Since the official tournament announcement, the atmosphere on the training grounds had changed. There were no more light drills. Instructor Gareth treated Leonel like a forged disciple, not a spoiled heir.
"Again!" Gareth roared.
The sound of clashing wooden blades filled the air. Leonel staggered, his shoulder bruised, but immediately righted himself. His breath came in gasps, sweat soaking his training uniform.
I stood at the edge, hands trembling as I held a towel. Every time the instructor's wooden blade struck, I felt the pain in my own body.
"If you just defend like this, you'll be dead before the second round," Gareth barked.
Leonel wiped the sweat from his brow and raised his wooden sword again. "I'm not defeated yet."
The following days were filled with suffering.
In the morning, Leonel had to run laps around the arena with metal weights on his legs. At noon, he pounded sandbags until his hands were raw. At night, he still sat cross-legged, forcing his aura to circulate even as his body neared collapse.
I once tried to persuade him to rest for a moment. "Young Master, your body could break if you keep pushing like this."
But he just looked at me with a faint smile. "If I stop now, I will never be able to move forward."
[Leonel's POV]
The System kept giving notifications.
[Skill Progress: Aura Breathing Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Skill Progress: Basic Swordsmanship Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Passive Triggered: Pain Resistance Lv.1]
This body was indeed weak, but with every swing, every wound, I could feel something opening up inside me.
When Gareth struck me down, the System's voice echoed again.
[Hidden Condition Achieved: "Unyielding Will"]
[Passive Acquired: Stamina Regeneration +10%]
I gripped the wooden sword and rose again. The pain grew sharper, but my mind grew clearer.
"Now I understand… why this world gave me a second chance."
[Rian's POV]
That night, I helped bandage Leonel's wounds. His shoulders were bruised, his hands covered in cuts.
"Young Master…" my voice was soft. "Why are you pushing yourself this far? You don't even necessarily have to win the tournament. Just surviving would be proof enough."
He was silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Then he whispered, "Because I didn't come to this world just to survive."
Those words left me speechless.
Come to this world?
I wanted to ask more, but the look in his eyes made me hold my tongue. It was as if something far greater was hidden behind who he was now.
On the seventh day, Gareth finally looked at Leonel with a different expression. His stern face no longer held scorn, but… a hint of acknowledgment.
"I didn't expect you to last this long," he said. "Most of my students give up by the third day."
Leonel only smiled, even though his lips were chapped. "I don't intend to give up, Instructor."
Gareth nodded slowly. "Then let's raise the intensity again."
Hearing that, I almost collapsed. "Raise it… again?"
But Leonel didn't flinch. He actually looked more energized, as if the suffering was his fuel.
That night, I couldn't sleep. I remembered Leonel's face as he looked at the instructor. It wasn't the face of the spoiled child I knew.
It was the face of someone who knew exactly what he was pursuing.
And for some reason, that frightened me.
Frightened… because I realized my Young Master was no longer just a failed noble.
He was becoming something else.
Something I wasn't even sure this world was ready to accept.