Training for the Blood Moon Countdown
Ivan quickly reached out and grabbed Shien's forearm, gently pulling him up from the ground.
Shien straightened up with the help of the mud on his chin, his chest heaving, his breathing still not fully calm.
The Knight around them continued to pound their shields, their shouts growing louder and louder.
But Shien's expression remained unchanged; he calmly accepted the defeat and showed no particular excitement despite the cheers of the crowd.
What others saw as a deadly duel between opponents of a higher level was, to him, merely a test of his skills.
He was merely using Gareth as a sharp whetstone to gauge just how far this newly awakened body could go in the Resonance Realm.
As for his trump cards, Shien didn't reveal a single one.
Deep within his consciousness, he still firmly suppressed the techniques he truly used to save his life.
[Lv.3 Star-Piercing Greatsword Technique], [Lv.3 Boiling Blood Blazing Blade], [Lv.3 Extreme Shadow Killing Formation], [Lv.2 Shock-Edge Force Release]...
These are not things that should be displayed on the training ground.
If he had actually followed the killing move, what would have fallen to the ground would most likely have been a human head, not just a sword.
During this period, thanks to the constantly accumulated Reward Value, he exchanged almost everything he could for.
Shien had long since stopped adhering to the old methods of the Greywood Lineage. He copied whichever was best suited for killing enemies and surviving: armor penetration, force reduction, explosive power, or close combat.
Nobles value inheritance, but he only cares about surviving.
More importantly, the Canon of Grace and Righteousness doesn't just cramm these skills into his head and that's it.
After each reissue, the Sacred Canon would automatically deduce and smooth out the conflicting parts, eventually piecing them together into a path more suitable for itself.
The forced combination of fighting techniques from different systems actually stirred up the Battle Aura within him as well.
That's why he was able to force his way into the Resonance Realm in such a short time.
The burning pain in my chest from the overload hasn't completely subsided.
Shien took a deep breath of the snowy, cold air, steadied himself with Ivan's help, and glanced at Gareth opposite him. "Well played, good job not holding back."
Gareth lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing, but ultimately didn't accept the compliment.
The Knight around them continued to pound their shields, their shouts growing louder and louder.
Shien raised his hand. "That's enough."
The voice wasn't loud, but the commotion from the sidelines quickly subsided.
"There's nothing to shout about. We'll wait until the Blood Moon Season arrives, then go outside the city and yell at the Werewolf and Ghoul."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Knight, who had been full of excitement, immediately quieted down.
Shien then gently pushed away Ivan's hand that was supporting him, dragged his still somewhat heavy legs, turned around, and walked directly down from the training ground.
Everyone immediately followed.
The further you go, the stronger the smell in the air becomes.
The Quicklime, animal dung, sweat, and the Frozen Tundra, fishy odor of the turned-up frozen soil all mingled together, assaulting the nostrils.
What came into view was not a neat and respectable camp, but a huge machine that was running at full speed.
Thousands of soldiers have been practicing back and forth between the defensive lines for a full month.
According to the calendar promulgated by the Church, there are still two full months left until the Blood Moon Season arrives in full force.
But the Blood Moon never knocks on time.
The Gray Fog outside Blackpine Fief is getting thicker every day, and the night wind is starting to carry that unpleasant, fishy smell.
Judging from this trend, the Blood Moon will rise in at most another month, and those monsters in the eternal night could pounce on the defensive line at any time.
There was not a trace of wishful thinking in Shien's eyes.
If the outer defenses are even a step too slow, the berserk Magic Creature can cross the trenches in the blink of an eye; if the Steam Repeating Crossbow malfunctions even once at a crucial moment, the entire line could be trampled through on the spot.
If you lose, you lose everything.
Blackpine Fief will be devoured by the Blood Moon, and so will he, the lord. If it really comes to that, he can only pray that he doesn't turn into Ghoul.
Moreover, Shien understood long ago that when the Blood Moon rises and the Beast Tide truly surges forward, slogans and passion will be useless.
When you get to that point, people get scared, panic, and instinctively want to back down.
What truly sustains the battle line is never the courage mustered on the spot, but the movements practiced repeatedly until they are ingrained in one's bones.
When you practice, you don't have time to think; your body will do it on its own.
So, a month ago, before the Blackpine Five-Ring project was even fully completed, Shien began a complete set of practical exercises.
When will the Poisonfire Mine detonate? When will the first layer of shields be cleared? Which trench can be retreated from? Which area is a blind spot for the Steam Repeating Crossbow? Which line, if you take even half a step too far, will result in being impaled by your own heavy arrows?
He broke it all down into steps that were least likely to be forgotten.
Faced with the imagined head-on charge of High-Tier Magic Beast, the front-line heavy armor soldiers no longer resisted to the death. As soon as the short bronze horn sounded, they uniformly slid their shields and took steps to deflect the force. When the long horn sounded again, they immediately retreated in an orderly manner.
The crossbowmen who operated the Steam Repeating Crossbow were often blindfolded, with the sounds of war drums and bronze basins filling their ears, specifically designed to simulate the heart-pounding roar of Blood Moon night.
The movements must be completed in the shortest possible time. If you make a mistake, start over. If you are too slow, start over again, until you can do it correctly even with your eyes closed.
The Spearmen behind the trenches did the same; they no longer practiced those fancy but useless moves, but only stared at the few white lime markings on the ground, practicing oblique thrusts, retreats, and cover positions over and over again.
If someone falls in the front row, who will cover for them in the back? If there's a gap on the flank, which team will fill it, and where will they fill it? You have to remember all of that perfectly.
After a month, the training has begun to show results.
Those who used to cower at the sight of a beast have finally shown some backbone.
As soon as the horn sounded, even the most easily disordered recruits would instinctively start moving according to the instructions.
The shields opened and closed, the spears filled in, and the Auxiliary Soldier switched weapons; they had already learned to work together seamlessly.
Even if they can't be called elite troops, at least they're no longer a bunch of terrified, runaway soldiers.
Even if the Blood Moon Season were to truly descend, they might still be afraid, but their instincts would have already taught them how to hold their ground.
Of course, Shien didn't push people to their limits.
He strictly controlled the daily training schedule, stopping when necessary and resting when needed.
The rotation, hot soup, meat, salt water, and medicine were all provided.
Knight and Spearmen, the warriors who are at the forefront of the Blood Moon Season, receive the best rations in the entire territory.
Everyone knew in their hearts that the lord was forcing them not to torment them, but to allow them to survive a little longer during the Blood Moon.
That's why, although the training was tough, there wasn't much resentment.
When Shien stepped onto the makeshift platform, the soldiers who were still running and changing positions on the training field had already seen him.
The horn sounded quickly, the crowd swiftly dispersed, the shield bearers returned to their ranks, the spears fell to the ground, and the entire camp became much quieter.
A gust of wind swept across the high platform, causing the hem of Shien's coat to flutter slightly.
His gaze swept over the faces below, red from the cold, covered in sweat and mud. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking, "Rest for fifteen minutes, drink some water, loosen your nails, and warm up your arms and legs."
Shien paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the armored soldiers in the front row. "Then, I'll say a few words."