Rise CHAPTER 14 - Become The Spear (Patreon)

Jiran felt like every inch of him was rebelling against reality. He had dodged so many spear thrusts that he instinctively expected another to come at him any second, like the feeling after hiccups fade but you know another is soon to come.

Even half-conscious on the ground, he still held his eyes to the weapon in Samris’s hand, knowing its tip would soon be approaching his heart.

Samris approached Jiran slowly, kneeling over the boy, he reached out and grasped him firmly on the shoulder.

When Samris’s heavy hand pressed down on him, the world distorted, twisted, and flipped. Suddenly, Jiran found himself lying in the familiar dirt of the manor’s backyard.

Did we just teleport, or did I fall asleep on the way back?

Jiran looked at Samris' back as he retreated toward the creek with eyes full of admiration. He tried to stand but failed. Instead, he chose to lay in the dirt until he could move again.

His brain was equally exhausted. Even the restless thoughts and questions which usually rattled around in his mind couldn't be bothered to show up.

When he could finally move again, Jiran gently cleaned himself in the creek.

Once bathed, he headed directly to his room to get changed out of his torn and bloody clothes. Sitting on the table near his bed was a meal with a note.

“Eat slowly!” was all it said.

Jiran ate while being overwhelmed with gratitude toward Sharaal’s thoughtful meal and note. He did his best to push as much mana into his injuries as possible, then passed out in a heap on his bed.

Dreams of drowning in a glacial lake became reality as Jiran was jolted from his slumber. Freezing water soaked his bed and body as Samris watched impassively, an empty bucket held loosely in his hand.

Before his brain managed to process everything that was happening, Samris grabbed Jiran’s shoulder. As suddenly as he woke, he found himself back in the glade. A spear stuck in the ground before his nose signaled the beginning of another day of pain and blood.

Jiran immediately hopped to his feet and copied the new stance Samris assumed. The stretching routine using the spear sorely tested his balance and strength as the weapon became increasingly heavy with each new movement.

After warming up, Samris once more showed him a seemingly simple thrust. Over thirty, agonizingly slow seconds, the thrust reached Jiran, who gently slid out of its reach. He then returned the same thrust as best he could.

Why is he attacking so slowly again? I understand it’s a different attack but yesterday we were exchanging thrusts every second, now we are back to this?

Heh… exchanging thrusts.

Samris sighed as he noticed Jiran’s distracted expression.

“Jiran, where does the thrust begin?”

Once more they went through the leisurely rotation of attack and defense. This time, Jiran focused on every part of Samris’s body as he began the motion. Even though Samris was moving like molasses dripping from a tree, Jiran missed the first movement.

Another repetition.

Jiran saw it this time, the slightest forward tilt of Samris’s torso was the very first movement he made when the thrust began.

“You tilt your chest toward me, My Lord.”

Samris nodded in approval. The next time he began his attack, something different happened. His torso turned with his shoulders as he went through a sideways chopping swing instead of the usual thrust.

Jiran did his best to reciprocate the unfamiliar attack. He felt unbalanced and weak compared to the movement he was now so familiar with.

Then Samris did something different once more. His body moved like he was going to execute the same chop, but instead shifted halfway through into a thrust.

Jiran’s first experience with a faint was luckily at extremely slow speeds because it still took him off guard. He scrambled to reposition his body into a sideways slide instead of a duck.

Now I get it!

The purpose of this training is to break down the exact sequence of activation for every muscle group in each attack and defense!

The only way to learn what muscles activate and when, is by feeling them as I move. Once that knowledge is instinctual, I can look for the cues in Samris’s movements to predict his actions.

With a goal in mind, Jiran’s focus soared to new heights. Samris continued to push him at an agonizingly slow speed. This time, Jiran didn’t waste a single movement.

Samris taught him four additional attacks and how to combine them with four matching evasions. Only a few hours later, Jiran had memorized every muscle movement for each move and was progressing toward executing them instinctively.

With each exchange, he found it easier to predict Samris’ movements. By the time they took a break for lunch, Jiran was gulping down lungfuls of air in an attempt to catch his breath from the frantic back-and-forth exchanges they had just completed.

Jiran was shocked by his progress. They had been swinging their weapons at full speed, at least full speed for him.

If we started the day at the speed we were just attacking, I would have been poked full of holes in seconds. I’m not sure I would even be doing this well after a month. This training method is amazing.

After lunch, Jiran felt like his arms were going to fall off. He stumbled after Samris as the man took off into the woods along a narrow game trail.

Jiran watched Samris’ back as the man steadily left him behind. Suddenly the trees and their deep shadows became a far more pressing threat as he realized how defenseless he was. His eyes widened in surprise when they returned to the lithe form he was chasing.

He’s not slowing down. He’s going to leave me out here if I don’t catch up!

Jiran dashed headlong through the forest, leaping over logs and dodging tree limbs. Suddenly a vicious tree root reached out and grabbed his ankle bringing Jiran’s face to the forest floor. His hands scrambled to find purchase in the soft detritus of decaying leaves and moss as he picked himself up to chase after Samris once more.

Jiran tripped often in his headlong pursuit over the following hours. He observed how Samris appeared immune to such mundane threats. He easily moved past every obstacle as if it were not there.

He hurled twice during their run, emptying his stomach of their delicious lunch. Samris never slowed, forcing Jiran to continue stumbling forward despite his retching.

When they returned to the glade, Jiran collapsed wholeheartedly to the ground. Samris approached him and once more Jiran’s world flipped upside down before he was roughly deposited in the manor’s yard.

When he could move again, Jiran was so hungry he decided to skip cleaning himself in the creek. He headed straight into the kitchen where he filled a bowl with some stew that was simmering and then quietly sat to eat in a corner.

Sharaal found him shortly after he began eating. Upon seeing her, Jiran shot to his feet and gave her a full bow. He spoke as respectfully as he could with emotion dripping from his voice.

“Thank you for the meal yesterday, Ms. Sharaal. It meant a great deal to me, especially the note. Thank you for caring.”

“Aww that’s sweet of you Jiran,” Her sweet smile morphed into a mother’s rage.

“Now, would you kindly stop bleeding in my kitchen?! You oaf, get out of here and don't come back looking like that again!” She yelled while waving a wooden spoon in his face.

https://imgur.com/v3OobQu

Jiran deftly scooped up his bowl and bolted back outside.

After eating, he sat on the soft grass and considered what he should do for the rest of his day.

Today has been so crazy I haven't stopped once to check my gains.

Strength + .2

Agility + .3

Endurance + .3

Durability + .2

Wisdom + .2

Wow! Samris’s training is hard for sure, but those rewards are no joke.

Hopefully, I get a chance to rest and recover so I can experience all these gains instead of feeling like a slab of tenderized meat.

I wonder how high I can jump now, how far I can run, maybe I could even get my spear through that crab’s thick-ass shell. I definitely need a re-match and something tells me Samris isn’t going to just let me throw a weapon around for much longer.

My mana is almost topped off after eating, I think my best bet for getting stronger quickly is to lean into my biggest strength; Mana control.

With his choice made, Jiran hopped to his feet and found a heavy shovel in a shed attached to the manor. A nearby maid who was tending the small garden beside the yard giggled at his choice of weapon. Seeing one of the girls finally look beyond his scars and not appear afraid of him brought a soft smile to his lips.

With his deadly weapon in hand, he moved as slowly as possible while flowing from one spear stance to the next using only forcing.

I need to not only know the movements of my muscles, but also how to safely force my body to make those moves with the technique. Then, I should be able to combine both muscle and magic into a seriously powerful offense.

Suddenly, Jiran stopped and stood up straight. While looking at the clouds above and the dancing colors of the fading suns, he laughed like a madman while grinning from ear to ear.

I’m using mana. I’m really doing it.

It feels like every minute since my tiering has been a struggle to survive. Now I'm finally free to use my mana. I can feel it rushing through my body, empowering my every move, and it’s amazing.

So caught up in his moment of triumph, Jiran failed to notice the girl scurrying back into the mansion in fright.

https://imgur.com/jcd8DQ2

For hours, Jiran practiced forcing at the exact moment he extended his weapon. If the timing was off by the smallest margin, he would either overextend his attack or cause his balance to falter.

Moving my whole body with Forcing isn't working.

Just learning to stand up straight takes years of training your brain in fine muscle control. How could I expect to puppet my entire body with mana after only a day?

I need to be able to apply the least amount of Forcing possible to the maximum effect.

Jiran once more shifted his focus when applying forcing. Instead of spreading mana through his entire body, he extended snakes of mana through his limbs and coiled them tightly around the bones in his forearms and shins.

With only four areas to focus on, the forcing became much simpler to command. Soon, the movements of his legs and arms were a blur as he swung the shovel repeatedly in the fading light.

How does Forcing even function?

If I’m being pushed in one direction, physics would demand there be an equal and opposite force. Yet there is nothing. No wind or pressure. It's like the mana is able to push against something that I can’t sense. Maybe it’s the density in the air.

It seems like every time I learn something I just have more questions!

When Second Father kissed the horizon, Jiran stopped. He nodded, satisfied with his progress, and prepared for whatever Samris was going to throw at him the next morning.