Chapter 45: Training

Kael woke up before his alarm went off. He lay still for a few seconds, listening to the quiet apartment, before remembering what day it was and reaching for his phone. His first formal hunter training session was scheduled for that morning, and he wanted to arrive on time.

He sat up carefully. Most of the bruises from his assessment had faded, although his chest still felt uncomfortable whenever he moved too quickly.

After getting out of bed, Kael checked on Noah before heading to the kitchen. Sera was already awake, sitting at the table with a cup of warm water beside her. Her sketchbook lay open in front of her, but she seemed more interested in watching the clock than drawing.

"You’re up early," Sera remarked when she noticed him entering the kitchen.

"So are you," Kael replied.

"I woke up when Noah started moving around. He settled down again, so I decided to use the time," Sera explained.

Kael glanced at her sketchbook. "Are you working on the living room design?"

"I’m trying to finish the first version, but I keep changing the arrangement because I can’t decide where the shelves should go," Sera answered.

"Put them wherever you want them," Kael suggested.

Sera looked at him with a doubtful expression. "That’s not very helpful."

"I know. I was trying to sound supportive," Kael admitted.

Sera laughed and closed her sketchbook. "Go wash your hands. I’ll prepare breakfast."

"You’ve already spent time working on your drawing this morning. Let me handle breakfast," Kael offered.

Sera looked at him with mild concern. "Are you sure? You need to leave early."

"I have enough time," Kael assured her.

Kael washed his hands and started preparing eggs and toast. He kept the meal simple because he didn’t want to spend the morning experimenting with another recipe. While the eggs cooked, Sera went to check on Noah. When she returned with the baby in her arms, breakfast was ready.

Kael placed the plates on the table and pulled out a chair for her.

"How long will your lesson last?" Sera asked as she settled Noah comfortably.

"The schedule says three hours, but I don’t know if they’ll finish on time," Kael replied.

Sera nodded before giving him a reminder. "Then don’t rush home just because you think we need you. If the lesson runs late, send me a message."

"I will," Kael promised.

"And eat something after training. You sometimes get so focused on what you’re doing that you forget," Sera added.

"I’ll eat," Kael assured her.

Sera gave him a doubtful look, so Kael reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"I promise. I’ll take care of myself, and I’ll tell you if anything changes," Kael said.

Her expression softened. "Good. I want you to take this seriously, but I don’t want you hurting yourself to prove that you can do it."

"I understand," Kael replied.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead before finishing his breakfast. After eating, he checked his bag to make sure he had his identification, training schedule, and water bottle. He also checked that Noah had everything he needed for the morning.

Before leaving, Kael kissed Sera and gently touched Noah’s cheek.

"I’ll see you later, little man," Kael told his son.

Noah opened his mouth and made a small sound.

Kael smiled. "I’ll take that as good luck."

Sera shook her head with a smile as she watched him leave the apartment.

—

The Hunter Association’s training building was separate from the main registration hall. It had several practice rooms, equipment storage areas, and a large indoor training floor. Kael arrived fifteen minutes early and found several other trainees waiting near the entrance. Most looked younger than him, although a few were around his age. Some wore sports clothes, while others had brought training gloves and protective equipment.

Kael noticed a broad-shouldered trainee demonstrating a punch to his friend.

"That’s the kind of power you need," the trainee said confidently. "If you can’t hit hard enough, there’s no point entering a dungeon."

His friend laughed. "You say that now, but let’s see how you do when the instructor starts correcting you."

Kael walked past them and entered the training room. A man in a dark training uniform stood near the center of the floor. He was lean, with short hair and a serious expression, and a wooden practice sword rested against the wall beside him.

"Everyone, line up," the instructor called.

The trainees quickly formed two rows, and the instructor waited until everyone was ready before introducing himself.

"I’m Instructor Hale. I’ll be teaching your basic combat and survival classes," Hale announced. "Before we begin, I want everyone to understand something. This is a beginner course, not a competition. I don’t care who can punch the hardest or who has the highest physical score. If you cannot follow instructions, you will not be allowed to participate in practical exercises."

Hale looked across the room to make sure everyone was listening before continuing.

"Some of you may have awakened abilities. Some may have trained before joining the Association. That doesn’t mean you know how to fight monsters. Today, we’re starting with the basics."

He demonstrated a simple defensive stance and explained where to place the feet, how to keep the knees slightly bent, and how to maintain balance.

The exercise looked easy, but Kael soon discovered that it wasn’t. He copied the stance and tried to hold it while shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His balance was poor, and he kept straightening his knees whenever he became uncomfortable.

Hale stopped in front of him.

"Relax your shoulders," Hale instructed.

Kael adjusted them.

"Your knees are too stiff. Bend them slightly," Hale continued.

Kael corrected his posture.

"Better. Now shift your weight without moving your feet," Hale said.

Kael tried, but his upper body leaned too far forward.

"Stop," Hale ordered.

The instructor demonstrated the movement again before explaining the problem.

"You’re moving your whole body instead of controlling your weight. Try again," Hale instructed.

Kael followed the instructions, but his movement remained awkward. After several attempts, he finally managed to shift his weight without losing his balance.

"Good," Hale said. "Now do it ten more times."

Kael nearly sighed, but he followed the instruction. Ten repetitions became twenty, and then Hale asked him to combine the movement with a short step backward. Kael lost his balance on the third attempt.

A trainee standing nearby snickered.

"First time exercising?" the trainee asked mockingly.

Kael glanced at him. "Something like that."

The trainee looked him over before commenting, "You don’t look like a hunter."