Chapter 13: Training Continues

"Again in this harsh place. And on top of that, my visit this time will be longer that the last one."

I said those words after appearing in my cave base. This place doesn't look much better than when I discovered it.

(At least it's safe.) I don't know about the future, but in the week I spent here, no danger appeared.

My decision to come back here, was made for a couple of reasons.

One, I had long enough break. Especially with me still being weak. I can't let myself rest for much longer, knowing that my life as well as lifes of my close ones are in potential danger.

Second, was to accomplish some of the goals, I made for myself.

List goes like this:

1. Rise at least 3 of my stats to [J+]

2. Explore the forest

3. Train my talents (Focus on Swordsmanship, Hand to Hand combat, Marksmanship and Stealth)

4. Learn new Skills

5. Test my new magic

6. Arive outside the city walls

My last goal wasn't really my priority at the moment, I knew that leaving the outskirts of the kingdom will be suicidal with my current strength.

Setting of this world is similar to a game, and like in any other game, when you closer to the end goal, enemies are stronger.

Right now, I'm only able to deal with zombies and I'm pretty sure they're the weakest enemy I will encounter in this world.

(*sighs*There's still a long way to go.)

After going through all of my plans, I left the cave and took my sword out of my inventory.

Thanks to my recent rise in strength, my previous discomfort while wilding this sword, dissapeared. Now, I can easily use it in battle, unlikle the first time.

Next, I headed to a well known to me place.

It took about 5 minutes, but I arrived at my destination, it was my training space.

It was placed in a forest clearing, with tall trees all around it.

I chose this place for this exact reason. It provides me constant sunlight throughout the day, making my training harder.

When you are constantly swinging your sword for 8 hours straight in a blazing sun, you can experience some unpleasant consequences.

Some can say that I train like a maniac, and I can agree. This type of training bring you constant torment and pain, but it also improves your willpower as well as your physical fitness, while also improving your swordsmanship.

Standing here, made me remember to look at my art work. Four trees in front of me were decorated with countless sword marks.

I started decorating my first tree when my [Swordsmanship] was on Lvl 2. Then, I changed the tree that I practiced on with each Lvl Up.

This let me see my progress. From just a scratch, to a precise cut.

Depth of those cuts wasn't really deep, but it still put a smile on my face. It showed my path to become the strongest.

(Ahhh....The strongest. Will I be even able to make it, or die trying?) This thought didn't make me sad or depressed, but motivated.

Motivated to make it, no matter what. I know it's a distant dream, kinda funny when you think about it.

To achieve what I want, I need to make this dream come true.

"That's enough for now, I need to focus on more important things." with this, I took a basic sword stance and begin to practice.

(1,2,3...12...19....) and like always, I felt my back screaming in pain.

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.....

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[Swordsmanship Lvl 5 -> Lvl 6]

(...400) it took 4 hours, to finish my today's training.

After moving my legs, I saw a puddle of sweat under my feet. Normal occurrence at this point.

All of this swordsmanship training, let me learn couple of things.

If you want to train in this skill, you need to do two things. Practice swinging your sword for hours on end, and use it in actual combat.

It's a sort of a balance, but not exactly. Just practicing will slowly bring your [Swordsmanship] to a [Basic Lvl] without any chances to rise it past that.

On the other hand actual combat, in particular fights for life and dead, can bring you to this Lvl much faster. There are even chances to get past that Lvl.

That's why, a lot of people in dire situation decides to participate in dangerous adventures. In this way, they can quickly rise in strength, but of course there's a very high chance of them simply dying.

(It's a sad situation to find yourself it.) Thinking about all of this, let me understand that this world isn't really different from my last one.

Strugle to survive, relatives being sick and desire to grow stronger. Those things only accelerate death of people in this world.

No matter in which world, you always need to pay a price to get what you want.

"I'm pretty much in the same situation. I want to obtain strength fast, that's why I'm risking my life." of course, I can't compare myself to those unlucky guys.

I have a system, a real life cheat making my life a lot easier.

(Ok. That's enough thinking about world struggles.)

Like I was saying, to progress in the swordsmanship you need to keep a balance.

With me constantly training, fighting for my life and pretty much nothing else, I was able to raise my [Swordsmanship] to a relatively high Lvl, for a beginner.

After that, I began my full body workout.

(Swinging your sword all day long, won't give you muscles all over your body.)

I started with 50 push ups, 50 sit ups and 60 crunches. Then came the rest of my, not so easy exercises.

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Done with all of the physical training, I felt exhausted. But, the next part of my training was easier and at the same time was my favorite.

It was magic practice.

Magic didn't exist in my last world. And now with a chance to learn it, to do something I always thought was impossible, is fascinating.

I started off by gathering mana in my arms and putting them on the ground. This let me use 'Minor Earth Manipulation' with more ease.

Next, I started to move rocks around me. Trying to form simple shapes, such as square, triangle and etc.

This wasn't that hard, but it let me train my control over magic. It was after all one of my biggest flaws.

People from Alexander's world pretty much adapt to magic their whole lifes, it starts at the moment of their birth when magic fills their bodys for the first time.

I wasn't so lucky, only starting to learn to control it for less than two weeks.

(I wonder what's the difference between me and my peers...hmm... I will probably find out soon enough. Right now, let's try something harder.)

I stood up and looked to my right at my next target, a middle sized rock.

This rock was my next artwork, I decorated it with my fist marks.

Those marks, were created after I found a new way to use Earth Magic. As it turned out, I'm able to gather Earth Magic at the outer layer of my skin.

This made my fists more durable and stronger. But, this trick isn't simple to maintain, I need to costantly keep flow of magic at the steady level.

I learned it the hard way, that when you don't put enough mana in your fists they will stay the same as usual. And when you put too much, your mana will evaporate before you even realized that it's gone.

This spell not only let me train my control, but it was also useful in actual combat.

I focused, making my mana move in direction of my fists. After I felt that I put enough in, I punched out. (1,2,..6...11..)

My training continued until the night fall, after which I gone back to the cave and fall asleep.