After weeks of grueling training in basic skills, Shin felt more confident in his abilities. He had mastered stances, footwork, and basic sword and shield techniques. But his unique skills were still a mystery, and he'd been curious about them ever since he'd received the initial blessing.
One afternoon, as they finished up a long sparring session, Garret handed Shin a cloth to wipe his brow. "You're coming along well with the basics, lad," Garret said with a nod. "But remember: patience. Your path will unfold with time."
Shin, however, had something else on his mind. "Master Garret," he began, "what about my unique skills?"
Garret raised an eyebrow. "Unique skills? I can't say I know what they are exactly, Shin. That blessing of yours gave you something rare, but I haven't the slightest idea how to help you master them."
Shin stared at him, dumbfounded. "You don't know?"
Garret chuckled. "Unique skills are rare. Most of us have ordinary skills, and even the higher-ranked folks don't get what you did. Your abilities are yours to discover. It's like a puzzle—find out what they can do, see how they work in training, and piece it together yourself."
Shin blinked, trying to wrap his mind around it. He'd never been much of a thinker; he was used to being told what to do, step-by-step. But now, he was on his own with his unique skills. His mind raced with ideas, most of them half-baked and probably dangerous, but his curiosity wouldn't let him wait.
"Alright," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "I'll figure it out."
The next morning, Shin slipped away to a secluded part of the training grounds, determined to unlock his unique skills. He picked up a training sword, remembering the skill's name: Celestial Swordsmanship. He had no idea what that meant, but the word "celestial" made him think of the stars.
Shin stared up at the sky and tried to imagine the power of the stars flowing into his sword. At first, he felt nothing. But he refused to give up. He tried swinging his sword harder, then slower, then with his eyes closed, imagining he was calling down the power of the cosmos.
Nothing.
Frustrated, he decided to try something more "cosmic." He raised the sword high and started twirling in a circle, hoping to absorb something from the heavens above. He spun and spun, sword raised, until he was dizzy and had to stop.
"Maybe I should call it down instead…" he muttered.
He pointed his sword up like a lightning rod, yelling, "Come on, cosmos! Give me power!" He felt silly, but a warm tingling sensation suddenly traveled down his arm and into the sword. He swung, and to his surprise, the training dummy he aimed at nearly split in half.
"Whoa!" Shin stared at the dummy, then at his sword. He didn't understand exactly how it worked, but he knew he'd unlocked something. With enough practice, maybe he'd figure out how to control it properly.
Emboldened by his small victory with Celestial Swordsmanship, Shin decided to test his Cosmic Shield ability. He grabbed a shield from the rack and held it out, imagining a celestial barrier forming around it.
At first, he tried whispering, "Cosmic Shield!" But nothing happened. Then, he tried chanting louder, and when that didn't work, he opted for what he called his "attack stance"—he held the shield in front of him, bracing for an imaginary blow.
Finally, he threw himself into the shield, shouting, "Cosmic Shield, activate!" As he pushed forward, he felt the faintest glimmer of energy. Encouraged, he tried it again, this time adding a bit of visualization, imagining the energy surrounding the shield as a glowing, unbreakable barrier. He pushed the shield forward—and felt a surge of warmth.
When he opened his eyes, a faint shimmer surrounded the shield. Shin grinned triumphantly. He'd found the trick. It seemed he needed to actively push his will into the shield, envisioning it as something capable of blocking anything.
Satisfied, he continued to practice, though it would take him weeks to feel like he had any real control over this power. At least, he'd made progress.
The last skill on his list was Astral Endurance. Shin assumed it had something to do with stamina, so he put himself through as much physical punishment as possible. He'd spend entire mornings running laps, lifting weights, and swinging his sword until his arms felt like they'd fall off.
At first, he couldn't tell if anything was happening. Then, one evening, after hours of training, he noticed something odd—he didn't feel tired. In fact, he felt like he could keep going.
The more he pushed himself, the faster his body seemed to recover. He'd fall to the ground, exhausted, and within minutes he'd be back on his feet, ready for another round. Shin grinned, realizing that his endurance was indeed on a different level. He wasn't sure how it worked, but he felt as if he could fight for days without breaking.
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Ready for Adventure
After a month of intense and unorthodox training, Shin felt confident that he'd unlocked the core of his unique skills. Though he hadn't mastered them fully, he'd figured out enough to rely on them in battle.
The next morning, he marched to the adventurer's guild, feeling like a true warrior. He stepped up to the counter, where the receptionist greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, Shin," she said. "How can I help you?"
Shin took a deep breath, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm here to take on my first quest."
As he looked through the list, he felt a rush of excitement. This was what he'd trained for, after all. Whether he truly understood his unique skills or not, he was ready to put them to the test.