As soon as I heard the words "one hour," I almost lost my balance. Although this stance seemed quite easy at first, I knew from my past life that holding any position for a long period eventually makes the muscles ache viciously. Standing in this sword stance for an entire hour was going to be brutal, but I had no choice. Focusing my mind, I immediately settled back into position.
The first few minutes were manageable. My body had not yet reached its limit, so I simply concentrated on maintaining the stance exactly as Zoro had taught me. However, as time dragged on, the situation gradually worsened. I kept wondering how much time had passed, feeling as if an entire hour had already slipped by, but when I checked the time in the dojo, only six or seven minutes had passed. What the hell? Frustration welled up inside me as the passage of time slowed to a crawl.
At around the ten-minute mark, my body finally hit its limit. My legs trembled, my arms grew heavy, and my muscles began to ache. The moment my concentration slipped, my posture wavered, causing me to falter and almost fall. Quickly regaining my balance, I took several deep breaths to calm myself down.
Just then, Zoro's stern voice reached my ears. "What are you doing? Stand again."
"Yes." Without complaining, I straightened myself, raised my wooden sword, and returned to the stance. I did my best to replicate the exact placement of my legs, the angle of my hips, and the precise grip on the sword.
Zoro walked over, carefully examining my posture before making a few minute adjustments. He nudged my hip and corrected the alignment of my leg. The changes were tiny, but I could immediately feel the difference in balance. "Maintain it like this," he said, stepping away.
For a while, everything went smoothly. But after several more minutes, my exhaustion returned, and my mind began to wander. Without realizing it, my posture collapsed and the wooden sword began to lower.
"Focus!" Zoro's sharp voice snapped me back to reality. My eyes sharpened, and I instantly corrected my posture, straightening my back and raising the sword. I refused to let myself break again. If I wanted to become powerful, I needed at least this much willpower; if I couldn't endure a basic sword stance for an hour, how could I expect Zoro to teach me, let alone stand at the top of the world?
The burning pain in my legs and arms intensified until every part of my body screamed for me to stop. Yet, I endured. I reminded myself that this wasn't my real physical body, meaning my physical shell outside this mental space wasn't actually suffering damage. That knowledge gave me the push I needed to hold on, minute after minute, locked in the stance until I lost all track of time.
"Well, it is time," Zoro's voice finally called out.
The moment I heard those words, I released the wooden sword and collapsed onto the floor of the dojo. Haa... haa... I breathed heavily, my chest heaving as sweat drenched my entire form. Even though my physical body was unharmed, the mental exhaustion was intensely real, leaving every muscle screaming from the tension.
Seeing me in that state, Zoro calmly spoke. "Well, you can go. This much is enough for today. More than this, your mental power won't be able to take it."
Zoro understood the stakes. Although my physical body wasn't performing the stance, the fatigue generated within the mental space directly strained my mind and spiritual power. Pushing beyond my current limits would overburden my psyche, which was why he called an end to the session.
Looking at me while I lay panting on the wooden floor, Zoro continued in his firm tone. "Well, from tomorrow onward, start your physical training. Without physical strength, the sword in your hand will be useless. A swordsman isn't someone who simply knows how to swing a sword; a swordsman needs the physical strength to cut through anything. Without a strong body, even the best swordsmanship will amount to nothing." Crossing his arms, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Although I can't leave your mental space, I can still see everything happening outside. From here, I'll guide your physical training. And you're not allowed to slack off."
"Y-Yes..." I gave a helpless, exhausted smile, agreeing with difficulty. Satisfied, Zoro gave a slight nod.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the instinctual feeling of returning to reality. The dojo, the scent of polished wood, and the quiet atmosphere faded away. When I opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling and simple walls of my room came into view.
Immediately, a wave of intense mental exhaustion crashed into my mind. "Ugh…" I groaned, collapsing backward onto the bed. Damn, it really is hard. Is becoming a swordsman going to be this difficult for me?
The complaint escaped my mouth as a small grumble, but deep down, I knew strength never came easily. Whether in my previous world or in this one filled with ninjas and mountain-destroying monsters, becoming powerful required immense effort. Raising my hand, I stared at my ordinary palm before slowly clenching it into a fist. To become strong, this much hardship is necessary. Not to mention, as Zoro said, I need rigorous physical training. And for that, I'll definitely need proper weights.
As I thought about the future, I realized my situation had distinct advantages. Anyways, I'm already expelled from the Ninja Academy. It was truly a blessing in disguise. I no longer had to waste time in useless classes, and more importantly, nobody would pay attention to me. In the ninja world, attention was dangerous, especially for someone harboring secrets.
It's actually a good thing, I thought, organizing my ideas. I don't have any constraints anymore. Without instructors, classmates, or academy records tracking my progress, I could grow stronger at my own pace. My only obligation was helping my father in the fields, which was peaceful compared to the dangers of being a ninja.
Not to mention, as long as I'm not part of the Ninja Academy, nobody will bother looking at me. As a result, I won't have to go to war and risk my life.
If Zoro could take over my body to lend me his strength, I might have had a safety net to consider becoming a ninja. But Zoro could only teach; the strength had to be my own. Throwing myself into constant war without absolute power wasn't worth the risk. If I don't have to endanger my life, then why should I? I don't need to become a ninja just to earn money. Anyways, for now, the earnings from the fields are more than enough.
With a goal, a teacher, and a clear direction forward, a wave of sleepiness overwhelmed me. Between the intense sword stance, the shock of transmigration, and nearly drowning earlier that day, my body and mind had hit their absolute limit.
"What a crazy day..." I muttered softly, closing my eyes as deep sleep finally claimed me.
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