?In the silent, shimmering lobby of Cosmo's character creation room, Xander stood before the control interface. His usual calm facade was replaced by a grim determination.

  ?"Cosmo," Xander commanded, his voice a low monotone vibration that echoed in the void. "I want to initiate a new Universal Loadout. Species: Obsidian Thraw."

  ?"Species selected," Cosmo replied, robotic and flat. "Why use a new loadout for the same base species?"

  ?Annoyed about being questioned, Xander’s voice sharpened. "Do I have to remind you that I would still be using a different profile completely if you didn't seal away my main avatar? I think you're afraid of what I can do in that form. Since I can't use it due to its flaws, I have ideas for improvements on your so-called perfect weapon species. Tweak the structure. Instead of larger obsidian stones, I want the creature to be composed of countless smaller obsidian grains, like shifting sand. Focus the density of each grain. Instead of the standard Monarch passive ability, change it to boosted ability control."

  ?"Structural modification complete. New form calculated," Cosmo confirmed.

  ?Xander’s thoughts began to drift to Phantom acquiring Inari's Blessing without even trying. "Cosmo, can you start me off with Ares's Blessing?"

  ?Cosmo quickly replied. "To receive a deity's blessing, you must earn their respect. Complete their trial or given task to earn their blessing."

  ?Annoyed, Xander asked, "What do I have to do for Ares's Blessing?"

  ?A low hum could be heard for a moment, the sound of complex algorithms at work. "You need to be a major figure on the winning side of a global war. I have found one suitable situation that would grant the desired blessing."

  ?"Start it," Xander confirmed, his voice devoid of emotion. He needed power. The raw, aggressive strength of the God of War had to grant a blessing worth having. His Calamity X profile had most of the blessings, but he got them without trying and couldn't remember the exact boosts they gave.

  ?A wave of crushing, raw energy instantly engulfed Xander's newly formed body. As the lobby faded to black, the Obsidian Thraw began its quest for power. The two-foot-tall stage-one form looked like a Golem made of pitch-black, finely ground obsidian sand with a shimmering purple iridescence.

  ?This may be a new avatar, but I still have my stats and all my experience, he thought. Agent X began to focus, his instincts telling him where massive bloodshed and aggression ran wild. He stretched out his small arms, and they began to devolve and flow in the wind. The black sand drifted toward the main battlefield, seeking the blessing of Ares.

  ?

  ?In her room, Dawn sat upright in bed, shaking off the weight of Xander’s words and the strange heaviness of her human body. A year of focused training. She knew her weakness wasn't the projectile—her Bow Glove and shadow manipulation worked well long-range. Her weakness was close-quarters, where she had to rely purely on raw, brute-force from her stats.

  ?I need to learn Hand-to-Hand and Weapon Training first, she decided. She needed a skill that could be applied even when her elemental powers failed, a skill that forced her to stay in the fight.

  ?Dawn opened the Cosmo app, and her eyes widened. She noticed a large, unmistakable increase to all her base stats. Confusion consumed Dawn since she didn't claim any loot from her situation. All her stats were now sitting roughly at fifty. Joy filled Dawn at the instantaneous increase. The Blessed Kitsune must have triggered the increase the moment I named them!

  ?Then, she moved on and searched for a situation. She filtered for "Low Rank Intervention," selecting a world with a simple, known threat to minimize distractions.

  ?When creating her avatar, she sighed. The Kitsune species wasn't available. With a touch, she chose the basic Human template. Then came the choice of ability. She thought about her goal. If I choose an offensive ability, I may end up using it instead of actually relying on a weapon. She clicked the Barrier ability—a defensive shield—and started the situation.

  ?The world stabilized around her. She found herself standing in a field of yellowing hay, facing a nervous, middle-aged man.

  ?The Summoner immediately began to complain, wringing his hands. "Hero, thank the Gods! The boars have been destroying the farm lands every night. We can't keep them out of the harvest!"

  ?Phantom nodded curtly, cutting straight to business. "I need the Recall Crystal first, please."

  ?The Summoner immediately complied, producing the shimmering crystal. Phantom absorbed it into her Stash.

  ?She pointed to the Summoner's worn shortsword. "I need a weapon to kill the boars. Where can I get a sword like that?"

  ?The Summoner smiled, relieved by her professionalism. "You can have this one. It's the standard sword for our town's guard. It is yours."

  ?Phantom, now armed with a sword she didn't know how to use and a purely defensive ability, set off to slay the boars.

  ?

  ?It didn't take long to find the source of the trouble: three massive, tusked boars ripping through a field of root vegetables.

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  ?Phantom gripped the shortsword, the leather hilt slick in her palm. She awkwardly mimicked the wide, slashing movements she'd seen in fantasy movies, relying entirely on the raw strength provided by her enhanced base stats. She charged.

  ?She managed to wound one boar, but her footing was clumsy, and her swings were too wide, wasting precious energy. She struggled desperately, using the Barrier defensively, absorbing blows that would have otherwise ended the fight instantly. The animals were fast, their thick hides shrugging off her sloppy hits. The shortsword felt like a dead weight, more of a hindrance than a weapon.

  ?She was moments away from being gored when a native hunter burst from the nearby woods, moving with astonishing speed and grace. The hunter, armed with a matching shortsword, made the task look effortless. He flowed around the charging animals like water around stone, his blade finding vital points with a smooth, almost practiced rhythm. The boars fell, one by one, with precise, clean cuts.

  ?The hunter, a lean man with quiet eyes and clothes the color of bark, sheathed his sword. He looked at Phantom, who was panting heavily, covered in sweat and mud.

  ?Phantom knew instantly she had found her teacher.

  ?"My name is Phantom," she said, struggling to catch her breath. "You make that sword look easy. Will you teach me how to fight using a sword?"

  ?The man rubbed his chin for a moment before replying. "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you a new member of the guard?"

  ?Phantom shook her head no. "Have you heard of people summoning heroes from other worlds?"

  ?The man looked at her with doubt. "Yes, I've heard about it, but I've never met a summoned hero. Is there any way you can prove you're what you say you are?"

  ?Phantom had to think for a minute before deciding to pull something out of her Stash—something visibly impossible. She stretched out her hand, spoke one word "Stash" and a dark vortex swirled at her fingertips as she pulled out the heavy Draconic Sword she had acquired during her first situation.

  ?As soon as the sword was fully out of the space, it fell to the ground, yanking Phantom's hand down with it. The tip stuck deep into the earth and refused to move. Phantom became slightly annoyed, remembering only dragon kin could truly wield the weapon with ease.

  ?"Here is a sword from another realm," she said, gesturing to the immovable object. "I think it should work as proof."

  ?The man began inspecting the sword. He tried and failed to pick it up, confirming its impossible weight. He shook his head before speaking. "I can't deny I've never seen a weapon like that. My name is Matthew, I'll teach you my sword style. It relies on redirection of force. So it's a little difficult to learn, but once you get the hang of it, you can challenge foes much stronger than yourself. What shall I call you?"

  ?Phantom smiled, knowing she truly secured a teacher. "I go by Phantom. How shall we start my training?"

  ?

  ?Matthew chuckled and said, "How about you kill the next few boars? I need to see where your technique is at before I can teach you. Keep your eyes peeled, I think there is a minotaur nearby. It usually follows the boars and acts as their leader."

  ?Phantom nodded, and they began walking. As they walked, Matthew began to explain the concept of his sword style. "The goal is to move like water around your enemy and redirect their attack somewhere else or back at them. With this style, you don't have to match your opponent's strength; instead, it's all about rhythm and timing."

  ?Phantom, still focused on brute force, was confused. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

  ?Matthew replied, "Watch me fight this one, then you try."

  ?They came to a small clearing and saw a large boar sniffing around. "Watch," Matthew calmly said as he walked away from Phantom toward the animal.

  ?Phantom watched as Matthew silently closed the distance. The boar finally noticed Matthew approaching and stamped its hoof. Matthew casually grabbed the handle of his sword, leaving it sheathed. The boar charged in, slightly lowering its head so it could spear the man. Right as the boar was about to make contact, Matthew drew his sword and used the flat of the blade to make the boar's tusk go straight down into the ground before immediately resheathing his sword. He then turned back around to Phantom with a smile, gesturing toward the helplessly pinned boar.

  ?"See, I didn't need brute force to stop it," he demonstrated. He then rapidly grabbed his sword again, made a clean cut across the boar's neck, and put his sword back away. The boar squirmed a little, then went limp.

  ?Matthew excitedly told Phantom, "Well, now it's your turn to show me what you can do."

  ?They continued their patrol of the woods. Upon finding the next boar in the middle of the trees, Matthew said, "Your up, hero. Don't die."

  ?Phantom nodded and began walking toward the boar. As its attention set on the approaching threat, Phantom drew her sword. Matthew laughed to himself, thinking there was no way she could kill the boar if she didn't even know how to handle a sword.

  ?The boar began pawing the ground, a clear warning to the unwanted visitor. Phantom took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the sword. The boar charged.

  ?Right as the boar was about to make contact, Phantom planted the sword into its face and spun, trying to redirect it like Matthew did. The boar let out a cry as it ran back, shaking its head, and turned around ready to charge again. Its face was now marked with a gash just below its left eye.

  ?Phantom took a deep breath. She didn't redirect. She didn't time it. She used her pure, overwhelming power. As she breathed out, she launched herself forward, the ground breaking and scattering dirt as her feet pushed off.

  ?Matthew's jaw dropped at the sight of the ground fracturing under her simple takeoff. Before the boar could even begin its charge, Phantom planted the shortsword deep between the boar's eyes. She ripped the sword back out of the beast, a fountain of blood taking place on the boar's face.

  ?Matthew watched the boar collapse, thinking to himself: That's not exactly how I would have done it, but it certainly works.

  ?Phantom finally catching her breath, turned to look at Matthew, wondering if he approved.

  ?Matthew stammered a bit as he spoke, his voice filled with newfound respect. "I didn't realize the raw strength of a hero. You weren't even close to my style, but your raw speed and strength were definitely able to make up the difference." He paused for a moment before continuing. "So, I think the best thing for you to do is learn how to redirect incoming attacks. Once you get the concept down, we will practice making your moves more efficient so you waste less energy during a fight. If you can kill that minotaur using only my sword style, then there will be no doubt you can use the sword at an advanced level."

  ?Phantom smiled, feeling good about being the strong one since Agent X wasn't with her. She began to lose herself in thoughts of being someone who grows strong enough that Agent X asks her for help.

  ?Matthew cleared his throat, snapping her back to reality. "Let's begin with a spar. We will move at half speed, and I will instruct you on how to move and counter my attacks. As we go, you will need fewer instructions; that's when we will speed it up until we spar at full speed. This is a safe and easy way for you to learn this style. We will also kill any boars we see on patrol and seek out where they are coming from."