The training hall was quiet in that heavy way that only came before something intense. Amukelo stood a few feet away from Padrin, stretching out his shoulders, doing slow movements to warm up his joints—but his thoughts were elsewhere. He kept glancing over at Padrin when he thought the warrior wasn't looking.
It was strange being here with him.
Padrin wasn't just strong. He was known. His name was already moving beyond his guild; adventurers from other cities asked about him, sometimes even requested him for missions.
Amukelo had recognition, sure. But standing here, side by side with Padrin, he felt like a kid again.
And now here he was—training with Padrin. It still hadn't settled in.
He opened his mouth to speak once or twice and stopped himself, unsure what to even say. Padrin was calm as ever, rolling his neck, adjusting the wraps around his forearms. Amukelo realized he'd been silent too long.
He cleared his throat. "Hey… Padrin?"
The man looked up, his face unreadable but not unfriendly. "Yeah?"
Amukelo hesitated for just a second. "What does it take to become a golden rank adventurer?"
Padrin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Amukelo scratched the back of his head, his voice more cautious now. "I mean… what do you need to be able to do? Do you have to learn something special? Like some unique ability? Or be able to use magic or something?"
Padrin's expression didn't change right away. He stood there, almost like he was weighing the question. Then he blinked, and the answer came out surprisingly simple. "No. I mean… I can't cast spells. Never could."
That surprised Amukelo. "Really?"
Padrin nodded. "Yeah. I've fought warriors who could though. Some of them could coat their swords in lightning, or throw fire with their hands. But none of them ever beat me." He said it casually, not with arrogance, just as a fact.
"So no, you don't need anything fancy to become a golden rank adventurer," he continued. "You just need to be really good at the basics."
Amukelo took that in. "Why do you think that is?"
Padrin shrugged slightly, now walking a slow circle around him as he spoke. "People get caught up in what looks impressive. But most fights are won by people who don't make mistakes. You'd be surprised how far being clean with your form can take you. Fast footwork. A sharp blade. Awareness. That's all it is."
Amukelo glanced at his own hands. "My friend—she's a mage. She started teaching me a bit about how magic works. Said I might be able to cast even without a staff. It got me thinking…"
Padrin stopped pacing, standing a few feet from him again. His voice stayed level, but firmer now. "Forget it. At least for now."
Amukelo looked up, confused. "What?"
Padrin pointed at him. "You asked what it takes to reach golden rank, right? It's mastering the basics. You're still growing. Still rough around the edges. And now that you're training with me, I'm going to push you harder than anyone else ever did."
He stepped closer.
"Magic's great. Maybe one day it'll add something to your skill set. But right now? It'll just slow you down. You'll spend time learning something new while the edge you've already built dulls."
Amukelo opened his mouth to respond, but Padrin cut in again.
"Golden rank isn't even close to the top. Not even close. Diamond—that's where things start getting weird. That's when people start needing tricks, special gear, spells, techniques that break the rules." He tapped his chest with two fingers. "But down here? You just need a sword that never wavers. And a body that knows how to move before your brain catches up."
Amukelo lowered his gaze, taking in every word. "So you think I should abandon the idea of magic completely?"
Padrin's expression stayed firm. "Let me ask you this," he said as he walked toward Amukelo slowly. "Even if you could use magic right now…"
Amukelo stood straighter as Padrin approached.
"…would you be able to block this?"
Without another warning, Padrin's fist shot forward, aimed at Amukelo's stomach.
Amukelo reacted on instinct. His hands came down, and he caught the strike. His arms shook from the impact, but he managed to hold it.
He smiled, slightly proud of himself. "See?" he said. "Not that weak."
But just as the words left his mouth, he noticed Padrin's second fist already coming from the side. It stopped just before it touched Amukelo's face. Less than an inch away.
Amukelo stood frozen, his eyes still locked on the space where Padrin's fist hovered a breath away from his face. His heart was pounding. The impact that could've happened played out in his mind—what it would've felt like to take that blow full force. But it never came. Padrin had stopped just in time.
"I… didn't even see it coming," Amukelo muttered quietly, a small wave of frustration washing over him.
Padrin pulled his hand back and stepped away, arms crossing over his chest. His voice was calm but edged with purpose. "See? That's exactly what I mean. Now imagine not giving your all during training. You'd never have even a chance to see it."
Amukelo let the words sink in. His arms relaxed slightly, and he stood straighter. "Then… why do you even want to train with me?" he asked, still puzzled. "If you didn't stop that second punch, it'd be over for me. So why bother?"
Padrin smirked at that, not in a mocking way—but like someone who saw something in front of him others hadn't. "Because you stopped the first one."
Amukelo blinked.
Padrin stepped forward again, tapping a finger against Amukelo's shoulder. "You're not the most skilled swordsman I've trained with. Not even close. But you've got this weird ability—you're unpredictable. You don't move like other people. And that makes you dangerous."
Amukelo tilted his head slightly, unsure whether to take that as a compliment.
"And now," Padrin continued, "you just showed me something else." He tapped his temple. "Awareness. That block? You read me before I even finished the motion. That's not reflex. That's instinct. Where'd you even get that from?"
Amukelo scratched the back of his neck, a little caught off guard by the praise. "Well… I guess it's from when I lived in the wild for a while."
Padrin raised an eyebrow. "The wild?"
"Yeah. I was alone for some time. I didn't really have a choice. Had to survive. You couldn't let your guard down, not even at night. I guess I just started doing it automatically. Got used to it."
Padrin nodded slowly, genuinely impressed now. "Living in the wild… with how weak you were back then?" He chuckled. "I guess there's no other option but to be paranoid."
Amukelo laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. Pretty much."
Padrin looked at him seriously now. "But that's good. That instinct—most people never get it. I've done high-ranking quests, faced monsters stronger than us both, but that kind of constant awareness? I never developed it the way you clearly have."
Amukelo looked up, a little surprised by the words. "Really?"
Padrin gave a slow nod. "You should be happy. That kind of thing can't be taught."
"I am…" Amukelo said, quietly. There wasn't a big smile or pride in his voice—but a quiet gratitude. Someone who had finally heard something he didn't expect, but deeply needed.
Their conversation was broken by the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall. Both of them turned their heads at once.
The instructor approached—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a sleeveless tunic with short black hair tied back.
Amukelo and Padrin both nodded respectfully.
"Good morning," the instructor said simply, his deep voice steady. Then he turned his attention to Padrin, giving him a look that was half curiosity, half challenge. "So… you found yourself another partner, huh?"
Padrin didn't answer immediately. He glanced sideways at Amukelo, and for a second, he hesitated. Then he said clearly, "Yeah. I think I have."
The instructor folded his arms. "Are you going to drop him after a few weeks like the others?"
There was no bitterness in his tone. Just a blunt question. Everyone knew Padrin had gone through partners quickly. He was too fast. Too sharp. Too intense. He burned through them like a fire through dry grass. Not because he wanted to, but because they simply couldn't keep up.
Padrin looked back at Amukelo, then shrugged with a small smirk. "I don't think I will. I hope not, at least."
The instructor raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. He looked Amukelo over again, as if seeing him in a new light. Then he gave a faint smile. "Very well. I'll hold you to that."
He stepped between them now, folding his hands behind his back as he spoke.
"I know there's a gap in your skill levels. That's obvious. Padrin is ahead in strength, speed, and experience. But Amukelo," he turned to him, "you've got something the others didn't. Your fighting style—it's unusual."
"But that's not a bad thing," the instructor added. "It makes you unpredictable. And if you're unpredictable, you can cause real problems for someone—even someone like Padrin."
He took a few steps back now, giving them space again.
"That said, you're still not strong enough to handle full sparring sessions with him. So here's what we're going to do."
He raised a finger. "Today's session—and likely for the next few weeks—will focus on defense and drills. Padrin will attack you. You are not to strike unless there's a clear opening to punish. Your job is to block, parry, or dodge. That's it."
Padrin didn't respond. He just nodded slightly. He understood the approach.
"Padrin will do the same, be he won't use his sword," the instructor continued. "He will evade your attacks without trying to block or parry. Though don't get comfortable. If he seen a clear opening, he will strike back. But not today, today you will get an easy pass."
"I'm also putting you through a new training schedule," the instructor said. "Radical improvements—strength, endurance, reflexes. You need to match his level physically before we even think about real spars."
Then, surprisingly, the instructor gave a small smile. "But… you're closer than you think."
Amukelo looked up at that.
"In a short time, you'll be able to move into real, unrestricted sparring. Not the kind of staged evaluation matches—no, the kind that actually push you. The kind that make you better."
He took a step back again and nodded. "Get started."