Authors note. The plural of sensei is sensei. It will be used to refer to both of his teachers while using their professions of shogun and transmutation master (or old man) will be used to describe training against each one separately.
It has been a week since I've started my training. By training I mean getting my bones broken over and over again every single day. Fighting without weapons and skills has started to take form. I've become more accustomed to taking pain, to the point where even when my bones are broken. I barely flinch.
I have been able to push both of my sensei to the next level of their training. I've landed a single attack against the shogun in the form of a suicide throw after he had pushed me down. Launching him in the air, while he landed on his feet it was technically a hit. The transmutation master has taken to using both his hands to attack with. Still only using two fingers on each hand but that means I'm twice as big of a threat.
While fighting against my sensei, I've started using the stance they use. Only switching between stances as a last ditch effort to land an attack against them once my defense fails. My role as the attacker is far from fair. These stances I'm learning are for defensive purposes, meaning they have an advantage over myself when it comes to fighting. Which is fine, as long as I'm continuously learning, I don't mind getting beaten by someone stronger than myself.
The training outside of sparring… Is beyond insane. The shogun is easier with this. Normal training routines like push-ups, sit-ups, running and weight training. Hand standing for a few moments than taking a few moments of rest. Things I'm used to for training. The transmutation master uses far more… Unique methods.
From circling around a tree while holding my stance the entire day. To taking my stance with pots filled with water in my hands and forced to hold that position. I've done some normal training like squats and the like. The main difference is he would strike at my throat with weak attacks, always when I am not paying attention. He is trying to make a very weak point on my body stronger through repeated blows. He also wants me to block the attacks but they come to fast for me to stop.
All of my other generals come back to the ships covered in injuries if Methodis was knocked unconscious. If he wasn't, they come back with soreness from the blows they received in practice… Nami is a monster to be able to fight against so many strong generals for days in a row. A few have gotten much harder to beat. Her attacks barely glance off my dexterity generals. I taught Fast the ninja class when he wasn't busy, so he has to practice his new ninja class after getting beaten on for training. Leon seemed to be eavesdropping on the lessons I was giving.
I've decided to spend a year inside the tree to train this new form of fighting. I can also try to master a few other techniques of my own. It would also help me redesign my generals weapons, repair all the gear of my entire army and make pills for everyone to use. With that in mind, I've started having my men move supplies into the top floor. I'll also need a sparring partner. Because of this, I'll have all of my generals who are training against Nami take a day off to go through the two week time tree period.
The top floor is over halfway full of supplies and gear to fix. Meaning I'll only be able to choose 1-3 other people to train with for the year. Heading down I wish all of my generals luck before closing the doors and starting the two week time extension. Without me inside, I hope none of them go crazy but I've left enough medicine to hold them over in case they do. Seeing as they are people, I doubt anyone will have reaction as negative as Darkclaw's.
I train with my sensei that day. Telling them that I'll be taking a day off soon… And that afterwords I may have become far stronger. They laugh it off like it is an impossibility… I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see I've aged an entire year. The aspect of being inside a single room for an entire year is a bit too much to take in. So I've had my enchanting crew work on storage scrolls to use as rooms. They are also working on making portal scrolls to replace to teleport circles.
I'll also use this extra year to go through the memories of Lust. I haven't been putting it off but I've just been so busy with learning new fighting styles that I haven't had any time to go through her memories. The amount of things that have been put to the wayside of this war against the pirates can be dealt with in this year. It will also give me time to catch up my lower level classes. I might even be able to push a few passed to 50 in this time.
...I'm slightly worried though… Even with my preparations I feel I might still run out of things to do and become so bored within this time that I will go slightly insane and start talking to myself… More than I already do… Training is fine, but taking a break every… I need to head back to the capital first and buy as many books as I can to stave off my boredom. While I'm there, I can also head back to the slave auction with a mask on and try to buy some non human races to learn from… Speaking of which.
I head back to my fortress and talk with the dwarves. They've all become accustomed to living here. They visit Shienta fairly frequently but the living quarters they have at the fortress is better than what they could afford if they tried to run away. One of the children has started mining with the other miners. They've uncovered a few more veins, one being adamantine, the amount they found was too small to use though. I hope it was only the inkling of something bigger they haven't found yet.
Kora is overseeing the excavation. Under her leadership the mines have made many improvements… To be honest I completely forgot about her... Thinking about it, I haven't thought of the members of my mansion for a long time. Besides the ones I see almost every day. It makes me feel sad that I can just forget about the people who have been through so much trouble. Some have even died…
From what I've heard from Trice, most of the men put up a fight to protect them… None of them survived… Donna was the only maid killed. Trice said her heart gave out when they started the attack… The stable master had freed all of his monsters in the village to give more people the chance to escape. Deuce managed to put up the biggest fight besides my parents. Killing a half dozen of them by himself before they overwhelmed him… I know this sounds cruel but I'm too busy to get bogged down by feelings right now.
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I approach Kora and ask if I can talk to the oldest male dwarf who had recently started working here. I've already asked all the other dwarves if they had learned any new classes, skills or jobs, with none of them mentioning anything. The son spoke up.
“Yea, actually a few days ago I unlocked a new job called miner. I can teach it to you if you want… But you have to give me some of your blood as payment… Some of the kobolds have said that your blood is a very potent alcohol...”
“I would agree… But aren't you a little young to start drinking?”
It is hard to tell how old a dwarf is. He is a male who hasn't started growing a beard yet. So he is under ten years old. Unless he shaves it, which wouldn't make sense because to a dwarf their beard is one of their most valuable possessions.
“Heh, I guess you don't know dwarves very well. My youngest sister was raised on bottles of beer instead of milk when she was a babe. Dwarves don't believe in any certain age to start drinking, they just drink.”
“Alright… Far be it from me to go against your beliefs.”
I give him an entire bottle of my blood as compensation for him teaching me his new job. I tell him to drink it slowly as it might be hard to come by alcohol this rare.
Job learned Miner- Able to mine more effectively
Miner passive skill added Geode finding- Can find pockets of minerals easier, gives you a feeling when hidden geodes are around
“Tell Kora about your job, you might get promoted to foreman depending on how accurate that sense node is… Actually I myself can feel one right above our head.”
“Hmm… I can't feel it, maybe you have a stronger sense for some reason?”
“...Perhaps because of pirates find treasure is helping it.”
I leave them to dig. I hope whatever was giving me that spine tingling feeling I had is worth something. I still have to head to the capital. I've left an elementalist stay there to protect my house. Some of my gnolls have also started visiting the city, slowly making the people become accustomed to the weird sight of a calm gnoll not bent on pillaging. I go through the portal and after a quick meeting with the elementalist I head on my way.
I stop at the book store first, collecting as many books as I can fit into my void bag. With the weight of the books I can barely move effectively. I'll be glad I got these books later once I lock myself away.
I am wearing a mask at the moment. I would rather not anyone recognize me from the time I killed someone at the slave auctions. Wearing masks isn't very common in these towns. I doubt anyone will stop and question why I am wearing one though. I slowly walk toward the slave auctions again. I'm by myself this time. I doubt they have any elementalists up for auction today. I really need a few elves though, normally they are bought for their beauty. I need them for other reasons though. Lust speaks up.
“Well… We could also use a few for their beauty if you wanted to… Is what I would say if I wasn't so completely against slavery.”
“I get your feelings, it sickens me as well but it is a necessary evil to buy slaves… What I have planned for them is by far the lesser of two evils.”
The auction goes as excepted. Almost all of the slaves being sold off are humans from the lower quarters who have committed crimes or have racked up an unpayable debt. A few dwarves are being auctioned off and I buy them. Another family left by another father... Seems to be a pattern forming... An elf is brought out and after bidding the price up to two gold I win her. We finally get to the final and main event of the auction.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Today we have something very special. Some of the kings men have returned from their expedition to the north with a very rare creature. Trolls are big, strong and can regenerate. He'll do anything you want as long as you feed him. That is of course, it doesn't require to much brain power because they are very stupid.”
A half dozen guards come pulling out a giant of a creature. Easily ten feet tall. He has a terrible hunch or he might even be fifteen feet tall. Big enough to be a raid boss. Potentially as strong as one too, given the right conditions. The trolls hands are bound with so much rope it seems to be impractical. I know better than that though, that actually seems like barely enough to contain his hands. They must also have him on some type of sedatives. If someone else paid for him, they would have a rude awakening once they wore off.
“Lets start the bidding for him.”
The dwarves who I have bought and are standing close by start to shake as I bid on him… I should have brought a few people to help because carrying him back would be a very difficult task for the few slaves I've bought. I'll figure something else out. Maybe buy a cart and horse to carry him. His price just continues to rise. I doubt anyone else has thought of how they are going to get this troll back to where they need him. The few people who are regulars have a few guards with them. Perhaps they had the heads up that a troll was going up for auction today? I might be able to convince them to let me borrow their men.
“I bid two gold.”
The man I was eyeing is the one who bid on the troll. I doubt he'll be happy to lend me his men if I outbid him. This might get expensive… Having this troll for fighting my battles could go a long way. Even having him protect my fortress with Rock would be worth more than a few gold. I made no mistakes this time. I have enough gold to buy ten trolls more than everyone else. Still, I have no idea how I'm going to-…
The troll thrashes, throwing three of the guards holding him off. He starts shaking as he tries to break the restraints on his wrists. Breaking them after struggling for only a second. Both hands released with enough momentum to knock the other two guards off of him. Sending them flying off the slave block. The crowd starts to panic as the troll lets out a guttural roar.