Days of rest had passed before he returned to the training hall.
There, he stood — composed, calm, and focused — ready to test the movement technique he had forged through fusing the Noxfaire footwork with the art of Sensory Suppression.
Without a word, he requested a sparring session with Kray.
He began to move.
Fluid steps cascaded one after another, each one subtle yet sharp, his upper body following with serpentine grace.
Mana coiled around his right hand and left foot as he surged toward her.
Kray watched in silence, anticipation lighting her eyes.
— "Where will he strike from this time?"
Judging by the movement, the attack should come from the right.
But this was her son — the unpredictable boy she had trained and loved.
In an instant, he vanished from her line of sight and reappeared directly before her, closing the gap with impossible speed.
Her stance faltered for a heartbeat — just enough for the real strike to come.
She turned to face him, only to realize…
He was already behind her.
The blade came swift, silent, and surgically precise — aimed for her back.
She managed to block it. Just barely.
Though she bore the tenderness of a loving mother, her strength was anything but soft.
A terrifying talent — personally trained by the Sun Blade himself — she had reached the level of the Primordial Sword, a stage where she could even challenge a Sword Lord in direct combat.
Compared to her… Isaac was still far from ready.
Yet, the look in her eyes carried pride.
— "How did you manage that?"
He answered with a quiet intensity in his voice:
— "The technique plays on your vision… your perception.
No matter how well you predict it, it's never where you think.
The only way to defend is to use a wide-range explosive technique that breaks the illusion entirely."
She raised a brow, a confident smile on her lips:
— "Anyone else would've called you insane… but I know you don't speak nonsense.
Well done."
He bowed slightly:
— "Thank you… for your patience."
From that day onward, training became relentless.
He polished the technique — now named Phantom Mirage — and practiced it daily, alongside his continued studies in the Legacy of the Bloody Shadow.
One year passed.
Kray had climbed halfway through the Primordial Sword level, but she was now stuck — a glass ceiling she couldn't break through.
Isaac, on the other hand, emerged with a well-built physique and near-complete control over his new technique.
He had also finished all foundational swordsmanship training.
Now, he was ready to move on — to the second level of the Legacy.
One morning, he stepped into the hall and found Kray waiting.
Pride and grace radiated from her like heat from the sun.
With a teasing smile, she glanced toward the corner of the room and addressed Larra:
— "Look at him, Larra. Noxfaire has passed one and a half meters tall already.
He's got my height… and clearly my charm too, don't you think?"
Larra chuckled:
— "Of course, my lady. After all, you are known as the Killer Blade of Beauty."
Before another word could be exchanged, he cut in, his voice curious:
— "What exactly made you famous?"
Kray's expression shifted — eyes narrowing, a mischievous glint shining through:
— "Oh? Finally curious about your mother?
I didn't expect you to call me that so soon… but I'll wait."
She leaned back slightly, her voice softer now:
— "I've been wielding a sword since I could walk.
I loved it — trained endlessly — and it made me happy."
"But that happiness had a price."
"It stirred jealousy. Made me enemies. Even my own family tried to have me killed."
"So I gave it up. I ran away, married a good man…
And when he passed, you were born — the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
His voice came low, almost bitter:
— "You gave up your talent… your path to power… for something as frail as 'family'?"
She smiled with the warmth of a hearthfire:
— "If you could feel what I feel… just for a moment when I look at you…
You'd never ask that question."
He raised an eyebrow:
— "If time turned back… would you make the same choice?"
Her smile never wavered:
— "Without hesitation."
He sighed, gaze turning distant:
— "Enough about the past. Let's focus on now."
She gave a small nod, then looked toward Larra:
— "Bring him his first metal sword."
Once he took the weapon into his hands, she turned back to him, her voice firm and clear:
"Today… we begin your training in the second level of the Bloody Shadow Legacy:
Shadow Rebound