The sword came down like lightning.
One moment, Godfrey Ender Sinclair had been standing several meters away, calm and unmoving in the quiet hall of the Palace of Eternal Solace.
The next—
Steel flashed through the air.
Eternia's instincts screamed.
Her body moved before her mind could fully process what was happening.
Mana surged violently through her magic circuits as she forced it to circulate faster.
Reflex enhancement.
Her vision sharpened.
Her muscles reacted.
She twisted her body sideways just as the blade descended.
SHING.
The sword sliced through the air where her neck had been a fraction of a second earlier.
Eternia stumbled backward, heart pounding violently in her chest.
"What the—?!"
Her voice echoed sharply through the empty hall.
She barely regained her balance before Godfrey moved again.
There was no hesitation.
No explanation.
He stepped forward with terrifying speed, sword already swinging toward her again.
Eternia jumped backward instinctively.
The blade struck the marble floor.
CRACK.
Stone shattered beneath the impact.
Her eyes widened.
"That wasn't a warning swing."
That had been a killing strike.
"Stop!"
She shouted sharply, raising her hands instinctively.
"Wait!"
"Let's talk this out!"
But Godfrey said nothing.
His face remained completely unreadable.
Cold.
Focused.
His boots stepped forward again.
Another strike.
Eternia barely managed to twist away in time.
The blade passed dangerously close to her shoulder.
A lock of silver hair drifted slowly to the floor.
Her heart pounded harder.
"What is wrong with this man?!"
Godfrey continued advancing.
Relentless.
Each step precise.
Each swing perfectly controlled.
He wasn't swinging wildly.
He was hunting.
Testing.
Eternia retreated quickly across the hall, dodging desperately as his blade chased her movements.
Her mana circulation intensified again.
She forced more energy through her circuits to increase her reflex speed.
Her senses sharpened further.
The world seemed to slow slightly.
But even with that advantage—
She was barely keeping up.
Godfrey was absurdly fast.
Every attack forced her to move at the absolute limit of her reaction time.
The blade flashed again.
She ducked.
Another swing.
She rolled aside.
A third.
She jumped backward.
The marble floor behind her exploded as the sword struck again.
Eternia's breathing grew heavier.
Her body was still recovering from the ancient magic backlash earlier that day.
Even with controlled mana circulation, fatigue was beginning to build.
Meanwhile—
Godfrey remained completely calm.
His breathing steady.
His movements effortless.
No mana, No Aura just barely using his muscles.
Eternia realized something unsettling.
"He's not trying to kill me."
If he had truly wanted her dead, she would have already been a corpse.
Every strike had been dangerous—but slightly restrained.
Just enough.
Just enough to force her to move.
To dodge.
To react.
To survive.
But still—
The fear was real.
One mistake would be enough.
Eternia darted toward a pillar as another slash tore through the air beside her.
Her foot slipped slightly as she landed.
Her breathing grew ragged.
Her muscles burned.
"How long is he going to keep this up?!"
Another strike came.
She twisted away again.
Her sleeve tore slightly as the blade grazed the fabric.
Then suddenly—
Godfrey stopped.
The sword lowered.
The hall fell silent.
Eternia stumbled backward several steps before realizing the attacks had ceased.
She leaned against a pillar, breathing heavily.
Her heart hammered violently in her chest.
Godfrey watched her calmly.
After several seconds, he finally spoke.
"…Your reflexes are acceptable."
Eternia blinked.
"What?"
His expression remained unchanged.
"But your endurance is terrible."
He glanced briefly at the sword in his hand.
"You'll need a lot of work."
Eternia straightened slowly.
Her breathing still uneven.
"…What are you talking about?"
Godfrey sheathed his sword with a soft click.
"From now on."
He looked directly at her.
"You are my disciple."
For a moment—
Eternia simply stared.
"…What?"
Her brain struggled to process the statement.
"Your… what?"
Godfrey spoke as if the matter had already been decided.
"Disciple."
"Student."
"Apprentice."
He shrugged slightly.
"Call it whatever you want."
Eternia's eyebrows twitched.
"Wait."
"Hold on."
She raised a hand.
"When exactly did I agree to this?"
Godfrey's gaze hardened slightly.
He did not answer immediately.
Instead—
A pressure slowly filled the room.
At first it was subtle.
Almost invisible.
But Eternia felt it instantly.
Her body stiffened.
Mana in the air grew heavy.
Then—
It exploded.
A wave of murderous aura burst outward from Godfrey's body.
The atmosphere turned suffocating.
Eternia's entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Cold sweat instantly covered her skin.
Her legs nearly buckled beneath her.
"…This…"
Her mind screamed in alarm.
She had felt killing intent before.
In her previous life, Shatter had fought monsters, assassins, and battlefield veterans.
But this—
This was something else entirely.
Pure killing intent.
Focused.
Refined.
Like standing in front of a mountain of corpses.
Eternia's instincts screamed at her to move.
To run.
To escape.
But she couldn't.
Her body refused.
Every instinct she possessed told her the same thing.
"If you move…"
"You die."
Godfrey looked down at her calmly.
His eyes carried a faint crimson glow.
His voice dropped several degrees colder.
"I wasn't asking."
"…It's an order."
The words echoed like thunder in the silent hall.
Eternia's fingers trembled slightly.
For the first time since her reincarnation—
She felt genuine fear.
Real fear.
Not the cautious awareness she had felt during battles in the labyrinth.
But the instinctive terror of facing something far beyond her current power.
Godfrey studied her expression quietly.
Then the murderous aura faded.
The suffocating pressure disappeared instantly.
Eternia staggered slightly as the tension released.
Her breathing returned slowly.
Godfrey spoke again, his tone calm once more.
"You have talent."
"But talent alone means nothing."
He crossed his arms.
"You fight like a mage."
Eternia frowned slightly.
"That's because I am a mage."
Godfrey shook his head.
"No."
"You're something else."
His gaze moved toward the staff resting at her side.
"That weapon."
"Keep using it."
Eternia blinked.
"You're not going to make me learn swordsmanship?"
Godfrey snorted quietly.
"Your body isn't built for swords."
He pointed toward the tip of her staff.
"Attach a blade there."
Eternia tilted her head slightly.
"…A blade?"
Godfrey nodded.
"Turn it into a spear."
"A magic spear staff."
His expression grew serious.
"You already fight while moving."
"You maintain distance."
"You control the battlefield."
"A spear complements that style."
Eternia considered the idea carefully.
It made sense.
A spear offered both reach and precision.
Combined with spell casting…
It could become a terrifying weapon.
Godfrey continued speaking.
"Your real training will begin later."
"When?"
Eternia asked cautiously.
He looked at her directly.
"When you win the trial."
Eternia blinked.
"…The second trial?"
Godfrey nodded once.
"You'll win."
It didn't sound like encouragement.
It sounded like a fact.
Eternia hesitated.
"…And if I don't?"
Godfrey slowly turned his head toward her.
The crimson aura returned—stronger this time.
Not as suffocating as before.
But enough to make her heart skip.
His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
"…Then you'll wish you were never born."
The words carried no emotion.
Just certainty.
Eternia swallowed quietly.
Godfrey reached into his coat and tossed something toward her.
A small glass vial.
She caught it instinctively.
Her eyes widened.
"…A high-grade mana elixir?"
These were far more potent than the ones she had received earlier.
Enough to accelerate magical growth dramatically.
Godfrey turned away.
"Use it wisely."
Without another word—
Mana gathered beneath his feet.
Wind exploded outward.
And in the next instant—
He vanished.
His figure shot into the night sky like a comet.
Leaving Eternia standing alone in the silent palace hall.
She stared at the elixir in her hand.
Her mind replayed the conversation again.
Disciple.
Training.
Win the trial.
Or suffer.
After a long moment—
A small smile slowly formed on her lips.
"…That crazy old war mage."
She looked toward the open night sky.
Her silver eyes burned with renewed determination.
"Fine."
"If that's how it's going to be…"
She tightened her grip on the vial.
"…Then I'll win."