I shake my head and ask Eudora, "Are you sure you want to do this now?" She looks confused and says, "What do you mean?" Oh, she''s dense, huh? I sigh and sigh. "A young man and woman sneaking off to the forest alone? The e-ranks already hate us." It takes a second, but a blush grows on her face. "Ohhh..." I nod, and she says, "I didn''t think about that, but you''re right. Well, that''s fine; we can speak another time." "Sure," I say, "back in Mercari I''ll be happy to speak to you." She nods, then smiles, and then walks away, and I wash my face and say, "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 (15%) - E-Rank
- Qi Concealment - Conceals Qi - F-Rank
Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank
- Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank
- Spear Throw - Applies slightly more power to spear throws - 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 - E-Rank
Heat Resistance - Slightly reduces effect of heat - F-Rank
Mana Core - Houses Magical Power - F-Rank
- Meditation - Meditate to draw in ambient mana and add it to the core - F-Rank
- Purification - Cycle magical power to remove impurities - F-Rank
Magic - F-Rank
- Pure Magic
-- Mana Missile - Shoots out a beam of concentrated mana - F-Rank
- Fire Magic
-- Fireball - Forms a fireball - F-Rank
-- Fire Spear- Forms a flaming spear - F-Rank
- Water Magic
-- Water Wall - Forms a defensive wall of water - F-Rank
With this array of skills, I should be able to do well on this quest. I walk back to the camp and settle in my tent, drifting off to sleep.
I open my eyes as I''m shaken. I look up and see Seti. "Get up; we''re going." He kicks Zhao in the ass, making him squeal, and leaves the tent, and I follow, stretching. Once I''m outside of the tent and basking in the sunlight, Eudora spots me and gives me a wink as she steps into her carriage. I just ignore it and get into ours. Zhao finally gets in, looking pissed. "Who kicked me?" He asks as soon as he sits down, and Seti bursts into laughter as our carriage sets off while they argue in the background. I decide to try and use Qi Sense. I imbue Qi into my eyes and brain, and it drowns out my other senses, but I won''t let it. I imbue an exact split of Qi into all of my sense organs – ears, tongue, nose and eyes – maintaining a complete split and then slowly pulling Qi from the others and splitting it perfectly between my eyes and brain until finally I can feel it, sense it, the innate Qi in everything. I can sense the Qi in the flowers, in the trees, the air, Seti and Zhao, the others in the carriages ahead of us and even the animals pulling them. It''s extraordinary. I open my eyes, dismissing the built-up Qi.
"Sub-Skill Acquired: Qi Detection" "Bonus: +2 Qi"
"Sub-Skill Acquired: Qi Senses" "Bonus: +3 Qi"
Zhao noticing my sudden change? I''m not sure, but he asks, "What happened?" I rub my eyes and say, "I figured out qi detection and senses." Zhao chuckles, "That was fast, so how did it feel?" I rub my cheek trying to recall the sensation. "Like I wa--" he cuts me off, "Connected to the qi?" I nod. "Yeah, it''s a funny but nice feeling, isn''t it?" He asks, and I say, "Yeah the more I grow with qi, the more excited I become to grow more." He looks down after I say that and says, "Be careful; remember my warning about joining a sect." "I do." I say, and he says, "No you don''t. Not completely. The powers of this world are cruel and selfish, and an unaffiliated like you rising too fast will catch their attention. You already have." What? I already have? "What do you mean?" He looks at Seti, who looks away and stays silent.
Our carriage begins to slow down as we get close to our destination, and as it does, all of a sudden Seti says, "Hey, Ethan, I need to tell you something," catching me off guard. "What?" I ask slightly worried, and he rubs his hands as they shake and says, "When you first sat at our table, I received a quest from my ancestor Anubis to earn your trust." He pauses, looking down, and I can see the shame on his face. "Honestly... I had forgotten about the quest." He looks at me past my eyes into my soul. "Our friendship was real, I swear on my life, Ethan. I only remembered the quest during the carriage ride to camp when you finally put your trust in us, and I got the reward." I stare into his eyes with pure sorrow, regret and honesty. It hurts to be honest, but I believe him. "What was the reward?" I ask, and he says, "The chance to take my class quest again." I smile at him and say, "I''m just glad you got something out of it." I still trust him, and he''s still my friend. He might''ve approached me selfishly, but I believe in the Seti. I know the carriage jerks to a stop, and we step out, ready for the quest.
My fingers twitch on the hilt of my sword, ready to unsheathe it whenever I need to. Once we get deep enough, Ravi stops, and we stand behind him while the rest of the E ranks carry on going forward. He turns to face us. "I hate F ranks," he says, his voice as sharp as a piercing blade, and it carries so much determination it almost makes me cringe. "I also hate that we need you for this quest. I think you''re a bunch of lazy, useless bums, but the truth of the matter is we do need you." He pauses and says, "We need you to do your job; the kobolds and trolls would be too many enemies for us. You will stay here, eliminate the kobolds and then wait for us to come and find you. Is that understood?" We nod, and he stomps his foot into the ground five times, and we start hearing screeches and growls, and he says, "Good luck, vermin," and walks away, leaving us to face the army he just called. I pull my sword from its sheath as the golden light of Setis''s buff bathes us.
"Buff cast by Seti Rahotep: +5 to Strength, +5 to Dexterity. +5 to Endurance +5 to Vitality"
I also activate my body enhancement. "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: 62+14.3
Dexterity: 60+11
Endurance: 53+10.3
Vitality: 61+5
Qi: 64
Magic Power: 22
Luck: A
Charm: A
Charisma: A-
With these stats, a Kobold army will be a piece of cake. Eudora shouts, "Let''s do this!" Her voice is strong, laced with conviction, and Zhao follows up with a "Fuck yeah!" I simply take a stance and wait for the Kobolds to draw closer, watching carefully with my battle intuition, waiting for a slip-up, a simple telegraphed movement, or something to exploit. I prefer this slower, more thought-out tactical combat style. The Kobold to my left slips on a bit of mud, and I don''t miss a beat, rushing in and slashing through its ankle, severing its foot from its leg, sending it stumbling to the floor clutching the nub and screaming. As it falls, two more try to get the jump on me, but I raise my leg and smash it down through the Kobold''s skull and pull back my sword, cleaving through the two trying to sneak up on me. The rest blur together – blood, screams – and my sword remains the only constant as I cull hundreds of Kobolds until finally I''m face to face with a slightly different one; it''s a little bit taller and muscular than the others, and I get a good chance to check if monsters have status windows too. "Appraisal"
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Status Window
Name: Urzith
Age: 67
Occupation: King of the Dark Forest tribe
Origin: Dark Forest
Class: Berserker
Fame: 0
Status: Mortal
Title: None
Stats:
Strength: 48+2
Dexterity: 51+2
Endurance: 53+2
Vitality: 44+2
Magic Power: 39
Luck: D
Charm: F+
Charisma: C
The additional stats must be its berserker state; that''s probably why it''s drooling too. Well, no matter those stats. It''ll be over in an instant. I rush towards it, using battle intuition to slip the swing of its dagger, and I pull back my sword and slash it once, twice, three times, four times, and then five and six times and watch as it literally falls apart, blood and guts everywhere. I probably could''ve handled that... better... cleaner. I coat my hand in water mana and wash the Kobold''s blood off of me... putrid. I sheathe my sword and use Qi Detection. I can feel the ranks fighting the trolls; one troll seems to be hiding, but apart from that, no Kobolds are in the vicinity. I sigh and say, "Anybody got a problem with me cultivating to replenish my Qi?" They all shake their heads, with Eudora adding "Nope" with a smile; she could''ve just shaken her head too. I go and sit up against a tree, positioning myself correctly. I take a deep breath and focus on getting in the zone, but it''s weird. I can feel and sense everything: the air biting at my skin, I can hear the rustle of the leaves in the wind, the conversations the others are having, and smell the flowers and grass. It makes it much harder to focus on the cultivation. It seems my Qi Senses are active passively during cultivation, which is annoying, but I''ll get used to it. For now I just need to focus on cultivation.
My cultivation is almost done when a vile stench fills my nostrils – putrid and vile, sickening even. It''s so horrid it knocks me out of my cultivation.
"Cultivation Progress: +2 Qi +1 Strength"
I stand up panicked "Somethings Co--" before the words can even fully leave my mouth it appears right behind Eudora "NOOOO!" I shout as I unsheathe my sword and rush forward but I''m just not fast enough and it swings its right arm into her side crushing her arm into her ribs and sending her flying through four trees before her momentum stops and shes left lying looking lifeless "Appraisal"
Status Window
Name: Grumgash
Age: 14
Occupation: Soldier
Origin: Dark Forest
Class: Warrior
Fame: 0
Status: Mortal
Title: None
Stats:
Strength: 106
Dexterity: 89
Endurance: 97
Vitality: 99
Magic Power: 17
Luck: E
Charm: F
Charisma: F
It''s young, and it shows it put too much force into the hit on Eudora and knocked itself over. We can use that naive youth to our advantage. "Seti, what magic can you do?" I ask, but his attention''s on the troll. I push his shoulder and say, "Seti!" and he realises I asked a question and says, "Fire, wind, holy and healing." Two offensive, two support: "Jay, when we attack, go and get Eudora; bring her back here for Seti to heal." Jay nods, and I turn to face Zhao and Seti. "Zhao and I will attack up close; Seti will provide cover fire and a buff. Is everyone clear on the plan? They all nod, and Jay slips behind the trees, lying in wait for the opening he needs.
"Stat Increased: A- --> A Charisma"
I don''t have time for that now. I rush forward as the golden light of Seti''s buff bathes me.
"Buff cast by Seti Rahotep: +5 to Strength, +5 to Dexterity. +5 to Endurance +5 to Vitality"
A wind blade soars over Zhao and I as we rush in crashing into the troll and just barely knocking it back but me and Zhao use that and close in Zhao punching its gut with all his might and I opt to attack its ankles trying to limit its mobility with the most powerful sword slashes I can muster with Seti''s buff and my body enhancement and I don''t stop until I see the troll about to crush me under its fist with battle intuition and I step back avoiding the direct blow but being blow back by the wind it produces and slammed into the ground as I get up I see it chasing Zhao who''s managing to evade since his stats are high and his dexterity is actually higher than the trolls I retrieve my sword and see a fireball slam into the troll''s chest. Set''s doing his job, and I need to do mine. I rush in, barely dodging a punch, and summon a fire spear in my left hand, stabbing it into the troll''s gut as hard as I can and then immediately summoning a fireball and shooting it at the same place, actually managing to burn through some skin and make the troll wince in pain. I see Zhao approaching and try to back away to let him get some hits in, but I mistime my dodge, and the troll manages to grab my arm, crushing it. "ARGHHHHH!" I scream, pain overriding my senses, my reason. I stumble back, dazed, as the troll punches me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me and sending me flying into a tree. I crash into the tree headfirst and feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I try to stay conscious.
I take a breath. I''m breathing. That''s good. I think I''m alive. I look around; Seti is healing Eudora with his hand and casting long-range spells with his staff. I go to move my right arm but feel nothing. I look down at it and see a gross, deformed, twisted, mangled mess. I almost throw up the second I see it. That''s my arm; that''s really my arm. I almost pass out again when I hear Zhao scream. I look up and see the troll holding him by his leg and smashing him repeatedly into the ground. "NOOOO!" I grab the troll''s attention with that, and it draws towards me. I retrieve my sword and rush in, barely dodging attacks. The leeway on my dodges is getting shorter and shorter every time until my battle intuition tells me I''ll die no matter where or how I move. I can''t escape death. I bow my head. Is this really how I die? Is this... how it ends for me...? NO, I REFUSE TO LET IT GO LIKE THIS. I REFUSE TO DIE LIKE THIS. PUSH IT FURTHER AS FAR AS IT''LL GO AND FURTHER THAN THAT. Warmth spreads under my eyes as I push Battle Intuition to and beyond its limits and manage to dodge escaping death.
"Skill Upgraded: Battle Intuition = F --> E"
I wipe the warmth from my eyes, and my hand comes back red, but whatever. No time for that. I tighten my grip on the sword and lunge forward, using battle intuition to swiftly dodge all of the attacks the troll makes. I purposefully find a wet patch and slip through the mud, carving through the troll''s skin as I skid past it, and then quickly recover and dodge a strike.
"Stat Increased: +2 Dexterity"
I push forward again, stabbing my sword into its gut and letting go so my hands are free, and I can summon a fire spear in my hand and jam it into the troll''s lung with all my strength. It tries to recover, but I won''t let it, pulling my sword back out and thrusting it into the spear wound over and over and over again and again and again until it tries to punch me, and I duck the punch and rip my sword out, stepping back. "SET FIRE NOW!" A fireball surges past me, hitting and burning the troll''s face, and I begin hacking away at its knees and legs. It lets out a guttural scream, but to me that''s just a signal that I''m doing well, but I let myself get cocky for a moment, and the troll hits me. I get flung back and choke up blood. I hear my own ribs break as I hit the floor gasping for air. I have to get up and have to continue the fight.
"Sub-Skill Upgraded: Pain Tolerance + F --> E"
I get up. I have to get up. I have to fight, kill or be killed. I rush forward. I have to think of something, some new way to fight to be more efficient. I dodge a powerful strike and slash at its knee.
"Stat Increased: +4 Strength"
It manages to graze me as I try to dodge.
"Stat Increased: +1 Endurance"
Fuck, I need to be faster. I have to be faster. I move forward, slipping past a strike and slashing at the beast''s face, taking out its eye. It roars a guttural deep roar and throws a wild strike at me, but I slip under it and slash at its ankles again.
"Stat Increased: +1 Dexterity"
I''m almost there. His ankles are almost – I lose focus and pay for it. The troll hits me hard; I just barely manage to cast a water wall through my sword.
"Sub-Skill Acquired: Mana Injection"
"Stat Increased: +4 Endurance"
"Stat Increased: +2 Vitality"
I compose myself, find my feet, and I look around for Seti. He has his hands full healing; I can''t rely on him; he needs to save Eudora and Zhao. I catch Jay''s eyes, and he readies his spear, but I shout, "Stay back; you''re too weak." and rush forward, dodging another attack. I channel mana into my sword and shoot a fireball at the troll''s right ankle, burning it enough that my final strike with my sword makes it lose its balance and stumble, crashing to the floor. I don''t miss a beat jumping on the beast and dropping my sword and summoning a fire spear I thrust into its heart, again and again and again; the troll coughs, spitting blood on me, but I don''t care; it has to die. Again and again, exhausting my mana as I continuously and without fail thrust the spear, summoning a new one as soon as the last leaves my hand, burning the beast''s heart from the inside out. The sound is awful as it gurgles, chokes on its own blood, the putrid smell of its insides burning as I stab it repeatedly without fail, not stopping until it takes its last breath, and I can finally... my eyes roll into the back of my head, and I fall.
My eyes open slowly to a green light. "Am I dead?" The green light fades, and I see Seti standing above me. "Afraid you''re not that lucky, mate." He holds out a hand and helps me up, giving me his staff as a cane, and a surprising person approaches. "Hello." Ravi says, and he holds out his hand. "I''m Ravi Ashokan." I take his hand and shake it. "Ethan Watts." He lets go of my hand and says, "I''m sorry I got cocky and didn''t have my team thoroughly check for hiding trolls, and you f r—" He pauses before continuing. "You guys suffered, and I''m sorry." I laugh. "Thanks, I needed that, Ravi. You''re a good guy at heart; don''t let a few mistakes get you down." I walk past him with the staff and Seti helping me to the other F ranks: "Hey, guys." Eudora jumps up with lightning speed and hugs me. "Ow." Seti pushes her away and says, "He has extremely bad bruising around his ribs; my healing isn''t omnipotent." Eudora looks distressed and says, "Sorry." I chuckle, "Don''t worry; I''m just glad you''re all safe." Eudora looks down and says, "Thank you. Jay told me what you did – telling him to get me and stay out of the fight to keep him safe. I owe you both mine and my attendant''s lives." I''ve never felt like this. These people appreciate me; they appreciate what I''ve done for them. It''s nice. I try to move my right arm, but it won''t, so I let go of the staff, barely staying upright, and I place my hand on her shoulder. "You''re a part of my team; no way I''d let you die." I let go of her and pick back up the staff and see Zhao. "I—I''m sorry I got distracted and got caught." I huff, surprising everyone, and say, "If I hear one more apology, I''m going to get mad. We all did our best; let''s celebrate the win." They all cheer, and after a while of celebrating, we get in our carriages and set off. "So, Seti, how hurt am I?" I ask, and he looks surprised. "Sure you want to know." I nod, and he says, "Multiple lacerations all over your body; every single rib was broken, and you have extremely bad bruising around them. Your one arm was mangled, the other was broken in three places, both of your legs were broken too, and you had a fracture in your skull. I don''t even know how you kept fighting." Wow, I knew I was hurt, but to hear it – just wow. I look out of the window as trees pass on our way back to Mercari, the quest completed.