The Ashen Dominion
Chapter 68 - Something New [1]

Chapter 68: 68 - Something New [1]

"Ugh... Fuck..."

The next day, Kaiser woke up and immediately opened his eyes. He stood up and immediately started doing light stretching and exercises.

He did push-ups, sit-ups, and a bunch of stuff just to get his blood flowing. And after a few minutes—

"Time for breakfast."

He stopped and got out of his room to meet with the others.

Creak—

Thud!

*****

Out of his room, Kaiser saw Viktor, Damian, Rose, Jhamillah, and Jenna. They were lining up on the metal bar gate to get their breakfast.

He also saw Uban and his three henchmen, they were just on the corner of the copper place, eating silently. Kaiser noticed them glancing at him from time to time, but he just ignored them and went to get his breakfast too.

And not long, him and the others got their portions. Their breakfast is just a simple two breads and a pure black coffee this time.

It’s not good, but they’re all used to it by now.

So with that, Kaiser and his group went to where they usually gather and sat on the floor. Then there, they all started eating together.

*****

While eating, Kaiser and the others talked about small things to catch up with what everyone else is doing. They just had casual talks—nothing serious.

Rose mentioned how her leg doesn’t feel as sore anymore after all the stretching Viktor taught her yesterday. Jhamillah talked about how she wanted to try dodging drills today since her reflexes still sucked. Jenna, meanwhile, shared how she had a weird dream about fighting a giant porridge monster.

That made everyone snort or chuckle a bit.

Damian brought up how he actually had a full night’s sleep for once.

They just kept it light—no pressure, no talk about fights or matches or injuries. Just... a few peaceful minutes.

Then, after eating...

"We’ll be going."

"See you later guys."

"Later!"

The three girls said that in order, they are going to get ready now to start their training soon. They stood up, stretched lightly, and walked off together toward their rooms.

And just as they got in their rooms...

"..."

Kaiser looked at Viktor and Damian.

"..."

"..."

The two just looked back at him too.

There was no need to speak.

They could tell just by the look in each other’s eyes—they were all thinking the same thing.

Another day. Another grind.

They nodded their heads in unison.

And without saying a word to each other...

Swoosh~

The three of them stood up in sync.

They brushed crumbs off their clothes, tossed their tin cups and leftover bread pieces aside, and cracked their necks and knuckles like it was a silent ritual.

And just like that... They decided to head to the training ground!

Damian and Kaiser are really super eager to train now.

*****

After being escorted by a guard and walking for a couple minutes—

"See you guys."

"Later."

"Yeah."

The three entered the training ground and immediately split off.

Viktor and Damian went straight to the side where the wooden weights and crude equipment were. They started their training with familiar routines—push-ups, pull-ups on rusted bars, squats with worn-out sandbags, and other body-hardened exercises. Sweat started dripping from their foreheads not long after they began, but neither of them slowed down.

They were used to this. This was how they strengthened themselves in this place—with what little they had.

Meanwhile...

Tap- tap- tap—

"..."

Kaiser walked toward the section where the training dummies stood—wooden, battered, and filled with cuts from countless drills.

Upon arriving there—

Fwip-

He grabbed a wooden greatsword from the rack. It was heavy, slightly unbalanced, and rough in his hands. Still, he held it tight.

With slow steps, he faced one of the dummies. He raised the weapon, adjusted his stance, and swung.

Not too fast. Not too wide. Controlled.

TWHACK!

He didn’t want to rely on raw strength alone. His goal was to understand how it moved, how it felt—how to strike properly with it.

Again and again, he slashed, stepped, twisted, and adjusted his grip. Every swing had purpose. Every movement was precise.

TAK! TOK! WHACK!

And like that... Time passed peacefully.

Kaiser, Viktor, and Damian trained hard, quietly focused on their own routines.

Sweat soaked through their clothes. Their muscles ached. But no one of them stopped training!

It’s like the three of them are masochist!

...

...

...

Then—

CREAK—

The big wooden gate to the training ground opened with a loud noise.

Tap- tap- tap—

Tap- tap- tap—

Tap- tap- tap—

A couple of guards entered, pushing a small cart.

On it were wooden bowls, plates, and jugs of water.

"Lunch."

One of the guards said flatly before walking off.

And after hearing that—

"..."

Kaiser, Viktor, and Damian finally halted their training.

They didn’t speak—they just looked at each other from afar and nodded.

Then they walked over the guards, picked up their portions, and sat down side by side on the ground. Their backs resting on a wall.

They have a simple lunch. A bowl of watery porridge with a thin slice of meat. A piece of hard bread. And a cup of water.

Nothing special. But it was enough.

"Haaah..."

They were all catching their breaths as they hungrily ate.

No one rushed. No one complained.

They were too tired for that.

For now, they just needed to recover—at least a little—before the next round of effort began.

...

...

...

After eating in a flash, Kaiser, Viktor, and Damian rested while holding their stomachs.

Their backs leaned against the training ground wall, eyes half-lidded, breath finally slowing down.

All three of them shared the same unspoken thought.

They missed the prize room.

The soft bread. The actual meat. The all you can eat table.

"...Damn, we had it good."

Damian muttered, closing his eyes and remembering yesterday.

Kaiser didn’t reply. Viktor just let out a tired exhale. But the two of them actually agree with him.

Then finally, after resting for a while—

"It’s time."

"Let’s go, Kai,"

Viktor said that, giving Kaiser a look. He stood up and cracked his neck.

Kaiser just silently stood up, smirking a little bit.

It was time for their sparring match.

*****

Upon seeing the two approach the arena in the training grounds...

"They’re at it again!"

"Hurry guys! You’ll miss the fight!"

"Already going there!"

Excitement buzzed through the area. The gladiators who were training dropped what they were doing—whether it was lifting weights, swinging swords, or doing drills—and rushed toward the arena to get a good view. Some jogged, some sprinted, and a few even climbed onto nearby platforms for a better angle.

The guards lounging around didn’t miss the commotion either. They watched from the back of the crowd, arms crossed with curious looks. Even they enjoyed the rare entertainment Kaiser and Viktor brought.

Damian was already seated near the arena, legs crossed, watching and still resting.

Moving on...

Tap—

Viktor stepped onto the arena floor. In each hand, he held a wooden axe—battle-worn and dented from countless matches. His expression was calm, focused, and ready.

’Where is he?’

After that, he turned his gaze to the weapon rack, expecting to see the familiar sword-and-shield combo that Kaiser always used.

But—

’Huh?’

That was his thought—until he saw otherwise.

"...Huh?"

"...?"

"What?"

Not just Viktor, but the crowd also reacted with confusion.

"..."

Kaiser had walked straight past the usual spot where his sword and shield were. And Instead—he stood before a wide, heavy-looking wooden greatsword—nearly the length of his body.

And without any hesitation—

FWOOSH—

He gripped it with both hands and lifted it clean off the rack! The weapon looked massive, but Kaiser didn’t even flinch. His expression didn’t change.

Collected. Focused.

He turned toward the arena with that same calm face and began walking.

Tap- tap- tap—

Each step steady and deliberate with greatsword in his hands.

"...He’s using that?"

"No way..."

"Well, I did see him training using wooden great swords."

Whispers spread across the watching crowd. Curiosity mixed with confusion. Some were skeptical. Others intrigued.

Back in the arena, Viktor’s eyes sharpened as he tightened his grip on his axes.

’So he’s trying something new, huh.’

He couldn’t help but smile a little.

’Interesting.’

TAP—

Kaiser arrived on the opposite side of the arena not long after.

"That’s new."

Viktor said, taking a stance.

"Yeah, just trying out something, so please go easy on me this time."

Kaiser replied, smiling.

"You ready?"

Viktor then asked.

And without beating around the bush—

"I’m even excited for it to start now."

Kaiser casually answered with a shrug, then took a stance too.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other without saying a word.

And after a while—

"THEN LET’S START!!!"

BAM!

Viktor declared that and immediately dashed toward Kaiser. He was so fast!

Seeing him get near—Kaiser held the greatsword upside-down and supported its blade with his left forearm in front of him!

TWHACK!!

Then he used its wide blade to block a strong vertical slash!

"...!"

Viktor’s eyes slightly widened at that.

"Heh."

Meanwhile, Kaiser smiled.