Honestly, staying put and listening to Garba’s endless lecturing was exhausting, nothing new, really. Similar to his academy's dull lectures. Not because he lacked the desire for knowledge or too lazy to learn—quite the opposite, actually. Kai craved knowledge now more than ever. But no matter how intently he listened, Garba’s way of teaching had become an incomprehensible wall of words.

Maybe he was just dumb? No, that couldn’t be it. The teaching was wrong.

'Absolutely wrong, I say!'

But Garba was too set in his ways to consider his opinion, so Kaiser decided to express his frustration in a way even the most stubborn mentor couldn’t ignore.

As the saying goes, “Do not be afraid”—although, maybe that saying didn’t apply when attacking your infuriating master mid-lecture. But, oh well.

Garba was halfway through a tale about his old sparring competitions. “I’m telling you, we’d even compete to prove who had the longest swor—” His senile eyes abruptly turn sharp, sensing imminent danger coming to his side.

At the next moment.

Clang!

The sound of steel meeting steel echoed sharply through the chamber, erasing the former atmosphere of idle lecturing and filling it with tense silence. Kaiser’s chest tightened as he cursed inwardly.

‘Sh*t… Ahh, is it too late to apologize?’

He had intentionally held back his output and was ready to withdraw his attack if necessary. But even with his restrained strength, his strike was fast and lethal. Yet Garba’s reaction was faster still. With just a single twitch, Garba had raised Windslayer, intercepting Kaiser’s blade at a precise angle that didn't kill its momentum, rather, it used it to send Kai's blade away more effectively, out of his grip—if his hold had been anything less than tough, he would have been armless that instant.

But Garba wasn’t done.

Having failed to make the desired outcome, Windslayer flowed like liquid metal in one seamless motion, darting toward Kai’s throat. That's when his beastial reflexes roared to life, urgently prompting him to sprang back, fortunately, he did so just in time. Because a split second later, a slash would have severed his head clean off.

It was... Chilling.

A safe distance away now, Kaiser let out a shaky breath, his pulse pounding from the near-miss. The clash was so short yet felt like eternity.

Garba, whose expression had turned cold and deadly calm, lifted Windslayer to inspect the faint smear of red at the transparent blade's tip. A thin smile crept across his face as he studied his student.

“Not too bad... But tell me, brat, what got into that head of yours? Has ignorance taken over your sense?”

‘This is bad,’

Secretly swallowing dread as he sensed Garba’s mood had darkened to something foreboding. Gone was the patient mentor; in his place stood a formidable foe, radiating a presence that ran deeper, somehow smoother yet far more ominous than even the Hunters leader.

Kaiser maintained his composure as best as he could, because he won't back down to what he ignited. That said, he doubt backing down was still an option.

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He forced a grin. “Oh, nothing. Boredom just got the better of me. I figured we could skip the crap and dive straight into the real training.”

Garba gave a single, almost amused snort, flicking away the faint smear of Kai’s blood off Windslayer tip.

“Is that so? Well, since you’re so restless, perhaps your body will listen better than your ears.” His gaze sharpened, a glint of battle-hardened thrill flickering in his senile eyes, something one would never expect from an old man of his age. “I hear that the Player ability involves healing yourself, even dire wounds. Good, good. Then a few, or maybe more cuts won’t hurt. Oh, I have an even better idea that will benefit both of us: maybe we should test your healing ability’s limit. A brilliant notion, don’t you think?”

Kai failed to find a single brilliance in that idea. Frightening, many. Including the supposed "benefit" both sides would receive, Garba might be looking forward to it, but Kaiser thinks otherwise. He would rather not find out his immortality's limit. Never.

Furthermore, his definitely wasn’t imagining it—the old man’s smile was downright chilling, so did his wrinkled gaze, looking at him with dark interest. Like a mad scientist about to conduct a twisted experiment on his hard-headed subject. It was a smile that made a cold shiver race down Kai’s spine.

The smile widened.

“It’s been a long time since this blade tasted blood. I should be generous.”

‘Please, don’t be,’ he prayed silently.

Garba pointed Windslayer at his student, his stance solid, his expression like tempered steel. “Brace yourself, brat. Since you’re so eager, I’ll show you what real swordsmanship is. This is what you wanted, right?!”

Despite the dread crawling into his chest, Kaiser raised his simple, worn sword in response, made pale in comparison to his opponent's long sword. Garba was right, this was exactly the kind of “lesson” he wanted, and he would accept it gratefully. No matter how apprehensive it may be.

‘Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?’

Even death was beneath him, after all. But it seemed he still had much to learn about this world, where death was far from the only source of fear. Sometimes, survival itself came with horrors that made a man wish for an end.

A heartbeat later, the senile opponent before him a moment ago banished.

Then, a faint gust brushed Kai’s hair. But… how could there be wind in this enclosed chamber? Aside from the large windows, narrowly opened to let air in, no strong draft should exist. But there is... No, that wasn't natural wind!

Something inside Kai screamed. Acting on pure instinct, Kaiser threw himself to the side, and in that instant, Windslayer sliced through the space where he had just been.

CRACK!

The razor sharp edge of Windslayer cut cleanly into the cement floor, leaving a straight gash in its wake. When Garba wrenched it free with a bit of effort. Surprisingly, not a scratch marred the glass-like blade, though the ground bore the mark of its bite.

But Kaiser had no time to marvel at the weapon’s flawless edge and mystery of its durability at the moment. Because Garba's creepy smile foretold a ghastly tale of him and Windblade. And it's not romantic at all despite promising tons of intimacy.

It was a nightmare.

“Your reflexes are impressive,” Garba said, voice deceptively calm. "But how can I teach you anything if you keep "dodging" my lesson? Oh, my dear student, should I take it up a notch?”

Kai’s lips twisted into a wry grin as he backed away, glancing at the glinting edge of Windslayer, hearing its low scrape against the floor as Garba advanced, slow and menacing.

“Uh… is it too late to drop out?”

Garba let out a low laugh. “Drop out? And leave on the first day of training? We’re just getting started here. Show me that eager spirit you had just moments ago. You know, the one that made you interrupt my lecture. Come on, brat—where’s that enthusiasm? Or… did my unruly student already regret his misbehavior?”

Kaiser took another step back—only for his shoulders to bump into the cold, unyielding wall behind him. He was trapped, with nowhere to escape, and Garba was closing in. The old man’s every step seemed heavier as he neared. Added, whether intentionally or not, his drawn-out dragging of Windslayer against the stone floor to produce a low, grating noise that frayed Kaiser’s nerves and emphasized tension, It's definitely working really well at the moment.

Within seconds, Garba loomed over him, his imposing figure casting a shadow over the younger swordsman. Despite Garba's age and limbs frailness, he can't sense a hint of vulnerability on the sword wielding old man. Rather, his aged appearance exerted wisdom, coupled with lethality of a veteran swordsman.

Garba stood over his student, trapping him against the cold wall. Although, it seemed he had completely won, he can't help but feel something amiss. There was something off about the way Kaiser hadn’t even tried to slip to the side and choose to remain in his futile stance in defiance, gripping his mundane sword with slightly shuddering hands.

Had he already surrendered?

'What a disappointment.' Garba felt a bitter flicker of letdown deep in his gut. He had expected so much more.

In his judgement, from the looks of Kaiser's dark, almost sinister eyes. He lacks fear for death, a rare trait to have for a living being, which also translates to the potential of a great warrior.

Furthermore, he heard nothing but good words from the villagers reports about the kid. However, their praise could also be biased by his title as a Player, someone who should be respected rather than look down upon, for their displeasure could be problematic in the long run.

Still, for him to actually turn out a coward in the face of a real formidable foe was a real disappointment.

Garba is taller than his shaking student, stopping close to Kaiser to instill the best of dread and fear to make sure he learned his lesson by carving it deep in his heart - the helplessness, overwhelming odds and the bitter taste of absolute defeat.

Earlier, in two brief confrontations. He made the difference between their strength as clear as Windslayer blade. Not even once did Kaiser attack, for it'll either be countered or he will die before unleashing a slash. In the game of speed and fluidity, Kai's evidently lost already.

He has no chance of winning against his mentor.

His gaze was cold yet calm as he looked down on the shuddering student. Then...

Garba frowned.

Because, for some reason, his nuisance of a student still had the courage to use his sword against him.

The old man restrains a sigh as he wields Windslayer with ease, like always. Intending to end his disciple's stubbornness once and for all.

However, for the first time in a long, long while. The swordmaster's eyes widened in disbelief.

'You despicable brat...!'