"I really missed this delicious flavor…" The fish combined with lime, onion, the perfect touch of salt at every moment, and the spiciness of the chili mixing into every bite create a truly amazing taste. "I still have to improve little by little." The flavor is very good, but I need to find the best type of fish, choose better onions, and get limes that are less acidic—and most importantly, find the perfect balance between everything.

It's delicious, but not perfect—a clear 8 out of 10. I'll keep improving over the next few days when I have more time to buy fresh fish. I've already bought enough for five or six days, and everything is well stored in the refrigerator. I pick some comfortable training clothes, pack them into a small backpack, and head toward my next destination.

The training domes first, and then I'll take a look around the library. I need to prepare my muscles for tomorrow—I don't want to embarrass myself in the first few moments by being completely cold. I don't want to become the joke of the teachers or make Susan regret trusting me.

Last night at dinner, I gave her my answer: if I win or even draw, I'll accept the position as a substitute instructor. She agreed to the deal. I'm not sure if I can beat an experienced teacher, but I can't picture myself losing either—not to someone who isn't a sword genius that marked a generation.

I haven't seen the guy who helped me the other day. If this continues for a couple of weeks, I'll ask around. His features are easy to recognize—someone here must know him. When I look up, I'm already entering one of the training domes. Now I just need to find the special one reserved for instructors.

"Try the instructor dome. It'll surely give you some extra motivation." I recall Susan's exact words when she handed me access through my card.

The door slides open, and I step inside. The floor is made of compacted sand, and the temperature inside is perfect. I quickly change into my training uniform and walk toward the control panel on the right side. "Visibility mode off." I leave the first function as it is, and as I scroll through the rest, I'm honestly surprised by some of them.

It can create mana constructs—up to sapphire-grade at best, since it's still in beta mode. These constructs can serve as moving targets; when you destroy one, another appears at a random spot. It can also generate needles or arrows that shoot toward you—when one is destroyed, another spawns. And the most interesting function: you can increase gravity to a certain level.

I decide to try the first one. Up to four constructs can appear at once, and when two are destroyed, two new ones immediately replace them. The dome starts a countdown from ten to one, giving me time to get to the center. Circles of mana begin to appear at different distances and heights.

Just a small cut. I draw a bit of ice mana from my well, shape it into a needle, and destroy two of the nearest circles; almost instantly, two more appear. Since I don't want to strain my cube any further, I pause the function—but I've already gotten a brilliant idea to improve my movement skill.

"Let's try the next mode." I select the most advanced setting—ten small constructs will attack me. I can set them to sapphire rank, but I'll leave them at emerald rank since I'm only covering my body with Imra. I don't want to damage my cube unnecessarily. I set it to the maximum of ten simultaneous projectiles.

I close my eyes, leaving everything to my other senses. My understanding of the space affinity has improved a lot since I claimed my reward from the Fallen Hero Dungeon. Everything feels more alive within the first few meters—it's like opening my eyes to the morning light.

The first projectile comes straight toward my shoulder—I dodge it at the last second with a slight twist. The second heads for my right calf—dodged easily. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth… they keep coming. Soon, the speed increases, intervals shorten, and the angles become more complex.

If someone saw me right now, they'd probably think: "Is this person dancing?"

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Every step, every movement, every breath is in perfect sync as I dance across the sand. I'm moving just like I do when I fight—fluidly between attack and defense, though not exactly. I still have the tendency to always move forward, to attack—that won't ever change. It's part of who I am.

Now that I'm comfortable dodging just with movement, it's time to raise the level. I draw my Thundersnow Fangs from my cube and start defending from a more static stance, only dodging when necessary. The first projectile is sliced in half with ease. The second is blocked by my other sword. The third I evade, and the fourth I cut cleanly again.

Little by little, my body starts remembering. It's been days since I last trained reflexes or struck at moving targets—I've only been practicing basic movements alone. This sensation is addictive; my body is flooded with dopamine with every slash.

At first, I could only cut three out of every ten projectiles. Now I can cut five and block two. I don't know how many hours have passed since I started—my body is exhausted, my mind struggles to react to each shot, and the only thing still burning inside me is my will.

"STOP!" I shout, and the shots cease after the next ten. I'm glad I read about that function—shouting stops the simulation. I fall to the ground, my body trembling with fatigue, arms and legs shaking slightly. I open my eyes to check my watch. "Almost four hours…" That was four hours of nonstop training—every second, both body and mind pushed to the limit.

"That's strange—I should be able to move for much longer as a sapphire rank." Am I still not used to my new rank? Is my cube draining my stamina? Or maybe the cracks in it are the cause? So many possible reasons—and any of them could be true.

Since it's just physical fatigue, my recovery is quick. A lifetime of training—and being sapphire rank—helps. It takes me about thirty minutes, a lot of water, and the two sandwiches I bought this morning. That delicious taste really brought my energy back.

"Let's test the new function!" A cheerful voice comes out of my mouth. I push myself up and jog toward the control panel.

"Gravity increase…" There are five levels available so far. "What could go wrong?" With my pants properly on and confidence through the roof, I decide to start with the highest gravity level.

What's the worst that could happen? Someone used to playing with gravity shouldn't have much trouble, right? The countdown begins, and I walk to the center. When it hits zero, the pressure nearly slams me face-first into the floor—but I catch myself just in time.

So this is what every monster or person feels when they face me? Some of them collapse immediately, others manage to stand and boost their bodies with mana and Imra—but that drains their reserves, and they end up dying soon after.

So this is the sensation. My Imra strengthens my body just enough to stand, to move. My motions are sluggish, each step heavy, each lift of my arms a battle. I'm no gravity expert, but I can tell—the highest gravity setting here is close to the pressure of my localized gravity zone.

I haven't tested my gravity skill at full power since becoming a sapphire rank—the last time was when I used it to paralyze those rats in my dungeon cage. It must have improved slightly like all my other skills. "I want to use mana and my abilities so badly!" I can't help but feel desperate, restrained by my cube's wounds.

Once I get used to the pressure, I move to the control panel to shut it off. There's no point pushing further while my cube is still recovering. With the pressure lifted, I leave the training dome filled with new ideas—I've found ways to improve.

Thanks to the first two functions, I can enhance my movement and domain control. The gravity setting gave me inspiration—I now have a clearer idea of how to elevate my speed, strength, and momentum to the next level. If everything goes well, I'll make a huge power leap next year.

Happiness fills me completely just thinking about all the possibilities this training dome opens up. I don't know if other schools have something like this, so choosing the best school on the continent was definitely the right decision. I have a clear advantage over the rest.

A faint scent of sweat reaches my nose. On my way to the library, I stop halfway. "I'll just go tomorrow morning…" I don't want people to get the wrong idea about me because of the smell. I look up—the sky is dark. I didn't realize how many hours had passed in training.

"Have my old training maniac habits returned?" It reminds me of my early years with Grandma, when I spent entire days practicing. A nostalgic smile forms on my face. Without all that effort, I wouldn't be who I am today. Every bit of training, every drop of sweat, every failure and success created the Maki of the present.

I stop and gaze at the sky—thousands of stars illuminate the clear night. This view reminds me of when I used to climb the mountains to train, those training camps before an important fight—at first with my uncle and mentor, later only with that grumpy old man.

"I hope you're doing well. I hope your family's safe and living peacefully." I recall my grumpy teacher's face from when I was a kid and can't help but smile. "Looks like I'll become a teacher too, old man… I hope I can fill even a bit of your shoes."

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