Trial in the Training Hall

You know that feeling when you wake up and think, "Hey, maybe today won't be so bad?" Yeah, me neither. I groaned as I opened my eyes, every muscle feeling like I'd been run over by a cart—twice. But I couldn't lie around all day. Not when I had the system nagging me like an overbearing coach I didn't remember signing up for. Plus, the clock was ticking on my "prove yourself or be humiliated forever" mission.

So, with all the enthusiasm of a man heading to his own execution, I rolled out of bed, grabbed my dagger, and dragged myself down the hall toward the training area. Might as well start the day by getting punched in the face.

The training hall was empty when I got there—thank the heavens. It was nice, actually, just me and the silence. I took a deep breath, letting the quiet settle around me. The place smelled like sweat and metal, with that faint hint of old stone. I could almost picture myself training alone, getting stronger, becoming some unstoppable force of nature.

And then, of course, he walked in.

Eldran. The bane of my existence, the thorn in my side, the self-appointed ruler of all things Alex-related. He strolled in, smirking like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.

"Oh, look who's here early. Finally trying to take this seriously, are you?" he sneered, crossing his arms.

I gritted my teeth. "Just here to train," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral.

Eldran raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing. "Good. I think you'll appreciate a warm-up then. Carris?" He gestured, and Carris, one of his loyal foot soldiers—built like a boulder with legs—stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

I gave him a nod, holding my dagger a little tighter. "Fine. Let's do this."

"Don't worry, Lord Eldran," Carris said, glancing my way with a gleam of pure amusement. "I'll be gentle."

And just like that, we were off. Carris lunged at me with the kind of speed that left no time to think. Instinct kicked in, and I dodged to the side, feeling the air from his punch rush past my face.

The system's hum was there in the back of my mind, a faint reminder that, somehow, I was supposed to handle this. So, I did what any sane person would do in a fight with a giant—I went for the quickest win I could think of. Ducking low, I aimed a strike at his side, trying to catch him off guard.

But Carris was faster than he looked. He twisted, blocking my attack with his forearm and smirking as if I'd barely tickled him. "Nice try," he muttered, swinging his fist toward my shoulder with enough force to send me stumbling back a few steps.

Alright, so I wasn't winning any awards for style just yet. But I wasn't about to back down, either. I braced myself, raising the dagger, and lunged again, aiming for an opening in his guard. He sidestepped, deflecting my strike with practiced ease, then threw a punch that landed squarely on my ribs.

Pain flared through my side, but I forced myself to stand firm. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I didn't. This was my test, my chance to see just how far I'd come since the system appeared. And if that meant a few extra bruises, so be it.

Carris grinned, sensing my determination, and came at me with a flurry of punches and kicks. I managed to block a few, parrying his blows with the dagger, but each hit I failed to dodge drove home just how wide the gap between us was.

"You're tough," he admitted, a hint of respect in his eyes. But then he came at me harder, faster, pushing me back with every blow.

Finally, he landed a clean hit to my shoulder, sending me sprawling onto the floor, my dagger clattering out of reach. I lay there, gasping, staring up at the ceiling as Carris's shadow loomed over me.

"Enough for today?" Carris asked, glancing over at Eldran.

Eldran walked over, hands clasped behind his back, and shook his head. "Nice effort, Alex. But it's going to take more than that to catch up."

I bit back a retort, forcing myself to sit up. This was just the beginning, and I knew it. "Guess I'll just keep trying," I muttered, more to myself than to him.

Eldran rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Do what you want. Just try not to waste any more of our time."

And with that, he turned and strode out, his entourage following behind him. As I stood, brushing the dust off my clothes, I noticed a faint message blinking in the corner of my vision.

[Battle Replicated]

I blinked, confused. 'Battle replicated? What's that supposed to mean?' The system, naturally, gave me no answer. It just hung there in my vision, taunting me with its mysterious promise. I shrugged it off and made my way back to my room, thinking nothing more of it.

---

That night, after dragging myself to bed with all the enthusiasm of a snail, I collapsed onto the mattress, hoping for a long, uninterrupted sleep. But, of course, the system had other plans.

The moment my eyes closed, I was back in the training hall, standing in the same spot where I'd faced Carris earlier. The stone floor was cool under my feet, the air still, and everything felt… a little too real.

And then I heard his voice.

"Round two, already?"

I turned, and there was Carris, grinning at me with that same cocky smirk, as if he'd been waiting for this all night. I barely had a second to process before he lunged, and instinct kicked in, my body moving on reflex.

The fight was on, just as it had been earlier, but this time I was sharper, faster. I'd seen his moves, knew his rhythm. I dodged his first strike with ease, my grip on the dagger steady as I moved in to counter. This time, I managed to land a small cut along his arm. Nothing major, but it was progress.

But Carris wasn't about to go easy on me. He countered, throwing a punch that I barely blocked, and I felt the impact reverberate up my arm. Each move, each hit, felt painfully real, but there was something different. Every time he struck, I could sense a pattern, a rhythm to his movements that I hadn't noticed before.

We fought for what felt like hours, each clash sharpening my instincts. I began to see gaps in his defense, spots where his guard dropped for a split second. I used them, each time landing a slightly cleaner strike.

But no matter how many times we went through the motions, Carris always found a way to overpower me. Every time, he'd knock me to the ground, leaving me gasping for air. And each time I thought I'd had enough, the hall reset, placing him in front of me, waiting for the next round.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally stopped, stepping back, my chest heaving, dagger lowered. I'd learned his moves, studied every attack, every dodge. My mind felt sharper, my body more responsive. I could see the fight differently, almost like I was one step ahead of him.

Just as I lowered my guard, Carris faded from view, and the familiar text appeared.

[Battle Replication complete. Skill experience increased.]

I woke up, blinking as the morning light flooded my room. My body felt lighter, the ache in my muscles barely noticeable. I sat up slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. Whatever that "battle replication" was, it had done something. I could feel it—the system had just given me a new weapon, a way to improve without anyone knowing.

"Guess I have a few tricks of my own now," I murmured, reaching for my dagger.