things he liked and considered important.
When I was 15, the world changed; monsters began to appear.
At first, normal weapons could handle the monsters, but over time, monsters resistant to common weapons began to appear.
While many thought it was the end, a scientist who studied these monsters discovered that if he used certain parts of the monsters in the creation of weapons and bullets, they became more potent.
This change was good in the short term, but costs and material requirements began to rise. This led to the need for alternative, lower-cost weapons.
Some blacksmiths refer to this time as the golden age. The demand for swords, shields, knives, arrows, armor, and other weapons increased tremendously, along with the prestige of the blacksmith profession.
I won't say my life was always easy and guaranteed, but I worked hard, and unlike many, I was young and of little experience.
After much effort, I earned the position of a blacksmith in a considerably famous sect.
My life could be said to be set. I found a woman I fell in love with and married her. With the money I earned, I could provide a good and luxurious life for her, and we eventually decided to have a child.
Just when everything seemed to be going well, that day happened. While I was on my way home, I decided to buy a gift for my wife and my child.
While I was looking in the shops, I saw one of the main elders with a different woman. I found it strange, but I decided to stay quiet. However, he saw me and suddenly became furious.
The next day, I was expelled from the sect. I tried to ask why, but no one would tell me anything, or they didn't know.
I tried to look for a job in other places, but none of them wanted to hire me.
"It's going to be okay. We still have money saved, and if needed, I can go back to work."
It's true that we have money saved, but it's for our son's college and our retirement.
I found places that would hire me, but not as a blacksmith, and the salary was low.
Over time, I discovered what happened. The main elder was cheating on his wife, and out of fear that the news would spread, he decided to get rid of me.
"Love, it's okay. You've taken care of us all this time. Let me help you too."
My wife was my salvation during this period. She always supported me and stood by my side.
This gave me strength, but it also ignited a desire to turn the situation around.
One day, I decided to visit one of the dungeons that had recently opened in the city. When I arrived there, I was surprised to find someone conducting business inside a dungeon and even opening more than one shop.
This reminded me of dungeons outside the city.
Around some of these dungeons, they had established villages to facilitate exploration, and in these villages, many of the shops catered to adventurers. When I thought about it, it was as if a bolt of inspiration struck my head.
I have nothing to lose, and what if I can work here? If the person who controls this dungeon and the shops has vision, they may open a blacksmith shop here in the future and will need blacksmiths.
Trusting my instincts, I tried to speak with an employee. Who would have thought I'd meet the owner? Perhaps my desire to forge was so strong that I ended up sharing some of my story.
To my happiness, after such a long time, I was able to forge again. I became so engrossed in the process that I lost track of time. When I came back to reality, I had a dagger in my hand, and I was admiring it.
In the end, I got a job again, as a blacksmith.
"Wife, I'm sorry it took so long. I have good news."
"What happened? Are you okay? What's the news?"
"I'm okay."
Approaching her, I pulled her close and hugged her tightly, then kissed her.
"I got a job as a blacksmith again."
"Where? I told you not to worry."
"At a dungeon in the city, and well, thank you very much."
After spending a moment looking at her and thanking God for putting her in my life.
"I didn't want to be a burden in your life, and seeing your smile and our son's is what makes me happy."
After opening up to her, I decided to make it up to her for every time I had worried her during this period and for all the strength she had given me.