Chapter 6: One year later
The next day, Baines had finally resolved his complex emotions. If he had to summarize them in a single thought, it was this: he had to vow again.
The old man, Martos Ashen, became his instructor.
Before anything else, Baines spent the next six months training his combat skills, basic sword techniques, and footwork.
It was here that ’Eye’ truly shone. Just by seeing a technique once, ’Eye’ could perfectly copy it and transfer it to his brain. All that remained was for his body and muscles to experience it. In under three minutes, he mastered the basics.
Martos was surprised, though not overly so. After all, it was just the basics, right?
As Baines refined his combat skills in battle, Martos sent him down to face the Ruinborns.
They were the twisted creatures formed from those who had come too close to ’Ashenfall’ without proper knowledge and lost their sense of self. Their bodies were pitch-black, their forms irregular and grotesque, and their combat prowess all reset.
Beyond sharpening his combat prowess, Baines’ body was also adapting to ’Ashenfall.’
Today marked the end of those six months, and he now stood facing Martos.
Over that time, Baines had fully grasped the abilities of ’Eye.’ He could confidently say he was smarter than most adults, except for his sister.
"Come." Martos stood casually, gesturing for Baines to approach.