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Chapter 3

  Chapter 3

  Leon woke up to the smell of herbs and the sound of someone moving around nearby. He blinked away the fog of sleep, trying to remember where he was. White ceiling, narrow bed, the sting of antiseptic—the guild's infirmary.

  "Finally awake, huh?" A woman in a simple white robe stood beside his bed, mixing something in a small bowl. Her gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and she had the stern look of someone who'd seen every type of injury imaginable. "You're lucky they brought you in when they did. Another hour and that infection would've been much harder to treat."

  "The mushrooms—" Leon started, trying to sit up.

  "Delivered and payment collected," the healer cut him off, pushing him back down with surprising strength. "Five silver coins minus two for healing services. The rest is in that pouch on the table. Not a bad profit for your first day, considering most rookies don't come back with goblin wounds."

  Leon winced as he shifted his leg. The pain was still there, but duller now, wrapped in clean bandages that smelled of strange herbs. He noticed his three training simulations were still running in his mind, steadily accumulating experience that his body couldn't yet access.

  "How long was I out?" he asked.

  "Just overnight. That fever broke pretty quickly once I cleaned out all the rust and goblin filth." She made a disgusted noise. "Those creatures never clean their weapons. Probably responsible for more adventurer deaths than their actual fighting skills."

  Leon nodded, remembering the rusty blade that had sliced into his leg. That goblin had nearly ended his second chance at life before it had properly begun.

  A flicker of blue light caught his attention at the edge of his vision. He blinked, and suddenly a translucent message appeared:

  [Simulation 1(Swordsmanship): 25 hours and 13 Minutes] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  [Simulation 2(Physical Training): 25 hours and 12 Minutes] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  [Simulation 3(Combat Training): 25 hours and 11 Minutes] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  "You still look a bit out of it," the healer commented, misinterpreting his sudden distraction. "That's normal. The medicine I gave you is strong stuff. Rest today, and you should be ready for light duty tomorrow. No forest trips for at least three days, understand?"

  Leon barely heard her. Still, it was a relief that only he could see the screen as the healer made no comments about it.

  It had been more than a day since he started the simulations. As time in that realm moved three times faster than real life, it meant that he already had three days' worth of training on each discipline.

  For the first time since arriving in this world, Leon felt a genuine smile spread across his face. Nearly dying had been terrifying, but he'd survived. And soon, he'd be stronger than any rookie had any right to be.

  "What are you grinning about?" the healer asked suspiciously. "That blow to the head affect your thinking?"

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "Just happy to be alive," Leon replied, which wasn't entirely a lie. "And looking forward to getting back out there."

  The healer rolled her eyes. "Rookies. All the same. Eager to throw yourselves at death's door again and again." She turned away, but not before Leon caught the slight upturn of her lips. "Rest. I'll bring food later."

  As soon as the healer left the room, Leon turned his attention back to the floating interface. His heart raced with excitement and a touch of nervousness. This was it—the moment he'd find out if this power was everything he hoped it would be.

  "Y, Y, and Y," Leon whispered, mentally selecting all three options.

  The blue screen flashed, and Leon felt a strange sensation wash over him, like a thousand tiny needles pricking his skin from the inside. His muscles twitched involuntarily, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. Then came a rush of information, flooding his mind with movements, techniques, and muscle memory he hadn't possessed seconds ago.

  He remembered practicing sword strikes thousands of times, perfecting the angle of his blade for maximum cutting power. He recalled the burn of muscles pushed to their limits through countless push-ups, sit-ups, and sprints. He felt the instinctive knowledge of how to respond to different attacks, when to dodge and when to counter.

  "Holy shit," Leon gasped when the sensation finally subsided. He flexed his hand, marveling at how different it felt. His body hadn't changed physically—his muscles weren't any bigger—but he could feel the new knowledge and muscle memory as if he'd actually trained for three days straight.

  [Synchronization Complete]

  [Active Simulations: 0/3]

  [Begin New Simulations? Y/N]

  "Y," Leon pressed immediately. He wasn't about to waste a second of potential training time. He'd just seen how valuable even a few days of accelerated training could be.

  [Select Training Focus for New Simulations]

  Leon thought carefully, then chose the same as last time.

  [Simulation 1(Swordsmanship): 0 minute] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  [Simulation 2(Physical Training): 0 minute] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  [Simulation 3(Combat Training):0 minute] [Synchronize: Y/N]

  But of course, just three mere days of training didn't improve him that much. He wasn't suddenly a master swordsman or an elite fighter. The knowledge felt fresh but shallow, as if he had completed an intensive weekend workshop rather than years of dedicated practice.

  "It's a start," he whispered to himself, flexing his fingers.

  This power wasn't about instant mastery—it was about accelerated learning. Three days of training every 24 hours would add up quickly. In a month, he'd have the equivalent of three months of training. In a year, three years' worth. The compounding effect would eventually be enormous, even if the immediate results were modest. Then there was the potential increase in simulations he could do.

  The door creaked open as the healer returned with a tray of food. "You're looking better already," she noted with surprise. "Color's back in your face."

  Leon smiled. “I gotta thank you for that.”

  "Just doing my job," she replied, setting the tray on his lap. The food wasn't anything fancy—a bowl of hearty stew, a chunk of dark bread, and a mug of something herbal-smelling.

  He glanced at his injured leg, still throbbing beneath the bandages. The synchronization hadn't healed his wounds—another limitation to keep in mind. But it had given him something perhaps more valuable: hope. A path forward that might eventually lead him beyond mere survival in this dangerous world.

  "When exactly can I get out of bed?" he asked between bites.

  The healer narrowed her eyes. "Technically, tomorrow morning. But if I catch you putting weight on that leg before then—"

  "I won't," Leon assured her.

  As night fell and the infirmary quieted, Leon lay in bed watching his simulations continue their work.

  "This is going to change everything," He whispered to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

  End of Chapter 3

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