The next few weeks passed in a rhythm Karna had never known before.
Wake up before sunrise. Train until his limbs shook. Eat with Kaito under the rusted tin roof of the dojo's side room. Train again.
Then sleep—bone-tired, blistered, but never once questioning why.
For the first time in his life, he felt like a sword being sharpened.
And someone had noticed.
His name was Daigo—an older student, maybe sixteen. Always quiet. Always watching.
He was the first person in the dojo who didn't look at Karna like he didn't belong.
One evening, after everyone else had left, Daigo approached him with a long cloth bundle in his hand.
"You've been here before dawn every day," Daigo said, voice low but steady. "Even when the others laugh at you for using a tree branch. Even when you're bleeding."
Karna stood there, shirt drenched with sweat, eyes locked onto Daigo's without a word.
Daigo nodded, then handed him the bundle.
"You deserve something better than a splintered stick."
Karna unwrapped it slowly.
It wasn't metal, but it wasn't cheap either. A proper bokken—real wood, weighted, worn smooth from hours of use. Its surface was darkened near the grip—Daigo's old training blade.
Karna looked up.
"You're giving me this?"
"You've earned it," Daigo said.
That night, Karna stayed behind long after the dojo emptied.
He practiced until the moon was overhead, the only sound the wooden clack of his new blade against the air.
Daigo, huh...
...
Ten years later...
Karna now stood at a respectable 5'11", while Kaito stood at a solid 5'8". You could clearly see the muscle definition in both of their frames. Karna had a more athletic body type, whereas Kaito's physique carried more raw power.
Karna was sitting on the same old creaky wooden floors, watching television, when the doorbell rang at his apartment door.
"That's probably your friend, honey. He called and told us he was coming over to pick you up! Go answer the door and say hi."
Karna walked over and opened the door.
"Karna, you have to see this. There's some kind of technology company that's going to drop a full-dive VRMMORPG game."
Kaito held up a stack of papers stapled together. Just from the way they looked, it was clear they were important documents.
"What? Alright, you know what—sure, I'll look at it. Let's go somewhere so you can show me."
Kaito stepped back in shock.
"Really? Just like that? You're not going to say something like 'games are a waste of time'?"
A tick mark appeared on Karna's forehead.
"Just come on before I change my mind."
...
Karna and Kaito stopped at a ramen spot before sitting down and ordering some noodles.
"So, Kaito, tell me about this game you were talking about. And if it's a game, then why did the papers you were holding look so important?"
A smirk dawned on Kaito's face.
"See, my pops is actually the director of a super famous retail company. But he's been really into games since he was a kid, so he's a big investor in a lot of them. Recently, he's been working with a new gaming company that's about to usher the world into a new era of gaming... Virtual reality."
"I see, but isn't virtual reality already a thing?"
"Maybe, but those are low-quality projections, not real virtual reality. The gaming company—VeraLux—has created real VR. As in, a second reality."
"That's interesting. If what you're saying is true, this game's going to be more popular than anything before it. Also, I didn't know you were some rich guy's son."
Kaito pointed his nose up with mock pride.
"Well, I didn't see a reason to bring it up before, but yeah. Anyway, that's exactly right! Believe me, the game is so realistic you could fall asleep in real life, wake up in the game, and never know you left. The reason I'm telling you this is because this is huge. Like world-changing. And look, you said you wanted to help your parents. I know it sounds crazy, but with how big this game will be, the opportunity to make real money is there. Think about it—we'll be facing monsters that fight like they're alive. It's a perfect chance to refine our technique, and we could make a living selling gear or materials. This is the chance you've been waiting for."
Karna went quiet.
"I trust you. I trust that you're telling the truth and that this game is going to be as big as you say it is... But how am I supposed to afford whatever setup this game needs? Actually, what's the game even called?"
"I thought you'd never ask! It's called Mythra. The game drops in four months. We need a plan so we can get ahead of the competition."
"Yeah. The game's going to explode in popularity. Solo players will probably get washed out by big groups and guilds. Which means... we need our own guild. It'll cost a lot, but if we believe in our skill, we can pull it off."
They finished their meal and returned to their secret warehouse to lay out their plans.
Karna sat with one hand on his chin, clearly deep in thought.
"Okay, here's what we've got: we use our martial arts experience to take down monsters above our level early on. That way we level up faster. Then we grind dungeons and high-tier quests for top-level equipment. Simple—but adaptable. We don't know how the systems work yet or what farming methods will exist. But if real-world skills grant in-game boons, we're set. Between the two of us, our martial ability alone should give us a huge edge."
Kaito groaned.
"Ugh, I just wish my dad could tell us more. But even he doesn't know anything beyond what the public knows. The only thing he confirmed is that people get boons based on the skills they bring into the game."
"Yeah, it sucks... but I have confidence in my sword. It won't betray me when it's time to fight."
"You and that damn sword again. You talk about it like it's alive."
"...You sure you want to disrespect the same sword that's beat your ass over and over?"
Veins popped on Kaito's forehead.
"WHAT?! Say that again, punk! You wanna go?!"
Karna scoffed and looked away.
"All bark n—"
Before Karna could finish, a fist tore through the air beside his head, fast enough to snap the wind into armor around it.
But it hit nothing.
"You're nowhere near fast enough to touch me, you know that."
The voice came from behind.
Kaito turned, and Karna was already there—arms crossed, eyes half-lidded with disappointment.
"Tch. I know. You and that damn syndrome..."