章節 5: The First Step: Improved
"Okay, so I'm not losing my mind," Liam murmured to himself, looking at the sword lying on his chest. He took a deep breath to calm down, then picked up the sword, examining it closely. 'I've seen this sword before... I think it was in Akame Ga Kill,' he recalled, remembering the anime in great detail. 'Who can forget an anime where the author kills off everyone.' He mused.
'Yeah, this is Tatsumi's weapon—the adapting Imperial Arms, Incursio,' Liam realized, feeling the cold surface of the sword as he got lost in thought. 'A sword, huh? If I can use Incursio well, I could reach incredible heights. In the anime, Incursio's full potential was never unlocked when Tatsumi died.' Liam continued to ponder, 'From what I remember, activating Incursio requires a strong physique and a great determination.'
'My physique isn't anywhere near Tatsumi's level, and I don't have much experience with weapons,' he admitted to himself. He thought ahead to the future. 'In a few years, the chaotic events of the Marvel universe will start. I was just planning to earn some money in stocks and fly to a peaceful country with Pops. But with Incursio… I don't have to do that. I've already lived a mediocre life once. Now, with the chance to make this one special, I should give it my all.'
He smirked, envisioning the future. 'Being the strongest in the universe… that should be my goal.' His smirk faded as another thought crossed his mind. 'With everything I know about the future and all the lives at stake, can I really sit by and do nothing anyway?'
'But reality set in,' and he sighed. 'Right now, I hardly have time to train. I'm stuck at school for 10 hours a day to earn a degree I already have from my past life. With sleep on top of that, there's barely any time left to train my body, let alone learn weapon skills.' A plan started to form in his mind. 'Dropping out seems like the best option. I doubt I'll need money in the future, and if things get tough, I can just find gold in space or rob Asgard.' He mused, 'But how am I going to explain this to Gramps?'
Liam turned in for the night, thoughts of the sword and his future went through his head. For the first time in a while, he slept peacefully. The next morning, he went downstairs and greeted his grandpa, who had already prepared breakfast.
"You've been quiet lately, Liam. What's up?" Harold asked, giving him a knowing look.
Liam hesitated, unsure of how to bring it up. ''Well... I want to drop out of school."
His grandpa's reaction was immediate, surprise flickering across his face. "What? Why on earth would you want to do that?"
"I've already learned everything they teach there, Gramps. I want to travel."
"Travel? What are you, crazy?" Harold asked, his voice tinged with anger.
"Yes, Grandpa, school's nothing compared to real experiences. I can only travel the world while I'm young. Once I'm old, I'll have no choice but to settle down," Liam reasoned.
"No," Harold answered flatly. "You're not going anywhere. You need an education to get a good job and provide for a family. End of discussion."
"Please, Grandpa," Liam pressed, "this is my dream."
Seeing his grandpa's hand move toward his slipper, Liam quickly explained his plan, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Don't worry, Gramps. I won't do anything reckless. I'll freelance while I travel, building skills so that I can still find a job here later," he promised.
Harold eyed him critically, slipper in hand. "Explain this plan more. You know I've always supported you, but as your guardian, I have to make sure you don't make bad choices."
Liam laid out his intentions in detail, explaining how he'd start freelancing in New York to earn some money before traveling to other cities worldwide. Harold listened in silence, occasionally nodding. When Liam finished, a deep quiet settled over the dining room until his grandpa finally spoke.
"So, you've been planning this for a while, huh?"
Liam nodded, and his grandpa let out a heavy sigh.
"If you're this serious about it, I'll let you go for a few years. But first, you need to learn how to protect yourself. I don't want police knocking on my door to tell me you died in some foreign country. You hear me?"
"Yes, Grandpa." Liam agreed, finishing his breakfast before heading upstairs. 'I need to find someone to teach me sword skills anyway,' he thought, 'It would be ridiculous to carry around a weapon like this without knowing how to use it.' He paused on the stairs as he heard his grandpa call his name.
"Liam."
"Yes, Gramps?" Liam replied, turning back.
"Know this," Harold said, voice firm. "I'll always be here waiting for you, no matter how things go."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Liam said, touched. 'I'm truly blessed to have someone like him.'
After a few days of searching, he heard rumors about a retired warrior who ran a dojo on the outskirts of Philadelphia—a former member of a respected martial arts team who had trained countless fighters for international tournaments. Without hesitation, Liam packed his things.
The journey took him through busy streets and quiet neighborhoods, the familiar chaos of his hometown giving way to the calm outskirts. Soon he boarded a train, watching the scenery change as skyscrapers gave way to green parks and rows of houses.
An hour later, he arrived in Philadelphia. Following the directions he'd been given, he navigated through the streets and eventually reached a narrow alley where he found the dojo.
The dojo had a peaceful aura, much like the ones Liam had seen in movies. ''It all feels more real. Maybe because it isn't in some kind of forest but beside some factory buildings.' Liam mused. The dojo's dark, weathered wooden walls made it look ancient but resilient, standing out amidst the concrete and glass structures surrounding it.
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This chapter has been updated to my current writing style. If there are any minor inconsistencies then I apologize, please comment because I'm trying to change them all.
創作者的想法 
Donnuuu
Donnuuu Hey everyone! First off, thanks for reading it until here. I’m still new to writing, thus I have a question to ask.
Do you think I put in too much detail or too little?
I appreciate any feedback you have so I can improve the novel.
章節 6: Training (1/3)
Stepping through the dojo doors, I found myself in a small lobby. It wasn't the massive open hall I had thought it would be. The wooden floor creaked beneath my feet, the walls were filled with photographs and newspapers. A single desk sat near the entrance, with a simple bell on it.
I hesitated for a moment before ringing the bell. Moments later, the door behind the desk opened and a man stepped out. He was in his mid forties with black hair tied back into a small bun. He wore a traditional martial arts uniform, and his eyes scanned me out curiosity.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his tone neutral but polite.
"I want to train here," I said.
The man nodded slightly. "You'll need to fill out some forms," he said, sliding a few papers over the desk. "Take your time."
As I scribbled my details onto the paper, he introduced himself. "I'm Master Chen. I oversee most of the training here."
Master Chen's presence was peaceful. Not the loud, boastful type of person you might see in the movies, but the kind that came from years of discipline and training. When I finished the paperwork, he glanced at the form and gave me a nod. "You're all set. Come back tomorrow at 8 AM for your first session."
The next day, I returned to the dojo. Master Chen was already there, moving through his own warm-up exercises while teaching a group of students who were ahead of me.
"Today, we'll start with the basics," he said, gesturing for me to join him. The session was harder than I had anticipated. Basic strengthening exercises, squats, push ups, drills that trained every muscle group.
When we finally moved on to the sword techniques. It was difficult, I had never held a sword before obviously. I first had to learn how to hold a sword properly, how to swing with control, precision. Slow and steady was the advice he gave me while walking to the next group of students.
I quickly realized how long it would take to reach the level of an Okolye or Sif—hell, even Master Chen's techniques were probably not that close. The gap between me and the villains I'd be fighting in the future is massive.
But that wasn't the only thing bothering me. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't activate Incursio. The armor remained unresponsive, I can't awaken it yet, I thought to myself, frustration growing. According to the anime sufficient physical strength is needed in order to bond with incursio. I'll have to wait until I grow stronger before I can try again.
"Don't rush," Master Chen advised as I struggled to perfect a basic strike. "You need control before speed. Power without control is nothing."
A week had passed and each day I returned to the dojo, going through the same routine. The soreness in my muscles stayed but I started to notice minor improvements in holding my sword. I was faster, more stable, and the wooden sword felt a little less like a foreign object in my hand.
Then came my first sparring session with Master Chen.
"Alright," he said, standing across from me with a practice sword in hand. "Let's see where you are."
My heart raced as I gripped the wooden training sword. I knew this was a test. Chen stood calmly, his stance relaxed but poised. I moved first, charging at him with a swing aimed at his right side. He stopped it with ease, the sound of wood hitting wood echoing in the dojo.
Before I could react, he struck, a fast blow that tapped my left shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to show me how far I had to go.
"Too slow," he said calmly. "Your left side was completely open due to your overcommitment. Try again."
I came forward again, this time with a more controlled approach, but Chen countered every move effortlessly. He was always one step ahead. After a few minutes, I was breathing heavily, my muscles burning up, while Chen didn't even sweat.
The difference between us was obvious. While I was still learning the basics, Chen had years of experience on his side. I felt frustration inside me, 'I couldn't even get close to him,' I thought.
"You're improving," Chen said he ended the spar due to my exhaustion. "But don't expect miracles overnight. It takes time, patience, and effort. Keep training and you'll eventually reach this level"
By the time I made it back to my apartment, I felt like I was dying. My legs were burning up and every step I took was torture. I barely managed to take off my shoes before throwing myself on my bed, not even having the strength to pull my blanket over me.
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