As early morning came, I've already completed my daily objectives. Since it was going to be a long day, it was best to get it out of the way. I headed back to the manor from the training grounds to eat breakfast.
When I walked into the dining room, I noticed my sister, Tomoe, and my mother staring at me, their faces showing obvious signs of sadness. Are they sad because I'm leaving?
I sat down and began eating. The room was filled with silence as we ate, until, my mother broke it. "Takeda, this is your first time leaving the manor. I understand this is an order from your father, but still... be safe, my son." she said, her voice anxious.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll become stronger, so you won't have to worry about me. These past two years, I've done nothing but hone my skills." I replied, my voice filled with confidence. I don't want her to be stressed while I'm away.
As we finished eating, my father walked into the dining room. "Takeda, the director of the academy is here. Come greet him and show your respects." he said firmly.
"Yes, Father." As I stood to meet this director, I felt a powerful aura fill the room. My body tingled with the overflowing sensation of excitement. Whoever this director is, he's strong.
I stepped out of the manor to see a man with a stubbled beard and his hair tied into a man bun. His outfit a loose-fitted kimono, with a sheathed sword at his hip.
Assuming this was the director, I clasped my hands together and bowed in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Director. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
The man stared at me for a brief moment before bursting into laughter. "So, you're Takeshi's son, huh? Interesting. I can tell you're a dedicated warrior. So tell me, why are you interested in my academy?" he asked, his tone curious.
"I want to learn more about the world. Not only that, but I want to understand the power that resides within it. I simply want to become stronger." I replied, talking out of my ass, to be fair it was the truth.
The man scoffed, then laughed. "You're mature. Hell, I forgot I was talking to a brat!" he said, laughing wholeheartedly.
"My name is Jin Musashi. I'm the director of Ember Academy. It's a pleasure to meet the son of Takeshi."
"My name is Takeda Hanzo. I look forward to being under your guidance." I said, bowing once again in respect.
The man smirked slightly. "Say, boy, would you like to spar? If I'm going to sponsor you into my academy, I want to make sure you can handle what's thrown at you." he said, a grin on his face.
"Yes, sir. I would like to myself." I replied. We made our way to the training grounds and prepared ourselves. I grabbed a wooden sword shaped like a katana and heard a familiar ding.
Bonus Objective? How strong is this old man? Yamigan Reawakend? What the hell? Do I have to reawaken it? Is that why the skill isn't working? I'm left with more questions than answers.
"Don't hold back, kid." the man snarled with confidence.
"I won't." I replied.
As we squared off, I drew in all of my past life experiences. I took a step forward, then disappeared from his sight, reappearing in the air as I swung my sword down as hard as I could. Director Jin blocked the attack with ease and countered with a palm strike to my stomach.
I flew back in disbelief but quickly got back up, charging at him with all my speed. I swung my sword upward, and as he dodged to the right, I switched the position of my sword, bringing it down on him in an instant.
Director Jin stumbled back while using his arm to block my sword, his overly confident smile turning into shock. Then, his grin widened. "Brat, you've passed the test. The goal was to either land a strike or make me stumble. I didn't think it would end this quick, it seems I underestimated you." he said, approvingly.
<+100 XP has been added to your XP count.>
<+3 Skill Points have been added to your skill point count (12).>
<1x Mystery Box has been added to your inventory.>
Skill points? How do I have twelve? I've never seen this before, sucks I couldn't get any bonus.
"Takeda, our journey will take three days. Prepare yourself. You have only two hours before we depart." Director Jin said. "In the meantime, your father and I will catch up." he added, glaring at my father.
During this time, I packed everything I would need—nothing too excessive, just the essentials: clothes, food, and shinobi tools like kunai, shuriken, and a short sword. It was a hefty bag, but it would do. I had no idea what could happen during this journey, so I had to be prepared.
Now, it was time to see what this "mystery box" was. I opened my inventory. "Open." I thought.
Phantom Step? What's this? "Inspect skill." I told the system.
Effects: Temporarily increases player speed by 200%, leaves an after-image for 2 seconds, grants brief invisibility (1 second) during movement phase, and increases evasion chances by 40%.> Woah. I couldn't help but be shocked. This skill is incredible. I wonder why I can't inspect Yamigan. What makes it different? I knew Director Jin wasn't trying his best during our spar, the aura I felt from him was different. I needed to get stronger. I had a long way to go. That thought made me remember my skill points. When I opened my status screen, I noticed something. I had 12 skill points, which meant I had received 3 points from the earlier spar. Did that mean I got a skill point each time I leveled up? I'd only leveled up in the past two years through training. Most of my XP came from daily objectives, with extra points gained from training with my father. I really thought it'd only go up as I level up. Am I really that old? Anyway, I spent 3 points on Agility, 3 to Strength, 3 to Intuition, and 3 to Intelligence. Basic stuff, but I was still strong. I could somewhat keep up with my father. I just wondered how I'd compare to the other students. It would be fun to gain experience and XP, and the academy would be the best way to learn the power of the system. Before we departed, I said my goodbyes to my family—my mother, my sister, and my father. The four of us lived a simple but happy life. "Takeda, remember to stay true to yourself. Don't trust anyone unless you believe they are worthy of it. I want you to meet new people, make connections, and become a strong shinobi." my father said, pride filling his voice. "You've truly grown, my son. I'm proud of you. Stay safe, and don't come back covered with injuries." my mother added, her tears falling freely. "Yeah, you better come back stronger. I'm shocked they're even sending you to a school. I'll miss you, Takeda…" my older sister Tomoe said, her eyes filled with tears. Even though I've only known these people for two years, it felt like they've been with me my whole life. My body had never experienced these kind of emotions before. In my past life, I had an alcoholic father and a mother who abandoned me. I had kept to myself and gotten involved with the wrong people... the rest was history. "Thank you all. I promise I'll come back a hundred times stronger than I am now. Father, I swear when I return, I'll exceed all your expectations." I said, brimming with confidence. I truly believed in the power of the system. They nodded in agreement. As I walked away with Director Jin, I looked back one last time, memorizing their faces. The academy was four years long. It would be the perfect time to refine my old skills and level up in this life.