Normally, those who joined the reservist ranks had to register in advance. The Knights of Favonius would conduct background checks—anyone with poor behavior or an unsuitable age would be rejected.
The rest could then enjoy free meals and recovery potions from the Knights throughout the training period.
The recovery potion was a diluted version of the Knights' standard healing elixir. Though diluted, it was more than sufficient for treating exercise-related injuries, ensuring that trainees remained in optimal condition throughout the day.
As for meals, they came in fixed portions—one per person. Any extras required payment. After all, with so many applicants each cycle, unlimited portions would bankrupt the taxpayers.
Sidney followed Victor Wang all the way to the mess hall, clearly hoping to eat together. Several of Sidney's followers joined them along the way.
Victor Wang couldn't really refuse, so once seated, he subtly swapped to a seat with his back facing Sidney.
"?"
"What's up with this guy? So rude—he's sitting with us and turns his back to us."
Victor Wang explained, "Apologies, everyone. I've had a rare condition since childhood. I feared you might lose your appetite watching me eat, so I had no choice but to face away."
"Oh?" Sidney gave his companions a look to stop their comments. "Brother Dust is quite considerate. Let's not dwell on it."
Victor Wang ignored them after that. They were the ones who'd tagged along—he hadn't invited them.
He'd done his part explaining. If anyone got rude after that, he'd show no courtesy in return.
He picked up the small glass bottle that came with the meal. It contained a pale green liquid that vaguely resembled diluted bitter melon juice.
Cautiously, he took a sip—and was pleasantly surprised. The potion tasted sweet and tangy, far better than expected.
After finishing the small bottle, Victor Wang felt the ache and fatigue in his muscles begin to fade. The fists he couldn't clench now closed with ease. His limping legs were restored.
Is this alchemy? How incredible.
He recalled a book he'd seen in the Restricted Section—Alchemy: From Beginner to Buried—but hadn't yet read. He mentally added "study alchemy" to his to-do list.
At 2 PM sharp, sword training began.
But instead of jumping straight into Favonius Bladework, they began with basic sword movements: thrust, chop, sweep, slash, flick, draw, slice...
Victor Wang drew Wentian. Its golden brilliance drew gasps from the people around him.
Sidney saw it too.
Until now, his three-star Cool Steel had been the top-tier weapon among the reservists. And now this "Dust" brought out a four-star sword? A thought began to slowly ferment in his mind.
Victor Wang, however, sighed helplessly. How long will it take to finish learning Favonius Bladework?
He glanced south toward the chief instructor, who was silently observing everyone. Their eyes met—just like staring out the window during self-study only to lock eyes with the homeroom teacher. Victor Wang instantly looked away.
After an hour of practicing basic movements, the deputy instructor began teaching Favonius Bladework. Victor Wang barely had time to observe when he was called away by the chief instructor.
He wasn't alone—five other Vision holders were summoned as well.
Only then did Victor Wang realize: these five were all the Vision holders among the reservists. Which meant this squad was probably the elite team?
The chief instructor's small group session began.
"You might be thinking, 'I've got a Vision—why bother with all this basic stuff?' Let me tell you: even with a Vision, your weapon and martial skill are indispensable. A regular person with a good sword can still use sword intent to break through your elemental defenses. And if it's another Vision holder—when it comes down to life or death, if they dodge all your attacks while hitting every one of your weak spots, you're the one who dies."
Plain words—but they shook Victor Wang to his core.
To modern people, martial arts were distant. Even with his vivid memories, the most complete form Victor Wang could recall was the simple Taiji set he'd learned in university.
True martial arts involved attack, defense, advancing, retreating, dodging, shifting—and most of all, real combat experience.
Given equal Visions, the one with better martial skills would win.
The chief instructor continued, "Martial achievements can even enhance your elemental techniques. I joined the Knights at twenty, and it's been twenty years. I've developed only one original skill—Wind Fist. But as my fist techniques improved, so did my Wind Fist."
He had the group spread out slightly, then gathered Anemo energy into his fist. A simple Wind Fist shot forward—Anemo energy traced its path, and at the end of the strike, a sharp boom rang out.
He charged again. This time, a fist-shaped burst of Anemo struck the air with a louder blast and noticeably more pressure.
Then he posed and channeled energy once more. The final punch carried a spiraling force, pulling in loose pebbles toward the fist's image. The weak ones shattered; the harder ones were launched far into the distance, out of sight.
At the end, the residual wind formed a suction vortex—like a miniature black hole—compressed tightly before exploding outward.
"These three variations of Wind Fist consumed the same amount of energy. But the last one, born from my refined technique, is far stronger."
Even though the five other Vision holders had seen this before, they still gasped in awe.
"You're probably thinking, 'Why not just learn the skill? Why waste time on basics?' Heh, that's a newbie mistake. As the saying goes, experts see the method; amateurs see the flash. A martial artist's move isn't just the show—it's backed by years of discipline. That punch you saw? Twenty years of experience. If we all fought without elemental powers, I could take all six of you down with just my fists."
He pointed at his own face. "See this scar? If not for my body's instinctual reaction that made me dodge, I'd be blind right now—or worse, you'd have never met me."
"Fist arts, sword arts—it's all the same. What does learning swordsmanship feel like? Exhausting.Monotonous. But if your basic movements aren't clean—if you don't develop muscle memory—what'll you do in a real fight? Think about which move to use? Too late. Even just mastering blade alignment takes ages. If your strength doesn't channel properly, if your control is off, how can your sword move with your will, striking exactly where you aim? In an instant, a true expert can kill you."
"And don't go saying, 'I'm only fighting small monsters.' When you're surrounded by a swarm of them, you'll learn what random fists can do to a master."
Victor Wang was deeply shaken. He realized this small class had been designed specifically for him.
In the game, Favonius Bladework may have looked like a basic attack chain—but it wasn't just a sword style. Not just anyone could use it.
"Wait… how did you know what I was thinking?"
The instructor laughed. "I've been training recruits here for eight years. Seen all kinds. Especially you newbies who just got your Visions—cocky, impatient, always thinking you're better than everyone. Always skipping the work."
Victor Wang had worked hard to suppress the know-it-all mentality that came with being a transmigrator—and the superiority of controlling elemental power. He treated others sincerely, listened to advice.
But in this world where elemental energy was real, neglecting martial training was a real mistake. Unlike the game, you couldn't just eat a food item to recover from injury. If you couldn't dodge, you might lose a limb—or your life.
Thankfully, the chief instructor had made it crystal clear.
"I'm truly grateful for the lesson."
The instructor then personally demonstrated Favonius Bladework to the six Vision holders. The moves were identical to the deputy instructor's, but felt far smoother.
To Victor Wang, the reservists' techniques resembled amateur singing. They followed the notes and stayed in key—but each word was a dot, not yet connected.
The deputy instructor's sword linked those dots into a line.
And the chief instructor's sword? Flawless. Seamless. Carried with it a personal insight.
Despite his muscular bulk, the way he wielded the one-handed sword made it seem as light as a toy. Yet once he began, the sword style flowed with unity and purpose, and the visual dissonance disappeared.
After the demonstration, the chief instructor offered a taste of inspiration:
"Favonius Bladework—one-handed variant—has only five forms. But it was founded by the legendary 'Wolf Pup' Rostam. It has survived to this day for good reason. Every Knight who joins by formal means learns this style. We chose the one-handed sword because claymores are too heavy for most recruits, and spears require finer technique. You'll be able to switch to those after selection, if you pass."
Then he began breaking down the moves, one by one.
"First strike—left leg forward in a bow stance, rotate your waist left to drive the upper body, and slash diagonally with the right hand. Though it's an opener, it should carry serious weight. Rookies often err by using only arm strength or twisting their torso rigidly. The key is waist rotation—that's where the full-body force comes from."
"Second strike—flow from the first stance, rotate the hips to turn the body right. The sword, previously dropped to the front-left, now sweeps right in a horizontal slash. Important—the hips drive the legs. Movement should originate at the waist. That's correct form."
"Third strike—pivot using the left leg, rotate the body halfway right so the left side now faces the enemy. Slash downward with the sword arm."
"Fourth strike—a light leap, spin the body one full turn left, raise the sword to a suitable height, and execute a powerful spinning slash. The ideal height is between your eyes and throat."
"Fifth strike—lower your center of gravity and spin to the right like a top. Lunge forward with your right leg. The sword should circle the body once at the proper height, sweeping all directions. Against someone your height, aim for the waist. Against taller foes, aim for the knees."
The chief instructor paused.
"Height and direction aren't fixed. If you're left-handed, reverse the motions. Use whichever side suits your strength. Same with height. Also, move order isn't strict in real combat. Adapt and react—that's the real way. But the first three strikes rely heavily on flow—treat them as a single combo."
"Favonius Bladework is all about lightness, speed, and precision. Once you master its essence, your stance will be solid, every move will advance your position, and you'll apply immense pressure with every strike."