Chapter 192: Ready

The morning sun broke gently over the horizon, casting pale orange light through the sheer curtains of my bedroom.

I sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched my arms over my head.

I looked at the nightstand. The white-gold Kingdom Key sat right where I had left it, its smooth metallic surface catching the morning sunlight. I reached over, picked it up, and slid it into my pants pocket.

I stood up, pulled on a fresh gray athletic shirt and dark training pants, and tied my black running shoes tightly.

When I stepped out into the hallway, the rest of the villa was dead silent. The oak floorboards didn’t make a single sound under my steps as I walked down the broad wooden staircase.

I passed through the ground floor hallway and pushed open the rear glass doors leading out to the private back garden.

The morning air hit my face like a splash of cold spring water. It was crisp, fresh, and smelled of damp earth and morning dew.

I walked onto the green lawn, stopping near the center of the yard, right where the spatial gateway had closed the night before.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on my body’s internal core.

THUMP.

My heart beat once, strong and slow.

I opened my eyes and sank into my low training stance. My feet spread shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, weight distributed evenly across the balls of my feet.

I focused on my right foot, pressing my forefoot firmly into the soft grass.

SWOOSH.

I threw a direct straight punch into the empty air, keeping my center of gravity completely flat.

My fist cut through the morning air with a crisp, whipping sound.

I reset my stance instantly.

SWOOSH.

Another punch.

SWOOSH.

A swift back-step, followed by a tight diagonal strike.

I kept repeating the sequence. Over and over again. Punch, step, pivot, reset.

The rhythm was monotonous, but I didn’t care about entertainment. Repetition was the only way to turn active thought into automatic muscle memory. My shirt gradually absorbed sweat as my body temperature rose, but my breathing stayed slow, measured, and completely controlled through my nose.

After an hour of continuous movement, I heard the faint click of the glass patio doors sliding open.

I didn’t stop my form. I executed one final forward thrust, stepping heavily into the grass, before slowly straightening my back and letting out a long, controlled breath.

Viora was sitting on the wooden bench near the edge of the patio.

She wore a soft white long-sleeved sweater and black leggings, her purple hair tied back. On the small patio table beside her sat a tall glass of water and a clean, folded white towel.

When I looked over at her, she offered a small, quiet smile.

“You started thirty minutes earlier than what you told me yesterday,” Viora said softly.

“My body woke up early,”

I walked over to the patio, stepped up onto the stone tiles, and grabbed the towel. I wiped the sweat from my face and forehead before picking up the glass of water.

I drank half the glass in one long gulp. The cold water ran down my throat, instantly chilling my warm core.

“Your balance looks better,” Viora remarked.

“Auntie’s advice worked,” I said, setting the glass back on the table. “My heel was dragging. I fixed the angle.”

Viora reached out her hand and lightly touched the edge of my damp sleeve. “Don’t push your body too hard today.”

“I feel fine,” I said. “In fact, my stamina is higher than it was yesterday morning.”

Viora let out a faint, quiet breath that sounded almost like a laugh. “Of course it is. You never stay tired for long.”

“Master Woo Jin. Miss Viora.”

A smooth, polite voice called out from the open patio doorway.

Raymond stepped out onto the patio. He was fully dressed in his pristine black suit, his hair neatly combed back, carrying a silver serving tray with two steaming porcelain cups and a small basket of warm toasted bread.

“Good morning, Raymond,” Viora greeted him with a polite nod.

“Good morning, Miss Viora. Good morning, Young Master,” Raymond bowed gracefully. He placed the tray down on the patio table next to my water glass. “Lady Elena is currently completing her morning mana stabilization in the third-floor exercise room. She requested that you join her in the dining room in twenty minutes for breakfast.”

“You have already made the breakfast?” I asked.

“Fresh vegetable omeletes, roasted sausages, and warm rye bread,” Raymond replied smoothly. “And I have ensured the young master’s protein portion is doubled, as per your training requirements.”

“Thanks, Raymond,” I said.

“It is my duty, Young Master,” Raymond said, giving a small bow before stepping back inside the house to check on the kitchen.

I sat down on the wooden bench next to Viora. The morning sun was higher now, filling the entire garden with bright, clean light. The green leaves of the ivy along the brick walls fluttered softly in the gentle morning breeze.

Viora leaned her head lightly against my shoulder.

“Four days left,” Viora murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” I replied quietly. “Four days until the Director Summit.”

“Are you worried about Aunt Elena leaving?” she asked.

“No,” I answered honestly. “Auntie is an S-Rank Hunter. Nobody at the summit is foolish enough to try anything direct against her. My focus is on this house.”

“The villa?”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice steady and firm. “When Auntie and Raymond leave for the summit on Thursday, it’s just going to be us, Carmilla, and the kids. The villa will lose its main offensive deterrent for three full days.”

Viora shifted slightly. “You think dark guilds or external factions might try to locate the spatial portal while they are gone?”

“They’re always watching,” I said plain and simple. “The Central Bureau has eyes everywhere, and the news of yesterday’s Gate clear will circulate soon. People know our villa sits on a strong mana vein. When Aunt Elena steps out into the public eye in the capital, opportunistic rats usually come out of their holes.”

“Then we will eliminate them if they come near us,” Viora said, her tone as calm as if she were talking about clearing fallen leaves from the yard.

A tiny smirk touched my lips. “That’s the plan.”

We stayed like that on the patio for another ten minutes, enjoying the quiet morning peace before the house fully woke up.

At six-thirty, we walked inside together and headed to the main dining room.

Aunt Elena was already sitting at the head of the long dark mahogany table. She had changed out of her training gear into a comfortable black silk robe.

Carmilla was sitting on the left side of the table, looking drowsy with her chin resting in her palm. Leo and Mia were already seated in their chairs, eating their toasted bread with jam. Leo had his wooden sword resting on his lap right under the table.

“Good morning, Auntie,” I said, stepping up to my seat on her right.

“Good morning, Woo Jin,” Elena replied, setting her coffee cup down with a quiet clink. She looked at my damp shirt and nodded approvingly. “I see you were out on the lawn early.”

“I corrected the stance angle on my right foot,” I said, sitting down.

“Good,” Elena said crisply. “A real Hunter fixes their flaws immediately. Never let an inefficiency linger in your form.”

“Look, Brother Woo Jin!” Leo piped up, holding up a piece of toast with strawberry jam smeared across it. “I ate all my crusts today! Raymond said if I eat all my crusts, I can learn the fast forward dash!”

“He’s just playing around,” Carmilla mumbled sleepily, taking a sip of her red fruit juice. “Mr. Raymond just wants you to finish your plate so he doesn’t have to clean up crumbs.”

“He is not lying!” Leo pouted, glaring at Carmilla. “Raymond never lies!”

“Eat your food, Leo,” Aunt Elena spoke softly, but with enough underlying authority that Leo instantly took a large bite of his toast without another word.

Mia giggled quietly beside him, hugging her stuffed bear with one arm while eating her sliced apples with a small fork.

Raymond walked around the table, serving the warm omeletes and sausage plates. When he placed my plate down, it was stacked with four eggs and heavy slices of roasted meat.

“Eat well, Young Master,” Raymond said politely. “You will need the energy for your mana compression exercises later.”

“Thank you, Raymond,” I said, picking up my fork.

After breakfast concluded, the villa settled into its usual morning routine.

Raymond took Leo and Mia into the study room for their morning history and basic math lessons. Carmilla retreated to the back porch to lounge in the shade with a book, while Aunt Elena returned to her office to answer encrypted calls from the Association.

I went back up to my room, showered, and changed into a dry black long-sleeved shirt and tactical trousers.

When I came back downstairs, I walked straight out to the private training shed located at the far corner of the back lawn.

The training shed was a reinforced stone building with soundproof walls and heavy steel padding on the floors. It was built specifically to withstand high-impact mana tests without shaking the main house.

I pushed the heavy iron door open and stepped inside.

Viora was already inside, standing near the weapon rack. She had drawn two wooden training daggers from her belt, testing their weight in her hands.

“Ready?” she asked, turning her head toward me.

“Ready?” I replied. “Heh, I always am.”