Chapter 6: The Mentor's Observation
The floor was bathed in faint rays of golden sun through thick curtains in Brian's room. Silence hung like a heavy air outside the room, relieved only by the chirp of a few birds' within. Brian sat on the edge of his bed with an ornate sword sitting on the table before him. Its blade was polished, but to him, it seemed a weight he wasn't sure he wanted to shoulder.
The previous night, the summons had arrived. Within a week, he was to report to the frontline. He still had the parchment, stamped with the seal of Bladeheart Manor, on his desk. After skimming the first line, he hadn't even bothered to open it. It wasn't his decision to make.
Brian muttered under his breath, running a hand through his messy hair, "Frontline." "They really want me gone that bad."
Worn into the far corner of the room, Arzia flew as she stood there, arms crossed, her piercing blue eyes staring at him. Her tone was sharp, but calm, and she said, 'You sound defeated already.'
Brian smirked and glanced at her. "Defeated? No. Just annoyed."
Arzia raised an eyebrow. "Out there, annoyance won't keep you alive."
Brian stood up. "I know. I'm going to train, that's why."
His voice had an edge of determination, but he spoke in a nonchalant tone. He knew what was on the line in the real world and in Psalm Online. His game stats were already in sync with his real-world abilities, but he couldn't count on that alone. He wanted to remain sharp, to guarantee that once it happened, he wouldn't merely live, but thrive.
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Bladeheart Manor's spreading expanse of dirt and grass was its training grounds, included within high stone walls. Knights practicing their forms and training could be heard banging steel against steel. Brian stood at the far end of the grounds, across from Bice, a grizzled old knight with a scar running down his face.
Bice barked out, his voice cutting through the morning air again.
His muscles burned, and the relentless drills wore on Brian's grip of the practice sword. He stepped into position and his sweat dappled down his brow, but he kept his stance solid and precise.
He watched Bice with a critical eye. The seasoned knight hadn't been expecting much, not with the boy's reputation as a slothful noble, and indeed the boy's reputation as a slothful noble had preceded him. What he was seeing now didn't match the stories.
Brian struck fast and sharp, surprisingly so. Fluid with his offensive and defensive remains uninterrupted. Bice lunged at him with a wooden staff, Brian parried the blow and countered with a precise strike that stopped just short of the older man's chest.
Lowering his staff, Bice stepped back. "Hmph". He muttered not bad, though there was a hint of admiration in his tone.
Lowering his practice sword, Brian smirked. His voice was light, but his breathing was heavy, and he teased, "Just not bad?"
The older man's eyes narrowed. "Don't get too big for your britches, boy. You've got a long way to go. Brian was studied intently by him, and he leaned on his staff. But I'll admit, you're better than I expected. How did you learn those forms? Not from the manor tutors, certainly."
There was a careful neutrality to Brian's expression, as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "I've been paying more attention than people think, let's just say."
Bice snorted. "Is that so? It looks like you've been training in secret. Hiding your skills, huh?"
Brian shrugged and smiled disarmingly. 'It maybe I needed the right motivation.'
The expression on the older knight's face as he shook his head was one of frustration with just a hint of intrigue to it. "Whatever it is, keep it up. You're going to need every ounce of skill you've got out there."
Brian's smile faded as Bice walked away, and he looked contemplative. Arzia stood watching from the sidelines, and he glanced at her.
He turned to me quietly and asked, 'Do you think he suspects anything?'
Arzia shook her head. "Doubtful. Even if he did, what could he do? No one in this world would believe your synchronization unless they saw it themselves."
Brian gripped his practice sword, and nodded. "We'll keep it that way then."
Determination burned in his eyes, and he turned back around to face the training dummy. He still had to prove himself to Bice, to the Bladeheart Manor, and to himself. There was still the day to go.
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Brian logged into Psalm Online and the familiar hum of the game system was surrounding him. His fingers flew over the console, he was suddenly back in the dark, virtual world. The walls of a huge stone dungeon stood oppressive, and he stood in the opening to it. The green fiery breath of braziers flickered long and dancing shadows across the narrow corridors, and a cold mist curled at his feet.
Next to him, Arzia materialized on his, a glowing blue light. Her eyes narrowed and she glanced around. "This place feels… wrong."
Making no further retorts, the exclusive concentration by Brian was directed towards the new pop-up quest details that reached him. His heart raced in his chest. He remembered the risks—Kaantz the orc leader was said to fight bare knuckled and often did not care for his people. But he was strongly focusing not to allow that pressure to overpower him.
"Let's go," Brian replied ferociously, the back of his throat tightening uneasily. "We're here to end this."
Arzia simply bowed her head in affirmation, waiting, her hand hovering over the hilt of her weapon. Altogether, they proceeded further into the dungeon, and the sound of their footsteps echoing in the chamber.
The two began walking through the complicated corridors and the rates of tension increased. Each turn was intimidating, each darkness regarded as endangering. The sounds and voices really made me feel like I was in a real dungeon, the creaking of the stones, growls in the background, and the use of flickering fire really helped built up the anxiety.
At last, they came to the last chamber of the cellars. A stadium large enough to resemble an old school coliseum appeared before them. Across the hall at the very end he was standing, towering over the crowd with his large muscular body exposed to the strange green glow. His enchanted axe looked bright in his hands and his drunken red eyes were filled with hatred on Brian and Arzia.
Instantly of fury, Kaantz lowered his axe and attacked, a sound in his throat like a roar which made even the stony floor tremble.
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