Standing in one of the fenced-out sections of the training grounds, I sweated profusely as I tightly grasped a wooden sword with both my trembling hands.

When I went to pick out a weapon a moment ago from the nearby stall, I pondered for a while what I should choose from the wide selection of battle instruments presented to me - some of which I saw for the first time in my life.

But then I looked around and decided to settle upon a simple sword as it seemed to be highly popular with the other recruits, and I also knew it was among the most versatile of weapons.

Yet I immediately discovered that the practice sword was surprisingly heavy for its size, so I had slight trouble swinging it with my untrained hands.

"Are ya ready?" The Instructor asked me with a broad smile playing on his lips, which I found highly unnerving for some reason.

Before I even managed to finish my weak nod, he had already closed the short distance that separated us.

With lightning speed, he raised his own sword high over his shoulder and brought it down with deadly force. I barely had time to blink before it was already a mere moment from smashing into my head.

'Is he for real?' I widened my eyes as I instantly realized that he wasn't holding back at all and was swinging at me with all his might.

I somehow managed to raise my own sword in time to meet his, but at that moment, I knew that if I let him hit me, I would undoubtedly get blown away and perhaps even get seriously injured.

Still, there was no time for me to evade, so in that fraction of a second before our swords connected in a bout of panic, my instincts took over, and I sent a surge of essence into my arms, strengthening my poor joints well past their natural limits.

A loud bang echoed across the training grounds as our swords clashed, sending wooden splinters flying everywhere. My hands grew numb, and I powerlessly staggered back as, despite being able to block his vicious strike, I was still overwhelmed by its sheer power.

When I came to a stop, I quickly straightened my posture, nervously awaiting a follow-up strike as I still vividly remembered the dire battle I had fought with the Magistrate not that long ago.

However, for some strange reason, the follow-up never came. I looked up, slightly confused, and saw the Instructor simply standing there with a raised eyebrow and surprise in his eyes.

Then he burst out laughing. "Hahaha! It looks like there is something in ya, after all, boy!"

I blinked a few times in utter confusion. 'Wait, did I do something weird? Did he seriously expect I'll let myself be blown away? Was I supposed to let myself be blown away?'

Many burning questions crossed my agitated mind at that moment, yet I had no time to ponder them as right then, the Instructor came over and looked me in the eyes with what appeared to be genuine recognition.

"Despite being such a scrawny runt, ya are surprisingly strong... Ya have a real talent, boy! Alright, I've decided... I'm gonna personally train ya!" He then gave me a wicked smile, to which I could only gulp nervously as a cold shiver ran through my spine.

'Now that I think about it, perhaps letting him blow me away would be a much better option because now I feel like I'm about to enter hell...'

***

After receiving a small wooden token from the Brawny Instructor signifying I passed the test, I reluctantly returned to the main building to finish the registration.

When I presented the token to the old receptions, which everyone around here was apparently calling Gramps, he looked at me with an evident surprise in his murky eyes. "Ya passed?"

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'Huh? Weren't you just now praising my strong resolve?' I looked at him dubiously, but I decided to not say anything and simply nodded while smiling widely, pretending to be overcome with joy.

"So, what is yer name?" Gramps asked me as he took out some papers from under the counter and began filling out what appeared to be a registration card.

"I'm Jorn, sir." I readily replied, as I had already rehearsed this kind of question well in advance.

"Jorn, eh?" He looked at me strangely but didn't say anything.

'What's that supposed to mean?' I tilted my head to the side, yet I kept a deadpan expression the whole time, not letting him gleam anything that could give away my pretense.

Gramps only chuckled in response as he looked at the card before him again. "And how old are ya... Jorn?"

"I'm fifteen!" I said confidently while straightening my lean figure as much as I could muster.

I was well aware that trying to pretend I was an adult could lead me into a load of trouble, yet at the same time, it's not like they could check it anyway besides my looks, that is.

However, thanks to my recent essence-fueled growth spurt, I was now much taller and more masculine-looking, which made me appear older than I actually was.

Thus, Gramps only nodded and wrote it down without any evident suspicion in his aged eyes.

I knew that this trick could only work in such a backwater dump like this one as anywhere else, for example, in some fancy place like the Grand Tower - they would undoubtedly have an artifact that could measure your actual age, so I wasn't planning to push my luck too far with this.

After that, the last few questions he asked me were about my preferred weapon and fighting style - to which I decided to stick with the sword and the role of a warrior.

Not that it mattered too much, as going forward, I still planned to focus solely on the path of a mage. Still, it can be extremely useful to learn sword fighting as it will allow me to continue fighting even if I, for example, run out of essence.

When Gramps finally finished filling out the registration card, he passed it for me to sign, and we were done.

As I was returning him the signed card, he grumpily accepted it, and I overheard him mumbling to himself. "Why did I not accept that wager... it could have been such an easy win with this one!"

But as he caught me staring at him with a silent question, he quickly cleared his throat and loudly proclaimed. "Congratulations, pup! You're now officially a member of our esteemed Guild with the rank of Recruit."

"Right... So what happens now?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, since you're still an inexperienced kid, you'll first have to go through the basic training and prove to us you're capable enough before we let ya do any serious job."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh, realizing I wouldn't be able to escape that crazy Instructor after all. "When do I start?"

"Be here tomorrow at sunrise." Gramps said before looking at me knowingly, adding, "Do ya have a place to stay?"

I shook my head as, so far, I had yet to look for an inn or any other similar establishment they had in this god-forsaken place.

Gramps looked over my dirty clothes and unkempt appearance with furrowed brows before nodding to himself and saying, "During the course of your training, ya can sleep in here for free. However, ya still have to pay for the food!"

This made me widen my eyes with joy, as I didn't expect the Guild to be so generous. Not to mention, it also solved one of my most dire conundrums.

I was painfully aware that it would be very suspicious for a penniless orphan to be able to afford a private room at an inn, so this worked out perfectly.

I happily nodded at his generous offer, and he chuckled in return. I noticed that behind his prickly and grumpy exterior, a certain warmness emanated from his murky eyes as he presented me with such unexpected compassion.

I felt a pang of guilt wash over me as he led me toward one of the communal resting places on the upper floor.

I knew that I was richer and more powerful than any of the local beast hunters could ever hope to be, and yet everyone I met here so far was so kind and generous while sharing their limited resources and welcoming me with open arms.

So, as I laid to rest that night atop the extremely uncomfortable plank bed covered with rough, dusty cloth, I resolved to put my all into the upcoming training, and although temporarily, I would strive to become the perfect beast hunter in order to not waste all the precious resources the Ostengard's Guild had invested in me.

Thus became my new life as the best hunter's Recruit, and from that moment on, my days became filled with nothing but endless training and exercise while I tried my best to master the art of the sword.

Yet my nights hadn't become any less peaceful as when the sun disappeared behind the Ostengard's shabby huts, I had transformed back into the despicable witch Darian and relentlessly searched the dark, muddy streets for any signs of Dominic's gang so that I could enact my revenge.