novelraw Chapter 4 : Secret Training
Chapter 4 : Secret Training
They thought I was sleeping.
Babies are supposed to sleep a lot, after all.
But under the blanket, in the quiet of the night, I was wide awake.
The argument between Father and Mother still rang in my ears. Sword, not magic. Sword, not magic. Over and over.
But the HUD floating in front of me whispered something else.
[Mana Manipulation – 3%]
[Condition to evolve: circulate mana evenly through all limbs for 1 hour continuously.]
That was my answer.
So, I started training.
Of course, “training” as a baby was less like meditation and more like… flailing. I tried to focus, breathe slowly, push and pull that strange warmth in my body like Selene had shown me.
But my breathing sounded like a squeaky toy, and my arms waved like wet noodles.
To anyone watching, I looked like an idiot baby fighting invisible goblins.
To me, it was progress.
And the HUD confirmed it.
[Mana Manipulation – 4%]
My tiny heart thumped in victory. This wasn’t Father’s rigid drills, or Mother’s desperate pleading. This was mine. My effort. My path.
Night after night, I repeated it. Icy milk practice during the day. Mana circulation in the dark. Sometimes I passed out drooling before I could finish. Sometimes the progress bar barely budged.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
But it was mine.
One night, Selene peeked in on me. I froze, pretending to sleep. She lingered in the doorway, hand over her mouth, watching me twitch and squirm with a strange expression in her eyes.
She whispered so softly I almost missed it. “…Little monster.”
Then she left, closing the door gently behind her.
I wasn’t sure if she was proud, afraid, or both.
Maybe it didn’t matter.
Because for the first time in either life, I wasn’t chasing death.
I was chasing growth.
Night training wasn’t glamorous.
Mostly me flailing my arms and making noises like “gwaaah” and “buuuuh.”
But progress was progress. The HUD ticked up one percentage at a time, and that was enough to keep me going.
Tonight, though, I wasn’t alone.
The door creaked open, and light footsteps padded across the floor. My sister, Elara, peeked in with her wooden practice sword still tucked under her arm. She’d been out training again. Sweat streaked her forehead, but her grin was as bright as ever.
She leaned over my crib and froze.
There I was, arms jerking up and down, fingers twitching like I was conducting an invisible orchestra. My cheeks puffed as I exhaled in rhythm, trying to push mana through my tiny limbs.
“…Pfft—” Elara clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “What are you doing, Rooga? Dancing?”
I squeaked in frustration. “Gyaaaah!”
(Translation: Mana circulation, obviously.)
She giggled and shook her head. “You’re so funny. Training with me, huh? Okay, little brother, let’s train together.”
Before I could stop her, she raised her wooden sword, mimicking my baby flails with wide sweeps of her blade.
Every time I wiggled, she swung.
Every time I squeaked, she shouted “Hyaaah!” in perfect sync.
To her, it was play.
To me, it was… unexpectedly motivating.
Because for once, someone was “training” with me, even if she didn’t understand.
My HUD flickered.
[Mana Manipulation – 9%]
[Bonus: Shared Rhythm → Progress increased.]
I froze. My eyes widened. She was actually helping me.
Elara leaned down, tapping my nose with a finger. “You’re so weird, Rooga. But don’t worry—I’ll protect you, okay? You don’t need to swing swords or fight monsters. That’s my job.”
I wanted to tell her the truth, that I was training too, in my own way.
But all that came out was a bubbly laugh.
Elara smiled so brightly it hurt. “See? You get it.”
She sat by my crib until I fell asleep, humming quietly. And for the first time, my secret training didn’t feel so lonely.