In a room made of gray stone, dozens of scars were carved on its surface, bearing witness to the fierce battles between two of humanity's fortress protectors.
In the center of the room stood a sturdy man dressed in neat servant's attire, his blood-red eyes full of satisfaction.
Before him stood a beautiful girl with blonde hair, her stance firm. Her shining blue eyes, like sapphires, were filled with a blazing spirit.
"Let me see, you've now reached the beginner level in the art of the sword. I praise that. Now, you must face the final test before we can conclude this training."
"This test is a real battle."
Marie swallowed, knowing this would be her first real fight. Today would mark the end of her entire week of training. The process of metamorphosis from a protected little girl into a girl who also protects, by wielding a sword.
She wouldn't be fighting her merciful teacher, who would stop when she could fight no more. Instead, she would fight a real lesser demon, a mindless monster that lived to eat her flesh. Of course, her teacher would save her if she were in danger, but that would also signify her failure and render all her training useless.
Marie was determined to grow stronger. She wouldn't let a mere lesser demon destroy all her struggles. She would destroy it.
"I'm ready!" Marie said firmly.
Morgan looked at her and gave a small smile. Then, he drew the sword sheathed at his waist. Without hesitation, Morgan sliced his finger; blood dripped onto the floor, carrying the smell of iron and blood.
Marie felt a chill run down her spine. She truly would never get used to seeing someone casually cut off their own body part.
Morgan then threw his severed finger away, as if discarding something worthless.
A miracle occurred. The finger began to squirm like a worm. From the pale severed tip, a greenish lump of flesh emerged. The lump grew, forming a strange, pulsating mass with a rhythm of life.
Quickly, bone grew from the mass, then muscle and nerves, until it formed a green arm. The arm stretched, muscles crawling like snakes, newly formed bones cracking like popcorn.
Marie felt sick watching it.
A shoulder then formed, the collarbone extending in both directions. The neck elongated, and at its end, a head began to take shape. From there, an ugly green face formed, with long ears and nose, and several warts growing, making the face even uglier. Soon, the body was complete. A naked, green-skinned body the size of a grown man stood on the stone floor.
Marie's eyes widened.
Its chest rose and fell for the first time. Its eyes slowly opened, revealing two muddy yellow orbs. It blinked several times as if just waking from sleep. Suddenly, it seemed startled and looked right and left.
Morgan casually threw his sword in front of the creature. It looked very wary of him. The creature lowered its body, crawling towards the sword, its eyes locked on Morgan.
Morgan turned his back. "That is your opponent, a hobgoblin. They are slightly smarter than goblins, but still stupid. A fair opponent, I think," he said casually.
Marie gaped, her jaw dropping. "You created life!?!?!!"
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't create it. I restored it."
"What?"
"No time for explanations. Hobgoblins really like targeting young girls, you know!"
Morgan vanished from sight in an instant, replaced by the hobgoblin raising its katana high into the air. Marie swiftly moved away from her position. She really wanted to know what Morgan had just brought before her. But she wasn't in a position to ask.
In front of her was a lesser demon that desperately wanted to tear her flesh. Its teeth were covered in thick, disgusting drool. Its eyes reflected the ferocity of a mindless creature.
Marie's foot stomped the ground, closing the distance between them in an instant. Marie intended to launch an attack to end the fight in a single strike. But to her surprise, the Hobgoblin was able to parry her attack. It even managed to push her away.
Marie was shocked once again.
"He's no ordinary hobgoblin! He can use a sword too!" Morgan shouted from the corner of the room.
It sounded hard to believe. But, judging by the way it held the sword and its stance, it certainly knew how to use a sword. It had never occurred to her that a goblin could wield a sword. This hobgoblin seemed to have some intelligence, making it even more difficult to defeat.
Fighting a mindless creature is easier than fighting a cunning one. Attacks from mindless creatures are easier to read because they rely solely on savage instinct without thought. Unlike sentient beings who can think, use tricks, and set traps.
From the start, Marie didn't expect an easy opponent, but she never imagined she would get such a unique enemy.
Seeing the goblin preparing to attack, Marie adjusted her stance. One foot forward, the other back. Her sword was gripped tightly—strong enough not to slip, light enough not to drain her strength.
Marie charged forward with the back of the katana near her left ear. The Hobgoblin drooled thick saliva and also charged forward.
The two swords collided. They scraped against each other, creating sparks.