Back in the Annex building.
Having rested enough, I decided to continue with my training. I picked up one of the wooden swords and moved toward the sword training area filled with scarecrows.
I took a defensive stance, having decided to try out the various positions I had read about in the swordsmanship book during my previous sneaky trips to the city library in search of answers.
The stance I took was called 'Roof.'
It's a defensive stance where the sword is held high overhead, protecting the head and upper body. I swung the sword dozens of times, imagining I was facing an opponent.
Then I moved to another stance:
'Plow.'
This is another defensive stance where the sword is held in front of the body, providing a solid shield against attacks. I swung my sword dozens of times again before switching to another defensive posture.
The 'Ox.'
In this stance, the sword is held up and out, offering a powerful defense, especially against thrusts.
'Alber.'
This stance has the sword held high and angled, allowing for both offensive and defensive maneuvers.
I practiced these sword stances dozens of times before moving on to more advanced positions.
The Water Stance: In this stance, the sword is held at an angle, allowing for a quick draw and parry.
Then finally, the Moon Stance: A position where the sword is held at an angle, facilitating a quick draw and parry.
I repeated these stances over and over until my hands bled and were filled with blisters. This was all I could do, working with the meager sword skills I had gleaned from books. My peers had learned powerful sword techniques that put them ahead of me, but that didn't matter. I would move slowly; I would put in more hard work. Even if I couldn't excel in swordsmanship, I would turn my body into a weapon. I had my own way of doing things, so I gritted my teeth and continued training until it was almost 11 a.m.
Growl!
It wasn't until my stomach growled, announcing its annoyance at being empty, that I decided to stop and head into the house. I took a bath before moving into the kitchen. There wasn't too much food left, so I scraped together what I had to cook something simple. I sat at the table and began eating. Because I was hungry, I devoured the food as if I hadn't eaten in days, even going for another serving.
Once done, I decided to take a good nap to let my body rest after an exhausting morning—it was how I usually recharged.
I woke up five hours later, feeling refreshed. It was nearing evening, and I decided to read some classic books to increase my knowledge. From what I had gathered, to become a student at Glory Academy, you must pass a written test followed by a physical test. Even if you hadn't awakened or were not blessed, you could still try your luck. Not that anyone without a blessing hadn't tried in the past; there was one person who tried but not recentIy, I would be the first in a hundred years. But maybe I could awaken at the academy. Someone had done it in the past, which is why that small loophole had been left.
I continued reading books, gathering information here and there. It wasn't a secret that one-third of the continent was occupied by monsters, the enemy of the races. A barrier was erected around the northern part of the continent with the combined efforts of the Leclair and Gnomus families. It was a solid barrier that kept the monsters in the cold north; only weak monsters could pass through, while the powerful ones could not. If it weren't for this barrier, the rest of the continent would be swarming with monsters, as their leader desired world domination to create a kingdom of monsters. The races' goal was to defend the barrier while weeding out any monsters that managed to pass through. Sometimes, middle-ranking monsters would slip through, which happened when the barrier was at its weakest. The barrier was strengthened every three years.
The goal of Glory Academy was to educate the younger generation, to train them to face monsters and defend the continent. It could be considered as a military facility of sort.
The world is filled with primordial energy, and we unconsciously draw it into our bodies. However, because it is an unconscious act, it doesn't do much. Cultivation begins with the Assimilation Stage, where you can draw primordial energy into your body through breathing techniques. Once your body accumulates enough primordial energy and becomes familiar with it, you can move to the next stage, called Condensation. In this stage, you create a core to contain the energy. Finally, there is the Manifestation Stage, where you can invoke your inherent Law. This is what happened with Barak; he is currently at the Manifestation Stage.
After reaching that stage, you will start to grow your core to accumulate more energy. With more energy, you can invoke your Law for longer and use stronger skills. The more you advance and become familiar with your Law, the higher-level skills you can draw from it.
Be they mages or knights, everyone begins with the three stages to move forward. Only after passing the two levels of the preliminary stage you can be considered as a Low level Knight or Mage.
The final stage is to become one with your Law, wielding it as if it were an extension of your limbs, allowing you to achieve spectacular feats. You become a moving disaster, capable of annihilating a kingdom. In the current world, not many have reached that stage except for the patriarchs of the seven families and a few rogue individuals.
Apex level Knights are called Zodiac while it's Archmage for Mages.
Unfortunately, I can't sense the primordial energy, so I can't start with the first stage. I've tried since I was five years old, and until now, I've yet to succeed. I don't know why I can't sense the energy like others; maybe something is blocking it. Only by sensing and passing through the Assimilation Stage can I move to the Condensation Stage. Then I can receive a blessing to see whether I would awaken the Law of Lightning or any other type of Law. If you receive a blessing and can wield a Law, your power increases exponentially.
"Sigh! I must increase my physique and use it as a weapon until I receive a blessing." I closed the book I was reading and stretched, my stiff muscles emitting popping sounds.
"Let's go cook something to eat." I went to the kitchen.