Chapter 15: Training Arc

"Wrong foot!" Charlotte flinched as she heard his scream from nearly a field away. They were both in a thick forest, where greenery impeded her every step. Her instructor, no worst nightmare, scolded her for the tiniest of mistakes she made during training. She could breathe wrong and Walter, her nightmare, would yell from across the field.

But she couldn't deny that she was getting good practice. Nearly only a month into training, her level skyrocketed from level 22 to level 49, an astonishing 27-level jump. Mainly because of his constant screaming, her posture and swordplay had leaped sky high. Makes sense, since her practice in dueling came from slaying beasts double her level and sword fighting with the literal High Commander of Ascania. 

"Make sure your breathing is correct!" He yelled again, his voice scaring off another flock of birds. She cursed under her breath as she reset her technique, starting from scratch. 

Walter had said that breathing, especially in swordplay is important. Correct posture, breath, and positioning can win fights that you thought were once impossible. 

Now, she was just practicing her stance while roaming for monsters to fight. Fighting stationery is easy, but fighting when moving is hard. Fighting a moving battle against a monster with no morals or qualms about honor is even harder.

"Hwa!" She brought her sword down on an imaginary enemy.

"Remember to keep your guard up!" A voice yelled as her instincts flared. There was an arrow approaching fast, and from behind her. It was him again, trying to make sure she couldn't have even the tiniest bit of rest.

She dug one of her feet into the soil and using both her swinging momentum and her other foot, she pivoted herself in the opposite direction to face the arrow. And just in time too, her blade smacked the arrow out of its original trajectory and embedded itself into the forest floor.

"Don't just smack the arrow. Anyone can bat a flying object, but it takes skill and precision to cleave an arrow in half." Walter's disembodied voice said, coming from all directions at once.

She sighed. No point in arguing, otherwise she'll get yet another 100 pushups.

She continued on her way, this time warier than before, just in case her instructor graciously gifted her another flying arrow. 

*ROAR!*

The roar of a wild animal was all she needed. 

Finally! An opponent so her instructor wouldn't bother her!

She ran towards the source of the sound, no doubt that close behind her was her instructor, carefully analyzing every step she took so that he could chew her out once the fight finished.

Breaking through a thicket of vines, she found a silvery grew bear feasting on a recently killed Deer. Chunks of red flesh were being swallowed by the bear, and soon enough, only half the deer was left.

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