I woke up with a sigh, already weary from the grind of my new daily routine. At least it was Friday. One more day, and I'd finally be free over the weekend.
The week had blurred into a rhythm—lectures, Combat Training, and hours of practice afterward. Each night, I slipped away to work on The Veiled Stride, but no matter how much effort I put in, something still felt wrong. I could grasp its principles—misdirection, presence concealment, the flow of mana between them—but it wasn't mine yet. Not truly. Until I could weave both elements together seamlessly, it would remain incomplete.
Archery, on the other hand, was a different story. I'd begun mastering the bow techniques our instructor introduced, even managing to string them together into workable combinations. James and Natasha weren't progressing as quickly, so they asked me for help.
"Your mana control is too rigid," I told James after one exercise. "You're forcing it instead of letting it flow."
He scowled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and tried again. His next arrow flared brighter before striking the target with more force.
Natasha, by contrast, struggled with overextending herself. "Don't push all your mana into one shot," I advised. "Think of it like painting—layer by layer, not one heavy stroke."
She nodded thoughtfully, loosening another Mana Arrow. It flickered unsteady, but she was improving.
Both of them thanked me afterward. Their smiles were genuine—and for the first time, I realized I didn't mind being leaned on.
Throughout the week, we picked up new skills:
Rapid Fire: releasing a stream of arrows in quick succession. No mana required, unless to reinforce the bow.
Scatter Shot: a dense mana bolt that split mid-flight into multiple projectiles—perfect for controlling groups.
Elemental Arrow: a charged arrow infused with elemental energy. My version erupted with blinding light upon impact, less destructive than a fireball, but dazzling like a flashbang
.
Piercing Strike, Ricochet Shot, and others rounded out the set.
By the end of the week, I'd unlocked all the skills for Basic Archery. James and Natasha were still catching up, but for me, the challenge was no longer learning individual techniques—it was stringing them together until they became second nature.
That wasn't all. In Basic Magic Casting, I officially acquired three buff spells:
Strengthen – physical power.
Envigor – stamina and agility.
Reinforce – durability.
Our instructors promised we'd be moving on to Basic Elemental Casting next week. For once, I found myself looking forward to class.
A dangerous thought flickered through my mind as I compared my progress to others: With this much affinity for mana… should I be aiming to become a mage instead?
I clenched my fists and shook it off. No. I still want to fight on the front lines.
Thursday – The Library
On Wednesday, I'd returned to the library, but it was empty. So today, I went again—and finally, Lina was there.
She looked up when I entered, and a small smile touched her lips. "It's been a while."
"Yeah," I said, raising a hand in greeting. "Good to see you again."
We sorted the books together, and when we finished, I thanked her. "The Veiled Stride was a great recommendation. I've been practicing it nonstop, but… I can't get it to click. I can use misdirection and concealment separately, but not both at once."
Her eyes lit up with interest. "Show me."
I hesitated, then obliged. First, I tried slipping out of her line of sight with misdirection. She spotted me almost immediately. Then I shifted to concealment—blurring my presence like a shadow in the corner. It took her longer, but she still found me.
"Not bad," Lina said, folding her arms. "Most people wouldn't even reach this point in a week. Three to four weeks is the usual minimum. You're on the right track—just don't rush the synergy. It'll come."
Her words left me oddly reassured. I wasn't there yet, but maybe I was closer than I thought.
Once we finished, she stayed behind to continue her duties while I headed out.
Back at the dorm, I threw together a quick meal, then dropped to the floor and began push-ups.
My arms trembled after a few sets, but I forced myself through. Even though the physical assessment was behind me, my stats were still lacking compared to others in my class. I couldn't afford to let them lag.
By the time I drained my mana reserves—unable to even cast Refresh—I dragged myself into the shower and let the water wash away my fatigue.
Another day done. Another step forward.