Albedo brought Jin to the training ground and tossed a wooden sword towards him.
"You have four paths, three of which you're already familiar with. But as for the sword—you don't know much about it, do you?"
Albedo's observation was accurate. Although Jin was skilled in both Battle Arts and Mystical Arts, he had rarely, if ever, wielded a sword.
"Let's begin our lesson with a simple question: what is a sword?"
Albedo pointed his wooden sword at Jin, awaiting his response. Jin thought carefully before replying with the only answer that came to mind.
"A... weapon."
"True, but a sword is more than just a weapon. It's often hailed as the king of all weapons. In fact, among all weapons, only the sword has its own dedicated school of Arts—the Sword Arts."
Jin glanced down at his wooden sword, vaguely recalling the reputation swords held. Yet calling it the "king of all weapons" seemed like an exaggeration. After all, a sword lacks the brute force of a hammer or axe, the speed and reach of a spear, and the surprise element of a bow and arrow.
'The sword, didn't excel in any single attribute; it simply performed adequately in all of them.'
"But then, why does the sword have its own school of arts?" he asked.
"That's an interesting question, Perhaps it's because there exists a God of Swords—a deity who created the sword and devised the Sword Arts."
"The God of Swords?!"
Albedo nodded.
"Not to mention, the sword is the only weapon capable of developing an Ego."
He paused.
"The Spirit Blades harness powers beyond what any other weapon could ever hold."
"So... are you teaching me the basics of swordsmanship today?"
Albedo regarded Jin with a concealed smile.
"Tell me, Jin, how did you learn your martial arts?"
Jin thought back to his early days, when he had struggled to fight even the weakest of monsters.
"To survive... I learned by fighting continuously."
"Exactly."
Before Jin could process Albedo's words, Albedo was already in front of him, closing the distance in a blink.
With inhuman speed, Albedo swung his wooden sword in a sharp, precise arc, leaving Jin with no room to dodge.
'So fast... there's no way I can avoid it!'
Reacting on instinct, Jin raised his arm to intercept the blow, bracing himself. The sword struck his forearm with brutal force, and he heard a sickening crack.
"Argh!"
Jin cried out, clutching his broken arm in agony.
"Use your sword to defend, not your body," Albedo said calmly, his voice carrying both instruction and warning.
Shaking off the pain, Jin straightened, determination hardening in his eyes.
"Let's do it again," he said, readying himself despite his injury.
Albedo raised an eyebrow, impressed by Jin's tenacity and instincts. Without a word, he lifted a hand, hovering it over Jin's injured arm.
[Healing Art: High Heal]
A soft, greenish energy enveloped Jin's arm, mending it instantly as warmth spread through his body.
"Alright,"
Albedo said, stepping back into position. He pointed the tip of his wooden sword at Jin, a glint of challenge in his gaze.
"Prepare yourself-another round."
Clack—Clack!
The sharp sound of wood colliding echoed through the Nameless Domain, filling the air with the rhythm of fierce combat.
On the training ground, Jin and Albedo's intense session continued unabated. Hours had passed since they began, yet neither showed any sign of stopping or resting.
Thanks to his Undying Soul, Jin no longer felt fatigue. Seizing the moment, he pressed forward, launching an offensive to gain control of the exchange.
In response, Albedo leaned in, unleashing another series of rapid strikes, each faster than the last. This time, his movements blurred beyond Jin's ability to track.
'Oh, no…' Jin thought, bracing himself.
[Trait: Adaptation]
Jin's reflexes sharpened as he adapted to Albedo's attack pattern. Reacting in sync, he swung his wooden sword to intercept Albedo's strike, meeting it head-on. The clash sent a jolt through Jin's arms as he absorbed the tremendous force, his muscles straining under the impact.
To reduce the strain, Jin adjusted his stance, carefully guiding their locked swords downward to dissipate the pressure. Despite his efforts, he could feel the power of Albedo's strike reverberate through his entire body, a reminder of his opponent's sheer strength.
Albedo's sword slipped past Jin's guard, slamming into the ground with powerful force.
With just a touch, the ground cracked beneath Albedo's blade, sending up a cloud of dust that filled the training ground. He let out a faint smile.
'He's progressed this much in only a few hours…'
Albedo thought, clearly pleased with Jin's development.
His training plan was proving effective; focusing on Jin's sword fundamentals instead of spending months on basics had been the right decision. Jin had grasped the essentials of swordsmanship within hours.
It was likely due to both the intensity of the fight and his Trait; throughout their battle, Jin had grown steadily—and at an impressive speed.
Of course, Albedo's precise strikes had guided Jin's progress, subtly adjusting his stance and posture through each exchange. But there was little to correct—Jin had a solid foundation and natural posture to build upon from the start.
"All right, let's end it here for today."
"Already?"
"If you want more training, how about this." Albedo raised his hand, chanting softly.
[Summoning Art: Sword Golem]
A glowing magic circle appeared on the ground. From it, a gray-armored, sword-wielding golem emerged, towering and imposing.
"Very well. Your task is to defeat this golem before sunset," Albedo announced.
Jin eyed the inactive golem, wondering if it was really as powerful as Albedo implied.
"All right… let's begin."
With a snap of Albedo's fingers, the golem's eyes flared to life. In an instant, it lunged forward, its sword slicing through the air and grazing Jin's cheek.
"Wh-What? I couldn't even react!"
"Stay focused—the next attack is coming," Albedo warned, tossing Jin a real sword.
"Try not to die."
With that, Albedo turned and left the training ground, leaving Jin alone to face the golem.
'The more he fights, the stronger he'll become.'
Without hesitation, Jin grabbed the sword from the ground and sprinted away, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the sword golem. He knew it lacked any long-range attacks, which might give him a slight advantage. Although he himself didn't have a long-range attack.
Jin examined the weapon Albedo had tossed him. It was a single-edged, curved sword—a katana. Its circular, black guard gleamed subtly, while the handle was wrapped in dark cloth, providing a firm grip. The blade itself was curved and polished, reflecting the light with an almost lethal beauty.
"Interesting design…"
Jin thought, but he had no time to admire it. The golem was already closing in, its heavy footsteps thundering across the ground.
With a sudden lunge, the golem launched a rapid series of sword strikes, each blow faster and heavier than the last. Jin tried to deflect the attacks, his katana meeting the golem's blade in a blur of movement, but he couldn't keep up. Cuts appeared across his arms and torso as the golem's strikes slipped past his guard.
'This isn't working—I need more time to adapt to its attack pattern!'
Jin forced himself back, creating space between them once more. He planted the katana into the ground, using it to support himself as he caught his breath.
'I won't last much longer at this rate…'
But it was already too late—the golem had closed in, looming behind Jin with its sword raised high, prepared to strike with crushing force.
'Oh no… I'm done for.'
Jin thought, frantically analyzing his options. Yet no strategy came to mind. He braced himself for the impact.
[Trait: Adaptation]
In that instant, Jin's Adaptation Trait activated, allowing him to instinctively adjust to the golem's attack. Reacting in sync, Jin raised his sword just as the golem's blade came crashing down. Their swords collided with a resounding clash, and Jin's spiritual energy surged, condensing around his blade to reinforce his defense.
The force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling outward, cracking the ground beneath them.
Without wasting a second, Jin launched a counterattack, slashing swiftly and repeatedly, refusing to give the golem any chance to retaliate. Each strike was precise, fueled by his newfound adaptation and determination.
**********
Evening came, and Albedo arrived at the training ground in a good mood, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
"You're curious to see how he's doing, aren't you?"
Albedo asked Luke, who was following close behind.
Luke shrugged.
"I doubt he could defeat that golem in a single day. Its power level is equal to a Level 4, after all. No one at Level 1, especially without any significant abilities, could possibly overcome such a challenge."
"I wonder, too,"
Albedo replied, a hint of mystery in his tone.
Soon the training ground came to vision, Luke's eyes widened at the scene before him.
The training area was completely wrecked. Deep sword marks scarred the ground, and nearby trees lay in pieces, sliced apart by powerful strikes.
In the center of the devastation, Jin lay on the ground, his katana planted upright in the soil beside him. In front of him was the sword golem—destroyed.
"He… he really defeated the sword golem."