I Studied the Blade

Waking up the next day, Maxwell felt a little better. He gets out of bed and realizes that he was the last to wake up, as everyone else is already up. 

"Psss"

"Hey, dude"

Hearing someone whispering to him, Maxwell looks around. 

He then realized that it was one of the soldiers sleeping next to him.

"Say pal, you don't look so good."

"Don't I look good? Then tell me who is! Nobody could sleep after what happened yesterday and you just lay in bed and... slept?" With two black bags around his eyes, the soldier looks at Maxwell in disbelief.

"Hey, enough chat, recruits, your training has just begun. Anyone late will be eating Skag meat for dinner."

Maxwell just shrugged, leaving the bedroom when he had finished getting ready.

Maxwell was talking to the system as he made his way to the training center. He intended to have a mission related to his current training, as he wanted to gain another skill and credits, he needed to accumulate as many credits as possible to realize his humble plan.

However, he didn't make the mission easy, as this influenced the amount of credits he could receive.

[Generating quest…]

[Quest:

( ) Complete 50 knife throws successfully at a distance of 10 feet.

( ) Take part in all the knife classes of the week.

( ) Defeat someone with a knife.

Reward: Blade Mastery + $20c]

Maxwell can't help but think how many points he'd be earning with a multiplier, his determination to level up skyrocketing.

The reward in credits was high because if he missed a single lesson, the mission was given as a failure. The other two were relatively easy to complete, the first being more tedious and the third a hassle to find someone to do a little sparring, but nothing impossible.

After finishing today's knife lesson, which focussed on the utilitarian use of knives in survival, Maxwell goes to an isolated location with the knife he had received from the army.

He was carrying a sandbag on his back because there were no trees in Pandora, which annoyed Maxwell. After all, trees would be good objects for knife-throwing practice.

Shaking his head, he pushes these distracting thoughts to the back of his mind and focuses on his goal. Removing his knife from the holster concealed beneath his armpit, Maxwell holds the knife by the blade and prepares to throw it.

*Swoosh

The knife spins a few times in the air before hitting the target, unfortunately, it was the handle that ended up hitting it, so it doesn't count as a hit in the quest.

After a few more attempts Maxwell becomes frustrated with the inconvenience of having to retrieve his knife every time. Looking at the screen, he sees his progress.

[(3/50) Complete 50 knife throws successfully at a distance of 10 feet.]

"Too slow, I'd rather speed it up somehow." Maxwell scratches his beard for a moment, a figurative light bulb switches on above his head.

Maxwell remembers that there were sets of knives being sold through the system. Opening the Hangar, he scrolls down the list to the weapons section, when he comes to a section that makes him pause for a moment.

[(Weapons) Hope's Dusk/M7A1 Kunai: A set of three black kunai. Perfect weight and balance for throwing. the blade can never lose its sharpness for as long as its battery lasts. $5c]

Heirlooms were weapons exclusive to certain characters in Apex Legends, some of which were cool, others useful, and a minority a joke.

Maxwell laughs at the thought of being able to buy an heirloom for a mere 5 credits. He wasn't a fan of Apex Legends but he knew that getting an heirloom cost hundreds of dollars, he just wanted to see the look on people's faces when he had a fortune in credits and bought all the heirlooms.

He didn't rush out to buy a weapon, but went back to looking for more options, concentrating on something cheap that met his needs.

At first, he wanted to buy the throwing knives that Pulse Blade pilots use, but the weapon was not only used for stabbing but also recognition, as it could reveal hidden enemies through obstacles. The price matched its usability plus he would need to wear a pilot's helmet because the enemies were revealed on the helmet's interface.

[(Weapons) Pulse Blade: Scout Kunai with a leaf-shaped blade and a handle with a ring on the pommel. It can be used for piercing, throwing, or even anchoring. The Pulse Blade also provides a brief sonar pulse that detects enemies. $15c]

[(Weapons) Kunai ARC ExD: Electric Edge Kunai with a leaf-shaped blade and a handle with a ring on the pommel. It can be used for piercing, throwing, or even anchoring. With its adjustable power, it can be used to stun infantry troops and blind Titans at low power and to dismember and puncture them when working at high voltage. $10c]

[(Weapons) Kunai HExD: Explosive Kunai with a leaf-shaped blade and a handle with a ring on the pommel. It can be used for piercing, throwing, or even anchoring. In addition to its uses as a Kunai, when activated this blade explodes after multiple rotations when it doesn't hit any targets. High explosion on contact/impalement. $3c]

[(Weapons) Shuriken Firestar: Incendiary throwing star that creates thermite on impact. It will stick to surfaces. $3c]

Maxwell wanted to buy an ARC Kunai, but for 10 credits he would only get a single Kunai. Firestar and Kunai HExD were cheap because they were destroyed once activated.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he would keep the Wrath Kunais, it was temporary, as he would exchange them for a Pulse when he had more credits and a pilot's helmet.

[-$5c] 

Maxwell picks up the three Kunai before they hit the ground, he balances one on his finger, testing the weight distribution. The Kunai were black, 7 inches long, with a 4-hole diamond design in the middle of the blade, a real work of art.

Stopping to inspect his new weapon, Maxwell ties a line to the Kunais and returns to his goal, throwing all three Kunais and pulling them back.

He repeated this process for several minutes, and his chance of success increased with each attempt. Maxwell stopped only to see a screen appear in front of him.

[Quest:

(X) Complete 50 knife throws successfully at a distance of 10 feet.

( ) Take part in all the knife classes of the week.

( ) Defeat someone with a knife.]

Seeing the time on his ECHO, Maxwell collects his Kunais. He hurriedly made his way to the cafeteria before he was too late.

A few days later…

The following days were filled with more advanced teachings on the art of using a blade. An entire day (24 hours, not an entire day cycle) was devoted to the most important concepts of footwork, where to avoid striking so that the blade doesn't get stuck in the opponent's body, and how to use the knife in everyday situations on hostile planets, such as survival, cutting branches to make fire, preparing food and improvising shelter.

Having consumed the sweet nectar of knowledge and immersed themselves in the more archaic wisdom of their ancestors, it was time for the practical lesson.

Sparring

Maxwell had been waiting for this moment all week, as this was the only goal left to earn his precious credits.

Despite the Pandora sun at its peak, the icy atmosphere of the Crimson Enclave remained constant, snowflakes dusting every surface. In a secluded spot, the recruits formed a simple circle, with the participants facing each other in the center of the wheel. The fluffy snow covering the ground would soon bear witness to the spattering of blood from the combatants.

Maxwell stood with his arms crossed as he watched the recruits rush in, watching their movements intently, hoping to gain an advantage over his fellow trainees. The instructor's presence was primarily to intervene in any potential altercations, a common occurrence among both newcomers and veterans.

Maxwell's turn soon came when someone went to the middle of the ring and held out his hand to him, making a provocative gesture with his fingers for him to come closer.

Maxwell grinned and said nothing as he picked up his knife in a reverse grip. The knives they'd been given for sparring weren't completely blunt, but as most of them were grown men in their prime, cutting someone would only take a little more effort.

They positioned themselves, lowering their center of gravity and keeping their legs slightly bent, their stances keeping their bodies as far away from each other as possible, but their knives as close to their opponents as possible.

"The rules are simple, the first one to cut his opponent three times wins, only hands, arms, and shoulders can be hit. If you continue to fight after the winner has been announced, I'll kick you out of the army."

"Go ahead!"

With the signal given, Maxwell begins to move, his hands always flowing, not allowing his opponent to predict his movements. This doesn't last long as his opponent loses patience and lunges forward with aggressive stabbings.

Maxwell is forced to back off slowly, but not without attacking. He unleashes a flurry of attacks, but throws his stab at random intervals, making his opponent more cautious and slowing down his attacks.

This proves to be a mistake as Maxwell suddenly lunges at his opponent.

The light spray of blood stains the already-stained snow.

Stepping back, Maxwell raises his knife, a red trail glistening on the surface of the blade.

His opponent seems unconcerned by the large gash in his upper right hand, but a playful smile appears on his face.

Maxwell frowns but soon understands when he feels a warm, and viscous run down his left elbow.

Pushing the tingling sensation to the back of his mind, Maxwell regains his concentration and leaves his wound to the care of the nanites.

Stepping back into his opponent's personal space, Maxwell is undeterred by the cut.

Something inside him seemed to be unlocked when he felt the first blow, removing his remaining shyness and allowing him to enter the fight without fear of injury.

The instructor seemed to have noticed Maxwell's change in attitude, shaking his head when he saw that the winner had already been decided.

Some might argue that all that sparring with blades in a controlled environment wasn't the same as a real close combat situation.

But the point of sparring was not to give recruits real experience, that was something that could only be gained in real conflicts and fights, after all, you'd only lose a knife fight once in such a scenario.

The goal was to instill in the recruits a fearlessness of injury; the first to succumb to fear had already lost the battle.

As the fight intensified, Maxwell saw an opportune moment and launched himself again. His opponent knew this would happen and prepared to counter.

What he didn't expect, however, was Maxwell's refusal to retreat, even when his shoulder was pierced and the blade tore into his flesh.

Then his opponent realized that Maxwell's blade was approaching, he tried to dodge, but Maxwell's great footwork pinned him, the blade grazing his forearm before plunging into his bicep.

"Grrr!" A grunt of pain bursts from the man's clenched lips as he feels Maxwell withdraw the blade, and he does the same, though more roughly, frustrated at having been defeated. Maxwell grits his teeth, a low animalistic growl rising from his throat at the audacity of the idiot, but he makes no move.

Maxwell returns to his seat and is given gauze to cover his wounds, but refuses the metabolism shots as he doesn't know if they will affect his stats. Finally calming down, Maxwell could feel his breath coming in gasps and his heart beating quite fast. The adrenaline from the fight was starting to wear off and the pain hit him like a truck.

As Maxwell wrapped the gauze around his wounds, he reflected on the intense fight that had just taken place. He realized that he had found a new confidence in himself, a confidence that could only be gained by facing the fear of being hurt. Even with the cuts and bruises, he knew that as long as he wasn't killed immediately, the nanites would find a way to fix him.

Finishing bandaging up, a screen appears in front of Maxwell, something he was expecting.

[(X) Complete 50 knife throws successfully at a distance of 10 feet.

(X) Take part in all the knife classes of the week.

(X) Defeat someone with a knife.]

[Quest accomplished! Depositing rewards…]

[You've received a skill: Blade Mastery]

[Blade Mastery: This skill represents mastery over all types of blades and edged weapons. Blade Mastery improves various aspects of the art of the blade, including:

Sharpening: Its sharpness lasts longer, allowing you to use your blades for longer. Quality is defined by your level.

Throwing: Throws throwables further and more accurately.

Butcher: Your blows using blades hardly get stuck, in addition to keeping your blade clean for longer.]

[+$20c]

Maxwell doesn't soften, his performance has caught the eye. It seemed that his nanites had a lot of work to do.