The days blurred into a rhythm of training in both mana manipulation and the sword.
Every morning, the clang of blades echoed through the settlement, and every evening the soft hum of mana absorption filled the camp.
My system was no longer theory, it works. Warriors who had once collapsed in agony now sat calmly, shards dissolving in their hands as the world's mana aided them. In combat drills, strikes landed heavier, and movements were smoother.
But with every success, the whispers grew louder.
"She's not one of us."
"She brings danger with her methods."
"How can we let an outsider stand above our sons?"
"A woman at that!"
I heard them, though they never dared say it to my face. Not until one evening.
