Turning Chapter 1008

Hmm. So that’s why General Gino took her as his protégé.

ghna Curlieva, unlike many others in her position, didn’t have what one might call “useless pride.” She was a noble and had lived under the title of the Swordmaster’s favored disciple—naturally, one would expect towering pride. Perhaps even a sense of inferiority from failing to reach the level of Master despite years of expectation. And certainly, so jealousy or frustration at facing a younger, arrogant opponent.

But none of that existed in her. Not even a trace.

Her reaction to that last attack proves it.

Rolling on the ground to dodge an attack was sothing many would consider humiliating. Even knowing it might be the best option, countless so-called “strong” individuals Yuder had encountered in his past life had chosen instead to stand their ground out of sheer pride—only to fall.

The higher one’s status, the stronger the ego. The more pride in one’s skill, the easier it was to fall into that trap. But ghna didn’t hesitate for a second to hit the ground. She didn’t even flinch when one of her shoes ca off. Instead, her eyes shone with fierce resolve, not sha. That sharp, intelligent fire in her gaze was all too familiar—it was just like General Gino.

General Gino never saw mingling with subordinates as beneath him. Likely, that’s exactly what he valued in ghna when he chose her as his disciple.

That kind of mindset couldn’t be achieved through training or realization alone. One had to be born with a naturally grounded temperant, a wide perspective, and an unwavering drive for growth. They also needed the ability to confront and exhaust negative emotions before they could fester into prejudice. Most importantly, they had to relentlessly discipline themselves without ever letting up.

ghna Curlieva, it seed, was the end result of that rare combination.

A fine raw gem.

From the seasoned perspective of Yudrain Aile—who had faced countless opponents—Yuder saw in her a worthy material.

But a fine material doesn’t guarantee a beautiful masterpiece.

He rembered the woodcarvers he used to watch at the village market when he ca down from the mountains to sell herbs and timber. In every village, these craftsn bought different types of wood and sorted them according to hardness, shaping each based on its nature.

Soft woods were delicately carved into decorative trinkets using small knives, while harder woods were quickly and forcefully sculpted into sturdy baskets and furniture. To Yuder, training and teaching people was no different.

Just like you can't apply the sa force to every piece of wood, you can’t treat every person the sa.

ghna had grown under General Gino, within the Imperial army. It wasn’t a bad thing—it gave her a stable environnt where she could dedicate herself to training without distractions. But sotis, people needed the jarring impact of real struggle—painful, raw stimulation—to truly grow.

Strong materials often required stronger strikes.

She seems to respond well to new stimuli without shutting down or growing resentful. I doubt she’d spiral into despair even in defeat...

So then, let’s test her limits.

Like a predator that had found worthy prey, a flash of hunger flickered through Yuder’s eyes.

And from that mont on, the match transford completely.

—

"..."

At the beginning of the sparring match, General Gino had watched with a smile.

Now, not a trace of that smile remained on his face.

The veteran swordsman’s gaze was locked solely on the training ground, completely ignoring the chatter around him. His eyes held nothing but sheer astonishnt.

How can soone like him exist...?

At first, it had seed like ghna was dominating the pace, relentlessly attacking. But soon after, Yuder changed his stance—and completely overwheld her.

He used fire, water, wind, and earth with seamless fluency, even manipulating tal weapons as though they were an extension of himself. Whenever ghna adjusted to one elent, another would suddenly wrap around his blade and lunge for her like a taunt.

That’s right—his blade.

Yuder Aile never once let go of his sword. His Awakener powers weren’t the main focus—they simply enhanced his strikes, highlighted openings, supported the swordplay. Despite using such powers, he fought as a swordsman first.

General Gino had assud his swordsmanship wouldn’t be especially impressive—he was wrong. Wherever he’d learned, Yuder’s fundantals were terrifyingly solid.

Modern young swordsn often skipped basics and rushed straight to aura. But aura didn’t bloom from superstition. It ca only after relentless, boring repetition—training long enough to forget the boredom itself. The stronger the foundation, the higher one could rise.

Yuder looked like soone who had already grasped that truth.

How has soone his age already reached such a level?

To General Gino’s eyes, Yuder moved like soone who had wielded a sword nonstop for twenty years. If that were ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the case, he would’ve had to start practically as a toddler. How could a poor mountain-born boy do that?

Only scions of noble warrior families could achieve that kind of refined skill at such a young age. Yet this boy from a remote village moved with precision born from generations of martial discipline.

And that wasn’t all.

Even as he manipulated the elents with shocking creativity and pressed ghna to her limits, Yuder barely broke a sweat. His breathing was controlled, effortless. anwhile, ghna’s uniform was torn, dirty—she looked like she’d already endured a full battle.

Despite facing shards of aura—sothing most people would never encounter in a lifeti—Yuder showed no fear. He responded to them with the calm and familiarity of soone who had already studied them inside and out. The speed at which he adapted, countered, and analyzed her attacks was so far beyond expectation that it was surreal.

All right. Let’s say he was born with exceptional battle instincts. I’ve seen that before...

General Gino’s gaze drifted to the man seated beside him—Kishiar la Orr.

Back when Kishiar had been a young Second Prince, he too had displayed breathtaking talent. One lesson, and he’d grasped ten more. If a youngest-ever Swordmaster were to erge, it would’ve been him. That belief made his later fate all the more tragic.

So yes, soone could be a genius.

But even a genius can’t instantly analyze an opponent they’ve never fought before—especially one as trained and seasoned as ghna. That kind of ability only cos from experience.

ghna wasn’t a Master, but the fact that she could wield aura fragnts made her virtually unmatched. Who could’ve imagined she’d be so easily overwheld?

Worse—General Gino could tell that Yuder was holding back. That was perhaps the most stunning part of all.

He’s a monster in human skin.

The old general had fought alongside multiple Cavalry mbers during the hailstorm incident. He thought he understood their power, their fighting styles.

But the boy before him was sothing else entirely.

If soone like that hadn’t joined the Cavalry—if he were on the enemy’s side, opposing the Emperor—what possible strategy could have countered him?

As soone who had spent his life protecting the Empire, it was a chilling thought. But it was impossible not to think it.

That’s how powerful—how shocking—Yuder was.

Still... if there’s one small rcy, it’s that ghna hasn’t given up.

General Gino turned to look at his disciple’s battered face.

Her hair was tangled, streaked with blood, but she hadn’t dropped her sword. Her face was blank, but the corners of her lips were curled up, and her eyes sparkled like a beast’s.

To be honest, it was the first ti—even for him—that she’d looked so thrilled.