“The Loser and the Dummy”

Watching Leonard cough, Silica became worried. "Are you okay, Mr. Leonard? Maybe you need sugar water?"

"Excuse me, I... I just choked; I'm okay..." he gasped, trying to regain his breath. "Could you tell me what the potential levels are?" He had to know. He had to understand what this meant.

"You're piquing my curiosity, Mr. Leo," Silica said with a sincere smile.

Silica explained that the potential rankings ranged from F, E, D, C, B, A, S, to S+. Leo wrestled with the urge to ask what a pentagram ranking meant but restrained himself. Such a question would be exceedingly dangerous, and he suspected it was information beyond her knowledge.

Leo decided to take a gamble. "Has there ever been a rating lower than F? Perhaps a G?" he ventured.

"Never in the entire history of the Fros continent."

"Anything higher than an S+?" This was the real question he wanted to ask.

"There's nothing cataloged beyond S+, at least not officially. However, since this is a purely private assessment, our records aren't comprehensive. I can only offer information based on studies of those who have chosen to share their results," she concluded.

Leo nodded in agreement.

He felt a surge of hope, a thrill coursing through his veins. "This... this could be it. This could be the key to everything." Leo hid his elation, convinced that his result was something truly special—a glimmer of hope for his otherwise bleak stats.

He thanked Silica for everything, and she offered him the chance to pick some weapons and a starter kit from the warehouse, which he readily accepted. 

Since Leo's stats weren't all clear, he couldn't decide on a battle class—at least not yet. He chose two short swords and a survival kit along with a backpack.

She also explained the Equalizer rankings: Iron > Bronze > Silver > Gold > Platinum > Titanium > Diamond. Advancing through the ranks depended on their accomplishments, spoils earned, reputation, and stats card. The requirements for advancement had to be checked at the Guild House, as market fluctuations occurred due to the inconsistent flow of Equalizers and spoils.

As Silica escorted him to the door, she explained, "Mr. Leonard, you need to know that, first, Neumonds evolved through training, not solely by hunting leirions."

Leo nodded. 

"Second: Focusing on weight training would improve strength. To enhance magic, practice with mana is necessary, while unique abilities could be improved simply by using them or meditating." 

"Should I lift some stones?" Leo played.

"You? Not even a ton-rock." She replied coldly.

Leonard shrugged.

She continued, "Hunting leirions logically accelerated your growth significantly due to the combat experience, stress, and pushing the body to its limits." She stopped for a while and finished, "Anything else, Mr. Leonard?"

"I'm good," Leo said in a bored tone. 

"Good, have a nice hunt, Mr. Leonard."

He waved to her while exiting.

And after all the preparations, Leo left the Guild House and headed towards the training grounds. He needed some basic instruction to fight, even if it came from the guards.

The training grounds were close by, and since many novice Neumonds trained there, it was the most convenient option.

His stomach growled… He hadn't eaten properly in days. To keep up his training plans, he needed to eat, so he used his pocket money—about 50 copper coins—to buy some bread. He saved the leftovers of the meal into his backpack.

In Humbra, 100 copper coins were equivalent to 1 silver coin, 100 silver coins to 1 gold coin, and 100 gold coins to 1 platinum coin. A typical person's daily expenses rarely exceeded one gold coin; average prices generally ranged from bronze to silver.

Arriving at the training grounds, Leo felt self-conscious due to the many stronger people training there. He looked for a more secluded spot but couldn't find one. So, he chose the first straw dummy he felt comfortable using.

He dropped his backpack and drew his two swords. "Time to see what this pentagram potential is all about!" he thought, his heart racing with anticipation, a nervous energy buzzing beneath his skin. 

He gripped the hilts of his new swords, the leather cool against his palms. Leo charged forward, the sound of his swords meeting the dummy echoing through the training grounds, but it wasn't a good strike. 

It was a dry, weird, and dull thud.

He stumbled, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. He felt a shiver run down his spine, even a brief urge to pee—it was an extremely clumsy display, an embarrassing sight to behold.

Leo's hands trembled with each swing, and his swords nearly flew from his grip. Within minutes, the others at the training grounds had nicknamed him the "dummy fairy" due to his light hits and awkward swings.

He persisted until nightfall, continuing to strike the dummy without any technique, flow, or rhythm. By the end of the day, his arms were shaking and his hands were sore and blistered, but he remained focused. 

He believed that if he kept at it, his pentagram potential would somehow work wonders. He was sorely mistaken. Training without technique yields little benefit; it's a waste of time. He might've been able to get somewhere, but not before he'd starve to death with no money.

Leo persevered for three days, dedicating fourteen hours a day to his training with minimal breaks. At the end of the third night, a man with gray hair, but who wasn't too old, came up to Leo and asked him.

"What are you up to, lad?" The mysterious soldier walked closer.

"Training! Argh…" Leo lunged at the dummy, his swords flashing, but the attack was poorly executed. He lost his balance and stumbled, falling to the ground with a grunt.

"To me, it looks like you're just beating up your knuckles and getting schooled by this dummy," the man grinned.

Leo sprawled on the ground and felt a wave of frustration wash over him. He was tired, hungry, and his body ached.

"What else can I do? I don't have money for food, let alone a teacher," Leo sighed.

"I can give you some pointers, lad. I've seen you here for three days straight, sweating it out. A lot of people would have quit already," the man said.

"I'm broke. Forget about it," Leo shot back, avoiding the man's gaze.

"You don't need to pay me. These are just some pointers from a tired old man." The man drew his great longsword from his back. "As it happens, we're both swordsmen...".

The man planted his right foot and masterfully pivoted. His sword traced a perfect, incredibly fast arc above his head, seeming to pass just by the dummy. 

A second later, the dummy split cleanly in two diagonally, like a hot knife through butter.

"Holy cow! That's incredibly strong!" Leo exclaimed, quickly sitting up, startled, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The man let out a satisfying laugh as he sheathed his sword, then offered Leo a hand up.

At that moment, Leo finally met the knight's eyes, and a rush of doubt and anxiety filled his heart.