The morning haze clung to the training fields, dew still fresh on the grass as the golden light of dawn spilled across the horizon. The once lively grounds were now silent, save for the soft crunch of boots against earth.
Kumuna stood alone.
No armor. No warlords. Just him, dressed in the standard training gear Orwin had issued him yesterday, the weighted tunic still clinging to his form like a stubborn curse.
His muscles ached from the previous day’s trials, every motion sending sharp reminders through his body—but he moved anyway.
Strike.
Step.
Pivot.
Strike again.
He practiced the Wolf Stance slowly, methodically, flowing through the forms Orwin had hammered into him. Each movement was rougher than yesterday, but he was learning to focus. Not on the pain. Not on the fatigue. But on the flow.
Breathe in.
Step forward.
Breathe out.
Dodge.
“Keep your hips lower,” a voice called from the shade of the nearby trees.
Kumuna didn’t flinch.
“I know you’re there, Orwin,” he said with a faint smirk.
The beastling emerged from the shadows, arms crossed, golden eyes gleaming.
“You’re early,” Orwin said, walking over.
“Didn’t sleep much,” Kumuna muttered. “Thought I’d get ahead.”
Orwin nodded. “And yet your footing still sucks.”
“Gee, thanks,” Kumuna muttered, adjusting his stance.
“Relax,” Orwin chuckled. “I’m saying you’ve improved. A little.”
Kumuna straightened, wiping sweat from his forehead. “So, what’s the plan today? More sparring? Carrying boulders up cliffs? Dodging arrows while blindfolded?”
Orwin actually grinned at that. “Nope. Today… you’re getting your first weapon.”
Kumuna’s eyes lit up. “Wait—seriously?”
Orwin nodded, motioning for him to follow. “Come on. Kai’Zen signed off on it, though don’t let that go to your head. You’ve got a long way to go.”
“Pfft. Like he’s ever not mad about something.”
Orwin laughed under his breath.
As they crossed into the training armory, Kumuna took in the rows of weapons—swords, spears, axes, and strange armaments he didn’t even recognize.
Orwin gestured to the racks. “Pick something. But choose wisely. You’re not just swinging for power anymore—you’re using speed, precision, and timing. Your weapon should match you.”
Kumuna browsed for a moment, fingers trailing over polished steel and aged wood. He paused in front of a pair of short swords—curved, light, and balanced.
“These…” he murmured.
Orwin raised a brow. “Dual blades?”
Kumuna nodded. “Fast. Fluid. I think I can move with ‘em better than a heavy weapon.”
He unsheathed them both, testing the weight.
The moment he held them, something clicked.
They weren’t enchanted. Not legendary. But they fit.
Orwin watched in silence. “Good choice.”
Kumuna gave a slow spin, letting the blades glide with his movement.
Orwin stepped back. “Then let’s see if your stance holds up when steel’s in your hands.”
Before Kumuna could even retort, Orwin lunged forward.
Sparring Round Two.
Kumuna reacted instinctively, crossing the twin blades in front of him to deflect Orwin’s strike.
Clang!
The force behind the impact rattled through his arms, but he held firm. His feet slid slightly against the dirt, but he didn’t fall. He bent low, stepping back with a pivot—Wolf Stance in full effect.
Orwin grinned, circling him. “You’re learning.”
Kumuna kept his breathing steady. “Told you. I don’t fold that easy.”
He lunged forward, striking fast—a diagonal slash aimed at Orwin’s midsection. But the beastling was already gone, flipping over him and landing behind.
Kumuna spun to meet him, twin blades dancing in sync as he parried the next attack.
Steel rang.
Feet shifted.
The spar was more intense than the day before, but Kumuna wasn’t being overwhelmed this time. He could feel it—the rhythm, the flow. Orwin wasn’t going easy anymore. He was testing him. Pushing him.
“You’re quicker,” Orwin said between parries. “Sharper.”
Kumuna gave a smirk, narrowly dodging a low sweep. “Guess your insults work better than pep talks.”
Orwin laughed, and in that second—
CRACK!
The ground to the left of them burst open in a sharp explosion of dust and earth.
Both fighters halted immediately, blades raised.
A deep rumbling sound echoed from beneath the training yard, followed by a low, inhuman growl.
Kumuna’s expression hardened. “Please tell me that’s not normal.”
Orwin’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not.”
From the cracked earth, something began to emerge—dark, pulsating with unstable mana. A twisted beast, half-shadow and half-metal, its glowing red eyes locked onto them. Its form was unstable, parts of its body phasing in and out of visibility like a corrupted glitch in reality.
Kumuna took a cautious step back. “What is that?”
“A failed experiment,” Orwin muttered. “One that was supposed to be sealed underground.”
The war beast let out a shriek and charged.
Orwin shoved Kumuna aside. “MOVE!”
The creature slammed into Orwin, sending him flying into the training wall. Dust exploded around the impact.
Kumuna scrambled to his feet. “Orwin!”
The creature turned toward him, its mouth splitting open unnaturally.
Kumuna’s grip tightened around his blades. “Alright, no time for hesitation…”
He dropped into Wolf Stance.
His heart pounded.
No training.
No mentor.
Just him…
…and the monster.
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