Regarding Lucian closely, he realized there was no shift in his emotions whatsoever. "Great Mentality," he thought.
Usually, it took a lot of pain and life experience to develop such a mentality, but Giffard noted that he wasn't concerned at all.
Nodding in Respect, he continued, "Well, now that we know your innate ability, we will begin your training," Giffard explained as he walked up the stair to exit the basement.
As they walked, Lucian sensed Giffard's senses on him. He noticed that he had been unusually quiet after his innate ability was revealed. Something did not seem right. Might his ability have tipped him off about the fact that he was not a Chosen?
Suddenly Giffard asked an alarming question."What god has blessed you with their power? Understanding who your patron god is will help you understand your fighting style even further."
Lucian forcefully kept a straight face. There could be no mistakes. "Based on what the system states, I am blessed by the god of death, Thanatos," he replied calmly with no expression on his face. However, internally his anxiousness was through the roof.
Nodding in understanding, Giffard smiled slightly said. "Ah, a minor god! With that information, speed would probably be your strong suit," he said as he walked to the training area.
"While Hades is the god of the Underworld, Thanatos is the god of Death itself. This gives him the power and jurisdiction to reap the lives of the dead. With his wings and scythe, he mercilessly takes the souls of the dead back to the Underworld. If you have gained his blessing, your cultivation path will focus more on Death and speed since those are his main advantages." Giffard explained they finally exited the stairs of the basement.
Eventually, they reach the training area. Some soldiers were engaged in combat as they practiced with their weapons of desire. Lucian grew slightly shocked at some of their skills. Even if they brought their levels down to his, he was absolutely sure of his loss. Nearly every attack was well thought out and executed. In his previous world, these hunters here would be considered combat masters. It felt genuinely hair-raising that even the soldiers had practiced to this Level of skill. He would need to catch up quickly.
They walk towards an arsenal filled with all types of weapons to choose from.
"Now, to fully prepare for battle as a warrior, you must first learn to wield a weapon while having a basic understanding of other weapons," he said before turning and moving towards the centermost training area.
"To practice this, we will experiment with all weapons available here. You will practice with Blades, Sword, Knives, Axes, Spears, Halberds, Swords and Shield, Bow and Arrow, Staff, and Scythe and Chain," He explained casually.
"Why do I need to learn all these weapons? Isn't it better to know and master one type of weapon?" Lucian asked as he stared at the armory in front of him.
Giffard nodded sagely. "Yes, that is true. However, to truly make it far as a warrior, you must build a solid foundation. Focusing on one thing without knowing different methods will easily kill you, especially when fighting with other humans or the beast-kin. You must understand the dynamic and strengths of other weapons to react accordingly; otherwise, a single miscalculation will be the last one you ever have," Giffard explained patiently with his hands behind his back.
"To prevent this, general knowledge of most weapons used is a must. As your teacher, that is the minimum for me to teach you anything of substance."
"For now, choose the weapon you want to start with or the one you have the most affinity for." He concluded as he waited in the training area.
Nodding, Lucian walked towards the arsenal and took a look at the different weapons.
He browsed the arsenal for the different types of weapons to use. There was the bow. However, Lucian immediately decided against it. He was more of a close combat type of guy, and that's what he wanted to learn first.
Switching his focus to the axe, he decided against that as well. It was far too slow and didn't fit his style as a combatant. He preferred a style with powerful and relentless quick attacks. A style where he could move through many enemies in a heartbeat.
His focus eventually landed on the sword hanging on the wall. It was a basic sword about a meter's length with a thick hilt. Pulling it off the wall, he swung it experimentally. It fit most of what he wanted in a weapon; however, it was slightly too clunky for his liking. He could use it just fine, but it felt somewhat off for him personally. He needed something with unmatched sharpness and speed to it to be able to cut from a single swing of his weapon.
As he walked through the arsenal, he found a sheathed katana hanging on the wall. Like the other weapons in the arsenal, it was pretty basic. It was roughly a meter and a half in length with a sharp, curved edge. It had a short hilt at its end with a black grip and pommel. Coupled with its pure black sheath, it looked perfect in Lucian's eyes. He pulled it off the wall and gave it a solid practice swing. The dust departed from where he swung, creating a long line of dust on the floor.
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"This is the one I'll start with," he said with a smile as he examined the blade again. Sheathing his Katana, he exited the arsenal and went to find Giffard.
Giffard stood patiently in wait. The moment he saw Lucian, however, his usual calm and regal expression began to show signs of amusement. He must've found Lucian's choice funny.
"This is the weapon I've chosen," Lucian stated as he got into a combat stance.
"You are quite brave to pick such a choice of weaponry. I'll give you that," he said with a chuckle. His hands left his back as the energy around him turned into a violent burst of wind.
His stance slowly began to widen as he put his left leg forward. His hands move towards his right waist.
"Fortunately for you, there is a reason why I was called the Soundless Bladestorm," he mumbled as he closed his eyes.
Suddenly a bright light shined all over Giffard as a powerful Katana 2 meters in length appeared in his hands. It shined in a silver glow that reminded Lucian of an Innate Ability. Intricate black designs traced all over the sheath as he stood in stance.
"[Quick Draw Stance]," he said while slowly opening his eyes as they shone with a blue light.
He stared at him with a vicious grin. Killing intent surrounded him as his aura rose higher by the second.
Immediately Lucian felt tremendous pressure all over his body, forcing him to take a step back. However, he gritted his teeth and took a step forward instead. He needed to see what power looked like in this world.
"Attack me"
Grabbing his weapon, Lucian complied. "If he's going to use his skills, I might as well use mine" he activated his [Phantom Body] as he awkwardly walked toward him. Even with [Phantom Body] active, he could barely move under the pressure of his aura, but he didn't let that stop him.
Suddenly he activated aerial steps as he catapulted towards Giffard at a quick pace, the sword in his hands unsheathed and pointing forward. Giffard simply waited for his arrival nonchalantly.
Before he made the impact, he raised his sword high, aiming to cut him from his shoulder to the waist. Unfortunately, a sheath suddenly appeared in his trajectory, blocking the attack. Giffard didn't even budge under the attack.
With a bit of surprise, he chuckled. "Hoh? You are far stronger than I had thought, especially at your Level. You must have been blessed with a Powerful body and Gifts as well. Very impressive!"
"However that will not be enough," he said as he pushed him away with a hand. He was sent tumbling back multiple meters away. "Haha! Even more surprises. You are far heavier than you look as well. Impressive!" Giffard bellowed in laughter as he got into stance once more.
"Good. But this is not enough! You are still far too weak for your Level. Compared to the other chosen, you are even weaker! That is unacceptable with your talents!" He said with a shake of his head.
"I will show you a small hint of my power," he said as he got back into a [Quick Draw Stance]. Suddenly he vanished from sight.
Lucian looked around his body to see if he was there. Suddenly he heard a loud piercing sound like wind being torn asunder as he turned to find a large gash in the air behind his body. A vacuum pulled his body towards it as he forced himself to stay in place. It was nearly 10 meters long and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon!
"You have some skill."
Lucian turned toward the voice. Giffard stood right next to him with his hands behind his back. The wind whipped his hair around as he watched in amusement as Lucian flailed about, trying not to fall into the vacuum.
"If you want to master the Katana, I will teach you how. Compared to others, you will have a lot to catch up on. However, for now, I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow will be a much tougher day than today," he said, walking away gracefully with no mind to the vacuum as it raged on. Eventually, it began to slowly subside, and Lucian regained his mobility.
Lucian watched him walk away in silence. That was Ludicrous. He was utterly powerless in that spar. If he wanted, Lucian could be bisected in half without him even noticing! Hell, with a single swing, he was proven entirely immobile! He clenched his fist in frustration. However, he couldn't help but reveal a grin. He was weak today, but he will definitely gain that Level of power to easily crush anybody in his way. He was only just getting started. And he was going to walk this path till he reached the peak!
"Soon enough, I will wield power like that even more! And looking at the way he made those moves, I believe with enough practice, I will be able to do the same, if not better," he mumbled to himself in self-belief. That was the only thing he had, after all.
Walking back to his room, the skills Giffard had shown kept running through his head as he thought of how to begin practicing that ability.
As he walked, he ate one of the fruits he had picked in the forest.
"Hmm, as I gain more strength, it seems I need less and less food." he thought to himself, noticing that he didn't receive as many pangs of hunger as he had before in the forest.
"But I still need food. And money. Seems like I would need to go hunting tonight." he mumbled. Even if his room was paid for, he still needed money to acquire the tools he needed to start cultivating.
Besides, Lucian wasn't a big fan of receiving help or charity. He would much rather do things on his own.
Walking into the hotel, he saw Aino at the front desk with his paper. Lucian simply walked by him, completely ignoring his presence.
Seeing him pass, Aino glanced at his receding figure before returning to his paper.
Soon, he reached his room.
The Fox was still there. However, this time, it was on his bed.
"WOOO" The Fox howled as soon as it saw him, rubbing its tail on his leg.
"Hey there, Wooster. I se-" Lucian suddenly paused as he took a look at his bag beside the bed.
It was left completely open with stains and juices all over its insides. It ate his remaining food!
Lucian turned to look at it, as it gave him sad puppy dog eyes.
Shaking his head, Lucian simply sighed as he went out to the patio. At least he ate something before.
In his room, he got into the same stance as Giffard as he concentrated on the movement of the technique. He dashed forward and quickly unsheathed his sword, identical to Giffard's attack.
*Ding*
[New Skill Acquired!]
Skills
Beginner Blade Mastery (Passive)(Rank G) LVL 1 - You have just begun your path to blade proficiency. Increase skill when using blades. Increases Attack Power, Attack Speed, and Movement Speed when using blades by 0.1% Per Level.
Quick Draw Stance (Stance)(Rank G) LVL 1 - Stand in a fighting stance with a blade. Increases Attack Speed and Attack Power of any attack from a sheathed position. Increase Attack Speed and Attack power by 0.1% Per Level.
Seeing the notification, Lucian grinned. His innate ability was not that useless after all.