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Chapter 10: Training Grounds

Positioned in the last section of the line, I found myself anxiously staring at the ground, silently praying to discover my opponent. Slowly lifting my head, I looked to my right, and there she was—the second blond beauty of the academy, Alice.

"Alright, class, I\'m gonna make it short and simple. The person lined up to the right will be your matchup for the odd-numbered lines, and for the even-numbered lines, look to your left, and voilà, you have your opponent. Now, there\'s no need for introductions, so have your weapon ready, and I\'ll set a time of one minute. You must either knock your opponent to the ground within that time, and if you don\'t, it\'s a draw. A win is 1 point, and a draw is 0.5 points. This will not go towards your marks for the semester grade, so rest assured that you won\'t be deducted. Take this lesson as an understanding of your opponent\'s strength and prowess. Find your partner and try to beat the living hell out of each other."

There was no avoiding it, and to think the monster scenario was worse. Maybe I could try my best and lose on purpose against Alice? Wait, I couldn\'t do that because she would just beat me down harder.

Since I crafted Alice\'s personality to be silent and prideful, yet kind and understanding, there was no getting through to her when she was paranoid with anger—an unstoppable force with no immovable object. She seemed pretty calm today, so I hoped I wouldn\'t tick her off like with Valencia.

Approaching her with a friendly smile on my face, I stuttered, "Hello. I\'m yo-r your p-partner."

Her response was more confused than surprised. I couldn\'t tell if it was her beauty that was more mesmerizing or if I had put her mood a bit under the weather.

"Hello, let\'s try our best." Alice said nonchalantly. Gulp... This was bad. Who in the world came up with the idea of writing such an unpredictable personality?

In our spot near the outskirts of the field, I held a crossbow while Alice had her saber. I focused on it carefully, and blue-like liquid flowed around the sword, emitting a faint blue.

I assumed this was what I described as mana aura, a different version of aura. Mana aura took the form of your elemental attribute, whereas pure aura was created from the willpower of the soul, depending on the strength of a user. For example, Jan can wreak absolute havoc just by creating massive forms of light from his willpower, which I had initially planned on having since he was the main character of the novel.

But since Alice focused more on spell casting, wouldn\'t it be better for her to achieve the Apostle\'s Spirit Staff early? It would be best for her to use staff from the beginning since most sword or melee users outmatched her in raw strength. However, since her mana was strong and sharp, she\'d be able to keep up with them with just that.

But it wouldn\'t be like I\'m downplaying Alice. She was around the level of EOS Louise; it is without a doubt she would be among the strongest in this world someday. But right now, she was greatly disadvantaged for many reasons, having only become adept at using her sword in practised scenarios and not in real battleground-type fights.

Fwang!

A notification flashed on the screen, indicating a new quest.

[Quest: 1 for 1. Win against Alice Once and Draw Once against her!]

[Rewards: 2.5 Speed+, 2 Stamina +]

I frowned as I stared at the rewards, feeling that they weren\'t quite befitting a duel with a main character like Alice. However, the idea struck me that I could potentially enhance the rewards.

"System, can you increase the reward in exchange for QP?" I asked within the confines of my mind.

[Sure! That would be 28 Quest points (QP) to enhance the reward, or would you like to invest more for a better reward?]

Curiosity piqued, I wondered what these enhanced rewards might offer. If they didn\'t significantly surpass the current quest rewards, it might be better to stick with the original.

"Can I see the rewards for both, please?" I inquired.

[Okay! here they are...]

>[Base Rewards: 2.5 Speed+, 2 Stamina +]

>[28 Point Rewards: 2.50 Speed+, 2.00 Stamina+, Archer Point 1.00+, 5.00 Health+]

>[60 Point Reward: 3.00 Speed+, 2.50 Stamina+, Archer Point 1.00+, 5.00 Health+, New Stat: Evassiveness base stat: 3.25%, (???) will be unlocked.]

It seemed like a gambling system, reminiscent of my past experiences with in-game items and real money. Remembering the saying, "You can win 2000% of your money, but you can only lose 100% of your money," I decided to take the gamble.

"System, I\'d like to go for the 60-point reward," I declared with a determined look in my eyes.

[60 Quest Points have been used to enhance the reward! Difficulty Scaling of opponent: Alice Elizabeth... Scaling complete! Quest updating... Quest Updated Complete!]

With the system updating everything, a surge of motivation coursed through me. Although the odds of winning against Alice were slim—requiring perhaps a thousand matches—I needed to reduce that to just one in ten battles.

[Quest: 1 for 1. Win against Alice Once and Draw Once against her! RESTRICTIONS: You cannot use the following: Clockwork of Time [Grade 3], Quick Shot [Grade 9], and the following stats have been lowered accordingly: Precision 45% -> 25%, Speed 59 -> 39]

[Additional Content for Character: Alice Elizabeth, She is angered at the thought of being second in a test. This is the first time she has felt this way since [???] Occurred. Her stats have been amped by 10%, and if you are hit within 3 consecutive strikes of her sword, you will be knocked out.]

huh? So I guess I\'m going headfirst into a pit of spikes? this is unfair. how unfair is this? very! VERy! UnFAir... ah I\'m having another mental breakdown again. While Clockwork of Time seemed reasonable since it slowed down my perception, the stat reductions posed a different problem.

Suddenly my body weight adjusted to a slower speed, and my hand shook slightly.

Was I scared?

No.

Was I afraid? Yes.

"Okay, everyone, there will be a countdown that you will hear over the speakers. After I finish speaking, the countdown will immediately start."

I muttered curses under my breath as cold sweat formed on my forehead. The expression on Alice\'s face wasn\'t detailed, but I had written a special trait for when she was mad—her right eyebrow would lower, and she would squeeze her grip on the sword every 3 ticks to ensure she remained calm.

3

2

1

Start!

As the countdown reached zero, I gripped my crossbow tightly, feeling the cold metal against my palms. Alice stood before me, her sabre gleaming with a faint blue aura. The stage was set for a clash of abilities, and my heart pounded in my chest.

Without hesitation, Alice lunged forward with remarkable speed, closing the distance between us in an instant.

Her sabre sliced through the air with a precise arc, leaving trails of the mana-infused blue light in its wake. I swiftly raised my crossbow, aiming for her midsection, but Alice deftly parried the bolt with a flick of her blade.

She retaliated with a series of quick slashes, each one calculated and aimed with precision. I dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding the lethal edge of her weapon. The speed and fluidity of her movements were impressive, and I could sense the power behind each strike.

Luckily, I at least had an understanding of the use of the sixth sense, allowing me to anticipate her attacks just one move ahead of time.

In response, I decided to create some distance. I backpedalled, firing bolts from my crossbow to keep Alice at bay. However, she deflected each projectile effortlessly, closing the gap once again. Her eyes remained focused, and determined, and a faint glint of anger flashed across her face.

I knew I couldn\'t rely solely on ranged attacks. As Alice closed in, I switched tactics, summoning a burst of energy to enhance my speed. Darting to the side, I narrowly avoided a sweeping slash from her sabre. The adrenaline surged through my veins as I tried to outmaneuver her.

Yet, Alice adapted swiftly. She anticipated my movements, countering with a swift kick that caught me off guard. The impact sent me stumbling backward, my crossbow clattering to the ground. Before I could recover, Alice closed in, launching a flurry of strikes.

I blocked and parried as best as I could, but her strength and precision were overwhelming, and I realized I had fallen on my back. The tip of her sword was now in my face as she stood victorious in the first battle.

W-D-L

1-0-0 Alice

0-0-1 Rel

9 more matches remain.

As the countdown initiated the second match, my nerves were on edge from the previous defeat. Alice\'s determined expression remained unchanged, and she wasted no time in advancing. The clash began anew, but this time, Alice\'s movements were even more calculated. Her attacks flowed seamlessly, and I found myself struggling to keep up.

Despite my efforts to adapt, Alice\'s enhanced stats proved to be a significant challenge. Her strikes were faster, and the power behind each blow had increased. I tried my best, but the outcome was inevitable. The battle concluded with Alice\'s victory, leaving me with a sense of frustration and determination.

W-D-L

2-0-0 Alice

0-0-2 Rel

8 more matches remain.

In the third round, I approached the duel more cautiously since I lost within 29 seconds. I observed Alice\'s movements more closely, attempting to decipher the patterns within her attacks. Although the result was another defeat, I could sense a trace of understanding forming. Alice\'s unique fighting style became slightly more predictable the more I observed.

W-D-L

3-0-0 Alice

0-0-3 Rel

7 more matches remain.

The fourth encounter proved to be another harsh reality check. Alice\'s relentless assault left little room for recovery. Despite my best efforts to discern her strategies, the gap in skill remained apparent. The defeat only fueled my determination to unravel the mysteries of her combat prowess.

W-D-L

4-0-0 Alice

0-0-4 Rel

6 more matches remain.

Tension hung in the air, but this time, a quiet determination burned within me. As the battle commenced, Alice surged forward with unmatched speed, her blade slicing through the air with deadly precision.

I dodged, parried, and countered, each movement fueled by the lessons learned from the previous encounters. Alice\'s attacks were a relentless storm, but I could sense the ebb and flow of her strikes. There was a rhythm, a cadence that my instincts began to decipher.

The clash of my crossbow and her sabre echoed through the training field, a symphony of steel meeting steel. In the midst of the chaos, my senses heightened, allowing me to perceive Alice\'s movements before they occurred. A flicker of intuition guided my responses, and the dance of adaptation began.

As Alice lunged, I sidestepped with uncanny precision. The blade whistled past where I stood just a moment before. A grin tugged at my lips; the shadows of her attacks became visible to my senses.

I counterattacked, landing bolts that had hit her exploiting the brief openings in her assault. With the battle intensifying, each movement was a calculated response to the other. It was a dance of strategy, an intricate interplay of offence and defence.

Alice, too, sensed the shift in the battle. Her attacks became more deliberate, like her swings saying I wasn\'t going to draw to a mere nobody. Time silently ticked as if an hour could go by.

And as it reached its final moments, the battle hung in the balance. A draw, a testament to the progress made. I met Alice\'s gaze as she looked surprised at me keeping up.

W-D-L

4-1-0 Alice

0-1-4 Rel

5 more matches remain.

The sixth battle unfolded with Alice now taking me a bit more seriously. The previous draw had sparked a fire within her, and she launched into the fight with mana-infused slashes. My stamina, however, proved to be a limiting factor. Fatigue set in faster than anticipated, and Alice seized the opportunity, pushing me to the brink. Each strike felt heavier, and my movements grew sluggish. In the end, my back ended up touching the floor after her second strike.

W-D-L

5-1-0 Alice

0-1-5 Rel

4 more matches remain.

As the seventh battle commenced, I could feel my body protesting against the continued strain. Fatigue weighed down on every limb, and my reactions slowed. Alice exploited this weakness, pressing her advantage. Despite my best efforts, the battle became a struggle against the impending shutdown of my body. Every swing of her sword felt like a crushing blow. The fight ended with another defeat as my stamina reserves reached a critical low.

W-D-L

6-1-0 Alice

0-1-6 Rel

3 more matches remain.

***

W-D-L

8-1-0 Alice

0-1-8 Rel

1 more match remains.

After losing the eighth battle and the ninth, it was now the last match to earn one over her. I had lost again and again, but I couldn\'t give up just yet. There had to be a way to get around her, just somehow...

The final battle the culmination of the exhausting encounters. Weariness clung to me like a second skin, each movement a testament to the toll of our relentless sparring. Facing me, Alice, an unyielding force, prepared for the conclusion of our series of duels.

As the countdown dwindled, the weight of our previous clashes pressed upon me. Alice, undeterred, advanced with precision, her mana-infused slashes leaving luminous trails. In the waning seconds, a flicker of inspiration emerged from the depths of my fatigue-laden mind.

Feigning vulnerability, I executed a deceptive stumble, luring Alice into what seemed an opportune opening. Her instincts propelled her forward, eager to land the decisive strike. But I should\'ve thought of her earlier weaknesses within the story was that she was too ignorant to look into the meaning of her opponent\'s moves, which was her downfall. The battlefield concealed a surprise crafted from weariness and insight.

With a deft move, I transformed the crossbow\'s string into an improvised snare, encircling Alice\'s ankle in an unexpected web of resistance. I held my breath—a delicate balance between anticipation and revelation.

Caught off guard, Alice stumbled forward, her poised assault unravelled by the unforeseen twist.

She tried to swing at me trying to land a blow against me but it was futile.

Alice, unbalanced and bewildered, I used the remaining stamina I had to finish the job and trip her onto the floor. As I did, I kicked my leg behind her ankle. As she was about to fall on the ground, I grabbed her arm and pointed the crossbow at her head. I gave her a half grin and a half smile.

But in her reaction, I could see that she was?

actually...I don\'t even know myself.

What face was she making?

It looked like a semi-surprised, awe, infatuated face. But as graceful as she was, she had succumbed to the unexpected grace of defeat, and I had succumbed to a massive reward that I could happily accept.

To put it simply.

I came, I saw, I was victorious.

W-D-L

8-1-1 Alice

1-1-8 Rel

Match Complete... Winner: Alice Elizabeth

Maybe I\'m not so victorious after all. Haha...

___________________________

[Quest: 1 for 1 Complete!]

[Rewards are now being transferred... Transfer Complete!]

[Here are the following rewards]

>3.00 Speed+,

>2.50 Stamina+

>Archer Point 1.00+

>5.00 Health+

>New Stat: Evasiveness base stat: 3.25% - Stat will trigger only in situations when the chances of an attack that is deemed improbable to dodge occurs if so Speed stat is enhanced by percentage 3x.

>(???) -> Tenacity 2.45% - Stat will trigger in dire situations that are deemed too much to handle increasing your willpower [Hidden Stat] and mental health 5x.

Alert! Sixth sense has now levelled up. Grade 9 -> Grade 8

All handicapped stats and abilities have been reverted to normal...

___________________________