Sore raised his wooden sword and shouted, “Come on, Ankit!” “Attack me!” Ankit’s eyes sharpened.
This is my chance.
He tightened his grip and rushed forward.
“Ahhhh!” With all his strength, Ankit swung his wooden sword toward his father.
Sore calmly lifted his own sword to block the attack.
But just before their swords collided…
Ankit suddenly changed the direction of his strike.
He twisted his wooden sword and tried to attack from another angle.
For a moment, surprise flashed across Sore’s face.
Good move.
However…
Before Ankit could complete his attack— Sore moved his sword effortlessly.
With a gentle spin, he redirected Ankit’s attack and sent him tumbling backward into the air.
Ankit landed safely but looked completely shocked.
Sore smiled.
“That was a good attempt.” “But remember one thing…” “If you have intelligence, don’t forget…” “I’m still your father.” “I can read every move you make.” Ankit froze.
A sudden realization struck him.
Wait…
How could I forget?
Dad is Grandpa’s student.
He can read people’s thoughts to some extent.
Sore smiled while looking at him.
“Yes.” “You figured it out correctly, my son.” Ankit’s eyes widened.
His father continued, “That’s why you need to learn something important.” “Don’t rely only on your thoughts while fighting.” “A true swordsman trains so much…” “That one day, his body moves before his mind even gives the command.” “Your sword should become a natural extension of yourself.” “And that can only happen…” “Through endless practice.” Ankit looked at his father seriously.
So that’s the level of swordsmanship in this world…
Thinking alone isn’t enough.
After that, Sore continued training Ankit without stopping.
One hour passed.
By the end of the training…
Ankit was completely exhausted.
His tiny body was covered in sweat.
He could barely stand properly.
Just then…
His mother appeared.
She looked at Ankit first.
Then slowly turned her gaze toward Sore.
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
“Alright…” “That’s enough.” “He’s resting now.” Sore immediately felt a chill.
“H-Honey…” “I didn’t do anything.” “He was the one saying…” “Dad, let’s train more…” “More…” “More…” Ankit looked at his father in confusion.
“What…?” “I said that?” Sore quickly looked at him.
“Be quiet!” “Do you want me to die today?” Ankit blinked.
So this is the power even stronger than magic…
Mother’s anger.
Ankit’s mother gently picked him up and carried him inside the house.
Meanwhile, Sore let out a long sigh of relief.
I survived today…
That was close.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“From tomorrow…” “I’ll take him somewhere else for training.” “Yes…” “I’ll send him to Father’s house.” “After all, Ankit already spends more than half of his time there anyway.” Inside the house, Ankit’s mother placed him carefully on a chair.
She looked at him with concern.
“Look at my poor baby…” “How weak you’ve become.” “You went for training without even eating breakfast!” Ankit lowered his head.
He knew there was no way to argue against his mother.
Just then…
Sore’s voice came from behind.
“Can I come inside?” Ankit’s mother turned around.
Her expression was still cold.
“No.” “Today, you should stay outside the entire day.” Sore immediately panicked.
“W-Wait!” “But why?” “I didn’t do anything wrong!” “Listen, I…” Before he could finish, Ankit’s mother turned away.
Sore became helpless.
Then…
Ankit looked at his father and noticed his worried expression.
A small smile appeared on his face.
He made his cutest expression and spoke softly.
“It’s okay, Mom.” “Please forgive Dad today.” “From tomorrow, he won’t do this again.” The moment his mother heard Ankit’s words…
Her angry expression instantly softened.
“Alright, my child.” “If you are saying so…” “Then I’ll let him come inside.” Sore immediately felt relieved.
Thank goodness…
My son’s cuteness saved me again.
He looked at Ankit with gratitude.
But deep inside, he also smiled.
This child really is different.
Even without magic…
He already has a power that can change people’s hearts.
After that…
Ankit spent the rest of the day at his grandfather’s house.
He read countless books from his grandfather’s collection and spent hours playing with him.
Every moment there was filled with new knowledge and happiness.
After several hours, Ankit finally returned home.
By then, night had already arrived.
The family sat together at the dining table.
A delicious meal was placed in front of them.
Before eating, they all closed their eyes and prayed.
Then they happily enjoyed dinner together.
After finishing his meal, Ankit went back to his room.
Soon after, his parents also went to their room.
The entire house became silent.
Everyone fell asleep.
But Ankit was waiting.
The moment he was sure everyone was asleep, he quietly opened his eyes and sat up.
Today’s day was really amazing.
I trained with Dad…
I learned new things from Grandpa…
But now…
It’s time for the most difficult task.
He looked serious.
Meditation.
Two hours is still too difficult for me right now.
So I’ll start slowly.
For now…
Thirty minutes.
With determination, Ankit sat down.
He crossed his legs, straightened his back, and entered his meditation posture.
This time…
He was much more prepared.
He closed his eyes.
He focused on his breathing.
One minute…
Five minutes…
Ten minutes…
Time slowly passed.
For a whole thirty minutes…
Ankit remained still.
His eyes stayed closed.
His back remained straight.
Finally…
The thirty minutes ended.
The moment he opened his eyes…
He collapsed onto the bed as if he had just climbed a giant mountain.
“Finally…” “I completed thirty minutes.” A tired smile appeared on his face.
“But…” “I don’t think I can call that true meditation.” “According to me, meditation means completely focusing on one thing…” “Forgetting everything else around you.” “And honestly…” “I could only do that for about five minutes.” “After that…” “My mind kept thinking…” When will thirty minutes finish?
When can I sleep?
When will my back get some rest?
“Those thirty minutes felt like three days.” He looked at his small hands and sighed.
“Well…” “I’m only one and a half years old.” “My body is still developing.” “So getting tired quickly is normal.” “But…” “I won’t give up.” A small smile appeared on his face.
“That’s enough for today.” “Tomorrow…” “I’ll try again.” With that thought, Ankit closed his eyes.
The first steps of his unusual journey had begun.
From that day onward, Ankit’s life settled into a strict routine.
Every night…
He would quietly sneak into his room and practice meditation.
Every morning…
His father would train him in swordsmanship.
And almost every afternoon…
He would spend time at his grandfather’s house, reading books, learning about the world, and playing with him.
Day after day…
The same routine repeated itself.
At first, Ankit could meditate for only a few minutes before his thoughts wandered.
Sometimes he fell asleep.
Sometimes his back hurt so much that he had to stop early.
But he never skipped a single day.
Even when nothing seemed to change…
He continued.
Because he believed that giving up would guarantee failure, while perseverance always carried a chance of success.
So every day, he pushed himself just a little further.
Thirty minutes became forty.
Forty became fifty.
Then an hour.
His concentration slowly improved.
His restless thoughts began to calm.
His breathing became steadier.
Although he still couldn’t enter true meditation for very long, he could now maintain complete focus for much longer than before.
During the day, his swordsmanship also improved under Sore’s guidance.
His body became stronger.
His movements became quicker.
His footwork became more stable.
At the same time, the countless books in his grandfather’s library broadened his knowledge of magic, history, monsters, races, and the mysteries of the world.
Without realizing it…
Ankit was training three different things at once.
His mind through meditation.
His body through swordsmanship.
And his knowledge through books.
Day after day…
Week after week…
Month after month…
Ankit continued walking forward without stopping.
He still had no magic.
He still possessed no Mana Core.
But deep inside his heart…
His determination was growing stronger than ever before.