Chapter 010
As time passed, Wilhelm continued doing his daily mission issued by his system. It had been more than two years since Wilhelm joined the Marines. Over the two years, Wilhelm had experienced a growth spurt increasing his height to 6 feet. Being only 16, he was bound to grow more as he was still in his developing years.
Wilhelm's manipulation had worked perfectly. He had established himself as a kind-hearted boy after a few months. Wilhelm had a lean body with very compact muscles. Over the two years, he trained very hard. Every morning he needed to wrap gauze around his two arms and legs as his muscles would bleed from being overworked.
His schedule was simple; he trained in the morning with the teacher's guide, completed his duties as a chore boy, and then after dinner, he continued practicing. He would remove the bloody gauze every night, wash up, and get to bed after midnight. After doing so for about two years, he believed his body could finally use Hamon now.
So, he tried using Hamon instead of doing his usual practice this night. Having the manual from the system allowed him to know the concept of Hamon, but it was up to him to utilize it.
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(Pov: Wilhelm)
As I took a deep breath in, feeling my lungs expand as more and more oxygen entered, I felt a surge of vitality course through my body. I felt an electric force ripple throughout my body, soothing my aching bones. My legs, which had been sore since this morning, were actually being healed. Not just my legs but my whole body felt reborn.
'Hamon, what a marvelous ability.' I thought while removing my gauze.
Seeing my healed arm was exhilarating. I had a superhuman regeneration factor, not to mention Hamon could also be used offensively. But I was once again getting ahead of myself. First, I needed to master Hamon before using Hamon to attack.
'I could finally use the mask. With Hamon to heal me, I could torture myself even harder.' I thought while clenching my fist. Power was the only thing I cared about. Power was the reason behind all my decisions. Supreme power would one day be mine.
After barely using Hamon a few times, I returned to my dorm. I wasn't going to sleep. In what world would I sleep? Now that I had unlocked my Hamon, I could train harder. Sleep was now a waste of time for me. Every second I wasn't improving my abilities was another second I could die without my say.
I had allowed myself to sleep in the past as my body needed time to recover but now what? I could heal my injuries in a matter of seconds. Going to my dorm was to get my mask. Everyone was already asleep in the room, as every day was tiring at the base. I couldn't care less about my 'friends'; everyone was a tool at the end of the day. Friendships couldn't make me stronger, so they were pointless to me.
Standing under the moonlight, I started doing the same routine I had to do in the morning while wearing the mask. 'Not being able to breathe makes moving an impossible task,' I thought while slowly doing pushups.
While wearing the mask, I needed to move slower. It took nearly triple the amount of time it usually takes me. As dawn broke through the sky, I finished doing a set of my usual training.
'I need to ask the instructors to increase my training load today. With Hamon, I didn't care how badly I hurt my body. Speaking of which, I needed to learn how to fight.' I paused momentarily as I thought, 'Marines are given the option of using a gun or sword. There was no way I would use the 1800 rifles to fight against monsters. At least swordsmen in this world could cut mountains. What could snipers could do besides play support?.'
Walking into my dorm to grab a change of clothes, I head to the shower. 'I would need a sword teacher to teach me the way of the sword, and a sword at that.'
'Status,' I thought while remembering the item store had the sword luck and pluck for only 1 SP.
[ Host Status -
Name: Wilhelm von Ainsworth
Job: None
Title: Traveler
HP: 6,000
Fatigue: 10%
MP: 0
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Strength: 20
Agility: 23
Vitality: 42
Intelligence: 34
Remaining Attribute Points: 10]
'My attributes started to increase after I began training. If I needed to estimate the seaman's attributes would be at max 20. My vitality was naturally the strongest as I could use Hamon, but I don't know how my intelligence increased so much.' Putting my question aside, I said, 'Open the system item store.'
[Opening System Store]
[ Shop Items - SP (System Point)
Current Balance: 3585
Stone Mask: 100,000 SP (click to expand)
Luck and Pluck: 1 SP (click to expand)
Ceasar's Headband: 1 SP (click to expand)
Red Stone of Aja: 1,000,000,000 SP (click to expand)
Wedding Rings of Death: 100 SP (click to expand)
Joseph's Walkman: 1 SP (click to expand)
Tarot Cards: 10 SP (click to expand)
Bow and Arrow: 10,000 SP (click to expand)
Polpo's Lighter: 1 SP (click to expand)
Stone Pendant: 10,000 SP (click to expand)
Charlotte: 1 SP (click to expand)
DIO's Diary: 10,000,000,000 SP (click to expand)
Saint's Corpse: 1,000,000,000,000 SP (click to expand)
Locacaca: 5,000 SP (click to expand) ]
Clicking on the luck and pluck, it read, 'normal sword with extra durability.'
The sword itself was a silver blade with a golden hilt. In the middle of the handle is a small gem-colored red. Its pommel also has a gem in the center, colored purple. The sword's rain-guard has a unique design, with its edges on the front and back stretched outward and pointed toward the hilt.
Being a standard sword would explain the low price for it. I plan on using Hamon with my swordsmanship, so I would need an excellent-quality blade in the future. One of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades would probably be perfect.
(Pov: Wilhelm ends)
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Wilhelm, determined to enhance his fighting abilities further, purchased the Luck and Pluck sword from the system's store. Holding the sword in his hands, he felt a surge of excitement. This sword would be the tool through which he would master the art of swordsmanship and combine it with the power of Hamon.
Wilhelm sought a sword teacher within the Marine base with his new sword in hand. He approached Commander Ramirez, a renowned sword master known for his exceptional combat skills. Wilhelm respected Ramirez's expertise and believed he would be the perfect mentor to guide him in becoming a formidable swordsman.
"Captain Ramirez," Wilhelm greeted the Commander as I met him in his office. "I seek your guidance in mastering the way of the sword. I have acquired a sword and wish to learn how to use it against the pirates."
Wilhelm's persona was that of a kind-hearted marine. He was hard-working and always listened to his orders with due diligence. Ramirez was busy, but hearing this talented marine wish to be his protege was surprising for him. Ramirez was already old and didn't have any children. As a sword master, he wanted to pass his abilities down to the next generation, but he couldn't find anyone talented enough. The Commander needed to figure out Wilhelm's talent, but at least he wasn't lazy, and most importantly, he was a youth with great potential as he could compete against the seamen who were adults as a 16-year-old.
After thinking for a while, Ramirez responded, "Very well, Wilhelm. I see potential in you. I will take you under my wing and teach you the ways of the sword."
As a master swordsman, Ramirez could cut steel which wasn't unique in new world, but in paradise, it was rare. Over the following weeks, Wilhelm dedicated himself to rigorous training under Captain Ramirez's watchful eye. He would practice his swordsmanship techniques during the day along with his regular training and practice his Hamon at night.
As Wilhelm honed his skills, he began to attract attention within the Marine base. Fellow recruits and even some higher-ranking officers took notice of his progress and the strength he displayed during training sessions. Some were envious, while others admired his dedication and determination.
Wilhelm's reputation continued to grow; he continued his 'nice guy' persona being humble about his newfound power. And like that, Wilhelm was back into a new routine. Wilhelm would have killed himself from overexertion if not for using Hamon to heal himself. He also stopped sleeping for most of the week, only sleeping once a week to utilize his time most efficiently. As time went by, he would soon turn 19.