The next morning, after a restless night, Ken found himself facing his first day of training with Siegfried, as promised. He had woken up early, trying to mentally prepare for the grueling exercise he was sure awaited him.

"You’re here," Siegfried greeted him, already standing in the clearing on the outskirts of the academy. The area was surrounded by dense forest, providing an isolated space for their session.

Ken felt a mixture of excitement and nerves. He had no illusions about what was coming—Siegfried had already warned him that there wouldn’t be any special techniques or secret martial arts lessons.