Journey to Become the Zenith

A Sword, a Secret, and a Little Money

The sound of a woman heaving heavily as she swung a sword echoed throughout the cave.

Steel cut through the stale air with a sharp whistle.

Again.

And again.

The sound reverberated against the rough stone walls, mixing with the heavy rhythm of Evelyne’s breathing. Sweat had soaked through parts of her clothing, and strands of her long black-green hair clung to her cheeks and neck. Her arms trembled slightly with every movement, but she refused to lower the sword.

It had been two days since Victor had started training Evelyne.

Two days.

That was all.

Yet the changes in her were already obvious.

Her posture had improved. Her movements were becoming cleaner. More importantly, she had begun to understand what Victor had been trying to teach her.

It wasn’t some magnificent sword technique.

There were no dazzling Battle Arts.

No overwhelming Spiritual Essence.

No complicated movements that required years of cultivation.

Victor had reduced swordsmanship to something almost painfully simple.

Swing.

Strike.

Kill.

Survive.

The simplicity itself was what made it difficult.

Evelyne wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand before finally lowering the sword. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

Victor stood several steps away, watching her silently.

His sharp features remained calm, almost relaxed. His long black hair fell naturally around his shoulders, while his golden eyes watched every small movement she made. His black leather pants and black shirt were almost entirely untouched by the training, while the golden jacket resting over his shoulders gave him an oddly regal appearance.

Even after two days, Evelyne still found herself occasionally staring at him.

She would quickly look away whenever he noticed.

Unfortunately, Victor noticed almost everything.

He glanced at her for a moment.

Then a faint smile appeared.

"Evelyne."

She immediately straightened.

"Yes, master?"

Victor tilted his head slightly.

"You’ve been looking at me."

Her face froze.

"I—I wasn’t."

"You were."

"I wasn’t."

Victor’s smile became a little more obvious.

"You were."

Evelyne’s ears slowly turned red.

She looked away and tightened her grip around the sword.

"...Maybe a little."

Victor chuckled softly.

It was an ordinary sound, but somehow it made her even more nervous.

"You don’t have to be nervous around me."

"I’m not nervous."

"You are."

"I’m really not."

Victor stepped closer.

Evelyne immediately became conscious of how close he was standing.

His golden eyes met hers.

For a brief moment, she forgot that she was exhausted.

Victor studied her expression and then said calmly, "You’re doing well."

Evelyne blinked.

"Really?"

"Yes."

The praise was simple.

Yet it struck her harder than any sword.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Thank you."

Victor looked at her for another moment.

"And you’re surprisingly stubborn."

Her smile disappeared.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It is."

"That doesn’t sound like one."

Victor’s expression remained completely serious.

"It is when I’m saying it."

Evelyne stared at him.

Then she laughed quietly.

"You really are strange, Master."

Victor shrugged.

"I’ve been told that before."

Evelyne looked at him again.

There was something different about Victor.

He wasn’t merely handsome.

She had seen handsome men before. Nobles, warriors, cultivators, princes and powerful figures had all crossed her path.

Victor was different.

His sharp features, black hair, golden eyes and effortless confidence created an appearance that was difficult to ignore. Yet it wasn’t only his face. It was the way he carried himself.

He never seemed to need anyone’s approval.

He simply existed as though the world itself would have to adjust around him.

For someone like Evelyne, who had spent much of her life surrounded by powerful people, that confidence was strangely captivating.

She quickly looked away again.

Victor noticed.

He smiled.

"You’re doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me and then pretending you weren’t."

Evelyne’s face became warmer.

"Master..."

Victor laughed.

"Fine. I’ll stop teasing you."

She quietly muttered, "You were teasing me on purpose?"

"Of course."

"That’s unfair."

"Training is unfair too."

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Everything has something to do with training."

Evelyne stared at him for several seconds before sighing.

"I can’t tell whether you’re actually wise or just making things up as you go."

"Probably both."

That made her laugh again.

For a moment, the cave felt strangely peaceful.

Then Victor’s expression became serious.

While the two were taking a break, Victor looked at the panting Evelyne and asked,

"What’s happening to the investigation?"

The smile on Evelyne’s face faded immediately.

She lowered her gaze.

"I’m sorry, master, my men are doing the best they can. At most the investigation will end tomorrow and I’ll be able to present to you the b*stard that tried to kill your woman’s family."

Victor nodded slowly.

"Very well."

His voice carried no anger, but Evelyne could still sense the coldness beneath it.

She knew better than to mistake Victor’s calmness for indifference.

He cared about those close to him.

And whoever had tried to harm them had already placed themselves on a very dangerous path.

Victor glanced at the sword in Evelyne’s hands.

"After you’re done resting continue swinging that sword I gave you. Every time you swing it, I want you to imagine that if your first attack doesn’t kill your opponent then you’re the one to die."

Evelyne’s fingers immediately tightened around the weapon.

The sword felt heavier than before.

Not physically.

Mentally.

She looked at the blade, remembering Victor’s instruction from the previous two days.

Every swing had to matter.

Every movement had to carry the weight of survival.

"Yes, master!"

Victor nodded.

"As for me, I’m going to look around the city. How about giving me some money to spend."

Evelyne blinked.

The request caught her completely off guard.

"Money?"

"Money."

"You need money?"

Victor gave her an unimpressed look.

"Unless the people of this city have suddenly decided to give everything away for free."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Evelyne covered her mouth as a small laugh escaped.

"Of course not."