Kyle stood beside the wooden house, swinging his wooden sword in rapid succession.
"102… 103… 104… 105… 106…"
Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his arms trembled from the endless swings.
Down in the forest beneath the mountain, Kyle was running around the mountain at the fastest speed he could manage. His feet sank into the mud, and his breath grew heavier. At the top of the mountain, the old man sat watching him with sharp eyes.
'This kid… he's developing incredibly fast. What a talent.'
After a full hour, Kyle lay on the ground gasping heavily. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his face was pale. The old man approached him and stood in front of him.
"You did a good job today, Kyle."
Kyle pushed himself up with difficulty, resting one hand on his knee, then crossed his right leg over his left as he looked at his teacher with a tired smile.
"You're being kind today, Master. Why today of all days?"
The old man's expression suddenly changed as he shouted angrily,
"That's none of your business, you brat!"
Kyle chuckled lightly and raised his hand as if surrendering.
"Calm down, Master."
The old man took a deep breath and spoke seriously.
"That doesn't matter now. Tell me… what do you feel right now, Kyle? Has anything changed in your body?"
Kyle looked at his hands, opening and closing his fingers several times.
"Yes, Master… I felt a strange power. And I managed to sense magical energy."
The old man froze in place, his eyes wide open.
"What did you say?! How?!!"
He stepped forward as if he couldn't believe it.
"This is impossible… I'll check your level myself."
He moved behind Kyle, placed his palm on his back, and closed his eyes. A full minute passed before he opened them again, his face filled with shock.
"This… this is impossible! How?!"
Kyle quickly turned around, his expression tense.
"What's happening to my body, Master?!!!"
The old man took a slow breath and spoke seriously,
"You've reached the White Stage, Level Three."
Kyle looked confused and tilted his head.
"And what's strange about that, Master?"
The old man yelled,
"To reach the White Stage, Level Three, you need at least three weeks of nonstop training! You've only trained for two days! How did you reach this level?!"
Kyle lifted his head confidently and said,
"I trained throughout the night after you slept. I did a thousand sword swings, five hundred push-ups, and ran around the mountain twenty times."
The old man opened his mouth in shock, repeating,
"How… how… how… how… how…? Could you be…?"
But he suddenly stopped speaking and let out a small smile.
"That doesn't matter now. You're a true genius. How did you endure all that training when your body is only ten years old and physically weak?"
Kyle clenched his fist.
"That doesn't matter. I want to know—what element and skill will appear now that I reached the White Stage?"
The old man replied coldly,
"The skill and element don't appear immediately. They'll appear after a full month of reaching the White Stage. That's because you reached it at a relatively late age."
Kyle nodded.
"I understand, Master."
The old man pointed toward the house.
"Go inside and change your clothes. I'll be waiting for you beside the house on the two chairs. We have things to talk about."
Kyle replied,
"Yes, Master."
He went into his room to change his clothes, but his mind was occupied.
'Master is hiding something from me. This is really strange.'
After a few minutes, Kyle walked out and sat on the chair in front of his master.
"What do you want to know, Master?"
The old man studied his face for a moment before speaking.
"I want you to tell me which family you're from… and from which kingdom exactly."
Kyle froze.
"Why are you asking this now?"
The old man answered immediately,
"I just want to know the truth."
Kyle took a slow breath and began speaking.
"I'm from the Drayven family. One of the five great families. My family is known for swordsmanship, and it's the only family in the kingdom that strictly follows the way of the sword. It was famous for producing the greatest swordsmen in the Kingdom of Valyren."
He lifted his head, gritting his teeth.
"But I was born with exceptional traits… red hair and green eyes. These traits meant I was the legendary heir of the family. But I didn't have enough magical energy. When I was tested, no light appeared. So they considered me a disgrace and expelled me from the palace."
He lowered his head as he recalled,
"I was kicked out a month ago. Since then, I've lived in the streets. I ate leftovers from the ground and drank from the river in the forest."
The old man stayed silent for a few seconds, then said seriously,
"You went through all of that… and yet your mind didn't collapse. That's extremely rare."
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"And why should my mind collapse?"
The old man glared at him sharply.
"Are you stupid or something?"
Kyle gave a small smile.
"Sorry, Master."
Time passed until nightfall. Kyle was outside swinging his sword again.
"656… 657… 658… 659…"
He was breathing heavily before he collapsed on the ground.
'I really… need to give it my all. I must become the strongest swordsman and the strongest knight. I have to take revenge on my family.'
Inside the house, the old man stood in front of the window, staring at the bright moon.
'So… can he really reach the level of that person? Impossible… impossible.'
End of Chapter (Three)