Chapter 12

I picked a training called 'PUNCH!'

100 Tamarin appeared in the training room so I went to the closest one and went into a stance from which I could throw a punch with all my might so I could get rid of these cluttered up thoughts that I'm breaking my head over.

I then threw my punch aiming for Tamarin's stomach since he was quite a bit taller than I was but my fist went right through without giving me the sensation that I hit something. The Tamarin that I hit disappeared after its hp dropped to 0 from that one punch but it left me with a very unsatisfied feeling. This wasn't going to help me get rid of these frustrations. The screen then displayed '1 down, 99 to go; press I for information'

The doors then closed shut; I worried and went to the door but I couldn't open it so I started hitting and yelling but there was no answer. I kept doing that for a couple minutes but seeing that it didn't reap any results I went and checked the information on the display screen: 'Due to over-use of the 'reset' button you have received this training as punishment. To exit you must complete 3 trainings including your current one. The other two will be chosen randomly.'

That seemed annoying but easy enough; haven't been able to do much training because of various reasons and since I didn't have breakfast yet I wanted to get this finished as soon as possible. It seems that yelling and hitting the door for a couple minutes helped me get rid of most of my frustrations; it felt good to be able to think clearly again. I just had to do what I could when I can and not worry about tomorrow. I'll have plenty of time when that time comes I figured.

So I went to the closest Tamarin again and hit it but its hp only barely dropped so I hit it again and again and again. It took 10 hits before its hp dropped to 0 and disappeared. This had me confused and since the training screen didn't give an explanation on this training I checked the database through my bracelet and this is what it said about 'PUNCH:

PUNCH is a training where you practice punching as fast as possible, if you take too long it will take more hits to take down the target, You have to hit once more for every minute that you are participating in the training.'

Wow, so I have to hit all 98 Tamarin 10 times to get out of here. Or wait, I won't be able to do that within a minute so it will probably be even more and harder the further I go. I then rushed to the next one and hit it as quickly and often as I could. Then I ran to the next and the next and the next. By the third one I already noticed that I had to hit 11 times instead of 10 so I increased my speed but by the 10th I noticed that this wasn't going to work. I was already tired and my speed had dropped plus I had to hit them 13 times now. It was going up slowly but my endurance won't be able to last me through the 90 that were left; I had to figure a way to cheat the system without using the reset button.

So I am not physically fit, endurance is low but the stats say that my intelligence is well above average but what good will that do me? It only helps while controlling mana.... I face-palmed; mana! of course! The system here is probably set up with mana detectors to check how the system is supposed to react to my movements so if I use mana it will register it as me hitting.

I then started shooting a volley of mana bolts at the closest Tamarin. I was able to conjure and shoot 10 bolts per second which would mean I'd be able to beat one every 1 ½ second so within 2 minutes I should be able to finish all of 'm and so I did. Didn't take long at all. After I finished the training a new random training was picked after I went back to the screen. The name for this training was displayed on the screen: 'Stealth-training'

'AARGH!' I screamed, I hadn't gotten the part for the device to help me stealth yet.

I quickly checked the information on this training on my bracelet since it appeared to show more specifics than the information on the training screen itself. After finding it this is what I read: 'Stealth-training, stealth for 1 second; required amount of time will double for every minute that you are unable to complete the training. Time goes up by 10 seconds for each consecutive training session.'

Wow, the creators of this training were very unoriginal. Pretty much the same mechanics as last training. Anyways I first focused on secreting the solution out of my hands and rubbed the front of my body from top to toe, I had just dried myself off so the solution stuck to me quite easily. Then I went to a corner and tried to activate the solution with mana. It didn't work so well but the parts that I did activate with mana stayed stealthed for quite a while even without reapplying mana. This gave me hope. This is the plan I came up with:

1. I stand in the corner so I only need to stealth the front part of my body. This is also because I found it extremely hard to apply the invisibility secretion to my back with my hands without missing a spot.

2. I cast a wall of low density mana and just scan my body from top to bottom within 10 seconds because that seems to be the limit at which I need to reapply the mana-conversion to keep myself stealthed.

So I gave it a try but by the time I finished the stealthing the requirement had raised by one second meaning that I had even less time to stealth my entire body.

So sat down in the corner so that it would take less time; I reapplied a bit more of the invisibility-secretion and reactivated it in a similar manner as before and thus I stayed stealthed for 3 seconds and thus completed the training.

Phew, these training sessions sure force one to find creative uses for ones abilities however much lacking I may be. After the stealthing wore off I could see that I had slightly burned my clothing, I'm just glad that my new set of clothing is already waiting for me after the next training otherwise I would've been in trouble.

The third and final training was dodging arrows. I checked the information on the database again and this is what it said: 'Dodge-training:

Depending on the preferred level a certain number of Tamarin copies will shoot mana-arrows. When you are hit you lose health points. When your health points drop to 0 you will lose. You need to dodge 5 arrows in a row. This number will rise by 2 for every extra minute that it takes you to accomplish this trainings goal.'

5 arrows shouldn't be too hard I thought as I was facing the wall but when I turned around I see that there is a slight problem. The level at which I had previously done this training seems to have carried over I concluded after seeing 100 Tamarin with bows and arrows on the ready.

Maybe this will make it easier, since they all shoot at the same time I only need to dodge the first 5 arrows to complete it right? That is how I tried to give myself some courage, losing all my hp and having to wait for my hp to regenerate would mean that I'd be stuck here even longer. Not something I'm particularly looking forward to.

So I step onto the spot and get ready. 100 arrows are aimed at me and contrary to my hopes all of them come at me as one giant mass; there was no way to dodge 5 and not get hit by all the others. It was literally a wall of mana arrows. As I got hit my health points dropped to 0. It was over, I was never going to get out.

Then the door opened... I was very surprised so I looked at the database again searching for an explanation and thus I learned that 'completing' a training also includes losing one. So I could've just lost all three and gotten out... All that stress and pressure for nothing... I heard a sigh of relief, Mys Tara was standing in the door-way.

'Hey Mys Tara! I'm hungry!'

Mys Tara laughed; 'Already got you a breakfast then I noticed that you were stuck here. Sorry about that! I forgot that I had prepared a second prank for you...'

Wait what! So this wasn't my fault but hers? Oh of course, she was the one who told me about the reset button but left out what happens if you overuse the reset button... I wanted to think that it couldn't have come at a worse time but after mauling it over in my head I couldn't wholeheartedly agree since the stress- and relief from this training did help me get things straightened out. I also now understood what was meant with 'completing the quest will get you closer to your father.'

I may end up on opposite sides but it does allow me to convince him to return.

With renewed strength I reply to Mys Tara as I walk to the door again; 'Its okay; I guess I sorta needed it. Now lets get some food!'

The rest of the day was spent making the stealthing devices and practicing with them in the stealth training. After several hours we finished the machine and its design was flawless. I wore it under the dragoon rider armor to protect it and I grounded the dragoon armor chest piece with the use of copper wiring to the ground. We encapsulated the copper wires with stone beads so that the mana that would get redirected wouldn't instead go through me while being grounded. That would be painful and it can cause for temporary and in rare cases permanent paralysis. Boren also copied the final product of the mana-shield/invisibility device several times so that I would have some spares. It was set to match with my body so Boren and Mys Tara couldn't use it without first heavily modifying the parameters which was the most arduous task in making one of these mana-shields because it had to also react to the bodies movement by sensing the fluctuations of the mana-flow in ones nervous system which is slightly different for each and every individual. After dinner we go over the details of the plan, we pack our things and we will leave tomorrow before sunrise so that our campfire is easily seen. I made sure to drink warm milk before going to bed and not at midnight thus I slept well and woke up on time.