CHAPTER 40: TRAINING

Time inside the mansion seemed to pass strangely. For the servants, the days were reduced to silent routines, cold corridors, and endless work. But for Damon, that week had been like crossing an abyss.

Seven days of training.

Seven days of sweat, blood, and silence.

Seven days immersed in what Esther called the Emperor’s Spear.

At first, it seemed impossible. The words of the manual echoed in his mind like riddles: "The spear does not cut, it commands. It does not pierce, it subdues." He had spent entire nights repeating the First Stance, "The Decree," achieving nothing more than mechanical movements.

Until something changed.

At the third dawn, alone in the empty courtyard, he realized.

It wasn’t strength that made the spear obey. It wasn’t the demonic energy coursing through his veins. It was something deeper. A conviction, an unshakable certainty that every blow he struck was an order to the world.

And the world... began to respond.

That morning, exactly seven days after receiving the manual, Damon stood in the courtyard again. The sun had barely risen, and the morning chill still clung to the stones. He took a deep breath, his spear held firmly in front of him.

His eyes were fixed.

His body, motionless.

Only the wind danced around him.

"First Position: The Decree," he murmured, his voice carrying a new gravity, as if it were the prelude to something inevitable.

He swung the spear forward with a simple gesture. A direct thrust, without flourish, without excessive force.

But the world trembled.

The air in front of him distorted, as if cut not by the blade of the weapon, but by the will behind the movement. The dry leaves in the courtyard were violently pushed, flying as if obeying an invisible order. Even the stones creaked, some vibrated, as if acknowledging this authority.

Damon didn’t smile, didn’t celebrate. He simply maintained his posture, his gaze fixed, his heart beating in sync with the weapon.

[Technique Progress: Emperor’s Spear — 21%]

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Each time he executed the Decree, he felt something new open within him—not just strength, but presence. It was as if, for an instant, the world accepted his will as law.

And it intoxicated him.

But the days of training weren’t all progress.

His body still complained. The demonic energy was volatile, and channeling it so delicately demanded more than he imagined. Sometimes, if he lost the flow, his chest burned, his muscles trembled, and his bones felt like they were about to crack.

There were nights when he ended up lying on the courtyard floor, exhausted, unable to move. But he still wouldn’t give up.

Because every time he closed his eyes, he remembered Esther’s gaze.

Cold. Judgmental.

"Prove you’re not just another failure."

Those words whipped through his mind. And Damon, proud as he was, couldn’t bear the thought of being seen as useless.

So, day after day, his spear became less of a weapon and more of an extension of his will.

On this particular morning, after executing the stance dozens of times, Damon finally lowered the weapon. Sweat dripped down his face, sticking strands of hair to his skin. His muscles burned, but his eyes glowed like live coals.

He swung the spear, resting it on his shoulder, and looked up at the sky, now brightening with orange hues.

"Little by little... I’m understanding," he murmured.

Suddenly, a notification appeared in his vision:

[Side Quest: Master the Emperor’s Spear — 42%]

A smile curved his lips. Almost halfway through in just a week. If he continued at this pace, he’d soon have the full technique under control.

But along with the satisfaction came another sensation.

A weight in his chest. A constant, throbbing hunger.

Since the night with Aria, this desire seemed to never go away. On the contrary, each time he used the technique, the need for it grew stronger, as if the spear itself demanded to be fueled by something beyond ordinary energy.

He closed his eyes, remembering her face, blushing, fleeing from him.

His grip tightened on the spear.

"Tsk... I can’t afford to be distracted by that right now."

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

The sound of soft footsteps interrupted the silence of the courtyard. Damon turned his head slightly, without raising his spear in guard. He already knew who it was.

Aria.

She was there, carrying a bucket of water, probably heading to water the flowers in the side garden. Her gaze met his for a moment—and immediately shifted away, her cheeks flushing reflexively.

She tried to hurry past, pretending nothing was wrong, but the mere fact that her hands were shaking slightly revealed otherwise.

Damon watched silently, his heart sinking uncomfortably. A part of him wanted to call out to her, demand that she look him in the eye, face what had happened between them. But the other part... simply remained silent.

He simply twirled his spear and resumed his stance, without saying a word.

Aria hurried past, disappearing through the stone archway that led to the garden.

Silence returned.

But Damon’s breathing was heavy, and he knew: this situation could not continue indefinitely.

The rest of that morning’s training was intense. Damon performed the First Stance until his arms ached, until he felt the ground vibrate with each movement. The Decree now seemed engraved in his body, natural, almost instinctive.

Late in the afternoon, when he finally stopped, he felt he had taken another step.

[Technique Progress: Emperor’s Spear — 58%]

An impressive advance in just a week.

He sank to the stone floor, spear at his side, chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes fixed on the scarlet sky, and for the first time in a long time, he chuckled softly.

"If this continues... soon not even Esther will be able to look at me with such contempt."

But deep down, he knew: he was still far from fully mastering the technique. What’s more, each step forward seemed to deepen his hunger, as if the Emperor’s Spear were not only a power, but also a curse.

The wind blew through the courtyard, cold and biting. Damon closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him.

The world was changing.

And he was changing with it.

But deep in his heart, the question remained: when the time came to actually use the spear against a real enemy... would he be able to impose his Decree on the world?

[Side Quest: Master the Emperor’s Spear — 58%]

[Main Quest: Completely Conquer Aria Winters — 62%]

The game was just beginning.