Chapter 57: Chapter 56: Time Reset and Bitter Training
The black gemstone quickly absorbed the drop of blood, like a thirsty traveler greedily sucking the last drop of water.
Soon after, the entire pocket watch began to emit a faint red glow, and a small gear-shaped symbol appeared in the center of the gemstone, slowly rotating, as if measuring the invisible passage of time in the world.
["Rare Antiquity" successfully activated!]
[Time Guardian’s Pocket Watch (Initial Stage)]
[Effect: Can reset the user’s state, with the option to retain some positive states]
[Current Energy Quota: 10/refreshes daily]
[Tip: Fulfill special conditions to gradually unlock the watch’s functions]
Ron’s eyes lit up. This kind of state resetting function, besides saving his life at critical moments, was simply a godsend for someone like him who was developing multiple professional paths.
Although this world had extraordinary power, and perhaps many methods to extend life, or even transform directly into an immortal species, time remained the most precious resource.
While the bonuses of multiple professions were good, improving multiple skills simultaneously would inevitably become slow, especially in this key developmental phase he was currently in.
And this pocket watch was like tearing open the shackles of time for him, allowing him more growth in the limited daylight.
However, the traveling back and forth between the Sunset Tavern and Lizard Alley today, as well as the fighting, had actually left him quite exhausted.
In theory, after transferring to the [Wizard Apprentice], both his physical and spiritual power recovery rates had greatly improved, so he shouldn’t feel so fatigued so easily.
"Could it be that the consecutive usage of Spiritual Interference and Sound Wave Vibration earlier drained too much spiritual power? Or has the accumulation of high-intensity cultivation over the past days finally taken its toll?"
Either way, he thought, since the pocket watch hinted it could absorb negative states, why not try it with this feeling of fatigue?
Ron closed his eyes, concentrated, and felt the fatigue in various parts of his body.
Indeed, from spirit to body, there was a pervasive sense of weariness.
He gripped the pocket watch tightly, channeling his spiritual power into it, trying to guide this fatigue into the watch.
At first, there was no response, but when he recalled the Rhythm of the Crown Breathing Technique and tried guiding the feeling with a specific rhythm, a miracle happened—
A sense of ease replaced the previous heaviness, as if something was drawn out from his body and spirit.
[Successfully reset negative state: Fatigue, energy -1]
Ron felt an unprecedented ease and relief, with every cell in his body seemingly becoming more active.
The original fatigue was swept away, replaced by an indescribable sense of refreshment.
"This feeling... it’s simply magical."
He stretched his body, surprised to find he felt even more energetic than when he got up.
Logically, so late at night, he should be ready to rest, but now he felt refreshed as if he had just woken up.
"Since that’s the case, I should utilize this new tool to the fullest. The fatigue value is already cleared, so I can continue training to accumulate more fatigue until today’s energy quota is used up."
The room was small, but enough for practicing basic sword momentum.
And ever since the incident with Davod next door, the area around his room had become deserted, so he didn’t need to worry about disturbing others with late-night sword practice.
The wooden sword drew graceful arcs in the air, with each move accompanied by precise breath control.
Sword light danced, and sweat gradually soaked through his jacket.
A half-hour passed, then an hour.
When the muscles in his arms began to protest, with soreness spreading clearly all over his body, Ron knew it was time.
He stopped, panting, feeling the fatigue signals from his body.
This fatigue wasn’t just simple mental exhaustion; it was the micro-tears in muscle fibers after extreme training, a painful stage the body had to go through before growth.
[Training ended! Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]
Ron closed his eyes, focusing on the pocket watch, and, in his mind, thought about resetting this negative state.
He vividly imagined how this fatigue would transform into nutrients, nourishing his swordsmanship skills.
An extraordinary feeling emerged at once—the soreness in his arms felt as if an invisible hand gently soothed it away, like spring winds melting winter snow, or warm water washing away scars.
Instead, there was a feeling of lightness and comfort, as if he hadn’t just gone through extreme training but a comfortable hot bath.
Meanwhile, the black gemstone on the pocket watch flickered, and a tiny number "2" appeared beside the gear symbol.
[Successfully reset negative state: Fatigue, energy -1]
"Succeeded!" Ron’s eyes gleamed with joy and curiosity.
He carefully savored the wonderful feeling brought by this reset, akin to condensing a long recovery process into essence, eliminating all unnecessary pain and waiting.
After the physical fatigue was relieved, he could immediately continue practicing without needing long rest.
This meant he could complete more training in the same amount of time, almost doubling efficiency.
Ron’s eyes shone with determination, knowing that once his swordsmanship broke through to the next stage, it would bring unprecedented qualitative change.
During previous conversations with Andre, he had repeatedly emphasized the importance of swordsmanship in the Knight’s progression. Moreover, among all his current skills, Basic Swordsmanship was closest to its next stage.
And according to the game’s skill settings, maybe breaking through to mastery would unlock...
"Let’s focus on improving swordsmanship," he told himself, making up his mind.
In the following hours, Ron plunged into a nearly frenzied training rhythm.
He repeatedly practiced every move of the "Corona Swordsmanship" until his limits, then used the pocket watch to reset the fatigue and continued training.
This repetitive cycle allowed him to complete what might have taken days of training in just one night.
[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]
[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]
[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]
...
[Current Progress: Basic Swordsmanship (Proficient 20/100)]
When the pocket watch displayed the number "10," Ron tried resetting again but found he couldn’t increase it further.
The gear symbol inside the gemstone spun a bit, as if reminding him he had reached the daily limit.
[Today’s reset limit reached, please try again tomorrow]
Ron heaved a long sigh, filled with satisfaction as he looked at the progress of his basic swordsmanship.
In just one night, he had significantly improved the experience points of his basic swordsmanship, and as he advanced to proficiency, skill experience points became increasingly hard to gain, making tonight’s rapid progress especially valuable.
He could sense that his understanding of "Corona Swordsmanship" was undergoing subtle changes.
Actions that previously required deliberate thought were gradually becoming instinct, with the boundary between sword and body starting to blur.
It was as if the sword was no longer an external tool, but a natural extension of his body.
"Continue tomorrow." Ron looked at the moon now high outside the window, knowing it was time to rest.
Although the pocket watch eliminated physical fatigue, his spirit still needed proper relaxation.