B1C29: Training Begins

Caleb was taken aback by the scene before him. The others around him were wailing, their eyes glaring at him with envy and hatred. He had anticipated a difficult introduction session with his instructor and had braced himself for a potential beating. However, things had turned out unexpectedly smooth. As he scanned the room, he noticed Alex, who sported a black eye, staring back at him. Alex had successfully mastered the use of his light shield, which could negate and reflect damage.

Caleb realized that he couldn't remain at the square any longer. Not only had his training begun, but he was also receiving hateful treatment from his fellow students. He was worried that they might gang up on him and give him a brutal beating as a form of welcome. So, without delay, Caleb hurriedly made his way to the supply room.

"I require outdoor camping gear which includes a tent, sleeping bag, beast traps, and an alarm," he said.

The military staff promptly supplied Caleb with all the necessary equipment. He didn't bother to inspect them and instead quickly packed everything up and headed towards the next location, which was the armoury.

Hello, I would like to inquire about heavy armour that can be worn comfortably for long periods. Also, what is the heaviest spear that you have in stock?

The staff member informed him that the comfort of the armour cannot be guaranteed, but soldiers often wear beast leather underneath it for added comfort. As for the spear, we have options ranging from 300 kg to 1000 kg. Which weight would you prefer?

I would like to purchase the 750 kg spear, please. Caleb spoke quickly as he nervously glanced out the window. Even though he hadn't trained his awareness, he could feel the Goosebumps on his skin. He sensed that someone was watching him, but he couldn't determine who or how many. This caused him to feel anxious and stressed.

The staff member noticed a young soldier fidgeting in front of him and assumed it was part of some kind of training exercise. To his surprise, this soldier, named Caleb, was holding a 750 kg spear with ease. Though it wasn't his place to inquire about the soldiers' information, the staff member recorded Caleb's name and planned to share the encounter with his colleagues later on.

After finishing up some details, Caleb hurried to the Medicine hall, weighed down by heavy armour and body weights on his arms and legs. He requested a standard supply of healing potions, antidotes, bandages, and blood clot pills. The staff member placed four bottles on the table, but before he could give the usual instructions, Caleb had already left. This left the staff member wondering what was going on.

Caleb then rushed to the square, where he set up his tent and placed beast traps around the area. He even changed the terrain around the tent and set up a detection alarm. Caleb didn't notice that the once lively square was now eerily quiet, with 14 injured soldiers lying on the ground. They had seen Caleb return and set up his camp, behaving abnormally and carefully inspecting his equipment before running off in another direction.

Despite their confusion, the soldiers were recovering their energy and trying to make sense of what was happening. They should have been provided with a place in the barracks, but instead, they were left injured and alone in the square. Caleb's behaviour was strange and made everyone uneasy, as he constantly looked over his shoulder and stared in different directions as if searching for something. After setting up his camp and defences, he quickly ran off again, leaving everyone wondering what would happen next.

Although they had a feeling that something was amiss, they were too preoccupied with their struggles to care. The instructors had broken them down, at this moment there was no sense of camaraderie among the students. Everyone had to focus on their learning for the two-year program, understanding that each person's education would differ. Therefore, there was no point in comparing or competing with one another. The ultimate goal was to make it through the program successfully.

Caleb Rushed into the library, causing many to take notice of the disturbance at the entrance. The librarian politely explained to him the rules of the library and guided him towards the rows of books on every subject imaginable, from history to literature and art. The comfortable chairs and tables invited visitors to sit down and delve into the pages of their chosen book.

After the tour, Caleb informed her that he was only there to browse the skill books and would not be staying to study. She directed him to the basement where all the skill books were kept, including the area that had been prepared for his specialist training program. The librarian encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunity to learn as much as possible while he had access to the entire library.

Caleb descended the stone stairs quietly, the darkness around him illuminated by the burning touch. He couldn't help but wonder about the extent of the Darkness blessing. Could an instructor be nearby without him noticing? He quickly dismissed the thought, realizing how frightening it would be if it were true.

As he moved into the light, Reya appeared from the shadows with a smile on her face. Caleb was caught off guard, and he tried to scramble away from her, fear painted all over his face. However, she seemed amused by his reaction and disappeared back into the darkness.

Caleb was eager to find the Lightning skill book he needed and quickly located it.

'I'm determined to take advantage of this opportunity to learn all the lightning skills available to me. Perhaps I can request access to the highest grade of cultivation scripture from Big Sis Reya?' he thought to himself. Caleb recognized that his limited knowledge of lightning skills had been a weakness in his previous battles. Fortunately, his creativity compensated for this deficiency.

While heading towards the shelf containing lightning skill books, Caleb spotted two golden-covered books on a reading table with a note attached. These books were part of the special training program that the librarian had mentioned and were likely meant for advanced knights. Upon examining the books, Caleb discovered that they were high-level heaven-grade scriptures.

The first book, Acts Scripture, was different from other scriptures as it contained instructions and ideas to aid in understanding. Caleb learned that the book focused on actively using world energy to temper the body after rigorous exercise. He knew that in the Human Rank, a small amount of world energy was used to refine the body and that this increased exponentially in the Earth Rank and Heaven Rank. However, he had not been able to actively harness the world's energy. The book introduced the concept of harnessing world energy to break through to the Transcendent Rank, and it also emphasized the use of sparring to temper the body before following the scripture.

After finishing the book, Caleb pondered on how he could further challenge his body and integrate the newfound knowledge with his innate abilities. He intended to utilize it as a guide to create his own unique body cultivation technique once he returned to his tent.

The second book, Revelation Scripture, delved into the topic of World Purity. It provided a comprehensive guide on the fundamentals of cultivation, and the different levels, and the prerequisites for advancement.

Caleb quickly skimmed through the stages he was familiar with:

- Believer Rank: Gas Faith Energy, Unlock three minor meridians, Open Inner space.

- Disciple Rank: Liquid Faith Energy, Unlock three major meridians and start compressing faith energy.

- Prophet Rank: Crystallised Faith Energy, compress crystal into a core.

- Deacon Rank: Increase the size of the core into a world, stages are small world, medium world, and large world. Caleb was currently on the small world stage.

- Apostle Rank: Inner world will advance into an inner realm capable of holding the first life.

The book also introduced the concept of purity. It emphasized that the faith energy absorbed during cultivation contains impurities due to the pollution of demonic energy in the world. These impurities go unnoticed and are absorbed into the inner space.

The book provided two mantras, one of which enabled cultivators to gradually refine the energy in their inner space and reduce impurities. Caleb knew he had the Crystal ball, which had been supplying him with pure faith energy since it was discovered in his inner space. He was confident that he did not have an impurity issue, but he could not help but wonder about the Crystal Ball's origin and who put it there. He continued reading, forgetting his initial reason for visiting the library.

A few pages later, Caleb was astonished by what he had just read. The purity of the energy is insignificant at lower levels, it becomes crucial for cultivators seeking to advance from Deacon Rank to Apostle Rank.