I hold my hand up so I get a moment to think. “I need to look into something and it might take me a short while. I’ll be back when I’m done.”
Cynna nods at that and turns to her soldiers sitting around the arena, nodding her head towards its center. “Show’s over, time to drill. Get down here!”
I make my way to Bozhidar and suddenly register that Cynna called them a ‘he’, so I make the adjustment in my head. “That fight left me rather ragged, not that you can tell from outside. Could I get more healing, please?”
Bozhidar looks me over and chuckles. “I figured as much and decided to stay. No problem, Sebastian.” He chants like he did before and the same gentle glow covers me. I feel my reserve getting back to Good, besides the notification to tell me so.
“Thank you. I think I’ll be good for the rest of the day.” I lower my head a bit and smile.
Bozhidar smiles back and bows. “In that case, I’ll leave you to your training. Do your best.” He then turns around and walks off towards the rest of the camp.
I find a spot with a good view of the arena and sit down, bringing up the System. I want to check the Help File to understand how I restore my condition on my own and read up on techniques. I also want to get the expertise sub-system and try do something about the notifications.
I choose to start with the sub-system and quickly navigate to its page in the Shop and make the purchase. Instantly I get a rather sizable notification.
NOTIFICATION
Baking D expertise acquired!
Butchering D expertise acquired!
Quarterstaff Fighting C expertise aligned!
5 tokens awarded!
25 XP gained!
My investment is immediately returned, though I find myself surprised at the extended gains. I add that to what I want to read up on and move on to the Help File.
I think back to my skimming of the topics and find the ones I want relatively quickly. After 10 minutes of reading, I have all the information I was looking for:
* My Health, Focus and Mana all restore with a good sleep. Focus and Mana top off, while Health restores 20% of its total each time.
* Focus and Mana also restore naturally. Mana slowly returns over time, while Focus requires active rest but restores quicker.
* It isn’t dangerous to have no Mana or Focus, but it is recommended I don’t completely drain either.
* The Help File notes I should start seeing numbers as my Self-Awareness goes up, just as Rep mentioned.
* I got more tokens and XP than expected because I got 2 ranks at once with Quarterstaff Fighting. Rank D is always 1 token and 5 XP and each subsequent rank increases the multiplier—rank C is 2 tokens and 10 XP, B is 3 and 15, and so on.
* Techniques operate much in the same a lot of the System does—I simply need to think the technique I want to use strong enough, and it should trigger at the cost of Focus. I can also invest more Focus to enhance the technique.
Then I move on to the Notifications app, looking for settings. I find them with ease and see options for suppressing certain kinds of notifications. I keep those for when my Reserve status changes, but not for those that remain in the same status.
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Finally, I briefly consider doing some shopping with my wealth of XP, but decide I need to take the time to really dig into that. I get up and wave to Cynna that I’m ready to join back in. She waves back and signals for me to approach. As I come down, I notice that I hadn’t felt any anxiety so far today and give myself a mental pat on the back.
I reach Cynna, who seems to be trying to make decision, and wait for her to speak. After a moment, she does. “I was planning on giving you a choice here, but I decided against it just now. I have you from now until tomorrow evening, so we’re going to spread this out. Today you’re going to learn how to use a hand axe and shield. Tomorrow we’ll be switching to spear and shield and finally just spear.” I nod to all that and she smiles. “Very good.”
The rest of my day is simple and repetitive. I join the drills and go through the motions of attack and defense. After a while doing that, I am given a blunt axe and a worn shield and told to fight with the other soldiers. At first I get beat every time, my shield worse for wear and my axe barely used. As the sun starts going down I barely manage three wins. By the end I’m mildly injured again.
With hardly any light left, Cynna disperses the training and tells us to go get something to eat. I welcome the break and as soon as my muscles relax I get a pair of notifications about new skills: Shield Use D and Axe Combat D.
I make my way to the mess hall, certain Kiril and the staff are still going. I arrive to fewer staff than anticipated, but the oven still running hot. Kiril fixes me up some bread with meat on it and sends me to rest as my exhaustion is plainly visible.
I smile and don’t argue with the observation. As I walk to my hovel, I take comfort in the fact that I won’t be too sore—I was training daily before I reincarnated, so this much shouldn’t be too much.
I consider taking a while to go to sleep and maybe doing some XP shopping, but decide that’s a bad idea. I lay down on the bed, wrap myself with the blanket, and go to sleep.
----------------------------------------
I wake up feeling refreshed and inspecting my condition reveals my Health is back to Good. The next day is spent much like the one before it, with a spear instead of an axe. I do not receive any new skills or ranks in existing ones, but I do acquire 2 new expertise: Shield Blocking D and Spear Fighting D. I also acquire a new technique: Skewer D, with the same rewards as other acquiring other things.
During lunch, Bozhidar approaches me as I’m eating and sits down with his own food. He catches on that I prefer to eat in silence and then talk once I’ve finished, so we both eat in quiet.
Once we’re done, Bozhidar speaks up. “I hear your training with Cynna is going very well. Tomorrow you will start your training with me. I want to teach you the magic you’re so excited to learn.” His tone is warm and pleasant and he seems relatively relaxed.
I perk up at the mention of magic, feeling a tinge of excitement. That same excitement also causes me to realize I’ve been so consumed with training that I didn’t have time for anxiety, which just makes me more excited. “You did say I’d have no problem learning it! Thank you! Can you tell me what I might learn?”
Bozhidar smiles. “Certainly. My strongest sphere is Plains, but I am capable with Forest magic as well. My Tundra magic is passable.” He stops and seems lost in thought for a moment before continuing. “What it means as far as effects go are spells for movement and rejuvenation, as well as some plant control and animal communication.”
I marvel at the description, my mind trying to wrap itself around the classification. “Do you need to be in a certain environment for the spells to work? Is that why they’re classified that way?”
Bozhidar chuckles and makes himself a bit more comfortable on the bench. “The classification is how to conceptually approach magic. It helps being where the magic originates, but it isn’t strictly necessary.” He puts out both hands, as though to weigh two options. “Raising a wall using either Plains or Tundra is difficult, but Forest can produce a thick hedge.” He lifts his right hand and lowers the left he says so. He continues and does the opposite. “Similarly, Forest won’t be able to easily create a gust of wind, but either of the others can do so without an issue. It’s all about what you relate the places you draw power from.”
I nod and hope this information gets added to the Help File, because it wasn’t there before. “Well, I am excited to learn. However… I better get back to Cynna’s training now.”
Bozhidar laughs out loud and shoos me away. “Yes, quite. I know how she can get.”
I spend the last of my training with Cynna trying out my techniques. I manage to activate them and receive notifications about Focus expenditure. Through the process I manage to get down to Critical Focus, which leads me to take an extended rest.
For trying out my techniques, Cynna volunteers to be my sparring partner. I catch her off guard a few times, sweeping her legs or pushing her away with Power Jab, but by the time I feel drained she manages to dodge me every time.
I end the day in much the same way I did the previous one—a snack from Kiril and a restful sleep.