“Hah… Hah… Hah…” Arthur wiped his face before he swung his arm to the side. His face was completely covered in sweat. His arms were exhausted and his stamina bar was very low.
However, the fire in Arthur’s eyes was burning violently. He didn’t know how long he had been training for and he frankly didn’t care at all. He simply wanted to swing his sword one more time, try another stance, fix one of his flaws, and perhaps… get one step closer to mastering the sword.
He knew that a few hours of training weren’t going to make him a master swordsman. But, he knew that each step he took got him closer to that goal. It was a ball of snow that he just pushed off the cliff and was about to roll down as it slowly grew.
Even as he was standing there, very tired, he didn’t stop as there was still some time before he had to log out.
‘Should I drink a stamina potion?…’ He asked himself as he breathed in and out heavily. Normally, Arthur wouldn’t hesitate to drink a potion as it was like a lifeline to him. They were very crucial in prolonging his powers and keeping him alive.
But, this one particular time, he wasn’t so certain and the reason for that was something he saw an hour ago.
[Ding!]
[Training has been detected.]
[+1 Stamina.]
He was quite surprised by the sudden notification. Then, it quickly dawned on him. Training had given him an extra stat point. Naturally, that wasn’t much as he had 40 points of stamina and the growth was very marginal.
But, that was more than enough for Arthur to contemplate his actions. If his suspicion was right, then if he kept pushing himself beyond his current stamina, perhaps that would stimulate more growth.
‘That’s basically real-life logic… Does it work in the game too? Well, I can’t tell till I try.’
After deciding on his next action, he closed the menu and grabbed the sword again. A minute of rest was more than enough for him to regain energy to resume swinging the sword like an addicted maniac.
‘Let’s see. I have improved a good amount from these two hours of training. I fixed some mistakes and I’m growing more and more comfortable with the stance Theodore taught me. But…’
Even though the training session was very positive, Arthur was still not satisfied and the reason for that was simple. His senses weren’t telling him that he had broken through yet. He was seeing progress, but there was no explosive revelation that pushed his technique up a notch.
He didn’t know why, but every fiber of his being told him that he had his hand on a very important detail that could overhaul his entire battle style. But, he didn’t know what that thing was. It was within grasp yet also extremely far which frustrated him a little and made him even more eager to swing the sword in hopes of finding it.
“I know I’m being a greedy bastard for wanting something like that so quickly. But goddammit, I am greedy! Sue me!” He clenched his teeth as he swung the sword violently, hitting the indestructible mannequin right in the shoulder.
The hit was considerably stronger than before and could even be considered disastrously powerful, capable of slicing a target in two like a piece of butter. But, that wasn’t enough. Arthur has 46 strength points, he should be capable of way more. He didn’t forget what awaited him. The people he has to deal with in the near future.
‘I’m better than this… Way better!’ His eyes flashed with a mysterious glint as he kept swinging the sword. The depth of his mind was like an endless abyss, absorbing every piece of information that mattered and throwing anything that wasn’t useful.
He entered a zone where nothing could perturb him. Only his sword, the target, and his body. Each time he found himself in such a state, it only got more extreme as if some kind of demon inside of him was slowly taking over his warrior side and making him lose everything that made him… Well, him.
Arthur wasn’t really worried about that and he embraced that side with open arms. He felt amazing being that strong and that dominating. He liked crushing everyone with sheer power and overwhelming superiority.
‘I’m a god in this game!’ He knew what he was thinking of was arrogant. But, he had a basis to be arrogant. He was the strongest in the game and that feeling only fueled his desire to be stronger, faster, and smarter.
But, to do that, he had to go beyond, break whatever limits he had, and step up just like he had done so far in the game, time after time. He knew that to be better, you simply must try more than everyone else and if that wasn’t enough then you should try even more!
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
His hits rained down, faster and faster as if his body wasn’t already very exhausted. He didn’t even realize that he started taking the correct stance faster and faster each time. When he first started trying, he took at least a few seconds to adjust his position.
But now, he could get into the stance in one or two seconds at most. The improvements were accumulating very slowly but effectively. ‘Better… I need to get better! You aren’t good enough yet!’
The determination rising within his heart didn’t seem to be stopping. Like a raging tide, it swept everything in its way. Arthur didn’t know where all of that came from, but he didn’t care… More determination was better.
But, after a while, and against all his expectations, Arthur was slapped with something that made him stop swinging his sword. Out of nowhere, his eyes widened as he felt an immensely powerful feeling surge through his body and through his brain like a shockwave.
He instantly stopped swinging as he froze in his place like a statue. His eyes fixated on one single thing.
[Ding!]
[Immense Improvement has been detected!]
[You have activated a talent.]
[You have acquired a new ability: Swift Swordsmanship!] free𝑤ebnovel.com
“… What?” As if he was waking up from a trance, Arthur muttered. “… I gained a skill?”
Arthur was quite taken aback by what happened. He had never been given a skill out of nowhere for no reason at all. He had been simply swinging his sword and somehow, the game decided that it was enough to give him a skill.
“Swift Swordsmanship? I actually received an ability for Swordsmanship just like that?”
Looking down at his body, Arthur could instantly feel the difference. He felt like he understood his sword better than before.
‘… I feel like the sword is now an extension of me…’ He thought to himself as he gripped it tighter. The improvement was noticeable. ‘Is this the breakthrough I was looking for?’
The question excited Arthur for a moment but then he was slapped back to reality. No, this was not it. The skill was a sudden boost that he did not expect. He had just been given an immensely important helping hand that would make him jump into mastery very quickly.
“What does the skill say?”
[Swift Swordsmanship: Your sword is your arm. Stretching it forward, it floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. You are a crushing force that can’t be stopped, moving with immense grace and lethal precision.
Ability: Improves swordsmanship by 15%. Improves growth by 15%.]
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3