The morning after their conversation in the library, Sai found himself standing in an open courtyard behind the castle. The air was crisp, the ground beneath him firm. It was still early, but the vampire maid was already waiting for him, her posture relaxed yet commanding. She was no longer in her usual maid uniform but instead wore fitted combat attire, emphasizing her sharp and deadly presence.
"You agreed to my guidance," she said, her voice carrying a weight that made Sai uneasy. "That means you are under my training now. And I do not believe in half-measures."
The first part of the training focused on conditioning. Sai had thought he was in decent shape, but his body was nowhere near ready for what she had planned. She had him sprinting back and forth across the field until his legs felt like they would collapse. Then came the endurance drills—pushing his body beyond its limits with endless push-ups, squats, and grueling core exercises.
Unlike the slow-paced days he had spent in the library absorbing knowledge from books, today marked the first step in tempering his body and mind in ways he had never imagined.
The maid, who finally introduced herself as Selene, wasted no time. She led Sai to a remote courtyard within the castle grounds, an area seemingly abandoned but reinforced with ancient wards. The moment they arrived, she turned to him, her crimson eyes gleaming with an intensity that made his skin crawl.
"Your body is weak," she remarked coldly, watching as Sai struggled to complete another set. "You can read all the books you want, but if your body fails you in a fight, your knowledge is worthless."
Sai gritted his teeth but didn't argue. He knew she was right, even though his body had an unknown potential. In this world, strength determined one's survival, and right now, he was at the bottom of the ladder.
"Run," Selene commanded.
Sai blinked. "Run? Where?"
"Around the courtyard. Until I say stop."
Sai hesitated for a moment but quickly obeyed. At first, it seemed simple enough. However, after just a few laps, his breath became ragged, his legs heavy as lead. The courtyard was vast, the air crisp, and the ground uneven, making every step a test of his balance and stamina. But Selene didn't let up.
Hours passed. Sai's vision blurred, his chest burned, and his legs screamed in protest. Just when he thought he might collapse, Selene appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
"Not bad for a first day. Now we begin the real training."
Selene introduced Sai to a brutal regimen, one that left no room for weakness. Mornings were spent on endurance—running, climbing, and dodging obstacles she hurled at him without warning. Afternoons were for combat drills, forcing him to react faster, to predict attacks, to take blows without crumbling. And in the evenings, she would force him into deep meditation to refine his mental resilience, a skill necessary for magic.
Sai wasn't sure how many days had passed, but the improvement in his body was undeniable. The first time Selene attacked him with a wooden staff, he had barely reacted before being knocked to the ground.
The second stage introduced combat training. It started with simple movements—footwork, balance, and proper stance. She corrected him without hesitation, striking his arms or legs whenever he faltered.
"Fighting isn't about throwing punches wildly. It's about control, precision." Her crimson eyes watched him closely, like a predator ensuring its prey was learning.
Then came the sparring. Sai barely lasted seconds before he was thrown to the ground. Again. And again.
Each time he got up, she struck him down. There was no holding back, no soft approach to teaching.
"If you cannot react in time, you die." She stood over him, arms crossed. "Simple as that."
Sai forced himself up, wiping dirt from his face. The pain coursing through his body was overwhelming, but a fire burned within him. He refused to quit.
Sai was battered, bruised, and barely standing, but his body had begun to move differently. He was no longer flailing. His stance was firmer. His reactions, though slow, were improving.
One night, after yet another grueling session, Sai opened his status screen out of curiosity:
[Name: Sai]
[Race: Human]
[Power Level: Unawakened]
[Abilities: ???]
[Emotion Detection: Active]
[Level: 3]
[Strength: 20 (+8)]
[Agility: 18 (+8)]
[Intelligence: 17 (+2)]
[Endurance: 22 (+12)]
[Charisma: 4 (+1)]
Sai stared at the numbers, a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction washing over him. His endurance had doubled, his strength and agility had improved significantly, and even his intelligence had grown from strategizing ways to survive Selene's training. He still had a long way to go, but for the first time, he felt the change in himself.
"You're improving," Selene admitted one evening as Sai panted on the ground, covered in sweat and bruises. "But not fast enough."
She gestured for him to sit, allowing a brief respite.
"You have no miraculous gifts," she said, her tone softer now, though no less serious. Sai thought what she said was correct. Even though he had some unknown energy coursing through him and could see his stats, it didn't mean he could become powerful without proper effort.
Sai understood. If he wanted to carve a path in this world, he couldn't afford to be weak.
As the night deepened, the vampire maid simply said, "Rest. Tomorrow, we begin again."
Sai collapsed onto the ground, exhausted but determined. Night passed.
The next phase of training was even worse. Selene introduced weighted resistance, increasing the difficulty of every task. Sai had to run with stones strapped to his body, climb walls while dodging her surprise attacks, and even fight with his hands bound to simulate real-world disadvantages.
Despite the agony, Sai felt his instincts sharpening. His mind processed movements faster, his dodges became more precise, and his endurance allowed him to fight longer. However, the real challenge was yet to come.
After weeks of brutal training, Selene finally deemed Sai ready for a real combat trial.
"You will fight me," she said, drawing two wooden blades. "This is your final test. If you cannot land a single hit on me, you fail."
Sai swallowed hard but nodded. The moment she moved, she vanished. His eyes barely caught the blur of her figure before pain exploded across his ribs.
He staggered but didn't fall. He had been expecting this. Using every ounce of his training, Sai pivoted, barely dodging her next attack. His body screamed in protest, but he pushed through. He countered, a feint, then a sudden lunge with his wooden dagger.
Selene dodged, but this time, he anticipated it. Twisting his body mid-air, he redirected his momentum and—
Crack.
The dull sound of wood meeting flesh filled the air. His strike had landed on Selene's shoulder.
She stepped back, touching the spot where he had landed his hit. A smile spread across her face, something rare and genuine.