After the Breakthrough

The days after breaking through to Level 4 Warrior seemed no different. Lin Qin still followed his almost rigid routine.

During his morning physical training, his improved physique let him handle heavier weights and longer distances with ease. His arm was steadier as he swung his sword, and the greatsword's whoosh sounded deeper. Its wind left clearer marks on the ground.

He remained focused during his morning magic theory class. The slight increase in his mental strength after the breakthrough made him more sensitive to the structure of magical elements. During a lesson on the stability of Earth Element arrangements, he understood the instructor's complex models more quickly and could even visualize the subtle differences in mana flow between different arrangements.

At lunch, he still sat in his usual spot and ate quickly. Today, though, he ordered an extra serving of roast meat. His body's need for energy had clearly increased after the breakthrough.

At the Warrior Division's training ground that afternoon.

"Huh?" Barker had barely exchanged a few moves with Lin Qin before he sensed something was off. As he blocked Lin Qin's strikes, the force hitting his arm was noticeably heavier, leaving his palm numb.

"Y-you broke through?" Barker took a step back and studied Lin Qin in surprise. He remembered that Lin Qin had been at the peak of Level 3 Warrior, but this increase in strength clearly meant he had reached Level 4.

"Yeah, a few days ago." Lin Qin lowered his sword and admitted it without hesitation.

"Would you look at that!" Barker grinned and slapped Lin Qin on the shoulder. "Congratulations! Now I've got even more reason to have a proper spar with you! Come on, this time we can use a little Battle Qi. Let me see what a Level 4 Warrior can do!"

They clashed again, each channeling a little Battle Qi into their wooden swords. Barker's attacks were heavier and more forceful, while Lin Qin's defense seemed far more effortless. His Battle Qi was clearly more refined than Barker's. Barker still had the advantage in experience and the variety of his techniques, but Lin Qin's terrifyingly solid fundamentals, along with his greater strength and speed, put real pressure on him.

After their spar, Barker was drenched in sweat. He looked at Lin Qin with even more admiration. "Those fundamentals of yours... How did you train them? I feel like I'm hacking at an anvil."

"Swinging my sword every day." Lin Qin's answer was as simple as ever.

Barker stared up at the sky, speechless. He believed him, but he'd never met anyone else who could take it to Lin Qin's level.

During his evening training in the hills behind the academy, Lin Qin began experimenting with using a Level 4 Warrior's Battle Qi more precisely in his magic practice. When casting Earth Spike Spear, he tried weaving a thread of Earth Battle Qi into the magical channeling. The spear seemed to shoot out just a touch faster and pierce a little deeper. While maintaining Earth Wall Technique, he used Battle Qi to steady his stance, and the wall seemed to withstand impacts slightly better.

These attempts to subtly combine magic and Battle Qi were still crude, but they marked the beginning of his search for a path of his own. His Heaven Rewards Diligence talent seemed to be quietly helping him along this new avenue of effort, too.

When he returned to the dorm that evening, Luo De and the others noticed the change in Lin Qin's aura. It had grown even more solid and steady.

"Lin Qin, are you stronger again?" Luo De asked curiously.

"Yeah. My Battle Qi broke through to Level 4," Lin Qin replied as he organized his toiletries.

The dorm fell silent for a moment.

"L-Level 4?" Carl's eyes widened. "You've only been at the academy for half a year or so. That's incredible..."

Keane murmured, "No wonder you work so hard..."

They all knew how diligently Lin Qin trained, but advancing from Level 3 to Level 4 in just over half a year was impressive even in the Warrior Division. And when they remembered that he also had magic to practice, they couldn't help looking at Lin Qin as if he were some kind of monster.

"Congratulations," Luo De said first, recovering from his surprise.

"Thanks."

After the brief congratulations, the dorm quickly returned to its usual atmosphere. Luo De started bragging about how he'd dodged every soft ball during reaction training that day, Carl complained about how tedious his magic array assignment was, and Keane shared a rumor he'd heard about the academy's year-end assessment.

After washing up, Lin Qin sat on the edge of his bed and listened to his roommates chat, occasionally chiming in. The changes brought by reaching Level 4 were gradually becoming part of his regular life, a new normal. He felt the fuller strength within him, but the approaching year-end assessment and the more distant future stirred little in him.