Rigorous Training and Battle Preparations
厳しい訓練と戦闘準備
Since there was no need to sleep in Wiezer’s lair anymore, after we had disbanded to train for ourselves, I used 《RETURN TO SHIP》 to get back to Grimoire Atelier, I was only gone for 2 days but, I feel it was the longest I have been gone away from Grimoire-chan.
‘Welcome Home Captain’
“I am home Grim-chan.” After greeting Grim-chan, to stop me from getting sick, I again took off my wet clothes, left it to dry near the furnace in my atelier, donned the beddings to cover my body and went to my cabin.
I was thinking of doing combat training starting the next day, but, although I had said that I needed to train, I can’t really attack my allies in any of the four regions of the island, especially when our forces are limited as it is, so I will be left with no choice but to trim down the GOBLIN and ORCs in the shorelines, but even that has its limits.
So instead I am thinking of doing some extra training with my combat and martial skills, even if I can’t get closer to leader’s levels, I at least need to increase my skills to a point where I won’t be a hindrance in battle.
While pondering about what other things I must do starting tomorrow until the 15th day, and thought about weapons. Now that you mentioned it, the LIZARDMEN were capable of wielding weapons.
I think I might be able to increase their battle prowess by giving them weapons. They are just my Metal Forged Trial Series and Wooden Trial Series but its durability and sharpness should at least be stronger than their current equipment. Okay, let’s go with that.
So in the next few days until the promised day, I had then started to train and gathered materials to create weapons.
*****
One of the training schemes I thought off was to increase the numbers of my skill repertoire. I analyzed some of my opponents attack and tried to make a rendition of it for my own attacks. The skill I used against the ARMADOGU queen was one of them, --KYOUKEN-- I had patterned it after GREYWOLVES tactics in battle. I also created the GYUUKI that I had patterned after a mythical bull monster in my previous world; it was used for dual bladed attacks much like the horns.
But today I am thinking of creating more wide ranged attacks, just like the KENZAN skill I once used against Kizuari, and for that, I once again went to the familiar beach and get my inspiration from my creative mind.
I then proceeded to train in the sandy beach first I started with the basics (diagonal, horizontal and vertical slashes) while stationary. Then I started to do various movements like slashing/smashing while leaping, running dashing. Also, I did all patterns using half-step, creating an endless pattern of attacks.
Some of the random attacks somehow get refined into skill while sometimes it just doesn’t. I needed a methodological way of creating skills, and for that once in a while I stop my movement training and I simple observe the surroundings to get the inspiration needed to create skills.
After crumping my head and rigorous trainings, I finally added some ACTIVE Combat Skills.
I had created skills from seeing flowers at the somewhere in the forest, when I noticed it I thought of flower arrangement. As I have watched anime a lot, I became entranced with everything from which anime came from (A relatively small country north from my own). One of it was the concept of IKEBANA, and this time the two new skill variation was added in my repertoire.
The first, MORIBANA is an AOE skill with a 5 Meter radius reach as my limit. When I started to do the chuunibyou like actions and imagined placing a lot flowers in the vase. In combat, it is now a multi-slash (downward diagonal and downward vertical slashes in random). At first the skill was only just 1 meter and could only do 3-5 slashes, now my limit has become 5-10 slashes 5 meter radius around me the slashes where don almost instantaneously and at a speed which should not be possible for any human to do and yet I was doing it.
The second has multiple renditions but for now it is limited to one as I am still trying to recall some of the terminologies. RIKKA 1st variant SUNA NO MONO. It means sand arrangement in Ikebana. I also got it from Ikebana and jogged my memory from the sand where I am training right now. In combat it creates a gust of sands blinding targets and rendering them from moving and could eliminate 9 enemies within a 5 meter radius. Nine is a fixed number since in Ikebana the nine branches represented the elements of nature.
This is also good to note, when I first created the skills with the chuunibyou like movements not only were they uncoordinated but they lack the overall aesthetics from which they were derived… flowers. But when they became skills, after performing them an illusionary path of flowers are marked at the spot where I land my hits. That would mean all of my HANA no MAE (Dance of Flowers) Variations will have the aesthetic of flowers. I can’t wait to creating more.
While my excitement was peaked because of my new flowery combat skill, I also made sure to increase my combat capabilities in other aspects, namely my weapons. I had decided to create more for myself and of course my allies.
And after I had forged them to my liking I decided to visit the LIZARDMEN in the northern region to turn over the METAL FORGED TRIAL SERIES and WOODEN TRIAL SERIES. The LIZARDMEN were happy when they received the weapons, they felt they could go and defeat the demi-humans with it, or so at least that is how I interpreted their actions. I just hope it won’t go into their head and get a whopping instead.
For now all members of the alliance did not attack each other, it was a non-verbal agreement (or was it verbally done by Wiezer) and everyone agreed. I also did the same instead we trained and sometimes use the trainings to expel demi-humans who enter their own regions, as for me I only hunted in the western region and avoided contact with the GORGILAZ, this was to ensure that they won’t suspect of the alliance.
*****
The night prior to the promised day, before going to sleep, I had arranged a set of weapons in the Detachment Room for me to retrieve during our battle:
.DETACHMENT ROOM {
•METAL FORGED TRIAL BASELARD (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL BASELARD (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL KODACHI (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL KODACHI (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL KALIS (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL KALIS (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL GLADIUS(short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL GLADIUS (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL TANTO (daggers)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL TANTO (daggers)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL DAO (one-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL DAO (one-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL DAITO (one-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL WAKIZASHI (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL HARD EDGE GREAT SWORD (great sword
}
Primarily I had packed a lot of short swords, a pair of daggers, and daisho (DAITO and WAKIZASHI) which I will use to fend off the GOBLIN and ORC hordes. The great sword is for when I get an unlucky chance of encountering any of the two leaders.
Now that I am packed myself with offensive weapons, it is time check my defenses. Now while I had become a bit able in creating weapons, this should be my first time making armors for defensive.
This might come as a shock to anyone but my usual get up: the white T-shirt, black denim pants and black shoes have yet to deteriorate which the makers in the other side might become proud of it if they heard about it. I mean I have already worn this get up for almost 7 months now and they have yet to show signs of wear and tear.
I am guessing that it had somehow gained some extra boost once I got to this side of the world. It is not to the point of cheat items as the get up I am wearing does not protect much when it comes to combat, but I am glad that I don’t have to go for a Tarzan-get-up with leaves and vines.
Since there is practically no defensive power in the shirt or the denim pants, I have decided to create makeshift armor to boost my defense.
My choices are as follows:
For my body I have decided to wear wooden armor, although I am able to I have decided against wearing metal plated armor for one reason: it would hinder movements in the forest. So I designed a Light Wooden Armor from oak and strapped them with vines, while the design is simplistic, it should at least protect me from smaller monster attacks.
For the head I have decided with a Light Wooden Helmet. The helmet that I had created from the same oak tree adds protection to my head for any blunt trauma at the back. The same with the body armor, the helmet is geared for easy movements rather than full defense. It also did not cover my face as it would hinder my view.
For my arms, I have padded my elbows and knees with Light Wooden Pads, although they are primarily used for defense, I could also use them for attack.
I did not bother wrapping my hands with anything like a gloves, it might hinder my grip. Instead I have donned my arms with a makeshift TEKKOU, a Japanese equivalent to gauntlets.
As for my legs, I only reinforced it with Wooden Leg Guards which also acts as offensive powers for when I use it to kick.
With that my Oak Wooden Armor Set is completed. As I mentioned earlier, they have really little defensive power but for now this should do in the forest battles. Well, while it is true that by donning the Light Wooden Armor set it will provide me with better defense compared to the t-shirt and the denim pants. However, they are really just makeshift armor and could only provide miniscule defenses.
The real function of this armor comes to light when I accumulate KI on them, just like with my KENKI, which coats my wooden weapons and give it a sharpness that naturally lack on my wooden crafted weapons, I will also utilize KI to provide my wooden armors with defensive boosts.
I decided to name it JUNKI, as in shield spirit or spiritual shield. By concentrating my KI on any of the armor I am wearing, it will be given a boost to my defense making the armor slightly impenetrable to attacks.
Well, this goes without saying that I have to be very vigilant where the attacks and make sure that I send the KI to that certain area or the armor will definitely become useless. It is a bit hard to master, but as they say when your life is on the line, learning is quite fast.
Now let me give another convenient aspect to the Detachment Room, now get this, I can instantly switch out weapons from the Detachment Room. All I need to do is to concentrate on what weapons to summon.
I can summon them anywhere as long as it is within my body preferably in the hands, but could also be sheathed on waist or at my back. I can also use the weapons as some sort of as projectile and have to wait for 5 minutes (a bit long, but should be enough since I have other weapons at my disposal) and then I can use them again.
While I have to be wary about using weapons as projectiles, when need to, it is convenient as it can get.
And eventually my preparation ended with both defense and offensive powers boosted. Now I only have to train until the 15 days end and we proceed to go for the battle.
