Clang!

Sparks flew as Lydia’s blade met mine. The clash sent a shiver down my arm. She skidded backward, boots grinding over the stone floor before she stopped.

"Woah..." she breathed out, her eyes narrowing at me. "You seem a bit angry today."

I exhaled through my nose, gripping my sword tighter. "Am I?" I asked.

Maybe I was. My chest felt heavy, my thoughts clouded. Probably the irritation from last night.

[Dude’s sexually frustrated.]

’Not just that,’ I muttered internally. ’My mana flow feels off too. The turgidity is all over the place, my slashes are getting unstable.’

Each swing came out sharper, heavier, and far more destructive than I intended.

[Symptoms of a breakthrough. You’re close to needing to form the circle.]

"I see..." I murmured. That made sense. Though I’d imagined I’d hit an aura breakthrough before mana.

Ever since that aura blade incident underground, my output had reached the limit of what a novice could. I’ve already had mastery upto Emperor’s Aura. A breakthrough was bound to come sooner or later.

Wait, why wasn’t Lydia attacking?

I turned my head. She was standing there under the shade of a tree, foot tapping impatiently against the ground, her lips forming a pout.

Her gaze was fixed on me, waiting for me to finish talking to... well, the air.

"I-I can explain..." I said quickly, lowering my sword as I caught the rising storm in her eyes.

"You said you’d teach

me something," she said, voice sharp. "And here I am, all excited, just watching you talk to some blue box ."

[Some blue box?! Tell her, Rune. Tell her who I, the great Nexar, am!]

"Hahaha..." I laughed awkwardly. "I just shoved that blue box off. Let’s continue training."

[Betrayal never comes from enemies.]

’Of course it doesn’t,’ I thought. ’It’s called betrayal because it comes from friends.’

[Shut up, you ungrateful demon.]

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "You’re talking to him again, aren’t you? I’m leaving."

She turned to walk away, and I panicked. I reached out and caught her hand gently.

"Okay, okay, wait! Let’s start for real this time. I’ll teach you the technique of Kyris."

Her steps froze. She turned around so fast her black hair brushed across my chest.

"Kyris?" she repeated, eyes wide. "You mean the Kyris? The Silent Fang of Raven Imperium?"

I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Yep."

Her entire face lit up. Her eyes gleamed like starlight.

Kyris was one of the thirteen S-rank adventurers of the Raven Empire. A living legend. Even though he’d retired, the guild still paid him an enormous sum every year, just to keep using his name on their roster. That’s how famous he was.

"I think around this time," I continued, "he’s probably working as a silent blade for Gazproms."

Lydia’s mouth parted slightly, awe clear in her expression.

"His divine gift is Assassin (A+) , a lot weaker than your Phantom Cloak (S) . But his mastery in stealth and fatal combat made him the number one assassin in the entire empire."

I smiled faintly at her. "And today, you’re going to learn one of his techniques."

I spent the next few hours teaching Lydia one of Kyris’s signature skills — Fatal Maneuver.

The name sounded dramatic, but the technique was all about precision and control, not raw power.

I’d realized something during our last spar, Lydia’s biggest weakness wasn’t her reaction speed or mana control. It was her footwork.

Her movement was sharp, but her steps didn’t match the rhythm of her attacks. Every time she shifted direction, her balance faltered for just a heartbeat, and in combat, that single moment could decide everything.

A simple parry from me yesterday had thrown her completely off balance.

For someone whose entire fighting style relied on agility, that kind of flaw was dangerous. Her own momentum worked against her.

That’s why Fatal Maneuver was perfect for her. The technique forced the user to rebuild their movement from the ground up.

It wasn’t just about dodging or countering, it was about feeling the flow of motion, using every small shift in weight and angle to stay balanced, no matter how fast you moved.

It was tough to learn, but it had a hidden reward. The skill opened up new insights into the techniques you already knew.

For Lydia, who had practiced countless agile combat styles, mastering this one would take her ability to another level.

Watching her try, seeing that spark of determination in her eyes, I knew I’d made the right call.

I feel bad for teaching his technique with out his permission.. but it’s need of the hour. He will understand.

[Yeah, after slicing your throat.]

Can’t deny that.. Kyris has quite a short temper.

After teaching Lydia the technique, I went back to my own training.

Lydia might not have the monstrous adaptability Sera has, but her learning speed is no joke either.

She had already picked up the first three steps of Fatal Maneuver. The fourth step would take her a while, it took me quite some time back then too, so I told her to focus on mastering the first three for now.

"Huff..." I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. My body was starting to feel more like mine now. The movements, the instincts, all synced perfectly.

I could feel the dark mana coiling through my circuits, no longer smooth like liquid, but thicker, heavier, almost like molten jelly. The turgidity was a clear sign.

It was time to form my first circle.

I climbed up a nearby tree and looked down at Lydia.

"Woah.. woah..." she fumbled and fell face-first into the dirt, her skirt barely keeping up in covering her arched back.

"Looks like the fourth step’s giving her hell. Can’t blame her."

She was still pushing through though, that same stubborn fire in her eyes.

I jumped down from the tree, planting Bloodraven into its trunk. The sword hummed faintly, its dark mana spreading out as it began to draw energy.

Replenishing mana and vitality through Bloodraven while forming circuits always made the process smoother and faster.

I sat cross-legged on the ground and closed my eyes.

"Alright... let’s do this."

My breathing steadied as the dark mana inside me began to spiral. Slowly, it started drawing toward my heart, pulled in like air being vacuumed out of a sealed space.

The familiar pressure built up, heavy and dense, almost suffocating.

In my past life, I had formed six circles.

This... this was the first step back toward that power.