Basic Swordsmanship

Kraun opened his eyes. A golden hourglass flashed across his pupils and vanished.

His inner sense told him it was already a quarter past one.

He was very satisfied with the effects of the Visualization Method. All the fatigue in his body had completely faded.

I wonder what this herbal broth is for. I'll drink it for now and see how it feels.

He picked up the bowl and drained it in one hearty gulp.

Licorice, astragalus, atractylodes, angelica, codonopsis... all herbs that nourish the blood and replenish qi. Just as I expected. Kraun nodded slightly, then left the room and strode toward the Training Ground, moving like the wind.

The drizzle had stopped, but the sky remained gloomy.

Father Nick had not arrived yet. Kraun took a thick-backed, narrow-bladed sword from the weapon rack nearby. It had no edge.

It was a one-handed sword, quite heavy in his grip—at least eight or nine pounds.

He was idly swinging it when Nick emerged from the church.

"I thought you might sleep in. Good. Your self-discipline is a rare quality."

"Many people have excellent talent but lack self-discipline, wasting their best years." The priest smiled. He was growing ever more pleased with this Acolyte.

Actually, I've already fully recovered, and I'm in peak condition. Kraun gave a shy smile. "Thank you. I still have a lot of room to improve."

Nick's impression of him gained another virtue: humility.

"All right. Since you're in such good shape, let's get started."

He took a one-handed sword of the same type from the weapon rack and twirled it in his hand.

"A Knight's main weapons are the one-handed sword and the Two-Handed Sword. Today, we'll learn the basic moves of the one-handed sword. Once you've made enough progress, we'll move on to Cross Sword techniques. After you've mastered the one-handed sword, we'll study the Two-Handed Sword."

Kraun nodded, thinking, I wonder what knowledge and skills an Exorcist Priest needs to learn. The Father's breadth of knowledge is beyond anything I imagined.

He had assumed that holy servants like Exorcist Priests were merely spellcasters who relied on divine magic. He hadn't expected them to be a combination of mage and swordsman.

"Watch carefully." Nick took his sword to the center of the Training Ground and demonstrated the basic sword forms, explaining each one in detail as he went.

"There are only a few basic sword moves: thrust, slash, tap, and beat aside. But you must coordinate your footwork and arms to make the most of the weapon's power. Only then will your swordsmanship have enough destructive force to count as having reached the basics."

The Father demonstrated the sequence three times, then let Kraun take his turn.

"Your form is breaking down. Press your arm lower."

"Your step is too wide. The force from your arm isn't reaching the tip of the sword."

Nick patiently corrected every imperfect movement. Kraun listened carefully, thinking about how he could apply his strength more effectively.

As the sun set, Nick watched the young man training diligently beneath the evening glow. He could not hide his radiant smile.

The afternoon's training was no less intense than the morning's. Often, Kraun needed to unleash his strength in sudden bursts.

Kraun took several breaks, but his constitution seemed unusual. A few minutes of rest were enough to restore him. He did get hungry easily, though, and ate twice more during the session.

"Looks like I'll have to raise his food allowance," Nick murmured, then called out, "That's enough for today. Go home and get a good night's rest. Once you've adapted to this level of training, we'll study some knowledge about monsters in the evenings, so you'll know how to deal with them better if you encounter any."

Kraun was smiling too. After steadying his breathing, he returned the Sharp Sword to the weapon rack.

[Basic Swordsmanship: 66/1000; Tier 1] (You have mastered the basic techniques for applying force)

In a single afternoon, his Basic Swordsmanship had gained 66 proficiency points. Half that time had been spent before he reached the basics, when he couldn't gain any proficiency.

"You're doing very well." The Father took out a sheet of paper covered in tiny writing and handed it to Kraun. "This is the prescription. It lists everything you need to drink and apply. You're an advanced herbalist, so you can prepare it yourself."

Kraun took the paper with both hands and thanked the Father. "Thank you. I wouldn't have improved so quickly without your careful instruction."

Nick was even more pleased by his reply. "Go on home. Make sure you get enough nutrition tonight and get plenty of rest. If you don't have enough Gold Shields, come borrow some from me."

"I won't charge you interest this time. Keep working hard—that's the only way to seize your future," the Father added.

"Thank you. If I need anything, I won't hesitate to ask you."

Kraun hurried home from the church with the sword he had trained with. As he passed Gorse Street, he saw several donkey carts parked outside the Patrol Squad's building, surrounded by a crowd.

Judging by their clothes, they seemed to be workers from the Quarry.

Curiosity got the better of him. He walked over, grabbed a short, broad-shouldered man with dark skin, and asked, "Hey, what happened here?"

The man turned to him, grief written across his face. "Something awful happened at the Quarry. Some workers were brutally murdered, and their bodies were dumped in the wilderness."

An elderly worker with graying hair added, "Their organs were ripped out. We suspect some kind of Monster did it."

Could it be a Werewolf?

Kraun's heart stirred, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Werewolves were well-known Monsters. They devoured every scrap of flesh from their prey, even smashing their bones to suck out the marrow.

The victims had only had their organs removed. That clearly wasn't the work of Werewolves, who were known for wasting nothing.

Kraun stopped watching and continued straight home without slowing down.

In this dark age, anyone without power would have their bones picked clean by all kinds of monsters.

He remembered what the Father had told him: the world's spiritual energy was growing more active, and supernatural incidents would become increasingly common.

He was still weak. He had to work twice as hard!

There was also a Werewolf lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike a fatal blow.

At Mao Hour, thick clouds covered the sky, and there was no moon.

Kraun tried to meditate on the Moonlight Seal with his hands forming the mudra, but his proficiency did not increase any faster.

He gave up on the Visualization. Advancing the Golden Light Incantation would take a long time, and what he urgently needed now was to improve his own combat strength.

He had no intention of using the prescription the Father gave him. He could replace the ointment with the Tiger Bone Ointment he had in stock. He didn't need the qi-and-blood-nourishing broth, either. As long as he ate enough good food and spent enough time visualizing the Golden Light Incantation, he would never suffer from a deficiency of qi and blood.

What he needed most now was sword practice!

He went into the backyard and darted through the darkness, thrusting, slashing, and tapping.

As he practiced with focus, insights trickled into his mind.

His body was tired, but he welcomed the fatigue.

Every bit of effort brought visible progress, leaving him undaunted by any hardship.

When he was hungry and tired, he sat down and ate his fill, then recovered his strength through the Golden Light Incantation Visualization Method. Once some of his energy and strength had returned, he resumed his relentless practice with the one-handed sword.

Only when the night wind grew bitterly cold and frost began to form on the ground did Kraun realize it was already midnight.

[Basic Swordsmanship: 211/1000; Tier 1]

In just over a week, his swordsmanship would reach Tier 2!