After travelling for over around two days, John found himself in an inn towards the outskirts of the city. He had filled out all the documents he needed for his new persona to be granted citizenship in this city. He was going to sign up with the guard since it would give him the opportunity to get some training in his close combat skills, gain some experience fighting the monsters and would give him an excuse to patrol the streets looking for new meals. So, with his inventory full of all of his belongings he made his way over to the guard station.

The guard was actually more of a militia than an actual guard and they were there mainly to provide close-up protection of the mages that would be doing most of the damage and to walk the streets to try to combat crime. Any citizen was allowed to sign up with the guard but would have to pay for basic training if they hadn't been through it already or work off the debt, so he went in, deposited his paperwork and left.

Three days later he was standing in a small, sand-filled training yard with 20 other gnomes mostly in their late teens but there was one gnome who appeared to be at the tail end of middle-aged. An exceptionally tall gnome in full plate-mail was standing in attention looking at them.

"Ok, listen up, you're here for basic training and that's what you're gonna get. For the next two weeks, you will eat, sleep and breath training. Those monsters out there are not friendly and if any one of you is weak then you put the rest of us at risk. With that said you will listen to my orders and obey them without question.

Every day you will be alert at the foot of your bed by 8:15 and you will be taken here. You will work your asses off and your fingers to the bone and you will return to the barracks every night exhausted and bloodied. If you can't do that then I suggest you leave now because I 'm not gonna waste my time on worthless students."

One of the youngest gnomes shifted his gaze back and forth looking at the rest of us, shook his head while looking at the ground and walked out. The gnome in plate didn't say a word, just nodded and then looked back at us with hardened eyes.

"Good, now first things first. You will do laps of this training yard, anyone who falls behind the group will be punished, anyone who pulls ahead of the group will be punished. You will go until you collapse and then you will get back up and go some more, I don't care if you have to carry each other but you do not stop until I say you stop, understand?"

No-one said anything, they just stared back at the gnome in incredulity.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"

"Aye sir aye!"

"Sir Yes Sir!"

Everyone turned to look at John after that but the gnome didn't give them chance to question his weird phrase and sent them all running. An hour and a half later, John was staggering on his feet, sweat pouring down his face and half supporting and being supported by two others who were staggering around the yard with him.

"That's enough"

The whole group fell to the ground as one, panting and wiping sweat from their eyes.

"That was pathetic, if this were a battle you would have died 5 times over, you better do better next time or I swear any god who is listening that I will personally feed you to an ogre, feet first. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!"

"Aye Sir Aye" was the mumbled groans of an exhausted group laying in the sand.

Notice Due to recent events, your Endurance has increased by 1 point Notice Due to recent events, your Endurance has increased by 1 point Notice Due to recent events, your Vitality has increased by 1 point

John was already making plans to murder the gnome in his sleep and regretting his choice to do this. The fact that the training was clearly effective didn't even flash across his exhausted mind.

"Now, get yourselves up and take yourselves to the barracks, I expect you clean, bright eyed and ready when I come for you tomorrow. Dismissed!"

No-one even tried to get up. 

It was 15 minutes before John managed to climb his way to his feet and stagger over to the barracks building. He immediately got into the shower, basking in the pain of the hot water hitting is skin as it was a welcome distraction for his aching muscles. After cleaning himself with as little movement as he could manage he made his way over to the closest cot and collapsed onto it before falling asleep. 

The next day, John was awakened to clatering and smashing and bolted out of bed. In the middle of the room was the plate gnome bashing a metal baton against a shield. 

"Get up you lazy bastards, we don't have all day!"

A chorus of groans spread across the room as people got to their feet and got ready. They were fed a meal of eggs and bread and then found themselves back in the training yard. 20 padded vests and wooden swords were in the middle of the yard.

"Today we teach you how to use a sword. Now since these bastard screens arrived, how we do this is a little different. You see, now, the more you swing the better you get so what we're going to do today is put those vest on and you're gonna start wacking on each other. Same deal as yesterday, you do not stop until I tell you to!"

They all managed to stagger over to the yard and silently put on the suits and picked up a sword. The next two hours were neither fun, nor painless.

Notice Due to recent events, your Vitality has increased by 1 point Notice Due to recent events, your Vitality has increased by 1 point Notice Due to recent events, your Vitality has increased by 1 point Notice Due to recent events, your Endurance has increased by 1 point Skill Gained NAME: Swordsmanship You know how to dispatch your enemies through the use of a blade. Skilled swordsmen are unparrelled in close combat Effects- Effectiveness of STR and DEX are increased by 1%/skill level when weilding a sword MP cost- NA Activation Time- Passive Level 3