Chapter 24

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“But if you are really looking to learn, you’ve come to the right place. I have quite a bit of knowledge and expertise on melee weapon combat. By the way, which weapon are you exactly looking at?”

Chu Ge paused to think for a moment. As he could only challenge the Instance Dungeons on his own, the damage received was also entirely on him. In that case, he should train in sword and shield. At least, he could improve his safety ratio statistics. Although double-handed weapons were cooler, and lesser monsters were easily killed by it, but it was dangerous when going against the Bosses.

“Single-handed weapon with a shield, how does that sound? I could use a saber or a sword, either one.”

Wei Xinming nodded, “Sword and shield are the most common weapon combination. If you do not have a shield, you could wrap your wrist and arm with your clothes. In real life, that would be quite practical too.”

As he told Chu Ge, Wei Xinming took down two shields and wooden swords from the weapons rack at the side. Then, both Chu Ge and Wei Xinming armed themselves with a sword and shield each.

“Alright, we will start with the holding stance for the shield. There are three most common stances, all to fend against different enemies.”

Chu Ge was a little surprised. He did not expect Wei Xinming to start imparting his knowledge so quickly. However, he immediately composed his thoughts and started listening carefully.

“The first stance is called blocking pose. If the enemy employs long-distance weapons, such as bow and arrow or a crossbow, your shield should face the enemy head-on depending on the direction the long-range weapon is attacking from. You should use your upper body as an axis center to block the attack. You should also try to block as much of your body as you can. Now, adopting the blocking stance also has another positive point—you could block any parts of your body quickly and efficiently. The phrase, treat your shield like your wall, means that you should treat your shield like a moving wall to protect yourself.

The second stance is called battle pose. It’s typically used when facing an opponent with a sword or saber. During that time, you must remember that your shield isn’t just a defense tool. It can also be used in an attack as a weapon. In ancient war times, the edges of the shield would be encased with metal so that it would be effective when attacking an enemy. Also, the shield’s weight was hefty and could be used as a blunt weapon. When a sword or saber collided with the shield, the one on the losing end is usually the one with the sword or saber. Therefore, when you’re in close combat, your shield should not stick to merely defense. You should learn to attack, just like this…”

Wei Xinming finished his lecture on the second stance with a wave of his shield. With a bang, the shock from the contact of Wei Xinming’s shield forced Chu Ge to stumble backward.

“Using the shield, you could block the enemy’s weapon. Then, use the weapon on your right hand to thrust out a fatal strike, or you could also use the shield to hit the opponent,” Wei Xinming explained and acted out the movements to show Chu Ge. Then, he continued his lecture.

“The third stance is called force reducing pose. Your shield has to tilt slightly, just like that. The main purpose of the pose is to deal with opponents with heavy and forceful weapons. You have to understand if your opponent strikes a club at you, and you meet the force head-on with your shield, the force of the attack will be felt and absorbed by your entire body. If it were a sword or a saber, it would still be alright. However, if the weapon was a heavy one, your muscles could easily become injured, and your bones could be impacted as well. The blunt force of the attack could even injure your internal organs. So, when facing an enemy with a heavy weapon, you have to hold the shield away from your body and keep the surface slightly tilted. The moment the weapon hits the shield surface, you have to know how to absorb the force and reduce the impact of the attack. At that time, you have to hold the shield lightly, do not meet the attack head-on, and if need be, you could even abandon the shield.”

As Chu Ge listened to Wei Xinming’s explanation, he thought, “No wonder my arm became so numb fighting against the Gnoll.” He had no idea there was so much to learn about shields.

Next, Wei Xinming started talking about the combo methods of weapon and shield.

“Be it sword and shield, saber and shield, or ax and shield. The basic principles are all the same. It is all about complementing the usage of the shield and a single-handed weapon.

Because ordinary people can only focus on one thing at a time, so the most common way of using the combination was to defend, attack, then defend, and attack again, and so forth.

The lethalness of a single-handed weapon was much lower than a double-handed weapon, so it’s hard to knock-out the opponent in one shot. Hence, as long as the attack injured the opponent, it is considered successful. The way to succeed with using a sword and shield was to wear down the opponent, to gain victory through many small wins, creating the opportunity to find a chance to give the opponent the final strike by steadily depleting the opponent’s drive and energy.”

Chu Ge listened to Wei Xinming’s lecture patiently, and after a while, he suddenly stopped explaining.

“What else was there?” Chu Ge asked.

“Nothing more. Now, all we have to do is start training.”

“That’s the end? So fast?” Chu Ge was a little doubtful. The entire explanation had taken less than ten minutes.

Wei Xinming glared at Chu Ge, “What did you expect? It’s true that the master initiates the trade, but it’s up to the Apprentice to apply himself. For melee weapon combat, the theory part is only that much, just that few lines, and we’re done. However, if you intend to learn correctly, then you have to put in the hard work. You probably have to spend a few years to get the basics down. Did you think there was some secret martial arts formula that you could learn and become an expert with? There aren’t any easy paths in the world of martial arts. Real martial arts require hard work and grit to learn and master. Only with constant and repetitive training will the techniques be remembered by your body and reflexes.

Come on, you’ve already paid the money, so let’s get started.”

Chu Ge thought to himself, “Fine, let’s get to it, then.”

The two held their shields and swords and started practice with sparring.

Bang! It was yet another clash of the shields, and the moment Chu Ge retreated backward, Wei Xinming’s wooden sword thrust outwards, like a venomous snake, striking at the opening Chu Ge had revealed from his shield movement. The next moment, the sword pierced against Chu Ge’s chest on his protective gear.

“I can’t do it anymore, my arm’s sore,” Chu Ge sat on the ground with a helpless look. Only when he faced a real opponent, did he finally realize that his skill was sorely lacking.

It was not even half an hour into the training, and his arms felt like lead, and he could not lift them at all. He was being butchered left, right, and center. Be it strength, speed, technique, or endurance, he was severely outclassed by Wei Xinming.

However, it wasn’t to say that he did not learn anything. At least, Chu Ge was able to defend himself with the shield and parry with Wei Xinming towards the end of the session. However, Chu Ge suspected that the man had deliberately gone easy on him.

“Then have a rest for now. You could go to the massage room for a massage. Do you want to continue in the afternoon? Or do you want to start training in the gym?”

“Of course, I have to continue,” Chu Ge nodded and replied. “However, I think I had better train a little in the gym before continuing,” he had already realized that the techniques for the shield and sword were straightforward and few. However, strength and agility, and strength, in particular, were beneficial when applying the methods.

The reply caught Wei Xinming by surprise. He had thought Chu Ge would give up. Then, he told Chu Ge that he would see him in a bit.

Just like that, Chu Ge started his journey of learning melee weapon combat.

After spending some time in the gym in the morning, Chu Ge spent the afternoon sparring with Wei Xinming. At the same time, he also changed his diet to what the trainer had recommended and filled up on protein-rich foods every day.

Although it was very tiring, Chu Ge found happiness in the routine. His life had been tedious and ordinary previously. He did not feel any pressure in life, nor did he have any motivation, and although he lived quite a comfortable life, it often left him with a feeling that he was idling his life away. But now, he felt like he had something to look forward to in life.

Besides the shield and sword combat technique, Chu Ge also practiced how to use double-handed weapons. He did not know Wei Xinming’s background, but he seemed to know every weapon. This surprise factor made Chu Ge feel very satisfied.

Chu Ge practiced for a week straight. On the last day of that one week, Chu Ge went home and switched on the computer, ready to start a new Instance Dungeon.