39 The best way to learn is to experience what your enemies feel
What's with the big ass Title?
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"Training room?" Philip asked, curious
"Don't you know about them?"
"Well... I didn't really have the time to properly inspect the entire Academy..."
There is simply too much to read and learn about the most basic rules, I've been here for a little more than a week and most of that time was spent on a loop of me going to a library to work and going back home...
"That isn't a problem Philip, I can easily explain."
"You know that the main point of this Academy is to train warriors, right? From the first year until the 5th year, a big emphasis is put towards practice rather than theory."
"If you're someone who wishes to specialize in theory there is no reason to come to this place, since there are many other institutions that could give someone the same Level of formation as someone in here."
"And it wouldn't be too late to enter the Academy as an advanced student later on if you so desired…"
"To train the students the Academy prepared a series of dedicated tools and areas all for the same purpose…"
"Be it the training arenas, the Dungeons, the monthly exams, and more."
"However, that is only the start."
"Since this place boasts itself to the Continent for being the best at what it does, it needs something to differentiate itself from other similar institutions such as the Academy of Mystics or the Tower of knowledge further down South."
"And that's where training rooms come in, artificial environments created to simulate all sorts of scenarios one could face in the Continent."
"And to push those already extreme situations even further."
'Hearing this, Philip then asked:'
"The way you talk gives me the impression that there are at least hundreds of types of rooms, so how do we know which to choose?"
'Fabrin smiled.'
"Way too simple, it is true that there are many specific rooms, but what we need is a place for you to fully focus on your training, there is no need to choose something extreme or particular."
"However, the final choice will be left to you…"
'Philip shrugged and said with a smile:'
"Tell me the options."
'Fabrin raised two fingers and said:'
"Would you want to book a top-notch Isolated room, where you would remain in isolation to train, but with all sorts of beneficial items?"
"Or would you prefer a more advanced room, filled with advanced tools and equipment to help you with your training?"
'Philip didn't even think, replying immediately:'
"The second option."
"Oh? And why is that?" Fabrin asked curiously
"I'm not a big fan of isolated training, and it's counterproductive to what I'm trying to achieve."
Besides, even if I were to improve by training on my own, I don't have time to self-reflect and 'cultivate'.
And on another note, he told me he would help me train. How would he do that if I were to choose to Isolate myself?
'Fabrin shrugged and said:'
"I guess we have our winner then."
I was planning to make fun of him if he chose the other one, but he ended up choosing this one as well…
In any case, this is perfect.
"Just give me a moment."
'Fabrin got up from his couch and went to his desk, taking a long rectangular block of wood from inside one of the drawers.'
"It should be here… Found it." He mumbled to himself as he placed a small dark crystal inside a hole in the wood
/Clin!/
'With a clear chime, the hologram of a dark square window formed on top of it.'
'It looked different, but it was the same system Philip used when he was a Warden.'
"Okay… Here it is!... Booked." Fabrin said with a smile
'But Philip was left mouth open…'
"What? You didn't even check the price or if I had enough?"
"How much do you have?" Fabrin asked
'Phillip dropped his head to check his student ID while Fabrin said:'
"With this, we can start our training… Are you ready or would you like to start some other time?"
"Give me a moment… Alright, I have about 26K Credits and yes, I would like to start right now."
"26K… You worked quite hard down there."
That's more than I expected…
More than what I would've expected him to make given the circumstances…
"We can discuss the price on the way, let's go." Fabrin said as he walked to the door
"Sure."
Although I'm not technically in a hurry, I don't really have much to do apart from scanning more books and training.
My preparations are already complete, so I would just like to milk this Academy a bit more before I leave.
I have 5 months to finish my task, and as I calculated previously, this gives me around 2 months to spend on each of my objectives, and around a month dedicated to traveling all around.
With the current rate of my progress, I can definitely reach my goal within a month.
I just need to be attentive, my final goal is to get stronger, and if I rush everything without taking proper care of myself this will one day backfire.
Finishing everything faster isn't always beneficial. I was given 5 months for a reason...
'Without hesitation, Philip followed Fabrin, but as he left the room, he asked:'
"How is that girl? Is she okay?" He said as he looked at the stairs leading to the second floor
"Hm?"
'Fabrin smiled.'
"Thanks to you she won't have any lasting scars, and she should be resting by now…"
"But I'll be clear here, no." Fabrin said with a serious expression as he looked at Philip
"W-What?... I was just asking if she was okay…"
I have no interest in your daughter...
"I hope so." Fabrin said as he left the manor
"..."
He looks like the protective parent…
No wonder this girl ended up like this...
'Philip followed Fabrin to somewhere deep in the woods, where a large building laid.'
'It seemed like a large complex, students and professors could be seen all around, coming and going.'
"This is the training grounds where your room is located, there should be around 40 or so rooms in here so expect to see other people from time to time."
'He looked around before whispering to him:'
"Most of the people that can afford this place are your usual rich people, so make sure you ignore them and they'll mostly ignore you as well."
"If they do bother you then don't cower else they'll just bother you more, but I'll give you a piece of advice since you already caused so much trouble..."
"..."
I didn't cause trouble, the trouble came to me...
"Try to be aware of your surroundings, minor Nobles are okay to deal with, but bigger ones are a hassle."
"Noted." Philip said
"Aside from that, welcome to your new home for the next week!..."
"I booked this place for a week, if you wish for more time it wouldn't be too late to do that tomorrow."
"..."
They really have a lot of facilities in this place…
I'll train until I've had enough, once I feel that the time I spent training isn't as rewarding, I'll leave and continue on my path.
I wonder how long that'll take.
'With a determined smile, Philip started his training with Fabrin!'
…
/20 or so minutes later…/
/CLANG!/
/Thud…/
"Haa… Shit…" Philip said as his sword flew out from his hands
I can't feel my fingers... Ah, I see...
They are all torn... But they are already healing...
'After an intense clash, his sword flew away, hitting the hard floor.'
"Good enough for a first try." Fabrin said with a smile as he looked at Philip
"..."
This fucking guy… I can't understand his fighting style.
Each of his hands has a different form of energy emanating from it, and they have completely different properties.
He fights in close combat with punches and kicks, but I'm aware that isn't everything he's capable of.
He seems to be like some sort of magic user but…
/CLAP!/
'Fabrin clapped his hands and said:'
"Enough thinking, we're only starting."
"If this is everything you're capable of doing, we'll end the practice training for today and start the physical training."
"..."
As expected, there's more.
I'm not against it but... I am not a masochist, this hurts quite a bit...
Sometimes I miss the good days when my only worry was those damn exams...
'But Philip let out a sigh, he knew very well nothing more would change even if tried.'
"It seems that is it…"
'Fabrin raised 4 fingers and said:'
"There are still 4 things I have yet to use, if you can force me to use it all you can consider yourself to be a Master."
"A Master is a general term, but overall, a Master stands at the same tier as a 7th Circle Archmage, perhaps that would make more sense to you?"
'Philip scratched his head awkwardly before replying:'
"Yes? I mean, I don't really have an idea of how powerful a 7th Circle is or should be…"
In fact, I barely even know how a 5th Circle should be, Viera wasn't the best example…
There is a big difference between a 5th Circle hard-working magician who trained for 4 decades and a genius teenager magician who became a 5th Circle not so long ago...
The difference between someone trained within an Academy and one that was trained within a battlefield...
"Well get that done over time, for now, having an idea of where you stand is good enough…"
"From my eyes, you are barely enough to make ends meet with a 5th Circle."
'This massively surprised Philip, but he didn't feel offended nor attacked in any way as he kept his calm and asked:'
"Why is that?"
'Fabrin smiled, pleased he didn't go into an instant rebuttal due to pride.'
"Look at yourself, you are all about a single burst of power, a proper 5th Circle would be prepared to resist you at least once."
"I'm not talking about these students, they are capable and good enough to make ends meet, but that isn't enough for us is it?"
"Or don't tell me that you are satisfied with being on the same 'level' as these kids?"
"Our goal is much higher than that."
"Just because you are fast, and that you can kill most things in one swipe, that doesn't mean that you are strong."
"You are like a poisonous butterfly, very frail, but dangerous enough to kill even a large bear if he does as much as getting too close to it."
"You are strong enough to kill many creatures, but giving them a proper fight? That's debatable."
"... I understand."
Is he telling me that I am a Glass cannon? I don't think he is wrong but…
'Fabrin smiled and said:'
"You must be thinking that I'm not entirely correct and that you can definitely give someone a fight right?"
"Philip, it's all about perspective."
"You can kill many underground monsters because of the sharpness of your attacks and speed, but the moment an enemy appears with a faster speed, or a stronger defense, your combat style will crumble."
"That's because you can't maintain full power for long. Because of this reason, I forcefully decreased my evaluation of your power."
"After all, you still hide within your other methods apart from your body and your sword don't you? But I won't be considering those."
"..."
He noticed... Indeed, I did not use my Mental abilities in this fight.
That is something that can be easily recognized by those with high enough power, and they would quickly suspect what is a young adult doing with such advanced mental power?
"So if you want to be seen as a stronger opponent again, you'll need to be able to at least fight for a decent amount of time without completely tiring yourself."
"How about that? Are you satisfied with my observation?" He asked Philip
"Hum… I'm fine with that." Philip replied with a shrug
I never really cared about where my power was or how it would be classified among this world's many bizarre powers and abilities.
As long as I got stronger, that was fine, as long as I was having fun I was satisfied…
But since I'll be meeting more and more enemies in the future, having a better idea of what I'm dealing with and where I stand will definitely help me in how I approach future encounters.
"It seems we agree, in that case, let's proceed to the next step…" Fabrin said with a smile as he turned around
"Oh, I forgot to ask, you told me you were okay with intense training, was that right?"
'Philip nodded, saying:'
"I'm at least used to bleeding and breaking my bones, so that much should be more than fine."
Compared to my experiences this much is almost equal to nothing.
"That's a relief. Let's start small shall we?" Asked Fabrin with a smile
/SPLURGE!/
"?!?!"
/SPAT!/
/THUD/
'Out of nowhere, Philip's neck was cut perfectly, making a large amount of blood splatter on the ground.'
"WH-GT…"
'Philip tried to say something but blood was quickly running towards his lungs…'
"!"
FUCKER!
'In anger, Philip started to use his combat technique, controlling the blood on his neck and making it flow normally without blocking his throat…'
[Pthumerian Combat art(Modified) Lv9 -> Lv10]
'Perhaps it was due to his surprise and overwhelming emotions, but the flow of the strange energy within his body got a bit better as he controlled his own blood flow.'
"Wow…" Fabrin said in extreme surprise
He survived even that?
His blood… He is controlling it.
It isn't Auror, nor do I sense necromancy, much less blood magic… So what is it?
"You… What was that?!" Philip exclaimed in anger
If he wanted to kill me he would've done it by now.
Was all of that an excuse? It doesn't seem so…
'For the first time in a while, Philip's guard was completely up, because now, there was a tangible chance he might die!'
"..."
'Fabrin did not reply, and instead, he rushed forward with untold momentum!'
"?!"
/CLANG!/
'Philip barely parried a sharp stone cone that was launched at him from the ground while also taking a step back due to the recoil.'
He's controlling the stone!
/CUT!/
"?!"
/Thud…/
Dammit…
'For the first time since he came out of the dream, Philip felt the taste of death…'
'As his left amputated arm fell onto the ground.'
"..."
'At that moment Philip completely sobered up.'
'In an instant, he changed Classes, and took out a blood vial, injecting it into his bloodstream as he used his Combat art to move his arm back into position…'
'Within a second, his arm was back in action! But he did not let his guard down as he once again changed Classes.'
'Fabrin observed this scene with open eyes, extremely surprised.'
"You sure do have a lot of Vitality…"
He's much better than I expected, his survivability is also extremely high with what he showed me…
"But how many times can you do that?" Fabrin asked with an evil smile
"..."
'The stone below him moved, and a sword formed.'
'Without saying a single word, Fabrin took a step forward with his stone sword…'
…
/2 hours later…/
/Splash!/
"..."
Can I…
'Philip fell onto the ground dead, his 2 arms had been cut into 3 pieces, and his legs were twisted beyond recognition.'
'There was a literal sea of blood on the ground, and Fabrin stood above it, gazing at the fallen body of Philip with a conflicted expression.'
"Hm?... You think I took it too far?" Fabrin asked towards the air
"I mean… Did I?... Okay okay…"
"I would do it anyway, why are you rushing me?... I'm testing this very seriously!"
'After discussing with the air for a few more seconds, Fabrin raised his right hand…'
'The ground distorted and a stone tree suddenly formed…'
'From one of its branches, a small clear blue dropped condensed and fell right inside Philip's mouth.'
'But nothing seemed to happen.'
"... What do you mean nothing's happening?" Fabrin asked towards the air
"Just wait and…"
/Shine!/
'In a sudden flash of light, a large amount of blood suddenly moved, moving back into Philip's body, his arms, and legs… Everything went back to where it belonged.'
'But Philip seemed to be unconscious, although still breathing faintly.'
"See? I told you everything would go well…" Fabrin said as a small bead of sweat fell from his forehead
"..."
"... Shut up."
…
/7 minutes later…/
"?!?!"
/Splat!/
'With a sudden jolt, Philip woke up, making a bit of the blood on the ground splash all around.'
'He looked at his hands and feet and exclaimed in disbelief:'
"I…"
I'm okay? Phew…
"You're alive." Fabrin said with a serious expression
"You… Alive? Wait..."
He actually killed me?
This...
'An indescribable feeling passed through Philip's mind, he didn't know how to feel about this.'
I thought he was only being harsh but…
"Yes, I killed you. And I'll do it every day from now on." Fabrin said with a stern look
"What?..."
"You didn't get that wrong, from now on, every day, I'll attack you with the intent to kill, so if you don't want to die, make sure to grow stronger."
"…"
'Funny enough, Philip smiled a little.'
Brings back some memories...
"Didn't you say you were up for it?"
For someone who grows the fastest under the pressure of a serious fight, a fight to the death is the best way for him to grow.
But I wonder about his mental health, if he can't take this then I'll go back to what I had previously planned.
"I… Did say that, I just didn't expect you to… Can I have some time to think and breathe?"
"All the time you wish, I'll be here to answer your questions…"
"..."
'Without saying anything else, Philip got up and sat down on a chair nearby.'
"Urg…"
That hurt…
In many ways.
Being killed… That is a first for me.
'Philip smiled, remembering something.'
I got close to it a few times in the dream, but never did a monster reach so close as to actually cut one of my limbs…
I was once cut in the belly and I felt my stomach spill… If it wasn't for the insane vitality of the Hunters, I would've died and the dream would be over.
But… I can understand what he is trying to do.
I grow the fastest under pressure while in combat, and that is because my entire set of abilities is set towards that, to grow under pressure.
And I did grow considerably in a single fight…
The next few fights won't be as impactful, but as he said, I don't want to die, I would never want to experience that again.
It was… Boring, I mean, perhaps death only truly happens when my soul leaves my body.
It was more of a coma, I blacked out and woke up after… Perhaps I should be thankful that I didn't see the famed light at the end of the tunnel.
"I am not a masochist… Just because I can resist the pain that doesn't mean I can't feel it nor that I enjoy it."
I felt all sorts of pain, and some surpassed what I felt this time…
But the feelings that I felt in both are completely different.
This is truly the hardest training I have ever experienced…
'After settling his thoughts for a few more minutes, Philip got up, ready to say his decision to Fabrin.'
…
/A few hours later…/
'Philip could be seen sitting on a chair next to a small open-air coffee shop somewhere within the Academy grounds.'
"My right hand is still a bit numb…" He mumbled to himself as he opened and closed it
I hope there wasn't any sort of permanent damage…
"But I can't deny the results of this training."
'Philip rested his head on the chair and enjoyed his juice under the moon…'
"..."
"How long are you going to remain there looking at me?" Philip asked without turning his head
"!..."
/Step step step.../
'Someone slowly approached Philip from behind and said:'
"Ex-Excuse me, are you perhaps… Philip Vinten?"
'It was a girl with a gentle voice, and it invoked a sense of nostalgia within him...'
I recognize this voice...
And this flowery smell as well.
"Heh..."
'Hearing his Family was the last nail on the coffin in helping him confirm who it was.'
'After all, his fake identity had a different Family name tied to it, even though he kept Philip as his first name.'
'No one should've known his name unless they checked his face and name, then somehow reported it back to the crown back in the South…'
'There is a chance of him meeting an agent that could recognize him, but that chance is rather low…'
'With his guard up, Philip slowly turned around saying with a smile:'
"I think you got the wrong person, miss…"
'In front of Philip was none other than Larin, one of the Elven princesses…'
'As fate foretold, they met again, and to Philip's embarrassment, it was a bit faster than he expected…'
'After all, he left in such a sudden and mysterious way last time they met, how embarrassing would it be to meet them again just like this?'
"Miss?"
'Although he was momentarily shocked by this meeting, Philip was still very focused, and upon noticing that Larin wasn't saying anything, he tried to get her attention.'
"Eh? A-Apologies, I lost my concentration there for a moment." She said with an apologetic smile
"It's okay, but how can I help you?" He asked
'She smiled and said:'
"Would you mind if I sat here and shared some tea with you?"
"..."
So it's about that...
'Philip let out a sigh and said:'
"Not at all."
'He pointed towards a chair and invited her to join him.'
…
'Larin gently sat in the chair opposite Philip, before ordering something for her.'
'She offered to pay for it all, but Philip refused, making her a bit upset.'
'But after talking a bit, Philip said bluntly with a smile:'
"It's been a while since we last met..."
'But Larin raised her hand, asking him to stop.'
'She took a small object from her pocket and placed it in the middle of the table.'
'Philip did not recognize what it was, but he had already got through a similar thing once...'
"I hope you don't mind." Larin said
"This is better actually, the chance of someone hearing was already low, but with this, there isn't much to fear." He said with a smile after he took a sip of the sweet tea Larin ordered
"I imagine you and your knight are both doing fine?"
'Larin was caught off guard by this, but she replied with her own smile:'
"Yes we are, all thanks to your efforts…"
'Noticing her expression, Philip said:'
"There is no need to give me any sort of reward or compensation, I'm glad you came to me to have this sorted out, but I don't really mind."
"My identity isn't something I'm doing my utmost best to hide, and I have no need for wealth or similar things."
"I hope you pardon my rudeness, but your situation is also not very stable right now, so don't try to force yourself into giving me something."
"Even so…" Larin said
I still wish to give you something…
"Regardless of your reasons, I still think of this as a favor, if I can't pay it now I'll pay it tomorrow." Larin said
'Philip let out a sigh, and upon seeing her serious expression, he simply smiled and said:'
"Alright, then what is that you wish?"
"..."
The way you speak seems as if I'm asking something out of you...
'She stayed silent for a while, but she raised her head to look at Philip, and after doing so, she seemed to have decided on something.'
'She took a small ring from her finger and presented it to Philip.'
"Take this, it's the only thing I can pay right now, and the only thing I believe to be of equal value to both mine and my Knight's lives…"
Although I still think lives shouldn't have a price tag…
"A ring?" Philip asked
'The ring was rather simple, it looked like a bunch of green metallic vines…'
'If she was giving this to him as a reward for saving them, then this ring was important in some way, right?'
"This ring possesses a special power, it can work as a token of identity as well."
"Identity?"
"Yes, but don't worry, most can't recognize it, so as long as you don't walk around near Elven royalty, most people won't be able to recognize this Ring."
"It will help you in your journey or so I wish." She said with a smile
"..."
So it's some sort of magical item? I won't refuse…
Especially since if I do, she'll definitely just push something else onto me.
And I'm too mentally tired to think about these things…
"There were also the presents from the people you saved that day, they wanted me to relay their thanks and their messages to you but I couldn't accept that since I had no way of confirming when I would meet you…"
If ever…
"But seeing you here again makes me think I should've considered that more."
'Philip chuckled and said:'
"It's okay, I am thankful knowing they are alright… But there is one thing I would like to ask you…"
"Of course, ask away."
"What ended up happening… In a political sense? After I left?"
"..."
'The princess had to think for a while before replying:'
"That is hard to answer."
"From the perspective of the kidnapped, all clues point towards this being a framing attempt, but it's also true that the Humans in the South have something to do with it."
"And even after everything, the Humans weren't fully capable of fleeing from part of the blame..." She said with an apologetic look
"There is no need to apologize, the mistakes of those people have nothing to do with me."
'The princess seemed a bit relieved, so she continued:'
"Slaves passing through the mountains were always something most races had some sort of idea, but there wasn't anything they could do."
"You wipe out a group of slavers and another one appears… Worst of all, in most countries, their actions are legalized, so they wouldn't stop them."
"The problem was how a wide-scale operation, aiming to kidnap the future heads and Nobles of many races was not only perfectly executed as they left little to no clues."
"But the slaves were almost successfully sold to the Human territory, and that would've caused a war to explode almost instantly."
"I'm sure that was what my brot… He wanted." She said with a serious tone
"..."
"Right now, most of the affected parties are trying to gather all of the evidence, but their trails have already been cut, so right now, they are trying to find a scapegoat…"
"From the Human side, the royal faction has already started to move and investigate this matter, although on whose orders I don't know, besides, these are mostly rumors…"
'She took a quick glance at the sides, and seeing that no one was there she whispered:'
"There are words that the King has started to uproot the people behind this in secret..."
"Words sure travel fast..."
"Well... I heard them directly from one of the crown's agents." She said with a serious expression
"You did?" Philip asked in surprise
"Yes? Not long after you left, one of their agents contacted us and escorted us here, in the way I learned a lot."
"..."
'Philip remained silent, but he started to get a better understanding of his situation.'
It seems the crown noticed my movements way earlier than I thought...
This means that they know I was the one behind it.
But why didn't they try to bring me back?
Unless... Are they keeping an eye on me?
This means... I hope they don't know much.
"It's good that this situation has been resolved somewhat." Philip said with a small smile
"It's just the start, there is still a lot to do..."
...
/20 minutes later.../
'Philip and the princess continued to talk and enjoy the tea, talking about politics and other things.'
'And with a smile, the princess left with the promise of another tea session...'
'Philip could do little but accept, as he had a task to grow close to her...'
'Although he didn't know Dae's reasons for such... But maybe one day he would.'
'For now, Philip went back to his room, he needed and deserved a good rest...'
/3 weeks later…/
...
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Notes
I am a little unsatisfied with this chapter, I don't know why... I just feel as if I didn't properly convey the things I wanted.
Oh well.
Next chapter will be the real beginning of the end. Because I already wrote it XD.
It will be the last day of the Mc in the Academy and the city, it will be time for him to venture outside and continue his journey.
Adios!
And I can't forget...
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