[Time Remaining Until The Next Wave Attack: 1409 Hours, 40 Minutes, and 10 Seconds]
[Wave repelled. Valkeries City will remain protected from siege attacks for the next two months. Well fought, Heroes.]
Jan stared at the glowing notification, the message hovering in his vision.
'So we're safe… for now.'
With a tired sigh, he swiped the message away and finally sat up.
The bed creaked beneath him. It had been a long night—a fight against impossible odds, monsters, and being tortured by that demon. Finding sleep after that was almost impossible.
Making it all worse was having to explain what he meant when he told Maria and Sophia that their family was "gone."
'Maybe I should've worded it better.'
Once they understood what he meant, Jan expected them to panic or be outraged, but Maria took the news surprisingly well. Just like Marcus said—she knew what to do.
Sophia, on the other hand, seemed to be more upset that she couldn't go with them.
She's either brave or reckless. Jan wasn't sure which—maybe both.
Back when he gave her the blood bottle and told her to run, she refused. He had to physically kick her out of the way at the last second before Saveth attacked.
'I'm glad it all worked out.'
His fingers drifted to his pocket—the blood bottle.
Sophia had given it back to him before he went to bed.
"This thing gives me the creeps. You keep it," she said.
He pulled it out, letting the dim light catch on the glass.
The thick, dark liquid inside shifted strangely, almost too smoothly.
Jan narrowed his eyes.
'All that blood from that entire army. How is it even stored like this? And how does he use it to heal himself… even come back from death?'
[Identify]
[????]
[Type: ????]
[Description: ?????]
"Figured," he exhaled, unsurprised.
He shoved it back into his pocket and glanced around the empty room.
It had only been four days since he arrived in this world—just a few days ago, he’d been a normal student.
Now, here he was—examining cursed blood bottles and fighting monsters.
Jan let out a dry laugh. 'Maybe I need to clear my head.'
His gaze flicked to his sword propped against the wall.
Back home, every morning, he would do his 1,000 strikes in his backyard.
He hadn't done it since coming here. It had only been a few days, but it felt like years.
Without another thought, he grabbed the sword and stepped to the center of the room—then stopped.
'...Maybe I should go outside.'
Crack—
The door shut behind him as he descended the stairs, stepping into the quiet inn.
The emptiness hit him harder than he expected.
'This place feels lifeless without them here.'
Sighing, he stepped outside, wondering when they would come back.
Maria said it was an obvious trap, and Saveth wouldn’t let them follow him like that.
'But if she's right, then where did they end up? Will they be back before the time runs out? What if Saveth attacked and they weren't here yet?'
The thought twisted his stomach.
'I can't just wait around. I need to get stronger.'
Determined, Jan walked into the backyard behind the inn, unsheathed his sword, and took a stance.
Closing his eyes like he always did, Jan tried to clear his mind.
"1!"
Whoosh—
"2!"
Whoosh—
"3!"
Whoosh—
"Tsk."
He couldn't concentrate.
Thoughts of last night kept creeping in.
It wasn't the first time this had happened. It was always the same whenever life got overwhelming—problems at his part-time job, arguments with his mom, or not having time to finish a book he was dying to read.
Luckily, he knew exactly what to do.
He closed his eyes again.
Darkness surrounded him.
And within that darkness, a familiar shadow began to take form.
[Congratulations, you've obtained a new skill: "Shadow Training Lv.1"]
'This also counts as a skill?!'
The world in his mind's eye expanded. The shadow grew sharper, more vivid, walking slowly toward him before stopping just a few feet away.
More surprising, the shadow had a face!
If not for the strange, grayish tint to its skin, he might've believed he was standing face to face with the man himself.
The one before him was none other than his Kendo Sensei.
Jan had always admired him—as a fellow Kendoka, and even more as a teacher. Not too kind, not too harsh—just the perfect balance of discipline and presence. A true martial artist, strong enough to earn the respect of everyone who stepped into the dojo.
When Jan practiced suburi—shadow training—he sometimes imagined his sensei as his opponent.
The first time he did it, he lost. Badly.
When he told his sensei, the man laughed—loudly and with genuine amusement, a rare sight. “You’re the first person I’ve met who loses in his own imagination,” he’d said.
Jan didn’t mind the comment. In fact, he found it motivating. He had never seen real results from his shadow training until he started imagining such a strong opponent.
And strangely, it helped clear his mind.
And it’s not like he kept losing forever. After two years of daily practice, he finally managed to get his first win.
From then on, he'd set himself a new goal: to win 500 times, scoring two consecutive points in each match.
"I never made it, though. My best streak was twenty," Jan murmured to himself. "Let’s see if we can change that today."
He raised his sword and slowly lowered into sonkyo—the traditional kneeling posture of respect before a match. In his mind’s eye, the shadow of his Sensei did the same.
After a quiet moment of focus, they both stood. They shifted into their guard stance, blades pointed at each other's throats. The tension was palpable, even in his imagination.
'This sword's a little heavier than my bokken. Not perfect—but I can make it work.'
The gap between them was just under three meters—barely a step outside striking range.
'From there, anything can happen.'
Kendo, even more than other styles of swordsmanship, is about precision, split-second judgment, and lightning-fast reactions. If your movements are too obvious, a skilled opponent can read you like a book—and punish you instantly.
'But if you're too cautious, someone like Sensei will crash through you without mercy.'
That’s why Jan’s best strategy against his Sensei had always been to go hard right from the start: open fast with a strike—maybe two if luck was on his side—and then slow things down from there.
'Either way… I need that first point.'
Step—
*Whoosh—* Whoosh—
"Whoa…"
The first match ended.
Before his Sensei could even react, Jan stepped in cleanly, striking the head and then the torso in quick succession. Two points, just like that.
Jan opened his eyes, surprised not just by how quickly he’d closed the distance, but also by the speed and precision of his blade.
*Whoosh—* Whoosh—
He swung again—faster this time. His blade tore through the air with a shriek, as if it wanted to keep going.
Jan's eyes widened. He was way stronger than before.
"I wonder how many levels I actually gained… I should’ve kept count. Maybe I’ll ask Maria later."
A grin crept onto his face. As he tightened his grip on the hilt—excitement surged through his veins.
"Time to work."
Jan closed his eyes again and resumed his shadow training, counting each strike and victory as he went.
"10! 5 wins!"
...
"22! 11 wins!"
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Shadow Training Lv.2"]
...
"37! 38! 39! 40!"
By that point, counting wins felt pointless—he was practically bullying his Sensei.
Glancing down at the shadowy figure lying flat on the ground, Jan almost felt bad.
'Maybe… I need a stronger opponent.'
He paused for a moment, considering his options—then smirked.
In an instant, his Sensei vanished.
And in his place stood someone new.
The very thought of fighting him alone would've sent chills down Jan's spine. If this weren't the shadow realm, he would've declined the chance without hesitation.
But here… it was different.
'I guess our training continues—even if you're not really here.'
This time, it was Rollo!
Jan had watched him fight long enough to understand his style and movements. And thanks to the new skill, the illusion was nearly perfect—the stance, the aura, even the way he glared down at him.
"You really are looking down on me, huh?"
Jan's grip tightened.
'Just like my Sensei in the beginning. Guess some things never change.'
A smirk tugged at the corner of Rollo's lips.
"Acting like you're the real deal now, huh?! Well, guess what? For once, I'm feeling confident! I'll make sure to wipe that smug look off your face!"
At that, Dark Rollo's eye twitched.
Jan: "…"