"I'm quite sure I don't need to tell all of you, but you guys are all currently at Level 1. You may see your status by snapping your fingers." Talon lectured as he and his class walked towards a certain spot in the Novice Sword Plains.
In the coming year, the students would have only theoretical classes for two hours a day, six times a week, then two hours of swordsmanship classes at 3 in the afternoon.
They would be allowed to do whatever they wanted for the majority of their time each day.
But in the first six months, the new Bladeborns would be forced to exit the Myriad Sword Realm after just five hours per day, as their connection with the unique world isn't too stable yet.
The usual best thing to do was grind one's levels by hunting and defeating Swordspawns, since one would be able to increase one's physical attributes in the trials that way, preparing them for the future.
With the differences in Soulbound Sword tiers, some people are bound to level up faster than others.
"If you look at the upper left corner of your status window, you will see a heart icon with the number '3' beside it. These are your remaining lives in the Sword Trials, and everybody starts with three. I'm sure you all know what would happen if it hits zero, so be careful out there."
Even though it was almost exactly like one, the Sword Trials isn't a game, and there was a risk of truly dying.
It was just that everyone had three lives instead of one.
"But worry not, you may increase the number of hearts through Heartsoul Gems, though it's extremely difficult to acquire one and impossible at your current level. Only those who can make it to the central continent will have a chance. Until then, you have three."
Everyone's expressions turned a little more serious.
Everything was all fun and games until someone was down to one last life—the leading reason why Bladeborns retire early.
No one wanted to really die.
Talon's words proved quite an effective reminder.
"That said, the possibility of killing each other in the sword realm is also possible, and I won't sugarcoat things. Many people do it for a multitude of reasons. Of course, killing your own kin is strictly illegal and would be met with legal disciplinary actions in the real world. Do not fall into this path. In the end, we're all allies here, and the real enemies are the other races."
A few more minutes later, the entire class arrived at an area teeming with slightly oversized bunnies patrolling on two legs, each armed with an iron wakizashi.
[Blader Bunny] was the name of the Swordspawns, and like Daru and the others, they were all level 1.
"Now, the leveling mechanics in the early stages are quite simple.
Killing a creature of the same level as you would be equivalent to twenty experience points, which would double for every level higher of a Swordspawn you kill.
Of course, the experience needed to level up would increase in parallel to your current levels, but the rates would remain the same, which means you would have to kill more Swordspawns to level up in the future."
Surprisingly, the snobbish young woman, Sylphina, raised her hands.
"Are there any other methods to level up faster?" she asked with a rather arrogant tone.
It was clear she didn't respect Instructor Talon that much.
"There are, but those options are unavailable to you in the early stages. If you want to level up faster, then hunt Swordspawns with a much higher level than you," the instructor responded, not minding the rudeness much. "We shall discuss the other methods in our theoretical classes."
Talon already encountered brats much worse than Sylphina.
"Now then, I shall begin the assessment. I will be referring to you using your Trial Names when inside the Myriad Sword Realm, step forward when you're called...Iron Enforcer."
The assessment was to gauge his students' current level of swordsmanship by making them battle one of the weakest but most versatile Swordspawns.
The instructor would then give them recommendations on which creature to hunt based on the results.
An orange-haired guy, whose D-ranked Soulbound Sword had the name Iron Enforcer, stepped forward with a confident grin, walking into the aggression range of a nearby Blader Bunny.
Clearly, the young man was underestimating the Swordspawn, but Talon was all for it.
The brats shall learn the hard way if need be.
He still gave a mandatory reminder, though: "Don't underestimate the spawn."
In the next moment, the bunny sprang into action, snarling as it lunged at Iron Enforcer far faster than the overconfident student expected.
His sword was still resting on his shoulders when he stepped inside the small spawn's aggression range.
…And Iron Enforcer paid for it.
His head separated from his body, and he collapsed forward with a thud, disintegrating into red cubic particles in the next moment under the slightly horrified and dumbfounded gazes of his classmates.
Talon then stepped in at this moment and killed the bunny with a single, casual wave of his falchion, his movements a blur.
The instructor turned to face his students and lectured:
"That's what would happen to you if you underestimate these Swordspawns. They're level 1 like the rest of you for a reason. Their physical attributes, at the very least, are more or less on par with yours. Take every opponent seriously. Stay away from the bunnies for now and wait while I fetch Iron Enforcer."
Those who get killed will spawn in front of the sword goddess statues in their respective starter cities, and so that's where Talon went, returning around five minutes later with a scowling and embarrassed D-ranker.
"Again."
Utterly pissed on multiple levels, Iron Enforcer focused as he stepped forward in a combat stance.
The Blader Bunny lunged at him, but this time, he was able to easily block the attack, kicking the bunny away with a stomp kick after.
Its hit point bar then suddenly appeared, reduced by a good fourth as a red value floated above its head:
[-5]
The creature rolled on the ground, but it stood up the next moment, battered in appearance.
It was also slightly limping.
Earlier, it landed badly and injured its right leg, causing its next attack to be significantly slower. The Swordspawn remained aggressive, though.
Iron Enforcer merely sneered in disdain at the bunny's attack, happily meeting it head-on with his sword and sending it flying once more by powering his way through.
He then followed up and rushed at the spawn, finishing it off with a stab to the head before it could stand back up.
Like his dead body did earlier, the bunny turned into red, cubic particles, scattering to the four winds as a notification only visible to Iron Enforcer appeared in front of him.
[You've obtained 20 Experience Points!]
[You've obtained 1 Swordcoin!]
None of these improved the young student's mood, though, as he had already lost one life before he even got to learn the ropes, inwardly blaming Talon for everything.
In the future, he would avenge himself if he got the chance…