the monarch

1 month later

Kayden was entering his 7th year, also supposed to be his 3rd year of school, but he was currently training and studying like crazy with David. It usually started at 6 am and only stopped between 11 and 12 pm.

He read dozens of books that month, being able to explain the details of a heart practically at the level of a doctor. Things that ordinary people couldn't even imagine were studied, like how many beats a day? How does size relate to this number?

His progress on the ball of yarn was also evident, he spent at least half of his time tinkering with it and the other half reading books, putting his katana aside this month to focus on something that would give him more results in the long run.

Today he was back at the orphanage for a little while, he greeted his old acquaintances and went to talk to Heimer about something he had forgotten during that time.

Kayden found Heimer reading in the clearing in his hammock. The boy didn't even notice his friend's arrival, he was concentrating on his book.

"Heimer? How are you?" Kayden greeted his friend happily. Heimer was slowly turning into a teenager, his hair was still long and he still maintained his intellectual nerd air.

Heimer took a little fright and nearly fell out of his hammock. Looking up, he saw Kayden and greeted him warmly as well.

"I found out the old man's name, David called him Mister Han when he first saw him, do you know anyone with that name?" Kayden explained what he knew to his friend.

"Off the top of my head, I don't remember any, but I'll do some research on it. The identity of the old man has intrigued me for quite some time."

After a while, Ryan learned that Kayden was also at the orphanage and went to meet them in the clearing. They debated the old man's identity with the newcomer, but he didn't know much either.

Ryan said he was going to take the college test in a few days and chose a good level 2 horseman. The minimum requirement was to be at level 5 and Ryan was one foot away from entering level 6.

After talking for a while, Heimer also said something that shocked both of them for a moment:

"I want to join the Academy of the Sun. I think I'll take the test when I'm 13. I should have enough capacity by then." Heimer spoke as he adjusted his glasses. His sentence was said as if it were a fact and not just a dream.

If it had come from someone else, they might have treated it as a joke, but coming from the boy it did seem to be something lucid. In the last year, the boy reached the 7th rank, and he still had 2 years to go.

"I still don't know what I'm going to do in college, I haven't even chosen my class correctly yet." Kayden wailed to his friends.

After spending the entire day at the orphanage with his friends and spending time with his father, Kayden took the train back to David's house. On the way, he thought about his conversation with Heimer and Ryan. Which college to choose? A median? Or a bad one just to have something to do afterward?

But would he accept having a mediocre life? Working with something random all day, just waiting to die? No, he couldn't do that. He wanted to be on top of this life, he was tired of mediocrity. He made a promise to himself, that he would pass the sun's academy too, whatever the cost.

What was supposed to be just a casual visit became a defining day for Kayden. He already had motivation before, but now he was obsessed with achieving his goals.

It may seem that there is no difference, but there is a huge gap between one and the other. For example, the difference between a hero and a villain was extremely thin. A hero sacrificed his dream for the greater good and a villain sacrificed the greater good for his goals. That was, metaphorically, the difference between being driven and obsessed. Of course, that was Kayden's design.

3 months later

Kayden was only sleeping about 6 hours a day, or even less than that. His day consisted of waking up and doing exercises with the katana for 2 hours. Then it was reading for half the day and then practicing with the ball of yarn. In just 3 months, Kayden was able to unroll at least 50% of the skein.

This progress startled David. Many geniuses would be left behind if they were compared to the boy. David was right that Kayden was a genius. The problem was his body that tied him to mediocrity.

Today was supposed to be a normal day like everyone else, but Kayden asked for something different. He finally learned the bare minimum with the katana. He thought it was time to have some real battles, not just pretending with friendly opponents.

The good news is that he was in an area surrounded by magical beasts. It was just asking David's pets to bring some low-level beast, one incapable of manipulating mana, and progressing would be perfect.

The two were outside. David at first refused Kayden's request, but the latter insisted to the point that the scientist was unable to work undisturbed. Around 11 am, the two could be seen outside the mansion.

Kayden had his katana in its sheath. The wind was very strong that day, with a pleasant Sun. It looked like an excellent day for outdoor training. David was sitting next to Kayden. He made a wooden umbrella and fan to sit on.

The two were waiting for Cerberus. The dog was responsible for bringing a wolf or some unclassified animal to Kayden. After a few minutes, the two could see the giant dog accompanied by a wolf. The wolf was about 1.20 meters long, reaching 90 centimeters in height. It was an adult wolf for its dimensions.

He was a true gray wolf, his entire body that color. It was walking with its tail down, it was evident that it did not show the slightest attempt of rebellion against Cerberus.

Seeing them close, Kayden drew his katana. It felt a little heavier than usual in his hands. When the two got within 10 meters of Kayden, he felt his palms sweating.

His heart started to race and he realized that his body was anxious. It was a natural reaction when facing another predator and this time it wasn't just a workout. There was a chance he could be hurt or even killed. If David couldn't react in time, he couldn't do anything.

"Are you ready, boy?" David could see the boy's nervousness, but it was natural. This was supposed to be his first real battle. David remembers having his first in college, aged 14.

"I am." Kayden might be nervous and even his body felt anxious, but he knew this was a necessary step in his growth as a mage and swordsman. It was a matter of losing the fear of fighting.

"Cerberus, order his to attack, Kayden."

As soon as Cerberus snarled at the wolf, he started to run forward. His speed surprised Kayden, but he was prepared. His posture was to be able to make cross-cuts and gain space.

The wolf came first to the right and began circling Kayden. He was growling to instill fear. This was an age-old tactic of its kind. He was expecting a mistake on Kayden's part. Unlike humans, the animals' patience was extremely good.

Kayden was in a cold sweat and gripping his sword far more tightly than necessary. Every second he waited for the wolf to act seemed like an eternity to him. The boy couldn't hold back and tried a sideways slash at the wolf, but was easily dodged and left his body exposed to the wolf.

As a natural predator that has been through many battles, the animal did not miss this chance and jumped with its mouth open on the boy's arm. Kayden felt every muscle in his arm snap and then his bone snapped in two.