'Right shoulder.'

'Left side.'

'Left calf.'

'Head?!'

Argo barely deflected a blow that threatened to separate his brain from his neck. Sparks lit the air, illuminating the calm façade of the girl opposite of him. Despite exhibiting a beauty reminiscent of an angel, her attacks were demonic and wicked in nature. Truly a stark contrast.

She was holding back, but her moves were devastating. Created to throw her adversary off, while adapting to the flow of the battle. A demon versed in the art of sword technique. If he closed his eyes, he would've thought he had been dueling against a creature that had clawed its way up from the underworld.

After managing to predict and parry another two strikes, he was given a short respite. He leaned on his sword with heavy breaths. His mind and body were exhausted, on the verge of giving out. She was even more ruthless then Faye, dead set on pushing him to the brink of exhaustion.

"You were trained in the basics, your current sword technique consisting of simple strikes. It serves as a solid foundation," Aria examined aloud. "But if you truly want to get better there is much more to swordplay then that." .

For the past couple of hours, Argo was subjected to non-stop training. Aria had created a system in which they would face each other with a couple of feet apart, and have him deflect her strikes. It helped him train his reflexes, constantly absorbing information to deduce the flow of her attacks. Muscle twitches, eye movements, and breathing patterns all held subtle clues.

"From what I've seen with your technique, most if not all of your attacks are instinctual or reactional," tapping the side of her head to accentuate the fact.

She elaborated, "While it makes you hard to predict, lacking a systematic technique will make going against trained warriors impossible. I can't provide you with a technique, but if you train your reflexes like this, combined with your current foundation, it will yield great results."

"I knew learning to wield a sword would be difficult, but this is definitely something else," Argo commented with wry expression. Swordplay was much more intricate then he had anticipated. Sophisticated movements combined with physical dexterity blended into a seamless dance.

"True, it is your first time though. You have some talent," She responded, a slight hit of mockery in her tone.

"Some?" Argo echoed, unable to hide the annoyance in his voice. She had been ruthlessly beating him up for the latter part of a day. And all she surmised from that was 'some' talent? Argo felt slightly aggravated by her attitude.

Noticing his expression, she laughed. "Don't worry about it! We all start somewhere, some lower or higher then others." Argo learned she had a tendency to poke fun at him, more so then he would've liked.

"Alright, let's get back to it," Argo said, trying to ignore her. She was his mentor at the moment, he didn't want to the training to get any worse. She obliged him, not giving him a chance to read her movements.

Aria's katana was hard to follow, flashing in swift movements as it sang through the air. As time passed, his movements became more fluid. His mind capable of slowly grasping the flow of the battle. Her movements became easier to predict, the path of her sword becoming more obvious. Before it felt like he was trying to cut multiple leaves falling from a tree at the same time, but now it felt like time had slowed by a fraction to aid him.

Capitalizing on an opening, Argo risked a prodding strike. In an instant, Aria's demeanor changed before redirecting the strike with ease. He was startled by the count attack, quickly trying to readjust. It was like she was testing him, silently prodding him to see what he would do. Looks like he was more gullible then he thought.

"Feel more comfortable now, huh? Come at me," she taunted. Argo inwardly winced, why were both of the girls he knew battle maniacs? It was like they lived and thrived on the battlefield. He couldn't understand if it was a part of their personality or upbringing. Were all heirs or legacies such die-hard battle fanatics?

He spurred his body forward, attempting to push himself to the limit. Her skill severely outmatched his, but he at least wanted her to put more effort in. He still had his own pride. It would've been nice to see her at least sweat a little harder.

She also wasn't wrong about his sword technique, only a novice who had recently picked up the sword. With knowledge about simple movements and a lacking battle sense, he was a newborn. But he felt his sword become lighter, his senses clearer, as he felt himself become more attuned to the blade.

In a whirlwind of sparks, the two exchanged blows in seconds. Ringing echoed throughout the cavern, the pair participating in a dance of steel. After exchanging multiple strikes, Argo was gaining a shallow understanding of Aria's sword technique.

It consisted of minimal movements, and calculated precision to seamlessly adapt to her opponent's sword. After gaining a deeper understanding, she would dominate the flow with her baleful style of technique.

He couldn't win, but he could try.

Argo's mind was overflowing with information, meticulously examining Aria's body along with her flashing sword. Time was slowing as his blade moved in conjunction with his mind, trying to find openings while maintain a delicate balance.

'Ah, so this is what I've been missing.'

As their swords continued to blur, Argo felt something within his soul open up. It was like he had been traversing a vast desert, finally arriving upon a plentiful oasis.

[You have obtained a new skill!]

The floodgates of his mind opened up, his body becoming lighter as his sword felt like an extension of his body. A complex world of information filled his body, as if he had become one with his sword. Techniques, strikes, and forms that used to be surrounded by a strong haze became crystal clear to him.

Watching his moves become much more concise, and swift Aria's brows twitched. A knowing grin played across her lips as she turned it up a notch. It looked like she had everything already worked out.

Despite the high that rushed through Argo, he still was unable to continue the duel. His body could barely keep up with his mind that had felt a rush of exhilaration, and he was forced to concede.

"I... I gained a new skill," he croaked between breaths. Any longer and he might've passed out. He wheezed, sweat pouring from his body as he laid on the ground.

"You look like a dead man walking," Aria poked with a teasing look. She nudged his side with her foot, "you going to die on me?"

Argo promptly ignored her jabs, accessing the Records.

Rank: 0

Grade: G

Type: Battle Art

[Basic Swordsmanship]: Represents mastery over the fundamentals of the sword. Increases the user's proficiency with the blade, and information of sword techniques become clearer to the user.

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"Basic swordsmanship, right? I'm actually surprised you managed to learn it so fast. Even with having the fundamentals down, we've only been training the latter half required to unlock the art for a couple of hours." Aria's mind crept past the translucent screen in front of him, prompting him to frown.

"How did you know?" Argo questioned. It seemed like she knew the future, or was familiar with obtaining this particular skill. Whether it was inside or outside of a battle, she could still dictate the flow of events to her liking. It was a little bit concerning.

She snickered, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Argo could only give a half-hearted smile in response. Maybe he had an affinity with swords or [Hero of Finality] had a hand in it. Regardless, he could feel himself becoming more attuned to the weapon in his hands. It was a passive skill, and it would increase his combat power by leaps and bounds.

Argo also assumed if he learned a proper sword technique in the future, it would replace his [Basic Swordsmanship]. But he wasn't so sure, since wouldn't the basics be at the core of any art? If it disappeared would he lose the subsequent knowledge?

"Say, what happens if a learn a new sword art? Would it replace basic swordsmanship?" Argo asked.

Tilting her head, she looked at him like he was an idiot. "Of course not." With a deadpan expression, she continued to do test strokes with her sword. "It serves as the foundation of all of your subsequent sword techniques. I basically just taught you a invaluable treasure."

Argo bit back a retort, and simply thanked her. He moved on to perusing his stats, wondering if his strength had grown.

During the hours they were training, Argo had raised his strength to F- and dexterity to F. A monstrous rate of growth only accomplished in a couple of hours, but he knew his progress would slow in the higher ranks. Argo could only attribute it to the growth granted by [Hero of Finality], and Aria's strict mentality.

"Thanks, I can feel a good increase in strength. But I'm still far off from challenging a seasoned adventurer, much less that corrupted army." Whenever he felt excited about becoming stronger, the hanging threat of a army pouring in would snuff out his hopes. They were on borrowed time, not nearly long enough for him to gain considerable growth. It was ludicrous.

Aria nodded, "Your rate of growth should skyrocket with the addition of that skill, in terms of swordplay."

Gazing at the dark corridor at the back of the cavern, Aria said "Judging by how the army hasn't moved, it must be planning something. No minions have cam knocking, making me think it's waiting for us to come to it."

Argo's expression darkened, he had reached a similar conclusion. In the hours of training nothing had exited the corridor. The monster responsible must've known there was only one exit, and that they would be forced to confront it to gain freedom.

Argo's thoughts shifted, impressed with Faye and Aria's abilities. He didn't know about Faye, but they both had directly trained him to produce a skill. With Faye training him in the basic sword strikes and physical foundation, while Aria covered reflexes and battle flow.

Both culminated into Argo obtaining a skill, prompting him to question them. They must've received a lot of training beforehand, and have knowledge about nurturing certain skills. He doubted he would've been able to learn the skill on his own.

Even as the hours ticked by, Faye remained unconscious. He could only pour water down her throat, and hope she wouldn't starve to death. It was hard to feed an unconscious person, and she probably would've suffocated if he tried shoving food down her mouth.

Argo slowly felt doubt creep into his mind, maybe she had failed.

Noticing his dark expression, Aria remained silent. For once she didn't jeer or prod him with incessant jokes. While it annoyed him, it did somewhat lighten the dreadful atmosphere.

Taking a break, the pair sat around the oil lamp that was slowly starting to run out of fuel. The moment it ran out, they would have one lamp left before they were plunged into darkness.

Argo had made it his goal to get as strong as possible before the last lamp ran out of fuel, then they would challenge the grand hall. After all, when they did further observations into the temple, any other tunnel was collapsed or led to the waiting army.

Trying to relieve his boredom and clear the tense atmosphere, Argo asked a question that lingered in the back of his head.

"Where did you get your sword?" He asked curiously, gazing at the austere blade. It was around thirty inches long, with a curved edge.

He was curious about her sword, but what he really wanted to know if the land described in the books he had read actually existed. The handguard was crafted of an ivory-colored material, with ornate decorations inscribing its surface. The body of the blade was sleek, with a dark wave patterned outlined against the metal surface.

Aria visibly brightened, seemingly excited. "It was a gift from my master before I entered the Tower. Why do you want to know? And no you can't have it!" Before he could even respond, she shut down a question he didn't even remotely think of asking.

"I don't want it!" He retorted, "I wanted to know if the land that your sword originated from really exists."

Her azure eyes twinkled, "Ah, are you a country kid?" A mischievous look spread on her face, like she was about to start launching into a series of jokes.

Argo rolled his eyes, almost opting to ignore her snide remarks. Was it that obvious?

"If you're talking about Eien, the Land of Swords, then yes, it exists," she declared with pride.

A rush of exhilaration rushed through his body, as he unconsciously leaned forward. "Really?! With the snow capped mountains, pink-leaved trees, and dragons?!"

Aria leaned backward a little, confused by his expression. "Yeah, but from where I was at I didn't really see any dragons."

"Tell me more," he urged.

"Eien has four regions, characterized by their climate that represents each season of the year. I didn't live in the other ones, but I met my master in the region of Fuyu. It had had a vast mountain range, where the land was always blanketed in snow."

Eyes glimmering, her thoughts seem to wander to a place filled with wonderous memories. It was the first time Argo learned about the lands that occupied the world. His village neglected to teach him about the many civilizations and lands in the human world. Hearing of such a majestic land filled his head with wonderful images.

"My master took me in when I had nothing, a useless kid who hailed from an unknown land. I don't remember how I had made it to Eien, but I'm indebted to her. I was forced to leave, and pursue greater strength. Climb the Tower, with the hopes I could settle the problems I had left behind."

Argo could sense bitterness and pain within her words. With the way she mentioned her master she could've already left this world. Her training in the Land of Swords could explain her great knowledge of the blade, and high stats.

He couldn't help but feel curious about what had transpired back in the place she called home. What had caused such a strong person to pursue greater strength?

"Enough about me, what about you? What's your story?" She prompted, "You're anything but simple."

Caught off guard, Argo had to collect his thoughts. "Me? I'm from a mountain village on the continent overseas to the east of Halcyon."

He tried to maintain a neutral expression when talking about his former home. He was somewhat comfortable mentioning it to Faye, but he had only known Aria for a little bit.

"Continent overseas to the east? The Eastern Continent, right?" She confirmed, a tad confused by his description.

"Huh, that's what its called?" Argo replied, "Eastern Continent?"

She shook her head in exasperation, seemingly annoyed by his lack of knowledge about the world. "Yes, the Eastern Continent. Have you ever seen a map before?"

"I haven't!" He rebuked, feeling embarrassed. "I don't know much about the world!"

"Anyways, I don't have much of a story. I lost my memory six years ago, and I'm trying to recover them. I thought the Tower would be a nice way to do so, and find a way to get stronger so I could explore the world."

He didn't reveal how the dream had inadvertently revealed some of those lost memories, after all their credibility was questionable. But another goal had manifested, investigate the whereabouts of his parents now that he had some clues.

"Amnesiac, huh. For someone from an unknown village you have talent. It's weird you're not related to the major clans," she replied. Faye had similar words about him before, finding it odd he came from such an obscure place. Were the people hailing from major clans that talented, and powerful?

"Major clans?" He asked curiously. He wondered if 'Shadow Covenant' was one of them. After all, Faye had mentioned if they found out about their partnership, his head would roll. He definitely needed information about them!

"You don't even know about them?!" Aria mocked, in a fake gasp. "Did you have a basic education?"

Argo's brows knit, he could only remember the existence of the Central Guild. They mediated most of the trade and communication between villages and organizations. Anything else was something he didn't bother learning back at the village. The supposed education under his real parents were also either an illusion, or a memory he had forgotten.

"There are currently four major powers that stand above the rest of the world, excluding the Central Guild. The White Rune Order in the North, Night Shogunate in the East, Shadow Covenant in the South, and the Red Empire in the West. There are many other powerful nations and organizations, but those stand at the pinnacle."

Argo's head was spinning from the overflow of information, trying to piece together what Aria was saying. But there it was, Shadow Covenant. He had somehow managed to offend one of the four major powers as a Rank 0. He could only curse his horrid luck for running into Faye of all people. He sincerely hoped she was joking about being killed. What the hell did she do to piss off such a powerful faction?

He had never heard of the other three before. "Do you mind giving me a brief overview on them?" He wanted to take advantage of her knowledge to cover the gaps in his. With Aria's talkative and extroverted demeanor, he preferred asking her then Faye.

She sighed, not seeming to mind. "It's better then just sitting in silence I guess."