The martial arts hall was vast and loud. Around thirty to forty students were sparring with one another at the same time. The air buzzed with noise, while several instructors walked among the students, observing closely.
What caught the eye was that some students fought barehanded, while others used wooden weapons. Unwan slowly stepped forward into the hall. Of course, he couldn't say he wasn't interested, but he didn't know how to use any weapon, nor any fighting style at all.
Noticing his arrival, one of the instructors turned around and walked up to him.
— What's your name?
— Unwan, good afternoon.
The instructor let out a quiet sigh.
— Do you know how to fight unarmed, or with any kind of weapon?
— No.
The instructor said nothing. He walked toward the wall, reached into a rack filled with unfamiliar shapes, and took out a rather long tachi, handing it to Unwan.
— Can you use this, then?
— No.
The instructor took the tachi back from him, gripping it with both hands and raising it high. In an instant, he brought it down so fast that the blade was barely visible.
— You'll repeat that exact motion a thousand times.
'A thousand times?'
Unwan took the tachi, held it with both hands, and raised it overhead. The instructor pointed out several mistakes, corrected his posture, and told him to repeat it properly. Unwan tried to swing the blade down swiftly. But naturally, he failed. Overall, the tachi itself was fast; the problem was that Unwan wasn't used to it, and the gap in rank made that painfully clear.
'One out of a thousand.'
Unwan raised the tachi again and brought it down once more.
'Two out of a thousand.'
At first, Unwan thought this would be easy, just a matter of time, with only a little difficulty toward the end. But the more he moved the tachi, the more he realized how brutally demanding the task actually was. By the fiftieth swing, his joints and shoulders had begun to ache. The tachi felt heavier, too.
Occasionally, the instructor would come by, correct a flaw or two, and move on without much conversation. By then, Unwan had already accepted that he was under [Unliked] influence.
After completing one hundred swings, pain had fully settled into his body. The sensation urged him to stop, to give up. Yet, slowly, stubbornly, Unwan continued.
'A hundred are already done. Nine hundred left. Am I really that weak? Weak enough to fail this? No. I'll do it.'
'So says the person who thought this was easy just minutes ago.'
As the count crept closer to a thousand, Unwan's muscles burned hotter, and every movement became harder than the last.
Eventually, the lesson ended. With only a little over eight hundred completed, the instructor stopped him and told him to go to the dining hall, advising him to eat plenty of meat if possible. At the same time, they discussed a plan for the next month, or more precisely, the next fifteen days. But…
A strange feeling lingered inside Unwan. Throughout the training, it had wrapped around him. An unsettling sense that he was doing something wrong. Today's technique, the way he performed it, all felt off. As if something was incorrect, or as if he was subconsciously resisting the training itself.
Unwan went to the dining hall and, following the instructor's advice, chose a steak. Even though he had eaten one the yesterday before, its flavor was still appealing enough to justify another. After finishing it in no time, he returned to his room and lay down, staring at the ceiling as he reflected on the day.
'What a heavy, exhausting day.'
Lost in that thought, Unwan drifted into sleep.
***
The next morning, Genius Nort woke him up again. This time, however, he came directly to Unwan and did his best not to frighten him unnecessarily. Unwan washed his face with cold water, got dressed, and headed to eat. Just as he expected, the academy accepted new students on any given day, and both the academy and its instructors operated continuously. The clearest proof of that was the dining hall itself.
Within just a few days, new students had already blended into the group and were getting along well. Those who couldn't adapt, however, were now merely watching from the sidelines. After eating his porridge, Unwan left the dining hall early, before the crowd could gather and block the exit.
When he reached Genius Nort's room, the day proved no easier than the one before. Genius taught him not only theory, but practical knowledge as well. He once again reminded the ranks and strengths of Night creatures into Unwan's memory, knowledge that was absolutely essential. In truth, it made up for what Unwan had forgotten back at the orphanage.
Genius also intended to teach him how to find water and survive with limited food, but Unwan postponed that lesson. Instead, Genius taught him how to climb trees and mountains, how to identify his location based on terrain and sand patterns, and how to avoid getting lost in labyrinth-like paths.
Even so, today was no less painful or exhausting than yesterday. Especially when it came to climbing, choosing the correct holds and paths required a different approach for trees and mountains, yet demanded the same combination of mental judgment and physical strength.
Later that lesson, as Unwan was saying goodbye to Genius Nort, he asked a question that had been lingering in his mind.
— Genius Nort… what do you think? If I continue like this, after a month, when I graduate from the academy and head into the Night Curse, do you think I'll survive?
Nort pondered for quite some time before a faint smile appeared on his face.
— That depends on many things, but in the end, it won't affect your chances of survival as much as you think.
A questioning look crossed Unwan's face, a rare sight for someone usually so indifferent.
— Why?
— Because you'll never truly understand how difficult it is to reach my level as a Reader. You have far more opportunities than you realize. Do you think all Owners constantly risk their lives? Of course not. With so many Ruins already secured by armed forces… no. Not at all. You simply enter one of those ruins and come back out. That's it. You have the potential to become a Reader in mere seconds. What about me?
He sighed and continued.
— We claimed land in the Night Curse for the kingdom, through countless sacrifices and deaths. But why am I teaching you all this? To increase your chances of survival. No matter how prepared you are, something unexpected will always happen in the Night Curse, outside the kingdom's control. Even those tiny, seemingly insignificant probabilities can be the deciding factor between life and death.