The Hunt begins [1]

Ser Hughway stood at the edge of the arena with his head held high, his face illuminated by a broad, unrestrained smile.

He watched in sheer awe as Craig systematically dismantled all seventeen Sword Apprentices present in the training hall, one by one.

For Craig, this brutal marathon was far more than a mere display of force—it was a critical period of familiarization, a trial to grasp the true, terrifying depths of his Special-Grade Talent.

Unlike standard Talents that consumed vast rivers of a user's mana reserves just to manifest a single magic spell or elemental strike, Monarch of Swords was an absolute anomaly.

It required zero mana to activate passively.

The moment Craig gripped a weapon, the Talent granted him instant, absolute comprehension of its weight, balance, grain, and lethality.