Special Civil Servant Training Grounds – 5:42 AM

There were plenty of things in life that you had mentally prepared for. Grueling early-morning workouts? Sure. Combat drills that left you gasping for air? Expected. Getting thrown into life-or-death battles against supernatural creatures? That was just part of the job.

But this?

Standing in front of Han Maru, watching him stretch like he was about to do some half-baked yoga routine, was not something you were ready for.

“All right, rookie,” he said, cracking his knuckles. “Lesson one: always stay on your guard. Like me! I never let my—”

Something whizzed through the air.

Thunk!

A training knife embedded itself in the wooden post directly next to Maru’s head.

He blinked. You blinked.

From across the yard, one of the other trainers sighed and rubbed their temples. “For the love of—Maru, you were supposed to be demonstrating awareness!”

“I was aware,” Maru argued, stepping slightly to the side, as if that was the plan all along. “See? Didn’t even flinch.”

You opened your mouth to call him out but quickly decided against it. You weren’t here to question your mentor’s… unique methods.

You were here to learn.