Within the next months, all of the training between the different instructors began to come together in a way Corrin had not expected.
Vesterii's speed and strength training began to pay off in the form of Corrin dodging Lenn's attacks during his training. He began carrying a bandage in his pouch at all times.
Whenever he was cut while fighting, he would recover and bandage it on the spot.
Forrest's training included not only sword combat, but also martial arts, specifically kicks. Their training was now nearly exclusively learning how to dodge and kick effectively.
Corrin began to use everything he had learned in the one section to defend himself in the others. Edwin soon began to pick up on Corrin's mindset, and he soon did the same.
During a 10-minute food break, Corrin figured out the system. The sections had been perfectly designed to complement each other. He found that he could take anything he had learned in one section and apply it to another, making that section easier.
For the first time in months, Corrin's body was clear of bruises. His endurance training also began to pay off; whenever Corrin was hit, he would feel the pain surge for only a second. But with the correct breathing form and recovery stances, he was able to easily minimize the pain.
However, Corrin's newfound confidence came with a price. His instructors began to notice his improved performance, but his lessons continued to worsen. Vesterii had them drag double the weight, which often led them to get nowhere. Lenn was faster and hit harder. Forrest combined their sword and martial arts techniques into one form.
Merri's lessons, however, were the most affected. Corrin and Edwin had been breezing through her recent lessons, and they began to notice.
Her section transformed from mental exercises and learning how to dress wounds properly into a sparring section that crushed everything they had learned into one.
It was moved to the end of the day, after they had already endured everything else.
"It makes me feel like I've learned nothing."
Edwin said to Corrin one night as they slipped into their sleeping rolls.
Corrin ached going down, the new lessons had only been going on for a week, and already Corrin was battered and bruised as if nothing had changed.
"Do you think it's even possible?"
"It must be. They wouldn't give us impossible training exercises."
Corrin felt his bruises and went to sleep. That night, he dreamed of something strange.
He saw an Anees man with a scar like his, glowing golden.
Then the man turned and faced Corrin, who was standing there also. The setting slowly came into view. It was an endless space, with clear blue skies without a cloud in sight.
The ground was made up of about an inch of water until it hit a hard, cement-like floor as far as the eye could see. The temperature was perfect.
The man walked closer to Corrin. He had short, graying, thinning hair, a long gray beard, and was wearing clothing closer to the strange clothing Vesterii wore than what was common in the Shem Empire.
"It's all in concentration. Don't you understand, Hisstion?"
"Who are you?"
The man chuckles.
"Question for a question. Who I am is not important. All you must know is that this space that we're in is no ordinary space. It's the space between dreams, the space between being awake and being asleep. All people experience this; they forget about it by the time they wake up in the morning."
He sets his hands on his belt- or, rope. He seemed to have a rope holding up his pants instead of a belt.
"Your physical body cannot be hurt here, but every breath you take is the breath of your physical self. If you overexert yourself here, your real body will be overexerted."
The man unsheathes his sword, a rapier, and points it directly at Corrin.
"Show me what you've learned, Hisstion."
Corrin unsheathes his sword, which he just realized he has. The weight of the sword is much different than that of the wooden training sword. He holds it up to him.
He blinks once, and Corrin is upside down, being held with one hand by the man.
"You're too slow. You didn't even flinch."
Corrin gasped. He wiggled free and backed up. He wondered if it was even possible for someone to move that fast.
"Hm. It seems I couldn't reach your consciousness until later in the night. Unfortunately, that means we will have to resume this tomorrow night."
With that, Corrin woke up to the sound of Forrest's voice.
All day, Corrin couldn't stop thinking about the strange man. He tried the man's tip of concentrating on moving faster. But he noticed no difference; he had been concentrating before as well.
At night, he found himself in the same place as before.
"Hello, Hisstion."
Corrin turned, and the man was behind him.
"Why do you keep calling me that? Do you not know my first name?"
"Your last name is Hisstion; you are descended from many of whom were very powerful. Hisstion is among the most powerful bloodlines in the realm, you see. Though nobody truly knows the strength of the bloodlines these days."
Corrin was put off by the avoidance of his question.
"It's all in the mindset, Hisstion. Learning to harness that mindset is the key to unlocking power beyond what you've been taught."
The man had Corrin sit on the ground in the water.
"This place is a vessel. In dreams, we can't be hurt. However, dreams are also an excellent place to learn what we have yet to learn. This in between brings us to a wonderful medium. You can't be hurt, but you can learn things you have yet to learn. Close your eyes, Corrin."
Corrin does so. He sees nothing.
"Imagine yourself pushing beyond your limits. What would that look like?"
Corrin imagines himself moving quickly through the air.
"Concentrate Hisstion. What would your scar look like? What would you be thinking? Where are you? Imagine all these things."
Corrin's mind searches. His scar would be glowing a golden color, and he would be thinking about how to attack. He's in a royal chamber. He's killing the Queen of the Shem.
He's imagining it all. He sees Edwin lying on the floor, helpless. He's trying to save him. His scar sears like hot metal. His legs are numb, his chest beats fast. Smoke is rising in the room around him.
"Stop."
Corrin opens his eyes.
"You're falling into a deeper sleep. You're going to have a nightmare if you think like that."
"How do you know how I was thinking?"
The man places his hand on Corrin's heart.
"Your heart is beating, sweat is beading on your forehead. You've been sitting here like that for too long."
Corrin skips a beat. Too long? All that had only occurred within a few seconds.
"Well, that kind of worked. Your scar was glowing brighter. The only problem was that once you went too far, you lost focus. Sending yourself into a deeper sleep."
Corrin's fingers shook; he could still feel the pain in his face.
"I thought you said I couldn't be hurt here."
"I said you couldn't be hurt, not that you couldn't feel pain."
The man eyes Corrin's scar, his beard swaying gently in the soft breeze.
"Times up."
Corrin wakes up, his heart still pounding and his forehead sweaty. He works on sitting and meditating during any breaks he has. Merri notices this.
"What are you doing, Corrin?"
She sits by him. They're sitting on a small hill that slightly overlooks the area where Corrin and Edwin train. Corrin is startled by her presence.
"I'm concentrating. If I ever want to master the abilities of the shard, I have to first learn how to connect to it, right?"
She nods her head.
"Training has been rough for you and Edwin, hasn't it?"
Corrin looks at his arms, and bruises grow purple and scrapes peel away the skin.
"Rough is an understatement. I have bruises everywhere, and most days I can hardly feel my legs."
Merri smiles gently.
"The training you and Edwin are going through is very similar to what I went through when I was being trained 4 years ago."
Corrin gasped and shifted around, his body facing her.
"You've only been a soldier for 4 years and you're already this powerful?"
She giggles a bit.
"Training does nothing without any experience. Sparring may seem similar on the outside, but it's very different from actually fighting someone. When you're sparring, you know that if you mess up, it'll be okay. But in an actual battle, you know that if you mess up, you're probably dead. But… At the same time, that feeling drives you past your limit and makes you stronger. You see what I'm saying? A single battle would make someone stronger than another who trained for years."
Corrin nods his head and smiles. He stands up shakily, his legs weak from the training.
"It's time to go back, but thank you very much for the insight."
Corrin walks back down the hill.
That night, he opens his eyes to the same strange setting. He looks at the man once again, who stands near.
Corrin gives a serious expression. He planned on using this time to gain as much experience as possible.