Jake walked toward the forest on the edge of the grassy plains. It was a relatively long walk but still he didn't get tired, something he noted.
As Jake arrived at the forest's fringes he took a moment to look back at the massive screen in the sky. Jake found himself surprised. the screen looked no farther away then when he had been right next to it earlier. 'At least I won't need to worry about finding my way back then' he thought.
The forest was dense and filled with all sorts of plants he didn't recognize. A blue one with petals in the shape of diamonds that seemed almost to sparkle. when Jake touched the petal he found it to be hard almost like that of a diamond. curiosity getting the better of him or perhaps it was his natural destructive nature he decided he would swing his sword at it.
Strangely he met a little resistance though that could be because the stem was quite thick and his edge alignment with his sword wasn't very good yet.
Having seen this Jake decided it was time to practice but he needed a place to start.
He went over to a tree with a thick trunk and sat with his back to it. Jake needed a place to start when it came to sword craft and the only way to do that was to scan his brain for the gifts the abyss had given him.
Closing his mind he dove into his mind searching for clues on how to improve. He envisioned sword stances and moves to use against opponents long clashes with his sword and thrusting it into another's gut. The information flowed through him at a breakneck speed so fast he couldn't catch any of it properly.
He scrunched his eyes in focus. He had three days to improve and that was it not a single second could be wasted.
Jake tried once more taking a deep breath and releasing the tension in his body. He closed his eyes and let the information flow once more. once again he saw stances and moves and opponents. this time he flowed with it and allowed it to drag him into a trance.
He had knowledge, basic knowledge but knowledge nonetheless. The main issue he faced was applying said knowledge. He could have all the know-how in the world and it wouldn't matter if he couldn't apply it practically. If his body couldn't move out of habit then he would die of this Jake was sure.
As the knowledge flowed through Jake he found himself drawn to one part of it. The sword stances. This was where he needed to begin. If he could master a stance by the end of the three days he was confident he would live.
Jake sprang up from his seated position and walked toward the center of the glade. He then dropped his right foot forward and his left foot back and spread his legs shoulder width apart bent his knees slightly and squared his shoulders. His sword had its tip pointed upward towards where he envisioned his opponent's head to be.
The position felt awkward and uncomfortable but even so he knew he had replicated the stance in his head at least a little. Now the hard part.
Jake had to now somehow refine his stance and get extremely comfortable in it.
Normally with a trainer this isn't an issue you get into a stance they correct you rinse and repeat until it's perfect.
The thing was Jake was completely alone in the forest and even if there was someone there would be no reason because they might be opponents one day. In addition to this major issue there was the matter of time. Jake had only three days to perfect this stance. To add insult to injury he also didn't even have something in order to observe himself so he couldn't even compare his stance with the one in his own mind.
Jake sighed. There is no point in panicking right now the most important thing at the moment is just getting comfortable in the stance.
Movement is the only way to do that and so began the sword stance practice. First he tried taking regular steps forward. This didn't work and he couldn't keep his stance properly. It was awkward and he found himself unconsciously dropping the sword into a lower guard. that isn't to say the movement was wrong just that he needed to be stricter with his stance his high guard.
Resetting his stance he tried again and again never resting or getting distracted. Eventually he got it right. He stepped forward his guard not dropping a bit and glided across the glade. He dropped to the ground and rested his back against a tree and yawned.
It seems the practice had drained him more than he thought. Even so Jake knew he couldn't just rest he had to find new information.
He thought back to the blue ethereal screen that had appeared after the end of the first trial. The proof of resolve, the ten knowledge fragments, and the soul of... Jake didn't want to think about that right now. Banishing the thought of souls he instead focused on his first reward the proof of resolve.
A blue screen appeared in front of his face making him jump.
Proof of resolve
Description: You have proved your resolve by ending Johnathan James. You have proved that you deserve to survive if by nothing else than your strength.
Effect: Due to your ability to keep calm "proof of resolve" will further this ability even in desperate situations you will not panic.
Jake smiled slightly at this. while not an effect that would allow him to flick his wrist and take off a dragon's head it would allow him to last and plan in situations that were desperate at least to an extent.
Next it's time to take a look at the knowledge fragments.
Item: Knowledge fragment #10
Description: These fragments of knowledge were lost long ago. Many have forgotten how to even read the language the knowledge is written in. The Abyss remembers.
Effect: This Item does not give a bonus effect collect more and fuse them to gain an effect
Jake found himself intrigued. These fragments of ancient knowledge he'd been given seem to hold a mystery. something so old many have forgotten it and some of those people have to be gods considering what the Abyss does and what it's for.
A thrill shot through Jake at the thought of uncovering such a secret. He had always valued knowledge and sought it out whenever possible but.. now he was in possession of fragments of lost knowledge even the gods couldn't know how to use. It was both humbling and thrilling at the same time. New life surged in Jake as he rose to train once more. He wouldn't be able to make use of said knowledge if he died.
This time he stopped his usual walking back and forth across the glade and tried something a bit more advanced.
Using the knowledge in his head he envisioned a shadow in front of him knees bent shoulders squared and his feet shoulder width with a sword crossing with his making an X.
Jake smirked. it had the exact same stance as him but more refined as if it had been practiced for years.
Jake made the first move and knocked the shadow's blade to the side and followed up with a half-step forward and a thrust toward the shadow's chest.
The shadow replied by retreating a half-step and re-positioned its blade to deflect Jake's thrust. Then in the same motion stepped forward fluidly and threw its blade towards Jake's neck cutting deep.
Jake's eyes widened as the illusions blade stabbed him in the throat and the shadow collapsed into nothing.
Jake collapsed once again a massive grin splitting his face. It had been tough but he had done it. He had simulated an opponent and it had killed him. This was his way forward a way to break through. If he could keep simulating and dying to this opponent in his head he could improve at a breakneck speed. No he was too narrow minded. Why stop at one shadow? why not make two or three or four?
He chuckled to himself at the thought. "This is just the beginning" he murmured to himself.
Jake took a moment to rest and looked up to the sky. It was blue but there were no clouds or sun. It was strange to look at. Just a massive light blue sea that seemed to stretch endlessly. In a way it was strangely beautiful.
Jake looked toward the massive blue ethereal screen ticking down the time until the second trial.
Time limit: 61:32:09
After a quick calculation he realized he had been training for around 8 and 1/2 hours straight whether it was swordplay or trying to glean information from the items he had.
That was... incredible he had never had stamina like that when he was alive.
Suddenly he felt like a bucket of ice water was dunked on top of him.
He was dead. dead. He was... gone he would almost certainly never see his family again his mother his sister. They were all he had back in the village and now he had nothing. Suddenly he had the weight of an anvil on his chest and a river threatened to break from his eyes his throat felt choked. And then a notice dinged right in front of his face.
Notice!
Due to the mental state of some people falling to less than ideal degrees information will be given freely at no cost.
First: You are dead you do not have bodies your classification is a lesser spirit at the moment.
second: Your classification can increase and you can grow more powerful.
Third: If you pass all the trials you will be able to see your families again.
Fourth: If you ascend high enough you can claim mortals and bring them to your realms you create- Note there are very few who can make it to such a high degree of ascension.
Jake stared at the notice for a moment before once again his face split in a malicious smile. 'It wants us to pass the trials then huh' he thought. There was no way that this Abyss was a benevolent force after all it brought 5,000 people to the same area and said we needed to eliminate 1,000 of them just to move on as if it was our fault that it overfilled for the trial.
Even so Jake knew he couldn't ignore what it was saying or dismiss it. It was trying to motivate the people that much at least was clear. It even explicitly mentioned something about family right as he was breaking down due to not being able to see them again promising the one thing he was afraid of losing. It also appealed to general human desires promising things like power and assuring people there was a way to get stronger.
'Damn Abyss' Jake thought ruefully. It wants to play on his nature fine he'll play but nothing will ever get in his way of growing more powerful and getting back to his family.
Jake got up once again and began his shadow training once again.
swords crossed is how it began once again. Jake knocked away the shadows blade kicking off the duel. He went for a quick stab once again and the shadow blocked just like Jake knew he would so instead right before the blades connected and his was knocked away for the split second it would take for the shadow impale him Jake instead maneuvered his blade opposite the shadow's in a half-circle to push the sword further away down it's blocking line. Then sliding his blade forward while still pressing down on the shadows blade he impaled the shadow and the illusion dispelling the illusion.
Jake smiled slightly to himself. This was very good he had just beaten the shadow but even so it was still a shadow based only on the very basic and rudimentary sword techniques he knew. In addition to this it was still based off of his mind it was all too possible that another person in the same situation would expect the feint and counter it easily. Still he doubted many of the people in the trial selection period would anticipate a feint.
Jake felt decent with his offensive progress and decided to focus on defense.
Once again the shadow and Jake crossed their swords and began the new duel.
The shadow struck first and cut around Jake's blade to push it away and open his guard. Jake didn't allow this and raised his blade in a way so that the shadow's would slide away while stepping around to try and keep himself on the defensive. This was after all defense and counter attack training for him.
This went on for a few more minutes until the shadow found an opening and Jake got his throat cut.
Jake continued this training for hours adding the knowledge and insight he got from each duel and improving each time.
Eventually exhaustion caught up with him and he collapsed against a tree for a final time before closing his eyes and falling asleep under the cool blue sky.