The morning sun barely peeked over the academy walls when I stepped into the training yard for the second day in a row. My body still ached from yesterday, but at least I wasn't tripping over my own feet anymore.

Today's plan?

1. Mana Control Refinement – Yesterday, I managed to circulate my mana, but it was rough and inefficient. I needed to smooth it out.

2. Physical Combat Drills – My body was adapting, but my reaction speed still lagged behind my stats. Time to fix that.

I took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged. Mana control training came first.

Phase 1: Refining Mana Control

I closed my eyes and focused inward, feeling the mana within me. It was faint—like a small flickering ember in a dying fire—but it was there.

The goal today was simple: make my mana flow smoothly.

Yesterday, my attempts at guiding mana had felt like forcing water through a clogged pipe. The process was rough, inefficient, and borderline painful.

But now, I had a better idea of how to move it.

Slowly, carefully, I directed the mana through my veins, tracing the natural flow of energy. Instead of forcing it, I guided it gently, like nudging a drifting boat down a river.

At first, it resisted—mana control was like training a wild beast. But after several minutes of effort, something clicked.

The mana flowed.

Smooth. Controlled. Efficient.

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I opened my eyes, and my vision felt sharper than before. The air felt clearer, like I had been wearing foggy glasses all my life and had only now taken them off.

A notification appeared in my vision.

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[Skill Leveled Up!]

Mana Control (Basic) [E] → [E+]

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I smirked. Good. Progress.

With better mana control, my casting speed and efficiency would improve. It also meant I could use the Mangekyō Sharingan with slightly less mana drain.

Not that I'd be using it often yet. The damn thing still drained way too much mana.

I stretched my arms and stood up. Time for the next phase.

Phase 2: Combat Training

I picked up a wooden training sword from the nearby rack. My old self—Alden Blackwood—had some basic swordsmanship skills, but nothing noteworthy.

I took a stance and swung the blade.

The moment I moved, I felt the disconnect again.

My body was faster than my mind expected. The increase in agility from yesterday's rank-up meant my reflexes were still playing catch-up.

I adjusted and swung again—this time, smoother.

Step. Swing. Pivot.

Over and over.

After half an hour, my movements started feeling natural again. The lag was disappearing. My mind and body were syncing.

But sword swings weren't enough. I needed real combat experience.

Unfortunately, I had no sparring partners yet.

So I settled for the next best thing.

I walked over to the academy's training dummies—stone constructs enchanted with auto-repair magic. They were meant for combat drills, and right now, they'd serve as my temporary opponents.

Taking a stance, I charged forward.

First strike—horizontal slash.

Second strike—diagonal cut.

Third strike—thrust.

Each movement was faster, sharper than before. My improved mana circulation gave me better reaction speed, allowing me to execute attacks with precision.

Still, my strength was lacking. Even with proper technique, my blows barely made a dent on the stone dummies.

I frowned. I needed a proper combat style.

Arts and Styles

In this world, fighting techniques were divided into Weapon Arts and Martial Styles.

Weapon Arts were specialized combat techniques focused on a single weapon. (e.g., Sword Arts, Spear Arts, etc.)

Martial Styles were broader, incorporating overall fighting principles (footwork, evasion, counterattacks).

A proper Weapon Art could make even a weak person deadly.

For now, I only had Basic Swordsmanship [D], but that was just generic swings and stances. It was like knowing how to punch but not knowing how to actually fight.

I needed a real style—one that suited my strengths.

And I already had an idea of where to find it.

In the game, there was a hidden sword manual stored in the academy library.

It wasn't some god-tier technique, but it was far better than basic swings.

Final Thoughts for the Day

I wiped sweat from my brow and sat down to rest.

Today had been productive. My mana control had improved, and my body was finally syncing with my new stats.

But I was still weak.

The protagonist, along with the other top students, would start at D+ rank or higher. Meanwhile, I was struggling at E-.

Still, I wasn't in a rush.

Power wasn't about rushing ahead recklessly. It was about building a solid foundation.

One step at a time.

Tomorrow, I'd check the library.

And if things went well?

I'd finally get my hands on a real combat style.