Chapter 7: Chapter 07: Die Dumb Tree!
Days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. Azrakar spent every waking moment inside the simulation room, relentlessly battling the wooden doll. He died countless times, each time experiencing excruciating pain and utter humiliation. Yet, with each death, he learned. He grew accustomed to the doll's swift attacks, anticipating its movements, and gradually crafting his own combat tactics.
[Death count: 5645]
He learned to utilize the axes effectively, their weight becoming an extension of his arms. He mastered the art of blocking, dodging, and countering, his movements becoming more fluid and precise. The initial frustration and anger gradually transformed into a burning determination to conquer the seemingly invincible doll.
[Ready?]
Azrakar stood in the center of the simulation room, his body etched with the remnants of countless virtual battles. He gripped the wooden axes tightly, his eyes fixated on the wooden doll standing across from him.
"This time," he growled, his voice hoarse from exhaustion, "it will be different."
[Begin!]
The doll charged, its wooden sword flashing in the simulated sunlight aiming for his head. Azrakar was prepared this time, sidestepping the attack with surprising agility.
"UGAAAHH!" He roared, swinging his right axe and aiming for the doll's legs. The blow landed true, severing the doll's wooden left leg at the knee.
"GOOD!" he exclaimed, a sense of accomplishment washing over him.
The doll, unbalanced and vulnerable, stumbled back. Azrakar seized the opportunity, pressing his advantage with relentless ferocity. He unleashed a flurry of strikes, each blow aimed with precision and determination. Splinters flew as his wooden axes clashed against the doll's wooden body, carving deep gashes into its form.
"JUST DIE"
But the doll was resilient, fighting back with unwavering determination. It retaliated with swift and calculated strikes, severing both of his arms.
"AHHH!"
Despite the searing pain, Azrakar refused to yield. With a primal roar, he launched himself at the doll once more, his determination burning brighter than ever. Ignoring the agony coursing through his body, with a ferocity born of desperation, Azrakar tore into the wooden doll with his teeth and fangs, ripping it apart piece by piece. His arms may have been severed, but his will to fight remained unbroken. Each bite brought him closer to victory, driving him onward through the pain and exhaustion.
CRASH! CRASH!
The wooden doll, now reduced to splinters and shards, could do little to defend itself against Azrakar's savage assault. It was no match for the primal fury of the orc, whose relentless determination carried him through thousands of deaths with unstoppable force.
Finally, with one last triumphant roar, Azrakar delivered the finishing blow, reducing the remnants of the doll to nothing more than a pile of splintered wood at his feet. He stood victorious, his chest heaving with exertion, his body battered and bruised but his spirit unbroken.
"YEAHHH! ME DID IT ME KILLED THE BLOODY TREE!"
[Quest Complete: Combat Training Level One]
[Rewards: Basic General Knowledge, Basic Combat Skill Ticket]
System notification appeared before his eyes followed quickly by Nexus' voice. [Congratulations Master Azrakar, you have completed the first level of combat training. Your determination and perseverance have paid off.]
[Rest for an hour, and recover your energy after that we can initiate the implantation of Basic General knowledge inside your brain]
Azrakar nodded. "Good, send me back. Me hungry."
[Understood]
He blinked and found himself back in the familiar darkness of the hole. The simulated battle had left him physically drained, but his spirit burned brighter than ever before. With a sense of accomplishment, Azrakar ambled towards the nearly-devoured Bison.
Without the meat of this Bison, Azrakar would have been dead by now from starvation. He inspected the meat and estimated that he had just a month left before it ran out, or a month and a half if he meticulously controlled his rations.
"Me think about it later, time for food."
Despite the exhaustion and hunger gnawing at his stomach, Azrakar felt a sense of satisfaction. He had overcome the first level of combat training, a feat that seemed impossible at first.
"Victory tastes goood"
He devoured the raw bison meat with gusto, savoring the flavor despite the lack of seasoning. The simulated battle had left him famished, his stomach growling in a fierce protest. As he ate, his mind replayed the events of the training. The initial frustration, the countless deaths, and finally, the exhilarating taste of victory. He had conquered the seemingly invincible doll, proving his tenacity and resolve.
A soft chime echoed through the darkness, signaling the end of his one-hour rest period. As the system's voice rings in his mind.
[Attention Master Azrakar. Basic General knowledge upload commencing. Please remain still and focused for optimal integration.]
Azrakar settled himself on the cold floor, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension swirling within him. Knowledge, he had learned from the wise one back in the tribe, that it was a powerful weapon. But what kind of knowledge would this system impart? Would it make him smarter, stronger, or something else entirely?
He closed his eyes, focusing on the empty space behind his eyelids. Then, a jolt of energy surged through him, starting at the base of his spine and erupting in a wave of tingling that flooded his skull. It began subtly, a whisper of information brushing against his consciousness. But soon, it intensified into a torrent, a deluge of knowledge rushing into his mind with overwhelming force.
"UGHH!" A guttural cry escaped his lips. His muscles tensed, and a sheen of sweat slicked his brow. Azrakar felt his very being reshaped, his thoughts bombarded with a chaotic symphony of words, images, and concepts. Languages he'd never heard, histories beyond comprehension, and scientific principles that defied logic all flooded his mind at once.
"AHHHH!" A minute later, Azrakar couldn't take anymore, forcing Nexus to shut down his mind, rendering him unconscious, where the process would be more smooth.
Thirty minutes later, a message appeared.
[Basic General knowledge successfully uploaded]
[Host stats are stable, commencing the recovery process. Returning host consciousness]
As consciousness gradually seeped back into Azrakar's mind, he opened his eyes to the same darkness of the hole. For a moment, he just stared at the night sky with a new understanding.
He somehow knew that those shiny points in the sky that previously he, much like many of his race, thought were the spirits of the ancestors watching over them, were called stars.
But that's not all; as he sat there, a flood of information rushed back to him. Concepts he couldn't have imagined before now danced in his mind, waiting to be explored. He recognized the constellations above him, understanding their significance in navigation and timekeeping. The knowledge of astronomy sparked a sense of wonder within him, igniting a desire to delve deeper into the mysteries of the cosmos.
With his hand, Azrakar tried to reach for the stars, but then he clenched his hand, forming a fist. "Knowledge is power."
It was a strange sensation to suddenly know things that you didn't know before. For Azrakar, it was like he was blind all his life and suddenly someone had opened his eyes to the wonders of the world. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through his veins.
"I want more."
[Congratulations Master Azrakar, the Basic General Knowledge has been successfully injected into your brain.]
Azrakar sat up, leaning against the wall, and massaged his temples for a moment, still feeling the faint ache from before.
"Nexus," he called out, his voice rough from disuse. "What happened to me? Why do I talk funny and think differently?"
Nexus responded promptly, its voice echoing in Azrakar's mind, [Master Azrakar, what you experienced was the integration of basic general knowledge into your consciousness. This process is designed to enhance your understanding of the world and equip you with essential information for survival and growth.]
Azrakar nodded slowly, absorbing Nexus's explanation. "So, that's why I feel like I know things I've never known before?"
[Yes, precisely,] Nexus affirmed. [The basic general knowledge injection expands your cognitive capabilities, allowing you to comprehend concepts and ideas that were previously beyond your grasp. It is a fundamental step in your journey towards becoming the strongest warrior.]
[Right now I can only give you the basic one which is equivalent to the average F-rank hunter on Earth.]
"I see," he nodded. Surprisingly, Azrakar quickly adapted to this new situation. He somehow knew that his brain was changed in a way that was achievable for an Orc like him before—Intelligence.
Which gave Azrakar a new view of his own race. "A big dumb and stupid race that knows only war," he muttered to himself. "Heheh~But again, that's what makes us Orcs."
He stood up, stretching for a bit as he gazed around. With his new enhanced intelligence, even the pit seemed different. Azrakar noted many ways that he could use to escape from this dirt prison. "Nexus, what's my other reward?"
[A basic combat skill ticket, Master. Utilizing it will grant you a skill from the system, however, the selection would be random yet at least the skill would be tailored to your orcish heritage.]
"Good, use it now," he instructed. Instantly, a bronze metal ticket materialized before him.
Azrakar reached out and grasped the bronze ticket, his fingers curling around it with anticipation. He could feel the hum of energy emanating from the ticket, a promise of power waiting to be unlocked. With a firm grip, he tore the ticket open, revealing a shimmering light that coalesced into a form before him.
Before his eyes materialized a spectral image of a massive, muscular figure wielding a colossal axe—an Orc. The Orc exuded an aura of strength and ferocity, its eyes blazing with determination. It was a manifestation of raw power, a testament to the warrior spirit that coursed through Azrakar's veins.
[Congratulations, Master Azrakar,] Nexus' voice echoed in his mind. [You have acquired the skill: "Orcish Fury." This skill taps into your innate strength and unleashes a devastating flurry of attacks, empowering you to overwhelm your foes with unmatched ferocity.]
A grin split Azrakar's face. 'Orcish Fury'. It felt like a perfect fit. He imagined himself wielding his axes with renewed power, a whirlwind of destruction unleashed upon his enemies.
"Excellent," he muttered, his voice laced with excitement. Walking over to the skeleton of the Bison, Azrakar broke off two ribs and using a rock nearby, he fashioned them into something resembling axes.
As Azrakar stood in the darkness of the hole, bones clenched tightly in his hands, memories of his battles with the wooden doll flooded his mind. He could feel the weight of the makeshift axes in his hands, the rough texture of the bones against his palms. With each breath, he felt his determination surge, fueled by the knowledge and skills he had acquired.
ROAAAR
With a primal roar, Azrakar unleashed the fury within him, channeling the relentless energy of Orcish Fury into his strikes. The bones whistled through the air as he swung them with ferocious abandon, each blow landing with bone-crushing force.
In his mind's eye, he pictured the wooden doll before him, its form shattered and splintered under the relentless assault of his attacks. With each swing, he felt a surge of satisfaction, a primal joy in the act of battle. He fought as he did in the simulation room, weaving and dodging imaginary attacks, his movements fueled by the knowledge downloaded into his brain.
Sweat slicked his brow despite the cool dampness of the pit. His muscles burned with exertion, but he pushed himself harder, fueled by a newfound determination. He practiced the footwork he'd absorbed from the training data, the knowledge of leverage and momentum making his strikes more efficient, more deadly.
Suddenly, the bone axe handle snapped under the force of a particularly ferocious swing.
A wide grin found its way to his lips. "Nexus, can I fight that doll again?"
[Absolutely, Master, however, keep in mind you won't receive any additional rewards.]
"I already got my rewards, I just need a good practice dummy."
[Indeed, you may run the simulation as many times as you desire.]
"Good," Azrakar acknowledged with a nod, stealing a glance at what remained of the Bison. "Since I'm safe in this pit I'll train relentlessly for this upcoming month. Then, we depart from this place for good."
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