When Jake was brought to the grey space, he started learning the theory behind hand-to-hand combat. Contrary to what some might believe hand to hand doesn’t just mean using hands and legs to fight, but also using the entire body. Posture, gravity, dodging, and more, are required in learning the ‘basic hand to hand combat.’

Future basic hand to hand fighting would require calculations, but for now Jake had his hands full literally. He sat in a horse stance (squatting straight as possible with hands at 90-degree angle from the ground) with 10 kilograms (around 22 pounds) on both arms, trying to keep his balance. Which after a while he finally got the basics, then the weights increased to 15 kilograms (about 33 pound)? Jake cursed, then slowly calmed down thankfully because the weights were about fall, which would require him to restart from 10 pounds.

After a while Jake finally finished with the horse stance after he reached 20 kilograms (about 44 pounds), then started doing strange things, such as moving in gravity about three times heavier and weaker at different points, while trying to hit different objects at near maximum force or trying to dodge. After a while, and a lot of different training, he was sent out of the grey space.

After Jake left, he didn’t become an expert in fighting, in fact he had no experience in fighting. It was like learning some martial arts, while they are powerful, it wouldn’t matter if you don’t know how to use the martial arts in real fights.

Checking the time, he spent about 6 days learning the hand to ‘hand combat level 1’.

The next thing the system recommended was fighting in the attribute trials, well on the weakest level to gain experience on how to apply what he learned.

Feeling a bit nervous, especially with what happened the last time, Jake calmed down quickly due to his skill, before entering the attribute trials for 0.001 attribute trial.

Jake put up a stance and waited for his opponent to arrive. Sure enough, after a while a creature came from the grayish-black ‘chaos’. This time it wasn’t a goblin but rather a weasel, a huge one at that. It had blueish-black eyes, and its fur looked like it was soft as silk.

The weasel stared at him, and after what felt forever Jake gave up waiting for it, and charged with a basic stance, using gravity and momentum, he lowered himself and attacked with a straight with his fists.

Though that seemed like a bad idea as the weasel simply dodge very easily, but not before leaving a deep gash on his right arm with its claws. Jake paused for a moment before feeling great pain, Jake’s stance broke down as he grabbed where the wound was, and the weasel took the chance to charge at his arm and cut, and this time a deep cut into his right armpit.

Jake felt he lost control of his right arm, but the pain he received increased. Jake thought the weasel would take this chance to attack again, so he decided to calm down and take a one hand stance forcibly, but strangely enough the weasel just stood at the distance. After a while Jake felt dizzy, which made him feel like a fool, he had been bleeding out of course the more time passed the more blood he would lose.

After knowing the weasel’s scheme (or tactics) Jake decided to take a risk and charge again, though charging while feeling dizzy and sweaty didn’t work well, the weasel just ran away. After what felt forever Jake lost conscious due to blood loss, and the weasel waited for a minute or two before coming to end Jake.

-

Break scene

-

Jake slowly woke up, remembering what happened he clutched his right arm’s armpit, then started feeling pissed. What an idiotic, stupid, and dumb fight was that. The weasel just counterattacked twice and ran all match, and the weasel’s plan actually worked.

Sitting on the ‘floor’ Jake thought back to that fight and realized his pain tolerance was trash. Well, thinking of his past life, he only got hurt back in the orphanage and it hadn’t been more than a punch or two.

Jake didn’t want to just get scratched and lose a fight, so he had to get his pain tolerance stronger, so he did what any sane person would do ask the system.

‘Pain tolerance, passive’ was its answer, so Jake checked the time he has left, it seemed the fight took two hours which was impressive.

As Jake entered the grey space, there was a theory for pain tolerance, but not one that most people would think of. It only took Jake an hour or so to learn it all before some high-tech devices were placed in front of him.

Knowing what will happen soon Jake almost wanted to leave, but remembering how that weasel played with him he entered, but not before saying to system “This will be one of dumbest moments of my life won’t it?”

Which the system actually answered after he entered the device, “It will actually be one of the smartest”

Jake was startled, but before he could think any further, pain started spreading all over his body, including spots he didn’t know he had. After Jake got used to the pain, he finally spat out “NO THIS IS THE DUMBEST IDEA I EVER HAD!”

After a couple hours, the machine finally stopped, before Jake walked out and left the grey space, and looked at the remaining time. Jake saw he had half an hour remaining, he decided he would kill that weasel even if he died with it.

As Jake thought of that he was sucked into the greyish-black space and got ready. Though this time a small leopard with purple eyes came out.

Jake thought it was a pity that weasel didn’t come out, but at least he had an easy enemy this time, or he thought so, until he could only see after images of the leopard before feeling a pain on his abdomen.

Feeling the pain, Jake actually kept up his stance protecting his vital points, knowing if he dropped his guard, he would get a fatal strike.

After a while and a few deep wounds, Jake finally got a moment to counterattack after he saw the leopard slow down when striking. Jake took the strike from the leopard head on while striking back. He finally hit the little thing, though lightly because it moved its body ingeniously, but that leopard actually took the chance to use his arm as a stepping board and slash at his throat.

Jake tried dodging but the leopard was too close, and it struck too quickly and unexpectedly. The Jake felt some pain on his throat, knowing he would die after having his large external carotid artery cut off, he tried to counterattack, but the leopard was already too far.

Knowing what would happen again Jake felt helpless and sad. Time passed and as expected, the little leopard kept his distance and he bled until his death, it didn’t even come back for the kill.

-

Break scene

-

Slowly regaining consciousness Jake touched his neck, he was never going to get used to dying anytime soon.

Jake sat down and started crying and cursing, why? Why! He had cheats, learned martial arts, and even learned pain tolerance how could he keep losing on the weakest level!

After a couple seconds he calmed down back to normal, then thought normally, the little leopard probably lived its entire life fighting, while he was complaining after just training for less than two months.

Jake decided to take this as a lesson many people trained their entire life, he wasn’t going to be able to defeat them just by learning a few things. Just like people who tried their hardest in college and university, while some super genius just came and learned what the teacher gave and thought he learned everything he needed to know then failed a test he complained that life was unfair, after all he once seen that happen.

Jake felt his mind becoming more open minded after that realization.

Looking at the remaining time he decided to just close his eyes until he left the HCTS.

-

Break scene

-

After Jake got back he took a deep nap before waking up, when he heard some deep sounding footsteps.

It was ‘his father’ Void Scar, he saw me awake and said as if I would understand him yelled, “Thin Stick, look meat!” I looked at his hand and saw a giant raptor in his hand. Void Scar then continued, “A red eyed raptor, perfect juicy meat.”

I decided to ask the system if I could eat it and thankfully it said I could and decided to wait for Void Scar to cook it.

----------------------------------------------------System-------------------------------------------------------

Status – Jake Flash (Thin Stick?) – Age (over 1 week) – Race Primordial Perfect Ogre

Level 0

Knowledge – Universal Ogre Language (1), Sensing energy (1), Elemental affinity (1)

- Skills

Passive - Mental stability (Divine), Hidden (Divine)

Body control (3), Energy control (1), ‘Basic hand to hand combat’ (1), Pain tolerance (1)

Active - None

- Attributes (0.248)

Core(s) - None

- Evolve

Iron rank

-----------------------------------------------------End----------------------------------------------------------