At the very least, Kaiser had one comfort: he hadn’t yet lost his mentor’s favor despite his blunders. Still, he wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse—knowing he would have to relive that surreal experience was enough to send a chill down his spine.

Kaiser could usually handle a lot, but Garba’s “dance” was a different kind of torment, striking him in the spot he never knew existed. It felt like a corruption seeping into his very mind, a strain he never anticipated. That evening, desperate to wash the horrid memory away, he sought out the company of Ariella and Cia, hoping their natural beauty could help cleanse his mind. But the damage ran deeper than he thought. Because every time he looked at their faces, he found himself haunted by the memory of Garba’s half-closed, blissful expression, lost in that unsettling “dance.” Even in his dreams, the saggy swan hunted him.

That was when he knew it: he was traumatized.

For the rest of the night, he couldn’t bring himself to look them in the eyes without that disturbing image resurfacing. And the next morning, as Garba hinted they would resume the lesson, Kai tried every trick to delay it. He seized the chance to ask a question he had been genuinely curious about for a while.

“Hey, Gramps, what exactly is Windslayer? I mean, yesterday that sword just flew into your hand on its own. How is that even possible?”

Garba chuckled knowingly. “Didn’t I tell you already?”

Kai scoffed mentally. 'You never tell me about the important stuff, like Leveling, that bald-headed freak’s abilities are, and, well… everything else.'

Still, he forced a polite smile for the sake of knowledge.

“No, actually.”

With a shameless cough, Garba continued. “Is that so? Seems like you’ve forgotten. But don’t worry; I’m as patient as ever. I’ll repeat myself.”

Kaiser resisted an eyeroll, knowing he had to endure Garba’s smug attitude if he wanted any useful answers.

“Listen up, lad. What I'm about to tell you is premium knowledge, only known to a few Players. Normally, I wouldn’t share this, but since you’re one of them, I suppose it’s fine.”

Garba held Windslayer aloft, pointing at the gleaming blade. “This here is what we call a Relic, a shorter term for magical or extraordinary items. From what I know, there are two ways to get one. First, you can rely on someone skilled enough to create such an item or enchant an existing one—only a Player can do that. So, keep your eyes open for any Player with that ability if you’re after a relic of your own.

“But if you can’t find someone like that, well… you could try the second method. Though, it would be quite the challenge. It’s said that if you kill an exceptionally powerful creature, there’s a chance you might receive a relic corresponding to that creature. Similar to how leveling works. But that’s more rumor than fact. I’ve fought countless beasts over the years, yet I’ve never received another relic. Maybe that’s just because the beasts in this Realm aren’t powerful enough.”

Kaiser’s interest was thoroughly piqued. Magical items? The possibility of wielding a relic of his own excited him, conjuring visions of extraordinary weapons and powers. But reality tempered his hopes: acquiring one would either mean finding a skilled Player possessing ability related to crafting, which is probably rare. And considering his batch mate's lack of experience, finding a decent craftsman wouldn't be easy. Killing an elite creature on other Realms with low chances of drop rate is no better. Neither of which would be easy. Aside from stealing from a deadly grampa...

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

In any case, he didn’t really think some enchanted sword would fly into his hands anytime soon. But even if relics were beyond reach, it was clear his other hope for delaying the “dance” was futile.

Before long, Garba once again insisted on resuming his lesson. This time, the cursed display unfolded in the golden light of sunrise, and though the change in lighting did little to improve the experience, he found his tolerance was at least a touch higher. His brain didn’t shut down this time, and he managed to keep his gaze on Garba, determined to follow his mentor’s guidance.

In all honesty, it felt more like he was sitting through an elaborate dance lesson than a swordsmanship practice. This was far from the grueling training he expected—the intense drills, hard-earned aches, and sharp bladework Kai thought would define his journey to mastery. Yet he held back any doubts, restraining his urge to question his mentor. He couldn’t trust Garba completely, but he respected the old man’s wisdom and skill.

If this bizarre ritual was what Garba insisted was the key to his blade skills, then Kaiser would memorize every move—no matter how uncomfortable the memory.

Finally, it seemed Garba had noticed the toll his lessons were taking on his student. Watching Kaiser’s struggle, he sighed and said;

“Alright, lad, let’s make some adjustments. Staring all day won’t help you progress faster; you need time to absorb this, too.” With that, Garba restructured Kaiser’s schedule, giving him some much-needed breaks to let the lesson sink in.

After a moment of hesitation, Garba also voiced a deeper concern. “Judging by that… twisted expression on your face, tell me honestly, Kaiser, how much do you think?”

Kai thought about it, then replied, “A lot. Like, really… a lot. I don’t know why, but I’ve been an overthinker since I was a kid.”

Garba sighed heavily. “Well, that explains a lot. Lad, if you aim to master the sword under my guidance, we have a problem. Overthinking itself isn’t a flaw, but it’s an obstacle with the style I’m teaching. The Dance of the Wind is the foundation of my swordplay—moving like the wind, flowing with both body and blade, requires a mind calm enough to clear all tension from each step and strike. Like it or not, we’ll need to stabilize that cluttered mind of yours.”

Kaiser was conflicted, he had no issues with changes, for the world had always demanded adaptability over stubbornness. The problem is, if changing was so easy, then everyone wouldn't be troubled by their own personality.

Still, he nodded. “I’m fine with that.”

Every problem had a solution. Luckily, his troubles could be managed with simple methods. From that day forward, his schedule included regular meditation alongside the Dance of the Wind practice.

Though he appreciated the mercy, Kaiser found the new routine nearly as unbearable. Watching Garba’s unsettling “dance” and sitting in endless meditation grated at him. But he pushed through, driven by his goal of mastering the blade and his trust in Garba’s wisdom. Besides, compared to listening to endless blabbering that yielded nothing, even these tedious exercises seemed like progress.

Still, it frustrated him that he felt so little improvement.

The one real pleasure in his new schedule was the extra free time, which he spent in the garden with Ariella and Cia. As he opened the backdoor to step into the morning light, he caught sight of them tending to the vegetables, the sun casting warm rays over them as multiple small animals from the forest gathered around, attracted by the goddess grace. Ariella in her white dress and Cia in her exquisite archer’s attire looked like figures from a painting—two gentle goddesses nurturing the earth, serene and graceful in their work.

They're so vulnerable and pure, incomparable to the horrible things Kai's been seeing lately that even now, has defiled his brain cell to the point it made him incapable of appreciating true beauty.

If only he had his phone; he would have given anything to snap a photo of this moment. But that relic of his past was gone, lost along with his old life.

Seeing Ariella and Cia brought a lightness to his chest, a bit of warmth in a dark and twisted world. Like a glimpse of the sun breaking through clouds, he could only watch, feeling peace spread through him for the first time in what felt like ages.

Noticing him, Ariella’s face lit up, and she waved, her bright smile a refreshing sight for Kaiser. The last time she saw his guardian was last night, when he looked anything but well.

Kaiser smiled back, partly for her and partly at the sight of the little creatures scattering as they spotted him. Their hurried escape brought him back to those early days after his arrival in this world, when "hunting" was a daily necessity, and he had to rely on "Ariella's help". Those days had been both brutal and strangely memorable. Fortunately, his improved living situation now spared the adorable woodland animals from becoming his next meal.

'I just hope she will never find out.'

Leaving the shade, Kaiser felt the sun’s warmth wash over him as he made his way to the crude bench by the garden, placed under a tree's shade. He sank down, feeling a bit haggard and mentally drained. Despite all his efforts, his progress felt painfully slow. He trusted Garba’s guidance, but doubt gnawed at him—at his mentor's methods and his own abilities. Above all, he still had no idea what his Player ability even was.

With a sigh, he glanced over at Cia, who was being led by Ariella, the two of them walking gracefully across the garden toward him.

"Are you okay?" Cia asked gently, her face clouded with concern.

Kaiser raised an eyebrow, frowning in surprise. "...How did you know?"

She was blind, after all—there was no way she could see the exhaustion on his face, the disheveled mess he had become after undergoing the eerie training sessions. So how could she tell?

"Don't tell me you...!"