Chapter 12: Setting a Record

Chapter 12: Setting a Record I entered the Training Center, greeted by an open courtyard filled with various practice dummies, targets, and even moving obstacles for advanced training. The center bustled with players, each focused on their own skills—some practicing in groups while others tested themselves solo. There was a leaderboard on a large stone pillar nearby, showing the current record holders for each skill. Swordsmanship was first. I drew my sword, feeling the weight and balance of the weapon as I got into position. A notification popped up: [Training Challenge: Swordsmanship] Objective: Defeat as many moving targets as possible within a two-minute time limit. Precision, speed, and strength determine your score. Starting with the Swordsmanship Challenge, I was taken to a narrow arena lined with enchanted dummy targets. Each target moved erratically, dashing from side to side and even bouncing to avoid attacks. I took a moment to grip my sword, feeling its familiar weight in my hand before activating the challenge. [Swordsmanship Challenge: Active] The timer began, and the targets sprang to life. I let my instincts take over, breathing steadily as I tracked each target. My new skills, Swift Cut and Vertical Slash, flowed naturally into my movements. I could feel the satisfying rhythm of each attack—a blend of my real-life training and the heightened agility stats I’d earned in-game. As I swung, I triggered Vertical Slash, sending my sword down with tremendous force, hitting multiple targets in one stroke. Time ticked away, and just before the timer ended, I noticed a hidden target sliding into position, slightly faster than the rest. I lunged with all my strength, piercing it with my sword, landing a direct hit, just before timer hits zero. [Challenge Complete: Swordsmanship] Your Record: 92 targets Rewards: +5 Swordsmanship Mastery, +100 Gold, and a skill: Power Slash Power Slash added a powerful overhead attack to my move set, capable of stunning or knocking back smaller foes. Deals 120% Physical damage to any target. Cost : 30 mana Cooldown : 10 seconds ] Grinning, I watched my name climb to the top of the Swordsmanship leaderboard. Now, onto Spearmanship. The spear had a different feel—a longer reach but requiring more control. I took the training spear, as I got myself familiarized with its weight and balance, before moving for challenge. Next, the Spearmanship Challenge awaited. In this event, precision was everything. Small, bobbing targets appeared at different heights and speeds, requiring controlled strikes. I took my stance, gripping the spear with both hands, remembering the feel from my training. [Spearmanship Challenge: Active] The targets floated up and down unpredictably. Timing my thrusts was essential—each needed to be direct, quick, and calculated. I used Piercing Thrust, a skill I’d just unlocked, which let me strike forward with increased range and accuracy, hitting targets even as they shifted away. The power in my thrusts, combined with the spear’s reach, kept me on pace. As the last few seconds ticked down, I nailed the final target with a perfectly timed strike. [Challenge Complete: Spearmanship] Your Record: 73 targets Rewards: +5 Spearmanship Mastery, +50 Gold, and a rare skill: Piercing Thrust Piercing Thrust was particularly strong, allowing my spear attacks to penetrate armor and strike with extra force. Deals extra 50% damage on top of Physical damage. Cost : 10 mana Cooldown : 5 seconds ] _________ The Archery Challenge tested my accuracy and speed. The targets were set up at varying distances—some close, some far—and would appear at random heights. Each shot required fast reflexes and a steady aim. [Archery Challenge: Active] I readied my arrows and activated Quick Draw, which let me pull arrows from my quiver in a flash. I nocked, drew, and released, sending arrows straight into the bullseyes one after another. As my stamina dropped, I relied on my focus and pacing, firing each shot with care. When the timer hit its last second, I released my final arrow, hitting the farthest target dead center. [Challenge Complete: Archery] Your Record: 58 targets Rewards: +4 Archery Mastery, +50 Gold, and an upgraded skill: Homing Arrow Homing Arrow granted me an accuracy boost and allowed arrows to automatically adjust their path slightly if the target moved after release. "Is he a ranker?" "Dunno, but he’s seriously good—set three records on his own!" By the time I completed the Archery Challenge, a small crowd had already gathered around, murmuring and glancing in my direction. Someone even started recording me, but I ignored the attention and headed straight for the next challenge. Every time I cleared a challenge, the whispers grew louder, and I caught snippets of conversations around me: "Did you see his speed in the Swordsmanship Challenge?" "Yeah, I think he’s already maxed out his stats or something." "No way... Is he some kind of pro?" "Maybe he’s just a high-level player showing off in the training area," one player muttered, jealousy clear in his tone as he watched me getting all the attention. "Idiot, don’t talk if you don’t know," another player snapped, shutting him down. "The Training Challenge adjusts based on level. Even if a level 100 player came here, they’d face the same level of difficulty as a level 1, so no one can cheat the leaderboard." The first player looked embarrassed, mumbling something as he stepped back and hid his face in frustration while the crowd murmured around us. I ignored the commotion and kept moving toward my next goal, focused and determined. For the Magic Challenge, only Magic Missile was allowed, making it a unique test of my focus, reaction time, and spell control. I stepped into the arena, where shimmering targets began to float around me. Each target represented a different type of magical resistance: some absorbed basic elemental magic, while others were highly mobile or shielded by defensive spells. [Magic Challenge: Active] The timer started, and I quickly raised my hand, conjuring my first Magic Missile. With a quick flick of my wrist, I sent it shooting toward a target directly in front of me. As it made contact, the target exploded into glittering sparks, indicating a successful hit. But the challenge was far from over—more targets appeared, each moving with increasingly erratic speeds and unpredictable patterns.