Inside a neat and tidy room, sunlight bypassed the closed curtains in front of the window, lighting up the place.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

A digital clock on top of the desk rang nonstop in an attempt to wake up the sleeping young man. It successfully completed its mission, as a hand ruffled a head full of messy brown bed hair. The young man slowly opened his drowsy eyes and supported himself up while letting out a yawn.

“Hm...?”

Feeling the side of his cheek with his palm, he got a wet sensation in return.

‘Tears?’

This was more of a surprise than anything else to him. He didn’t have a nightmare or anything of the like, but deep down he felt an extreme sense of sadness and indignation.

‘Man, this not like me at all...’

Wiping the tears off with his sleeve, he closed his eyes and stood completely silent on his bed for 5 minutes, calming down in the process. As for the ticking alarm? It automatically turned off the moment he woke up.

“Huff...”

Letting out a mouthful of air, Kyle opened his pair of light green eyes and, while yawning, stretched out the rest of his limbs. Standing up from his bed, he removed a small mechanical device from his ear and placed it on top of the seemingly empty white desk. He stared at the earphone-like object for a moment, before another sigh couldn’t help escaping his mouth.

Feeling frustrated, he decided not to think about it and turned his attention towards the drawer where his clothes were neatly placed in.

“Sylphie, what’s for breakfast?”

“Good morning, master Kyle. The lady left early for work today. Would you like me to prepare breakfast?”

An androgynous, almost mechanical, voice sounded from Kyle’s wristwatch. He didn’t have to think too deeply about it as he said.

“Yes, please. I’ll be down once I am done washing up.”

“Very well master Kyle. Will sunny side eggs with a light salad suffice?”

“Make them scrambled... Oh right, make another portion for Vanessa while you are at it.”

“Understood.”

Once he was dressed up, Kyle left his room and headed towards the bathroom situated at the end of the hallway. On the way there, he paused in front of a wooden door and knocked twice, lightly.

“...”

Needless to say, no answer came from the other side forcing him to knock for a second time.

“Sis! You are going to be late for your lessons.”

Even his shout was met with silence as he knocked for the second time. Letting out a sigh for the third time today, he decided to go in.

“Sigh... I am coming in sis.”

Kyle slowly opened the door revealing the interior of the room. Unlike his place that had walls painted in a lighter shade of grey, his sister’s room was painted in a bright orange color. But that was hardly the only difference to be mentioned.

“It stinks! Were you drinking again? It reeks of booze in here...”

There wasn’t much to say about the place, it was a complete and utter mess! Empty or not empty beer cans could be seen lying here and there, while stacks of clothes only added to the general chaos. And, in the midst of it all, Kyle’s sister Vanessa was sleeping soundly in her black and white panda pajamas.

Sighing for the fourth time today, Kyle slowly made his way around the room and closed in on Vanessa. He did knock down a can or two on the way, but that was to be expected. It was just that messy in there. The moment he reached her side, he began nudging in an attempt to wake her up.

“Sis, wake up... You’ll be late for class at this rate... He-hey! What are you doing! No! Don’t touch me! You reek of alcohol!”

“Mmh... My Kybear is so fluffy~~”

Grabbing him in a manner one would grab a body pillow, she tightly held him in her embrace.

“Sigh... We are going to be late at this rate...”

Forced to lie down and left with no choice, Kyle slowly twisted and turned in an attempt to escape. As soon as he managed to leave her embrace, he warned her one last time before quickly making his way to the bathroom. There, he took a quick shower, dried his hair, and brushed his teeth before making his way downstairs.

He gave one last glance at the soundly sleeping Vanessa before letting out the fifth sigh of the day. Was he going to break a sighing record or something today? And with that silly thought in mind, he finally descended the stairs to the first floor.

As soon as Kyle entered the kitchen, a robot-like metallic butler greeted him.

“Greetings, young master Kyle. Your breakfast is ready. Has the young lady woken up yet?”

Kyle glanced at the robotic butler Sylphie, who was wearing a pink apron for some weird reason and answered his question in a troubled manner.

“Not yet... Would you mind waking her up? If she asks... Tell her I told you to.”

“Very well young master Kyle. Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Sylphie bowed slightly and left the room heading upstairs.

‘Good luck Sylphie... And I am sorry...’

Kyle thought as he hurriedly finished the food in front of him before leaving in a hurry. And, as soon as he left, a wild shout resounded from upstairs.

“I AM LATE!!! SYLPHIE, UNDERWEAR QUICK!”

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

While waiting in his seat for the class to start, Jacob his classmate and seat-neighbor made his way into the rowdy classroom.

“Morning Ky? Hmm? What’s wrong? You look like a ghost. Rough night?”

Kyle couldn’t help frowning as soon as he heard Jacob’s greeting. But that was to be expected. In the eyes of strangers, he looked perfectly fine. Many would even say his expression was no different from yesterday at all. And yet, this guy could pinpoint his mood from a single glance, making him wonder.

‘Is that what you would call a best friend?’

With a question he asked himself almost on a daily basis, he greeted his friend like usual.

“Hm? What makes you think so?”

“Ehh... Even if you ask me, you just have this cloud of gloominess around you? Anyway, have you seen THAT video yet?”

It didn’t take more than a breath’s time for him to change the subject. And as soon as he did, Jacob’s black round eyes seemed to glitter from excitement. His earlier statement was already thrown at the very back of his mind.

Kyle on the other hand didn’t seem to mind it. He had known the little guy ever since they were kids and didn’t feel surprised at his antics. That’s right, Jacob was quite the short guy for his age. Standing at a proud 1.6 meters height, the twenty years old midget stood out wherever he went! Add his childlike personality to the mix and you could easily mistake him for a kid.

All in all, Jacob had quite the likable character making him a great contrast to Kyle’s cold and aloof persona. Alas, similar to Kyle, Jacob’s actual true friends could be counted on one’s fingers. Why you might ask? One of the main reasons was due to his childlike personality but more than that...

“Jakie~~ Did you sleep well last night? You didn’t have any nightmares, did you?~~”

“Hey not fair! It was my turn to greet him today!”

He didn’t even get to sit down before the girls in the classroom started making a ruckus around him. ‘Of course, first thing in the morning...’ Jacob thought as he innocently smiled at the three of them. Was this infatuation? Maternal instincts maybe? He had no clue, but his good friend Kyle seemed to be enjoying the show.

‘Ahh... Youth.’

Was Kyle’s thought process as he glanced at the guys crowding up on the other side of the classroom. The fire burning in their gazes too big to ignore.

“Haha! No, I didn’t have any nightmares, thanks for your concern! Now forgive me, my friend right here is rather impatient you see.”

Jacob’s glib tongue was no stranger to Kyle. The moment he uttered those words he was already glaring in their direction.

“Ye..Yea, you are right... Sorry for interrupting you two. See ya during lunch break Jakie~~”

The three girls didn’t linger any longer and swiftly left the proximity. Kyle’s gaze, like usual was more than enough to scare them away. Not that he minded, but he did make fun of his little friend.

“Hey Jakie~~ Don’t use me as your girly problems deterrent. If they bother you, just tell them.”

In a poor imitation to sound like the girls earlier, he said in the sweetest of tones he could muster.

“Man, you are creeping me out when you use that tone... Look! Even my hairs are standing up!”

Jacob didn’t linger on that matter for too long as he asked Kyle what he originally intended to say.

“Right, right never mind that, have you seen the video yet?”

“What video?”

“Oh, come on you... It has been going viral since morning! You know, the ultimate fight! Reizel the Sword King VS the 14 chubs!”

The moment he heard that title, Kyle’s eyebrows twitched a little. And for all the years he knew Jacob, there was only one demerit he could point out about him... He talked too much! Once he started, there seemed to be no end in sight!

The more he listened to Jacob, the more he frowned. Alas, his friend was too intoxicated in retelling the story. Vigour and excitement showing on his face as he dramatized the fight.

“Hm? What’s wrong Ky? You look rather down. Wait, are you actually sick? You of all people?”

After a full 5 minutes of storytelling, he finally let out the breath he was holding in and turned his attention back to Kyle.

“No, I am fine it’s just that...”

His voice seemed to wander off as he stared into the distance and out the window where the bright blue sky could be seen.

“That’s right Ky, weren’t you participating in the beta as well? Wait... It couldn’t be? Have you seen Reizel the Sword King up close?”

The moment he heard those words, Kyle didn’t know whether to tell his bud the truth or not? But, luckily for him, the ringing bell averted Jacob’s attention.

“Damn... Well, we’ll continue this after class!”

Jacob was clearly unsatisfied but turned his back to Kyle as the teacher opened the classroom door.

‘Still, I’ll have to tell him at some point... It’s not like Jacob can’t keep a secret or two, right?’

Kyle let out another sigh and turned his head sideways as he gazed at the blue sky once more. Alas, all he could see was the cloudless blue sky of his realm.

‘The beta is over after all isn’t it?’

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

The day was almost over as the afternoon sun turned the world into a reddish shade. Kyle had long since finished attending classes and was now meditating inside what seemed to be an old-school dojo. The building was a one-story tall wooden building surrounded by a two-meter-tall stone wall.

Inside the dojo’s courtyard, a small training ground, empty due to the absence of human presence, could be found. Overused training dummies littered the place making it look chaotic and unattended.

Contrary to the messy courtyard, the dojo itself was maintained quite well, judging by the exterior at least. As for what one could learn there? The giant plaque on top of the entrance to the building had ‘The Art of Swordsmanship’ written in calligraphy displayed for all to see.

Inside the building, two men in training outfits could be seen sitting cross-legged. A wooden sword lay quietly each on their sides. Needless to say, the one meditating with his legs crossed and eyes closed was none other than Kyle. Meanwhile, the other party turned out to be a grandpa in his early seventies.

“I heard you lost.”

The grandpa’s clear and solemn voice resounded in the room. His gaze serene as he inspected the disciple before him.

Those four words were like sharp daggers stabbing straight into Kyle’s heart. He couldn’t help feeling regret and hate deep inside him. The regret he felt wasn’t unexpected. After all, any loss would make you feel regretful. As for the hate he felt? He couldn’t blame anyone for it, turning it into self-hatred. ‘I can’t even fathom how disappointed master must be...’, he thought as he answered.

“Yes Master...”

"Do you know why you lost?”

Kyle fell silent for a moment before he slowly opened his light green eyes and looked straight at the man before him.

Even though his hair was white, Kyle knew how deceiving looks can be. His Master was still in his early fifties and yet for some weird reason he looked way older than he actually was.

“I was surroun...”

He didn’t get to complete the sentence, pausing midway and rethinking it for a little while more.

“No, I wasn’t strong enough. If I were stronger, I wouldn’t lose.”

His master let out a light sigh and tried to console him.

“No, it wasn’t a matter of strength. Even if you were twice as strong, you would still lose.”

Biting his lips hard enough to draw blood, he asked through gritted teeth.

“Then... Why did I lose Master?”

The elder closed his eyes and said in a solemn yet serene voice.

“An ant is nothing before the elephant. A colony of ants is still nothing before the elephant and yet, colony after colony they will slowly bite him to death.”

Kyle was dejected.

“I understand what you want to say, Master... A single person cannot stand against an army. And yet why do I feel so frustrated? If I can’t even achieve my dream inside a game how will I reach the apex in reality?”

His master understood Kyle’s pain, he could see it in his eyes. It was the same pair of eyes he himself had when he was younger. He could see the same despair he had gone through on his journey to the top of the mountain.

“Disciple, let me ask you a question instead.”

The light in Kyles’ eyes seemed to return a little as he focused on what his master was about to say.

“Yes, Master.”

“Why do you pursue swordsmanship?”

As soon as he heard those words, Kyle couldn’t help feeling perplexed. In the several years he had been under his master’s guidance, this was the second time he was asked this question.

Without hesitation, Kyle gave the same answer he had once said before.

“To become the strongest!”

“I see... But Kyle, what does ‘the strongest’ mean? To be able to beat everyone else? If so, aren’t you already strong enough? I can hardly think of anyone your age being able to beat you. Is that what you mean by ‘strongest’?”

Kyle was silent for a moment as he gave it some thought. Why did he even need strength in the first place? Was it to protect those close to him? No, if he said that, he would be lying to himself. Was it to brag about it? That still felt wrong. Had he been after fame, he would just need to join a few tournaments. In the end, why did he wish to be ‘strong’?

“...”

He couldn’t come up with an answer so he asked instead.

“Master, is it wrong if I don’t have a reason?”

“Sigh... A reason is what drives most people to reach new heights to overcome their limits. Without one, you are just an empty carapace. No matter how strong you get it will still be pointless.”

“Then what should I do to find my reason for pursuing strength, Master?”

Kyle’s master gazed at him and once more sighed lightly before saying.

“I don’t know.”

“...You don’t... Know?”

“Yes disciple, I don’t know. Each and every person has to find the answer to that question alone. Your limits will be wherever you set them to be.”

After a small pause to breath, he continued.

“Then, let me ask you another question. Why did you lose?”

Kyle gritted his teeth and even though he hated it, he had to admit it.

“I was overpowered by numbers...”

“Good good. And so?”

“...And an elephant can’t fight against an army of ants...”

“Then... What should the elephant do in that case?”

“The elephant should...”

Kyle thought about it and then said in a dejected voice.

“He shouldn’t mess with the ants?”

His master grinned at that as he said with an almost devilish grin on his face.

“No, you bloody fool! He should call his buddies and destroy the living shit out of those ants!”