[Notice! Notice!]
[Check out my new Novel!
Moshuku Tensei: I acquire skill points every second!]
[It's my very first novel and I need all your support please]
***
The next morning, Tom introduced me to Marcus just like he'd promised. The man was everything I'd expected from an ex-soldier - tall, broad-shouldered, with scars on his hands and a way of standing that suggested he was always ready for trouble.
"So you're the lost boy Martha's been fussing over," Marcus said, looking me up and down with sharp eyes. "Tom says you want to learn some fighting skills."
"Yes sir," I said, trying to sound respectful.
"Good. Can't hurt to know how to defend yourself, especially for a kid traveling alone. World's not getting any safer."
He led me to a cleared area behind his house where he'd set up a training ground. There were wooden practice swords, targets made of straw, and some basic training equipment that looked well-used.
"We'll start simple," Marcus said, picking up two wooden swords and tossing one to me. "Basic stance, footwork, how to hold the thing without cutting yourself. You ever used a weapon before?"
"Just a club," I said, thinking about my fights with the goblins.
"Clubs are good for smashing things. Swords require finesse."
Marcus demonstrated a basic sword stance - feet positioned just right, weight balanced, sword held in a ready position. His movements were smooth and practiced, clearly the result of years of actual experience.
I tried to copy what he showed me, and immediately felt the frustration hit.
*Ding.*
⟨Archive Status: Storage Full. Cannot record new skills⟩
Without the Archive's help, I had to learn the old-fashioned way. Watching carefully, trying to remember every detail, making mistakes over and over again.
"Your grip's too tight," Marcus said, adjusting my hands on the practice sword. "You're not trying to strangle it. Firm but relaxed."
We spent the morning going through basic drills. How to stand, how to move, how to swing without losing balance. Marcus was patient but demanding, correcting every mistake and making me repeat movements until they felt more natural.
"Sword fighting isn't about strength," he explained as we took a break. "It's about technique, timing, and reading your opponent. I've seen big tough guys get beaten by someone half their size because they relied on muscle instead of skill."
After lunch, we moved on to some basic magic instruction. Marcus wasn't a mage, but he knew enough utility spells to get by.
"Every soldier learns a few tricks," he said, holding up his hand and creating a small flame. "Light, basic healing, that sort of thing. Nothing fancy, but useful."
Again, I tried to focus on what he was doing, hoping the Archive would record it.
*Ding.*
⟨Archive Status: Storage Full. Cannot record new skills⟩
It was incredibly frustrating. I was learning, but so slowly compared to how the Archive worked. Instead of instantly understanding the perfect way to do something, I had to struggle through it step by step like a normal person.
"You're getting distracted again," Marcus observed. "Something bothering you?"
"Just... I feel like I should be picking this up faster," I said.
Marcus chuckled. "Kid, I've been training people for fifteen years. Nobody becomes a fighter overnight. It takes months to get decent and years to get good. You're doing fine for someone who just started."
But that was exactly the problem. I didn't have years. And knowing that better techniques existed - techniques I could see but couldn't absorb - was driving me crazy.
We spent the rest of the afternoon on basic exercises. Running, push-ups, building up my stamina. My body was still weak from being reborn as a kid, and Marcus said physical conditioning was just as important as technique.
"A tired fighter is a dead fighter," he said as I collapsed after a set of sprints. "Doesn't matter how good your form is if you can't keep it up in a real fight."
By the time we finished for the day, I was exhausted but oddly satisfied. Even without the Archive's help, I could feel myself getting a little bit better. My sword swings were less clumsy. My stance felt more natural. The magic light spell came easier on the third try than the first.
It was slow progress, but it was still progress.
"Same time tomorrow?" Marcus asked as we put away the practice equipment.
"Definitely."
Walking back to the inn, I thought about my situation. The Archive being full was a major problem, but maybe there were still ways to improve. I could practice my existing skills more, try to push them toward that expert level the expansion requirements mentioned.
That evening at dinner, I listened to the usual village conversations. People talking about their crops, their families, local gossip. Nothing particularly exciting, but I was starting to recognize patterns in how they interacted with each other.
There was Old Henrik, who always had some complaint about his neighbors but never did anything about it. Sarah the baker, who knew everyone's business and loved sharing it. Young Peter, who was clearly trying to work up the courage to ask someone out but kept chickening out.
Normal human social dynamics. The kind of thing I'd never been good at back on Earth, but maybe I could learn here where people actually seemed to like me.
After dinner, I went up to my room and tried experimenting with my existing skills. Maybe if I could improve them without the Archive's help, I could work toward those expert level requirements.
I practiced my fireball spell, trying to make it more efficient or more powerful. I worked on my club fighting techniques using the wooden practice sword Marcus had let me borrow. I even tried combining different skills - like using intimidation while attacking, or sensing mana while moving.
It was hard work without the Archive's instant knowledge downloads. But gradually, very gradually, I could feel small improvements. My fireball burned a little hotter. My sword movements felt slightly more coordinated. My intimidation aura had a bit more presence to it.
⟨Skill Progress: Fireball (Efficient) - 78% toward Expert level⟩
⟨Skill Progress: Club Technique (Basic) - 45% toward Expert level⟩
⟨Skill Progress: Intimidation (Basic) - 52% toward Expert level⟩
So the Archive could at least track my improvement, even if it couldn't record new skills. That was something.
As I got ready for bed, I could hear faint sounds from the forest in the distance. Not the terrifying roar of Veldora this time - he'd been quiet the last few nights. Just the normal sounds of a living forest. Owls hooting, small animals moving around, the wind in the trees.
But sometimes, if I listened carefully, I thought I could hear other things. Organized movements. Groups of creatures traveling together instead of alone. The forest was changing, becoming more structured somehow.
Marcus had mentioned that the wider world was having problems with organized monsters. Maybe those changes were starting to reach even this remote area. Not immediately dangerous, but something to keep an eye on.
For now though, I had my own challenges to focus on. Learning to fight properly, figuring out how to expand the Archive, and gradually building up my strength in this peaceful village.
Tomorrow I'd continue training with Marcus. Maybe I'd ask some of the other villagers to teach me their skills too - even if I couldn't record them right away, learning was still learning.
The Archive hummed quietly in my mind as I fell asleep, full of potential but waiting for the right conditions to grow. Soon, I promised myself. Soon I'd figure out how to unlock its next level.
But for now, slow and steady progress would have to be enough.