Trafalgar wiped the snow from his coat, his breath still heavy from the sparring match. His body ached, his head pounded, but beneath it all was a quiet satisfaction. He had pushed through, endured the pain of Sword Insight, and come out stronger for it.
A faint shimmer of text still echoed in his mind:
[Passive Skill: Morgain Blade has leveled up – Lv.2]
Effect: All Morgain sword techniques deal +10% damage.
'Ten percent across the board… that's absurd. Even Morgain Requiem would hit harder now. Add it to the passive boosts, the items, the skills I've stacked… I could fight on par with someone at the third core. Maybe even beat them. And I'm only a step away from reaching it myself—one, two months of training, or maybe a breakthrough if luck decides to show up.'
He leaned against the railing, letting the cold air wash over him as if the sparring had never happened.
