[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-idle-tycoon-system":3,"chapter-idle-tycoon-system-idle-tycoon-system-chapter-21":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Idle Tycoon System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1828017,2431,"Chapter 21: First Swordsmanship Lesson","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-21",21,"\u003Cp>The wooden sword felt awkward in his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on its looks, he had expected it to be easy to handle. But it was anything but easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's heavier than it looks. Looks really are deceiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also difficult to balance, completely different from anything he'd handled before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stand like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valeria demonstrated a stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, sword held at a diagonal across her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah tried to mimic her, feeling like a child playing pretend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no, no.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She strode over, physically adjusting his posture with her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blushed instantly as he felt her touch all over his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, you can instruct me without touching!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wider stance. Bend your knees more. You're not a statue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm just a shopkeeper,\" he reminded her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not today.\" She circled him, prodding his form with the tip of her wooden sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today, you're a swordsman. Or trying to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the next hour, Valeria drilled Noah through basic stances and strikes. Each movement repeated dozens of times until his arms trembled with fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again,\" she commanded after his fiftieth diagonal cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fifty more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you serious?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweat dripped from Noah's forehead, stinging his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The body learns through repetition. Or would you prefer fighting demons with that sloppy technique?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah grumbled but resumed the exercise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Middle strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Low strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over and over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guild members watching had lost interest after the first twenty minutes, wandering off to more exciting activities. Only one remained—a young man taking notes with scholarly attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who's that?\" Noah asked during a water break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finn. He is a newbie; he has no talent in swordsmanship, but alas, he is always trying to defy his fate. Ignore him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finn waved cheerfully. Noah returned the gesture before Valeria smacked his hand down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No fraternising. Back to work. Now we attack the dummy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pointed to a straw-filled figure wearing scraps of leather armour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That dummy has killed more new recruits than any demon,\" she said casually. \"His name is Harold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The dummy has a name?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And a personality. He's judging you right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah approached Harold with appropriate caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The straw figure stared back with button eyes that did indeed seem unnervingly judgmental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, the first combo you will be learning is,\" Valeria commanded. \"High, middle, low, then step back. Understood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah nodded, sweating his butt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. I want twenty repetitions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first attempts were awkward, his wooden blade bouncing ineffectively off Harold's stuffed body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're tickling him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Strike through the target, not at it. Imagine your blade continuing past the point of contact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah tried again, focusing on the follow-through. His blade connected with a solid thwack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Better!\" Valeria sounded genuinely surprised. \"Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the twentieth repetition, Noah's strikes had developed something resembling consistency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't graceful, and certainly not powerful, but at least it held the same trajectory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Last exercise,\" Valeria announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This will be a defensive stance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She demonstrated a stance designed to ward off incoming attacks, the sword angled to protect vital areas, such as the chest, neck and liver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold this for five minutes. Don't move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first minute wasn't bad; it felt like a breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, by minute two, his muscles decided that it was time for him to stop, screaming in protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the third minute, he was certain his arms would detach from his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Valeria finally called time, he collapsed onto the dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations,\" she said, looking down at his prone form. \"You survived lesson one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Barely,\" Noah gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did better than expected,\" she admitted, offering a hand up. \"Most first-timers quit after the initial strike series.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not a quitter.\" He accepted her help, rising on shaky legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Just a masochist...probably.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have learned the new skill: Swordsmanship Lvl.1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His exhaustion was instantly forgotten. Noah fought to keep his expression neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A real skill! With levels and everything!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valeria caught his poorly concealed excitement. \"Don't get too pleased with yourself. You're somewhere between 'danger to yourself' and 'slightly less dangerous to yourself' now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Progress is progress,\" Noah countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next lesson tomorrow,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They parted at the guild entrance, Noah heading back toward his shop with muscles screaming in protest at every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite the pain, he felt oddly accomplished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I learnt an actual swordmanship skill...it was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Host: Noah Carter\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Age: 28\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shops: 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daily Revenue: $1,300\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current Assets: $1400.42\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shop Points: 130\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attributes: Strength: 4, Vitality: 4, Intelligence: 7, Agility: 3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skills: Swordsmanship (Level 1), Programming (Level 2), Finance (Level 1), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>",765,"2026-06-09T06:05:14.055Z",1,"novelbin.me","4680cd80958bc70c459fab1597f2c919f9983c9a245a3045e02551560d82ca61","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-22","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-20",438,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fidle-tycoon-system-cover.jpg"]