*Thud!*—*Swish!*—*CRACK!*
Three sounds rang out, one after another. Each one was different.
The first was the strike.
The second was the sword breaking. Leo’s Wooden Sword couldn’t handle his power. It cracked right down the middle. Luckily, it didn’t snap in two. If it had, the top half would have flown off and hurt him.
The third was the sound of the Stone Bead being hit.
In the middle of his swing, Leo saw it clearly. The bead had shot up to the twenty-fifth mark. The very top!
Was this real?
Yes. The broken sword was proof. Master Garron had once told him that a Knight Squire’s Wooden Sword could handle 20 Spiritual Energy, at most.
Leo didn’t know much about knights. But jumping from a first-stage Knight Squire to a second-stage Knight Squire in just one night? He was shocked. And he was happy.
"Hm?"
A small sound escaped him. Without thinking, he turned around.
And froze.
A middle-aged man stood right behind him. Leo hadn’t heard a single step!
He was surprised, but not scared at all. Instead, he looked at the man with bright curiosity.
The man was tall and thin. Black hair, black eyes, sharp and shining. He didn’t look like a genius. But he had a presence that made people listen.
For a second, even the man looked surprised. Then he calmed down at once. His brows drew together as he studied Leo.
"Who are you?" Leo asked.
The man answered in a quiet voice.
"You passed the Knight Squire test yesterday. So from today, I am your new instructor. You can call me Master Corvin."
Leo hesitated.
"But... I’m meeting you for the first time."
Corvin spoke slowly.
"Your name is Leo Ashford. You turned nine this year. Your mother’s name is Elena Ashford. Am I right?"
Leo nodded.
Corvin’s eyes turned serious.
"Then wait for Garron. We’ll see after that."
He said nothing more. His lips pressed into a thin line. He looked away.
"Good morning, Master!"
Leo gave a proper knight’s salute.
But something strange happened. Garron didn’t return it like he always did.
Garron ran straight to Corvin and bowed deeply.
"Senior."
Corvin nodded.
"Tell him I’m his new instructor."
"Yes, Senior."
Garron turned to Leo.
"Senior Corvin has come from the Knight Hall of Moonhaven City. For the next three years, he will be your knight instructor. Whatever he says, you must obey. Senior Corvin is a Genuine Knight."
"Yes, sir!" Leo said politely.
The truth was, he had no idea what the difference between a Standard Knight and a Genuine Knight was. All he understood was this: he had a new instructor, and he would be training with him from now on.
"Master Corvin!"
He bowed low.
He was calmer and wiser than most kids his age.
"Hm. Let’s go."
Corvin took Leo’s hand and walked toward the hall’s door. Before they left, his puzzled eyes lingered on Leo’s beautiful face. A faint worry crossed his forehead.
The moment they stepped outside, Leo couldn’t hold it in.
"Master Corvin, aren’t we going to practice here?"
"This place won’t do."
Corvin’s cold voice made Leo swallow his next question.
Behind them, Garron watched them go. He was stunned. He muttered out loud.
"Doesn’t Senior know his own rank? He bowed to someone like me! With that kind of power... he’s at least an Earth Knight. No, wait. Could he be a Radiant Knight? Heavens!"
Corvin led Leo far away from Eldrin Town. Suddenly, Leo felt a warmth spread through him.
A steady, gentle heat flowed from Corvin’s hand into his body. And then, something incredible began.
Every time Corvin’s toes touched the ground, he shot forward at least 33 meters. In just a few breaths, Eldrin Town was far behind them.
Leo couldn’t believe it. This speed was wild. Fast as the wind. Quick as lightning. He held Corvin’s hand tight, afraid of falling.
They passed the same place where Leo had picked herbs yesterday. Then they started climbing a mountain.
But before the mountain, there was a forest. Wild animals roamed there. Sometimes even Magical Beasts. Very few people dared to go near.
Six months ago, Leo had walked to the foot of Eldrin Mountain out of curiosity. He saw a wild beast and ran away in terror. After that day, he never went that deep into the forest again. Climbing the mountain? Never.
"Master, there are wild beasts here! Maybe even Magical Beasts!"
He tried to warn Corvin.
Corvin acted like he heard. But he climbed even faster.
Even on the climb, his speed never slowed. The wind whipped their hair in every direction. The scenery blurred past.
Eldrin Mountain wasn’t very tall. About 666 meters. Soon, they reached the top.
Three wooden huts stood in front of Leo.
There was no yard. Just three lonely huts. But they looked brand new. Someone had built them very recently.
Corvin stopped. Then he led Leo to the biggest hut in the middle.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
The wood of the hut was thin, and a strange smell drifted from it. It wasn’t bad. In fact, it had a light, sweet scent.
The middle hut was the largest. Still, there was almost nothing inside. Just a wooden bed, a table, and two chairs.
So plain. And yet, still better than Leo’s own home.
"Sit."
Corvin pointed at a chair and pulled the other one for himself.
Leo sat down. He was small, but he could feel it clearly. His master was no ordinary man. His heart pounded with nerves. And a little excitement.
"Tell me. What happened to you yesterday? How did your Spiritual Energy grow so much?"
Corvin’s voice was calm.
His face showed nothing. But Leo felt an invisible weight behind every word.
"Yesterday, I..."
Leo didn’t think he had anything to hide. So he told Corvin everything, in one breath.
Corvin listened in silence the whole time.
Only once did a small wrinkle appear on his forehead.
Other than that, his face didn’t change at all.
And then, when Leo finally finished, Corvin slowly raised his eyes.
"Say that again. The ring. Show it to me."