On the next day, Syal walked into the armory, curious about why he had been summoned. Dave was already there, bringing box filled by iron fragments. He gestured for Syal to approach.
"Hey, Syal! I've got something for you," Dave said, holding up the box. "I think you can make use of these."
Syal's eyes lit up as he took in the sight of the fragments. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace artifact, handing it back to Dave.
"I don't need this anymore," Syal said with a grin.
With the fragments in hand, Syal set to work upgrading Proto. He carefully infused bunch of iron pieces, when he could fully control it, he mold the iron pieces into a small backpack, leaving a small space at the front for the Proto core. The puppet was embedded into it.
As he worked, Syal imagined the possibilities. With the new upgrade, Proto could transform into iron armor to protect Syal in battle, or morph into a mini robot to scout out situations. He may lose the tangky fighter, but with armor, he will become durable, Not to mention artifact have more thoughness than normal armor.
With Proto's upgrade complete, Syal turned his attention to another project: special bullets. He knew that in the heat of battle, every advantage counted, and custom-made ammunition could give him an edge.
Traditional bullets were spherical in shape, designed to penetrate effectively and minimize the risk of damaging the gun barrel. However, with Syal's ability to enhance thing, his flintlock will or easily damaged, he could experiment with new bullet designs.
The first modified bullet Syal created had a pointy tip, designed to increase its penetration power and accuracy.
Syal couldn't help but feel that the Spirit Enhance ability was a game-changer. It was like having a cheat code, allowing him to upgrade his equipment and abilities in ways that would be impossible otherwise.
However, as powerful as the ability was, it did come with some limitations. For one thing, Syal could only made single artifact for now. If the thing he infused with spirit needed his manual contro, he can only handle one. Gladly his lil proto have intelligent, well it's taxing to maintain proto for long time though. Proto now held 40% of Syal's spirit.
That left Syal with 60% of his spirit to use for other purposes. He had already allocated 10% to enhance his sword, and another 10% to enhance his flintlock. That left him with 40% of his spirit remaining, which was just enough to enhance 8 bullets. His spirit have tendency ot go back at him or merge with proto, so the bullet can only last for three days before the spirituality comeback to me.
Syal thought back to the few fights he had been in recently. He had only used three bullets most of time. With eight enhanced bullets at his disposal, he felt confident that he was well-prepared for any future battles that might come his way.
The only thing needed to upgrade is his own speed and technique. For speed, Syal doesn't have way to upgrade it for now so just leave it for now. When he spin for second time and got flesh or neuron, speed isn't going to be problem.
Technique on the other hand can only be train for long time, also with more experience he has. The more sophisticated his technique.
***
Syal arrived at the training field, his sword at his side. He began to practice his technique, focusing on his slashing movements. He repeated the motion over and over, his sword slicing through the air with a rhythmic whooshing sound.
His sword seemed to be an extension of his body, moving in perfect sync with his thoughts. Sweat dripped from his brow, but he didn't let that slow him down. But what he thinks with improvement aren't the same on some people eyes.
A soldier, a grizzled veteran with a scar above his eyebrow, approached Syal with a critical gaze. "Blindly slashing at the air won't get you anywhere, kid," he said, his voice firm but not unkind.
Syal nodded, taking the soldier's words to heart. The soldier then smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Want to try hitting me?" he asked, assuming a defensive stance. "Just remember, no using your... extras. Just your sword."
Syal grinned, eager for the challenge. He charged forward, his sword flashing in the sunlight. The soldier dodged and weaved, avoiding Syal's attacks with ease. Syal realized that he had a lot to learn about sword fighting, but he was determined to improve.
Syal continued to pursue the soldier, slashing his sword in various directions. He tried coming down from above, using a powerful overhead slash. The soldier dodged to the side, avoiding the attack with ease.
Undeterred, Syal tried again, this time using a wide, sweeping arc. The soldier leaned back, letting the sword pass harmlessly in front of him.
Syal switched to a vertical slash, aiming directly at the soldier's chest. The soldier sidestepped, avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth.
Next, Syal tried a horizontal slash, swinging his sword in a quick, lateral motion. The soldier ducked, letting the sword pass over his head.
No matter how Syal swung his sword, he couldn't seem to land a hit. The soldier's movements were economical and precise, always staying just out of range. Syal was starting to get frustrated, but he refused to give up. He kept pushing forward, determined to finally land a hit.
In a fit of rage, Syal abandoned his slashing technique and went for a desperate stab. He lunged forward, his sword aimed directly at the soldier's chest.
But to Syal's surprise, the soldier didn't dodge or sidestep. Instead, he stood perfectly still, his eyes locked on Syal's.
Just as the sword was about to make contact, the soldier clapped his hands together, catching the blade perfectly. His hands closed around the sword, holding it in place just 1cm away from his body.
Syal's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the soldier's hands, amazed by the man's incredible reflexes and skill. He realized that he had underestimated the soldier, and that he still had a lot to learn.
Syal slumped his shoulders in defeat, acknowledging that he was outmatched. He looked up at the soldier with a mixture of curiosity and respect. "How do I train to become as skilled as you?" he asked.
The soldier smiled, taking the sword from Syal's hand. "What's the most important thing in swordplay?" he asked, his eyes piercing.
Syal hesitated, unsure of the answer. The soldier's smile grew wider. "Is it power? Is it speed? Is it technique? None of it!" he exclaimed. "Remember, kid, the most important thing is Will! Your intention!"
Syal's eyes narrowed, understanding something. The soldier continued, "You can't hit me because your intention is not in the right place. Find your intention, and you will find the way to swing your sword!"
With a swift motion, the soldier demonstrated a slash. Syal's eyes widened in surprise as he struggled to follow the trajectory of the sword. It was as if the blade had vanished and reappeared in a different location.
Syal felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that if he had been on the receiving end of that slash, he would have been killed instantly. The soldier's words echoed in his mind: "Find your intention..."
A look of enlightenment crossed Syal's face as the soldier's words resonated deep within him. He realized that swordplay, just like any other martial art.
In that moment, Syal understood that the principles of martial artist applied equally to swordplay. Can i tap into "Will" power through Sword play? But still how could mastering sword can make me manipulate environment like Master Martial Artist?