Parasites, Magic And Revenge

Raven, whose desire for strength and revenge never waned, found a new reason for wanting to get stronger: power itself. He chose a long, thin sword for himself. It was a simple design with almost no detail, but it was light. So light, in fact, that Raven could swing it with one hand without difficulty. Miles glanced at what Raven was holding and said:

"Good choice. That’s one of the lightest weapons here. For a basic-level weapon, it's pretty sturdy, and on top of that, it's light. It’s made from an obsidian and carbon alloy, commonly used in basic and advanced-level weapons. In higher levels, materials like monster teeth, scales, diamonds, or stronger extraterrestrial minerals are used. In short, the weapon in your hand is one of the best basic-level weapons."

Raven looked at his sword again without showing any emotion, wondering how long he would be using it. A month? A year? Maybe for life, if he never got stronger? His naturally pessimistic personality made him believe that thinking positively wouldn't change the outcome. While Raven stared at his sword, Miles broke the silence again: "We can’t spend all day here, even though it's Monday. I brought you here so you could get used to the place. You also need to start school soon." Raven smirked. He had almost forgotten the word "school." It was that strange place where people his age made friends and learned new things. He had never attended school in his life. His mother, Amara Blake, and his father, Dorian Blake, had sacrificed their lives for their country, even at the cost of abandoning him. They had died as mere puppets in the Great War, or at least, that’s what Raven had been told.

The trainers led the boys to the dummies, and since Raven was new, he would start with a simple exercise. The instructor in charge of them today was Rufus, the strongest of the trainers. "Master Raven and Master Miles, with your permission, since Master Raven is new, I'd like to start with the basics," he said. Miles nodded, while Raven continued to stare at his sword.

Rufus began with simple stances: "Place your strong foot behind you so that when you take a hit, you won’t fall. In sword fighting, if you fall to the ground, it's all over." Having grown up on the streets, Raven already knew these fundamentals. He had learned how to throw punches, wrestle, and even kill if necessary. His techniques were deadly, but due to malnutrition and lack of training, despite being 17, his body had the strength of a 12- or 13-year-old.

Rufus continued: "When you swing your sword, take a step forward and strike from the upper right to the lower left with all your strength. The stronger your swing, the more effective the technique will be." Miles stepped forward and, moving at a speed Raven couldn't even follow, left countless cuts on the dummy. The straw inside fell to the ground as the cuts merged into one large slash. Miles turned to Raven and said, "I’m sure you'll be able to do this soon. I believe in you," giving him two pats on the back.

Raven, realizing the gap in strength between him and the person he was closest to, understood that he couldn’t even place at the bottom of the power rankings—he was outside the rankings entirely, and he hated it. Everything made him feel small and insignificant. Now, he had to think about his power level and ranking. For him, there was a hierarchy. He gripped his sword, holding it as if in a boxing stance, took a step forward, and swung with all his strength. Miles was disappointed because almost nothing happened. However, Rufus was astonished. While Miles hadn’t noticed due to the gap in their power levels, Rufus understood. A few seconds later, a thin line appeared on the dummy. The cut was smooth and precise, as if the dummy had been sliced with scissors, and the straw inside hadn’t even shifted.

Miles was left speechless, but Rufus knew what had happened. Raven was so weak that if this were a game, his power level wouldn’t even be 1. But his technique was so refined that the straw hadn’t even realized it had been cut. Despite the lack of speed, this child was a genius. If he got stronger, he could either become humanity’s savior or a universal threat...