Chapter 40: Preparation

Eren freshened himself up in the showers, getting rid of all the impurities extracted from his meridians.

After putting on another fresh set of his battle suit, he walked down the hallways of the arena. Early in the morning, no one was in their rooms. They were either at the cafeteria or at the gymnasium, practicing their Primal Strikes for the upcoming First Test.

Disturbance in the dorms were sparse, aside from the few murmurings he heard last night from chatty neighbors. Examinees spent most of their time in the gymnasium.

Eren neglected socialization. Focusing on opening his meridians turned him into a recluse.

It was a shame since this would have been prime time for him to collect intelligence about his fellow examinees. Which could become advantages, which were hurdles, people to avoid, people to be wary of.

Unfortunately, opening his meridians was more important. No one knew when this ’training’ period would last. Eren had to take advantage of this lull in their schedule.

It was Eren’s misfortune that his body wasn’t ready a week earlier.

Opening the meridians wasn’t a simple matter. Like Martial Manuals and Ascension Arts, one must adhere to the standards that the technique required.

And opening the meridians required a trained body. It didn’t just mean more muscle to the body, but skill as well.

One needed the proper connection between body and mind. A spiritual connection.

That’s what he spent the week with Geister. He trained his body, preparing it for arduous physical activities.

Of course, they also trained in other aspects of the Foundational Movesets, but they focused more on training his body.

That’s what he truly lacked compared to his fellow examinees. They spent months and years preparing for this exam. He only had a month.

Geister also saw how fast he picked up on the Primal Strike, so he knew that Eren would be able to easily learn the other Foundational Movesets when it came down to it in the License Exam.

Thankfully, the week he spent training with Geister was enough. He trained his body enough to open his meridians. His primary meridians, at the very least.

He returned to his room and locked the door again.

Standing here in his lonesome, he looked at his own hands, feeling his connection with his Dantian become ever stronger.

With his meridians open, his proficiency with the Primal Strike had also become better. Not only that, but he could also pack a lot more Ræzoň particles in his hand without it overflowing, therefore making his punches a lot harder.

Basically, every facet of the Primal Strike received a lot of boons from the opening of his meridians.

But that wasn’t enough. There was something peculiar about this First Test. It’s not as simple as it seemed to be.

If the Primal Strike was as simple as it was, then why would they give the examinees a few days to prepare for it? Eren had a feeling this Test was going to be harder than people initially thought.

And so, he turned his focus towards the second rank of mastery for his Foundational Moveset.

Being more powerful often solved a lot of problems. That’s why he wanted to be a cultivator in the first place. No need for schemes and stratagems when a strong enough punch sufficed.

[The Primal Strike is the foundation. It is the very roots from which all Martial Manuals stem from. Some deem it crude. Many debase it for its simplicity. Even I thought so in my youth, turning up my nose whenever I see someone use such unsophisticated moves.

But now that I have reached the pinnacle, I have reached the truth. The Primal Strike is as vital as water. As slender, as immovable as the oceans.

No matter the disruption, either it be the falling of rocks from a cliff, or a human paddling their legs as hard as they could, it could never destroy its beauty.]

According to the memoire, the Venerable Ursine King reached the Middle Proficiency rank when he was at the age of twelve. Considered late in Immoræ. And he achieved that breakthrough after a confrontation with a rival of his family, one who tried to disparage their name.

If the Lower Proficiency rank necessitates the growth of roots underneath one’s feet. Then, the Middle Proficiency requires the growth of leaves.

Without a luscious crown, trees are nothing but empty husks of themselves. Even if roots had spread far and wide below the ground, the heavens above will still think it wilted and near death.

[I could have reached a faster breakthrough if I had simply focused on my movement. The proper anchoring of my feet as I performed the proper forms.]

Images flashed in Eren’s mind. They were sketches, made from splotchy ink, of a cultivator performing the different moves of the Primal Strikes.

The Foundational Moveset was not just something done for ostentatious flourishing. It was meant for utility. Meaning, one could use it in a direct confrontation against an opponent.

And this was exactly what Eren was not yet able to achieve.

He squatted deep, feeling the enormity of the ground underneath his feet. It felt as if his perception and soul itself was spreading on the ground, keeping him steady, empowering his physical form.

If he empowered his fists with Ræzoň and punched at the concrete wall in front of him, his applied force would burst through to the other side, shattering the wall as if a cannon had burst through it.

But Eren tried to change his position. He moved his feet forward, and almost instantly, his connection with the ground disappeared.

His Primal Strike was only effective in a static position. Not ideal for fights. If he wanted to step forwards and reach an opponent outside of his reach, his Primal Strike would be ineffective. Same for when he tried to dodge out of the way.

That’s why opening his meridians was crucial. As long as he had his feet planted firmly to the ground, he could unleash his Primal Strike without any preparation.