After a carbohydrates predominant lunch I make my way back to the Adventurer’s Guild and this time the crowds don’t make me as cautious as yesterday for whatever reason, but I still stay vigilant. After arriving I went directly to the training yard in the back, not even stopping to greet the receptionist from yesterday, sitting in her place behind counter. The instructor from before is there and looking at him more carefully, some of his proportions aren’t exactly like a normal muscular human being. Maybe he is different like Katherine, but in the opposite height direction? Something I will have to investigate in the future.
“Hello, again! My advisor send me to a trainer, who send me here to build up my strength. He said something about Skill Blockers or something?” After approaching and greeting him I dive directly to the heart of my problem. The instructor goes to an equipment rack and picks a bracelet looking device and shows it to me, then begins explaining.
“Skill blocking equipment is used to restrain criminals, but one day an adventurer devised a training method that uses them. Ever since, every Adventurer’s Guild has non-locking ones on stock. You see, to increase the level of a skill you have to improve either your knowledge or technique, then you receive increase in stats and skill bonuses. This equipment blocks the stats and bonuses from skills, but not the knowledge or level of technique you posses, so you would still be able to fight or throw, just not with as much strength, accuracy or speed. With it you can more easily train your physique and not require enormous weights or gravity training to compensate for the inflated stats from skills. I am glad to see your trainer wants you to improve your physique instead on only relying on leveling stats and ones from skills.” Listening to the explanation I learn some important things. One, there is actual gravity training method in this world. I was only speculating, but now it is actually confirmed. Two, there are people that only rely on leveling and skill stats to grow stronger. Three, my Rogue trainer looks like he knows what he is doing if he wants me to do things the proper way. And four, I have to learn more about criminals and the ways they are punished in case someone captures me and applies them to me.
I take the bracelet from him and observe its construction. There is indeed no locking mechanism and the clasp looks super easy to get out of. There are enchantments written in some kind of dark substance, but I still can’t read them, so I don’t pay them more attention and put it on. Immediately I can feel my strength and other stats decrease, so I know it is working. I make my way to some weights and see the maximum I can lift and even without all the skills, it is more than I expected. Then I remember the world bonus to strength. I look to the instructor, now standing behind me and see him smiling a little mischievously. I give him one of my best glares and he just smiles more and shows me another bracelet.
“I may have forgotten to mention this paired bracelet that blocks Magic. It blocks even the world Magic that increases the Strength and Magic stat. It also works on stats gained from occupations, so you will have only your natural Strength when you wear it.”
I take the second bracelet and give it a quick glance to make sure it also can be removed with no problems, then Equip it on my other hand. Immediately I feel another huge portion of Strength leave my body and feel almost as I did in my own world. A shiver runs down my spine at merely the thought of that. Living in this dangerous world with only what I was capable of in my world is a scary thought. I don’t feel like I can defeat even the weakest goblin in my current state. I go back to the weights and try them again and this time instead of lifting 2 tones, every point in strength is apparently equal to 10 kilograms, I lift a more manageable 110 kilograms with a little strain.
I leave he weights back in their place and start warming and stretching up. Don’t want to injure myself with my first training session in another world. But while doing so, a peculiar question comes to my mind and before thinking I ask it.
“Are newborn babies also able to lift such weights as soon as they are born?” My instructor looks at me like I am an alien, then laughs a full belied laugh at the question. Maybe I should have thought more on this before asking?
“One would thing you would know the answer, growing with the Magic, but I guess no one explained it to you in details. Babies are born with 1 stat in strength, but their muscles and bones are weak and can’t support it. As they grow up and their muscles and bones develop, they are able to exhibit more of it. Once they reach 8 rotations, the world Magic begins affecting them and the effect grows little by little every rotation. When you reach 18 rotations the world Magic is in full effect.” While stretching I listen to his explanation and almost slap my face, realizing how careless I am asking that kind of question. Of course I would have known babies don’t get born being able to lift 2 tones. What kind of moron am I to not think that is absurd? Well, not absurd – there is Magic in this world and parents would have no problem with the high stat. Unlike Martha Nad Jonathan Kent who were normal humans taking care of a super strong baby, here everyone is super strong.
The rest of my warm up time I spend not talking, in case I ask another moronic question and totally expose my identity as an Otherworlder. Then, after 10 minutes of warming my body and muscles I proceed to my exercises. I start with squats and perform the first few slowly an methodically, then increase the pace. After around 20 I take a sufficiently heavy weight from the rack and start doing squats with it. I can definitely feel the difference, the strain on my muscles as they are exercised, compared to my last attempt. After finishing a few reps I switch to upper body training and begin doing push-ups. I can’t say my strength and endurance are high, but I plan to finish at least 5 sets of 10 reps of every calisthenic exercise by the end of today, even if I have to use Dian Keto in order to be able to feel anything but pain tomorrow.
My plan mostly goes perfectly, sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups and all the ups go without a problem. The problems start showing up when I have to do things that require balancing and precise muscle control like hand stands. Another area I have to put effort in developing in the future.
“You know, even though I said the skill and Magic blockers are used instead of gravity training and extreme weights, that is only at the beginning, calisthenics can only take your body so far. Sooner or later you will have to start spending money in order to train your body.” I look at him with a kind of questioning look and he continues with his explanation. “The weights here are good for bulking certain muscle groups, but not for your occupation. You will need wearable weights or long periods in increased gravity in order to train after a certain point. Both options will cost you a lot, not to mention the need to periodically visit healers because of it. Wear in certain joints can be treated by healing spells without negatively impacting the results of the training. I hope you collected your coin pouch after your initiation.” Now I am just blinking at him not understanding what initiation he is talking about.
“What initiation? Have I skipped on collecting free money? There was nothing like that mentioned in the Guild introduction!” And now he is looking at me as if I am the one talking gibberish.
“Every newly registered adventurer goes through initiation. It isn’t a rule, mostly a tradition. The Thief, Rogue and Assassin occupation ones are targeted by some of the guild’s people from the same occupation and get their money stolen from them. A little harmless hazing, then their pouch is returned when they visit the guild the next time. We mostly use the I, H, G, F and E rank people to test their proficiency against the new adventurer.” My face lights in realization of what he meant and a second later falls in disappointment at there not being free money to be collected.
“So that is what that was all about. I was starting to wonder why my coins were targeted so many times the first day. They weren’t able to snatch my money, so I had no idea there was something like that going on.” That also doesn’t mean I should lower my vigilance, because there may just as well be the normal robbers after me.
I finish my workout with half an hour of kicking and punching the air while imagining the beginning of yesterday’s sparring test. I punch, kick, dodge and move against the imaginary enemy and I am losing. I know his reaction time is faster than he showed me, so every move I make I expect to be blocked or parried and since the spar was so short I have no idea how he moves, so I am actually fighting against moves though by me, but stronger and faster. It is like playing chess with myself, but intentionally playing one side dumber.
A little exhausted and very sweaty I take off the two bracelets from my wrists and leave them with the instructor, then make my way to the inn. When I arrive I pay for the bath and spend half an hour soaking in the hot bath water. I feel my muscles relaxing and all the strain and tension from training leaving them. I give myself a massage, feeling my silky smooth skin with my hands and almost start masturbating. I really am stressed and have tension in my muscles not from training. I at least hope to not have muscle pain tomorrow. After that I had dinner, asked for the wake up service for tomorrow and went to my room, I eat one item from my bag of food and spend the rest of the evening reading and learning the Dark Magic alphabet. When no reaction appears after half an hour I eat another and continue reading. I repeat this several more times until one item does cause me a rash.
Summoning Dian Keto, I show her what caused my new rash and ask her to cure me from this particular allergy. While she heals my allergy, the energy spreads to my muscles and I feel them increase in mass, then compress to their previous size. Is this the method used by all the Warrior healers to increase their strength in a short amount of time?
When midnight approached I took out my cards and remove Mooyan Curry and replace it with Upstart Goblin. I activate the deck and immediately play the card. The wealthy looking goblin from the card emerges in the room and tosses 10 coins and a Magic Core, then dissipates in the air. I wonder what he would toss to my opponent to restore his health while in battle? And do other cards that give Tokens also give a Magic Core, Stone, Crystal or simply the Tokens register with the skill?
I collect the coins, feed the core to the shop and write about my day in the journal and all the equipment I heard about in my other book. I will have to start acquiring it little by little from now on. Then, when midnight arrives and Emissaries disappears I play the card again, undress and go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be another exhausting day.
This feels like taking system stuff and making it a bit too mundane tbh. A part of what makes stat growth systems popular is the removal or reduction of the need for regular types of strength training in order to maintain body fitness. Get a few points in str and you bulk up properly, problem solved. training goes into extra stats not body fitness completely ignoring the system it's supposed to account for and adjust all that for you.
Honestly though I do like the fact that he's going out and training but there should really be a better way for the body to interface with that system.