Meelara dragged Selene from the outcropping, into the dusk. Selene’s feet slid on the loose, mossy rocks, and nearly fell, but Meelara’s grip kept her upright.

“What are you doing?” Selene asked, struggling. “Let me go!”

“Calm down,” Meelara smirked. “We’re going to train.”

“Shouldn’t we get away from here?” Selene argued.

“Nah, not yet,” Meelara shook her head. They’d made some distance to the outcropping and reached a relatively flat area. Meelara let go of Selene’s arm. “It’ll take a few days before the others start to get suspicious, and then a little more as they fight over who will take part in the group, and who will stay behind. There’s a bit of a power vacuum in Lon Lon at the moment. If they leave, they might catch up, and get you, but they might lose the chance to put their people on the throne, so to speak.”

Meelara paced a little and stopped a few metres before Selene, turned to face her, and took a stance. Small stones and a grating sound reached Selene’s ears. Behind and below Meelara was the forest, while the rising slope of the mountain continued behind Selene. The moon was rising to Selene’s left, creating an ethereal view of the landscape.

“We’ve got a few days head start,” Meelara grinned. “So, we’re going to train. You’re hopeless in a straight fight, relying on taking your opponent by surprise to win. Once I’m done with you, you’ll be monstrously good.”

“What?” Selene’s eyes widened. She rubbed her shoulders a bit, and looked down, frowning. “I think I did well.”

“Oh, for sure,” Meelara nodded. “You’re strong, your path is probably very potent, but you need technique. I’ll help you with that, though it might take a long time.”

“Right,” Selene took a breath and nodded. “So, what do I do?”

“You train,” Meelara’s grin widened, and she bent her knees. “Do your best and show me what you’ve got. No skills. Here I come!”

Meelara dashed forward, closing the gap in moments, and didn’t give Selene any time to react. Gravel sprayed behind her as if an explosion sent her flying forward.

She slammed into Selene, shoulder first, and sent her tumbling.

“Ooph,” Selene gasped.

She rolled on the ground and groaned as she came to a stop, but scrambled to her feet in quick order. Rocks stuck to her clothes and to her skin. Cuts had appeared on her arms.

Meelara was upon her moments later, her fist swinging for Selene’s temple.

It was all she could do to duck and dodge away.

The next few seconds followed similarly, with Selene focusing on avoidance, and Meelara attacking. Meelara kept up the pressure, and Selene could find no openings.

“What the fuck!?” Selene shouted internally. “What kind of training is this? Is she trying to kill me after all?”

Seconds passed, and Selene failed to dodge several strikes. Bruises started to form all over her body, as Meelara had given up on trying to hit her head.

Selene had lost track of time when Meelara stopped, and jumped back, creating some distance. Throughout all this, rocks, dirt, and moss were sent flying by the movements of Meelara, and Selene’s clothes gradually tore more, and more.

“You’re pretty good at dodging, girl,” Meelara said, barely winded. “But, you need to learn how to fight.”

“What?” Selene exclaimed, bending forward with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. She moved her right hand to press against her ribs, grimacing. Her clothes were barely covering her dignity, and what remained was covered in dirt. “It was all I could do!”

“Pff,” Meelara shook her head and smirked. “I gave you plenty of openings. You just didn’t see them. You’ll get there, in time.”

“What does she mean?” Selene wondered as a shiver ran down her spine. “In time? What?”

Meelara rolled her right shoulder, while pressing it with her left hand, and showed her teeth in a wide smile.

“Oh, please no!” Selene thought with a grimace.

“Now,” she said after around thirty seconds. “Let’s go again!”

Selene only had time to look at her with wide eyes before her opponent attacked.

Once more, Selene was forced to roll and scramble to avoid injuries. New cuts and bruises appeared on her body, now significantly less protected due to the torn clothes. Meelara’s fists felt like stones as they struck her, but Selene could only grit her teeth, and keep moving.

Her heart was racing, drumming so hard that Selene feared it would burst out of her chest. Her breath came in gasps, and her vision started swimming.

Meelara struck one last time, hitting Selene solidly in the chest, and she collapsed.

Coughing, and gasping for breath, Selene couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Her racing heart and the adrenaline rushing through her made it difficult to collect herself.

Her vision started to fade, as she struggled to breathe when something cold flushed through her.

The adrenaline rush disappeared, and a calmness washed over her. She soon managed to regulate her breathing, and her vision cleared.

“What?” Selene thought. keeping her eyes closed, and focusing on breathing. “What was that? The cold feeling, and the calmness… My Spirituality! I can channel it through my body to keep calm!”

Her eyes opened suddenly, and she saw Meelara standing over her, with furrowed brows. When she saw Selene open her eyes, she sighed and smiled.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“Thank fuck!” Meelara exclaimed. “I thought I’d killed you! Well done, girl!”

She reached down, grabbed Selene’s arm and yanked her to her feet. Selene stumbled, but managed to remain standing, though her legs trembled. Selene winced as she passed a hand behind her back.

Her back was pocked with small stones and minor wounds.

“What kind of training is that?!” Selene burst out, glaring at Meelara.

“The only effective way,” Meelara raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Normal training will, without failure introduce poor habits. This way, you’ll learn your body’s limitations, and how to make the best use of your current stats. Later on, you can start introducing your skills, but that should be done in a slightly more controlled manner.”

Meelara looked at her and furrowed her brows before grimacing.

“Let’s take a break,” she said. “Eat some more, and then we’ll continue. You might hate me, or fear me now, but you’ll thank me eventually.”

With that, she turned around and walked toward the outcropping. Selene stood there, her mouth open for several long minutes before she shook her head, and ran after her, wincing as she moved.

Meelara was stoking the flames when Selene arrived at the camp. The meat that was roasting on the fire looked to be thoroughly burned, but Meelara still cut off pieces and started eating. She gestured for Selene to sit down, and resumed her meal.

Selene frowned and shook her head, but sat down without saying anything. She started eating, ignoring the sharp taste of the burnt meat.

“How am I still so hungry?” Selene thought, frowning. “I spent years with barely enough food. How can I fit all this?”

Meelara smirked and blew air through her nose.

“Once you unlocked the System, it made some fundamental changes to your body,” Meelara explained. “You burn through a lot of energy while using your skills, and moving around with a stronger body. As such, the System aids the body by ensuring it can metabolize food rapidly. Even if you don’t have, or use any healing skills, you would heal faster than a normal human, which also requires a significant amount of energy and nutrients. That’s why you can eat so much.”

Selene looked at Meelara with wide eyes, and a strip of meat halfway through her lips. She shook her head, quickly chewed the meat, and asked.

“How did you know?”

“Pff,” Meelara smirked. “It was written all over your face, girl. It’s also one of the first questions any newly ascended asks.”

Selene frowned, then glared at Meelara while cutting off more burnt meat.

“What’s the deal with that training?” Selene demanded. “Some guidance, or tips would be good, you know?”

Meelara smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Everyone I knew growing up is dead,” she said with downcast eyes. “They were all trained by great masters, giving all the guidance and tips they could ever need. Despite all that, they died early. Before reaching mid-Stage 1.”

Selene sat silently, listening with furrowed brows. She didn’t stop eating, though.

“In the end, I was left alone. I didn’t receive any training. I was forced to learn under the threat of death, and I survived, while everyone else didn’t. That’s why I refuse to do that. Only when you’re proficient enough will I start helping you refine your combat style.”

“Oh,” Selene said, before grimacing and shaking her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Heh,” Meelara smirked. “Don’t be. It’s the way of the world for us who live with the System. You either grow strong enough to live, or you die.”

“But, there have to be people under the System who don’t fight, right?” Selene asked.

“Of course,” Meelara nodded. “By strength, I mean strength of will and skill. There are all kinds of people, who walk all kinds of paths. Strength under the System doesn’t necessarily mean having a strong body, or magic. Hmm… Perhaps, power would be a better word. I don’t know.”

Meelara shook her head and refocused her attention on the shrinking mass of meat.

“Strength,” Selene pondered Meelara’s words. “Grow strong or die. I need to have enough power to protect myself, and those I care about. Or, be good enough to be protected, I suppose. No! I won’t be at the mercy of someone stronger… Meelara’s stronger than me, and I’m currently at her mercy.”

She furrowed her brows, as she kept shovelling food into her mouth, no longer bothered by the taste.

“I think I need her, for now. I’m too weak. I need to grow stronger and learn how to fight. In time, I won’t be at anyone’s mercy anymore.”

***

The meat was devoured to the bone when Meelara rose from her position and walked outside.

“Come on,” she said as she walked. “Let’s continue.”

Selene closed her eyes and sighed.

“Right!” she opened her eyes and stood. “Grow stronger. I need to grow stronger.”

Selene smiled as she walked out of the outcropping.

Meelara stood at the same spot as before, and Selene saw the results of the last fight. Gravel was strewn all over, and moss and dirt had been torn away. Bits of Selene’s scavenged uniform lay scattered around the area, and the moon covered the scene in a silvery lustre.

Meelara’s red hair waved slightly as a gust of wind flew through the area. Meelara smiled at Selene’s approach and raised her fists.

This time, Selene didn’t wait for Meelara but dashed forward on her own.

“She said no skills,” the thoughts flashed through Selene’s mind. “But, what happens if I channel my Spirituality while fighting?”

The cold feeling flushed through her, engendering a perfect calm in her mind. Her eyes flitted over the scenery, and her opponent.

Meelara’s eyes widened, followed by a smile. She took a step forward, and her fist burst toward Selene, but she dodged underneath and delivered a strike to Meelara’s abdomen.

“Ouch!” Selene winced. “Feels like hitting a wall!”

She dove to the side, avoiding a follow-up by her opponent, and kicked at Meelara’s legs, but Meelara stepped away, before dashing back in.

Selene almost stumbled as her kick struck only air, and Meelara took advantage.

The rest of the fight went a similar way as before, where Meelara advanced on Selene with an unending, undaunted assault, but this time, Selene kept a cool head.

“Don’t focus on the hopeless feeling,” Selene gritted her teeth. “Focus on Meelara. There’s bound to be an opening.”

The fight carried on, and Selene grew winded, and then exhausted. Her eyes started drooping, but before she had to give up, she felt as if she knew what Meelara would do. She started ducking around the strike before it came, which gave her the opportunity she needed for one last hit.

Meelara’s punch passed above Selene’s head, causing a slight gust of wind to rustle her hair, and Selene followed up with an uppercut. Her fist, pointed up and powered by her arm, and legs as she rose, struck Meelara in the jaw, and her head was knocked back.

Meelara stumbled slightly and took a step backwards, and Selene followed. Three punches to Meelara’s torso came quickly, as she stood wide-eyed.

After delivering the third strike, Selene suddenly felt a deep weakness, and could no longer remain standing. She stumbled to the ground, scraping her hands, and arms on the rocks. Despite that, she was smiling.

“I did it!” she smirked before she passed out.