I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I open my eyes, the light burning them. "We''re back." Seti says before climbing out of the carriage, and I step out myself, and I can''t lie; being back in Mercari is nice, and I walk towards the Adventurers Guild. As I''m entering, Zhao and Seti are just leaving, and I head inside. "Here for payment?" The receptionist asks, and I reply, "Yes." She takes my license and taps it against a crystal. She then grabs a smaller crystal, taps it on the bigger one, then my license, then the bigger crystal again before handing me both my license and the crystal. "That crystal stores your money. If you take it into another territory and need to use it, visit a bank, and they''ll convert it to their currency." I take them and say, "Thank you very much," and leave the building to find Seti and Zhao waiting. "We''ll take on another quest in a week as a party, ok?" Zhao says, and Seti continues, "Rest up and enjoy your ten GM; you can get a nice sandwich and drink." The worst thing is I can actually tell he means that, which scares me. I know he said to rest, but I''d rather get to training. I do not plan to stay an F rank for any longer than half a year at the most, and I''ll be training as much as physically possible, and to that end, I go back into the guild meeting and ask, "Is there anywhere to train in the city?" The receptionist rustles through her drawers and hands me a map she pulled out. "All of Mercari''s businesses are listed on there." I nod and say, "Thank you again," and I walk outside and head for my room.
I finish changing out of my armour and putting on the clothes the guild gave me. It feels just like a cheap tracksuit; the material is something I''m pretty used to, and I don''t really mind wearing it. I pick up my armour and head back out to the armoury, where I hand back over my armour and sword and ask, "Am I able to take out multiple different weapons throughout the week?" He doesn''t look up; he just says, "The only rule is equipment must be immediately brought back post a quest''s completion. In between quests, you can take out and return as much as you want." After he''s finished speaking, I walk into the room with all the weapons and begin using Appraisal to find a spear.
Name: Gale-Tip Spear
Type: Polearm
Effect: Swift Thrust - It was enchanted with wind magic which slightly increases the thrusting speed
I throw it around a bit, tossing it between my hands; it''s nice and heavy enough that it''s not difficult to control but light enough that I''m not dragging it around and could throw it if need be. It''ll do nicely. I grab the strap and take them through to the receptionist, who taps my license on his crystal and says, "All done." handing it back to me, and after taking my license and heading outside, I put the strap around my back and slip the spear under it and head out, and next is... food or training? I think I''ll go for training first to work up an appetite. I follow the map to the training centre and head inside to the receptionist: "I''d like to get a session here." "Crystal," he says without looking up, and I hand it over. He taps it against one on his desk and hands it back. "It''s two GM per session." I nod and head through to room 3-C and go inside; once inside, I pull my spear out from under the strap and wait for something to happen, but nothing does. "Hello?" I say confused, why is nothing happening? I assumed there''d be some practice dummies or something, and the giant crystal in the roof says "Choose an enemy" in an almost robotic tone. It was a type of speech I wasn''t thinking I''d see here. Crystal magic is fantastic "," I say, and the crystal says, "Enemy confirmed. Choose an amount." What''s a good starting amount? "Ten" seems like a good number to start with, and as ten enemies appear, I ready myself. I''d managed with the sword and gained a skill, so hopefully I can do the same with a spear.
I take careful steps slowly to the left and right constantly wary of all the goblins waiting for my chance and it finally comes as one of the goblins is about to step forward which is notice early with Battle Intuition and i thrust my spear forward into the goblins path who doesn''t react in time and steps into my spear killing it and it disappears "Hooo" I take a breath and a step back yet again watching waiting i cant be too reckless until I''ve acquired the skill the next goblin i choose to go for is one attempting to move to the left of me seeing its movement slightly before it happens i thrust my spear into its trajectory piercing straight through its skull and killing it instantly "Skill Acquired: Spearmanship" "Bonus: +1 Strength +1 Dexterity" Nice, my grip changes on the spear, my feet shifting to a better stance, and I rush forward, still using Battle Intuition but not feeling the need to be as careful. I thrust my spear through one of the goblins, and as it disappears, another swings its cleaver at me. As I step back, carefully dodging it and thrusting my spear forward, killing it, "Sub-Skill Acquired: Spear Thrust" I can get sub-skills? I pretty swiftly kill the next five swiftly and with ease, and as I approach the last one, I decide to throw the spear, but I miss, and the goblin rushes at me, swinging its cleaver at me. I barely manage to dodge, but its cleaver clips my hand. "Fuck…" I hold it as blood drips from it, and I get "Skill Acquired: Pain Tolerance" "Bonus: +1 Endurance +1 Vitality" For some reason I don''t feel too good about getting that skill. I use Battle Intuition to dodge the goblin''s attack, slowly toward my spear, grabbing it and thrusting it towards its skull. Once it''s dead and gone, I sigh and walk over to the first aid kit, bandaging my hand. "Don''t get cocky," I whisper to myself. "This is life or death; remember, not a game."
As i step outside the warm evening air is nice i breathe it in before walking over to the food stalls i collect my stale bread and watery soup i eat it quickly my theory is the quicker i eat it the less I''ll taste it probably isn''t working but i can hope i finish my food and return the tray and head back to my room once im inside sit down on the cold floor and pull my top over my head i take a deep breath as the cold air stings my skin and i focus first on my breathing forming a rhythm and then on my Qi and finally I begin to stretch my Qi among my pathways so far thats all I''ve been able to figure out what to do it stops I''ve reached the limit on how far i can spread it through all my pathways at once so i begin thinning it so it can spread further i manage to push my Qi through my pathways slightly further before i lose my focus opening my eyes i can barely breathe and my head hurts all of a sudden i feel like im choking and my lunch comes up back up i wipe the vomit from my mouth and stand up "I guess cultivating my Qi isn''t easy." "Cultivation Progress: +1 Qi" I head into the bathroom for a shower. Another example of how fascinating this world is; rather than technology like in my old world, they use crystal magic. With the shower as an example, it has two crystals, a water crystal and an ice crystal. The water crystal obviously produces the water flow, and the ice crystal allows you to adjust how cold it is. On my next quest, I think I''ll ask Seti to show me some magic and see if he knows anything about crystal magic too. I finish up my shower and get in my lumpy bed. "I seriously hate being F rank."
My eyes open slowly, burning as the sunlight leaks into my room. I sit up, stretching and doing some normal exercises. Push-ups and sit-ups are just a warm-up. Once I''m done, I head out and straight to the armoury, where I give back the spear and use Appraisal to find a new weapon to test.
Name: Stonepiercer Bow
Type: Bow
Effect: Steady Aim - Slightly decreases the shaking of the hands while aiming
This one looks fun enough. I also grab a quiver of arrows and check them out. Strapping the quiver to my back, I head straight to the training centre, buy a session, and head in. "Twenty goblins," I say immediately, and they appear. I pull an arrow from the quiver and draw the bow, focusing, waiting for a goblin to make an ideal movement, and one does. My battle intuition shows me a goblin about to take a short step left, and I aim and shoot the arrow where it''ll step, hitting its neck and killing it. I pull another arrow from the quiver and draw the bow again. "This is fun." I step back again, keeping my distance, and begin picking off the goblins as they get closer: one, three, five, nine, and sixteen. I kill them swiftly and precisely. "Skill Acquired: Marksmanship" That''s seventeen dead, and I''ve finally got the skill, but my back''s against the wall. I let the goblins corner me by accident. I use Battle Intuition to dodge, but my leg is nicked by one of their cleavers. I stumble to the floor and drop my bow. I manage to dodge the goblins next strike and pull an arrow from my quiver and stab it in the eye. I use the opening to make space between me and the goblins and wall and grab the bow, pulling arrows from the quiver and firing them at the last two, killing them, and I head over to the first aid again, bandaging my left leg where it managed to scratch. That''s both training sessions now where I''ve been injured. I need to be more careful. I head out to the armoury and give the bow and quiver back. I stretch, and my hand and leg hurt. I need to make sure I don''t get injured again. I need to do a quest in five days. I go to the food stalls and eat my food quickly. Once I''m done, I head back to my room and sit on the floor, taking a deep breath and feeling the flow of my Qi, thinning it out from the beginning this time and stretching it as far as it''ll go. I push it further this time, but when it stops, I lose my focus, violently throwing up again. My body feels so fatigued from forcing my Qi to flow, "Cultivation Progress: None" so I''m not guaranteed to gain Qi every time I push it further along my pathways.
The slop of mess that is my soup doesn''t get any easier to eat as time passes. I finish my food and head straight to the armoury to pick my next weapon. I scan through the weapons with Appraisal. There are many different types of weapons, but I''m only going to learn a few—four to be exact. The four I''ve decided will be most useful for now: a sword. The first I used was a spear, a bow, and finally:
Name: Iron Fang Knuckles
Type: Gauntlets
Effect: Impact Force - Slightly increases knockback on unarmoured enemies
Gauntlets since i plan to learn martial arts and the only ones I''ve seen so far from Zhao were hand to hand its worth acquiring these a skill also since i can box already from my world they should be the easiest to acquire the skill for me i check out the gauntlets and put them in these are the gauntlets Zhao had used on our quest which is partially why i picked them i couldn''t see or sense it but I''d gotten the feeling he was using Qi to enhance his stats somehow so i picked these just in case they maybe have a hidden effect that allows Qi use more easily its a long shot but its worth a try since these are the best f rank gauntlets they fit perfectly as well i assume they change to fit the person using them I head into the training centre and head into a training room. "Thirty goblins." I adjust the gauntlets and plant my feet, getting into an orthodox stance. I''ll rely on boxing to get through this, and since it''s what I''m most confident in, I can probably afford to be a bit more aggressive this time, but I''ll still use Battle Intuition just in case.
Gauntlets, since I plan to learn martial arts, and the only ones I''ve seen so far from Zhao were hand-to-hand. It''s worth acquiring this skill also since I can box already from my world; they should be the easiest to acquire the skill for me. I check out the gauntlets and put them on. These are the gauntlets Zhao had on our quest, which is partially why I picked them. I couldn''t see or sense it, but I''d gotten the feeling he was using Qi to enhance his stats somehow, so I picked these just in case they maybe have a hidden effect that allows Qi use more easily. It''s a long shot, but it''s worth a try since these are the best F rank gauntlets. They fit perfectly as well; I assume they change to fit the person using them. I head into the training centre and head into a training room. "Thirty goblins." I adjust the gauntlets and plant my feet, getting into an orthodox stance. I''ll rely on boxing to get through this, and since it''s what I''m most confident in, I can probably afford to be a bit more aggressive this time, but I''ll still use Battle Intuition just in case.
Stolen novel; please report.
I take a deep breath and leap forward, seeing the goblin ahead of me about to move. With battle intuition, I throw a punch straight towards the projection of its movement, and my fist goes clean through its skull, killing it instantly. "Stat Increased: +2 Dexterity" Another tries to attack me, but it''s too slow, and I grab it by the face and slam it down. It would seem that as my dexterity improves, so does my perception because the goblin''s attacks definitely seem slower and easier to dodge now. I stretch and rush towards another, putting it on the defensive for the first time as it attempts to dodge, but I read its movements using battle intuition and deliver a devastating blow, shattering its skull. "Skill Acquired: Hand-to-Hand Combat" "Bonus: +4 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Endurance" I feel my muscles tighten as my strength increases, and I clench my fists, my grip tighter than before, but I can''t dwell for too long, turning to my left and uppercutting a goblin as it attempts to take me by surprise "Sub-Skill Acquired: Uppercut" Now it''s time to maximise this skill. This, along with swordsmanship, will be my main fighting style; swordsmanship will be my main style, and if I lose my sword in combat, having these skills will be a good backup. I watch the goblins carefully, waiting for one of them to make an exploitable movement. I see a goblin left of me about to stumble, and I rush over, pushing another out of the way to get to it, catching it with a right hook as it stumbles, and then I elbow backward, catching the goblin I pushed as it tries to catch me off guard. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Footwork" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" I feel lighter on my feet, faster, and more agile. I walk towards another goblin and pretty easily dodge a swing from its cleaver and right-hook it in the temple. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Right Hook" I finish off the rest of the goblins and sit down, panting slightly. I''m not getting as tired after fighting. I managed to gain one strength stat and three endurance and vitality stats from the sub-skills I gained. "Skills"
Skills:
Universal Translation – Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank
Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank
Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank
Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank
Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank
Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank
- Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank
Pain Tolerance - Slightly reduces pain - F-Rank
Marksmanship - Basic knowledge of bow combat - F-Rank
Hand-to-Hand Combat - Basic knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat - F-Rank
- Jab - Applies slightly more power to a Jab punch - F-Rank
- Straight - Applies slightly more power to a Straight punch - F-Rank
- Right Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Right Hook - F-Rank
- Left Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Left Hook - F-Rank
- Right Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Right Overhand - F-Rank
- Left Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Left Overhand - F-Rank
- Uppercut - Applies slightly more power to a Uppercut - F-Rank
- Elbow Strike - Applies slightly more power to a Elbow Strike - F-Rank
- Footwork - Makes footwork slightly more nimble - F-Rank
Pretty happy with that. I was never too great of a boxer on Earth, but I''ve definitely gotten better with these sub-skills. No matter how much I see it, I just can''t get used to this system of just repeating actions a few times. I can acquire a skill and instantly get better at it. I get up and stretch and head out. I take back the gauntlets, and I grab the sword I used last time. I think that''s enough of new skills for now since I''ll be using the sword on my next quest. I should attempt to gain sub-skills for it before I go on it. After checking out my sword, I head back to my room and take my seat on the floor. I take my shirt off and take deep breaths, forming a rhythm with my breathing. Once I''m in a smooth rhythm, I begin focusing in on my Qi and imagining it as waves crashing through my pathways. Once I''m locked in on it, I begin pushing it out as far as it''ll go, making it slightly further than last time, and when it stops, I spread it out as far as it''ll go, and right before the edge, I lose my focus and open my eyes, breathing heavily, but I manage to hold back the vomit this time at least. "Cultivation progress: +3 Qi +2 Strength +1 Dexterity" That must be the effect of the Iron Fist sect''s cultivation. I suppose I''ll have to ask Zhao about it when I next see him. I take a shower and head to bed.
I take a drink from my cup of water as I finish exercising. It''s too easy now; I stopped at five hundred of each, but I could''ve done more. I need to figure out if there are any better ways to train. Obviously, there''s the training centre, but that costs money. I get dressed, grab my sword and its sheath, and head out. I think I''ll skip my food today; it''s hard to stomach that soup. I''ll just head straight to the training centre today. I pay my two GMs and head through. Getting into the room, I stretch and say, "Fifty goblins." I''m not playing around today; this is going to be my last session so I can rest before the next quest, so it needs to be fruitful. I pull my sword from its sheath." Sub-Skill Acquired: Quick Draw" I suppose I can get sub-skills for just about anything. I plant and shift my feet. It seems my footwork skill works with all footwork, and I step forward, gripping the sword''s hilt as hard as I can and swinging my sword towards one of the goblin''s necks, slashing straight through it, beheading the goblin." Sub-Skill Acquired: Horizontal Slash" "Bonus: +1 Strength +3 Vitality" I''m not actually sure what Vitality does. I extend my arm out, and I grab the goblin that''s lunging at me from my left. It happened almost instinctually. When I heard it, I tightened my grip and crushed its neck in my hand. "Wow." I''m glad these are made of magic, or that would''ve made a mess. I''m slightly worried I''m becoming too desensitised to killing, but they are just monsters. I shouldn''t have to feel too bad, especially since they''re made of magic. It''s kind of annoying that I can''t turn off battle intuition; it passively activates during combat, and I can''t turn it off. Well, at least it''s useful. I lift my sword up and parry the swing of a cleaver, deflecting it back, and I thrust my sword through the goblin''s heart. "Skill Acquired: Parry" "Skill Acquired: Riposte" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" I carry on forward to keep momentum and thrust my sword through another goblin, skewering it. "Skill Acquired: Sword Thrust" "Bonus: +1 Strength" What else would be good to get? I step backward slightly, making a goblin''s cleaver narrowly miss my head, and I hold up my sword and swing it downwards, slicing straight through the goblin from its skull through to its groin, splitting it in half. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Downwards Slash" Battle intuition kind of makes me feel like I''m cheating; they can''t even hit me unless I get cocky. How many have I killed? Four? Five? All I can think of that''s left to get is upwards, so I parry an incoming strike and pull back my sword, thrusting it under the goblin and cleaving straight through the goblin from the groin to the skull. "Not enough, huh?" I wonder how fast I really am now. I take a deep breath and rush forward, reaching the closest goblin before it can even react, severing its head, and immediately move on to the next, who tries to dodge, but I simply swing my sword towards where it''ll move and kill it. "Skill Acquired: Upward Slash" No bonus here either, huh?
"You''re the last," I say as I slowly approach the final goblin, and as it swings its cleaver, I step to the side and slice off its arm before swiftly repositioning and beheading it. "Skill Acquired: Blade Control" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" Huh, I swing the sword through the air a few times, and the extra control is evident. This system really is impressive. I sheathe my sword and head out. It wasn''t too bad for my final training session. I''ve got three days left until I need to take a quest, so I should focus on cultivation. I have a feeling when I manage to completely spread my qi, something will happen. I walk past the food market and head in and buy myself a pretty basic sandwich. It costs my last two GMs, but it''s better than soup. It''s just a pretty basic cheese sandwich. The bread is stale but less than the free stuff. I eat it on the way to the armoury, and I check out the armour I used on the last quest. Might as well get it ready now and head back to cultivate.
I place the armour on my bedside table, take my shirt off, and sit on the floor, swiftly getting my breathing into a rhythm and focusing on my Qi. I get in the zone far quicker this time and begin pushing it as hard as I can forcing it throughout my pathways. When it reaches its limit, I thin it out, pushing further as far as it''ll go and then further heat scorching my pathways as the waves of Qi flow through my pathways i almost lost focus but i stay in control thinning it further until finally my Qi crashes against the walls at the end of my pathways, and I take a deep, long breath and open my eyes. No hard breathing this time, no vomit, just control: "Cultivation Progress: +2 Qi +2 Strength" I stand up and stretch and get another pop-up: "Congratulations on reaching the next realm of Cultivation: the Integrate Phase" Integrate phase?" Sub-Skill Acquired: Body Enhancement" huh, that must''ve been what I noticed Zhao using "Reward for reaching the Integrate Phase: +5 Physical Stats +5 Qi." I suppose that''s this world''s version of a higher realm, like from murim novels. Body enhancement, huh? Shall I try it out? I focus on the Qi, and I feel the change "Status Window."
Status Window
Name: Ethan Watts
Age: 19
Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer
Origin: Hellenika
Class: Undetermined
Fame: 20
Status: Demi-God
Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos
Stats:
Strength: 60+6
Dexterity: 59+5.9
Endurance: 48+4.8
Vitality: 55+5.5
Qi: 47
Luck: A
Charm: A
Charisma: A-
The pluses next to my stats are just like Seti''s buff, so that must be the body enhancement; it looks like it''s a ten percent boost to my stats "Skills"
Skills:
Universal Translation – Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank
Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank
Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank
- Horizontal Slash - Applies slightly more power to horizontal slashes - F-Rank
- Upward Slash - Applies slightly more power to upward slashes - F-Rank
- Downwards Slash - Applies slightly more power to downwards slashes - F-Rank
- Sword Thrust - Applies slightly more power to Sword Thrusts - F-Rank
- Quick Draw - Slightly speeds up the action of drawing the sword - F-Rank
- Blade Control - Allows for slightly more control of the blade - F-Rank
- Parry - Slightly increases the chance of a parry succeeding - F-Rank
- Riposte - Slightly increases the chance of a counterattack succeeding - F-Rank
Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank
Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank
- Body Enhancement - Uses Qi to enhance body (10%) - F-Rank
Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank
- Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank
Pain Tolerance - Slightly reduces pain - F-Rank
Marksmanship - Basic knowledge of bow combat - F-Rank
Hand-to-Hand Combat- Basic knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat - F-Rank
- Jab - Applies slightly more power to a Jab punch - F-Rank
- Straight - Applies slightly more power to a Straight punch - F-Rank
- Right Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Right Hook - F-Rank
- Left Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Left Hook - F-Rank
- Right Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Right Overhand - F-Rank
- Left Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Left Overhand - F-Rank
- Uppercut - Applies slightly more power to a Uppercut - F-Rank
- Elbow Strike - Applies slightly more power to a Elbow Strike - F-Rank
- Footwork - Makes footwork slightly more nimble - F-Rank
Cold Resistance - Slightly reduces effect of cold - F-Rank
I clench the fist, savouring the raw power now in my grip. This strength no longer feels alien to me. I''m beginning to feel like I belong here, like this is where I need to be. I cannot wait for the next quest. I was clumsy in the first, but now I''m different. I''m better, and I''m beginning to have fun here. I miss my foster family for sure, but what can I do? I have to survive in this world, and I will, without a doubt. I will survive and thrive here.