The sun had barely risen when I arrived at the large tree.
The air was still cold enough for my breath to come out as vapor, and the sound of the river flowing nearby made the environment quite relaxing.
I was there to begin my training, and according to the "Assassin's Guide," the first instruction was:
"Stand before a sturdy tree and tie it with strong ropes."
I wrapped the ropes around the trunk, pulling tight to make sure they were secure.
The book continued: "Make sure the binding is firmly secured."
'Done'
I kept reading, and that's when the insanity began.
"Now, pull the rope. Try to uproot the tree."
I blinked.
I looked at the tree, then at the book, and finally at my hands.
"…Pull it..."
"And uproot it?" I muttered, just to confirm I had read it correctly.
I read it again.
That was exactly it, pull and uproot the tree.
I sighed, closing the book and resting my forehead against the trunk.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just find a Hashira or some other member of the slayers and ask for help directly…?"
But no, I had the Assassin's Guide.
And the Assassin's Guide told me to uproot a tree using only physical strength.
So there I was, ropes wrapped around my arms, trying to rip a massive tree out of the ground.
My muscles screamed in protest within the first few minutes.
The book said to continue for ONE hour, without breaks.
At twenty minutes, I was already reconsidering all my life choices.
At forty, I thought my veins were going to explode.
And at sixty, the only reason I didn't collapse was because the ropes were holding me up.
"…Done," I grumbled, freeing myself from the ropes and throwing myself onto the grass.
"First stage complete."
After a few minutes breathing like a fish out of water, I picked up the book again.
Next exercise: "Enter the river. Hold your breath as long as you can. Get out, and without catching your breath, run until you dry. Repeat."
I closed the book slowly.
"This author definitely has mental issues."
Even so, I dove into the river.
The cold water shocked my entire body awake.
I stayed there until my chest started to hurt and the air ran out.
When I got out, I ran, or at least tried to.
I probably looked pretty pathetic, running without breath.
Then I returned to the river once I felt dry enough.
There were countless exhausting and painful repetitions.
In the end, I was exhausted, but also more… alive, maybe due to some kind of mental damage from the temperature shock.
After recovering a bit, I started the third stage: "Blindfold yourself. Balance a dagger on each finger. Throw them all into the air. Catch them again. Repeat until you don't fail."
"Oh, sure, that's easy," I said sarcastically, trying to balance five improvised blades.
In the first few minutes, I lost three of them.
One nearly hit my foot, and another got stuck in a branch.
But over time, and after dozens of failed attempts, I managed my first success.
Then came the bell test.
"Hang a bell from a branch. Place another on yourself. Remove the first without making either ring."
I looked at the book, then at the bell I carried with me, my sister's.
I couldn't help a faint smile.
"Alright… this one at least seems less suicidal."
I started the challenge, and failed.
Once, twice, ten times.
With every slight mistake, the sound of the bells echoed through the forest.
But I persisted.
─── ◆ ───
A week passed in this cycle of torture.
And, surprisingly, I was improving.
My muscles responded faster, my reflexes were sharper, and my stamina was no longer so pathetic.
During a break, sitting under the tree's shade, I observed my own hands.
"Was I born like this? I remember my father saying I was quite strong for my age," I murmured.
I'm not sure if my items were always active, but I was already much stronger than the other children in the village, at least.
Nothing too absurd like Mitsuri or Gyomei, but it was something.
Now that my powers are maturing and after this grueling training, I should be quite strong physically...
Amid the guide's training, I also ran some tests with my shadow powers.
It didn't take long to realize that my abilities had some significant differences from Zed's in LoL.
Zed's "E" would normally be a spin that deals damage and slows, but for me, it's as if I coat my weapon with shadows, strengthening the next attack.
When I use this ability, my weapon becomes lighter and sharper.
I'm still not sure about any slowing effect, since I haven't used it on any living creature yet.
I could, for example, have two shadow shurikens at the same time, one in each hand, although their size is reduced by half when I do that, which gives me some ideas for future tests, since I'm not strictly limited to how the abilities work in the game.
─── ◆ ───
Two weeks passed before I finally turned the page.
The book read: "After two weeks, go to the Weapons and Martial Arts chapter."
I opened the new chapter with anticipation.
And there they were… horrible drawings.
Scribbles of stances, attacks, notes that looked like they were written by someone drunk.
A stick figure kicking the air, another holding a spear in a bizarre way.
I shook my head in disbelief.
"I really got scammed."
Even so, I did what the book instructed... again.
I crafted simple wooden weapons, a crude katana and a small sickle, and began practicing the movements.
Each strike was accompanied by the sound of the bells hanging from my belt, as if they marked the rhythm of the training.
And then came the final instruction of the day:
"Use your strikes on the large tree, on the opposite side of where you pulled (Specifically use unarmed martial arts… YES, your fists and legs)."
I stood in silence for a few seconds, staring at the tree.
"..."
I took a deep breath and assumed a stance.
I threw my first punch at the tree, and struggled to hold back the tears.
"FUCK!"
"..."
I stared at my fist, which was starting to bleed.
'I can't believe I'm doing this...'
I took up my position again, ready to punch the tree with my other hand.
─── ◆ ───
The sun began to set when I delivered the final blow.
The dry sound of wood echoed through the forest, and leaves fell slowly, illuminated by the orange light.
I set the wooden katana on the ground and sat down, already summoning and drinking my potion, which healed me with a comforting warmth.
The guide lay open beside me, its pages fluttering in the wind.
"…Maybe this book isn't so useless after all," I murmured, smiling tiredly.
Chiyo's bell jingled softly in the breeze, as if agreeing with me.
─── ◆ ───
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