I Refuse the Tragic Ending

The hallway gradually returned to its usual rhythm after Seraphina left. Students who had witnessed the brief exchange continued whispering among themselves.

”Did you see that?”

”The Ice Princess actually visited his room.”

”Maybe she had the wrong dorm.”

”No, I saw her hand him something.”

”Could Kael have confessed to her?”

”Impossible.”

Kael quietly closed the door before the rumors could become any more ridiculous. Seraphina’s action truly surprised him.

The folded manuscript rested in his hands.

He carefully unfolded it.

It was a piece of paper. The paper itself looked surprisingly old. Although it was a copied version, the faded ink suggested the original document had existed for centuries.

The title immediately caught his attention.

The Six Principles of the Moonlit Blade.

His eyes narrowed.

”...That wasn’t in the game.”

He searched his memories.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember seeing this manuscript.

Not during Seraphina’s route nor during any hidden quest. Not even in the official lore books he had collected. Either gamers of this game failed to discover it or reality contained knowledge that had never appeared in the game.

Whichever of them, doesn’t really matter.

If this world was more than a simple recreation of Eclipse Hearts, then there were opportunities beyond what players had ever discovered.

He sat beside his desk and began reading.

The first sentence immediately caught his attention.

First Principle

A sword is merely the final expression of one’s breathing.

He read it twice, then again.

”...Interesting.”

At first glance, the sentence sounded poetic, but Kael knew that ancient martial texts rarely wasted words.

If the unknown author had written this as the opening line, then it must represent the foundation of the entire style.

He continued reading.

Breath governs strength.

Strength governs movement.

Movement governs victory.

Those who reverse this order will forever chase shadows.

Kael leaned back in his chair.

Modern Hero Core training taught the opposite. Students were instructed to increase their Hero Core output first.

Greater energy meant stronger muscles. And stronger muscles produced faster attacks. Everything revolved around raw power.

On the contrary, the manuscript argued that strength began not with magical energy, but with breathing.

It was a completely different philosophy.

Kael closed his eyes.

He inhaled slowly for four heartbeats, held his breath for two heartbeats, and then exhaled for six heartbeats.

The familiar warmth circulated through his body.

Instead of ending the exercise there, he picked up his wooden practice sword.

Swing.

The blade cut through the air.

He didn’t stop.

Swing.

Swing.

Swing.

He deliberately focused on matching every strike to his breathing.

Inhale.

Raise the sword.

Exhale.

Strike.

At first, the timing felt awkward. His breathing became uneven, and several strikes lacked power.

”It’s definitely wrong.”

Some of his strikes came too early. After only twenty swings, he stopped.

”...I’m forcing it.”

He returned to the manuscript.

Another sentence seemed to answer his mistake.

Do not force your breath to follow the sword.

Allow the sword to follow your breath.

Kael smiled.

”So that’s what you meant.”

He had unconsciously treated breathing as a supporting action. But it seemed the manuscript viewed it as the main protagonist and the sword was merely his subordinate.

He returned to the center of the room. This time, his focus wasn’t on the sword. Instead, he simply breathed calmly and naturally.

Only after his rhythm stabilized did he allow his arms to move.

The difference was immediate.

His swings became smoother, less rigid. His shoulders relaxed. The unnecessary tension in his wrists disappeared. Even the sound of the wooden blade slicing through the air changed.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Each swing flowed naturally into the next. There were no wasted movements. No abrupt pauses. The sword felt lighter than before. Not because its weight had changed but because Kael himself had changed.

”...Now I understand.”

The manuscript wasn’t teaching sword techniques. It was teaching how to move according to his breathing. The sword simply happened to be the chosen tool.

Hours quietly passed.

Sweat soaked Kael’s clothes, but surprisingly, his breathing remained remarkably steady. Unlike previous training sessions, he wasn’t exhausted.

Instead...

He felt strangely refreshed.

The ancient breathing technique continuously restored his stamina while he practiced. It looked like the two manuals complemented one another.

One strengthened the body. The other taught how to use it. He opened the manuscript again, unfortunately, it only contained the first principle.

Kael wondered where he could find the other parts. How usual might it be if he had the full principle of Moonlit Blade. Regrettably, his knowledge of the game didn’t involve it.

...

The following morning, Kael woke before sunrise.

The academy grounds remained wrapped in silence.

A faint layer of mist drifted over the gardens while the first rays of dawn slowly painted the eastern sky in shades of orange and gold.

Most students were still asleep.

Only a handful of professors and dedicated trainees could be seen moving through the vast campus.

Kael quietly left his dormitory with the copied manuscript Seraphina had given him tucked beneath his arm.

He had spent half the night studying it.

To anyone else, it appeared to be an ordinary historical document.

To him, however, it confirmed something remarkable.

The breathing technique recorded in Professor Aldren’s notebook might not be unique, but the principle of Moonlit Blade surely was.

The manuscript described how ancient swordsmen synchronized their breathing with every step and every swing.

Pair it with the Breathing Technique in Professor Aldren’s notebook, the result was astonishing.

The notebook focused on strengthening the body.

Separately, they seemed incomplete. Together, they formed a proper foundation.

”It looks like Seraphina unknowingly gave me another piece of the puzzle.”

Kael smiled faintly.

He couldn’t help feeling grateful.

Seraphina had accelerated his growth.

...

The eastern training grounds remained empty.

Unlike the main arenas filled with magical equipment, this area contained only wooden dummies, worn practice posts, and an open field.

Kael preferred it that way.

He drew the academy’s standard practice sword.

Its blade was dull and the balance was average.

Actually, he preferred this.

”If I become dependent on superior equipment now, I’ll only weaken my fundamentals.”

Kael closed his eyes.

A slow breath entered his lungs. By now, he could execute the Breathing Technique to subconscious level.

Breath four heartbeats.

Hold two heartbeats.

And exhale six heartbeats.

”Shall I start calling it 4-2-6?”

After doing it again and again, the rhythm gradually synchronized with his heartbeat.

Then...

He began moving. Every motion flowed into the next. There was no wasted movement. No unnecessary force. The sword cut through the air with a steady rhythm.

Minutes became an hour.

Sweat soaked his uniform.

His muscles burned.

Yet he continued.

According to Professor Aldren’s notes, body refinement wasn’t accomplished through explosive training.

It required countless precise repetitions.

A single mistake repeated a thousand times remained a mistake.

A perfect movement repeated a thousand times became instinct.

Kael intended to engrave every movement into his body.

Several hundred meters away, Professor Magnus stood silently atop a nearby watchtower. He had originally come to inspect the eastern grounds before classes.

Instead...

He found himself watching Kael.

The old commander narrowed his eyes.

”...This kid is more hardworking than I thought.”

Kael’s swordsmanship wasn’t sophisticated.

Far from it.

Every technique belonged to the academy’s most basic for beginner.

Yet...

There was something strangely pleasing about it.

Each swing connected naturally with the next.

His breathing never became erratic and his posture remained balanced despite obvious fatigue.

Magnus folded his arms.

”He isn’t practicing to defeat an opponent.”

”...He’s rebuilding his foundation.”

So far, Kael’s body wasn’t in the standard of a warrior. Although he wasn’t exactly chubby, his body lacks the muscle needed for a warrior.

The professor quietly remained where he was. Watching and observing Kael in silence.

...

By the time the academy bells rang, Kael had completed nearly two thousand practice swings.

His arms trembled slightly. His palms had developed fresh blisters. And his legs felt heavy.

Yet...

His breathing remained calm.

As he wiped sweat from his forehead, a familiar cheerful voice echoed behind him.

”You’ve been here since dawn?”

Kael turned.

He saw Elias Rowan jogging toward him, carrying a bow across his shoulder. His expression mixed surprise with admiration.

”I usually come early to practice. I’ve never seen anyone arrive before me,” he said.

Kael smiled.

”I couldn’t sleep.”

Elias looked toward the practice dummies.

Nearly every one bore fresh sword marks.

”...How long have you been training?”

”A while.”

Elias scratched his head.

”I thought nobles hated waking up early.”

Kael laughed.

”The old me probably did.”

”The old you?”

”...”

He quickly smiled.

”I mean... the loser me that everyone knows.”

Elias grinned.

”I like this new one better.”

Before Kael could respond, another voice interrupted.

”I agree.”

Both boys turned.

Mira Sutton stood nearby carrying several books against her chest. She looked slightly embarrassed after speaking.

”I... I saw your match yesterday. You’ve been working hard.”

Kael nodded politely.

”Thank you.”

Mira smiled shyly before looking away.

For the first time since their team had formed, the atmosphere no longer felt awkward.

...

Classes proceeded normally throughout the morning.

Combat theory, Heroic law, Magical history, and Monster ecology.

Most students struggled to remain awake. Kael, however, listened attentively.

During his years of playing Eclipse Hearts, many seemingly insignificant lectures later became clues for hidden quests.

He wasn’t about to ignore them now.

Professor Helena, who taught Monster Ecology, wrote several names on the board.

”Can anyone tell me which magical beast is considered harmless despite its frightening appearance?”

Several students raised their hands.

Leon answered first.

”The Crystal Boar.”

Professor Helena smiled.

”Correct.”

”It only attacks when protecting its young.”

She continued.

”What flower naturally grows near Crystal Boar nests?”

Silence followed.

Most students frowned.

Kael immediately knew the answer.

It was Moonbell Flowers.

They were ingredients for high quality recovery potions.

However...

He deliberately remained silent.

His goal wasn’t to become the top student. Besides, drawing too much attention this early would only create unnecessary questions and more deviation from the original story.

Professor Helena eventually answered the question herself.

Kael quietly memorized every detail.

Even if he already knew much of the future...

Knowledge never became useless.

...

After classes ended...

Students once again flooded the training grounds.

Victor Hale stood among them.

The moment he spotted Kael...

His expression darkened.

”So there you are.”

Several students immediately stopped to watch.

Victor walked forward.

”I’ve been thinking. I don’t accept yesterday’s result.”

Kael sighed inwardly.

”I figured.”

Victor pointed his wooden sword toward him.

”Fight me again.”

”No.”

Victor blinked.

”...What?”

”I said no.”

Kael answered calmly.

”I’ve already attended today’s practical lessons. I’m busy.”

Victor’s face twitched.

”You scared?”

Kael looked at him for several seconds.

Then...

Said, ”No. I just don’t gain anything by fighting you.”

The surrounding students gasped.

Victor’s ears turned red.

”What did you say?”

Kael simply walked past him.

He genuinely had no interest in proving himself, especially against Victor. He’d rather train by himself.

Victor clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. But before he could react, a calm voice echoed nearby.

”He’s correct.”

Everyone turned.

Professor Magnus stood several meters away. He looked directly at Victor.

”A swordsman who seeks meaningless victories stops improving.”

Victor immediately lowered his head.

”...Yes, Professor.”

Magnus then glanced toward Kael.

Their eyes met briefly.

The old commander gave the slightest nod. Almost imperceptible. Then he walked away.

Kael secretly grateful for the professor’s intervention.

...

That evening...

Kael returned to the abandoned garden.

After learning the Breathing Technique, absorbing the Moon Essence Crystal, and now integrating the first principle of Moonlit Blade, he wanted to test the results.

He stood before a thick oak tree. His intention wasn’t to cut it down. Only to measure himself.

He placed one hand against the trunk.

Then...

He struck.

Bang.

Leaves rained from the branches. The impact echoed across the quiet garden.

Kael stepped back.

A shallow imprint remained on the bark.

His eyes widened slightly.

”That would’ve been impossible before.”

His physical strength had increased noticeably.

Not enough to rival the academy’s elite. Not even close. But compared to the original Kael, the difference was tremendous.

He smiled.

”Slowly... One step at a time.”

After saying that, his expression suddenly changed.

Someone else was in the garden.

He hadn’t heard footsteps and he hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.

Yet...

A shadow slowly emerged from behind one of the ancient trees.

A young woman with long pink lavender hair. Her eyes were a pair of crimson. She wore the academy’s black Villain Department uniform.

A playful smile curved her lips.

Lilith Thorne.

She casually clapped her hands.

”Very impressive.”

Kael silently reached for his practice sword.

Lilith giggled.

”Oh? Relax. I’m not here to fight.” She tilted her head curiously. ”I was simply wondering how the academy’s weakest student suddenly became so interesting.”

The evening breeze gently rustled the trees.

Neither of them moved.

For the first time since his reincarnation, Kael stood face to face with one of the most unpredictable heroines in the entire game.

And unlike Seraphina, Lilith never approached someone without having an objective.