Chapter 229 – The Twin Paths
The forest trail stretched long beneath the open sky.
The air was crisp, filled with birdsong and the faint rustle of distant leaves.
Hunnt walked ahead, quiet as ever, while behind him the twins followed — Will with his bow strapped across his back, Willa with her sword and shield glinting in the sunlight.
Training had become part of their journey.
Every stop, every clearing, every patch of open ground turned into a lesson — one for breath, another for rhythm, another for survival.
And under Hunnt's steady eye, both began to change.
---
That afternoon, Hunnt called them to a stop near a quiet glade. "Rest is over," he said. "You've learned breathing and form. Now we move to motion — the art of battle itself."
He looked at Willa first. "You've learned to flow with your weapon. Now, it's time to learn to command it."
---
Combos & Techniques
Hunnt demonstrated each movement one by one — the sunlight flashing across the steel of his gauntlet as he moved with measured grace.
Dual Crescent Slash — two quick horizontal cuts followed by a crushing shield bash.
"Twin Fangs," he said. "Attack and defend as one. Your balance defines the outcome."
Guarding Flow — block, turn, and counter in a single breath.
"Still Stream," Hunnt called it. "Never freeze. Every block leads to motion."
Spin Bash Combo — a circular flurry ending in a heavy blow.
"The Wheel of Resolve — for when you're surrounded and fear wants to win."
Perfect Rush — a string of precise strikes, each one sharper and stronger than the last.
"The Breath of Balance — patience between power, not speed."
Aerial Bash — a leap into the air, sword raised high, followed by a descending strike and midair shield crash.
"The Sky Fang — your answer to giants."
Hunnt lowered his arm and nodded. "Now you, Willa. One at a time. Don't just copy. Feel it."
And she did — first clumsy, then steadier, then alive.
Each swing learned, each breath memorized, each rhythm sinking deeper into her muscle and mind.
---
While Willa drilled her movements, Will trained with his bow nearby. The whisper of string and arrow became the music of the field.
Hunnt guided him step by step, moving from basic shots to rhythm breathing and finally, to full combat flow.
---
Basic Form Sequence with Breathing Form
"Each movement follows a single breath," Hunnt said, pacing behind him.
"Draw — Inhale. Hold. Exhale — Release. Dodge. Draw again. That's your heartbeat. Lose it, and you die."
Will followed the rhythm. His movements grew smoother, faster, sharper.
By the fifth arrow, his breathing matched the string's vibration.
Hunnt smiled faintly. "You're learning."
He then introduced the Training Doctrine — a set of grueling drills that tested Will's precision and stamina — from holding a bowstring for ten seconds without tremor to firing blindfolded, to releasing arrows in total silence.
Every night they trained. Every day they improved.
And Hunnt, ever observant, noticed something in Will — the way his eyes never missed a detail. He could see a leaf tremble from across the field.
"How far can you see?" Hunnt asked one morning.
Will squinted toward the horizon. "Maybe two hundred meters. Maybe more."
Hunnt nodded. "That's not normal vision. Keep that skill. One day, it'll save lives."
Willa chuckled from behind. "So what does that make me?"
Hunnt smirked. "The blade and the heart. He's the eyes. Together, you're complete."
---
Weeks passed before Hunnt finally gave them real permission.
They had been walking through a dense forest near the foothills when they heard it — the heavy, guttural roar of a Rank C large monster.
A horned brute, its scales slick with mud and moss, its red eyes gleaming through the trees.
Will gripped his bow tightly. "That's it," he whispered.
Willa nodded beside him. "Our first real hunt."
Hunnt stepped back, arms folded. "You know the plan. I won't interfere unless one of you is dying."
"Wait—you're not helping?" Willa asked.
Hunnt smiled faintly. "What kind of lesson would that be?"
The twins exchanged a glance — nervous, but determined.
"Alright," Will said. "I'll take the backline. You keep it busy."
"Got it," Willa replied, raising her shield.
The beast roared and charged, shaking the ground.
Willa met it head-on, steel clashing against bone. The impact threw her backward, dust rising from the ground.
"Too strong!" she shouted, sliding across the dirt.
"Keep your footing!" Will called, loosing an arrow that struck the monster's flank. The creature turned toward him, enraged.
"Over here, you overgrown toad!" Willa yelled, slamming her shield into its snout, stunning it for a moment.
Will took the chance — Draw. Inhale. Hold. Release.
The arrow hit its shoulder. Another followed, then another — his breathing in rhythm now.
But the monster wasn't slowing. It slammed its tail into the ground, sending a shockwave that sent them both staggering.
"Willa, move!"
"I'm trying!"
She rolled aside just as the creature's jaws snapped where she stood. Sweat ran down her face, but she gritted her teeth and countered — Twin Fangs — her sword slicing twice before her shield crashed into its neck.
"Will! Now!"
He nodded, drawing deep — a full charge, the bowstring trembling as he pulled.
"Breathe," he whispered. "Release."
The arrow pierced through the monster's throat. It roared in pain, stumbling — then lunged again, desperate and wild.
"Don't let it recover!" Willa shouted, slamming her shield against its leg and rolling beneath the swing of its claws. Her breathing synced perfectly — in, out, in, out — her balance unbroken.
Will kept firing, arrows finding every weak spot she opened.
Finally, after hours of steady rhythm, pain, and exhaustion, the beast collapsed with a final earth-shaking roar.
The forest went quiet.
Willa leaned on her sword, panting. "We… we did it."
Will laughed breathlessly, lowering his bow. "Barely."
Hunnt stepped from the shadows, his arms crossed, calm as ever. "You're both alive. That's what matters."
He approached the monster's corpse, glancing over its wounds. "You worked well — not perfect, but well. You adapted, covered each other's mistakes. That's hunting."
Willa smiled faintly. "Thanks to your breathing nonsense."
Hunnt chuckled. "Nonsense that just saved your lives."
As the sun dipped low, the twins sat by a fallen log, catching their breath.
"That was… harder than I thought," Will admitted. "I panicked when it charged you."
Willa nodded. "I kept forgetting to breathe. I think I overextended my shield bash."
They exchanged tired smiles.
"So," Will said, "we learn and try again?"
Willa nodded. "Yeah. Next time, we move like one."
Hunnt watched them from a short distance, his expression soft but unreadable. "Not bad," he murmured to himself. "Not bad at all."
---
Days later, the road curved through the hills. The trees thinned, revealing smoke rising gently from chimneys ahead.
The rhythmic clang of hammers echoed faintly through the wind.
Korvan Village — the home of forge, discipline, and beginnings.
Hunnt stopped at the ridge, the faintest smile forming beneath the shadow of his hood. "We're here."
The twins stepped beside him, eyes widening as they saw the quiet village nestled between mountains and mist.
Neither of them knew it yet, but this was where their path — and the next trial — would begin.