Gilly was given freedom to relax for the next few days. Instead of resting, she took to the forest to practice. She jumped from tree to tree, growing more efficient by the day, and by the second day, she barely made any mistakes.She encountered patrols along the way—some were familiar faces like Penre and Seil. Some were happy to see her, while others brushed her off as a newbie. But overall, they weren't hostile in any way.
On the third day, she went up to the training grounds. Zin and Pom were having a spar. It was phenomenal—so much so that even Valmor came to watch. Other town figures like Asrck were present too.Zin stood opposite Pom, his hand on his sword. In comparison, Pom looked much stronger. He too was a halfling, but it was rumored his ancestors hailed from the giants. He stood at six-seven, one of the tallest in the town.Zin, on the other hand, was fairly built. His muscles were well-shaped, visible even through his clothes, but next to Pom, he looked feeble.Zin was indifferent, as usual. For a fight that drew this much attention, he seemed far too casual.
Pom grinned. "Don't go easy on me."
He launched forward. Sparks flew as the swords clashed. They were using real swords instead of the usual training ones.Gilly stood in awe, watching the first few exchanges. At first, her attention was on Pom. Every swing was filled with determination. She was reminded of the time she struck the large boulder.Pom jumped high into the air, striking down at Zin. Zin blocked the blow, but the shockwave kicked up a bit of dirt. That was when she noticed Zin hadn't moved an inch since the fight started.
After a few more attempts, Pom jumped back, breathing heavily, his hands sweaty. He felt the weight of every exchange.The dust settled, revealing Zin's smirk.
Ephini entered the training grounds. Her eyes fell on her brother. Seeing that smirk, she sighed—she knew he was about to get serious.
"Here I come."He blurred, making the spectators gasp.
He appeared above Pom, striking down vertically. Pom blocked, but the force drove his feet into the soil.Zin jumped back, now visibly excited. He dashed forward again and again, growing faster each time. Pom dodged and blocked, dancing around the training grounds as Zin pushed him in every direction.
As Gilly watched, something within her stirred. For some reason, she felt excited. She observed every detail—every movement, every breath.Her eyes began to glow. A faint light-blue aura surrounded her skin.
Valmor turned. Then Ephini. Then Asrck. Soon, all those above Predator grade in the audience turned their attention to Gilly.Her fighting spirit was going rampant. Even Zin and Pom, in the middle of their fight, felt her gaze.
But Gilly had fallen into a trance, lost in the rhythm of battle. A state so deep that her consciousness faded slightly.
Then she heard a voice—a familiar one.
"A great disturbance has stirred our soul. Something is awakening."
When she snapped back to reality, the fight was over. Her body had returned to normal. She felt a few piercing gazes, but when she turned around, she only saw Ephini.
Ephini smiled. "You seem to be enjoying the fight."
She stepped forward toward Pom. He was injured but, for some reason, looked happy.Zin smiled. "You lasted longer this time. You've improved."
It was unlike Zin to compliment anyone. Even Valmor nodded in approval. Ephini cast a healing spell on Pom, and one by one, his wounds faded.
Zin turned to Gilly, signaling her to come. She stepped forward, noticing a few unusual glances—mostly from cadets and trainees.
Now standing before Zin, she felt a little nervous."Do you want a sparring partner? I noticed your fighting spirit earlier. It seemed like you really wanted to have a go at it."
She didn't understand the phrase. "Fighting spirit?"
He shook his head, smiling. "It means you were really excited by our spar."
She knew she had felt excited watching the spar earlier, but she was still unsure of her own strength.
Seil stepped forward, stomping his feet. He too had been excited by the spar, but it seemed Zin had ignored him, and he wasn't happy about that.
"Perfect timing, Seil. I'd like you to have a go with Gilly."
He smiled wickedly. His aura surged briefly before a hand smacked him on the head—it was Ephini.
"They seem close," Gilly blurted out without thinking.
Pom, Seil, and Zin turned to look at her. Ephini looked slightly embarrassed.
"They're married," they all said in unison.
Gilly's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't push the topic further.
"Anyway, you two will spar with wooden swords." Zin turned to Seil. "Go easy on her. She's still figuring things out."
Seil felt a piercing gaze. He nodded to Zin's instructions.
With that, the center of the field was cleared, and the two fighters stood opposite each other.Some people left, but new arrivals came to watch. Among them was Zenora. Many were interested in this new girl—some had heard of her, but few had seen her in action.
Without hesitation, Gilly dashed forward. Seil held a longsword, so she assumed his swing would be slow.
But then, she caught a blurred object from the corner of her eye.
She was sent flying several meters, struggling to land.
Seil dashed forward before she could regain her footing. He swung his sword—Gilly managed to block, but was sent flying again.
This happened again and again. The audience began to lose interest. But Gilly slowly began to smile.
Little by little, she adjusted to Seil's onslaught. And finally, she parried one of his attacks.
Seil's brows furrowed. He took deep breaths, then blurred again.
Gilly's eyes began to glow faintly. She was savoring every experience she could get. His attacks grew heavier, pushing her around once more. But now, she was calculating every move she made.
She realized two things:Trying to stop herself after being flung was pointless—her best option was to regain balance while still in motion.Second, dodging cost too much energy. She could block, and even if she was pushed back, she could recover.
Many who were about to leave stopped. Gilly was adapting to Seil's attack patterns too quickly.
But those above Predator rank saw something deeper. She was reducing her movements—a true mark of discipline in battle.
Seil was not pleased. He increased his power and changed his attack patterns. But no matter what he did, Gilly followed.
He used a heavy strike to push Gilly back, then increased his speed. But this would be his mistake.
As Gilly was pushed back, she tried to regain balance before landing. The force was great, so she compressed the momentum through her heels when she touched the ground.
When Seil was within range, she dashed forward, surprising him.
He panicked and used mana, manifesting his aura to amplify his strength. With a 360-degree swing, he sent Gilly crashing into the ground.
She hadn't expected him to use mana. A small crater formed beneath her. A cloud of dust rose, covering her.
The crowd gasped. Zin smiled. Pom and Ephini were shocked. Asrck and Valmor were equally surprised. A few others had noticed too.
Within the dust cloud, Gilly's hand—used as a last resort to block the strike—was broken. But it quickly healed.
And through the dust, Gilly still stood, eyes bright and shining. Most of all, she was smiling.A glowing aura, part gold and part blue, enveloped her body. She looked excited to continue the spar.
When Gilly had landed and was waiting for Seil's attack, she had gathered momentum in her legs. Then she heard a voice:
"Our understanding of battle has increased. The Hero's Blood is responding to your will—it is gradually flowing."
She smiled—not because she heard the voice, but because it had recognized her determination.
When she launched forward, Seil pulled a trick using mana.
She had no time to block, so she sacrificed her left hand. She was flung into the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Her arm throbbed in pain—but moments later, it returned to normal.
Then the voice spoke again:
"Hero's Blood has flowed to an extent and recognized our understanding of movement during battle. Skill 'Dance of the Battlefield' will now be engraved into memory."
At that moment, Gilly's fighting experience over the years converged. She could see how sloppy her moves had once been. It was as though she had gained enlightenment.