The Commoner Noble

Wein's legs and arms were sore from the day's exercises, and his muscles felt like they had been put through the meat grinding. Each step he took was like small needles stabbing his muscles, but he knew he would one day be grateful for this training.

The evening was settling in, and the mess hall, where all the recruits gathered for meals, had become nearly empty save for Wein and a few who remained and conversed about the knowledge they had attained that day.

With the noise having died down as the rest of the recruits retreated to their dorms to rest and await the following day, Wein achieved a moment of peace and silence. He walked to the counter and received a tray filled with the standard food for recruits, not mouthwatering but enough to give a man strength and energy suitable for training.

Wein retreated to a seat further away from the other recruits and began eating his portion bit by bit. He took his time in no hurry finishing every bit of the food, a rule he learned the first time on the base: that a trooper always finishes what he is given. The meal itself had no taste, there was a chunk of bread and on the side some bean soup.

The mess hall's artificial lighting cast a sterile glow over the few crowds of people remaining in the room and the smell of the metallic room mixed with the aroma of the recycled military food stuffed the air. It was all too familiar to Wein who had grown accustomed to it.

From a distance, Wein could hear the conversations the other recruits were discussing, regarding what they learned from the lieutenant.

Adaptability.

The word once again echoed through his mind as he recalled the events from the holographic images about that warrior. Wein had seen the strategies from the hologram, all the different rules that they would be training to master soon. He knew of the principles and was confident he would know all there was to know of Jugtaci but whether he would be able to use it was a mystery of itself.

Jones' words rang again, cutting through the air like a sharpened blade as Wein relived the lecture session he was in. Basic military training and strength meant nothing if you failed at the most important aspect, of life survival. And to survive you had to be able to adapt as quickly as possible.

Wein could spend decades upon decades honing his skills, improving his techniques, and getting the best gear and resources possible, but without the ability to integrate into a situation and understand it seamlessly, he would not be able to survive in the harsh reality of the galaxy.

Wein sighed, his demeanour that of exhaustion as he leaned back on his seat staring up at the ceiling. The artificial glowing lights drew his attention, but the brightness forced him to close his eyes.

Wein thought back to the day he first arrived at the training base and flashes of his daily routine flooded his mind from waking up to running laps to meeting Varon for the first time. His encounter with the instructor was memorable, he remembered how Varon had been focused on him specially out of all the recruits.

All Wein's past encounters in combat with the instructor were laid bare in his mind for him to probe through, in all the sparring sessions Wein was just barely able to keep up with Varon let alone deal a significant attack on him. In all his encounters with the instructor, it was as if he was fighting against a flood, an unsurpassable force and he was just a stick.

Varon was a monster with that staff, his actions were guided with purpose, speed, and precision. But Wein… he was unable to make sense of his own movements to counter properly. Against Veron, Wein was just a twig against a tree mindlessly swinging, he needed to find a way to become a twig that posed a danger to the tree, or else he would not improve.

What would happen if in the future he encountered a powerful enemy, the warrior from the hologram was weaker than the creature yet he bested the monster? Wein needed to have the same insurance.

"I can't remain like this," he thought. "Being weak, I need to find a way."

"You are different… I hope you impress me." The words from Sergeant Sol resurfaced in his mind from the first time he came to the base. Wein could still hear the firmness and excitement in the sergeant's voice when he read his form. He thought it was because the baron specially sent him so, he decided to not disappoint him yet after all the weeks, his results were below the rest of the recruits.

Little did Wein know, the reason why his potential was great was because of his innate ability though currently weak. Nielson had it kept strictly confidential such that very few even knew he had it including Wein, being that he had photogenic memory.

That skill combined with the Jugtaci martial art would make Wein a formidable warrior one day, but before that, he needed to take it a step at a time. First, be able to adapt to any situation, by mastering the skill then he would survive.

****

Wein was thrown to the wall with so much force that the thud broke some of his bones. He grunted the pain surging from his left arm that he used to cushion the blow to the rest of his body. He gazed up and so the cause of his pain, it was a monster, to be specific it was the creature he saw from the hologram that was shown to him and the other recruits.

"What's going on?"

Was the first thing that came to mind along with fear for his life. How did he find himself facing off against the monster?

It was a larger creature than he remembered, and its strength was great, his heart sank. His heartbeat faster, uncontrollably as he tried to support his broken arm and get up. The creature remained stationary while watching him as if a predator watching the last moments of its prey's life before it pounced.

Wein looked down briefly, in an effort to observe the situation he was in.

At a quick glance, he saw he was in a strange uniform, the same military uniform as the trooper but with some torn marks coupled with his blood, there was a blade strapped on his right thigh. Wein realised that he was a trooper, and his mission; subjugate the monster.

While still supporting his left broken arm with his hand his gaze reverted to the monster which was getting ready to attack. The rising growling of the creature was an indication that it was at its limit and Wein would have to fight back.

Fight back, would he be able to? That was a creature, stronger and faster than he was, how was he expected to fight that thing?

He was an unskilled and ordinary man just a few weeks ago who had never killed even an animal. He was not certain he would be able to fair well against the beast given among all the recruits he was the lowest.

Wein recalled the day he saved the baron, and about how he was ready to die after avenging a dear friend by attacking the criminals who were more skilled than himself.

Right, he did survive that ordeal, and he had no amount of training at all at that time, what about this situation?

Wein resolved himself to fight so, he abandoned his left arm and equipped the blade with his right hand pointing at the creature. "I can do this" motivating himself as he stared the creature dead in the eyes. The creature pounced, its speed, incredible and power, great.

Wein was watching the approaching monster, his left arm dangling lifelessly while his right arm strong tightening the grip on the blade. He remained stationary as the creature came charging forward at full speed, his legs though strained were firmly planted on the cold ground.

Just as the creature was in reach, Wein lunged to the right. The creature still in the air from the jump could not change course as it saw the wall, it would soon collide into.

Thud!

With a thud, it crashed full speed into the wall enough to cause a minor quake, but it did not end there, instantly Wein replied with a strong thrust from the side aiming at the creature's right eye. Using all the force he could muster he thrust the blade so deep through the creature's eye he was certain the monster would die then and there.

Before the creature could respond in its dying breath, Wein stepped back even tumbling as he realized the gravity of what he had just done.

Jugtaci is a form of martial arts used by many noble troopers but was most popular with the forces of house Voss. It was a martial art that helped troopers fully utilize their physical and mental abilities in adapting and survival.

Wein remembered the lessons and strategies of Jugtaci from lieutenant Jones from the day before, one such strategy said that: when faced between a creature and a solid object, wait for the last moment and dodge the attack. As soon as the monster is stunned by charging into the object without wasting time deal the final blow.

It was a simple strategy but clear and effect.

Wein grinned, he did as he learnt. He was able to use the strategy he was taught effectively. He did it…

Beep!!!...beep!!!...

Wein awoke from his bed, a siren rang waking all the recruits up.

"What happened?" he wondered.

Just a moment ago, he was fighting against a creature, and he defeated it, the next he was in his bunker…, then he realized. It was a dream. His spirits were crushed, disappointed in himself, it was not real.

The commotion from the dorm increased as he sat up straight. Just when he was gaining a feel of what Jugtaci was, it turned out to be a dream. How disappointing.

Wein understood, how he was able to accomplish what he did in his dream, all the principles and timing, knowing was different from doing. Fighting the creature and killing it would be a major achievement, especially for him but still, it was a dream.

Would he be able to do what he did in his dream should the time come?

Even though it appeared to be a simple thing, that he did dodging and thrusting, Wein knew why adapting was important thanks to the dream.

First, he needed to be patient enough to lure the creature for the attack and then dodge at the right time, not too soon which could force the creature to change course, or too late which would mean his death but at the correct time where the creature could do nothing about it.

Also, he needed to know when and where to attack after the creature was stunned so that the attack would be both lethal and precise leaving no room for the creature to regain its senses and harm him or dodge his attack.

Finally, he needed to have the right judgment of knowing which enemy, the strategy would work on and who it would fail on, for example, an intelligent being like another human would notice that unfavourable terrain and pick up on the trap he was lured in. Thus, he would not charge in recklessly.

All this was what Wein learnt from Jones' lesson, for some reason, he could remember most of the content from that information, but how to use it in a battle, was what he severely lacked. The only way to know was through actual experience, he may know the theory, but the practicality was what truly mattered.

***

The day as with all the others was with the usual rush in activities. After stretching and running laps until they were tired, the recruits were lined up in rows waiting for Sol's instructions.

They all stood in silence as the sergeant and instructor Varon stood side by side, the air filled with tension alerted everyone that today would be different.

Wein along with the other recruits knew despite being exhausted from the morning warmups that the training was going to get much harder. Cursing inside, they still accepted because they all knew, it was the only way forward for them.

"Alright, recruits" Sol's voice ranged out, as clear as a bell. "Today, we are going to test, your progress from all the training you have received till now. You have been getting training in sparring, combat drills, and mental strategies. To test your progress, you will be thrust into scenarios that are aimed to gauge just how much you leant and you will adapt to them. Do not disappoint."

Wein's stomach churned at the thought. Adaptability, that was their test, as if Sol knew exactly what had been plaguing Wein's mind the past few hours. However, strangely he was looking forward to the test, not because when it came to combat, he was last in the class but because now he would be forced to test out his skill of adapting.

***

The first test was sparring which was held at the sparring grounds. The atmosphere in that place was intense, each recruit fought another with varying degrees of success, and after the outcome was declared, they moved on to the next without resting.

Some of the recruits were aggressive opting to finish the fight as soon as possible, others focused on defence hoping to tire out their opponents, and others giving it their best, but all had their eyes firmly placed on the same prize: survival.

The veteran soldiers and the instructors stood along the sidelines, observing, and critiquing their performances. Among them was Varon and Sol who were specifically focused on Wein, stoically observant to not miss a detail.

After another loss, Wein changed opponents and despite the fatigue that was gnawing him, stepped up. His opponent now was a recruit named Don, a bulkier soldier with powerful strikes and a well-built frame. He was one of the first recruits that term and had significantly more experience than Wein. His eyes were sharp and focused on the near battle a testament of his experience and skill, Wein was reminded why he had been one of the stronger recruits since day one.

Huff…huff…...huff!

Wein and Don tried to minimize their heavy breathing to lower their rate of exhaustion. They both raised their arms and staffs in preparation for battle, still physically drained from the other previous fights.

They did not need a signal to be made for them to start, as soon as you won or lost to your opponent, you move to the next and you fight, and so they fought.