**Chapter 11: The Dual Path**
The eastern training yard was bathed in the pale light of dawn as Ethan endured Professor Dain's relentless assault. His muscles burned, his breath came in ragged gasps, and his hands trembled around the wooden practice sword.
**CLACK!**
Another brutal strike reverberated through Ethan's arms, nearly knocking the weapon from his grip.
"Again!" Dain barked, his scarred face unreadable. "A mage who picks up a blade should at least learn how to hold it properly."
Ethan gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance. The System's warnings pulsed in his vision:
**[Muscle Fatigue: 78%]**
**[Bone Stress: 45%]**
**[Vessel Stability: 61%]**
He couldn't afford to stop.
---
### **The Impossible Breakthrough**
Dain lunged again, his wooden sword a blur. Ethan barely managed to deflect it, but the force sent him stumbling back. His arms felt like lead, his legs shook—
And then, something **shifted**.
A surge of energy, different from magic, erupted from deep within his body. His muscles tightened, his stance steadied, and for the first time, he **moved** without hesitation.
His counterstrike was clean. Precise.
**THWACK!**
The wooden blade struck Dain's ribs with enough force to make the hardened combat instructor **grunt**.
Silence.
Dain took a slow step back, his eyes widening.
"You—"
Ethan's body hummed with newfound strength. The System's message flared brightly:
**[KNIGHT BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED]**
**[New Level: Squire Level 1]**
**[Physical Reinforcement: +20%]**
**[Vessel Stability: 66% (+5%)]**
Dain stared at him, his usual gruff demeanor shattered.
"Impossible." His voice was barely above a whisper. "You're a **mage**."
Ethan exhaled, rolling his shoulders. The exhaustion was still there, but his body felt… different. Stronger.
Dain's expression darkened. "Do you have any idea how rare it is to cultivate **both** paths?"
Ethan met his gaze. "I do now."
The professor's grip tightened on his practice sword. "This changes things."
---
After the grueling session, Ethan limped to the library, his body aching but his mind sharp. The System guided him to a basic knight manual—*"Iron Body Scripture"*—but as he pulled it from the shelf, a slip of parchment fell out.
A single line was written in elegant script:
*"The body remembers what the mind forgets."*
Ethan frowned. He hadn't sensed anyone watching him.
Who left this?
---
At supper, whispers followed him. Lirien Veyne sat at the far end of the dining hall, her silver eyes locked onto him. When their gazes met, she smirked and raised her goblet in a silent toast.
Dorian, his nose still swollen from their last encounter, looked ready to charge at him—but Lirien's hand on his wrist kept him in place.
Ethan ate in silence, ignoring them.
---