THEOS

Chapter 21: The First Stance

A new tab had appeared on his Status Screen.

Status | Skills | Quests | Inventory

First Stance of the Sword

Tier: Mortal

Progress: 0%

An expression of a Mortal-tier Sword Truth uncovered by the Hero, Alexia Xancrest. Through centuries of battle and meditation, she perfected her understanding of the Truth and infused it in the First Stance of the Sword, creating a sword-style that draws out its complete potential. A Technique that has since received the acknowledgment of the Heavens, and become permanently entwined within the Eternal Tapestry.

Luke read the description of the skill over and over again. With every re-read, coming away with more and more questions.

Eternal Tapestry? Truth? Theres even more layers to all this cultivation stuff than I thought. Luke ran his hands through his hair as he watched the rest of the people watch the holographic avatars of the Hero. Even after hours, still enraptured by the masterful techniques on display.

Occasionally some of them would break free of the trance, have a mini panic attack, and go right back to watching it.

Shaking his head, Luke raised his sword again. I dont know why, but something tells me that I could watch that recording replay a million times, and Id get no closer to mastering the technique than if I had only seen it once Still, I should probably watch it again sometime. For now though, lets see how far I can get on my own.

Recalling the Heros movements, he pressed his sword down. Unsurprised when it didnt budge. The same sense of resistance overcoming him and stopping his movements as before. Frowning, he pressed harder. Until the veins on his arms were bulging with strain and his arms were shaking with stress. Not relenting, he pressed onwards still, until sweat flowed freely from his body, and gathered in a shallow pool underneath him. His arms started to burn with the pain of his exertion, but he would not give up. His palms ripped open from where he was gripping the sword, covering the handle with blood and sweat, and even then, the blade did not budge. Not even the tiniest fraction of an inch.

Red faced and breathing heavily, he collapsed to his knees.

Theres something that Im missing. Brute force clearly isnt the answer. Whatevers stopping me, isnt something that I can power my way through. There has to be a trick.

Stumbling back up, he slashed his sword down. Frowning as it moved easily through the air.

Theres no resistance when Im just slicing through the air. But He recalled how the Hero moved. The rise and fall of her chest. The way her knees were just slightly bent. The position of her shoulders, and how she gripped the sword. He pressed against the empty air, and his sword once again didnt move. When I try to do it the way she did, something stops me.

Is it because Im doing it wrong? He mentally compared his own stance, and that of the Heros. Shaking his head in the negative when he realized the way they stood was identical. At least when accounting for the differences in their bodies.

Truth.

The Hero uncovered a Truth and built her technique around it. According to the description that the Seed gave me. Thats something to work off of at least.

He turned back to the podium displaying the Heros avatar straining his eyes as he watched it move. This time, not resisting the urge to draw his own blade in response.

Imitating her stance, he once again tried to copy the movement of her sword. Once again, that same mysterious force stopped him.

Frowning, he lowered his sword, and just watched. A lightbulb went off in his head.

Truth. Truth. Truth. Thats the key. Theres some principle guiding her every movement, and without knowing what that principle, what that Truth is, Ill never be able to learn.

How do I find out what it is though? Its not like shes tracing letters into the air, and spelling out the answer. Right? He watched the tip of her sword just in case. Smiling in disappointment when no letters became apparent. That was a long shot anyway.

Blood oozed from a torn blister on the palm of his hand, and traveled in a straight line down the length of his blade. Dripping onto his foot.

Ew. He thought, suddenly aware of how gross he was. I should call it for today. Sleep on it, and come back to it with fresh eyes.

Sheathing his sword, he found Spiros and Arya still sitting in front of their respective podiums, meditating on the Technique. Turning to the wall, full of open tunnels, Luke attempted to go through a random one, only to be stopped dead in his tracks.

Great, another invisible force. Just what I need. He walked up the length of the wall, idly pushing against each entrance, until he finally found one that didnt reject him. Although, the privacy is kind of nice. He thought, as he walked through.

The room was mostly as he left it, but he was surprised to see that a door had appeared on a wall opposite the bed, and that a plate full of food had appeared on the table again. Ignoring the food for the moment, he poked his head through the new door, and was pleased to see that it was a washroom. Kinda creepy, torches and stone bricks arent really what I would call my preferred decor, but its better than nothing. His eyes fell over the large tub, equipped with a rectangular shower head on top. Definitely better than nothing.

A few minutes later, he sat down heavily on the mattress. Enjoying being clean way more than he thought he ever would.

This isnt terrible to be honest. It sucks that I cant leave, but it isnt terrible.

Idly wrapping his palms with a bandage he found in the cupboard in his washroom, he ate his fill and turned in for the day.

The next morning found him standing a distance from the podium, with his sword drawn, and held loosely at his side as he watched the Hero once again. Ignoring the throng of blue and black robed individuals milling about. Most were still seated in front of the podiums, but more than a few were sparring in the rings.

One woman had even managed to release a monster, some kind of large wolf, from its cage, and then found a way to bring it into the arena where she was desperately trying to fend off its attacks. A blue-robed disciple stood just outside of the ring with a bow, arrow already notched, pointing towards the creature. Following along with every move it made, with narrowed eyes, in case the woman fighting it needed help.

Now thats a real spotter. Luke thought when he first saw the spectacle. Idly noting that he should still be able to accrue Stat Points by defeating the caged monsters. Getting stronger here might even be easier than at the Society. The people are a lot stronger on average, monsters on tap, and even some mysterious Seed recognized skills to learn. Not bad at all actually.

He raised his sword, focusing on the Heros avatar. This time, not intending to copy her but to fight. Shadow fight.

He blinked deliberately, imagining her standing before him. Her sword held over her shoulder, preparing to slash an opponent diagonally across their chest. He lifted his own blade in challenge, intending to meet her, metal with metal. Only to find that in the next moment, she had expertly maneuvered herself out of the way.

His blade cut through empty air, and hers weaved through his guard and stabbed into his throat. Leaving him gasping for breath as the vision of his death replayed inside his head. Again and again. Shaking his head, he gripped his sword with both hands, and lifted his blade in challenge once again. Resolving to win.

A guy can dream right?

Her sword pierced his heart, and stuck out of his back.

The next time she stabbed him in the eye.

The time after that, she decapitated him.

All without breaking her rhythm.

I think she's killed me a hundred times by now. Its like, no matter what I do, her sword finds a way through. Always on the first move. How?! It shouldn't even be possible. How am I losing to a juiced up recording?

Wiping away the sweat dripping into his eyes, he surveyed the room once again.

His eyes found a group of blue-robed people stuck in place with their blades raised. Their limbs shaking with exertion as they tried to copy the Heros movements.

Its not going to work. Luke shook his head. Ignoring them, and looking over to the podium where the Hero was displaying her Spear Technique. Easily finding Spiros standing a distance away with his spear drawn. From time to time, hed lunge or swing his weapon, only to shake his head and try again.

It looks like he had the same idea as me.

Walking forward, Luke stood just outside his striking range and waited patiently.

Hows it going? He asked, grinning with amusement as Spiros suddenly staggered back and clutched his heart. I wonder how many times hes seen his death.

Not good. He smiled, placing the butt of his spear on the ground and leaning against it. Im really starting to think that we might die here.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. I hope not.

Me too. But it might happen anyway. I was thinking of talking to some of the others, and making a pact.

A pact?

Yeah. You know, if you escape, try to come back here as a Hero and break everyone still stuck here out, and if I escape, Ill do the same.

That would be nice, but becoming a Hero. Isnt that asking a lot?

I dont think so. If anyone can learn not one, but all three techniques, Id say they have a pretty good shot. I bet a lot of us will still be here, too. Maybe for centuries if we manage to break through to the Warrior-tier. Besides, being a Hero is probably the minimum amount of strength you need to break anyone out of here.

Luke leaned back in surprise. Youre joking right. You expect people to become Warriors but still stay trapped here.

Yeah. These Techniques, they arent just some moves, Luke. Youve felt it by now, right? He pointed to a group of people straining against an invisible force. You cant even begin to imitate the moves without understanding their core.

Their core?

Yeah. I dont know a lot about it, but I remember my grandpa mentioning it when he showed us his technique. He used to bait us, say if we managed to find the core and copy his moves, that hed give us candy. None of us ever succeeded. He sighed. Putting even more of his weight onto his spear.

Still. It wouldnt make sense to give us a challenge that's impossible to complete. Theres no point to all this then, is there? Why would the Hero set all this up, if she intended for us all to die?

Spiros visibly perked up at that. Youre right. Just because I couldnt do something as a kid, doesnt mean that its impossible now too.

You're still a kid. But thats the spirit! Right, Now, whats this about a core?

I honestly dont know, he shrugged, Gramps only mentioned it to me that one time. He said we wouldn't be able to learn what he was teaching us unless we figured out the core of his movements.

The core, huh? Luke cupped his chin. Could the core of the movements be the Truth that the technique is built around? It kind of makes sense.

His eyes were drawn towards the figure of the Hero. Dancing with the spear with the same easy grace with which she moved with the sword. Her movements cleanly transitioned from one stance to the next.

Should I try to learn that one too?

No. Not yet.

Piling more stuff onto my Path, is just asking for trouble. Theres no guarantee Ill even be able to advance the First Stance of the Sword, adding a Spear technique onto that is stupid. I should wait until I make some progress with that first. If I keep adding stuff to the list of what I need to do before advancing to the Warrior-tier, Ill never advance.

Spiros broke him out of his musings. Excitedly tapping Luke on his shoulders.

Look. He pointed to Arya. A crowd rapidly formed around her.

Looking over, Luke saw her, in a low stance as she held a wooden shield at her side. Straining against the same invisible force that the rest of them had experienced before. Before he could ask what the buzz was about though, he noticed it. While still under immense strain, her arm was moving. Excruciatingly slow, but, inch by inch it moved forward.

Shes figured it out. Spiros whispered. His eyes widened in awe. Suddenly he turned towards Luke. You really know how to pick them! He slapped Lukes back in congratulations.

What?