First Training

The next morning, Sora woke up with a new energy. He had spent a restless but exciting night thinking about his training engagement with Emma and Nerris' mysterious proposal. As he prepared, he couldn't help feeling nervous and impatient at the same time. This day heralded the beginning of his ascent up the tower.

Without even taking the time to eat, he headed for the meeting point set by Emma, outside the Order. The sun was beginning to shine in the sky, and the fresh morning air gave him a boost. As he arrived, he saw Emma already waiting, her gaze focused and serious.

"You're on time, that's a good start," she said with a smile. "Ready for your first lesson?"

Sora nodded, determined. "Yes, I'm ready. What are we going to do?"

"We're going to start with the basics. First of all, you need to learn how to use your sword properly. It's good to have a powerful skill, but without technique, you won't be able to progress."

They headed for a nearby training area, an open space surrounded by trees where the other mercenaries of the Order were also training. Emma explained the different types of blows, the importance of posture and how to channel her energy into her movements.

Sora listened attentively, absorbing every detail. When he started practising, he quickly felt fatigue creep into his arms, but he persisted. Emma's advice was invaluable and he realised he had a lot to learn.

After several hours of intensive training, Sora was sweating, but he felt stronger and more confident. "You're making rapid progress," Emma complimented, crossing her arms. "But this is just the beginning. If you really want to get strong, you'll have to train every day."

"I will," Sora promised, his breath short but his mind sharp. "I need to get stronger."

"Perfect. But now let's talk about your strategic approach. You also need to learn to analyse your enemies," she added, looking at him seriously. "A good fighter doesn't just rely on brute strength."

Emma approached Sora, her gaze piercing. "Strategy is just as important as technique," she continued. "It's not enough to rush in headlong. You have to observe, anticipate and exploit your opponent's weaknesses."

She picked up a branch from the ground and traced a rough outline in the earth. "Let's say you found yourself up against a creature bigger and faster than you. What would you do?"

Sora leaned over to look at the drawing, frowning. "I suppose I'd try to dodge his attacks and wait for an opening to strike."

"Not bad, but it's not enough," replied Emma, "Waiting for an opening works against predictable enemies, but if the creature in question is cunning, it will know that you're on the defensive and will be able to trick you. You have to create the opening yourself. For example..." She drew a circle around what appeared to be a defensive position. "By luring him into difficult terrain, you could force him to lose his balance, however briefly."

Sora nodded, realising the depth of what this implied. "I understand... It's like a game of chess, except that the slightest mistake can cost you your life."

"Exactly," Emma confirmed, handing her the branch. "Now it's your turn. Show me how you would plan your attack against an imaginary opponent."

Sora began to draw in the earth, reproducing Emma's teachings. "If the enemy is more powerful, I should weaken him first," he said, tracing a zigzag path. "I could try to wear him down by forcing him to follow me up steep terrain, then strike when he shows signs of tiring."

Emma smiled, satisfied with the analysis. "Not bad, but remember that this kind of tactic requires a lot of stamina. If you don't have the physical strength, you could be the one who runs out first."

She motioned for him to get up and they returned to the training area. "Now we'll see how you do against a moving opponent."

She walked over to a wooden training dummy with weights attached to simulate movement. "This dummy will turn and hit you if you're not careful. Your aim is to attack it without getting hit."

Sora readied himself, sword in hand. "I'm ready."

The dummy began to move, its wooden arms whirling around its central axis. Sora advanced cautiously, narrowly avoiding the first blow by leaning to the side. He landed a quick blow to the base of the dummy, but was immediately surprised by a swift riposte that grazed his shoulder.

"Don't rush! Watch its movements before you attack," Emma advised him.

Sora gritted his teeth, repositioning himself to try again. This time, he waited for the dummy to attack, dodged and struck with greater precision. The impact of his sword cracked the wood, and he narrowly avoided another blow by rolling onto his side.

"Well done," said Emma, "but don't forget, it's just a dummy. A real opponent will be much more unpredictable."

Sora gasped, but felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through him. "I know that... But I'm going to keep training until I can take on anyone."

Emma approached him, her expression both proud and stern. "That's the kind of perseverance you'll need. But don't forget, Sora... There will always be stronger, smarter enemies. Your true strength will come not just from your training, but from your will to never give up, no matter what."

Sora nodded, determined. "I will stop at nothing."

"In that case, tomorrow at dawn, we'll intensify the exercises. Today, rest well, because it won't be all rest," Emma concluded with an enigmatic smile.

As he walked away, Sora couldn't help wondering what Emma had in store for him next. But one thing was certain: he was ready to give his all to climb the Tower, no matter what the challenges.

Once back in the Order, he felt hunger strike his stomach almost immediately. "Shit, I'm going to have to think about eating. Even though Emma advised me to get some rest, I don't think I have any choice but to go on a mission to earn some money. Unfortunately, the Leather rank missions don't pay much, so I'm going to have to do at least 2 of them if I want to buy some food."

Sora walked over to the Order's mission board, where the various quests available were displayed. Most of the Leather rank missions, reserved for beginners, consisted of simple but low-paying tasks: hunting small creatures, collecting medicinal plants or escorting merchants over short distances.

Although he would have liked to take on the mission where he could hunt small creatures, he knew he was still too weak and preferred to take on a rather quick mission first so he could earn as much money as possible. So he chose the mission to collect medicinal plants.

Even if the reward was only 3 écus, he knew that it would at least allow him to spend an extra night in a room.

He tore the mission scroll from the board and headed to the counter to register it. According to the instructions, he was to go to a forest a few kilometres north of the city to collect ‘Alfa Of Oblivion’. These flowers were fairly common, but grew in areas that were difficult to access, often surrounded by roots or thorny bushes.

As he left the Order, his stomach reminded him that he still hadn't eaten anything since the morning. He gritted his teeth and decided to tackle the mission first, hoping to feed himself with the money he would earn by completing it. Hunger was making him slightly irritable, but he knew he had to stay focused.

The journey to the forest went smoothly, and Sora soon found himself in the middle of the trees, the ground covered in a light mist. The cool morning air was still present, and an earthy smell mingled with a strange floral scent, like a foretaste of the fragrance of Alfa Of Oblivion. Sunlight peeked through the foliage, forming shifting patches of light on the leaf-covered ground.

After consulting the mission instructions, he went deeper into the forest, looking for the famous Alfa Of Oblivion. Eventually he spotted them: small plants with pale blue petals, almost luminescent in the gloom of the undergrowth. They were scattered among thorny bushes and intertwined with thick roots, making picking them trickier than expected.

Sora crouched down near the first group of flowers and began to pick them carefully. He wrapped a cloth around his face to protect himself from the pollen, but he knew that this simple gesture would not be enough to completely avoid the effects of the Alfa. He used his knife to carefully remove the roots, taking care not to disturb the petals, which would release more pollen if damaged. He gently placed them in a canvas bag, designed to contain the volatile substances, and continued his harvest.

As he continued his work, he realised how vigilant he had to be. The rustle of the leaves and the creak of the branches were his only landmarks in this silent forest, and he found himself glancing around nervously. Each Alfa he picked seemed to release a small mist around its petals, and Sora felt slightly dizzy, even through the protective fabric. He took a deep breath, trying to stay focused.

After an hour of methodical picking, he had half-filled his bag, but the quota was far from being reached. So he began to look for areas further away, hoping to find greater concentrations. As he went deeper into the forest, he came across a small clearing where a thick layer of fog lay low to the ground, and the Alfa Of Oblivion was abundant, forming a bluish carpet. Their fragrance intensified, and it almost seemed as if he could hear a distant murmur, as if the flowers were whispering to each other.

Sora approached slowly, his head beginning to spin. He knew he had to hurry, but he was careful not to rush his movements. The pollen floated in the air like a fine, shiny dust, and he redoubled his caution. His movements were precise, his gestures measured, but he couldn't ignore the feeling of progressive oblivion that seemed to be seeping into his mind. He found himself wondering how long he had been there and how many flowers he had already picked.

He crouched down again, fighting the urge to close his eyes. "Stay focused," he repeated to himself inwardly, as he carefully plucked another Alfa from the ground. The mist around him thickened and his thoughts became increasingly hazy. Each flower he placed in the bag seemed to rob him of a fragment of memory. He forced himself to count his breaths to keep control, but even this simple exercise was becoming difficult.

When he finally reached the required number, Sora felt a sense of relief, but also a slight confusion. He sat up, wobbling slightly, and looked around as if trying to remember which direction to take. The forest suddenly seemed foreign to him, and for a brief moment he didn't know why he was there. The bag full of Alfa Of Oblivion in his hands brought him back to reality, reminding him of his mission.

He gritted his teeth and concentrated on finding his way back, taking measured steps towards the exit of the forest, each step bringing him a little closer to mental clarity. The scent of the flowers faded as he went, and he felt his thoughts coming back into focus.

Once back at the Order, he handed the Alfa Of Oblivion to the apothecary, who examined them carefully before handing him a purse containing the reward. Sora seized her with gratitude. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to at least spend an extra night in a room. Even if it was far from luxury, it was still better than spending a night out.

“Any small victory is a step closer to my goal,” he thought, heading back to the mission board.

As he reconsidered his mission, he was surprised that System0 did not award him with any reward. Certainly, he probably didn’t win much, but still, given the number of flowers he had just cut, he hoped to earn at least 1 EXP.

"System0, show me the rewards I have earned from this mission."

[ Affirmative ]

[ Here Are The Rewards That The Climber Won: + 186 Seeds Of Alfa Of Oblivion/ Understanding Of This Plant Has Moderately Increased ]

[ However, As The Enemy Were Harmless All Rewards Will Be Divided By Two ]

[ Gain After Restriction: +93 Seeds Of Alfa Of Oblivion/ Understanding Of This Plant Has Slightly Increased ]

[ Understanding Of This Plant Has Moved From: Medium To: Medium-High ]

[ The Climber Has Won: 1 EXP ]

[ EXP Missing Before Next Level: 92 EXP]

"I only earned one XP, but it’s better than nothing, especially since I’ve earned a lot of care. That’s pretty cool."