Aura Training

"There is a shortcut, though I'm not suggesting you do it. It's just a risky option," Leo warned Augustus.

"What's the risk?" Augustus inquired.

Leo sighed, "Well, you'd be commanding the system to give you the highest level of lightning shock if you fail. And considering how weak your soul is, you'll probably end up dead."

"Only in life or death situations can a human tap into their full potential. But the risk is high. You can command the system yourself, it's not up to me."

Augustus took a deep breath, steeling his resolve. "What are we going to do? Am I sparring with you or...?"

Leo shook his head. "You'll die instantly if you fight me. Instead, you'll be up against ten training dummies, each wielding a real sword, and they'll be at the same level as you."

Augustus raised an eyebrow. "Isn't ten too much? And do they have the same stats as me?"

Leo grinned. "It won't be easy, that's for sure. But if you want to get stronger, this is your chance."

After a moment of contemplation, Augustus made up his mind. "Fine, let's do it. It's either giving up here or pushing forward."

"System, if I fail, you can give me your highest-level lightning," Augustus declared with determination.

[User request accepted]

"Oh, and you have to request to seal your qi and mana too, but you can use your footwork skill," Leo added.

Augustus nodded, taking in the additional information. "Understood."

[User request accepted]

[Sword Training Level 1 Chosen]

"Alright, your task is to destroy all ten training dummies. They now have durability and can be destroyed, unlike previous training," Leo explained.

"Good luck, kid," he added, bidding Augustus farewell.

As Leo disappeared, ten training dummies materialized out of thin air, generated by the system. They were all in fighting stances, swords at the ready.

Augustus wasted no time, immediately charging towards one of the dummies. The system had spawned them separately, offering a one-on-one fight to start.

With his footwork skill, wind step, Augustus moved with lightning speed, obliterating the first training dummy as soon as the fight began. He swiftly moved on to the second, then the third, determined to destroy them all.

As Augustus tried to destroy the fourth dummy, the fifth and sixth quickly grouped with the fourth, disrupting his progress. He knew he couldn't afford to be surrounded, so he decided to create some distance and gain an advantage.

"I cannot be surrounded by them; I should move out and create some space," Augustus thought, his mind racing with strategies.

Leo observed with a gleam in his eye. "Your battle experience exceed my expectations. I almost forgot that you're over three hundred years old inside of a brat's body."

"Ten dummies might not be enough; let's increase the challenge a notch higher."

Leo's words fueled Augustus' determination. He watched as more training dummies spawned across the training ground, appearing at unexpected locations like the bridge, above the wall, and even inside the castle.

Augustus quickly dispatched the isolated dummies, but as he did, more dummies were added to the field, overwhelming him.

"There's an endless amount of them," Augustus realized, feeling the pressure mount.

"Is Leo really trying to test my limits?" Augustus wondered, his body beginning to tire from the constant sprinting and combat.

Augustus was hiding on tree trying to recover as much stamina as he could before he continue.

"Trying to catch your breath?" Leo's voice suddenly rang out from behind him. Augustus turned to see Leo sitting casually in a nearby tree, a sly smile on his face.

"He's here, guys, get him!" Leo called out to the training dummies, and Augustus had no choice but to flee as his enemies closed in on him.

"This stubborn old man is not holding back," Augustus muttered, frustrated but determined to keep going.

He managed to take down three more dummies that let their guards down in pursuit of him, but the challenges were only growing.

"You're really playing hide-and-seek with them, huh?" Leo remarked, appearing unfazed by Augustus' evasion. "Let's limit the area then. System, make it so anyone outside of the castle in five minutes will fail the training."

Augustus gritted his teeth, knowing that he was now forced to confront the dummies head-on. As Leo's new rule took effect, most of the dummies rushed towards the castle, ignoring everything else in their path.

"I'll take this opportunity to defeat them all," Augustus thought, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

He charged towards the castle entrance, entering the castle there were several dummies waiting for him, and they immediately launched their attacks.

With countless flurries of attacks charging towards him, Augustus barely manages to fend them all off, his sword dancing in motions, parrying and striking with extreme precision.

However, the onslaught takes its toll, and he ends up with injuries, his arm and leg bleeding profusely. The situation looks dire, and Augustus knows he can't keep this up for long without succumbing to his wounds.

Every training dummy in the castle has been defeated by Augustus, leaving only the remaining dummies which are outside of the castle.

They started to come in one by one, through the narrow entrance.

This is what Augustus have been planning for.

The narrow entrance will restricts their movements, giving Augustus a strategic advantage.

It becomes a battle of endurance as Augustus stands his ground, waiting for the dummy to approach.

After what seems like an eternity, a notification from the system is deployed.

[Sword Training Lvl 1 completed]

[Your stats have increased]

['Basic Swordsmanship' Leveled up]

['Basic Swordsmanship' Leveled up]

['Basic Swordsmanship' Leveled up]

['Wind Step' Leveled up]

[Augustus Gray]

[Cultivation Realm: Qi Refinement Realm]

[Mana Rating: Two-Star Mage]

[Learned Skills: Wind Step Lvl 3, Pain Resistance Lvl 2, Basic Swordsmanship Lvl 8]

STR: 25 CONS: 12

AGI: 20 DEF: 6

INT: 18 MAG: 25

Unique Stats:

Qi: 10

Augustus feels a surge of relief as his injuries instantly heal, and his stamina is restored. However, he can't help but feel disappointed as he realizes he didn't learn Aura as Leo promised when he completed the training.

Frustrated, Augustus confronts Leo. "I thought you said I'll learn Aura when I complete it," he complains, his voice contain rage as he risked his life for it.

Leo chuckles, unfazed by Augustus' reaction. "I said it's a shortcut and Aura awakening is a rare occurrence. Sometimes it happens in life or death situations, and I never guarantee it would work."

Leo didn't care about Augustus' suffering and even recommended him to try again, risking his life again.

"Let's do it again, then. This time, no running around, just the field. How about twenty dummies this time?"

"I'll die if I fight twenty at once," Augustus exclaimed, his heart pounding with trepidation.

Leo smirked confidently. "Oh, come on, you'll be fine. You destroyed over fifty just now. Your years of combat experience won't fail you."

Augustus hesitated for a moment, his mind racing with doubts. "Why am I doing this again?" he wondered, questioning his decision to undergo this grueling training at the dreaded Training Ground, especially with Leo as his instructor.

With a deep breath, Augustus clenched his fists and steeled his resolve. "I can't back down now," he thought, pushing aside his fears. "The Training Ground is the worst place, but I need to get stronger."

He made his choice and selected [Sword Training Level 1].

"Start it up," Augustus declared, his eyes fixed on the twenty training dummies that appeared before him, spread out in the field, surrounding him with no escape.

"This time I might actually die," he admitted to himself, feeling a surge of adrenaline as the dummies charged towards him.

Augustus wasted no time, lunging at one of the dummies, aiming to break free from their encirclement. He intentionally sustained minor injuries to secure openings, using his wind step to swiftly eliminate one of the dummies and create a gap to escape their clutches.

But the battle had only just begun. The remaining dummies closed in, their wooden limbs swinging with precision. Augustus moved with skill and agility, dodging and parrying their attacks, but not without sustaining some injuries along the way.

Despite the pain, Augustus fought on, his determination unwavering. He struck with calculated attacks by exploiting the weaknesses of the dummies which is their low durability.

"We have the same stats, but they're still made of straws and wood. Their durability is a significant weakness," Augustus remarked, his voice filled with determination.

Taking them down one by one. But with each strike, he felt his body weakening, the injuries piling up.

"Only five left," Augustus thought, sweat dripping down his brow. His muscles ached, and his grip on his sword faltered. But he refused to give up. He knew he had to finish this, no matter what.

As my vision blurred and my strength waned, the training dummies noticed my exhaustion and spread out, attempting to surround me and overwhelm me with their numbers.

I could feel the weight of the battle bearing down on me, but I refused to give up.

"Should I fail here and try to endure the lightning shock? If Leo could endure it, maybe I could too," I thought to myself, considering my options. But then, a surge of determination washed over me. "No, what am I thinking? I've survived worse situations than this. Despite overwhelming odds, I've always found a way to survive. I can't die here, meaninglessly."

With a resolute shout, I pushed myself to stand, fueled by sheer willpower. And in that moment, a notification appeared.

[You have successfully manifested Aura]

[You are now a One-Star Aura User]

I felt the power of Aura enveloping my body, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. The training dummies lunged at me, but with Aura protecting me, I was able to deflect their attacks and fend them off. My sword felt imbued with newfound strength, as if the Aura had amplified its sharpness.

I went on a rampage, taking down two training dummies at once with swift and precise strikes, empowered by the Aura coursing through my veins.

Three dummies remained, and I knew I had little strength left. It was now or never. Gathering all the Aura I could muster, I focused it on my blade, despite its instability as it was my first time controlling Aura.

With my heart pounding, I unleashed the Aura in a powerful vertical slash.

The sword Aura cleaved through all three training dummies in a single devastating attack, cleanly decapitating them. I stood there, panting, covered in sweat and injuries, but triumphant.

[ Sword Training Lvl 1 completed ]

[ Your stats have increased ]

[ 'Basic Swordsmanship' Leveled up ]

[ 'Basic Swordsmanship' Leveled up ]

['Basic Swordsmanship' reached max level ]

[ 'Basic Swordsmanship' is now available on the Skill Tree System ]

['Wind Step' Leveled up]

Panting heavily, Augustus struggled to catch his breath as he lay on the ground, feeling frustrated. "I'm finally done here," he muttered.

"There's probably still some time left; I'll just do some physical training."

"For a moment, I thought that wouldn't work," he said to himself, his disappointment evident. "I just speculated since that's what happened to most people; I didn't know it would work so well with you."

"I was about to introduce you to another method, but there's no need for it now, is it? Puhahahaha," he chuckled, his confidence returning.

As he listened to Augustus, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.

If he revealed the other method he had in mind, I might just ask the system to kill him and train on my own during my time here.

With only a week left until the three months for his daily quest, Augustus decided not to waste any time.

He resolved to spend the remaining time doing Physical Training Lvl 2.

[Physical Training Lvl 2 Chosen]

The training became more intense, incorporating variations such as flexibility and mobility exercises, as well as explosive movements like burpees and jumping. Augustus pushed himself to the limit, using heavier weights and doing more sets.

After a week had passed, I had grown tired of this place and decided to move on, leaving without saying goodbye to that piece of trash.

"Huh? He suddenly left without saying anything?" Leo exclaimed in surprise. "That brat has no manners," He commented disdainfully.

"... Now I'm bored again," Leo sighed, feeling lonely in the empty dimension without Augustus.

Leo chuckled to himself, as if he had just remembered something. "Oh yes, the brat left without me teaching him some techniques," he mused, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Back to sleeping, I guess," Leo shrugged nonchalantly, settling down for another nap.