Sebastian ran quickly into the house, startling his mother. He eagerly showed her the book he was carrying.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“Pastor Daniel just gave me a martial arts book!”

“A martial arts book?”

Apollonia knelt in front of Sebastian and asked, “But didn’t you say you didn’t like martial arts yesterday?”

“Uh… Sebastian just doesn’t like…”

“Doesn’t like what?”

“Doesn’t like swords. This book is about shield and hammer combat!”

“Oh, really? But you’re not forcing yourself, are you?”

Sebastian quickly shook his head, and Apollonia smiled, gently patting his head.

“Whatever you choose, I’ll always support you. So, what do you need now?”

“Uh… a hammer?”

Apollonia thought for a moment, then said, “I think we have a hammer, but it’s old and worn. Try going to Uncle Justin and ask him for one. Maybe he has something.”

Without another word, Sebastian dashed out of the house, running through the village with such enthusiasm and focus that he even ignored his friends calling out to him and villagers greeting him. When he reached the blacksmith’s shop, he burst through the door so forcefully that Justin woke up from his nap.

“Huh?! What’s going on?!”

“Uncle Justin, I need a hammer!”

Justin stretched and asked, “What kind of hammer? For everyday use? Housebuilding? Breaking stone?”

“For fighting!”

Justin looked at Sebastian strangely. No one in the village used hammers for combat. Most soldiers here used longswords, spears, or regular swords.

“We don’t have war hammers here. You won’t even find one in the city’s blacksmith shops. Besides, who’s the hammer for? Edward uses a longsword, if I’m not mistaken.”

“It’s for me.”

“What?! Little Sebastian wants to learn martial arts?! Isn’t that too early for someone your age?”

“I’m already 5 years old, Uncle! It’s time for me to learn!”

“Hmmm, but Edward and I started learning when we were 7… Anyway, I’m sorry, but I don’t have a war hammer for you.”

Sebastian’s face fell, and Justin could see his disappointment clearly. Not wanting to see his little friend sad, Justin racked his brain for a solution.

“How about this? I’ll make you a wooden practice hammer, and when you’re older, I’ll make you a special war hammer.”

Sebastian’s face lit up with joy, and Justin smiled as he grabbed his tools to craft the wooden hammer. While waiting, Sebastian looked around the shop, noticing dozens of weapons neatly arranged or stacked in barrels like sardines.

Justin’s shop was the only blacksmith in the village. Although there were blacksmiths in the city, most soldiers preferred Justin’s shop for their weapon repairs and purchases. He also made household and gardening tools and occasionally took special orders for rare items.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

After a while, Justin emerged from his workshop carrying a wooden hammer and handed it to Sebastian.

“This size should be enough for now. Come back if it gets too small for you.”

Sebastian examined the wooden hammer, gripping it tightly to see if he could hold it without fear. Several minutes passed as Justin watched him stand still, staring at the hammer without saying a word.

Unable to contain his bewilderment, Justin waved his hand in front of Sebastian to check if he was okay, but there was no reaction at all.

“Uh… Sebastian? Are you okay?”

“Quiet, Uncle. I’m concentrating.”

Justin grew even more puzzled by Sebastian’s behavior. Suddenly, Sebastian ran out of the shop, still clutching the wooden hammer.

Justin stayed silent and watched him leave with mixed feelings. “Weird kid. What are Ed and Nia teaching him?” Justin muttered as he returned to his chair.

*

Sebastian rushed back into the house, grabbed his martial arts book, and immediately started practicing in the backyard. Apollonia, stunned by her son’s sudden burst of energy, peeked into the backyard and saw Sebastian reading the book with intense focus and seriousness. Smiling, she went back inside to prepare drinks and snacks for him, eager to see her husband’s reaction when he returned from work.

Sebastian opened the book to the first page and saw that the initial lesson wasn’t about combat techniques but about breathing and mana control. He read the instructions carefully but found himself confused by the content. The first page was like a puzzle, and for the first time in his life, Sebastian found himself rereading the same page repeatedly.

After what felt like hours of reading, Sebastian finally attempted to practice what he had learned. Slowly and with great concentration, he took a deep breath, trying to circulate the air throughout his body. He then gathered mana into his heart and brain, allowing it to absorb gradually.

His first attempt failed. Sebastian focused too much on the breathing technique and forgot to control the mana flow to his brain and heart, causing his chest to burn and his head to ache. He groaned in pain on the ground until the discomfort subsided. He hadn’t expected that something as simple as breathing and mana control could cause such intense pain.

His second attempt also failed. This time, traumatized by his previous experience, Sebastian didn’t circulate his breath quickly enough, focusing too much on maintaining mana in his heart and brain. This failure caused his muscles to ache so badly that he collapsed, unable to move for several minutes.

Despite the failures, Sebastian refused to give up. He gathered all his motivation and vowed to keep trying until he succeeded. He swore to himself that he would never utter the word “surrender” in this life, knowing that being in this world was a rare second chance that not everyone got.

Failure after failure tormented Sebastian’s body, but he kept trying tirelessly. By the time the sun, which had just risen, began to set in the west, Sebastian was drenched in sweat and covered in bruises. Yet, only one thought echoed in his mind:

“One more try.”

*

Edward returned from work and walked into the house. He noticed Apollonia staring out the window into the backyard, puzzled by her behavior. He joined her and was shocked to see Sebastian sitting deep in thought, surrounded by scattered training equipment and the book.

Suddenly, Sebastian’s body emitted a bright golden light, shining like the midday sun. The light was so intense that it could be seen from every corner of the village, drawing curious villagers to Sebastian’s house.

Among the crowd, Pastor Daniel stood wide-eyed, unable to believe what he was seeing. He knew the book he had given Sebastian was a martial arts manual he had owned long ago, and mastering it revealed one’s potential for holy magic. However, he had never expected Sebastian to possess such immense potential.

Gradually, the light faded, and Sebastian opened his eyes. He could feel a strange energy circulating through his body. Smiling broadly, he realized he had finally succeeded.

“Sebastian, are you okay?” Edward asked, his face filled with concern.

Sebastian turned and saw the entire village gathered in his backyard. He didn’t know why they were there, but in the crowd, he spotted Pastor Daniel, who gave him a thumbs-up and a wide smile.

“I’m fine, Dad. But why is everyone here?”

Apollonia shot a sharp look at the crowd, and the villagers quickly dispersed, returning to their homes.

Edward walked over and noticed the martial arts book near Sebastian—as well as the wooden hammer and shield.

“Sorry, Dad. Sebastian can’t hold a sword, but now I can learn martial arts with this book!”

“So you’ve been learning martial arts all day?”

“Of course! Sebastian didn’t want Dad to be sad because I can’t hold a sword.”

Tears welled up in Edward’s eyes. He quickly hugged Sebastian tightly, whispering apologies repeatedly.

A well of tears built up in Sebastian’s eyes too, and before they knew it, both father and son were crying together, embracing each other with love.

Apollonia smiled as she watched Edward and Sebastian embrace. She walked over and joined them in a tight family hug.