Chương 18: Addiction
I dropped the dagger to the ground as I collapsed in front of the training dummy, its many surface level cuts healing instantly.
I don't know how long I'd been at it now; I'd heard people enter and leave but my focus remained on the training art.
The first 10% of the art were just different kind of slashing attacks, vertical, diagonal, horizontal and overhead.
In single movements, they were easy to learn but the art wouldn't progress until I was able to chain together a series of these attacks.
I felt incompetent, struggling with something as simple as this but giving up now would just further those feelings of incompetency.
After the slash was the stabbing attacks, used more sparingly due to how vulnerable it would leave the attacker but usually resulting in a great deal of damage.
Chaining together a series of attacks with this art required me to change the way I gripped the dagger multiple times, mid combo.
I also began incorporating the defensive techniques, which often involved the free hand into these combinations, something similar to shadowboxing.
My cuts finally began making a mark on the training dummy, the rush I felt from the rapid improvement motivated me to keep going.
However, as I had raised my dagger to start again, my hands didn't listen as the dagger fell to the ground.
My hand were trembling and red, the hilt of the dagger had imprinted itself onto my palm. I didn't feel pain, only numbness as I tried to move my arms.
My legs were a bit better, tired but responsive, so I haggardly carried myself over to a bench to rest.
Learning a weapon art took a toll on one's body, and I had a pretty low constitution from the looks of it.
Soon, my hands began to hurt, the numbness gone, replaced by a slight burning pain as the redness in my hands began to disappear.
The recovery rate of an awakened was incredible, even at such a low level, the only downside being the pain which was manageable.
I wanted to keep learning the combat art, but my body was in no state to continue and I was nervous about the time, so I decided to continue later.
Heading outside, I noticed that the bustle of the military base had returned, some were on patrol duty, some on maintenance and others seemed to be chatting idly.
I got a few odd looks here and there as I returned but most of them were just curious glances, before returning to their duties.
Closing the cabin door behind me, I collapsed on the bed, my entire body still radiating in pain as I looked up at the time.
It was a little past noon; a few hours had passed since Adam had left and he was probably at the city now.
I wondered how they would react to him being alive, I imagined the celebration would be akin to a festival with how influential he was.
I was excited to see the city, as weird as that may sound. I wanted to see the place where the first arc of the story had taken place.
It was surreal to see characters I had read about in real life and even more surreal was witnessing mana and its effects.
Each aspect of this world still fascinated me, but I pretended as if it was natural to me, so I wouldn't appear out of place.
It was very hard to hide my surprise from Adam when I saw the storage gem in action, I still could hardly believe it.
I was looking forward to seeing more of it and was thankful that I was given the ability to with mana.
However, I still was wary about the future events, the destruction of Ironguard was only a precursor to the events that lie ahead.
The events that would happen were akin to an apocalypse and for my sake, I had to make it better any way I could.
I had a rough 'plan', it was mostly just events I thought I could manipulate or change in my favor in a random order, but it was all I could really do.
Planning too far ahead was a fool's errand, as most of my information would be outdated very soon.
"Excuse me."
A voice broke me out of my trance like state as I painfully got up to answer the door.
Standing there was the same hero that had taken me to the examination earlier.
"A car has arrived at the checkpoint for you. Are you ready to leave?" He asked.
I quickly double checked if everything I needed was inside my storage amulet and followed the man outside.
We walked past the residential area, the cafeteria, the armory and the office area before we left the fortress entirely, reaching a large arch gate with stone pillars on either side.
Atop them marksman stood at the ready looking down at the stream of vehicles entering and leaving the base from the gate.
I was led to a modest looking sedan, painted in black with an elderly man in suit and tie standing in front.
"Have a safe trip." The hero said as he departed.
I approached the one standing by the vehicle, he had neatly trimmed grey hair along with a mustache and beard. His suit neatly pressed and his demeanor graceful.
He seemed like the traditional butler that would be seen in high end places and had an inviting smile.
"I thought the young master was exaggerating your looks, but he seemed to have been selling you short."
He said as he placed his hand on his chest and bowed lightly.
"I'm Rhodes, an employee for the Kane family, nice to meet you."
I hadn't been treated with such formality in my life and could only give an awkward greeting in response.
"...Nice to meet you."
He nodded and opened the car door for me, revealing a luxurious looking interior with white cushioned seats.
I took my seat inside, the comfort of the car seats, surpassing any bed I had slept on.
He took the driver's seat, and with the turn of a key, the car started without making a sound.
After some time spent on the checkpoint, the car headed onto an open road as the speed began to increase gradually.
Rather, the speed increased exponentially, the car going at a speed where the surroundings were a blur even with newly awakened perception.
However, the speed barely affected the comfort of the interior as I felt the fatigue of the training and my short sleep catch up to me.
Eventually, I leaned my head against the car window and closed my eyes, falling asleep as the car continued to zip down the road.
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