{Argus's POV}
"Fuck! Where is this place?!"
Argus became upset as he had already been walking for a day. Normally, he had high patience, but walking for a day without discovering something new pissed him off.
"Sigh... Calm down for a while, Argus. Inhale... Exhale..."
Argus started to take deep breaths to calm himself.
"Sigh... There probably wouldn't be any changes if I continue walking in this damn place. What do I do? It's boring just to stare at this nothingness. I can't read or sleep here. Wait, sleep? Am I in my subconscious?"
Argus's eyes widened.
"Right, I am seriously injured and was dying because of that tribulation."
Thinking of the lightning he had received, Argus's expression turned dark.
"Fuck that tribulation! If I hadn't received that skill, I should have already died. I have a feeling, that it will happen again on me. Damn, I need to become strong to survive those tribulations."
An idea suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Let's train. Since there's nothing here aside from my body, I'll just train my weaponless specialization."
Weaponless Specialization, a skill he had already possessed even before he was awakened. Though it seemed to only be level 5, it had been surpassed by his new scythe specialization skill, which had already reached the max level. This skill was almost twice or even thrice as hard to level up compared to any other weapon specialization skills.
To obtain this skill, one needed to possess both Hand-to-Hand Specialization and Close Combat Specialization skills.
Argus was not surprised when he acquired this skill since he always trained in martial arts every morning as part of his routine, though not enough to see it reflected in the level of his skill.
The only things that could level up a skill were three:
1. Repetition
Repetition was the most basic method to improve a skill. The more a person used the skill, the more experience they would gain, gradually leveling up the skill over time.
2. Skill Points
Skill Points could be used to directly level up any skill. These points were gained through quests, achievements, or milestones in combat. Using them to enhance a skill would increase its level without requiring practice or repetition, making it the most efficient method.
3. Enlightenment
Enlightenment was a rare and powerful method of skill growth. It could only be achieved during periods of intense mental clarity, meditation, or through profound moments of insight related to the skill. This method was unpredictable but could cause a significant leap in skill level if the person truly understood and mastered the core concepts of the skill.
Argus learned that repetition was most useful for skills that could easily level up and had low consumption, such as weapon specialization and other lower-tier skills.
However, repetition was not as effective for high-tier skills, especially those with high Mana consumption or other restrictions on the user. These skills required more than just constant use; they needed either Skill Points or moments of Enlightenment to truly advance.
Argus's Scythe Specialization reached level 10, the maximum level, easily since he had been swinging his scythe continuously during his training. Additionally, with the help of enlightenment, it was boosted to its current level of 10.
In contrast, his Weaponless Specialization remained at level 5. He wasn't sure when he acquired this skill, but it was probably sometime this year, as it was unlikely for it not to have reached the max level by now.
If only he had obtained the Hand-to-Hand Specialization or the other related skill, they likely would have also reached level 10. However, since they had fused into one skill, it was limited to level 5.
Anyway, levels aren't everything, as he had learned. Mastery also played a significant role in the power of a skill. If a skill reached level 10 simply through repetition, it meant the user had already intermediate mastery over that skill, which is a very good thing.
Argus hadn't seriously trained his Weaponless Specialization, so repetition alone hadn't been enough to bring it to max level. However, this time, he was determined to train seriously.
Since he couldn't indulge in his hobbies here—reading and watching, by the way—he could fully focus his attention on training.
"I can only hope this is really just my subconscious."
Argus then began to imagine a scene where his enemies were the undead that had come out of the gate. He decided to train with image training, using them as his foes.
"Let's fight!"
What Argus didn't notice was that, in this "subconscious" space, he was displaying a range of expressions that he typically didn't show. This indicated that he was suppressing his emotions outside, especially around people he had no personal connection with.
Argus didn't know how much time had passed, but he didn't feel tired. His expression had once again turned stoic. His innate skills had been activated not long after he began training, and they continued to function now.
A series of punches and kicks could be seen being performed by Argus. From time to time, Argus would shake his head, clearly dissatisfied, and repeatedly perform the kick until he was satisfied.
Argus continued his training until he suddenly heard a crack. He stopped and looked around the space, noticing cracks beginning to form in the darkness.
"...Argus, Run! Y... eed,... rvive!"
Before he could say anything, he heard something.
He heard an old, raspy woman's voice. Argus' stoic expression didn't change, but many thoughts began racing through his mind. Even in his subconscious he felt his heart beat wildly. His stoic expression starts to contort.
"Who are you?"
The old, raspy woman's voice did not answer his question.
On the outside, Astrea who was sleeping beside Argus was woken up. She felt her Master move and she thought that her Master was awake. Before she could even open her mouth she saw her Master's face show a myriad of emotions before it returned to normal.
"Master!"
Astrea tried waking him up but he didn't respond to her call.
"Did you just a bad dream?"
Astrea ask particularly on no one. She sighed as she lay back on the bed. She hugged Argus as she continued to sleep.
***
On the fifth day, just two days before enrollment, Argus' eyes fluttered open, a slow, deliberate motion. His body felt heavier than usual, as if he had been submerged in an endless void. The sensations were overwhelming, but a sense of clarity slowly began to creep in.
Sylvan, noticing this, let out a soft cheer. His expression was one of relief and happiness. Without wasting a moment, he rushed to notify Astrea and Ying Zhu, who were sparring in the forest. They immediately ceased their fight, their concern evident as they hurried back to the cave.
Argus let out a quiet sigh, his mind still groggy but already processing the events.
"Tell them not to disturb me for a while, Sylvan. I need to do something."
Sylvan nodded. Argus gave him a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes again, assuming a meditative stance. His mind swirled with lingering thoughts, but a deep, settled calm was starting to take over.
Many questions appeared in his mind.
'Who is the owner of that voice? And why do I felt sadness and anger at the same time just hearing that voice?'
And the biggest question he had was...
'Is that a memory of my past?'
Argus' origin was mysterious even to him. What he knew was just about those things he could remember, like growing up with some old man taking care of him. Surviving a beast horde with his help.
'In the first place, I can't even remember what he looked like or his name. The one who raised me was also mysterious. Or is this really my own memory?'
Argus' mind ran fast through many possibilities, then he stopped.
'This question will be slowly answered as I become stronger. Thinking about this now will just give me stress.'
To distract himself, he mmediately scanned his body, relieved to find that he was fully healed. He delved deeper within himself, focusing on his soul, and felt a sense of reassurance that it was also at its peak condition.
However, a broken chain remained wrapped around his soul, likely shattered by the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning that had struck him. While this was concerning, Argus sensed that he had awakened something new within himself. He decided to hold off on checking his status window for now, knowing there was another matter he needed to investigate.
His attention shifted to the three floating cores in his solar plexus. Argus' expression darkened as he noticed that his cores had shrunk in size.
'Hmm?'
Before his thoughts could spiral into negativity, he observed something else about his cores. Despite their reduced size, the dark purple hue had deepened significantly. He also noticed that the cores had become incredibly solid, nearly several times as resilient as they had been before the tribulation.
Of course, this change intrigued him. Argus speculated that this was one of the rewards for surviving the tribulation. He wasn't sure if anyone else had experienced a tribulation right after crossing just Core Forging realm, so he hesitated to call it a reward outright.
Looking back, he began to consider why the tribulation had struck him.
'That cultivation art...'
Argus focused on the book floating above his soul, recalling the information it contained. He needed to verify if his conjecture was correct. This time, he recall the information, ensuring he understood each word. As time passed, his expression shifted from calm to a deep frown, then to a myriad of emotions, until he felt the sweat begin to bead on his back.