The Tangled Vines

The next morning, Sora awoke to the sound of wooden swords clashing in the Order's training area. The first rays of sunlight shimmered into his small room, casting shadows on the stone walls. The chill of dawn bit at his skin as he pushed back the covers and stood up. His gaze fell briefly on the parchment of the mission 'The Tangled Vines', still lying on the table. He knew that today marked the beginning of a new challenge.

Donning his training gear, he mentally prepared himself for the rigors of the day. Emma was already waiting for him in the courtyard, arms folded and looking impassive, her slender figure cut against the backdrop of the glowing sky. Sora moved towards her, his footsteps echoing lightly on the damp cobblestones. When she saw him approach, she uncrossed her arms and threw a wooden sword at him with a precise gesture.

He caught it, but his grip was clumsy; his fingers were still struggling to find the perfect balance on the hilt. He knew this wouldn't escape Emma's sharp gaze. As expected, she frowned slightly.

“Always on time, that's a good start,” she remarked in a calm but authoritative voice. “But it's not enough. Discipline isn't just punctuality, Sora. It's a state of mind.”

She didn't wait for an answer and immediately stood on guard, sword held in front of her in a posture both relaxed and ready for action. Sora imitated her movements, spreading his feet to steady himself, his knees slightly bent. Tension rose within him as he anticipated the first assault.

As soon as their weapons clashed for the first time, he felt Emma's controlled power in every blow. She wasn't just hitting him and holding back; every move was calculated, designed to test his reflexes and his ability to anticipate. Wood clattered against wood, resonating in the morning air like a drumbeat.

Emma's attacks were fast, precise and often aimed at her weak points: her flanks, her legs, her high guard. Sora tried to parry, but each blow sent by his instructor shook his arms. On several occasions, he had to step back under the pressure of her strikes, his breath becoming shorter and shorter as his muscles began to burn. He found himself gritting his teeth as he blocked a particularly strong attack that sent his wooden sword vibrating all the way to his shoulder.

“Your movements are still too rigid.” Emma rebuked him, pivoting to send a swift blow to his shoulder, throwing him slightly off balance. “You need to be more fluid, let your body react instinctively. If you think too much, you'll always be late.”

Emma's remarks stung like needles, but Sora knew they were justified. He tried to concentrate on the rhythm of his breathing, trying to relax his muscles instead of tensing them unnecessarily. He adjusted his movements, trying to cushion blows rather than block them outright. Gradually, he managed to dodge some of the blows and began to strike back, even if his counter-attacks were always too slow or too predictable to hit their target.

Emma, however, wouldn't let him be satisfied with his progress. She stepped up the pace, her movements becoming more fluid and unpredictable. At times, she would abruptly change her angle of attack, forcing Sora to adjust his guard in the moment. At other times, she would feint a strike to force him to uncover himself, then take advantage of the breach to hit him.

Sora felt his frustration mounting as the blows accumulated, each mistake becoming painfully obvious. But this frustration fueled his determination. He gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts to follow her advice. He tried to perceive the flow of Emma's movements, to anticipate where her sword would strike by observing the natural orientation of her body, the slight movement of her shoulders, the location of her gaze.

Their exchanges lasted for long minutes, interrupted only by the sound of their short breaths and the hammering of blows. Sora was beginning to feel the weight of the sword in his hand, his fingers tense with effort. But he didn't want to stop, not yet.

Emma finally stopped suddenly, stepping back to lower her sword. She watched him in silence, her eyes probing every detail of his tired posture, his shoulders heaving with each breath.

“It's getting better and better.” She finally said in a softer tone, like a rare concession. “You're beginning to understand, Sora. But remember, just parrying won't get you far. You have to know when to attack and strike with conviction.”

She raised her sword again, but this time with a gleam of encouragement in her eyes.

“From now on, we're going to concentrate on the offensive. You're too defensive, which is useful for survival, but not enough to win.”

Sora nodded, sweat pouring down his face. The idea of concentrating on attacking invigorated him. Until now, he had felt like a hunted animal, obliged to defend himself at all times. Going on the offensive meant finally being able to fight for something other than survival.

Emma began by showing him basic techniques, emphasizing speed and precision of movement. She constantly corrected him, repositioning his feet or adjusting the way he held the sword to maximize the impact of his blows. She pushed him to repeat the sequences again and again, until they became natural. Then she added more complex variations, demanding that he react to her feints or link attacks with unpredictable movements.

Each strike was a test for his muscles, but also for his mind. He had to think about both offense and defense, about how to keep a balance between the two. More than once, he missed his target or lost his balance, but Emma was always there to straighten him out and get him back on track.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stepped back one last time, lowering her weapon.

“That's enough for today. You've done well, but you've still got a long way to go. Rest up before your mission, you'll need it.”

Sora nodded, exhausted but proud of his progress. As he walked away, Emma added in a softer voice:

“Remember, Sora. Battle isn't always won with strength or technique. Sometimes, you just have to strike at the right moment. Don't forget that."

These words echoed inside him as he returned to his room to get ready. He was exhausted, but felt stronger, as if a new impetus had awakened within him. The memory of his past failures no longer haunted him in the same way; they had become lessons, and he intended to put them to good use on his next mission.

With renewed determination, he equipped himself and prepared to leave the Order, his mind already on the Grimpoint clearing and the Tangle Vines that awaited him there.

As he left the Order, Sora noticed that he had only a few hours left before the sun began to set. He didn't know exactly how long he'd been training this morning, but he could say with a high degree of certainty that he'd spent over 4 hours trading blows with Emma.

Even if, technically, he'd spent just as much time getting more than he'd given.

As he left the training yard, the weight of fatigue weighing heavily on his shoulders, Sora felt a strange satisfaction. Every muscle seemed to pull, every joint to ache, but this only amplified the determination that had taken root inside him. Emma's words still echoed in his mind like a mantra: strike at the right moment, attack with conviction.

He walked along the cobblestones lining the Order's quarters, watching the members come and go with concentrated expressions. Some looked at him briefly, probably intrigued by his dusty training gear and sweat-soaked clothes, but no one spoke to him. He was only a novice in the eyes of the others, a youngster in search of mastery in a world where everyone was fighting for their own survival.

As he approached the entrance to the Grimpoint clearing, his gaze fell one last time on the mission scroll, which he had slipped into his pocket to keep the map of the area in mind. He had carefully studied the information the day before, memorizing the terrain as well as the specifics of the Entangled Vines, plant creatures renowned for their aggressiveness and ability to wrap themselves around their victims.

Silence reigned supreme as he entered the clearing. The trees were twisted and gnarled, as if they had witnessed many a battle. Roots protruded from the ground, like traps ready to catch the unwary, and the ground, damp and soft, sank slightly beneath his footsteps. Sora stepped forward cautiously, sword in hand, senses alert.

Suddenly, a rustle to his left caught his attention. He pivoted quickly, his fingers gripping his weapon more tightly than he would have liked. In front of him, a vine rose from the ground, followed by others, gradually forming the silhouette of a giant, sinister vine. Its movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, and Sora felt his pulse quicken as the creature slowly approached, its long stems swaying dangerously.

Before the plant got too close to him, he immediately decided to take a step back and examine it as best he could.

“0, uses Collector's Catalog.”

[ Affirmative ]

[ COLLECTOR'S CATALOG ]

[ - Name: Entangled Vines ]

[ - Age: 1 month ]

[ - Condition: 100% ( 49 PV ) ]

[ CAPACITIES ]

[ - Strength : 0.38 ]

[ - Intelligence : _ ]

[ - Agility : 0.38 ]

[ - Speed : 0.30 ]

[ - Vitality : 0.35 ]

[ - Magic : 0.25 ]

[ Magic resistance : 0.27 ]

“Well, I guess these aren't the stats for all the plants, but just one. And from the size of them, I think there must be a good dozen in there.”

Sora took a deep breath, trying to calm his heartbeat. The Tangle Vines were more numerous and more formidable than he had anticipated. Remembering Emma's advice, he realized that the time had come to put his learnings into practice: not just defend, but strike with precision and determination.

He quickly assessed his options, his eyes fixed on the creature undulating before him. He had several ways of defeating it: the first was to use the skill of his sword, the second was his skill stolen from the Assassin's Nettle and the third way was simply to cut it with his sword.

Sora immediately dismissed the second option, because he still couldn't make projectiles sharp enough and fast enough to do much damage. And he also preferred not to bet everything on his second option. The two times he had used his sword skill, he had felt a great wave of fatigue wash over him immediately afterwards, so he should only use it as a last resort. Which left him with only his third option. Use his sword to see if his training began to bear fruit.

He recalled Emma's advice, her teachings still fresh in his mind. Don't be defensive. Observe your opponent's movements. Wait for the right moment to attack.

The Entangled Vines advanced slowly, their vines spreading out around him like living tentacles, ready to catch him at the slightest misstep.

With a nimble leap, he moved to the side, narrowly dodging a vine that snapped through the air with a force that could easily have split his arm open. Sword in hand, he chose an angle of attack and slid towards the base of the nearest vine, where he felt the plant was most vulnerable.

His fingers tightened around the hilt and, with all the determination he'd accumulated in training, he brought his sword down in one swift thrust, aiming for the main stem. The wood cracked under his attack, and a greenish liquid gushed from the open wound, splattering the ground.

He felt the resistance of his attack causing the plant to recoil, now undulating more slowly, as if affected by the cut. However, Sora had no time to savour this first success, for already, other vines were rapidly approaching his side.

Without further thought, he moved again, methodically striking the vines at every opportunity, weakening each one little by little. His movements, though not yet as fluid as he would have liked, were more precise than before. He could feel Emma's every lesson resonating in his muscles, in his posture. Don't freeze. Keep his balance. Strike with conviction.

Sora noticed that he had already nicked the plant in many places, but only his first attack had really been effective. Other vines were approaching him from the ground and others from the air.

Just as he thought he was trapped by them, he caught sight of a slight passage that could lead him to the central body of the vine. Sora concentrated and moved as quickly and nimbly as possible through this opening. When he placed his first foot on the ground, he almost instantly felt a compression around his ankle.

Looking down, he noticed that a vine had just caught him and was already beginning to wrap itself around his calf. A feeling of panic swept through his body. What he had been trying absolutely to avoid since the start of the fight had now come true. Because of an error of judgment, he was now trapped. More and more vines began to entangle him, even though he was already in the air, his head turned upside down.

However, the situation was not as bad as he had hoped. His right arm, where he held his sword, had not yet been entangled by the vines and he was now at perfect height and distance from the central part of the plant.

Determined and ready to give his all for this ultimate attack, Sora closed his eyes, thinking back to Emma's words during his training. It was time to put what he'd learned into practice: not just defend, but strike with precision and determination.

Sora concentrated, recreating the sensation of heat in his arm and releasing as much energy as possible into his sword when the heat became unbearable.

He brought his sword down in a circular motion, aiming for the heart of the plant creature. On impact, an immaculate white flash lit up the clearing and a blast of light spread through the air, enough to send the other vines retreating. A sinister cracking sound was heard as the blade of air from his sword penetrated deep into the central stem. The plant emitted a strange, groaning sound, before its body began to convulse.

The vines around him gradually loosened their grip, dropping limply to the ground like lifeless snakes. Sora fell back heavily, sword still in hand, breathless but victorious. Silence fell over the clearing, interrupted only by the rustling of leaves and the last spasms of dying vines.

He lay on the ground for a few moments, trying to calm the frenetic beating of his heart. His head spun slightly with fatigue, and his muscles protested with every breath. But a smile stretched across his lips as he realized what he'd just accomplished. The hard training with Emma, the lessons in discipline and precision, had all paid off in this crucial moment.

When he finally stood up, he noticed a strange little light in the center of the clump of vegetation he had just defeated. Curious, Sora approached and discovered a kind of green stone, radiating a soft glow. Perhaps an unexpected gift from this creature, a fragment that symbolized his efforts. He picked up the stone, hoping it might prove useful in future battles, before leaving the clearing, his heart swelling with pride and a new-found self-confidence.