Current Condition has been changed from Near Death to Healing!

Strength + 1.

Endurance + 1.

Vitality + 1.

Zach felt a pleasant feeling of recovery and growth mix with his searing agony. This pleasant feeling of gaining strength was like an oasis in a desert, allowing Zach to maintain his sanity.

Zach now understood that Halt threw him into the pool with the intention of strengthening him, not killing him.

With his newfound strength, Zach aggressively tried to clamber onto the shore. Unfortunately, Halt was expecting this and proceeded to use his boot to shove him back in.

Halt, un-amused and ignoring Zach's cries of pain started to speak.

"This is diluted-blood from a beast whose primary stat is strength. It is mixed with a healing tonic so that as you absorb the blood’s essence your body is repaired.”

“This blood will improve your physical condition and enhance your future strength gains. The worst part is already over, your cells are getting accustomed to the blood. Besides, you will stay in there until I see fit."

After Halt finished his explanation the only sound’s which remained were Zach’s moans and whimpers.

Annoyed by the sound of Zach's continual groaning Halt began speaking, now in a derogatory tone.

“If children of noble families are found to be talented in Battle Aura, they will be forced to soak in beast-blood starting at age five. You are an adult, and supposedly a man, quit your whimpering!"

Noticing that Zach was now attempting to suppress his cries; Halt nodded, clearly somewhat appeased.

"At the end of every week, you will soak in beast's blood of increased concentration. I only had to break your bones this time because you were not soaked in blood while you were still skeletally-developing."

"Appreciate this opportunity you have been given! A month from now the only protection and comfort, you’ll have will be personal-strength!"

Understanding the meaning behind his master's words, Halt's, tearless but clearly pained, eyes shone with determination.

**********************************************************

"You may now exit the pool," Halt said calmly.

Though Halt had spoken with his usual gruff-voice, to Zach it sounded like the singing of an angel. Zach scrambled out of the pool like a cockroach and proceeded to kiss the solid earthen-ground.

He had been in the pool for nearly twelve hours and had reaped immense physical benefits. However, the psychological benefits gained from surviving such a long period of suffering were even more invaluable in Halt's eyes.

"Take this and get some rest," Halt said, before handing a large bundle of the strange jerky to Zach.

"What exactly is this meat?" Zach asked.

"It is the meat of a weaker beast than the beast whose blood you soaked in. The bodies of powerful beasts are often extremely beneficial to consume or contain valuable materials on them"

Zach felt an uncomfortable shiver run down his spine as he recalled the blood pool.

"Even though this meat is not high enough quality to directly improve your stats upon consumption; it promotes the building of muscle, along with stamina and muscle recovery."

"If you can improve your stats simply by eating what is the point of training?..." Zach stopped himself midsentence, noticing the first small signs of displeasure on Halt's face.

"You're a greedy bastard now, aren't you? Due to Intergalactic-Laws, I am only allowed to request a certain quantity of resources from HQ to train you. And I am not getting apprehended for using my own stock! I had to pull some strings just to obtain the beast blood! This meat is standard rations for anyone who is undergoing combat training."

"Thank you, Master Ingral!" Zach said with fake sincerity; hoping it would save him from what felt like an approaching beating.

Evidently, his tactics worked, because Halt simply told him to finish all the jerky and go get some rest.

Upon arriving back at his room, Zach immediately took an ice-cold shower.

Although his body's condition had been improved he found himself extremely tired, and sore all over. He felt like he had been sunburned in every possible location.

Zach assumed this side effect, along with giving him time to build muscle, was why he only had to enter the pool once a week.

Zach proceeded to wolf-down the beast-jerky. No longer feeling physically-exhausted, and with the sunburn-like pain slowly fading-away, Zach laid down in bed.

"Wonder what my stats have become," Zach mumbled to himself before mentally-summoning them.

Zachary Collins

Warrior Level 0

HP: 100 Health represents how far you are from death.

Stamina: 100 Stamina represents your ability to perform actions, including usage of battle aura.

Current Stats:

Strength: 12 Strength represents your ability to produce force.

Precision: 10 Precision represents your accuracy and timing.

Vitality: 10 Vitality represents health regen, bodily toughness.

Endurance: 11 Endurance represents stamina regen and bodily toughness.

Reaction: 12 Represents your ability to respond to events physically and mentally.

Perception: 15 Perception represents your ability to learn, and sense danger.

Upon seeing his strength gains, Zach rapidly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom mirror.

His body had undergone a startling change!

What little fat he had on his body had vanished, and it looked like he had gained 4 lbs of muscle. Though he was very satisfied with his new body when he recalled the 12-hour price he shuddered.

Looking at himself, he doubted that with such a small increase in muscle size his strength had doubled.

He decided to test his strength and assumed the bottom position of a push-up.

Considering he could barely do 20 pushups in the past, he pushed with all his force; only to launch himself upward, straight-past the standing position, and fall backward onto his ass.

The fact that his strength had doubled, along with his loss of excess weight, allowed him to move his body to a ridiculous degree.

Zach had a realization, his strength doubled not because of the slight increase in muscle size; but because all his muscles had undergone a fundamental change.

Some of the energy in the blood must have been absorbed into his muscle fibers; drastically increasing their strength and improving their durability.

Staring at his self-interface in a daze, Zach suddenly noticed that he had a new skill!

Level 1 Pain Resistance (Common): Reduces all pain experienced by 5%.

After experiencing true hell, the current-usefulness of this skill overjoyed Zach. Not to mention how helpful it would be in actual combat.

Climbing back into bed in high spirits, Zach drifted off towards the one place he could bully Halt Ingral: in his dreams.

**********************************************************

After eating breakfast, which consisted of another bundle of jerky, Zach began his first full day of training.

Once again, Halt made Zach move massive quantities of large rocks, and gather them around him.

After a group of 10 rocks was gathered Halt would ask Zach to perform a variety of tasks, ranging from throwing smaller rocks to using a sledgehammer to break the larger ones.

Once the nearby area was clear of one group of rocks; Halt would let Zach momentarily rest to recover stamina. However, this "rest" consisted of painful stretching, Zach being forced to consume a sickening amount of beast-jerky, and a 30-second water break.

After what felt like years had gone by Halt finally signaled that the days physical conditioning was over. The only thing that kept Zach going through the hellish training was the + 1 Strength he received midway through.

Zach hoped that his Battle Aura training would be less intense.

"Listen up brat! Every living thing in this world has some sort of energy. Learning to sense others energy and utilize yours is vital to surviving in this universe." Halt said, before momentarily pausing to make sure the utterly-exhausted Zach was still listening.

"Mages manifest and utilize their energy in mental form to guide spells, and warriors manifest their energy in a physical form which we call Battle Aura. Battle Aura can be used offensively and or defensively. It is even possible to attack your opponent's mind, or launch ranged attacks using battle aura!" Halt said passionately.

Reinvigorated by Halt's speech, Zach tried to absorb as much information, from his ranting, as possible.

"Before harnessing your battle aura, you must first learn to sense auras! That is what the beginning of this training will be focused on!"

Halt abruptly sat down, with his legs in the lotus position.

"Clear your mind, mimic my positioning, and follow my words."

Zach sat down, mimicking Halt’s posture.

Halt's voice suddenly took on a strange entrancing quality, laced with power.

"Slow your breathing, inhaling as slowly as possible, hold the breath in for as long as you can before slowly releasing it. For now, focus only on this."

Hearing that Zach's breathing had slowed down, and sensing that his body had relaxed, Halt continued."Picture the vast open expanse of space. You are sitting on an asteroid slowly and surely floating along; you pass by various planets, which all lack water and life. Their surfaces are barren and empty aside from the solid and rocky ground. Time passes, but that is irrelevant, you just simply float along…"

"Picture the vast open expanse of space. You are sitting on an asteroid slowly and surely floating along; you pass by various planets, which all lack water and life. Their surfaces are barren and empty aside from the solid and rocky ground. Time passes, but that is irrelevant, you just simply float along…"

Feeling the rough ground of the asteroid, Zach simply sat there admiring space. Slowly his mind emptied, and he vanished from the picture, he was the asteroid....

Mentally appalled by Zach entering a special state of perception his first-time meditating; Halt silently watched and waited, wondering what benefits it would bring him...