Combat Training

"Attention all cadets! My name is Raven Von Matterhorn! I'm a retired soldier and my former rank was Captain! Starting today, I've been asked to train your pathetic asses!

"As of right now, you will all address me as Instructor Raven and nothing else while you will answer to maggots!

Am I clear, maggots?!"

""Yes, Instructor!""

Standing right in front of the neatly filed lines of cadets was a tall and intimidating man.

He was bald and had prominent wrinkles on his forehead with dark circles around his eyes. He had a small beard growing from under his chin.

He was sporting a tight, black hoodie tracksuit that did nothing to hide his ripped, muscular body.

His mere presence seemed to have infused a sense of fear into the cadets standing on the concrete field.

"Hmph!" Instructor Raven scoffed before yelling in the loudest possible tone, "I will be in charge of training you maggots in combat arts and help you utilize your 'blessing' to the fullest."

Ahh, blessings. Lucas recalled as he had almost forgotten their existence in the past few days.

[Blessings] are akin to 'Unique Skills' used in games and fiction.

Every [Blessing] is different from the other. They could have the same function but none will be exactly the same.

Their functions can range from simple tasks like letting an individual cast magic efficiently to more complex tasks like summoning divine weapons.

And some of them are too overpowered like the last one.

Although Lucas doesn't know it yet, Nero Dekrauf, the protagonist of the story possesses the Blessing called [Swords Of Heaven], which allows him to summon six divine swords that let him grant complete authority over the six basic elements.

The six basic elements are Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Light, and Darkness.

Of course, such a godlike ability does not come without a cost. The cost for summoning the divine swords for Nero was a bit of his life force every time.

And these Blessings are not something you should publicize to the world. If you possess a Blessing, you keep it a secret.

Because Blessings are super rare.

Only one in a thousand kids are born with it.

Yes, Blessings are something you are born with. You can't learn them, and you can't steal them from someone who possesses them until they are alive.

Blacksmiths, however, can extract a dead person's Blessings and use them to forge Relics.

Lucas has a Blessing called [Mana Burst]

[Mana Burst] allowed Lucas to reinforce his body by infusing it with magical energy for a split second.

The sudden flux of mana upon its activation would cause a burst of energy in the atmosphere and recreate a phenomenon akin to a jet blast.

Simply put, it was a skill that strengthened his body for a split second and caused an explosion to occur.

The more mana he infuses his body with, the bigger the explosion.

If used in conjunction with Fire magic, the result would be a flame explosion.

"So to start it off, run a hundred laps around the training field and follow it with three hundred squats!"

-"Is he joking?!"

-"Oh hell nah!"

-"I will die! I will seriously die a virgin!"

As soon as the Instructor ordered what they should do, the cadets started crying and complaining.

Their wailing was justifiable though, since the training ground was very huge.

If any beansprout were to do a hundred laps followed by three hundred squats then they would seriously die.

"If you all don't start running immediately, I'll double the laps and triple the squats!"

With the fear of being punished as their motivation, the cadets started to run around the training ground.

*****

"Heehaaaaa! Huuuuf! Haaaaf!"

The sound of heavy panting resounded across the training field as cadets could be seen sprawled on the ground with deadpan eyes.

Everyone, except for a few main characters like Nero and Quinn, was on the verge of passing out.

Lucas too, was looking completely fine. He had gone through much harsher training like walking undersea and being in the volcano that would have normally killed anyone else. So obviously, something like a few hundred laps wouldn't even make him break a sweat.

But it wasn't the same for everyone else. Other students were on the verge of passing as their legs almost gave out and their lungs were exhausted from continuously breathing rough.

While the cadets were on the boundary of passing out, Instructor Raven yelled again

"Get up, maggots! It's time to learn some Martial Arts!"

Almost everyone's face paled at his words. Some even resolved themselves to pretend to be unconscious to escape the training... 

"Or do you all prefer to run a hundred laps more?"

but immediately stood up at the instructor's words.

Even Lucas started to feel that it was excessive training for a normal person no matter how much mana strengthened the human body.

"Pathetic," as Instructor Raven looked around the concrete training field, he couldn't help but utter in a disgusted tone.

"To think that I've handed down the future of this world to the likes of you," Instructor Raven continued to trash-talk as the cadets got up. "My daughter can stand up faster than you all and she's paralyzed from the waist down!"

Will this guy ever shut up? Now this straight down ragging. Lucas thought inwardly but didn't say anything as he knew what the instructor was doing.

This has been a common tactic used by the military since ancient times when training their soldiers.

The new recruits are scolded, berated, and criticized at every possible chance. This was done so that they could implant fear in them and make them obey their orders obediently. And now isn't any different either.

Finally, after a few minutes, everyone stood back on their legs and got in an attentive position.

"Haa," shaking his head, Instructor Raven muttered as his gaze fell on the cadets' sweat-damped lifeless faces. "I guess it can't be helped."

Sucking in a deep breath, Instructor Raven yelled at the top of his lungs, "Okay, maggots! Seeing your pathetic asses has moved me to pity. So I have decided to bestow upon you a breathing technique before I teach you any martial art. You will learn this breathing technique and you will be grateful for it. Got it?"

""Yes… instructor…""

Out of breath and mustering a weak voice, everyone replied in unison.

Seeing such a pitiful sight, Instructor Raven shook his head again and began speaking

"Listen up, maggots! I want you all to close your eyes and take a deep breath from your nose until you can breathe in anymore. Once you can't breathe, open your mouth and breathe in just once more.

"Then you release your breath in short bursts around ten to fifteen times. Do that while drawing in mana from your surroundings into your body. Start!"

As soon as the instructions were given, everyone started to do it. 

After they were done, the cadets looked in astonishment as they didn't feel as fatigued and tired as before. 

"Neat, right?" Instructor Raven commented. "It's a simple breathing technique that helps in relaxing your body. It won't vanish your fatigue completely so you will still need rest to function properly. Still, it would help you keep your body in its optimum condition for a long time which could prove to be useful in a plethora of situations. It's called Breath Of Vitality."

The cadets began to brighten up as they saw the kind side of their Instructor. Some even looked apologetic, perhaps they cursed a lot about the Instructor in their minds.

Poor souls, They are going to be so disappointed. Lucas thought as he could easily read their thoughts. 

There is no way the Instructor taught this technique to make them feel better. Sure enough, the Instructor's next words reignited flames of hatred in the cadets.

"Anyway, now that you all are feeling good, do two hundred push-ups!"

*****

In a place far far away from Earth beyond the boundaries of human comprehension, lay a land of boundless beauty and serenity, where the very essence of existence is transformed into an exquisite symphony of perfection.

Its terrain is a harmonious blend of paradisiacal gardens, lush meadows, and crystal-clear rivers. In every direction, vibrant, jewel-like flora unfurls their petals in vivid hues unseen in a mortal world.

There was no sun or moon in the sky yet the entire world bathed in a golden embrace, casting a soft, warm glow upon the landscape. Its skies, a canvas of the purest azure, stretch into eternity, unfettered by the confines of time and space.

The animals inhabiting it looked mystical and overflowed with endless vitality. Laughter, pure and infectious, echoes through the ethereal realms, and the hearts of its denizens beat in harmonious rhythm with the universe.

This place is none other than the Heavenly Sanctuary, where numerous celestial beings and Gods took residence.

In the midst of the Sanctuary, lies a city with mystical buildings and unseen architecture. This city is called the Holy Sanctum.

There is a large floating castle in the middle of the Holy Sanctum. A being opened his eyes and looked around the room.

He had a handsome face incomparable to ordinary humans and bore an indifferent face. He looked paler than any vampire as if he was on the verge of death, yet the atmosphere around this man was too dangerous for it to be true.

It was a meeting room in the castle with a big table and 13 chairs positioned around it. A glint of sorrow flashed in the being's eyes as he looked at those empty chairs. But shook his head and regained his indifferent face.

A strange purple glow appeared in his eyes as he looked upwards. 

"There isn't much time left." He muttered as the purple glow faded from his eyes.

"Aegnor," He called and a man appeared behind him.

He was an elf evident by his long ears and had a well-built body. He would be undoubtedly a beautiful person if not for the long scar running through his cheek from his forehead and his missing right arm making him look scary.

"Yes, my lord." He bowed to the person sitting on the chair and waited for his next words.

"How is Lucas doing?" 

"He is doing better than expected but it is still too early to decide," Aegnor replied without raising his head, a clear indication of the fear he felt from his lord.

"Is that so?" That's all he said as he knew that the story had just begun and it would be a long time before Lucas could be of any help to them. "Well, keep observing him from time to time and report to me if anything happens."

"As you wish." Aegnor left the room leaving the man alone in the room.

"It won't be long, Lucas. You better be prepared."