I woke up with far more energy than I expected to. In fact, as I move my limbs around, they feel slightly less heavy. I’m not sure how else to explain it, but I feel looser, almost as if my muscles became more flexible. Did the training cause this? Or was it my sleep? I went to sleep afflicted with the three Bs yesterday, broken bruised and battered. So, I’m a bit surprised I didn’t at least feel somewhat drained upon waking up.

I really hope I didn’t oversleep…or worse, sleep for multiple days. Surely not, right? The Outpost Leader told me to be back at the training grounds in the morning so I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy if I missed my training sessions. Well, let’s check my status to see.

Ding! (Previously muted due to state)

Welcome to Stage 2 of the Tutorial

Monsters have been Improved

Survive

Well, no need to check the rest of my status since that at least confirms that I didn’t sleep for multiple days. Stage 2 is officially here. I really want to go fight these new and improved Goblins. Hopefully the Outpost Leader doesn’t train me for the entire day again, or I’ll be too tired to go hunting afterwards.

Hmm…I smell. I should take a bath, but I’m about to train and get sweaty again, so do I take even bother? But I feel filthy. What if a bath makes me late to training…Okay I’ve decided, I will take a bath. If a bath will make me late, then I’m already late. It doesn’t even need to be a long bath because I don’t even have soap, I just need to wash this sweat and grime off. Alright to the bath.

After taking a few minutes to wash myself off, I quickly got dressed again, grabbed a stamina potion, and made my way outside the house and over to the training grounds. The Outpost Leader was standing in the same position in the center of the training grounds. Though he wasn’t alone this time, the green man who usually guarded the Outpost gate was standing next to him.

Is someone else guarding the gate I wonder? Wouldn’t guarding the gate mean more now that the monsters are stronger? Maybe the people in the Outpost need to guard the gate ourselves now? I’ll ask them or Greja when I get a chance.

Anyway.

I walked up to the pair of green people to give a simple greeting. I still had a bit of water dripping off of me as I didn’t have a towel, so I hope they don’t mind.

“Good morning.”

“You're late. Get in position.”

As expected, the Outpost Leader didn’t show too many manners, but how was I supposed to get here on time without an alarm clock or windows to check outside? I wonder if I can cut a hole in the house to act as my window. The first lights of the sun should wake me up pretty early, I think. Anyway, the gate guard man simply gave me a nod, and then I proceeded to grab a wooden spear.

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Walking over to where I was yesterday, I simply held my spear out like usual, to prepare for the pressure to force me to my knees like usual. Of course, I will do everything in my power to resist it and remain standing, but reality is often a bitch so no use in worrying too much about it.

Well, that’s what I thought until the Outpost Leader finally began with his gravity altering training.

“Starting now.”

And then the pressure descended as expected. I felt it, but it was different. For one, I was still standing. The pressure wasn’t as heavy as it was yesterday. It wasn’t easy and it still required me to exert some effort but compared to yesterday this was remarkably easier.

Was he taking it easy on me? Maybe yesterday was just to test my limits and he readjusted for today. I don’t really understand the point of that though so maybe its another reason? I can’t think of any other reason so all I can do is ask him, I guess.

“Why has the pressure gotten easier?”

I didn’t think this simple question would cause the Outpost Leader to frown, even the gate guard man started shaking his head slightly. Was my question that bad?

“Tch...it’s not easier, your body has grown stronger.”

He seemed a little annoyed as he told me that, but stronger eh? So, the way my body felt this morning wasn’t because of sleeping for a while. I guess that means all the training I endured yesterday was worth it. That’s some really fast improvement, I think.

Something I wonder though is exactly what it means to get stronger since I’m already in the first stage of Body Tempering. Does this now mean I’m closer to the second stage of Body Tempering?

“I can see the wheels in your brain spinning, so listen properly, I will not repeat myself. With enough will power, resources and opportunity, one can technically speed through the Body Tempering realm, and while some idiots do this for one reason or the other, they are exactly what I called them, idiots.

Everyone’s body has far more untapped potential in between realms that require time and effort to bring forth. Even before cultivation your body could be trained to get both faster and stronger. Cultivating not only grants you wholesale changes, but it also allows you to push your body past your mortal limits. Do not forget this.

With that being said the pressure will now increase. The original instructions still remain. Get ready.”

During this entire conversion the pressure that I was already feeling didn’t let up once, yet now he plans to increase it once more? Just how far can this pressure go. Either way, this time he gave me a few short seconds to refocus as I was paying attention to him despite the pressure I was feeling.

He wasn’t lying about the increase in pressure. Well I didn’t think he was, and I did my best to mentally prepare, but it didn’t help my case at all. The second he made it stronger; I was once again forced to my knees.

They weren’t too many words spoken after that, just “Get up,” and “Again” over and over until I finally couldn’t move again and was allowed to drink a stamina potion. It worked the same as before and not too long after I was once again ready to go. A few hours later and the training once more came to and end. The gate guard man stood by silently and just watched without saying a word the entire time. Pretty weird.

Anyway.

I was a little annoyed I wouldn’t be able to go hunting again today. Not only did I want to go see and fight these new and improved Goblins, but I was also worried the exchange rate changed with this new stage and the cores wouldn’t be worth a much. Sigh, since I only have one stamina potion left hopefully that means tomorrow is the last day of this all day training to the point where I can’t even go hunting in the night.

*Loud Noises*

I was just about at my house when I started hearing a lot of noise. Despite my tiredness and suffering the three Bs just like yesterday, my curiosity won over in the end. I made my way around the house towards the noises and saw Richard and a whole bunch of people running around yelling about something.

Oh, it looked like a lot of people were hurt. I wonder what happened? Are the Goblins just that much stronger now that so many people can get hurt? Or maybe they were that weak? I hope they didn’t underestimate them. That Richard guy seemed smart enough not to do that.

Well, I hope they figure it out. I need sleep.