Liam made his way to the training ground, the crisp morning air carrying the scent of sawdust and sweat. Sir Lucas awaited him in the center of the dusty yard, a figure of imposing stillness a seasoned knight and a 4-Star Swordsman, holding the rank of Knight-Commander.
He stood a little taller than most, his strong, well-built frame a testament to years of disciplined training. His piercing hazel eyes—and his dark hair, streaked with white—seemed to hold the wisdom of countless battles.
His short, neatly trimmed hair framed a face marked by a prominent scar on his forehead, a lasting memento of the day he protected Liam's father. At his side, his trusty longsword gleamed, a symbol of his unwavering loyalty and the honor he brought to House Lithia.
In Liam's past life, Sir Lucas had met a mysterious end on a mission, just one year from now.
Liam approached the old knight. "I heard you asked for me."
Sir Lucas crossed his arms, his sharp gaze unwavering. "You're late, young lord. Have you forgotten? Starting today, you begin your swordsmanship lessons with me. You may have avoided your training before, but not this time. The lord has personally appointed me to see to it that you are trained rigorously."
Liam simply nodded. He had always known he was a disappointment at this point in his past life.
Just then, the panel flickered into existence before his eyes.
[First Quest: Train with Sir Lucas Part 1/30]
[Difficulty: Easy]
Quest Description:
Perform 100 Vertical SlashesPerform 100 Diagonal SlashesRun 10 km
[Rewards]
+2 Stamina+2 Strength50 EXP
[Penalty]
-1 to All Stats if the quest is left incompleteParalysed state for a whole day
Liam's fingers twitched as he read the details. A quest? His new life really had turned into something beyond his understanding. But the penalty made it clear—this system wasn't going to let him slack off
Lucas said, "Focus, Young lord. Move. we will start by running around the arena".
So, under the watchful gaze of the old knight, the true training began.
He first few laps felt deceptively easy. But soon, a burning sensation ignited in his lungs, his legs feeling heavier with each stride. He was much weaker than he remembered. A glance at the ever-present panel showed his Stamina stat ticking downwards: 4… 3… 2… A warning flashed: [Stamina Low!]
He stumbled, nearly falling, catching himself with a hand on the dusty ground.
"Pathetic!" Lucas roared. "Get up! You call that running? You've got the stamina of a newborn foal!"
Liam knew he was lacking—before his father's death, he had never truly dedicated himself to training. It was only in the aftermath of that loss that he began to understand the value of discipline and the strength it required.
But now, Liam was more determined than ever. His muscles screamed in protest, yet he pushed forward relentlessly. He stole a glance at the system panel and caught a brief flicker near the "Dragonheart Vigor" entry before it stabilized. "What was that?" he muttered, barely audible.
In that moment, his mana stats dropped by one while his stamina surged by 5 points—though the panel noted this boost was not permanent.
A sudden surge of energy enveloped his entire body, propelling him into an almost effortless run. Sir Lucas, watching from a distance, was stunned. He could hardly believe that the young lord, who had been teetering on the edge of collapse, was now sprinting at full speed. Silent and observant,
Lucas watched Liam complete the 10 km run—a performance that exceeded even his highest hopes.
Liam stood at the edge of the arena, breathless, his chest rising and falling with each deep inhale. Before he could fully recover, Sir Lucas's voice cut through the crisp morning air.
"To the next training. Pick your sword and place yourself in front of one of the dummies."
The arena was lined with multiple training dummies, worn from years of relentless strikes. Liam stepped forward, selecting one before retrieving his sword. As he took his stance, his movements were precise, steady—far from the clumsy posture expected of him.
His body instinctively fell into the disciplined form of a seasoned knight, a habit ingrained from a past life where he had once reached the rank of 5-Star Swordsman (Elite Knight).
Sir Lucas narrowed his hazel eyes, arms crossed over his broad chest. There was something off—something unnatural—about the way Liam stood. The boy had never taken training seriously before, always reluctant, always making excuses. And yet, before him now was a stance honed by years of battle.
"Give me 100 vertical slashes," Lucas commanded, watching closely.
He half-expected whining, an attempt at protest—something. That was the Liam he knew. But instead, the boy simply nodded.
"Yes."
Without hesitation, Liam raised his sword and began.
Each slash was precise, controlled. His wrist was firm, his elbow tucked, his core engaged. The blade moved in a perfect vertical line, striking the dummy with consistent force, not hacking wildly but cutting with purpose.
It wasn't the frantic, desperate energy of a beginner trying to meet a quota; it was the deliberate, practiced motion of someone who understood the art of swordsmanship.
Liam's eyes were focused, not on the dummy itself, but on a point through it, visualizing the cut continuing beyond the surface. This was a technique he hadn't consciously learned in this life; it was muscle memory, ingrained from years of training in a past that was both gone and vividly present.
He felt a faint, almost imperceptible guidance, a subtle adjustment in his posture, a slight shift in his grip – as if an unseen hand were correcting his form, pushing him towards perfection. The System? He didn't know, but he didn't fight it.
Sir Lucas watched, his initial surprise giving way to a furrowed brow and a narrowed gaze. He'd seen countless recruits swing a sword, seen clumsy beginners and seasoned veterans. But this… this was different. The boy's form wasn't just good; it was uncannily good. Too good.
"Faster!" Lucas barked, his voice a sharp crack in the otherwise rhythmic soundscape. It wasn't a compliment; it was a test. He wanted to see if Liam could maintain that form under pressure, if he could push past the point of exhaustion and still retain that unnatural precision.
Liam didn't hesitate. He increased his pace, the thwack of the sword against the dummy becoming a near-constant drone. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but his form didn't break.
Lucas circled him, his eyes like a hawk's, searching for any flaw, any break in the facade. He found none. He saw only a boy, transformed. Not just improved, but fundamentally altered.
A suspicion, cold and unsettling, began to take root in the old knight's mind. "What in the Nine Hells is going on?"
He stopped, his shadow falling long across liam.
"Enough"
Liam's sword stopped mid-air, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his brow. He lowered the blade, his muscles screaming in protest, but his posture remained erect, his gaze steady.
He met Lucas's intense stare, a silent question in his eyes.
Lucas's expression was unreadable, a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and something akin to… respect? He couldn't deny what he'd seen. The boy had performed flawlessly. Beyond flawlessly.
"Diagonal slashes," Lucas said, his voice gruff, betraying none of his internal turmoil. "One hundred. And don't think for a moment that I'll be any less vigilant." He turned to grab a waterskin and take a drink
Liam took a position and prepared him self.
Liam continued his training, his blade slicing through the air with precision as he executed diagonal slashes, each motion crisp and controlled. His body burned with exhaustion, but he refused to slow down.
The Dragonheart Vigor skill pulsed within him, siphoning away his mana with each passing moment, yet restoring his stamina in return. One mana point for renewed stamina. Again and again, he pushed forward, his muscles screaming, his breath ragged—but he did not falter.
By the time the sun reached its peak in the sky, the final strike landed.
Lucas shouted, "That's enough for today! Go get some rest."
[Quest Completed]
[Rewards Granted]
Liam exhaled, lowering his sword as the familiar translucent panel flickered before his eyes. He had done it.
[Additional Reward for Completing Your First Quest]
A-Rank Skill Card+50 EXP10 stat points
A new prompt appeared on the panel:
[Do you want to use the skill card now?]
Liam hesitated for only a moment before reaching for the panel and clicking [YES].
A sharp pulse ran through his mind, and for an instant, his vision blurred. Then, new information flooded his senses.
[Skill Acquired: Vision]
Skill Description: Allows the user to perceive the stats of anyone, with the condition that their rank (Stars) is lower than the user's own.
Liam blinked as the words settled into his mind. A skill that let him gauge the strength of those weaker than him? That was incredibly valuable.
[Status Window]
Name: Liam Lithian
Age: 15
Race: Human
Title: The regressed
Stars: 1 Swordsman Trainee
Affiliation: House Lithian
Potential: C
Attributes:
Strength: 9 (+2)Stamina: 7 (+2)Agility: 5Vitality: 20Endurance: 40Mana: 197 (-3 from Dragonheart Vigor usage)
Talents :
Swordsmanship (D)Close Combat (F)Archery (F)Hunting (E)
Skills :
Dragonheart Vigor (Passive - Rank SS+)Vision (Active - Rank A)
EXP: 100/500
Remaining stat points : 10
He nodded toward Lucas before making his way back toward the estate, his mind still buzzing with the sensation of his newly acquired skill. and the look on Sir Lucas's face. He definitely suspects something.