I watch as the ship sets sail, its hull heavy with supplies bound for Lordlake. That shipment should last them two… maybe three months. They can last even longer if those people decide to ration their food carefully. However, with that many people getting sick and weak from the intense sun and lack of a proper water source, they will not do that. At least not to ration too much.
I could send more. But that would create problems. I don't want people asking questions, especially the wrong people.
There are already spies within my territory. I feed them misinformation, guide what they see and report, but if I disrupt the pattern, they'll notice. No matter how carefully I hide it, they will notice the change in pattern and report it to their lords.
Better to stay consistent. When the Civil War starts, I will begin the purging. I will kill all the spies and eliminate the new ones who come to my territory.
I exhale softly, then turn and step into the carriage waiting to take me back to the castle. As it begins to move, I glance out the window. My mind is already racing ahead, thinking of the future.
With Sialeeds and the others heading to Lordlake, the canon is about to begin. Soon, Falena will descend into chaos, and I will be dragged into it. With my engagement to Sialeeds, the Godwins will make absolutely certain my family and I are removed from the board.
And even if they didn't, I made a promise. In the original timeline, Sialeeds betrays the prince, Freyjadour—not out of ambition, but out of necessity.
She sides with the Godwins to eliminate the unruly nobles, to break the Senate, and to restore control to the Royal Family. In its place, a new system emerges: a parliament elected from each town in Falena, creating a more representative legislative body.
That reduces the nobles' power, gives some power to the people, but still leaves the queen with true authority.
I shake my head. That problem can wait. For now, I need allies. Not regular allies, but rather the 108 Stars of Destiny. This allows the protagonist in the game to perform a miracle, namely the resurrection of his guardian and love interest, Lyon.
The Stars of Destiny.
They are the people who will help Freyjadour fulfill his so-called fate. These people are the foundation for his growth and the reason why he wins the war. There are many I can recruit early.
But where to start?
I think for a few seconds before a single name appears in my mind. Her name is Nikea, and she is a martial artist and a good bodyguard. She is reliable and rather skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
At this point, she should be in Stormfist, trying to enter the tournament—unaware that the prize isn't money, but a chance to marry the Crown Princess.
I can hire her. She'll be useful. I can tell her to teach my soldiers the basics of hand-to-hand combat and spar with me every once in a while.
Who else? What about the mercenary group? I know there is one, and I can hire them. However, recruiting them is a little bit complicated. They follow the contract to the letter, and I don't have enough reason to hire them at the moment.
Let's do this one step at a time, Richard. I can't do all of it at once. For now, I need to focus on training my body and then recruiting Nikea.
== Line Break ==
After instructing Sebastian to locate Nikea, I return to my office and lock the door behind me. I look at the clock and nod my head. Five hours until my next meeting. That is more than enough.
I take a slow breath, and I trigger one of my powers. I can feel the world shift. A second later, I stand inside a sleek, modern facility.
This is my pocket dimension from my [How Heavy Are Your Dumbbells?] power. This pocket dimension contains the ultimate training facility for me to use. Here, time flows ten times faster than outside.
Five hours outside becomes two full days within. It is a perfect place for me at the moment. I am here to train my body and learn how to fight in hand-to-hand combat or weapon-based combat. This place will allow me to do that.
I roll my shoulders slightly to do a quick warm-up.
My physical stats are already enhanced because of the [Olympic] and [Frankenstein] perks, but raw strength means little without control.
So I need to train and learn.
With a mental command, I tell my [Gates of Babylon] to get me books about martial arts. A small mountain of books appears from the golden portals, and I let them be. This facility includes not only training areas but also a relaxation area on the third floor.
The first floor is all about training. The second floor houses combat simulation technology that lets me simulate characters from real life or from fiction. They will have their fighting styles, and I can adjust how powerful they are.
I can make them hold back, go all out, or go above and beyond.
As for the third floor, it is all about relaxation. From plush bedding and a luxurious spa to a top-of-the-line robot chef serving gourmet, nutritionally balanced meals, this space offers the ultimate in comfort and entertainment. Indulge in video games, high-speed internet, movies, and more.
That is nerd heaven.
I wave a hand, sending the books floating upward toward the third floor.
I'll read later.
== Line Break ==
I take a deep breath and follow the movements in the book. Because of my [Rapid Learning] and its upgrade, I can follow the movements and understand the reasons behind everything it tries to teach me. The upgrade from the [Frankenstein] perk also boosts it even more.
Every shift of weight. Every angle. Every purpose. Within hours, I've fully grasped the technique. Sadly, understanding isn't enough.
My body needs to remember those movements and move by instinct alone. For nearly ten hours, I do nothing but cycle through the kata—refining, adjusting, engraving it into muscle memory.
Eventually, I stop. I take a deep breath and nod my head. I am ready for my first spar. I walk to the stairs and enter the second floor. The second floor greets me with sterile white light.
A massive simulation chamber lies beyond reinforced glass, with a control interface beside it. I walk toward the computer and search for a name.
Pahn.
That is the person I chose as my first opponent. Who is he? Pahn is a character from Suikoden I and the protagonist's bodyguard. According to the lore, while he is not considered a master, he is strong enough to fight against a dozen bandits alone, and that is at the start of the game. When the player reaches the late game, he gets even stronger.
He is a perfect opponent for me, especially his younger self.
After I select him, I see him appear in the center of the room. He is waiting for me with a cocky smile of an inexperienced martial artist.
I step inside and see a countdown begin overhead.
3… 2… 1…
I move forward and dash toward him. I throw a sharp jab, straight for the jaw. Sadly, he easily blocks my attack, and he counters immediately. I raise my guard to block his attack. I can feel the impact of his punch and perform a counter.
We exchange blows.
After a minute of exchanging blows, I feel it. I am stronger than him, but he has mastery over his technique.
With that realization, I press forward.
A flurry of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, lunges, overhands, and all kinds of punches happens at high speed as both of us are locked in close combat.
Each strike is heavier than the last. We try to one-up each other, throwing punch after punch that could break a regular human's bones.
He takes a lot of my attacks, but not without response. He reads me and uses my momentum against me, countering when I overextend and using my momentum to deliver heavy blows to my body.
The fight escalates further when we use our legs. We kick each other, roll on the ground, grapple, and throw each other to try to win the battle. Fifteen minutes pass in a blur of impact and motion.
By the end, we're both wrecked. Blood runs down my face. My breath burns in my chest. But we're still standing.
With a roar, I push forward. Pahn prepares to block my attack, but I feint and change its direction. I get a clean hit, knocking him off balance and creating an opening. I drive in and deliver a devastating punch to the jaw, then kick so hard I hear something break inside his chest.
I release a sigh and see Pahn slowly disappear, turning into motes of light.
"Winner."
I hear a mechanical voice announcing my victory. I release a sigh and grin. That feels good. My body is hurting, but it feels good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|Richard's Powers shown in the chapter|
[How Heavy Are Your Dumbbells?]
Have you ever struggled to maintain a consistent training routine, unable to find the right resources to support your training goals? Or perhaps you've longed for a training partner who can match your skill and strength, pushing you to new heights when others fall short? Or maybe your local gym just isn't cutting it anymore, and your gainz are no longer gaining. Well, fear not, you now have access to the ultimate training facility imaginable.
With just a thought, you can teleport to a pocket dimension housing a single building. This building boasts three floors, each tailored to enhance your training experience.
The first floor is your personal gym haven, equipped with every training machine imaginable, weights ranging into the millions of tons, and even weighted clothes and accessories. You can even customize the ambiance with your favorite tunes, oh, and the room will always have perfect air conditioning.
On the second floor lies a cutting-edge combat simulation facility. Here, you can spar with a simulated training partner in any environment of your choosing. Adjust your opponent's size, intelligence, abilities, and skill level to match your preferences; you can make them weaker than, equal than, and even stronger than you. You can even face off against multiple opponents simultaneously, up to 10 at a time.
The third floor is dedicated to relaxation and rejuvenation. From plush bedding and a luxurious spa to a top-of-the-line robot chef serving gourmet, nutritionally balanced meals, this space offers the ultimate in comfort and entertainment. Indulge in video games, high-speed internet, movies, and more. Don't slack off on your training, though, or there will be consequences.
While you're free to come and go from this dimension as you please, nothing can be taken outside its confines. Time inside this pocket dimension passes 10 times faster than in the real world.
=LINE BREAK=
|Richard's Perks shown in the chapter|
[Olympic]
Your muscles, natural regeneration, bone density, intelligence, perception, and senses are all just short of Parahuman.
[Frankenstein]
You're a low-level Brute in durability, strength, and regeneration. A low-level Thinker in reflexes, reaction time, and senses. And finally, a low-level Mover in speed. You are resistant to Master effects, and predictions about you are often slightly off. Thinker powers that sense your mind won't work properly.
[Rapid Learning]
Your ability to learn anything is greatly improved. You learn both theoretical and practical knowledge over 5 times faster than your base capability. This only affects you mentally, meaning while you can learn multiple martial arts, you may not be physically capable. This only works on mundane skills and your ability to use power effectively.
=UPGRADE=
[Unity of Mind and Body]
{Required: Olympic, or Rapid Learning}
Your mind now matches your body. You are a low-level Thinker, with enhanced cognitive capabilities that elevate your learning speed, memory, and analytical skills far beyond human limits. You can acquire and master new skills at a parahuman level, learning in weeks what would take others years. Additionally, your enhanced mind and body work in concert. When engaged in high-pressure situations, your mind shifts into tactical overdrive, allowing you to analyze threats, predict likely outcomes, and make optimal decisions in real time.