NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47: Training Even During Sleep
The sun was starting its slow descent over the Goldheart estate, streaking the training fields with gold and shadow.
For most of the guards, the day's work was ending.
For Raiden, it was only beginning.
He stood alone in the courtyard, the faint hum of mana from the estate walls whispering in the air. His wooden sword was getting to heavy from the soreness in his arms.
His hands still ached from gripping it since dawn, but there was a sharp light in his eyes now, something that wasn't there before.
He was done complaining. Done whining.
For now, at least.
"System," he murmured under his breath. "Activate training progression."
The faint glow appeared before his eyes.
[Skill Progression: Active]
Basic Horizontal Slash — 0.4%
Guard Shift — 0.1%
Piercing Drive — 0.2%
Raiden grinned. "Alright. Let's make those numbers move."
He raised his sword. The Basic Horizontal Slash played in his mind like a memory he'd always had—elbow slightly bent, stance low, cut clean through the center. He mimicked it once, twice, again and again.
Each swing triggered a faint flicker across the system window.
[Skill Progress +0.1%]
[Skill Progress +0.1%]
The rhythm was intoxicating.
Swing. Focus. Step. Swing again.
Each time, the motion grew smoother, cleaner, sharper. The dull ache in his arms became background noise. The world shrank down to the sound of air parting around his blade.
It was mechanical. Obsessive. Addicting.
He was halfway through his second hundred swings when he felt someone watching.
Not Sir Leonard—he'd know that cold presence anywhere. This one was warmer.
Kent.
Raiden didn't stop. He just kept swinging, pretending he hadn't noticed until Kent's voice broke through the air.
"Still training?"
Raiden finished the motion and turned, smiling easily. "Just a few moves I imagined. Gotta keep my form perfect before I forget, right?"
Kent chuckled, approaching with his own practice sword slung casually over his shoulder. "You? Training extra? I'll need proof you haven't been replaced by an illusion."
Raiden rolled his eyes. "Funny. You sound like Miss Hilda."
Kent grinned. "If I start throwing books at you, then worry."
They stood there for a few moments, the sound of crickets beginning to hum in the background.
Finally, Raiden broke the silence. "Watched you briefly train with Father today."
Kent nodded. "For a short while. But he said he'll be training with me for some time now."
Raiden paused mid-swing. "Really?"
"Mm. He said it's only fair that the two best swordsmen in the estate train the two of us."
Raiden's grin widened. "So Father trains you… and Sir Leonard trains me. Sounds fair."
Kent laughed softly. "Fairness depends on perspective. Sir Leonard's tougher."
Raiden smirked. "So you admit Father's going easy on you."
Kent gave him that older-brother look—the one halfway between amusement and warning. "Be careful what you wish for."
Raiden shrugged innocently. "Oh, I'm perfectly happy with Sir Leonard. He's… character building."
"Character-breaking, you mean," Kent said, but his smile lingered.
Kent sheathed his practice sword and stretched. "I'm done for the day. Going to wash up before dinner."
Raiden nodded, swinging again. "I'll stay a little longer. Just an hour or two."
Kent tilted his head. "You sure? It's getting late."
"Yeah," Raiden said casually. "Need to burn today's lesson into muscle memory."
Kent gave him an approving nod. "That's the spirit. However, remember not to overdo it."
He waved as he left, the fading sunlight catching in his hair. The moment the door to the residential building closed behind him, Raiden froze mid-swing.
His expression shifted from calm focus to mischievous calculation.
"Perfect," he whispered. "The illusion's complete."
He turned toward the small pack he'd hidden beneath one of the benches—a couple of water flasks, some dried fruit, and his favorite snack stash (because even warriors needed sugar). His sword rested neatly across his shoulder as he glanced toward the tall hedges lining the estate.
Beyond those hedges, through a small unguarded path and down a narrow slope, lay his secret place.
The same quiet space where he'd once developed his mana heart.
A place far enough from the estate that no one could stumble on him.
No guards. No servants. No Sir Leonard.
He grinned. "Time to vanish."
With practiced stealth—well, as much stealth as an exhausted five-year-old could manage—he slipped along the hedges, ducked under the gap, and disappeared into the trees.
The place welcomed him like an old friend.
A small pond had formed during the time he abandoned it, its form shimmering faintly under the dimming sunlight, and the air was filled with a soft, familiar magic. It was quiet, peaceful, almost sacred.
He dropped his pack beside a rock and took a deep breath.
"Alright, back to business."
He summoned his system again.
[Skill Progression: Active]
[Basic Horizontal Slash — 17.3%]
[Guard Shift — 9.1%]
[Piercing Drive — 2.4%]
Raiden grinned at the numbers. "Not bad for a few hours."
He rolled his shoulders and raised his sword again.
He began with the Basic Horizontal Slash again. Each repetition burned, but the progress bar creeping upward made it worth it.
[Skill Progress +0.1%]
[Skill Progress +0.1%]
[Skill Progress +0.1%]
The steady rhythm became hypnotic.
After every hundred swings, he switched stances and practiced Guard Shift—shifting weight from one leg to another, keeping his defense steady. It wasn't flashy, but it made him feel grounded, stable.
And then, when his breath began to quicken, he practiced Piercing Drive.
This one definitely hurt.
Every lunge pulled at his core, demanding balance and precision. He stumbled, cursed, corrected himself, and tried again.
By the tenth try, he'd lost count.
The place echoed faintly with the sound of his wooden sword cutting through the air and his low grunts of effort.
Hours passed unnoticed.
When the sky turned from orange to deep blue, he finally paused—panting, trembling, drenched in sweat. He checked his progress window again.
[Skill Progression Updated]
[Basic Horizontal Slash — 47.5%]
[Guard Shift — 28.9%]
[Piercing Drive — 12.3%]
Raiden slumped down against the nearest tree, breathing hard but smiling.
"Halfway there," he muttered. "Who needs dinner when you've got progress bars?"
By the time the first stars began to appear, his sword hand was trembling uncontrollably. The fatigue was crawling up his spine, begging him to stop.
But the glow of his system screen was addictive.
He wanted to see those bars fill up.
He wanted to see himself improve—for real.
So he pushed again.
Ten more swings.
Then ten more.
By the time the moon had climbed high into the sky, his vision blurred from exhaustion. His body screamed to rest.
He finally dropped to his knees, laughing weakly to himself. "He... Hehe..."
[Skill Progression Updated]
[Basic Horizontal Slash — 63.0%]
[Guard Shift — 39.7%]
[Piercing Drive — 20.9%]
He collapsed flat on his back, staring up through the tree canopy at the stars.
"Alright… fine," he muttered. "Maybe… I'll finish tomorrow…"
He closed his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the dirt and sweat covering him.
It was the good kind of tired—the kind that came from effort, not punishment.
The kind that felt earned.
Meanwhile, back in the main building, Kent was already done with dinner, drying his hair after a long bath. He glanced toward the dining hall window, half-expecting Raiden to burst in with one of his excuses.
But there was no Raiden.
Lady Elise asked, "Is your brother still training?"
Kent smiled faintly. "Knowing him lately, probably. He's trying hard not to show it."
Lord Cedric chuckled quietly. "As long as he's not burning something."
Elise gave him a look. "That was one time."
Cedric leaned back, sipping his tea. "Still my favorite incident."
The laughter that followed was warm, gentle — the kind of peace that could only exist in a home like theirs.
And somewhere outside those walls, in a hidden space from the rest of the family, the youngest Goldheart dreamed beneath the stars with his sword at his side.
Raiden stirred slightly in his sleep, mumbling half-coherent words.
"Guard… shift… horizontal slash… ugh… stupid sword…"
The system chimed softly in his mind.
[Skill Experience Accumulated During Rest]
+0.2% Overall Progress
The boy smiled faintly in his sleep.
Even dreaming, he was still training.
Tomorrow would be another long day. But for the first time, he would be ready for Sir Leonard.