The first few days were rough. I was very much an absolute beginner when it came to string manipulation. The manual to string manipulation made it sound simple, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The most challenging aspect of string manipulation was getting the string to move exactly as you want it to. There was also the problem of wrapping the string around objects or sticking it to hard surfaces with only the strings to maintain stability.
The key to string manipulation is the movement of your fingers. The slightest flinch of a finger could cause the strings to go into massive disarray if controlled improperly. So, to master the strings, sensitive fingers were a must. Vesemir suggested that I soak my fingers in boiling water every night to increase my fingers' sensitivity. Well, although the process already sounds very painful, it was somewhere to start.
During the day, I would continue to train with the sword, while at night, I would temper my fingers and train with the strings. The days flew by very fast, and I was making substantial process in my mastery of string manipulation. I could not be considered adequate with string manipulation yet. However, I could perform simple maneuvers with the strings consistently now.
The year was already ending, and the year's final assessments were just around the corner. The final assessment was going to be split into three parts. The first part is an academic test, the second a one-on-one duel between students of the same grade, and the last part being hunting monsters in the wilderness. With Vesemir's near daily tutoring, I was confident in doing well on the academic test. I was confident that I would be able to get a decent placing in the duels. The only uncertainty I had was regarding the last portion of the assessment.
Between now and the assessments, there wasn't much to do. The school halted the classes, and the students were left to their own devices. I spent most of my days just lazing around. While lying on the side of a hill, I turned on my Hunter System.
Name: Gideon Lenoir
Age: 15
Title: Death's Acquaintance (C)
Bloodline: N/A
Class: N/A
Strength: E-
Agility: E → E+
Endurance: E-
Intellect: E- → E
Wisdom: F
Luck: B+
Abilities: Battle awareness (E), Sword Mastery (E-), Observe weakness (E-), Sprinting (F+), String Mastery (F-)
Techniques: Imperial Kingdom's Soundless Sword Technique (Beginner) (E), Seven Unuttered Splits (F+) → (E), Unarmed Combat Fundamentals (E-), Undisturbed Snow (F) → (E)
Status: Healthy
Sword Mastery (E-) (Max: Unknown): The user's mastery of the sword. This skill rises in proportion to the user's prowess with the sword.
String Mastery (F-) (Max: Unknown): The user's mastery of string manipulation. This skill rises in proportion to the user's prowess with string manipulation.
Seven Unuttered Splits (E) (Max: D-): A sword attack that comprises seven silent slashes that follow one another. Each connecting attack will increase in power, with the seventh attack being substantially more substantial than the previous attacks.
Undisturbed Snow (E) (Max: E): A movement technique that makes the user's steps quick and soft. Upon reaching its highest level, one could walk on snow without leaving behind any footprints.
After training in the fundamentals of swordsmanship for so long here, I had finally achieved the skill, Sword Mastery. You could say that I have now officially embarked on the path of mastering the blade. A pleasant surprise was the acquisition of the String Mastery skill. Now I was sure that I wasn't a hopeless cause when it came to string manipulation. I had raised my mastery of Seven Unuttered Steps by two levels and mastered the technique Undisturbed Snow. I was proud of my progress since coming to the Umbra Battle Academy. The me from the Damaculus Battle Academy couldn't hold a candle against the current me now.
I was happy with how things were currently progressing. I remained lying on the hill, basking in the warm light of the "sun" for a while longer before getting up and heading to the library.
Back at the library, Vesemir was engrossed in some book. I sat down at a table and placed the can on the table. I shut my eyes until my heartbeat and breathing stabilized. Afterward, I extended my arms and my fingers and proceeded to twist and turn my fingers in several different directions. Several threads of strings, barely visible to the naked eye, slowly circled the bottle in reaction to my finger movements. Then, I violently clasped my fingers to form a fist. The strings surrounding the can jerked in response to my movements and swiftly tightened against the bottle. It didn't just stop there. The strings cut through the can, leaving me with two clean halves of the can.
I reflected on the process. I had done a great job cutting the can with the strings; however, I took too long to set up the strings. In a real battle, the opponent wouldn't allow me to take such a long time to prepare. I retrieved another empty can from my bag and placed it on the table before practicing again. I've been training my skill in string manipulation this way for the past week.
Although there was much to be desired with my mastery of string manipulation, I couldn't even move the strings just a few weeks prior. Now not only was I able to manipulate the strings to surround an object, but I was also capable of demonstrating the string's fighting prowess.
Just like that, another few days flew by, and now it was the start of the final assessments. The first part of the final assessment was the academic portion. As I had predicted, it wasn't much of a hurdle for me since I had Vesemir as my tutor. Of course, my placing wasn't ranked among the greatest. However, I was comfortably above average in the rankings. After the academic portion of the final assessment was the one-on-one tournament. This is where my skills will shine.
We had a day to rest before the one-on-one tournament starts. During this time, I met up with Vesemir and discussed our battle plan for the third portion of the assessment, the battle royale. Our plan depended on us finding each other as early as possible and staying as discreet as possible. Although we would be losing out on points, we otherwise would have gained from fighting other students. The key problem was that all students of the academy would be participating in the battle royale, not just the students of your grade.
Additionally, the threat of being ambushed just after fighting was constantly looming over us. We intended to try and survive as long as possible to rack up survival points one would gain depending on how long they survived in the battle royale. I spent the rest of the day checking my gear and sharpening my sword in preparation for the battles I will be partaking in tomorrow.
The night passed without any disturbances. Unfortunately, I didn't get much sleep last night because my anticipation for today's matches kept me up all night. Hopefully, the lack of adequate sleep wouldn't impact me much today.
The one-on-one matches were to be conducted only between students of the same grade. This is where one would compete for the title of the strongest in their grade. The tournament was set to be single elimination and would continue until the final matchup. Among the student base, I was aiming for a higher rank, one among the students that would be considered strong. On the other hand, Vesemir was going to struggle since duels were never his forte.
While we were all waiting for the school administration to start the tournament, numerous numbers begin appearing in front of the students. Without any explanation, I already knew what the numbers symbolized. In this case, the number that just appeared in front of me was my seeding. As for the number itself, it was 1, meaning I would be the first to fight. I was either very lucky or very unlucky, depending on which perspective you viewed it from. I peeked over my shoulder to see that Vesemir received the number 47. There will still be some time until his match.
Unsurprisingly, moments later, and the number in front of me started to flash. Already knowing what was going on, I made my way toward the fighting ring, ready to fight my opponent.
My opponent was already waiting for me in the ring. Although he was from the same grade as me, I didn't know who he was, let alone how he fought. The stands were packed to the brim with students. Since this was the first duel of the tournament, it garnered a lot of attention. In the VIP section of the stand sat many people of importance, mainly from the school administration, I assumed. With exception to the principal of the academy, I didn't recognize anyone else. From their deadpan expressions, I could tell that they had very little interest in observing this match. I couldn't blame them. Neither my opponent nor I was notable students, and to them, this duel is more reminiscent of children fighting than anything else.
As I was still observing the members seated in the VIP section of the stadium, a woman dressed in revealing clothing stepped into the fighting ring. She started to countdown after announcing my name and my opponent's name.
From my opponent's apparel, I couldn't determine what his fighting style was like. He could be either an unarmed practitioner or a hidden weapons practitioner. Until I could figure out how he fought, I must be careful.
The moment the countdown reached zero, I unsheathed my blade and dashed toward my opponent in a curved direction. When my opponent was in the range of my effective attack radius, I swung my sword upward in a diagonal fashion towards his neck. My opponent easily dodged by ducking, but that was a mistake on his part. My attack with the sword was merely a feint. If one observed carefully, they would recognize that the sword was merely traveling fast, and there was very little weight behind it. My actual attack was a palm strike from my offhand. With the opponent caught off guard right before me, I slammed my palm against his chest, blasting him off the ground.
Opting not to give him any breathing room, I followed my palm strike with a roundhouse kick which devastated his right side. I believe I heard a crack from when my foot made contact with his side. I think I might have broken one of his ribs. Undoubtedly, I was holding the advantage in this fight right now.
Since I was already winning and my opponent was weakened, there was no need to rush things, so I backed off from him. My opponent proved my decision to be right when he slashed at me with a small, thin blade from who knows where. If I had not backed off, that attack would have cut me. With that small blade, my opponent had proved himself to be a hidden weapon user. With that relevant information, I changed my fighting style to one more suited against hidden weapon users such as my opponent.
Even though neither of us was attacking right now, I still held the initiative. My opponent was hurt, and that injury wasn't going to recover magically. My opponent weakened with every second that passed, and he knew that. The only possible way for him to beat me now was to use his strongest attack in an attempt to defeat me instantly. Knowing that I was put myself in a highly defensive stance, awaiting my opponent's last effort attack.
Low and behold, my opponent reached into his jacket and retrieved several pellet-like items. I recognized what those pellets were. We had learned about them in the hidden weapon lectures throughout the school year. Those pellets were low-grade smoke bombs. As the name suggests, it will blow up into a cloud of thick smoke, disrupting vision. The bomb itself was near harmless; however, the purpose of the smoke bomb was not to hurt me but to hide my opponent's final attack. As I had predicted, my opponent threw the smoke bombs toward me, which exploded mid-air surrounding me in thick smoke, effectively blinding me from the outside world.
Inside the smoke, I shut my eyes to focus on my other senses. My opponent didn't attack immediately. He was somewhere hidden inside this smoke, waiting for the best opportunity to attack me. On the surface, I looked strained from focusing so intensely on my other senses. But internally, I was ecstatic. Little did my opponent know that I knew exactly where he was, and the moment he entered my attack radius would mark his defeat.
When the smoke bombs erupted, I secretly tossed out the bundles of strings I had hidden in my clothing. The strings floated around in the smoke, eventually surrounding my opponent's figure outlining his position to me. The strings are near weightless and impossible to feel, let alone seen in this thick smoke. At this very moment, my opponent was soundlessly creeping toward me from behind, ready to pounce at me.
After letting him get right behind me, I waited for him to prepare his attack. Just before he was able to attack me, I swung my entire body backward and with the back of my hand, which carried all the rotational force of my body, crashing against his jaw, knocking him out.
As the smoke dissipated, I stood proudly as my opponent layer on the ground unconscious. The lady in the revealing clothes raised a red flag and declared I the winner of this duel.
