Ch. 12 Finding the Right Weapon

Alfred studied Alex for a long moment, his gaze thoughtful, before speaking. "Now, we'll move to lesson two: weapon mastery. Let's get you accustomed to different types of weapons and see where your strengths lie."

He turned toward Alex, hands clasped behind his back. "Do you have any prior experience handling weapons, young master?"

Alex hesitated, glancing down. "Honestly… no. I don't have any experience."

Alfred sighed, shaking his head. "I had a feeling. This will be… a long day."

Before Alex could respond, Alfred lifted his hand, and ten weapons materialized in the air, hovering in front of them: a saber, spear, sword, whip, mace, hammer, axe, shield, bow, and staff. Each weapon seemed meticulously crafted, gleaming in the morning light.

Alex's eyes widened. "How did you—" He stopped, staring at the weapons in awe.

Alfred smirked slightly. "It's a space ring. Only those with a space attribute can make them, but once created, anyone can use them. Very convenient."

Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's pretty impressive. Must be nice to pull things out of thin air."

Alfred chuckled. "It has its uses. Now, pick up each weapon, one by one, and let's see which one suits you. We'll spar with each for 30 minutes. By the end of this session, you'll know which weapon feels the most natural."

Alex took a deep breath, feeling both excitement and a bit of trepidation. "Alright. Let's start."

Saber

He grabbed the saber first, a lightweight, single-edged blade. The weapon felt swift in his grip as he swung it experimentally, testing its balance.

Alfred gave him a nod. "Begin."

They moved into a spar, with Alex trying to close the distance and make a strike. Alfred, however, dodged every attempt, his movements graceful and fluid as he sidestepped or deflected the saber's strikes with minimal effort.

After several minutes, Alex was frustrated. The saber felt quick but awkward, and his swings lacked the precision he wanted. Thirty minutes passed in a blur of near-misses and missteps, and by the end, his arm felt strained.

Alfred raised a brow. "Next weapon."

Spear

The spear was longer, and Alex appreciated the range it gave him. He thrust and swept the spear in wide arcs, hoping to keep Alfred at a distance.

But Alfred slipped past every thrust, ducking and sidestepping with ease. Alex found himself struggling to keep up with Alfred's agility. The spear felt powerful but unwieldy, and Alex quickly realized his lack of control with such a long weapon.

Sword

The sword felt balanced as he held it, neither too heavy nor too light. With both edges sharpened, he tried to make use of the sword's versatility, aiming quick slashes and testing its reach. Something about the weapon clicked, and he found himself moving more fluidly.

Alfred noted his improved form, though he still dodged and deflected with ease. By the end of the 30 minutes, Alex felt the beginnings of familiarity with the weapon. But something still felt off, a slight discomfort he couldn't quite shake.

Whip, Mace, Hammer, Axe

The next four weapons proved to be grueling trials. The whip required a precision he couldn't manage, while the mace felt clunky and slow. The hammer, though powerful, was almost impossible to wield with his level of strength, and the axe's weight made his swings wild and uncontrolled.

Each weapon session left him more exhausted and sweaty, with muscles he hadn't known he had aching in protest.

Shield

He picked up the shield, hoping it would give him a break. But the shield required as much finesse as the others. Alfred guided him to use it for blocking and attacking, and though Alex managed to hold his ground longer, he found the shield too limiting. It didn't suit his instincts.

Bow

When it came time to use the bow, Alex found himself feeling even more out of his depth. His attempts to notch and release arrows were clumsy, and Alfred's guidance, though patient, only highlighted his lack of experience. By the time the session ended, he felt no closer to mastering it than he had with the other weapons.

Staff

Finally, Alex took up the staff. He liked the balance, and the swings felt powerful, but after a few minutes, he realized he couldn't fully connect with the weapon's blunt force style. It was the closest he'd come to feeling comfortable, yet it still didn't feel quite right.

After five hours of relentless sparring, Alex could barely stand, his body drenched in sweat, clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin. His chest rose and fell heavily as he leaned on his knees, his hair plastered to his forehead.

"Looks like I don't… have a knack… for weapons," he managed to gasp out, his voice breathy.

Alfred shook his head. "Not necessarily. You showed potential with the sword."

Alex thought back to the sword session, nodding slowly. "Yeah, it did feel more… natural. But I kept struggling with the double edges. I kept wanting to use one side instead of both."

Alfred looked at him thoughtfully. "Would you prefer a single-edged blade, then? A weapon like a katana?"

Alex's eyes lit up. "Yes. A single-edged sword sounds perfect. Something about it just feels right."

Alfred nodded approvingly. "I'll bring a katana for our next session. It's a refined weapon, one that requires skill and control. We'll start your training with that next time, and from there, you'll learn weapon arts."

Alex managed a smile, feeling a spark of excitement. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Take a break for now," Alfred replied, gesturing for him to sit down. "You've earned it."

Alex sank onto the grass, his legs trembling from the constant sparring. His clothes were drenched, his face flushed, and he knew he probably looked like a mess. His arms ached from wielding different weapons, and every muscle seemed to throb with fatigue.

[Look at you,] Nova teased, her voice filled with mirth. [You look like you've gone through a rainstorm.]

"Feels like it too," he muttered, wiping his face. Guess I've got a long way to go.

After a short break, Alfred clapped his hands, signaling the next part of the day's lesson. "Now that you've rested, let's begin lesson three: academic knowledge. The entrance exams for the Astral Academy will include a written component, testing your understanding of basic subjects—math, language, and world history."

Alex grimaced. "I'll be honest… I'm not exactly strong in those areas."

Alfred's expression remained neutral. "That's why we're starting now. We'll cover the basics first. Let's begin with math."

The next hour passed in a blur of numbers and formulas. Alex struggled to keep up, realizing that in both his lives, he had never really applied himself to studying math. The language lessons were equally challenging, and he felt a surge of frustration at how foreign these subjects felt.

But when they finally moved on to world history, he found himself more at ease. Surprisingly, his past self had retained a decent understanding of Astria's history, and the information came naturally as Alfred spoke.

Alfred made an offhand remark as they studied the subject, his tone almost too casual. "Remember, not everything in the history books is as it seems. Often, they teach… a certain version of events."

Alex barely noticed the comment, too focused on recalling what he knew about Astria's key historical events. But the subtle hint left a shadow in the conversation, something that a more observant person might have caught.

Nova, however, picked up on it, a faint sense of intrigue in her voice. [Interesting. It seems there might be more to this world's history than they let on.]

Think he's hiding something? Alex wondered.

[Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me,] she replied, her tone cryptic.

When Alfred finally closed the last book, he glanced at Alex with a satisfied nod.

"That's all for today. I'll be training you every day from now on. Meet me here in the courtyard each morning after breakfast, and we'll work until nightfall."

Alex groaned slightly, though he couldn't deny the thrill of excitement that pulsed through him. "All day, every day?"

Alfred's expression was stern, though there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Every day. The academy doesn't accept mediocrity, young master."

With a sigh, Alex nodded. "Fine. I'll be here."

As he dragged himself back to his room, he barely made it to his bed before the exhaustion took over. His body ached from head to toe, every limb screaming for rest. He sank onto the mattress, ready to drift into sleep.

But Nova's voice broke through, reminding him sharply, [Hold on, Host. Don't you think you're forgetting something?]

"Ugh… can't it wait until morning?" he mumbled, half-asleep.

[Don't be lazy. You need to cultivate. It'll be just like sleeping—only a little more painful.]

Alex groaned, fighting the urge to bury his head in his pillow. But he knew she was right. Reluctantly, he got up and slipped into his sub-dimension, settling into a meditative pose.

As the familiar pull of mana began to tear through his flesh, he focused, forcing himself to endure. Painful as it was, this was the path he had chosen.