"g!!"

  With a clear, crisp collision sound, the longsword in Alex's hand spun out ao the ground. He himself was knocked back by the immense force, falling to the ground and gasping for breath.

  "Get up and tinue!"

  Hearing Stone's and, Alex quickly rolled over and climbed to his feet, grabbing his longsword.

  The steel sword felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hand, but despite this, Alex gritted his teeth and faced the fully armrand knight before him.

  After a moment's sideration, he swiftly swung his sword towards Stone's right side. However, this time, Stone didn't even g it.

  He casually waved his giant two-handed sword, and Alex saw the massive bde ing straight at him.

  Gritting his teeth, Alex held his longsword tightly and braced himself for impact.

  As the swords cshed, Alex tried to deflect the blow, causing his steel sword to emit a strained creaking sound as it twisted.

  With another resounding "g," Alex's hand couldn't withstand the force, and his sword flew out once more. This time, however, Alex mao stay on his feet.

  "That's enough for today."

  Stone sheathed his two-handed sword and looked at Alex with an approving gaze.

  "I have to say, your body is too weak… but your determination is impressive. I've seen some idiots who start whining as soon as training begins, ag as if I'm going to kill them. But not you—you haven't pined once. You have potential!"

  "Haa… haa… thank… thank you…"

  Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Alex replied breathlessly. He felt as though he could barely stand, his hands numb and sore, and his whole body utterly exhausted, as if he had been fished out of a pond.

  On the sed day of being Stone's student, Alex uood the old bishop's sympathetic look.

  Stone had dragged him out of bed before dawn to run ps and practice swordsmanship—pletely different from what Alex had imagined.

  Stone didn't teach him any knightly sword skills but had him repeatedly practice basic teiques.

  Ssh, hack, block, thrust, parry… Alex practiced these monotonous basic moves over and over acc to Stone's ands.

  Stone cimed that Alex's Royal Cross Swordsmanship was already strong, but his ck of uanding of the sword prevented him from fully utilizing its power.

  Alex couldn't agree more. During his first battle with Stone, he mao hold his own because Stone was unfamiliar with his swordsmanship.

  But after that, Alex never won against Stone again, eveone used the most basic ons. Alex felt pletely overpowered.

  "You're a real oddball."

  Stone smirked at the sweat-drenched Alex.

  "Usually, people with strong willpower don't have weak bodies. But you're different. Ae your det grasp of power, you seem clueless about how to fight with a sword."

  Alex rolled his eyes at Stone's mockery. Yes, he was determined—his willpot him through endless overtime work.

  As for his body… didn't he wish he were stronger? His inal body had some muscle, but sidering the damage from those damn cultists, he was lucky to be alive...

  Alex uood the power system of this world, which was why he got Stone's point. On this ti, people used an energy called "Starlight Power," which Alex lio "mana" from fantasy novels. Their cssifications were also simir.

  Starlight Power was divided into six levels: Novice, Apprentice, Master, Grandmaster, Legendary, and Transdent.

  Novice-level practitioners were like extras in fantasy novels, knowing a few basic moves but not much more.

  They mainly enhaheir physical fitness without any special abilities. Most militia members fell into this category.

  Apprentice-level practitioners were akin to people who had slightly more knowledge, having more uanding of mana and could use it to enhaheir bodies, achievis beyond ordinary people.

  They could leap several meters high or ruremely fast, and they had teiques akin to "Lightness Skill."

  Master practitioook this a step further.

  The way to judge if someone had reached the Master level was to see if they could project their Starlight Power for attacks.

  Whether a mage, knight, assassin, or thief, if they could unch Starlight Power attacks, they were sidered Elites.

  Grandmasters were even more powerful, not only possessing great strength but also developing their own skills and bat teiques.

  Stohe grand knight, was a Grandmaster. At this level, they were like the leaders of knight legions, with unique secret teiques.

  Legendaries were even more formidable. While Masters were still within the measurabe realm, Legendaries were in the realm of legends.

  Their power was so great that battles would affect the surrounding atmosphere, affeg a rge area.

  True Legendary warriors were strategic assets for any try, rarely making appearaheir presence maintained pea the ti.

  However, that alone was not enough. Mortals are ultimately impulsive, greedy, and blind beings. Temporary restraint does not meaernal restraint.

  Some might seek revenge, while others might try to destroy the world by falling into darkness.

  But none of this had happened because, above the Legendary level, there existed an even more powerful level of existence.

  Transdent.

  If Legends are the peak of the muhen Transdents are, as the name suggests, beings beyond the muransdents are never ordinary humans.

  They are inations and emissaries of gods or demons, possessing powers beyond human prehension. At certain moments, they do as they please!

  And because of this, the ti could remain peaceful. Even Legendary beings couldn't cause signifit upheaval, as justid evil were ernal enemies here.

  In fact, if someoempted to destroy the world, their first adversary might not be diviribution but the demonic bde from the demon lord—because, after all, developing followers isn't free, aroying the world would ruin the demon lord's pns too.

  This was why Stone called Alex an oddball. Alex's current power level was around mid-Master, but his physical dition was as if he had rained.

  It was like a losing all their aura but learning an advanced sword teique—it seemed impossible.

  Alex was aware of his shortings, particurly in swordsmanship. The longsword was a very unfamiliar on to him.

  In his previous life, he had ouched one. Since his transmigration into this world, he had only been wielding a sword for less than a month.

  The system granted him knowledge and teiques, but experience was something that required real, painstaking accumutioime. Fortunately, he wasirely without means.

  "Alright, that's it for today. Go rest."

  Stone was quite satisfied with Alex. Although he found Alex's grasp of sword teiques and his experience mismatched, he figured it wasn't strange.

  Sword skills required talent and intelligence. As long as someone wasn't an idiot, they could pick up the basics.

  Besides, with Alex having the Holy Spirit Prote, some oddities were expected.

  As for Alex's ck of physical strength, Stone wasn't surprised. Just by looking at Alex's hands, he could tell the young man had probably been wielding a sword for less than two months.

  Naturally, a young noble who had enjoyed a fortable life wouldn't be physically robust.

  Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Alex set down his longsword ahe training ground. On his way out, he entered several temple warriors who chuckled good-naturedly at his bedraggled appearance.

  "Hey, Alex, did you get knocked down by Lord Stone again?"

  "Don't say that. He's still standing, isn't he? And walking on his own."

  "Hahaha, you're lucky. I wanted Lord Stoo be my mentor ba the day, but he didn't e. What a pity..."

  Alex rolled his eyes at the gloating men. "If you're sretful, should I put in a good word for you with Lord Stone?"

  "Uh… better not… look at my age, you should respect the elderly, you know…"

  "Hahaha…"

  Seeing the puy's wry smile, the others couldn't help but ugh, lightening the previously heavy atmosphere.

  Alex had been iemple for just over ten days but had already developed good retionships with many people.

  Partly, this was due to his [Holy Guardian] title, whiaturally endeared him to the temple warriors. Also, Alex was generous, ofteing them to drinks at the tavern whenever he had time.

  Generous people were rarely disliked, so Alex's favorability among them soared.

  However, what truly earhe temple warriors' respect was Alex's determination and effort.

  Storaining was notoriously harsh, and many had seen noviights practically tortured by it.

  Most gave up after a few days of interaining, but this frail young man had gritted his teeth and persevered for over ten days.

  For a young and physically weak his was worthy of admiration.

  After exging a few more jokes with the others, Alex left the temple. He had rented a small house nearby for his residence.

  With his credentials and the temple's bag, this wasn't difficult. Stone had initially wanted Alex to stay iemple, but Alex deed. Some things couldn't be dohiemple.

  For example, what he was about to do now. Ba his room, Alex sat in a chair, looking at the Map of Myriad Dimensions before him. The sun was setting, and night was falling.

  Alex reached out aly opehe Codex. As the book unfolded, a strange projeerged from its pages. It looked like a proje of Earth, but surrounded by numerous satellites orbiting it.

  As Alex stared at the image, text appeared before his eyes.

  [Dimensional World] [Free World]

  In Alex's view, [Dimensional World] was still unresponsive and greyed out, but [Free World] was selectable. Alex uood these terms clearly.

  The differeween the [Free World] and the [Dimensional World] was that wheraveled to the [Free World], time in the main world would not flow.

  In other words, no matter how long Alex stayed in that world, he would return at the exaent he left.

  In the [Free World], Alex could stay indefinitely and could leave whenever he chose. If he entered life-threatening danger, he could forcibly exit as well.

  At first ghe [Free World] seemed better than the [Dimensional World]. However, the system naturally had its restris. Although the [Free World] appeared advantageous, it had limitations.

  Firstly, in the [Free World], Alex could not earn dimensional points, equipment, or skills by pleting tasks.

  He could only receive attribute-reted rewards. Sedly, in the [Free World], Alex could not use any skills or equipment he had acquired, nor could he activate or use soul stones.

  In essence, Alex would be an ordinary person in the [Free World], with only his title and basic attributes. Moreover, the [Free World] was divided into three categories: [Mind], [Skill], and [Body].

  Alex had long pondered which world he should enter for improvement, but after exteraining with Stone, he had a clear uanding of his current shortings. He quickly made his decision.

  This is it. Looking at the teleportation i, Alex took a deep breath and reached out to tap on [Skill].

  Immediately, dazzling points of light appeared before him, iwining to form a pilr of light that enveloped Alex.

  The moment to enter a new world had arrived!

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