Three days later, Lucien woke up and realized he was in his master's house on the mountain. His leg had been fully healed.
"The last thing I remember," he muttered, touching his forehead, "I was about to die, but the monsters in the forest ran away. I am alive. That is what matters."
Facing those monsters made him realize he was still weak. He needed to grow stronger quickly so he would not be a burden to his parents when he returned home.
Lucien stood and stepped outside. Master White was already waiting.
"You are awake," Master White said. "You have been asleep for three days. You did well to survive in the forest."
"Thanks for leaving me there," Lucien said. "I suffered a lot. Next time, you should at least tell me you are leaving me there or taking me there so I can prepare."
Master White smiled. "I am glad you were able to defeat the Thornback Treant King clone on your own. That is a great achievement."
"Clone?" Lucien blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
"The Thornback Treant King you defeated was fake," Master White explained.
Lucien's eyes widened. "You are telling me that a clone like that is stronger than I imagined?"
"Yes," Master White said. "If you had faced the real Treant King, you would not have landed a single hit. Its defense is incredible. But for me, it is easy. After all, I created the rule that no one is allowed to enter another's territory."
Lucien was curious. "How strong do you have to be to enforce a rule like that?"
Master White smiled. "Nobody in this world could defeat me."
Lucien shook his head. "Making a rule does not make you the strongest."
Master White laughed. "Like father, like son. That is what your father told me when I trained him."
He paused, thinking to himself, I will not be able to tell him the whole truth. He and his father will have to discover it themselves. His father was not chosen. It is up to Lucien.
Lucien asked, "Will you be increasing my training now?"
Master White studied him. "I see you can use Future Sight, but you were not able to use ki in the forest fight. Let me guess, since leaving the dungeon, you have not been able to use ki. You have relied solely on your strength and the martial arts your father taught you. That is good. I will train you to rely on your sword and your fists alone. Today, you will swing your sword 5,000 times without rest."
Lucien froze. "I have done that before. Why again?"
Master White bent down, picked up a stick from the ground, and raised it. With a single swing, the stick cut through the mountain beside them cleanly as if it were paper. Then the stick crumbled to dust.
Lucien realized just how far he still had to go.
"You will learn this in the next two months," Master White said.
Lucien obeyed. For two weeks, he swung his sword repeatedly. By the end, he could release a gust of air strong enough to cut down trees and strike monsters. He smiled. He was progressing faster than he had imagined.
Master White observed him. "You are now in the first stage of your training. You have mastered the Silent Blade Stage. Keep practicing it every day. Your speed and precision will only improve."
Lucien nodded. "When I use the Silent Blade Stage, it feels like my body, mind, and instinct move as one. It feels like my power is no longer wild."
"That is just the beginning," Master White said. "Silent Blade has multiple stages. I have not taught this move to anyone in a decade, not even your father. He was already strong enough with his sword."
Lucien's eyes widened. "This move is powerful. My father could use ki, so I guess that is why you did not teach him?"
Master White chuckled. "Yes. But for you, we will go further."
He continued, explaining the technique. "This is the Silent Abyss Blade. It is not born from aura, ki, or mana. It is mastery over the body, mind, and blade. Every movement is controlled. Every strike is precise. Nothing wasted. Nothing unnecessary.
At its lowest level, it is calm, silent, almost harmless. But that silence is a lie. Hidden within it is something far more terrifying.
As you go deeper, your control surpasses human limits. Your body moves without hesitation. Your instincts sharpen beyond reason. Each step becomes lighter. Each strike faster. Enemies do not fall because of your power. They fall because they were already defeated the moment your blade moved.
At higher stages, your body can no longer contain your power. AURU leaks out, heavy, cold, oppressive. The air becomes hard to breathe. The ground feels heavy. Even strong opponents instinctively want to flee.
At the peak, you do not release AURU. You become it. Your presence alone bends the atmosphere. A single swing can destroy everything, not through brute force, but through absolute, undeniable perfection.
Those who witness the Silent Abyss Blade do not fear the blade itself. They fear the silence that comes before it."
Lucien looked at his master, amazed. "And you are entrusting this technique to me?"
Master White nodded. "This technique was created by your ancestor and passed down to me. Now it is your turn."
Lucien laughed in disbelief. "You have been passing this down for generations and you are still alive?"
Master White chuckled. "Yes. I am a Demi-God. I cannot die until the chosen one appears. When they do, I will ascend back to heaven."
Lucien burst out laughing. "You expect me to believe that?"
Master White smiled. "Your father laughed when I told him too. You are just like him."
He paused and then said, "Your second stage training begins now. Focus. Push past your limits. Your path to mastery starts today."