Chapter 4 The Academy

Three years passed like water flowing down a river. Marcus was now ten years old.

Every morning before sunrise, he woke and cleaned the training grounds. He swept away fallen leaves, wiped down the practice weapons, and made sure everything was perfect. The other students never saw him do this work. They only saw the results.

During the day, he dusted the books in Grandfather Octavius's library. Hundreds of books about sword techniques, energy cultivation, and warrior history. While cleaning, Marcus read every single one. His memory was strange-once he read something, he never forgot it.

At night, when everyone slept, Marcus sneaked into the library again. He practiced the techniques he'd read about. He couldn't train openly because Grandfather Octavius had rules. Students under ten years old were not allowed to begin warrior training. The body needed to mature first, the old man said.

But Marcus couldn't wait. Every night he trained in secret, pushing his body to the limit.

"Brother Marcus, let's go watch the competition!" Lydia called to him one morning. She was now eleven and had grown taller. Her skills with the sword were already better than students twice her age.

Marcus nodded. He was curious too. Today, the academy was holding a competition to find the strongest student under seventeen. The winner would represent the Iron Sword Academy at the regional tournament.

When they arrived at the arena, it was packed with people. Students, teachers, and even visitors from other academies had come to watch.

Grandfather Octavius sat in the judge's seat, his face serious. "Everyone knows why we're here. We will find our strongest talent today. The winner will train personally with me for one year. Use all your abilities!"

"Yes, Headmaster!" the students shouted together.

Marcus watched the fights carefully. The students were good, but one person caught his attention. A boy named Julian. He was fifteen years old with dark hair and sharp eyes.

"Julian is going to win," Marcus whispered to Lydia.

"How do you know? There are many strong students," Lydia said.

Marcus pointed at Julian. "Look at his energy. He's hiding his true strength. Everyone thinks he has 100 circles of energy, but he actually has 230. He's already a third-class warrior."

Lydia stared at him. "Brother Marcus... how can you tell? I can't see energy levels yet."

Marcus realized his mistake. He shouldn't know these things. A ten-year-old who never trained shouldn't be able to sense energy at all.

"I... I read about it in books," he said quickly. "The way someone stands, how they breathe. It's all written in the library books."

Lydia didn't look convinced but didn't push further.

The competition continued. Just as Marcus predicted, Julian dominated every fight. He made it look easy, never showing his full power.

The final match was between Julian and another student named Lucas. Lucas was sixteen and well-liked. Many students cheered for him.

"Julian, show me what you've got!" Lucas shouted, charging forward with his sword.

Julian smiled calmly. He dodged every attack without much effort. It was like an adult playing with a child.

Then Julian's energy suddenly exploded outward. Now everyone could feel his true strength.

"What? He's been hiding his power this whole time?" someone yelled.

Lucas's face went pale. "You're already a third-class warrior?"

"Sorry, Lucas. I wanted to save my strength for the tournament." Julian moved like lightning and struck Lucas's sword away. His own sword stopped at Lucas's throat. "I win."

The crowd was silent, then burst into cheers. Julian had proven himself.

But then an old man's voice cut through the noise. "Octavius! What an exciting event you have here!"

Everyone turned. An old man walked in with several people following him. He wore expensive robes and had an arrogant face. This was Cornelius, the headmaster of the Endless Valley Academy, their rival school.

Grandfather Octavius frowned. "Cornelius, what are you doing here uninvited?"

Cornelius smiled coldly. "I heard about your competition and came to watch. But now that I see your champion, I want to test him. My student Dante will fight your Julian. Unless you're afraid your boy will lose?"

The tension in the arena became thick. Everyone knew about the rivalry between the two academies. Cornelius had a son working in the imperial capital, which made him powerful and arrogant. He often caused trouble.

Grandfather Octavius clenched his fists. He couldn't refuse without looking weak. "Fine. Let them fight."

A young man stepped forward from Cornelius's group. Dante was also fifteen, with cold eyes and a cruel smile. He walked to the arena like he owned it.

Marcus studied Dante carefully. His eyes narrowed. "This is bad."

"What's wrong?" Lydia whispered.

"Dante has 280 circles of energy. He's much stronger than Julian. And look at the way he moves-he's planning to seriously hurt Julian, maybe even cripple him."

"What? We have to warn someone!"

"Who would believe us? I'm just a kid who cleans the grounds."

They watched as Julian stepped into the arena to face Dante. Julian sensed the danger too. His face showed worry.

"Boy, I hope you're ready. I don't hold back," Dante said with a nasty grin.

The fight started. Julian attacked with everything he had, but Dante was clearly superior. He blocked every strike easily, not even using his sword properly. He was toying with Julian.

"Is this the best your academy has?" Dante laughed. "Pathetic!"

He suddenly moved with serious speed. His sword became a blur. Julian tried to defend but was too slow.

Dante's sword cut through Julian's defense and struck his ribs hard. The crack of breaking bones echoed through the arena.

"Ahh!" Julian fell to the ground, coughing blood.

But Dante wasn't done. He raised his sword high, aiming for Julian's shoulder. If that strike landed, Julian would never use his sword arm again.

"Stop!" several people yelled.

But Dante brought his sword down anyway, cruelty in his eyes.

Then something impossible happened. A small figure appeared between Dante and Julian, moving faster than most people could see.

It was Marcus.

He caught Dante's sword with two fingers, stopping it completely. The arena went silent.

Marcus looked up at Dante with cold eyes that seemed far too old for his young face. "That's enough. If you continue, I'll teach you what real pain feels like."

Everyone stared in shock. A ten-year-old boy had just stopped a powerful warrior's attack with two fingers.

Grandfather Octavius leaned forward in his seat, his eyes wide. "Marcus... what have you been hiding?"