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Kai sat down cross-legged again, the curved blade resting across his lap as he unrolled the scroll further. The next section laid out four spells each one tied directly to the Lightless Blade inheritance. He'd read about them before in the novel, but seeing them in front of him, labeled as his personal path, felt different
He read through each one carefully:
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1. Ghostly Concealment
A high-tier stealth technique. It didn't just mask your presence it erased it. Mana signature, sound, even scent were nullified. Almost absolute. Even skilled mages or detection-type users couldn't notice someone cloaked in this spell unless they had a direct counter or absurd sensitivity. In the novel, this was used and only June noticed among the first years
2. Lightless Slash
A mid-range offensive spell. It allowed the user to send out a curved, compressed blade of darkness mana. It wasn't just sharp it drained mana from whatever it hit, slowly bleeding energy from the target. If stacked with multiple strikes, it could cripple even high-level opponents. Useful in duels or group fights.
3. Lightless Crash
A physical enhancement-type. When activated, it reinforced the user's strength, speed, and durability but only while in or surrounded by darkness. In caves, at night, or under shadowed cover, it transformed the user into a brutal close-range fighter. But in bright environments, its effect was minimal.
4. Black Wing
A movement and defense hybrid spell. It summoned a pair of shadowy wings not just for flight, but to absorb impact and defend against projectiles. The wings could also collapse inward to form a temporary shield. One of the flashiest spells in the entire inheritance.
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Even with just these four, Kai already understood something important.
"This alone could put someone in the top ten," he muttered.
In the novel, Harlen Academy was packed with elites children of nobles, battle geniuses, magical prodigies. But even among them, someone with this kind of toolkit would stand out.
But there was a catch.
Every single one of these spells was complex.
They weren't the kind you could memorize in an afternoon or chant from a scroll. They required shaping. Control. Precision. That meant Kai's biggest limitation C-rank mana control was a serious problem. He'd need to improve that, or he'd never be able to cast these in real combat without leaving himself vulnerable.
He narrowed his eyes at the scroll.
"Well… one at a time, then."
He looked at his curved blade. "Thanks to you," he murmured, tapping the flat of the weapon, "I know exactly which one to start with."
Lightless Slash.
It was offensive. Straightforward. It matched the weapon he already had. And out of the four, it was arguably the least taxing if used in small bursts.
Kai spent the rest of the evening preparing.
First Week of Training
Kai took a deep breath and focused on Lightless Slash first. He needed something manageable, something he could slowly improve on. The scroll's notes described the process: channel the mana into the blade, focus it along the edge, shape it as a long, cutting arc.
He followed the instructions.
The first few tries ended in failure. The mana splintered in different directions before forming the blade. It was frustrating—every time the mana leaked out of control, the spell would collapse. Sometimes it exploded in bursts of raw energy, making the air crackle and leaving him gasping for breath.
By the end of the first week, Kai had managed to form a basic slash. It wasn't pretty. The blade flickered and dissipated before it even reached a target, but at least the direction was right. He felt a strange connection to the spell, as if he was getting a little closer, but he wasn't there yet.
Second Week of Training
The second week was more about building on what little he had achieved. He focused on getting the blade to stay stable for longer periods. He didn't force it this time; he let the mana flow naturally, following the patterns described in the scroll. Kai learned that it wasn't just about brute force. It was about control.
The first success came on the fourth day. A perfect arc of darkness flew from his hand, cutting through a wooden post and leaving behind a faint glow where it passed. It wasn't a clean cut it wasn't as strong as it should have been but it was progress. More importantly, it was a sign that he was improving.
By the end of the second week, Kai was able to form a slash with some consistency. He could get the blade to travel around four meters before it started to lose form. The draining effect was barely noticeable on the target, but he wasn't worried about that yet. His priority was shaping the slash more precisely.
Third Week of Training
By now, Kai had learned how to release the slash in under five seconds. The slash itself was sharper, more defined, and it reached a distance of about six meters. He wasn't at full power yet, but the technique was coming together. Every attempt drained him a little more, but it was a good kind of exhaustion progress.
At this point, he began to test the slash on more resistant targets—stone, reinforced wooden dummies and watched how the blade interacted with them. The mana drain on the target was much more noticeable now. The more he cut, the more energy it absorbed from the target. It wasn't instant, but over time, it wore down whatever was hit. Kai was impressed with the effect, but he still had a long way to go
Fourth Week of Training
Kai was finally able to use Lightless Slash on multiple targets in succession without collapsing from a headache The blade's form was near perfect now no more flickering or crumbling. He could use it twice in quick succession, but the third use left him drained, and he had to stop. He wasn't anywhere near full control yet.
He had learned the basics. Now, it was about refining.
Time
He had gotten used to the feel of Lightless Slash it was still far from perfect, but the blade was consistent now. He could wield it efficiently, and it drained mana from targets with greater precision. He hadn't yet
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One Month later
One month was up. He was ready the information of the first arc was still fresh in Kai's head the underground dueling ring incident but that was not Kai's main concern cause
Harlen Academy was about to open its gates.