Fewer than ten people in the whole Knight Temple knew the deep secret of the Dawnborn Vessel.
So Corvin wasn’t worried at all that anyone would learn about his son’s natural gift.
"Leo, your Sacred Awakening just finished. Did you feel it? By your Inner Spiritual Energy, you’re already a Genuine Knight."
"Oh? That easily?"
Leo was surprised. But he could feel a warm current inside his body. It answered every thought and every movement.
"Easily?"
A helpless smile crossed Corvin’s face. This little boy had no idea how big this was.
After an Awakening, if a knight gets even 20 Spiritual Energy, it’s considered excellent.
"Your natural gift isn’t bad. But that’s only what the Sacred Awakening gave you. In the training ahead, you’ll have to work as hard as before. Maybe even harder. Understand? Let’s go back. We’ll talk about this there."
"Papa, I’ll definitely work hard!"
Corvin took Leo’s hand and walked back to the wooden cabin. Elena saw them coming. A smile spread across her face.
She stood quietly to one side and watched.
She didn’t know much about swordsmanship. But she understood her husband well. From his face, she could tell he was a little shaken.
Her strong husband was this amazed by their son’s natural gift. That meant Lolo’s choice to become a knight might truly be the right one.
But if one day, father and son both had to face *that person*...
Back in the cabin, Leo put on the clothes he had brought. Then he sat down to listen to his father.
Corvin’s voice was serious.
"Now you have to tell me your choice. Do you want to be a Retribution Knight or a Guardian Knight?"
Leo answered without a pause, in a firm voice.
"Papa, I want to be a Guardian Knight."
"A Guardian Knight?"
Corvin was stunned.
"So you’re willing to give up the deadly attack power and fighting strength of a Retribution Knight?"
Leo said steadily.
"Papa, you told me that to fight the Demons, we need the strength of all humanity. One person’s strength, in the end, is very small."
"I want to be a Guardian Knight so I can protect the people I want to save, and protect them better. And so I can help the people who fight beside me on the battlefield even more."
"But in the end, to fight the seventy-two Demon Gods, we’ll need the greatest strength humanity can give."
Leo asked at once.
"So is it impossible for Guardian Knights to fight the Demon Gods?"
Corvin’s eyes lit up when he heard that.
"That’s exactly the point!"
"Innate Inner Spiritual Energy of 97. Your Sacred Awakening as a Dawnborn Vessel. And your amazing mental strength to support it all. So why can’t you learn more than one thing?"
"Retribution and Guardian are only divisions. Maybe you’ll make a miracle. Maybe the right path for you is to train in both at once. Only then can we use the full power of your natural gift as a Dawnborn Vessel."
Leo seemed to understand a little. He asked in surprise.
"Papa, are you saying I should learn Retribution Knight skills too?"
"Exactly. From today, I’ll train you as a Retribution Knight. And two years from now, you’ll go to Moonhaven Hall and train as a Guardian Knight."
"It might slow down how fast your Spiritual Energy grows a little. But if you keep advancing as both a Retribution Knight and a Guardian Knight, then in the future, you’ll become the most remarkable knight in history."
The days passed. Training for knights continued on top of Eldrin Mountain. And in the blink of an eye, a year and a half went by.
*Clang!*
A clear ring echoed. A young man’s body suddenly blazed with golden light.
That light grew thick like the rising sun. It looked like a shining sword cutting through the air.
A Bamboo Sword waved lightly. Its edge shone gold. The air in front of the short-handled bamboo blade crackled.
"Not bad. Your Daybreak Cleave has reached the peak of its mastery. It’s only missing staying power, heat, and a higher Spiritual Energy score for now."
Corvin was blocking that dazzling strike with his Bamboo Sword.
And the young man swinging the glowing blade was Leo.
A year and a half later, Leo was nearly twelve years old. Compared to his old life in Eldrin Town, he was like a different person.
At just twelve, he was about 1.60 meters tall.
He didn’t look like a wrestler at all. His lean, strong build was perfectly balanced. His black hair flowed behind his head. His shining golden eyes glowed.
His sweet, childish face had grown much bolder. But its shape was just as flawless as before.
At that moment, Leo held both hands high. In each hand was a heavy sword. It was a knight’s standard weapon. Two meters long, 16.5 centimeters wide, and 12.3 centimeters thick.
A heavy sword like that weighed 25 kilos. But in his hands, it felt incredibly light. As if he was holding nothing.
In a year and a half, Leo had learned so much from his father.
His Inner Spiritual Energy had not grown past his natural 97. It had only reached 120. But his Outer Spiritual Energy had climbed to the level of a top third-stage knight. A full 200.
Together, that made 320. That was the level of a fourth-rank knight. Not far from the fifth rank at 330.
If Corvin hadn’t been trying to strengthen his foundation, his growth might have been even more frightening.
Corvin was strict. But watching an eleven-year-old boy become a fourth-rank knight, all he could do was smile with satisfaction.
In the history of the Knight Temple, it was unheard of. Corvin himself hadn’t reached this level until he was fifteen.
But Leo’s Outer Spiritual Energy had reached its peak. So his score was now growing much more slowly.
From here, he could only advance by strengthening his Inner Spiritual Energy. Only after reaching the next stage of his path could he continue training his Outer Spiritual Energy again.
Hearing his father’s praise, Leo couldn’t hold back a big smile.
"Papa, this Daybreak Cleave is very powerful. But it eats up 50 units of Inner Spiritual Energy. And it uses some Outer Spiritual Energy too. My Spiritual Energy score is still too low."
Corvin smiled.
"You’re only eleven. Remember, Daybreak Cleave is a skill every great knight must master. Don’t be impatient. Go step by step."
"Alright, get ready. Let’s see how long you can last today."
At his father’s words, Leo’s face turned serious. His hands tightened around the swords.
Corvin stepped forward. His body looked weightless.
In the blink of an eye, his Bamboo Sword was in front of Leo.
Leo’s left heavy sword was pushed back. He immediately took a step back and blocked the Bamboo Sword’s strike at the same time.
It was clear that Corvin hadn’t put any Spiritual Energy into the bamboo blade.
But in the next moment, countless bamboo shadows appeared before Leo, like raindrops.
Corvin had vanished. From every direction, only endless bamboo shadows came, all aimed at Leo.
But Leo looked used to this.
The pair of heavy swords in his hands swung through the air at lightning speed.
Neither of them noticed Elena standing in the doorway, watching. Her smile slowly faded as she looked toward the horizon, like she was waiting for something she hoped would never come.