Samantha awoke to the sound of sizzling meat and the comforting scents of freshly cooked breakfast. Despite only having slept for around five hours, her High Copper physique left her feeling well rested. She went out to the kitchen and was met with the heartwarming scene of Thomas feeding Silas food scraps from the breakfast-making process.
She sat at the dining table and looked over the various plates that already contained enormous mountains of scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, and bacon, “Wow, Thomas, this smells fantastic! Are you having other guests over?”
“No, it’s just for us.”
“All this? That seems a bit excessive for just two people.”
“You’ll be eating most of it, actually.” He dumped the contents of his frying pan onto a new plate and set it in front of her, “Where you’re going you’re gonna need it.”
She laughed a little nervously at the somewhat ominous words, but began eating anyway, “Am I going to be starved or something while I work with this trainer of yours?”
He shook his head, “Attribute training all day is hard work, and your body is going to need a lot of energy to keep up. There will be other meals provided to you while you’re at the training grounds, but this should help you make it until your first mealtime.”
“So, when do we head out? The sun’s not even up yet.”
“He leaves from the gate at sunrise, so we’ll head over in about an hour. I want to check with you again that you really want to go through with this. I cannot stress enough how unpleasant his training is and there’s no refunds if you quit early. I had to learn that lesson myself the hard way.”
“You said his methods are effective?”
“...very.”
“Then yes, I’m certain. A little unpleasantness now might spare me from dying later.”
Thomas nodded grimly, “Just don’t come back complaining that I didn’t warn you.”
She laughed, “Fair enough. By the way, now that I’m clear to move through the city I need to go to the Registrar’s Hall for the next chain in the core quest. Do I need to complete that immediately, or can I do a few other things first?”
“That depends. If you want to start taking official jobs right away or go into cultivator-restricted buildings then you need to register first. If that’s not a priority for you, you can just do it later.”
“I won’t fall behind if I put off progressing my questline?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Even after registering the quest won’t update. All you do is go fill out some paperwork and then they’ll give you a special access talisman. It’s more about legitimizing your cultivator status to the city than anything else.”
She raised her eyebrows at that statement, “That’s kind of odd, don’t you think? There’s clearly another chain in the questline, but it doesn’t update when you register like it asks?”
He shrugged, “I followed the instructions that the city officials gave me. Everyone else I’ve spoken to has said the same thing, so it’s not like I somehow messed up the process and missed out. Since there’s not much information in the notification about how to actually complete the quest, I stopped thinking about it a while ago.”
She gave a noncommittal hum in response.
Thomas took a huge bite out of a slice of ham, “Now, enough talking! Eat, then we’ll get going”.
After stuffing her face with food until she nearly felt nauseous, she changed into a fresh set of robes. Originally she wanted to wear her armor and bring her spear, but Thomas warned her against it. Getting hurt was a part of Resilience training, so wearing protective gear would only hinder her progress. She shivered at the prospect of being wounded and healed repeatedly like she had been when suffering from the spitting viper’s venom, but knew Thomas was right. If she was serious about improving quickly, she’d need to be comfortable subjecting herself to some degree of suffering.
When she was ready to depart, Thomas led her and Silas through the city to the northern exit at a fast walk.
“Since you’re so determined to do this, I figure the least I can do is try to give you some idea of what to expect.” he began, choosing his words carefully. “The trainer, who you should only address as ‘sir’ or ‘teacher’, is a complete sadist. He will push you to the breaking point over and over, and when you feel like you’re about to drop from exhaustion he’ll force an elixir down your throat that will give you the energy to do it all again. Today will be the easiest because he’ll be evaluating you and asking about what you want to achieve from the training. Beyond that, he will find new and creative ways to ensure that you never completely get used to training with him.”
“Great. Thanks for the encouragement.” she snarked. She was getting a little irritated by how Thomas was making this training out to be some horrible, traumatizing experience after being the one to suggest it to her. Being fearful wouldn’t help her perform or endure any better.
The northern exit came into view, and she could see a small group forming just beyond the open gate. Four cultivators were watching and listening to a large, scarred man of at least Mid Bronze rank with rapt attention. His head was shaved, his facial hair was neatly trimmed, and she could see that the top part of his left ear was missing. At a glance he looked to be a young man in his late twenties, but the way he carried himself with unwavering self-confidence made her think that he had many more years of life experience than that. He stopped his speech as he noticed them approaching and gave Thomas a shallow nod.
“Oh? Back again? I thought my methods didn’t suit you, boy.” he called, looking over Thomas with a calculated gaze.
“I’m here to introduce my cousin, actually. She left for her cultivation quest two months ago and has already reached High Copper. As you can imagine, her attributes are seriously lagging behind her rank, so she needs your services.” Thomas gave the higher ranked man a low, respectful bow and then whispered to Samantha, “Go on and pay him your five gold for today. I’ll see you later.”
Thomas rose, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, then left. Following his advice, Samantha gave her own low bow to the man. She walked forward and presented her payment, saying, “Greetings teacher. I look forward to learning from you.”
He gladly pocketed the coins and laughed, “You won’t be saying that for much longer I expect, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. Go and join the others.”
The group consisted of three men and a woman ranging from Mid Copper to Low Bronze. They all appeared to be either Samantha’s age or a few years older, though it was difficult to tell if that was reflective of their true ages. The Low Bronze man was the only other cultivator here with a bonded beast--a ferocious looking Dire Wolf. As the canine saw Silas approach he let out a low rumbling growl and licked his chops, but Silas didn’t shy away from the predator. Silas puffed up his fur to appear larger, pinned his ears back, bared his teeth, and hissed in defiance. The cultivator glanced over at the sound, but when he noticed that Samantha was of a lower rank and her spirit beast was not as visually imposing as his he dismissed the scene. It appeared that the responsibility of keeping Silas from being attacked would fall solely on her shoulders.
She moved to the side of the group furthest from the Dire Wolf and placed herself between the still-snarling beasts, “Silas, what’s gotten into you? Just ignore him. I don’t want to try and fight off an attack from a Low Bronze on my first day of training.” she mentally pleaded with the ball of fluff. She noticed that lately he’d become less timid and more aggressive, but she didn’t know if his recent evolution was responsible or something else.
“He thinks he can take me, but I know I can take him. Let him try and eat me and see who really ends up bleeding. I’m not helpless prey anymore.” he growled.
The Dire Wolf lunged forward with a threatening snap of its jaws, seeking to frighten her bond into submission. The other cultivators finally took notice of the scene and stepped away, fearing a fight would break out at any moment.
“Hey!” the trainer shouted with irritation, “Get control of your bonded beasts, both of you. I will not tolerate this lack of discipline.”
The Low Bronze scoffed, “If that bunny submits to Torak, he’ll leave it in peace.”
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“He says that if you submit to the wolf then it’ll leave you alone.” Samantha translated, “I know that it’s unpleasant, but can you let this go? I’m not even equipped–there’s no way I can win against a Low Bronze if it comes to a fight.”
“This is between me and the mutt. He’ll be the one submitting.” Silas declared, determination spilling through their bond.
She let out a long sigh. She could tell that there would be no persuading her companion to stand down.
Silas looked up at her with fire in his eyes, “He thinks we’re weak and that we’re fair game to attack whenever he wants. Nothing good will come of letting this pass. Trust me.”
Thinking it over, she knew he was right. New cultivators like her were bound to get in these fights as they established a reputation for themselves. Meekly backing down would not only show that she would fold when confronted by someone stronger than herself, but also that she lacked confidence in Silas.
“Alright, you’ve convinced me. I’ll trust you can handle yourself, and I’ve got your back. I’ll deal with whatever consequences come after.”
Firming her resolve, she directly spoke to the Low Bronze, “If that dog submits to my bond, Silas will leave him in peace.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, “You’re brash for a Copper, aren’t you? That’s a dangerous game to be playing.”
The trainer let out a loud, long-suffering sigh, “All this posturing is pointless, exhausting, and frankly, boring! You want to duel for face? Quit wasting everyone’s time and take it to the Coliseum. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. First, we’ll all give the spirit beasts some space. Second, they’ll fight and figure it out amongst themselves–without either of you interfering. Finally, after dominance is established today, no more outbursts will be tolerated. You two can’t ‘play nice’? I’ll eject you from training and happily keep your gold! Got it?” He looked back and forth between the two of them, as if daring them to complain.
Samantha and the Low Bronze nodded their agreement to the trainers' terms and joined the group a short distance away to watch the fight.
The two beasts faced off and circled one another, taking in the other’s movements. In an instant Silas appeared to vanish in a cloud of dust, and Torak was snapping at open air in the space Silas had just occupied.
*Thump*
The dire wolf let out a pained yelp as he was knocked to the side by a translucent blur. Turning in the direction of the attack, Torak swiped out with front sharp claws.
Laceration has activated [As One]. Moderate damage to torso (Silas) has been transformed into minor damage for Silas and Samantha.
Samantha resisted the urge to flinch as pain flared across her right side. She discreetly activated [Flawless Regeneration], hoping that no one would notice the inadvertent assistance to Silas. To be fair though, she considered this more ‘healing herself’ than helping her bond win the fight.
As she watched Silas’s translucent form continue to harry the Wolf, the small cuts they suffered quickly sealed and they returned to peak condition. The dire wolf, by comparison, was looking battered as his light gray fur was stained red by several shallow cuts and punctures.
“What are you doing Torak?” the Low Bronze shouted, “Get it together!”
The wolf staggered back from yet another blow and shook his head as if clearing it. Planting his four legs, he tensed his body and let out a mournful howl that reverberated through the air.
Bonded Dire Wolf has used [Debilitating Cry]!
Qi Defenses Overcome!
Temporary paralysis is in effect.
Every muscle in her body seized as the ability rendered her immobile, and to her horror, she was not the only one affected. Irritated huffs escaped from a few nearby onlookers, and she could feel Silas’s confidence waver as he was locked into place. She felt him strain to fight the effects of the ability with all his willpower, and though she wasn’t sure if it would do anything to help, put a few extra qi points into [Flawless Regeneration].
With his target no longer moving too quickly to catch, Torak searched nearby for the offending Jackalope. Within moments Silas was discovered, and Samantha could only look on in horror as the wolf began rapidly closing the distance between them. The temporary paralysis didn’t wear off on her and Silas until Torak was practically on top of him–too late for her bond to dodge out of the way.
The wolf lunged forward with an open maw, gleefully chomping down on his prey with a loud crunch and a spray of blood as he finally locked on to his target. Samantha gasped and waited for the [As One] notification to hit her… but nothing happened.
An ungodly shriek emerged from the throat of the wolf as it reeled back on its hind legs. Silas was no longer translucent, and now Samantha could clearly see that the bite from the wolf had backfired spectacularly. A pair of sharp, bloody antlers protruding from Silas’s forehead were lodged in the predator’s mouth, one prong completely puncturing through the upper roof of its jaws.
Silas was whipped violently through the air as the wolf backed up and tried to dislodge the horns, but to no avail. It was only when Torak began taking frantic swipes at Silas’s antlers that he detached them from his head. In the place of the sharp bones were only the two smooth, hard disks on his temples that had been there previously. The wolf fell over and tried kicking the horns out of its mouth with its back legs, but each attempt only left the gouges the antlers made wider. If this was a situation happening in the wild, he would be as good as dead.
Silas jumped up and sat on Torak’s heaving side, looking down on the creature with imperious superiority. Torak met Silas’s gaze and laid still, baring his throat and whimpering pitifully. Silas lifted his small snout in the air and let out a cry of triumph before making his way back over to where Samantha and the others were watching.
She looked over to the Low Bronze, whose mouth was hanging open in complete shock at the outcome of this fight. Not wanting to gloat and possibly start a fight, she turned back to the trainer and bowed, “My bond has won. I apologize for the disturbance to your plans today.”
The trainer began laughing hysterically, putting a hand to his chest and practically doubling over in mirth, “This just goes to prove what I always am saying: it’s not the size of the beast in a fight that matters, it’s the size of the fight in the beast! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hare take down a wolf before. For such an interesting show, I’ll forgive you for the wasted training time.” As if on cue, the trainer’s laughter cut off and he stood up straight to address the Low Bronze “The results are clear. I’ll leave you to take care of your bond as we head to the training grounds. I expect that you remember the way, so catch up when you’re ready.”
The trainer gestured to the remaining four cultivators and began jogging away at a fast clip into the nearby treeline. Wordlessly, the group followed behind him.
“Told you I’d win!” Silas sent happily.
She smiled and passed along her feelings of pride through their bond, “You did great! I got a bit worried when you were affected by the paralyzation ability, but you really pulled through. I admit, I forgot to ask you about [Antler Genesis] with everything that’s been going on–but I’m glad to see it’s so useful!”
“All of my abilities are useful.” he said with no small amount of self-satisfaction.
10 minutes later, the group stopped at the head of a well-tread dirt trail that was about three feet wide.
“Now then, if you all look northeast you will see a large hill about 10 miles away. It’s peeking over the treetops there.” The trainer explained. He reached down and picked up a stick from the ground that was about a thumb width thick and three feet long. He gave it a few test flexes and nodded to himself before using it to point in the direction of the hill, “I’m expecting all of you to run there as quickly as you can. I’ll be behind all of you to… ‘motivate’ the slowest runner.”
He flexed the stick in his hand again and started leisurely swinging it through the air, the wind whistling slightly during each pass. Samantha couldn’t help but feel the action was unsettling.
He slapped the stick into his palm with a sharp cracking sound and looked over the group with a smile that was a touch too wide, “Well?”
The woman trainee immediately began running, sprinting towards the hill for all she was worth. Quickly catching on, the other two cultivators took off after her, leaving Samantha behind in last place.
“Better get moving, or it’s going to be a rough first day for you.” the trainer admonished, before swinging the rod forward with blinding speed and caning her along the back of her thighs.
The rod stung so badly that she was shocked when there was no [As One] notification. It appeared the man was well-practiced as causing pain without inflicting injury. Seeing the trainer pull back his arm for another strike, she put the thought from her mind and began sprinting away towards the hill. As much pride as Samantha took in her speed and Agility, the trainer was much faster. He easily kept pace just a few steps behind her, caning her occasionally as she rushed to catch up with her peers.
“As I always say, you don’t need to be faster than me, just faster than them!” he ‘encouraged’ her, pointing his accursed stick at the two cultivators ahead of her. Hearing this, the two men looked back with wide eyes, then noticeably increased their pace in a bid to stay ahead.
Eventually, she resorted to using short bursts of [Swift] just so she wouldn’t be in last place anymore. As she passed both of the men, she could hear their ragged breathing and smiled to herself. It probably wouldn’t be hard to keep them behind her so long as she didn’t wear herself out. She could see the woman not much further ahead, and could tell that her natural speed would allow her to catch up given enough time. Silas kept pace beside her, enjoying leaving the city behind to run through the more-familiar forest again.
Since she didn’t need to rely on [Swift] anymore, she focused on breathing deeply and moving as efficiently as she could so her energy reserves wouldn’t flag before she reached the hilltop. The smooth gait of her jog was only interrupted by the occasional low hanging branch she needed to duck beneath, or the odd logs and rocks that she needed to avoid on the trail. She winced as she heard a fresh crack and cry of pain from one of the unfortunate souls behind her.
The laughing guffaws of the trainer could clearly be heard with each new strike, and Samantha could only be glad that she was no longer the target of his blows. As she left the men further and further behind over the next several minutes, the last thing she heard was the trainer shouting in glee.
“I love my job!”
Maybe Thomas wasn’t exaggerating when he said that this man was a sadist.