Chapter 80: Intensive Training

The morning sun illuminated the fields outside the village, where Jax was training with the warriors. In front of him, Lira quickly drew her bow and fired arrow after arrow, forcing him to move with agility. Jax used each shot to show the others how to react to ranged attacks, sometimes deflecting the arrows with an improvised shield, and other times dodging them with simple body movements. Jax raised his voice firmly, adopting an almost military tone as he corrected the warriors."Random dodging is not enough. You must calculate the attack angle, move your body just enough, and keep your guard up. If you step back too much, you’ll lose ground. If you do it late, you’ll be exposed." Then he turned to Lira, who was already preparing another arrow."You, always aim ahead, not behind. Use your ability [Eaglesight] to perceive long distances as if your target were right beside you, and combine it with [Prediction] to anticipate the exact second of their movement. That way, your shot will be unavoidable." Lira obeyed, and as soon as she activated both abilities, her arrows began hitting without fail, forcing the others to push harder with each attempt. The sun continued burning above their heads as the warriors repeated the movements over and over, blocking, dodging, and correcting their stance until sweat soaked their skin. Some were already panting, exhausted, but Jax did not allow them to stop. It was then that Riven, frowning and hands on her knees, raised her voice."Why can Lira use her abilities and we can’t? That’s not fair." Jax lowered his sword and approached with a calm smile, though there was firmness in his gaze."Because I want you to learn to fight without relying on abilities or mana. When you run out of energy, when you can’t activate a single ability, what will you do? If you only trust your magical power, you’ll be easy targets." His voice resonated firmly as he recalled aloud."In the Soaring Dragon Kingdom, I met paladins who seemed invincible. Their sacred energy, SP, made them unstoppable... until it ran out. Then, a goblin’s arrow was enough to take them down. I don’t want any of you to end up like that." They all nodded and continued receiving shots from Lira and Elnara until exhaustion overtook them. After several hours, neither Lira nor Elnara could lift their arms from fatigue, collapsing to the ground. Jax looked at them calmly and spoke firmly."Although the healers can mend wounds and level up to restore strength, the best way to recover is to rest. From now on, every day you must train until you cannot lift your arms... twice a day." Both archers opened their mouths, surprised by the demand."Twice?" Lira muttered incredulously. Jax crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow."How do you expect to improve if you can’t do something so simple?" Lira and Elnara exchanged glances. They didn’t need words to understand that if they wanted to grow, they had to accept the challenge. Finally, they nodded, knowing they would have to shoot more than ten thousand arrows twice a day. Meanwhile, Anya and Karely, the mages of the group, began their own training with elemental fire and lightning attacks. Jax taught them how to stop magical attacks with their weapons. They all activated the ability "Spell Breaker." Energy surrounded their swords and shields, making them magical so they could strike and neutralize the spells. However, Jax warned them seriously."The problem is that you must hit the exact center of the spell. If you miss, the magic will explode like dynamite." Thus began an even more dangerous training, blocking and deflecting attacks with precision that could leave them seriously injured if they failed. The warriors continued until exhaustion overcame them, and they fell alongside the two mages. Each time they missed a strike, the healers rushed to tend to them, as the power of Anya and Karely was no light matter. Both were level seventy-one, the same as the warriors, so the impacts were brutal. At the slightest error, fire explosions broke bones, lightning jolts sent them flying, and flames left third-degree burns. Jax let out a laugh as he watched them sprawled on the ground."Now that’s effective training. From today on, just like Lira and Elnara, you must endure attacks without rest. Luckily, we have two mages and two archers, and you are four warriors, so you can pair up and rotate, each receiving half of the punishment." After several hours of intense training, the warriors finally withdrew, panting and with trembling muscles. Some, frustrated by their results, asked Lira and Elnara to continue a bit longer to improve. Others, for the same reason, requested the two mages to keep practicing with them. Thus, everyone continued training, determined to surpass their limits, before the Dogkin arrived. Meanwhile, sunlight filtered through the trees, and Jax took the opportunity to organize the arrival of the Dogkin, who soon appeared carrying large amounts of stone and wood. Jax instructed them precisely where to place each load, ensuring everything was distributed efficiently. Among the Dogkin, one of the elders stepped forward and respectfully requested an audience with their matriarch, Senda, who currently resided as a "guest," though in reality she was under custody to keep the tribe under control. Jax accepted but made it clear that only one person could attend. The Dogkin representative bowed deeply and nodded, understanding the imposed conditions. Before leaving, Jax turned his gaze to the warriors training in the distance and reminded them:"Keep practicing to control your abilities. It’s not just about leveling up and hitting harder. Every movement must be under control; that’s how the true power of a warrior is mastered." Jax escorted the Dogkin elder to where Senda was, ensuring the meeting went smoothly. After leaving them together, he returned to the village to take the meal that was already prepared. Upon arrival, he saw the warriors approaching as well, limping slightly and looking somewhat pale from the intense training effort. Despite the exhaustion, their faces reflected satisfaction and joy for having completed another day of rigorous practice, aware that every drop of sweat brought them closer to their true potential.