' I think I'm going to die.'
Ash's thoughts were lazy. He gave out a tired sigh and tried to feel his body.
It had almost gone numb from the stress he had been through. He was in pain, and it was no joke.
Their 'training' was being called just that, but it was no different from torture. The only difference was that it had a different style and another name. Recently, their activities were ramped up to another level.
The only reason was that they were approaching the second phase of their training period.
And worse still, they were only three weeks into it .
Another thing he learnt was that their training period was also going to be reduced due to a devastating accident that occurred at the frontlines, leading to a shortage of troops.
As of this time, there were three batches in training.
Fortunately, their batch was the newest among the three and also the one with the smallest number,
Even after combining all the halls together. There were six halls in total,
Which has trained a total of four batches at present; this usually depends on the timeframe.
Each of them has a Captain-ranked military member to oversee the operation.
However, their batch had the worst turnout,
With only six hundred in number ,
While the usual average number in a batch is around a thousand.
Not taking into consideration the last batch, which was sent, totaling two thousand troops.
Others would have seen it as a bad thing, but Ash saw things differently,
And it was its advantage, the advantage of being lower in number.
It was the fact that the fewer they are in number, the more concentrated the instructors would be.
That would be only if the bastion chose to prioritize quality over quantity, which they didn't really have the luxury of.
If they had to be sincere with themselves, but not everyone spoke the language of battle.
Not everyone could listen to it, since it was always chaotic.
' I really don't want to die,' Ash thought, trying hard to stand on his feet.
He had a lot of work to cover before the next day, but the only thing stopping him was his tired body and inability to move .
It took a lot of effort for him to do it, and he managed to move.
Going straight to the free room he had, which at this time had been transformed by Sir Nicholas as per their agreement into a workstation for him.
Having the required equipment, which he needed to craft the necessary materials and also forge.
Crafting is the use of mana and certain rare materials to create necessary artifacts and potions, which depend on whose perspective one chooses to look at it from.
From an alchemist's perspective, it is the use of rare herbs and the right conditions to create potions, which are consumables with special effects once used.
From the perspective of a Blacksmith, it is the use of runes , metals , other materials, and the right methods of forging to create artifacts.
These are special items ranging from weapons of mass destruction to utility items.
Each has different abilities and effects ,having different uses depending on how they were crafted.
Ash's field of learning was supposed to be limited to the scope of a craftsman for artifacts, since he found runes and their use very interesting.
Only to discover a way to do something that wasn't supposed to exist.
Ash stretched his hand to the back, forcing his body to release a cracking sound, making him loosen up. Before setting down to begin working.
He turned on the marking box on the table before raising his right , calling deep within his soul, which didn't have much of an effect for a few seconds.
It took a while, but eventually something happened: a small grey ethereal-like particle began to materialize in front of his hand,
At first, the size of a tennis ball.
Then, to the size of a human fist,
It further increased in size, almost the size of a football,
After which it stopped growing before breaking off, leaving a bird, not too large in size.
An infant eagle, or rather a soul creature, he extracted.
One of the main materials used for crafting artifacts is the soul orb of certain creatures, which usually depends on the kind and effect it gives off.
Each core has a special signature engraved into it, which every craftsman had to know how to use properly.
Some cores are engraved for sword-type artifacts bearing an attribute, for example;
Flame can't be used for any other type of artifact while desiring another effect.
For example, using a flame-type blade soul orb to create a water attribute spear or a water attribute spear would be impossible, as they are unique in their own way .
While studying about runes of this world and their uses, Ash found a way to extract the true essence and power of the soul orb, bonding it to the user.
Instead of using it as a weapon this time, as the creature itself uses it as a rider class,
This didn't go unnoticed by his family, who were curious at first, then greedy, looking for ways to get it off his hand.
They started with subtle ways, at first, the members of his family that he didn't talk to tried acting friendly, but he already understood their intention.
From the lives he lived, he had learned to identify greed when he saw it, and so he destroyed the original set of blueprints, leaving only one piece, which was hidden inside his head .
They soon got wind of this, and then they showed their true colors , employing other methods such as persuasion.
They were not violent at first, using tactics such as insults or compliments veiled with mockery.
To open embarrassment to later stripping him of any authority he held in the house , when they noticed he wasn't affected by it.
They decided that violence was going to be the best course of action, but little did they know who they would pick.