《Hiro's Journey》 Chapter 0 Prologue Prologue It was another day of school for high school junior Hiro. He entered his room as the kids were talking quietly. He took his seat and waited for his teacher to begin the day¡¯s lesson. As the minutes went on in another one of his math teacher''s long boring lectures, Hiro slowly began to drift off into one of his many daydreams. He found himself in a fantasy world where, alongside his companions, he was fighting a dragon who breathed fire hot enough to melt steel. He raised his shield to protect those around him while others blasted the dragon with a plethora of magic spells. The evil dragon fought tooth and nail but Hiro and his companions fought even harder. Finally, the dragon''s fiery breath stopped and Hiro lunged at the beast sinking his blade deep into its chest. The dragon bucked wildly but Hiro hung on and continued to sink his blade deeper and deeper until he finally pierced the creature''s heart. Hiro stood atop the beast laid motionless as the others cheered in their victory. They had slain the dragon and saved the kingdom. He longed for his life to mean something. As he dreamed a smile came over his face but suddenly he heard his teacher¡¯s voice. ¡°Hiro! What is the answer to the problem?¡± Hiro, who was startled by her question, looked at the board and replied, ¡°4^3is 64.¡± The teacher glared at Hiro and replied to him, ¡°Hiro, keep your mind focused. Stay here in class with us. No daydreaming¡±. Hiro was an army brat who moved around a lot. His father was a black man who was a naval combat instructor. His mother was a Japanese immigrant who followed her husband from base to base around the world. Hiro had lived in 5 different countries including Korea, Japan, Germany, France, and now in the United States. The boredom and daydreams in class, these were just a few of the normal occurrences in day in the life of Hiro. He excelled at academics but was very poor at sports. Because of his father''s job, Hiro was enthralled with combat sports. He wanted so badly to be like his father who had mastered several different fighting disciplines. Unfortunately, Hiro had some problems he had not been able to overcome. He had a poor constitution due to his chronic asthma and a severe lack of coordination. With these deficiencies, his training never really amounted to much. He was also very shy and introverted so he had no real friends which further alienated him from the other students. Lunch time came and Hiro decided to sit outside because it was such a nice day. He got his lunch and began to eat. Just then a group of kids who picked on him every day came up. The leader spoke saying, ¡°That looks good. I think I¡¯ll have some!¡± Immediately he took Hiro¡¯s sandwich. Before Hiro could say anything, the leader of the bullies bit into his sandwich. ¡°This is awful¡± the bully said and he spit it out. Then he took the rest and smashed it on Hiro¡¯s head. Hiro was completely embarrassed as everyone in lunch seemed to be watching him get humiliated. He clenched his fist and wanted to fight back but the fear of the beating he would receive from the bullies paralyzed him. After they left him alone, Hiro went to the bathroom to clean up. While he was in the bathroom the bell rang. He ran as fast as he could but he was still late for class. His teacher greeted him at the door with a smug look on his face."Hiro to go to the principal¡¯s office for tardiness to class." "But I...", he started "No buts Hiro. Go to the dean of student''s office now." Hiro turned around sullenly and walked away. He quickly did as he was told and went to the principal¡¯s office. He opened the door and saw his principal sitting behind a large desk with his computer open. "Dean Barnes, I was told to come see you because I was late to class." The dean said, ¡°Why were you late for class?¡± Hiro replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was in the bathroom cleaning myself up." "Why were you cleaning yourself up? Did something happen?" "It was because someone was picking on me at lunch. They took my food and smashed it in my hair.¡± ¡°Who did this?¡±, the dean sternly asked. ¡°It was Chu. He has been picking on me for a while now.¡± ¡°Thank you Hiro. I will take of this matter immediately. Now go back to class.¡± Hiro went to class relieved that he wasn¡¯t in any trouble. Once he got back to class. Chu was called over the loud speaker to come to the dean''s office. Chu got up from his seat and said, ¡°If you told on me, I¡¯m gonna make your life a living hell.¡± Then it would be just like it is now. So it won''t make any difference. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The class ended and everyone got their things to go home from school. Hiro walked out of the school campus and turned the corner to walk home. As he walked down the street Chu was standing there. He had a mean look on his face. Chu was already intimidating. He was black belt in karate and he was about 190cm tall and weighed about 80 kilos primarily muscle. Not good. He looks pissed. I¡¯ve got to get out of here. Hiro turned to run. Chu and his goons quickly gave chase. Hiro saw a fence ahead of him and tried to jump and climb over it. Once again his physical weakness came into play. He jumped onto the fence and began climbing but Chu caught up to him easily and pulled him off of the fence. Hiro fell flat on his back hitting his head on the hard concrete. Chu immediately jumped on Hiro in full mount position and began to rain down blows upon Hiro''s face. All Hiro could do was use his arms to cover himself up. Why won¡¯t anyone help me? Tears began to run down his face. Everyone around stared and started to laugh. When Chu finally stopped Hiro got himself up and he was somewhere between rage and terror. I want to hurt him the way he hurt me. With blood running down from his mouth and right eye, Hiro lost his judgment and threw single punch that struck Chu on the back of his head. Chu bent over from the impact but It did very little damage to Chu who had been fighting in martial arts competitions for years. The effect it did have was that it enraged Chu. Chu returned Hiro¡¯s punch with his own directly to Hiro¡¯s solar plexus. Hiro doubled over and gasped for air. Chu followed up with a vicious knee to Hiro¡¯s face. He fell back on the ground and hit his head on the concrete again. When his head hit their was a sick thud like someone dropped a book on the floor. Hiro lay there in a heap with blood now flowing from his nose, mouth, and eye. His vision was hazy and he heard a ringing sound in his head. ¡°Stay down or next time I¡¯ll kill you¡± said Chu with a darkness Hiro had never seen in his eyes. Hiro could barely move and the punch that he received to his abdomen had him ready to vomit. Chu walked away and after a few minutes Hiro stood up holding his bloody nose. He felt dizzy and his vision was still blurry. The sun was beginning to set so he walked home as quickly as he could manage given the pain he was in. Feeling very sore and bruised up from the beating he took from Chu Hiro decided he better take a bath to soothe his body. Once he got out of the bath he cleaned himself up and looked at his face in the mirror. He faced looked bad. His lip was starting swell both his eyes were blackened and he had a cut on the side of his eye. " He really did a number on me. I don''t even want to imagine what this will look like tomorrow. I will have to avoid him for a while. Hiro decided to play his newest game for a while to take his mind off of what happened early. He enjoyed games because there he could be the kind of person he wanted to be. He was an excellent player. He had played all sorts of games from shooting and sports games to his favorite the RPG, or roleplaying game. So he opened up his computer and there was a strange e-mail waiting for him. He clicked the icon and the e-mail opened up. In bright blinking letters it said become a beta tester for the newest most realistic RPG ever created. It said something about being a virtual reality game but Hiro ignored it thinking it was some sort of spam mail. Then he went on playing his game. Hours passed as he slayed dragons, wizards, and skeletons with his magical swords, spells, and fearless companions. Finally Hiro was ready for bed. The e-mail about the newest RPG came up again. Hiro decided this time to click and open the game. He filled in his information and then went to bed. As Hiro laid in his bed he felt a sharp pain in his head. He tossed and turned for a while as the pain in his head raged on. He got out of bed and took some pain meds from the medicine cabinet in the hallway bathroom and then returned to bed. After about 30 minutes the pain subsided enough for him to relax a bit. Soon he began sleeping soundly. Suddenly he heard a sound ¡°ding!¡± The sound startled him and he awoke. He was sort of groggy and his eyes had not adjusted to the darkness. He heard the ¡°ding¡± sound again and as he opened his eyes he saw only darkness in front of him. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading all the way through the prologue of the story. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe it resonated with the experiences some of us have had to endure growing up. Fear not the story gets much better from here on. As always if you like what you''ve read so far keep reading and leave any questions or comments you might have good or bad. I will be sure to respond because all criticism is a way for me to improve. Thank you and be sure to review, follow, and favorite my story I would really love to see my story in the top 50 on this site. Lastly and I say this with the utmost honesty, please donate if you can every little bit helps. Thanks in advance.
Back to Main Page NEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 1 Enter into a new world Chapter 1 As Hiro looked at the darkness in front of him, he felt confused. Am I dreaming? It was so dark that he could not see anything. Then he noticed that he could see some things that looked to be icons in his field of vision. They were similar to what his view looked like in his role-playing games (RPG). He saw his name ¡°Hiro¡± in the top left-hand corner along with a green bar that had the numbers 100/100 below to it. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! He noticed a picture of his face below the green bar. He reached out to touch it but his hand passed right through the icon as if it wasn''t there. He scratched his head. I guess I can¡¯t physically interact with it. Maybe there is another way. He decided to try some different commands to see what could do to learn about his environment. ¡°Menu!¡± then a light green translucent screen came up reminiscent of his RPG games that showed his stats
Status Window
Name: Hiro Alignment: Neutral
Level: 1 Class: ??
Race: Human Gender: Male
Health: 100 / 100 Health Regen: 0.5 / Sec
Mana: 0 / 0 Mana Regen: 0.0/ Sec
Stamina: 100 / 100 Stamina Regen: 2.5 / Sec
-
Strenght: 5 Agility: 5
Vitality: 5
Intelligence: 5 Wisdom: 5
Leadership: ?? Luck: 5
-
Attack: 5 Defense: 5
This is soooo cool! Am I actually in a game? Or has the world become a game? Maybe I was sent to some sort of strange world and it operates like a game. Hiro''s mind began going crazy with all of the thoughts of what could be going on. He never even registered the idea that he was alone and in the dark without any knowledge of where he was. Wait if this is like a game and that was my character sheet is it possible that I might be able to use magic or skills or something like that? Let''s see ummmm.... show me spells. Nothing happened. Show me magic. Nothing happened. Show me skills. Immediately, he saw his skills come up in the translucent screen.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
??? ??? ?? ??%
Description Here.
No skills. What?!! I can¡¯t believe this. Even the weakest characters have some skills. How broken is this game? No game lets the character start out with absolutely nothing. A sinking feeling entered into the pit of his stomach as a realization hit him. What if this isn''t a game? What if this is all real? How will I survive here if I don''t know anything about the world around me? Hiro shook his head. He refused to let his dream of being in a game-like existence be taken away. He began to look around at his surroundings but all he saw were some different types of rocks in the cave. He looked at the texture and size of the rocks and studied them it was remarkable how real they felt. Even the air he was breathing was musty much like you would imagine a cave to be. Hiro continued to look at his surroundings and then he heard the chime again.
Ding! you have learned a new skill, observation.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Observation 1 Beginner 0%
Observe allows you to look at things and determine what they are and some of their attributes. Greater levels will allow you ascertain more information about the object..
So it''s that kind of game. I have to perform actions with some sort of base skill level in order to learn skills. Hmmm......This is very interesting. This observation skill will come in handy. Maybe this can keep me from eating something dangerous. ¡°Grumble¡± Hiro¡¯s stomach was growling. He forgot that he had not eaten in a while.
A new quest is available to you!
Quest: Find food before you starve. Upon completion you will gain experience and maybe more...
What!? Did I just get a quest? So soon in the game? This must be basically one of those introductory quests that help you learn to play the game. I''ll bite and try this out and see what happens. Hiro read the quest box again. I gain experience too! This is so cool! That means I will be able to increase my level too. This too much. I can barely contain myself. My inner gamer is really starting to come out. So Hiro walked towards the light he saw ahead of him and when I got there he noticed that he had come out of a cave. He looked around at his surroundings. He noticed that he was in a beautiful forest filled with trees and plants. He saw numerous fruits growing on the trees but he was wary of whether or not the plants were dangerous. He decided to use his observation skill. He looked at a plant that looked like an apple but it was purple with several white-colored horizontal rings going around the exterior of the fruit. His observation skill gave him the following knowledge about the fruit.
Ringed Apple
Type: Food Durability: 1 / 1
Quality: E
This fruit grows rapidly in the forests from a tree. It is sweet tasting with a soft core.
Well I guess, it¡¯s not poison so I¡¯ll try it. Hiro pulled the apple from the limb of the tree and ate it. It was so good that he ate 4 more. His stomach felt satisfied as he let out a loud belch. "Excuse me", he said as he patted his stomach.
You have completed a quest. Experience gained by points.
On the top right of his heads-up display, he noticed another bar that was partially red. It said 20%. Hiro surmised that this was his experience bar. He almost had enough experience for his next level.
Due to becoming full you have gained a temporary boost to your vitality. Vitality +1.
So food can help improve my stats? That is definitely good to know. Hopefully, I can keep myself full so that I can keep the added stats constantly. Hiro looked at his hp bar because he knew from his previous gaming experience that vitality was linked to how much hp he would have. My hunch was correct the hp bar now had 100/105. I gained 5 hp points by increasing my vitality by 1 point. So if I want a larger health pool, I need to increase my vitality score. Hiro looked around and the sun was overhead. He felt the heat from the sun and he began to sweat. The apples he had eaten were very good but they did nothing to quench his thirst. He let out a dry cough. I really need to get something drink.
Ding! new quest available.
Quest Find water and get a drink. Upon completion you will gain experience points.
Wow, that is pretty convenient. Is the quest system in my head or is the quest system just dynamic and changing based on my current situation? He had no real direction that he needed to go so Hiro just took off in a random direction. Hiro began looking around the forest for any signs of civilization or at the very least a water source. As he blindly looked through the trees and foliage, he heard the sound of moving water. There he saw a large waterfall with flowing water below it. The waterfall looked to be over 100 feet high. It was clear blue water that fell down the waterfall into a secluded area where the trees did not grow. Here there were only rocks of various sizes from very large to very small around. Upon looking around Hiro ran to the water and took a drink. The water was cool and refreshing. He could feel the raspiness of his throat clear as the water flowed down to his stomach. He drank greedily until his thirst was quenched. Hiro then dunked his entire head in the water to cool himself off.
Ding! You have completed your quest. You gain a small amount of experience.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. It''s really hot out. Putting my head in helped but maybe a swim in this water should help me cool off even more. He ran as fast as he could to the edge of the water and jumped in. The water felt great and made his body relax as all his anxiety and tension seemed to fade away. As he walked back to the edge of the water. Hiro felt something was wrong. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up. He felt like he was in danger. He frantically searched around¡­
You have gained the new skill, sense danger.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Sense Danger 1 Beginner 0%
Sense danger allows you to feel when danger is near. As your level increases you can determine the degree of danger and sense the foe from greater distances.
Immediately Hiro looked around and he saw a small animal that reminded him of a rat but it was much bigger. It was the size of a small house cat. Its eyes were red like fire and it was covered in matted black fur. Hiro used his observation skill.
Forest Rat
Type: Beast Health: ?? / ??
Mana: ???
Forest rat, very aggressive. Its strong jaws allow it to bite down on its prey.
Hiro thought he should move away from the forest rat but before he was ready the rat jumped up and bit his arm. Pain went through Hiro¡¯s body as the forest rat bit down as hard as it could. The pain was incredible. Fuck this hurts! How could this be so real?
¡°Ding!¡± you have developed the skill endurance.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Endurance Beginner 1 0%
This skill allows your body to endure pain by increasing your vitality making you more durable. With each level that you increase you will gain +5 to your vitality
He noticed the hp gauge dropped by 5 after being bit by the rat. Hiro shook his arm as hard as he could and the forest rat was flung off. Now, Hiro got ready with his hands up ready to fight. Hiro was to defend himself against the rat. He knew he was not a fighter but in this case, he had no choice. This thing is not Chu. It''s not bigger than me. It is just a dumb rat. I can beat this thing. Doubt still spung up in Hiro''s heart. Images of all the times he was beaten up flashed through his head but the pain in his armed flared again and brought him back to the here and now. He looked down at the rat and saw that it drew itself back on its haunches ready to leap at him. As it jumped up this time Hiro barely managed to dodge it. He began to calm down and think of all of the lessons his father had tried to teach him and the combat sports class he had taken. The rat was relentless but Hiro continued to dodge its attacks. He gained a bit of confidence after being able to keep the rat from hurting him anymore. Hiro breathed in and out deeply and took a fighting stance. His hands were up in a boxer¡¯s stance but his legs were spread open so he could move or kick. This is what his dad referred to as a mixed martial arts stance. The rat came at him again. Hiro decided to try and block the attack. He failed miserably and the rat bit him again. He lost 5 more points of health. He shook the rat off again and the two combatants reset. It was stupid of me to try and block its claws and teeth with bare hands. I need to dodge and attack from a blind spot. I don''t have anything sharp so I''m going to have to bludgeon it to death with my bare hands. Hiro decided this time he would try to dodge and counter. The rat charged at him again, bearing its large teeth. He waited for the rat to leap at him. Once it was airborne Hiro sidestepped it. While the rat was in mid-air he brought down his hand, chopping it across the back of its head. There was an audible thudding sound as his hand hit the rat and then another when the creature hit the ground hard. I must have done a lot of damage with that blow because it is now moving slowly and shaking its head. This is my chance to finish it before it regains its composure. Hiro quickly followed up and stomped down on its head killing it.
¡°Ding¡± you have learned the passive ability, unarmed combat.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Unarmed Combat Beginner 1 0%
You have developed the beginnings of empty handed combat. As you gain proficiency in this skill you will unlock greater more complex forms of combat. In addition all damage from all of your physical attacks are increased.
Hiro also noticed that he had gained some experience by killing the forest rat. Hiro looked at the carcass of the rat and thought to himself, ¡°This is going to be tough¡±. Exhausted and bloody from the fight, Hiro decided to take the dead rat and walk back to his cave. Time began to pass and he noticed something peculiar as he looked up at his hp gauge. It was full again. He also noticed that his arm was not hurting at all anymore. Then he looked down at his arm and the wound from the rat had healed as well. Strange. I guess my hp is a true value of my actual health. As it ticks up my wounds will heal. So as long as my health regenerates, given enough time I can recover from nearly anything. I guess except for things that would be an instant kill like being beheaded or my heart being pierced. As he walked Hiro began to take stock of what he currently had. As of now, he had an abundant source of water at the waterfall. He had a shelter in the cave. All he needed to secure now was a food source. If worst came to worst he knew he could eat the rat if he could somehow get a fire started and cook it. Well, dad told me that in a foreign country you have to get 4 things, food, shelter, water, and intelligence about the enemy. I''ll go back to the cave before any more creatures come out and attack me. For now, that is my best move. I can figure out what to do next from the safety of the cave. On his way back, Hiro grabbed some sticks he saw at the base of a large tree trunk that he could use f kindling. He also grabbed some flint stones that he found on the ground. He would use these to hopefully make a spark that would ignite the kindling to make a fire. As he neared the clearing that lead to his cave he picked a few more of those ringed apples so he had something to eat. Once he was back in the cave he put all of his supples on the ground. Once his hands were free he went back out and found some larger stones to make a fire ring. He definitely didn''t want to start a forest fire. Once he had his fire ring built he placed all of his kindling sticks in the center of the ring and then he grabbed a few leaves from the ground and placed them amongst the kindling. Now, he was ready for the hard part. He hit the rocks against each other over and over again. It was time they created a small spark but nothing lit. The sun had already begun to go down and the temperature was dropping. He needed to get the fire made to keep himself warm and possibly cook himself some food. He persevered through each disappointing strike of the rocks and kept trying. Strike after strike but nothing happened. He even saw that he had lost a few health points as his hands had taken damage from smashing the rocks together. Then finally, the flintstones cracked together once more in his hands and a spark lit one of the leaves on fire. A tear nearly fell from his eye as his hard work was finally paying off. The leave burned as he put more leaves on top of it. The little fire greedily consumed the leaves and grew. Soon it burned brightly and began to engulf the rest of the kindling. Hiro laughed maniacally and in his best impression yelled out, "I have created fire!!!!" Hiro quickly found some large pieces of wood and threw them onto the fire causing it to grow even more. The warmth from the fire quickly fought against the chill in the air. Now that he had his fire it was time to see what else he could do. He looked at some of the stones he had collected. None of them looked particularly sharp but that didn''t matter. Hiro knew that he could sharpen any of them slightly. Soon he found one that had a bit of a point and a sharp edge. He rubbed against another stone trying to use the second one as a whetstone. It wasn''t perfect but he was able to make the original stone a bit sharper. Now, let''s see if this works. Hiro grabbed the rat corpse and then used the stone to peel the fur off as he had learned back in his time of survival training with his father. He knew he had to try his best to separate the skin and fur from the meat. His skill was poor and his makeshift knife was a joke but the skin was coming off little by little. Eventually¡­
Ding! You have gained the passive ability, skinning
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Skinning Beginner 1 0%
This ability allows the user to remove fur from animals creating various types of leather and fur which can use for the creation of various items.
This is amazing! Every time I do something I gain a new skill. This means that my opportunities for improvement are solely based on what I try to do. I hope this continues like this or maybe I''m getting the skill for these things because I already had prior knowledge on how to do these things. Never mind, it is not like it matters much. As long I can improve my skills I will take it. Once the rat was skinned he took his stone knife and cut the creature down the middle. The blade wasn''t very sharp so he had to push hard to pierce the skin. Once he made a small cut he used his hands to rip the skin open. It was grisly work but he managed to get through it without vomiting up whatever he had in his stomach. Once he opened the creature up he pulled out all of the organs. He then grabbed some sticks and sharpened the ends with the improvised stone blade. Once they had enough of a point through them, Hiro pushed the sticks through its lifeless body and began cooking it on the fire. After a few minutes, the meat began to darken and smell good.
Ding¡± cooking skill created.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Cooking Beginner 1 0%
This skill will enable you to create nourishing food from various ingriedeints. With greater skill the food cooked will give those who eat it temporary stat increases as well as increase to health and mana amounts and recovery.
Yesss! I will definitely need this because I have no idea what is going on or how long I will be out here. Hiro said a prayer and ate the rat down to its bones as well as the apples. After eating, Hiro checked his hp gauge. Just as I thought, my vitality went up another couple of points after eating. His Hp was now at 145. Feeling stuffed, he looked down and saw that the spine of the rat might be useful. He thought he might be able to take the spine and turn it into some sort of weapon, maybe a makeshift spear to fight anything at a distance. Before long sitting in the light of the fire, Hiro fell asleep. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. The more of you that follow, favorite, and review my fanfic, the closer Hiro''s Journey gets into the top 50. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located at the bottom of the page. Please donate if you can as it will help me continue to write this fan fiction and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main Page NEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 2: Fight for survival Chapter 2 The next morning Hiro woke up to the light outside the cave. The sun was already up and his stomach was growling which meant he would have to go out and do some exploring. "Before I go Hiro grabbed the spine of the rat he killed the day before and went outside the cave. He found some vines growing from a tree and ripped them down. ¡°This will make a good rope to attach the spine to a good stick¡±. Next, Hiro searched around for a suitable stick. He immediately found one. It was about 170 centimeters in length. It was a dark wood. It felt light but very strong. Hiro took the vine he found and tied the rat spine to the end of the stick making a point.
Ding! Weapon making skill learned.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Weapon Making Beginner 1 0%
User will be able to make weapons of various types form materials gathered. As user skill improves the weapons created will be of better quality and have better offensive capabilities.
He took a few practice swings to test how it would feel and then paused for a moment thinking of all of the moves he saw his father and other instructors make when he was younger. He began to thrust the make-shift spear at an imaginary opponent. Each thrust was awkward and his balance was horrible. His bodyweight shifted poorly and he looked like a complete and total novice. Undeterred, Hiro did this for a while getting used to the weight of the spear and its range.
Ding! You have learned the passive skill spear weapon proficiency.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Spear Mastery Beginner 1 0%
It allows the user to have improved skill, speed, and damage with spear-like weapons.
Instantly, he felt knowledge flow into his mind. He could sense that his stance was wrong and the way he was holding the spear with incorrect. Is this the effect of having a skill? This has a lot of potential. Hiro decided to practice for a while with the spear to get a little more used to it before he went exploring and hunting for his next meal. After an hour or so Hiro felt that his movements seemed to be getting better with the spear. He was no longer falling off balance with each thurst and when he moved the spear didn''t feel as awkward. He was not at the place where the spear seemed to be easily able to handle the spear as if it was part of his own body but he wasn''t going to do more harm to himself than an enemy at least. His stomach let out a loud growl to remind him to go hunting as he hadn¡¯t eaten anything up until this point. He grabbed 2 ringed apples from the tree outside his cave and ate them to quell his hunger for the moment. Next, he grabbed a few more pieces of the vines that were growing from the tree outside just in case he needed them for something. Lastly, he checked his improvised spear and then he went out to hunt. The previous day he had been ambushed by a forest rat. The rat wasn''t extremely dangerous but it had done some damage to Hiro. He decided that today he would be a bit more careful and try to be more cognizant of his surroundings and make less noise as he moved. He watched where he placed his feet trying not to break sticks that were on the ground. This would make him as quiet as possible. As he moved further into the forest he saw another forest rat. He waited quietly behind a tree as to not disturb the animal. The rat was eating something that Hiro couldn''t make out but it was facing his direction. He did not want to disturb the creature and have a head-on clash so he patiently waited while the creature ate its meal.
Ding! Hide skill learned.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Hide Beginner 1 0%
User has the ability to erase his presence from others allowing him to move freely without being noticed. It does not make you invisible just harder to detect. As skill improves user will be able to move closer to enemies without detection.
I don''t know how good of a skill that is but I won''t complain. Anything that helps me avoid detection should help me with surviving in this forest. Now, it doesn''t know I''m here. How I can I take it out without getting close. Melee seems good in a game but in real life those teeth and claws really hurt. I would like to avoid them if at all possible. Hiro looked at his spear and an idea struck. I can throw this like a javelin. Then I can avoid a brawl with the creature. Hiro took aim and threw his spear at the rat. As expected of a complete novice, the spear throw missed its mark completely. The forest rat instantly ran away and Hiro had to keep searching for more prey. This went on 5 more times before he landed a direct hit. Having learned from his previous errors and making corrections to his aim, his latest throw hit the forest rat in its rear haunches pinning it to the ground. The creature let out a pained whine as Hiro walked up to it. The creature bared its larger incisors but Hiro knew it was all bluster. The young man ended the rodent''s life with a powerful stomp on its head. Hiro was amazed his knew method was so much easier and safer.
Ding! Level up!
So each time I kill something I will gain experience points to increase my level just like in a game. This is great! It does mean I have to kill a lot more things in order to get stronger but I should be able to manage. He grabbed the carcass of the rat and tied it using some of the leftover vines he found so that he could carry it with him. He decided to continue hunting to see more of his surroundings. As he continued exploration of the forest, he found four more rats. Each time he killed them with his new method of throwing his spear and then stomping their heads to finish them off. He was kind of surprised he did not get a throwing skill but it was nothing to worry about at this point. He was content with his haul for the day and headed towards the lake to clean the carcasses before heading back to his cave. As he neared the clearing where the waterfall was located he saw another rat. With my spear, I could one-hit kill it from a distance but I won''t always get that opportunity to attack from a distance. I need to be able to fight in melee as well as ranged combat. I don''t want to be too dependent on one form of combat or another. I need to cover all of my bases. He decided to fight the rat up close. He placed his other carcasses on the ground and slowly came out of hiding. The rat did not see him because it was facing the other direction. Hiro saw his opportunity and attacked the rat but his thrust missed as the rat jumped back. Somehow it had noticed his approach. The rat bared its teeth but unlike his first encounter, Hiro was ready this time. The rat jumped at him while he quickly swatted it down with the blunt end of his spear. The rat took considerable damage as the wooden handle of the spear cracked against the back of its head. Hiro then returned to his fighting stance with the spear ready to strike again. "This is awesome! It''s like my body is finally listening to me. I think and it reacts. It was never like this growing up. What is going on? I''m not even winded. Even my coordination is better. Did this place heal me or something? The rat jumped to its feet and hissed loudly at its human opponent. Hiro smirked as the large rodent came at him with its claws once again. Hiro allowed the rat to scratch his side to test out a theory. The pain isn''t as bad as the bite I received yesterday. Just as I thought my increased endurance mitigates some of the pain I experience. The higher the value the less pain I feel from small injuries. I should take some damage so that I can improve my endurance. The rat came down and circled back around. The rodent jumped at Hiro. He was able to determine the path of the rat''s attack and allowed it to scratch him. The wound was not bad at all and he could see his opponent''s movements more clearly. Hiro did the same thing a few more times until he felt like he had allowed himself to take enough punishment. This time Hiro waited for the moment the rat opened its mouth and shoved his spear straight through its mouth all the way through its belly, impaling the rat on his makeshift pike, killing the rat instantly. Hiro stared at the grisly scene of his latest battle. He shook his head as he looked at the blood all over the ground. This world is kill or be killed. The strong rule the weak! I cannot hesitate. If I do that could be the end of me. I still don''t know exactly what is going on here. I don''t know whether this is real or not but what I do know is that I don''t want to die so I will have to be careful and improve myself when I can without doing myself some significant harm. Hiro quickly removed his spear from the creature''s mouth and wrapped it in vines. Hiro continued on his journey he found 5 more rats. He killed each of them with his spear. Two of them he killed by attacking from a distance and the other 3 he killed up close using melee combat. Once his bounty of rodent carcasses was wrapped up he went to the lake where he found the waterfall to try and wash some of the blood off of the bodies. Once there he did his best to clean the kills before returning back to his cave.
Spear mastery reached level 2
Hmm... I think fighting with the spear is paying off. I don''t know how much this is going to help me but I would assume having a higher level of a skill is better than not having it. Anyway, I think I''ve done enough hunting and exploring for the day so I should return to my cave. He went to gather some twigs to create a fire back in his cave. As he moved back to the cave he heard a noise in the distance. It seemed to be moving towards him very fast. Hiro¡¯s heart began to beat rapidly. His body tensed up. He ran to the open space near his cave so that he could get a glimpse of the enemy that was coming at him. Once he got to the clearing, the animal that came jumping out at him. The creature looked like a common house cat but it stood about 1 meter tall and was about 2 meters from its head to tail. The fur was so black that it seemed to melt into the failing light. The eyes were yellow and had black pupils. Its mouth showed dozens of long teeth and its aura was murderous. The fierce beast moved around in a circle around Hiro letting out a low growl indicating its intentions for the human before it. Before the creature attacked, Hiro used his inspection ability. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Forest Panther
Type: Cat Beast Health ?? / ??
Mana: ???
Forest panther: power claws, powerful legs built for speed. It has razor sharp teeth and is built for hunting in the forest.
The smell of the blood from the rats must have brought him. Wait, maybe it was stalking me the whole time. It doesn''t matter right now. It is here and I have to figure out a way to deal with it now. Hiro had two options try to run or fight. His mind was racing. Dealing with those small rats was one thing but this creature that was nearly the size of an adult lion was something completely different. Everything in him told him that he could not defeat this creature. Dread crept into his mind and heart. His heart began to beat faster and faster. He felt a cold sweat running down the back of his neck. I''m pretty sure that this thing is way too fast for me to run from some there is no way I can escape from this monster. I''m going to have to stand and fight but how can I do that? Will my spear even pierce that thing''s fur? He dropped the rats that he had killed and readied his spear. As the cat lunged at him, he used his spear to block the blow. The sheer force of the blow sent him flying backward. After a few feet in the air he smashed into the ground hard. Hiro quickly rolled over and regained his fighting stance. Hiro looked down as his weapon marveling over the hastily put together weapon. He pleasantly surprised that the spear did not break.
- 25 health points
This is bad. I can¡¯t block these attacks. Even if I do manage to defend agains them, they will send me flying backward and I will lose health when I hit the ground. it¡¯s too powerful. I''ve got to try something different. What would dad say? That''s right the marines would say improvise, adapt, and overcome. What can''t I control? The creature''s physical specs are out of my control. What can I control? My reactions. That''s it! My actions and reactions just have to be faster. I don''t have to outrun it, I just have to move and avoid it attacks to wait for an opportunity to counter. That''s what I will do. He decided to try to dodge and observe the enemy¡¯s movements. It jumped at Hiro and he rolled to the ground avoiding the attack. The big cat tried to strike Hiro with its powerful claws and he jumped backward to create more distance. The cat was wild but it was also predictable. It was an animal that attacked off of instinct. It didn''t have a plan. That was its weakness. It could only attack with its front paws or bite. All of which were very close ranges attacks. That''s its weakness, its range. As long as use my spear''s range I should be fine. He quickly learned how the cat was moving and attacking. After a few moments, it was like he could see the attacks coming.
Ding! new skill learned, predict.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
Prediction Beginner 1 0%
Due to heightened awareness the user is able to use this ability to see all possible attacks from enemies. With increased levels you can narrow down the attacks until you will be able to determine the the path and trajectory of the attack.
After gaining his prediction ability Hiro looked at the panther. Before the panther attacked Hiro could see 3 distinct lines coming from the beast, one from each of its front 2 paws and one from its head. Those lines must be indicators of what where the attacks could be coming from. Then it attacked. It followed the line that came from its mouth. As long as I avoid the lines I should be ok. Now it was time for his counterattack. Hiro began to attack the panther with his spear. He would dodge and strike then move to a safe distance. He was able to land numerous attacks on the panther but none of his attacks were lethal due to the weak blade made from the rat¡¯s spine. It became a battle of attrition. The small wounds began to add up and the panther¡¯s movements began to slow. Soon Hiro was able to get closer and closer to the beast as it was covered in blood. Soon the beast was barely able to stand. It opened its mouth to let out a fierce growl. Hiro seized the opportunity and took his spear with all of his might and ran it through the panther¡¯s mouth through its skull killing the beast.
Ding! Level increased to lvl 4!
Ding! Level increased to lv 5!
Ding! Level increased to lv 6!
Upon vanquishing his worthy foe, Hiro fell to his knees in exhaustion and ecstasy. He felt like he was truly becoming a warrior. After resting for some time Hiro grabbed the spoils of his day and went into his cave. He lit a fire and began skinning the rats. After they were all done he began to skin the panther. It seemed as though his skinning ability began to improve even though he was only using some sharp rocks he had found on his way back to the cave.
Ding! you gain 7 pieces of light leather and 1 piece of panther fur.
He decided if he would be in this world for a while he would have to improve his equipment. The clothes he had did not afford him any protection from his enemies. He decided to try and make some armor. He grabbed some of the vine he had and a piece of the leather to make some leather armor. Hiro failed several times ruining 4 pieces of weaker rat leather but in his failures,` he slowly began to figure out the way it should be done. Taking his errors in how the previous pieces came out with the openings in the wrong place he grabbed the panther leather and went to work. A short time later, he succeeded.
Ding! New skill created armor making.
Skill Name: Skill Rank: Skill Level: Skill Experience:
ArmorMaking Beginner 1 0%
User will be able to make weapons of various types form materials gathered. As user skill improves the armor created will be of better quality and have better defensive capabilities as well as containing status bonuses and resistances.
Ding! you created crude panther leather vest.
Hiro inspected the item.
Crude Panther vest
Type: Leather Durability: 25 / 25
Quality: Low Defense:12
A makeshift piece of armor made by an absolute beginner. No aesthetic value but does grant some decent protection.
He put on the leather vest it didn¡¯t feel good at all but it was much better than his original equipment. He decided to try his hand at making some pants. He removed his shorts and then laid the leather over the top of them. Next, he cut the pants into the same waist size and shape but made the legs longer so that they would protect him down to his feet. After that, he poked holes in both sides of each leg and then stitched them using some vines. Once the front and back pieces were stitched together his endeavor was complete.
Ding! you have created crude leather pants.
He inspected the pants.
Crude Leather Pants
Type: Leather Durability: 20 / 20
Quality:Low Defense: 8
Barely functional pare of pants made by a complete rookie.
Now that he had a way to protect himself a little better, he cooked the meat and ate until he was stuffed. Hiro thought about what he should do next. He had no clue of what to do. Since this seems like a game I should think about what I would do at this point in a game. In a game, you would continue to expand your search until you found a town where you could get information.
Ding! New Quest available. Find a town
Reward: Experience 250 points Accept. Yes/No
250 points of experience? Of course I accept. That seems like a lot since the other day I would level up if got 20 points. I should check my status. Status: Name: Hiro Title:??? Level:l 6 Stats Hp 250/250 Mana 0 Strength 15 Speed 12 Dexterity 12 Wisdom 8 Vitality 20 Equipment: Chest: Panther Leather tunic Legs: Rat leather pants Weapon: Wooden Spear Skills: Observe: Beginner level 5 (49%) Prediction: Beginner Level 1 (20%) Weapon Making: Beginner Level 1 (5%) Tailoring: Beginner level 2 (45%) Martial arts: Beginner level 1 (20%) Endurance: Beginner level 3 (79%) Spear mastery: Beginner level 3 (25%) Hide: Beginner level 2 (20%) Wow: I advanced that much in only 2 days. Well tomorrow I guess I have to find a way to improve my weapon. That spear just won¡¯t cut it against tougher enemies like that panther. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main Page NEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 3: Basic Training Hiro awoke to the sound a heavy thunderstorm. The sky flashed brightly with each lightning strike. It was raining heavily outside and it was much colder than it had been for the last 2 days. He couldn¡¯t take the chance of getting sick so it was too risky to go out. He decided to stay in and practice his fighting skills as he felt that honing them would increase his chances of survival in this world. He thought to himself, ¡°What is the basis of being a warrior?¡± Then he remembered that the basis of all fighting was a strong and agile body. He thought back to his days of martial arts practice. Every practice would begin with a warm-up, followed by stretches and ending with skill practice. He began with doing jumping jacks to warm up his body. He was never really good at this so he thought 25 would be good to start. He began jumping up slightly until is hands clapped above his head and his feet were spread open then he return to the start position. His body was moving pretty well and he was not feeling any labor in his breathing as he had in the past. Hiro decided to do some more and do them faster until he broke a slight sweat. He counted, ¡°25¡­.. 40¡­. 75¡­100!¡± It took him 100 jumping jacks just to break a sweat. This was crazy. Next he decided to do some body exercises pushups, squats, and situps. He started with sets of 10 for each exercise. He got down on his hands and began doing push ups. He pushed himself into a plank postion then lowered himself until his chest almost touched the ground. His body felt strong much stronger than before. He completed ten pushups in almost effortlessly. Then he moved to squats. He put his feet shoulder length apart and placed his hands behind his head. He looked up towards the roof of the cave a proceeded to lower his body until his butt was as low as he could get it without falling. After that he returned to the start position and did 9 more completing his set. Again he still wasn¡¯t really feeling anything. Now he moved to the last of the body exercises which was situps. He placed his back on the ground and moved his legs up as he bent his knees. Then he placed his hands on either side of his head a lifted his head up to his knees by contracting his abdominal muscles. Then he returned to the start. He quickly did 9 more repetions of situps but he was not feeling any fatigue so he did another set, then another and another. After completing 5 rounds of these calisthenics his body barely felt fatigued. So he did more and more and more. By the time he was exhausted he counted that he did over 250 of each exercise!
Ding!¡± Due to your strenuous workout you have gained 2 points in strength, 2 points of agility, and 2 points of vitality.
¡°What is going on? My body could never do this before. I can become stronger in this world like this? I never imagined practicing the basics like this would help me to improve in this type of situation.¡±Hiro decided to rest for a bit to recover his stamina. Then using this premise of practicing would make his skills increase he assumed a fighting stance and began throwing punches and kicks each time trying to maintain his balance and perfectly execute the technique. Once he practiced his basics he began to visualize an opponent in front of him. He attacked his opponent as he visualized various weaknesses in his imaginary opponent¡¯s defensive stance. Now it was time to work his own defense. He visualized his opponent was attacking him by throwing various kicks and punches. To combat the attacks, first he decided to practice blocking. First, he used multiple blocks to stop his imaginary opponent''s attacks. He began with high and low blocks, then mixed in some elbow blocks and finally attempted some soft parrying like blocks that could lead to counter attacks. Next he decided to try using some footwork to avoid the blows. He was hit several times by his imaginary foe until he began to get the hang of it. He began to look closely at his opponent and observe his movements. He could not use his prediction ability on this enemy so he had to be more observant. Soon he was able to avoid the blows by creating distance that was advantageous to him. He moved in and out, side to side to avoid the blows from his attacker. Then he closed the distance and tried to avoid the blows without moving away. He began to avoid the attacks using upper body head movement, ducking, and swaying. He was really beginning to move around. His body was sweating profusely but Hiro was enjoying every minute of his training.
Ding! You unarmed combat has increased to level 4!
Ding! you have learned the skill, dodge
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
DodgeBeginner10%
This skill allows the user to be more difficult to hit in combat. Relying on quick movements the user is able to avoid damage and move into more advantageous positions in combat. With each level the user is awarded +5 to agility.
Next came weapon training. He took out his spear and thought about all of the martial arts movies that he would watch on tv for hours on end. He began to practice each and every move, thrusts, blocks, and slashes on his imaginary foe. As time passed he was able to twirl the spear and complete numerous strings of various movements that he remembered from watching on tv. He was now pummeling his imaginary foe with his spear repeatedly and blocking his attacks with the spear. He was beginning to get more accustomed to using the weapon.
Ding! Your spear mastery increased to level 4!
As he was pouring sweat he felt his stomach beginning to growl. His hunger forced him to decide that he would go out. As he adorned his panther tunic, he looked out into the woods. He felt that he was ready to take on anything that came his way. He thought to himself, ¡°I need to find a new weapon. Something that can do some real damage when I attack a stronger enemy and I also need to try to explore further into this forest to see if I can find a way out to a town to complete my quest. After a few minutes the rain subsided and the sun came out. The temperature was pleasantly warm after the cooler wet morning. Because of the heat and moisture in the air his leather tunic and pants were a bit uncomfortable but he knew they were necessary for his survival. Hiro went out of his cave and resumed his exploration of the forest. On his way he saw a few forest rats but they ran at the sight of him. ¡°I guess they thought I was the forest panther¡±. I picked a good animal to make my tunic out of. He continued out into the forest where he saw a human looking thing. It was about the average height of a 10 or 12 year old child but it had green skin with pointy ears. It wasn¡¯t wearing any armor or any clothes at all for that matter. Immediately, Hiro activated his hide skill to erase his presence and then used inspect.
Goblin
Type: MonsterLevel 5Health:100 / 100
Mana:0/0
a weak monster that lives in the forest. Goblins are known to be dim witted but they travel in groups so be careful when approaching.
Upon further inspection of the enemy, Hiro noticed that it carried what appeared to be a rusty short sword. ¡°I need to get that sword¡±, he thought to himself. I will have to be sneaky in order to get up behind it and even if I can¡¯t manage it should still be fine. It did not have any armor and I am much larger so I should have the advantage. I¡¯ll activate my predict ability to be on the safe side. Hiro continued to sneak around behind the enemy. ¡°This hide skill is amazing! I¡¯m making almost no sound at all. He won¡¯t notice me until it is too late.¡± Hiro continued to sneak up behind the enemy until at last he sprang up behind the goblin. With his spear firmly in his hands he thrust it directly into the goblin¡¯s back. The spear easily penetrated through the goblin and it fell limp and lifeless on the ground. Hiro quickly looked around for any signs of other goblins. He didn¡¯t notice anything so he took the sword, a bag the goblin had, a necklace it was wearing and ran off into the woods. That was pretty. Was that a result of my increased spear mastery skill? Hiro then took the sword out and took a few practice swings. This sword feels pretty light and this bag seems to have something in it and I wonder what this necklace is. Well now that I have a minute, I¡¯ll inspect them all.
Iron Shortsword
Type:Short swordDurability:15 / 25
Quality:Low
Iron Shortsword: a short sword that is stained with blood from numerous battles. The blade is chipped and covered in rust but it will still cut through most enemies.
Magic Bag
Type:BagDurability:100 / 100
Quality:Medium
Magic bag: Has 8 slots within the bag. Each slot will an item. The item can be stacked up to 10 times.
Tooth necklace
Type:NecklaceDurability:25 / 25
Quality:Low
Tooth necklace: Necklace that a hunter wears to show his conquests. The wearer will gain 4 points to strength while wearing it.
This was definitely a good haul. Hiro looked around and noticed that no one was around so he placed his spear on his back and took the sword in his hands. He began swinging it over and over. Some of his attacks were thrusts others were slashes.
Ding! You have learned the passive skill sword mastery.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Sword MasteryBeginner010%
This is the user''s proficiency at using sword type weapons. As user improves the skill new techniques will be unlocked as well as improved ability to wield weapon and damage.
I¡¯ll put the necklace on put the bag on my hip for now and I will have to see about how well I can use the sword when I get back tonight. For now, I have to find some food. Hiro began to walk through the forest but he was unsuccessful in finding any enemies to kill for food. He began to venture into an area that he had not gone to before but he was getting desperate as his hunger was beginning to grow. As he walked into this new area the thick forest changed into a pleasant grassy area full of all kinds of different colored flowers. This place was absolutely beautiful but Hiro had no cover so any enemies could see him at a distance. Hiro began to boldly march out onto the plains area. In the distance he was unable to see anything that could be food so he decided to go back into the woods.
Ding! A dangerous presence has been detected.
Just then he heard a noise from behind him. Then from out of the bushes hopped a dark figure, It was another forest panther. This time he would not wait to for the big cat to come at him. He would take the initiative and attack. He dropped his spear, pulled out his new rusty sword and readied himself for battle. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.He thought this would be a good chance to see if I can use predict even better than last time. The cat growled and readied itself to attack. Hiro steadied himself and charged at the cat. His ability showed him the path of all the cat¡¯s possible next attacks with red lines marking its trajectory. Due to his increase in speed, Hiro¡¯s charge was pretty fast. He could not believe it himself compared to how he moved the first day. As he closed in on the beast, the first attack came toward his head. In anticipation he jumped and the cat slid underneath of him. He slashed the panther¡¯s hind leg causing a smile amount of damage but the cat began to bleed. The panther growled at him but Hiro was unphased knowing that he had already defeated a forest panther he knew he could do it again. The beast raced towards him and Hiro dodged but this time he was slashed by the cat¡¯s claws. He only lost 20 points of damage due to his tunic¡¯s protective ability so the cat was not much of a threat now. He allowed the cat to attack him until his hp was cut in half to help build up his endurance stat then he went on the offensive. He began slashing the cat over and over practicing his swordplay. Finally, he dodged the attack of the beast by jumping onto the back of the cat where he plunged the blade deep into its skull instantly killing the beast.
Ding! You improved sword mastery to level 2.
Ding! Your endurance skill is now level 4.
Hiro¡¯s assumption that his strength had increased was correct. His training, new weapon, and new found abilities made him a formidable opponent for any beast. His increase in strength became even more apparent when he grabbed the carcass of the panther. It seemed a lot lighter than the previous one even though this one was about 150 cm tall and about 240 cm long. Hiro thought to himself, ¡°Can this magic bag actually hold this corpse?¡± He decided to give it a shot. He placed the bag down and grabbed the head of the panther and began stuffing it into the bag. As soon as the head touched the bag it was swallowed up whole. Hiro checked his inventory.
Equipment Weapons: Wooden Spear Iron Shortsword Armor: Panther leather tunic Leather pants Magic bag Slot 1: Forest Panther corpse Slot 2: Small hunting knife Slot 3: Skinning knife Slot 4-8: empty
This is so cool. Now I don¡¯t have to carry it in my hand which leaves me free to catch more things. After two very bloody battles, Hiro decided to go and bathe in the lake near his cave. When he arrived he took off his equipment and dove in. The water was clean and refreshing.
Ding! Swimming skill learned
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
SwimmingBeginner10%
User is able to swim in water. With improvement the user is able to swim faster, dive deeper, and hold his breath for longer periods of time.
As he relaxed in the water he started to feel lonely with no one to talk to. He thought that isn¡¯t much different than home. No one would talk to me their other than to pick on me or call me some kind of names. Oh well. I will carve out a new existence for myself here. I will be a warrior without equal. I will earn the name of hero. That is if there are any other people around. He decided to get out of the lake and go hunting for a little longer to see if he could find anymore worthy foes. As he traveled he heard something in the bushes near him. His sense danger ability warned him that there was an enemy near. Hiro immediately pulled out his sword and took a defensive posture. He knew danger was near but he could not yet pinpoint its exact location. Just then several little green goblins jumped out at him. Once was already on his back biting him in the muscle above his collarbone. The other two were encircling him in a quasi-pincer attack. Hiro felt the sharp teeth of the goblin tearing into his flesh causing him to bleed. He had to get it off. He took his blade and tried to thrust it into the head of the goblin but it released him before he could land the fatal blow. Now the 3 of them had Hiro surrounded.
Ding! You are bleeding. You are now losing 2 hp per second and any attacks to the wound will deal 50% more damage.
Hiro, recognizing that he was really in danger, immediately charged the goblin directly in front of him while activating his predict ability. He could see that the other 2 that were in his blind spot and were going to attack in from the sides so he jumped as high as he could. The missed him and ran into each other. The observe screen was right they really are dim witted. The impact of them running into each other caused them both to fall down. Hiro then came down plunging his blade into the head of the goblin in front of him who had been frozen in place as Hiro set upon him with his blade. Now there were 2 left. Hiro immediately ran back to the other goblins that were on the ground. They had no weapons so he decided to take this opportunity to use his unarmed combat skills. He put his sword in the scabbard that he carried on his back and assumed his fighting pose. The goblins came at him and he parried their attacks on countered them with vicious punches to their bodies and heads. They moved much slower and had a lot less technique than the image of the foe he had created during his training so they were easy to defeat. The battle continued on and he beat them until they could no longer stand.Once they were unable to stand he jumped in the air as high as he could and stomp the heads of each one killing them in a bloody mess.
Ding! Unarmed combat is now at level 5
His hp had dropped to almost ? of his maximum. This was a good battle. Now what should I do about this bleeding status. Hiro began to search around for something to stop the bleeding. He took his sword and cut a piece of his leather tunic off and wrapped it around his shoulder tying it under his arm. The bleeding stopped and his status was recovered.
Ding! You have learned the skill first aid.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
First AidBeginner10%
With this skill you will be able to recover from light injuries more quickly by using bandages from various materials. As you improve the health recovery will be faster and you can stop more serious status ailments.
He looked around to see if there was any loot on the goblins. He only found a small container that looked like it could hold water. He went down to the lake and rinsed the container out several times. Then he filled it with water. Now that he was satisfied with hunting for the day he decided to get back to his cave for dinner. He gathered his equipment and made his way back to the cave. The sun was beginning to set so he gathered some wood and a couple of smooth stones. He placed everything in his bag and went into his cave. Once he got to the entrance he noticed something lying on the ground. He moved closer and used inspect.
???
Type:Human FemaleHealth:?? / ??
Mana:???
You are unable to discern any information with your present skill level.
It was another person. Hiro ran into the cave. It smelled of blood. The woman woke up startled and screamed, ¡°Get away from me!¡± Hiro replied, ¡°It¡¯s ok. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± The woman got on one knee in a defensive posture as if she was readying to strike. She appeared to be injured as one of legs was not able to support her weight. Hiro noticed that his prediction ability was not showing any attacks coming from her so he knew she would not really attack him. He decided to start a fire and leave her alone while as he was confident that if she decided to attack his sense danger and prediction abilities would warn him in enough to defend himself. He used the skinning knife that was in the bag to skin the panther. Once he skinned it he used the fur to create a bed. Then he cooked the meat. The woman¡¯s stomach made a growling sound. Hiro offered her some food. She snatched the food away and darted back to her area of the cave. After eating his fill, Hiro took the rest of the meat and put it in the bag hoping that if he was unable to find food he would be able to pull it out and eat it later. Now it was time for his next project. He pulled out the smooth stone from his magic bag and the container of water. He thought he might be able to use the smooth stones as a whetstone to sharpen his sword. It was extremely rusty and could use some refurbishing. He placed the stone on the ground and poured some water from his container on it. Then he began rubbing the blade of the sword against the stone. Slowly but surely the rust that was on the blade began to fall off and the shiny copper metal beneath began to show.
Ding! You have learned the skill of weapon sharpening.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Weapon SharpeningBeginner10%
This skill allows you to maintain and or improve the sharpeness of a weapon. In doing this you will restore its durability and increase the damage it does.At your present level you can only increase the damage by +2.
Once Hiro had remove all of the rust from his sword he then looked at the blade. It was back to its former metallic luster. The blade was now shiny and it looked razor sharp. Finished with his battle preparations he looked over at the woman and said, ¡°I¡¯m Hiro¡±. Then he asked the woman her name. She replied, ¡°Foria¡±. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 4: Damsel in Distress Hey guys! Here is another chapter for you. Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback as it will help me continue to evolve the story. Enjoy! Chapter 4 ¡°Foria, that¡¯s a pretty name. Are you hurt at all? I saw you holding your leg.¡± ¡°Yes, I was injured on my way here¡±, said Foria. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Hiro. Then she told him her story. She was the daughter of the chief of a nearby village. She and her brother were acting as ambassadors on a trip to a neighboring village of elves when their caravan was attacked by orcs. The orcs ambushed them once they entered into the forest. They used poisoned arrows to dispatch the guards and then they tried to kidnap my brother and me. I didn¡¯t have any weapons so I was defenseless. My brother had spent time learning magic so he cast a fire spell that killed several of the orcs but after casting it he fell exhausted from the strain of the magic. I tried to save him but he told me to run and get help. As I was leaving one of the orcs slashed me with his sword in my leg. I dodged it just enough that I didn''t lose my leg but I was badly wounded and the blade was covered in poison. I tried to escape to our village but the way home was cut off by the orcs. I hid in the bushes until they seemed to give up looking for me. I think I passed out for a while but when I came to I made my escape. I covered my leg in some plants that I found and got on my way. I didn¡¯t have a map so I had no idea where I had run. Eventually, my strength faded as I came upon this cave. My exhaustion had set in so I lay down and tried to rest. When I woke up you were coming in holding a weapon. You scared me so I just wanted to defend myself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you and your brother¡±, he said. ¡°Thank you¡±, replied Foria. ¡°I want to help you save your brother¡±, Hiro exclaimed
Ding! New Quest available Quest: Save Foria¡¯s brother. Do you accept? Yes
¡°Before we save him first we have to do something about your leg.¡± Hiro came close and bandaged her leg. She winced in pain but the bleeding stopped. ¡°Thank you but that is not going to solve the entire problem.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡± asked Hiro. ¡°The blade that cut me was coated in a poison. Not a very powerful one or I wouldn¡¯t still be here but I can feel it moving through my body. If it isn''t cured I will die.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ How can we cure it because I don¡¯t know anything about medicine¡± said Hiro. ¡°I know a little because my father is an alchemist so he taught me how to mix up potions and things. Go out and see if you can find a flower with four red petals. When you find it, take two rocks and grind the flower up into a thick paste. The paste will make a healing salve that should cure the poison and help me recover more quickly from my wound¡± replied Foria.
Ding! New Quest available Quest: Heal Foria¡¯s leg. Do you accept? Yes
¡°Ok. I¡¯ll go look¡±. Hiro grabbed his sword and left the cave and went out in search of the flower. Luckily the moon was out so he could still see. He looked around the outside of the cave but couldn¡¯t locate any flowers. He continued to look among the shrubs and bushes around the cave entrance. He wanted to stay as close to the cave as possible as he had never been out at night since he woke up in this world. He knew that in games the creatures that came out at night were usually much more dangerous than those that were out during the day. His vision would also be impaired as he could not see in the dark. Luckily, tonight was a full moon so he could see well enough in the moonlight. He continued to search but to no avail so he moved farther away from the cave entrance. About 100 meters from the cave entrance there was an abundance flowers. He was hopeful that the flower would be growing among all of the other wildflowers. He got closer and his hope came true. He saw about 20 of the flower his was looking for. As Hiro walked towards the area the flowers were growing¡­.
Ding! A dangerous presence is near!
Hiro felt a cold chill run down his spine. He activated his prediction ability. Instantly, it showed an attack coming straight for his face. He quickly jumped back as a snake that looked similar to a King cobra lunged at him. Hiro was able to dodge the attack and as he backed up the snake slithered out. The snake was jet black with cold silver looking eyes with red pupils. Its body was thick nearly a meter in circumference and appeared to possess very powerful muscles. Its head was raised up nearly 4 feet in the air as the rest of its body came from hiding in the flowers. Hiro readied his blade and inspected the enemy.
Black Viper
Type:SerpentHealth:350 / 350
Mana:20/20
IBlack Viper: Extremely poisonous snake that inhabits the forest. Its long body is covered with powerful muscles. It poisons its prey by biting them or surrounds them with coils and crushes them.
The snake glared at Hero and he felt disoriented. He wanted to run away because the snake¡¯s glare was very intimidating. He knew he couldn¡¯t run because the snake guarded the flower that could save Foria and it probably would catch him if he tried to escape. ¡°I want to be a Hero! I must save Foria!¡± he shouted. Hiro pulled out his sword and stood his ground.
Ding! new ability learned, Hero¡¯s courage.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Hero''s CourageBeginner0100%
This ability will allow the user to stand in the face of dangerous foes. When the foes threaten the hero he gains a boost to his speed and strength.
Hiro activated the Hiro¡¯s courage ability and a red glow began to surround his body. He felt a surge of strength as he stared back at the venomous snake. Its eyes were red like rubies. Its hood opened up showing its murderous intent. Hiro could feel a powerful aura on the snake that seemed to be exerting a strong pressure on him.
Ding! You have been intimidated! You will now lose stamina at 1.5x the normal rate
I guess my Hero''s Courage skill level is not high enough to keep me from being intimidated. This was bad. Not only was he facing the strongest foe he had ever faced but he also had to end the battle quickly or he would run out of stamina. Hiro watched the snake waiting for an opportunity to strike. The snake hissed and bared its large fangs that were about 10 cm long each. They dripped with a deadly poison. The snake lunged at Hiro with its fangs. He avoided the fangs but he did not realize that this enemy had a two pronged attack. As he avoided the fangs the tail came around and whacked him from behind. His prediction ability gave him no warning. Hiro had lost 50 hp. He quickly got himself back up as the snake lunged to bite Hiro again but he moved to the side. The next attack was shown by his prediction ability but he could not avoid it. The tail felt like a sledge hammer hit him throwing him 15 feet and into a tree. His hp dropped by 80 points. He coughed up some blood and it felt like a few of his ribs might be broken. More than half of his health had been taken in just two attacks. This enemy was extremely dangerous.
Ding! You are now bleeding. You will lose 2 hp per second.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.He would have to find a way to defeat this enemy soon as the bleed may be his end if this draws out. Hiro decided to try something unexpected. He picked up a rock in his left hand. He waited for the snake to attack. When it attacked he threw the rock at the head of the snake and it avoided the attack and flicked its tail at him as a counter. ¡°Just as I thought, the head is hit and the tail reacts¡±. He picked another rock and threw it at the snake¡¯s head this time he knew the tail was coming. He used his prediction skill to determine the path of the tail. He saw it and went to meet the tail with his blade. He began to slice through the tail. It was surprisingly thick. It took all of his strength to cut it completely off. The snake let out shrill sound that Hiro thought it might be some sort of scream as it began to roll on the ground from the pain of losing its tail. While on the ground it began to bleed profusely from the wound Hiro inflicted. In a flash it raised itself up in a state of confusion as it had lost track of Hiro. When it found him, Hiro had already jumped in for the kill. While the snake was recovering, he gathered all of his strength and charged at the maximum of his speed and thrust his sword deep into the upper part of the snake¡¯s body then with his full weight drove the snake into the ground. His blade went through the snake and into the ground trapping. The snake struggled to get free and hissed at Hiro with it mouth wide open displaying its venomous fangs but Hiro calmly removed his spear from his back. As the snake hissed he thrust his spear right into the wide open mouth of the snake.
Ding! Level up! Ding! Level up! Ding! Sword mastery level up Ding! Endurance level up!
He looked at his hp gauge. It was still falling and he only had about 100 points left. He had to stop the bleeding. He grabbed several of the flowers and rushed back to the cave.
Ding!¡± you gained the skill herbalism.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
HerbalismBeginner0125%
Herbalism allows you to use identify plants of various types that can be gathered and used in other jobs such as alchemy. As you level this ability you will be able to spot useful plants by a glow around them.
He gave the flowers to Foria. ¡°What happened?¡± Foria asked. ¡°I was..... attacked¡­ by a¡­. black viper¡± Hiro could barely catch his breath. ¡°Please make the healing salve because I was injured fighting the snake.¡± Hiro replied panting as his breathing became even more labored. His vision began to blur as the room became darker and darker. ¡°Ok¡±, replied Foria. She took two flowers and ground up the petals into a paste. As she worked Hiro thought, ¡°Is this it? Is this where I die?¡± Then he felt strange warmth on the area where snake struck him with its tail. Foria was applying the paste to his injury. His health had risen 100 points and he was no longer bleeding either. His natural regeneration would take care of the rest. He was out of danger.The plant paste must be similar to a potion. ¡°Now please I need you to grind up the petals as I no longer have the strength¡± as she laid down on the ground. She was sweating badly and her body was almost red with fever. Hiro quickly grabbed the petals of the remaining flowers and ground them up with a rock.
You have create healing paste
Ding! New skill learned alchemy.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
AlchemyBeginner0110%
This is the ability to create various potions. As the skill in this ability improves the user will be able to make different potions with greater effects.Description Here. Each level of alchemy increases your wisdom by +2.
Hiro collected the paste and looked at Foria''s leg. He had not noticed how bad the poison had gotten. She had black lines running across her milky white skin. This must be the poison coursing through her veins. Hiro applied the paste to her leg and instantly the discoloration at the sight of the wound changed back to normal. Then he also saw the dark veins beginning to lighten back to their normal color. He heard a sigh of relief from Foria as she lost consciousness.
Quest complete! Experience earned!
Ding! Level up!
The poison must have really sapped her energy. Better to let her rest. Her body felt hot to the touch as he applied the paste so he assumed the poison had caused her to run a fever. Hiro created a fire to keep himself warm. Then he looked over at Foria who now shivering. He covered her in his panther pelt and went back out of the cave to get the corpse of the night viper. He grabbed the pieces of the snake and returned to the cave. Before going back to his work he checked on Foria. She was no longer shivering and appeared to be sleeping soundly so Hiro went to work. First, he skinned the snake. The skin was strong and supple. It would be good for creating some equipment. He inspected the mouth where he saw the deadly fangs. He took them out being careful not get any poison on his hand. Then he cut open the head of the snake and he found the poison sac where the snake created its venom. "I wonder if I put this poison on the tip of my blade or any other weapon, would it then poison the enemies I stabbed? I''ll think about that later because now my stomach is growling. I have to eat something." Hiro used his blade to cut a few fillets of the snake meat and cooked them. The snake meat was extremely tasty.
Ding! After eating the snake fillet you gain a 10% increase in health regeneration for 4 hours.
Ding! You gain a level to your cooking skill.
Hiro felt satisfied with his progress for the day. His eyes became heavy and he laid down to sleep for the night. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 5: Hiros Brush with Death hey guys thanks for all the love you are showing by reading my story. Please feel free to leave any feedback you want to help me make the story even better. I''m glad you are enjoying yourselves. You keep reading and I will definitely keep writing. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 5 The next morning Hiro woke up feeling refreshed. His body seemed to have completely healed from the night viper¡¯s attack. His ribs felt fine and even the bruising he should have felt was completely gone. On top of the miraculous healing he felt even stronger than he was before. He decided to continue with his new routine of morning calisthenics and unarmed practice and weapon practice.
Ding! Due to your training you strength rises 2 points, speed 2 points, vitality 2 points.
Ding! You gained 1 level in sword mastery
Ding! You gain 1 level in unarmed combat
Hiro felt that stats and skills were good and with the bonuses he got from grinding his skills he was way stronger than the monsters that someone of his level should be able to fight. He still felt that he should also truly understand combat so to practice he began to imagine the night viper. He concentrated and little by little the image of the snake became clear in front of him. Those piercing eyes and muscular body. Even the venomous fangs were there.
Ding! You have unlocked a sub skill of observe, image projection
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Image ProjectionBeginner0125 %
Through scrutiny of you enemies and observing their movements you can now create an imagine in your mind so that you can battle against them. This training will make the enemy come alive in front of you allowing you to practice against its movements and attacks making you more prepared if you face it again.
His ability to imagine this things was truly awesome. The attacks from the snake were on a whole other level from all of the enemies he had faced so far. He moved and dodged to avoid the imaginary attacks and as he tried to get close the snake would move itself out of range. He became frustrated with not being able to kill the snake so he decided to go out and clear his head by hunting. He went out and moved around for a bit before he noticed there were about 6 forest rats in a clearing. He decided to use his new blade on them. He jumped out from behind a bush and slashed one straight through its back. It died instantly. The others began to run but they could not escape. His training had increased his agility so his overall speed had risen to a level that he could easily chase them down. He cornered them to force them to attack. He allowed them to scratch and claw at him because he wanted to keep grinding his endurance. As they attacked he continued to parry or let them get grazing attacks on him. Then little by little he cut them down with little effort. He knew that these beasts would not give him the level increase as they didn''t do enough damage. However every little bit of experience helped so he continued his grinding. He took the carcasses and placed them in his bag so that he could skin them later. After clearing his head with the rats he returned to his image training. He closed his eyes and the picture of the snake from the night before entered his mind. He couldn¡¯t help but shutter from those piercing eyes. He felt like this thing was truly a harbinger of death. He readied his sword and began the battle between the snake and himself. He charged in but each time he attacked he could not cover the ground fast enough to avoid both the fangs and the tail. "I need a faster attack." Hiro said to himself Next he increased his speed and attack using Hero''s Courage. Then he dug his feet down in the ground and concentrated on making this attack as fast as he could possibly go. As soon as the snake began its next attack, Hiro charged forward. He moved like he was shot out of a gun. This time he avoided the fangs but the tail just grazed him. This was a good attempt because he discovered he was on the right track. ¡°faster, faster, I have got to move even faster¡±, he thought. He readied himself to increase his speed even further. This time when the fangs came he sank down into his fighting stance he concentrated on using every muscle in his legs to their utmost ability.and he launched himself. He could not believe the speed he was moving at. It was almost like the snake had stopped moving. The head could not recoil and the tail never even made it close to him before he slashed the snake¡¯s head clean off.
Ding! You have created a new technique, dashing slash.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Dashing SlashBeginner0100%
A high speed slash created by the user. It allows the user to exceed his normal attack strength by using his maximum speed to add to his offensive ability.
"Wow that seems pretty useful. Now I should be able fight a lot better if I face that snake again." Hiro went back and began skinning the rats. Hiro skinned the forest rats and gained 6 pieces of light leather.
Ding! You increased the level of skining +1
Hiro decided to try his hand at making some more armor pieces. He took his skinning knife and began to cut out the pattern of his hand and poked holes around the edges. Then he took the whiskers from the rats and stitched them together. It was as if his hands knew what to do. [window} Ding! You created light leather gloves. [/window]
Light Leather Gloves
Type:Type: LeatherDurability:20/ 20
Quality:Low
Defense : +4
He created another glove so that he had a pair. After equipping his gloves and cooking some more food he decided to return to his training with imaginary snake. Hiro wanted to practice a little with his new technique. Hiro imagined the snake and it appeared. He darted in and out avoiding its tail and fangs. He then saw an opening and activated his dashing slash ability. His feet dug into the ground and his body exploded forward as if he was shot out of a cannon. This time the ground had actually sunk in where he had accelerated from. The snake was unable to react to his attack and was killed immediately. Hiro hadn¡¯t noticed but Foria had awoken while he was battling the imaginary snake. She was in awe of his fighting ability.She wondered what was he fighting to push him to move and battle so hard. When he activated his dashing slash ability She actually lost sight of him for a second. She had never seen anyone move so fast. ¡°Good morning Foria. How do you feel? ¡°Much better now, thank you for getting that flower¡± ¡°It was nothing. I was glad to help.¡± They talked for a while and Foria told Hiro that she was trained to be an archer. She said that she had won numerous challenges and was experienced in hunting using a bow. She said that she also used some knives when she would get into close quarters combat but she was not as good with knives as her bow. In order to assess her abilities, Hiro asked Foria to spar with him in hand to hand combat so that they could practice. She agreed and he removed his armor down to his shirt and shorts that he had come into the world with. We will fight until one of us yields agreed. Foria nodded. "Are you prepared to lose to a girl?" "We''ll see about that!" They squared off outside of the cave in a small round area that was primarily just grass with no trees. A slight wind blew Foria''s hair wihipped slightly across her face. She grabbed a small metal object from her pants and tied her hair up quickly. Hiro smiled. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Foria nodded and the battle began. Hiro darted in throw a couple of jabs towards her face. Foria parried them with her front hand as she step back to maintain distance. Then she returned with a solid kick to his midsection. Hiro winced as the kick was very strong. "How was this kick that powerful and she is still recovering from the poison? Not bad!¡± ¡°I was trained well¡±, she said with a smile. She charged forward and Hiro began to examine her as she began a flurry of attacks. She mixed in kicks, punches, and even some elbows. At first Hiro was having some difficulty with the amount of attacks and their speed so he was taking a few blows from her,
Ding! Endurance level increase +1
Now, Hiro had grown accustomed to her attacks and he was for his counter attack. He began to bounce on his toes and throw some quick jabs. He noticed that she only used her front hand to parry the attacks, so he threw in a feint. She moved her hand up near her face to parry. She fell for the feint and he followed up with a front kick to the stomach that made her stumble. Immediately he pressed his advantage and rushed in. He through 2 quick jabs. The first was blocked the second hit its mark on her chin. Her head lifted slightly exposing her chin. Hiro through an uppercut that went through her guard but stopped it right before it her on the chin. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "I yield" ¡°That was great! You are really tough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tough? What about you? You just beat me down. Well, I¡¯m still not yet at 100% because my leg is still healing from being injured." "Why don ''t you rest then you don''t have to train anymore if you''re not healed." "No I haven''t had that much fun in a while let''s keep practicing.¡± Hiro nodded in agreement. A beautiful girl wanted to keep doing something with him? There was no way he would say no. They fought for several more rounds of unarmed combat. Foria was extremely fast and well trained in hand to hand combat. If not for his superior strength, prediction ability, and her injury she would probably have defeated Hiro. He learned much from her tactics and he had a great sense of her abilities now.
Ding! Unarmed Combat level increased +2
Ding! Endurance increased +1
For the rest of the morning Hiro trained doing more calisthenics and the basics of combat. He gained increases in his basic stats but not in his skill. He attributed it to the fact that his skill were at a level that they would need to be used in combat to increase. Foria rested as she was exhausted from sparring with Hiro and she was still feeling the after effects of the poison she had been infected with. Hiro grabbed some short sticks and used his hunting knife to sculpt them into a handle. Then he carefully placed the hollowed out fangs from the night viper onto them.
Ding! You created Snake Daggers.
Snake Daggers
Type:DaggerDurability:10/ 10
Quality:Low
Attack 5 10% chance of poisoning an enemy.
Finally he used his whetstone to sharpen them.
Snake daggers gain a +2 to damage due to sharpening.
Hiro gave them to Foria since he did not have a bow or arrows for her to use. While she rested Hiro went out looking for food. He decided he had eaten enough of rats and panther meat. He began making his way towards the lake. Once he got to the edge of the lake he looked around he saw some bubbles popping on the surface of the water. Maybe there are some fish in there. He removed his armor and ran to the edge in hopes of catching small crabs near the beach. This was unsuccessful because none were around so he jumped into the water with his spear in hand to go looking for fish in the lake. The water was cool and refreshing. He swam out a little ways and began to see numerous different colored fish. As he moved towards a school of fish that looked similar to tuna they were startled and quickly swam away. He tried to swim with them but they were way too fast. ¡°This is going to be harder than I thought.¡± Hiro swam to the surface and took a deep breath. Then dove back down to see if he could spot some more fish.
Ding! You sense a dangerous presence!
Hiro quickly looked around. He knew he was at a great disadvantage in the water so he quickly began swimming towards the beach.
Ding! Swimming level increased +1
As he frantically swam forward he looked back and saw a dark figure moving towards him very quickly. He could not make out the shape but he knew by the way his sense presence was going off in his head that it was dangerous. He swam with everything he had. Kicking his feet flailing his arms. He knew he had to get out of the water or he was dead.
Ding! Swimming level increased +1
He was nearing the edge of the lake so he could stand up and fight. The beast was getting closer. Finally, Hiro reached the land and just as he stood up a large mouth displaying several rows of razor sharp teeth was open. Hiro quickly took his spear and stuffed it into the beast¡¯s mouth. It roared in pain as its mouth was impaled on the spear as its powerful jaws crushed the wooden handle on the spear. Hiro could now see the beast that had tried to claim his life. He inspected it
Rocodile
Type:Guardian MonsterHealth:14,900 / 15,000
Mana:0/0
The guardian of the lake. This beast has scales as hard as iron and teeth that can rip through it. It is very aggressive and will not allow any intruders in its territory.
The beast was 8 meters long with tough grayish leathery skin. Its skin looked almost like it was made out of a bunch of rocks. Its tail was about 2 meters and it whipped back and forth creating indentations in the ground. Hiro knew that one bite from those jaws or one hit from that tail would be the end of him and he definitely could not defeat it at this time with his equipment. His spear was wrecked and he had only done 100 points of damage out of 15,000 health points. In his head he thought, "This beast probably only attacked because I was in the water. If I leave its territory then it would probably leave me alone." He faced the beast and began to back away slowly. It hissed at Hiro but it did not advance. His hypothesis was correct. He continued to back away and then the Rocodile moved back to the lake and disappeared. He fell down and breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment or two he stood up and grabbed his armor. He no longer had his spear but he was still alive. "I guess I won''t have any seafood right now but I will return when I''m stronger and have better equipment to face this foe." He ran back to the forest and found some rats on his way back to the cave. He slayed them and made his way back to the cave. Hiro returned to the cave and told Foria about his encounter with the rocodile at the lake. He told her of the beast as he cooked dinner which consisted of some rat meat that he cooked with some ringed apples on a skewer. He cut them into pieces and stuck them on the stick alternating between slices of the ringed apple and rat meat.
Ding! You created rat kabobs
Ding! Cooking skill increased by 1
He and Foria ate them and talked a little as the sun went down. Before it got dark Hiro went out and looked for some more of the flowers with the healing ability. He looked in the place he found them previously. He looked around and scanned the area. He noticed several flowers with a faint glow about them. ¡°This must be my herbalism skill helping me find important plants¡± He ran up to the area and looked at the flowers. There were 3 different ones. First was the flower with the healing properties. The second was a flower with a yellow center and 5 green petals. The third was a pale green plant with 3 large leaves. He inspected all 3.
Blood rose A red colored rose with healing properties.
Sunlion A plant that overflows with flavor that can be used in cooking.
Mint A plant that can be used in cooking to give things more flavor.
He grabbed a few handfuls of each and returned to the cave.
Ding! Herbalism increased a level.
He found Foria already resting as the sun went down. He could believe this beautiful girl was sleeping so close to him. Hiro day dreamed that he and Foria were on a date back in his world. He laughed because pretty girls like her would never even talk to him. He put a couple more logs on the fire and closed his eyes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 6: A Cold Dose of Reality A new chapter for you guys. Enjoy reading. Please leave any comments or feedback for me to help improve. I am trying to incorporate your suggestions into the upcoming chapters. Thank you. Hiro woke up the next morning and did his calisthenics and sword training. During his training he leveled up his dashing slash, sword mastery, and unarmed combat.
Ding! Sword Mastery increased to level 3
Dashing Slash increase to level 2
Unarmed Combat increase to level 6
In addition, his basic stats, strength, stamina, and agility increased by 2 points each. Once he completed his training the sun was high in the sky. It looked to be about just after noon. He ate one of his rat kabobs and placed his healing potions in his bag. Then he waited for Foria to wake up. She woke up a few moments later. ¡°Hey sleepyhead¡± ¡°Hi¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping the day away¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°When you feel up to it, let¡¯s go out and do some exploring to see if we can find your brother.¡± Foria smiled and got up off of the warm panther fur. "Do you know anything about this area? I mean where are we? What is this place called?" "What do you mean what is this place called?" "I mean I woke up in this cave about 8 days ago and this place is completely different than my home." "You woke up in the cave? Well we are now in Alken Forest. It is about a 2 day journey northwest of my home." "Can you tell me anything more about this place?" "Well what do you want to know?" "I noticed that their are different kinds of beasts that don''t exist where I am from, like the goblins. Where do they come from?" "Well they have always existed here Hiro. They are actually an older race much older than humans.." "I remember you said that there are also elves here. Are there any other types of species here?" "Well there are dwarves, gnomes, elves, humans, demons, beasts, and others that have no particular classification." "Wow! This is just like one of my games" , he said to himself. "Where are you from?" "Well I from a place called America. I don''t think you have ever heard of it. It is a place like yours but we do not have to fight monsters and demons to survive." "Really you don''t have to fight against monsters to survive? Then why are you such a talented warrior?" "Well before I came here I was not very talented. Since I have come here I feel a lot stronger and I am able to do a lot of things that I could never do at home. I want to find out how I got here and how I can return but first I want to help you find your brother and get you safely back home. So let''s start exploring and we can talk when we return tonight" She agreed and then Hiro stood up and grabbed his bag. He also gave her a bag to carry things in as well as 2 of his potions. ¡°I made those plants into a liquid that you can drink in case something happens while we are out exploring.¡± ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great! Thanks¡± Then they went out exploring. Foria led him to where Foria and her brother were attacked. They saw signs of blood and a path marked by several pairs of footprints.
Ding! You learned the skill tracking
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
TrackingBeginner010%
DescWith this skill you are able to notice the subtle signs that prey leaves as it moves making it easier to find. As you increase your skill you can find the signs of prey even if the trail is old or the prey has attempted to hide its tracks. For each level you increase this skill you will gain 2 points towards your wisdom stat.
They decided to follow the prints as they believed it might lead them to her brother. As they followed the footprints they began to hear drums. ¡°Shhhh¡­¡±, Hiro told Foria. Then he grabbed her and pulled her behind a tree. He had seen three orcs. He activated his hide skill as they hid behind a tree motionless. Hiro believed they were too far away for his sense danger skill to alert him of their presence. As they peered out from cover Hiro used his inspect ability on the orcs.
Orc
Type:Humanoid MonsterHealth:450 / 450
Mana:0/0
A gray skinned demi human. They are known for their savagery and strength. Though not very intelligent they are extremely physically strong with very thick skin similar to armor that is difficult to pierce.
Each of them was larger than adult human. They looked to be about 6 and half almost 7 feet tall. Their skin was gray and they covered in with large muscles that looked almost like armor. The three had no helmets but one had a sword and shield, one carried a large battle axe and the last one carried an oddly shaped long sword. All of their weapons looked to be of good quality. Hiro surmised that they would not be able to attack all 3 simultaneously but if they could get one by themselves then they could deal with them and definitely upgrade his weapon. Hiro quickly formulated a plan of attack. "I think we should attack only one of them." "Agreed they look pretty tough and our weapons aren''t good enough to take them head on" "We will wait for them to separate and then I will attack the orc head on. Then you come in and stab him from behind while I have him distracted." "That is suicide! With your weapons and armor they will slice right through you in one blow!" "I will be ok. I''m good at dodging attacks and you will kill him with one blow so I should have to worry about fighting him too long!" "Ok but be careful" Now that the plan was ready they followed the group waiting for their opportunity. The orcs stayed together for a while but eventually the one with the sword and shield went off by itself. Hiro and Foria continued to stalk the orc until there were no signs of the other 2 as they would not want the sound of a battle bring in reinforcements. Once they felt they were far enough away, Hiro leaped into action. The orc was startled and took a defensive posture hiding behind its shield. The shield looked to be made of iron. It was worn on the orc¡¯s wrist but the shield covered the orc across his thick muscular chest. There was no way to penetrate the orcs defense. "I need to keept its attention. I''ve got to keep him occupied. AHHHHH!!!!" He slashed repeatedly at the orc¡¯s shield. His attacks were so fast that the orc had no opportunity to do anything but defend. He succeeded. The orc could only pay attention to Hiro¡¯s attacks so it never even noticed Foria sneak up behind him. "Take this" screamed Foria as she jumped up a drove both of the snake daggers into the neck of the orc. The daggers barely pierced the orc¡¯s skin before breaking but she did manage to poison it. The orc spun around and hit Foria with its shield. She screamed out in pain as she was sent flying into a tree. The impact from the tree must have knocked her unconscious. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Foria!" screamed Hiro. He was enraged at the sight of his fallen comrade and he activated his Hiro¡¯s Courage skill. The orc immediately turned head around to see Hiro but it was too late he had already activated his, new skill dashing slash. Because of his increased strength and agiltiy the attack was even faster and thus more powerful than when he used it on the imaginary night viper. "You''re dead!" The orc could not even see him until Hiro¡¯s blade cut deep into its thick neck causing blood to spray from the wound. The orcs blood covered Hiro¡¯s face. It swiped at Hiro with the longsword but Hiro jumped backed dodging its last ditch effort. The orc fell down face first as the blood ran out from its body. Hiro kicked the orc to make it roll onto its back. He stood over the body while his face and tunic were covered with blood. Panting from the exertion his skill, "You beast! You hurt my friend! I will never forgive you for this! Now DIE!" He drove his sword down into its skull making sure that it was dead. He quickly looted the corpse of the orc from which he gained the orc¡¯s sword, shield, and a bag it was carrying then ran over to pick up the injured Foria. Hiro grabbed her and darted off back towards the cave. When he reached the cave Hiro laid Foria on the panther pelt. While Foria lay unconscious, Hiro thought back on the battle. "She was good at hand to hand combat but it seemed that she could not really take a blow. I guess she lacks the constitution for up close melee combat. Well I shouldn''t give up on her completely because she is till recovering from the poison. For now I have to let her fight at a distance." He took the potions he made out of her bag and open her mouth so that she could drink 1 of them. As she drank, the area of her face instantly stopped bleeding and the color began to return. He poured another potion into her mouth and the area fully returned to its normal color. It looked as if she never got hit. Now that she was healed, he thought that he should re-evaluate their combat formation. If she was going to fight at distance she needs a ranged weapon. He went out and found several long pieces of wood as he knew that his weapon making skill was not high there would be some failures in his attempt at making a bow. He also grabbed some smaller sticks to make arrows. Each was about 1 meter in length with a diameter of about 4 cm. He then grabbed some sticks and some vines and went back to the cave. He began trying to make a bow for Foria. The first few attempts went poorly. After about 6 attempts, Hiro saw that the problem was either the wood was not strong enough to support the drawing of the bow or the vines snapped when drawn. So he put less tension on the draw and found a more flexible piece of wood and a stronger piece of vine. Finally he had a success. The bow was finally created.
Ding! You created a crude bow
ICrude Bow
Type:BowDurability:20 / 20
Quality:LowAttack 5
IA bow made from low level materials and crudely constructed. It will work but just barely.
Ding! Weapon making skill increased to level 3
He then began using his hunting knife to whittle the small sticks into sharp points so that they could be used as arrows. He carved the first 5 and they became extremely sharp but he poorly chose the wood.
Ding! You created 5 crude arrows.
These probably would be difficult to fire as their shaft was bowed. He then examined the sticks he collected more thoroughly. Choosing only the straightest shafts to be sharpened into arrows the next batch of arrows came out surprisingly well.
Ding! You created 35 wooden arrows.
Ding! Your weapon making skill is now 4.
Next, He took out 2 pieces of rat leather and laid them together. He cut them into 2 identical pieces u-shaped pieces with his sword. Then he used his hunting knife to make small holes around the edges leather. He measured how deep the pieces of leather would be using one of the longer arrows. He made sure that the arrow hung out of the leather about 4 inches. Finally he used the some thin strips of leather that he had cut to bind the two large pieces together.
Ding! You have created a leather quiver.
Hiro placed the arrows in the quiver and laid the bow down on top of it. Each of the days had passed and been so thrilling that Hiro had not even thought about home. He had no idea of what was going on here. He had no idea of how he even got here. Hiro summized that this could not be a virtual reality game because he had been here for about a week. If this was a game, he would have had to log out so that his real body could eat and drink. The best Virtual Reality games only had a ratio of 1:3 ( 1 hour real world to 3 hours in game) so that means he would not have eaten or slept for 3 days. His body would be on the verge of starvation and dehydration. What is really going on here? This can''t be a game. Hiro began to feel a sudden dose of hard reality that this was definitely not a game but some sort of alternate world. He also came to the realization that he may be stuck here which was not so bad so far. That fact that he would not be able to return home and never see his family again saddened him. He laid down and looked up into the darkness, his mind filling with memories of playing with his little sister and his mother''s cooking. He even thought of the times his father looked at him with pride even though he was never good at anything he ever participated in. ¡°Dad, I will make you proud in this world. As long as I am in this world, I will use the lessons of hard work you taught me and become a great hero!¡± With that Hiro closed his eyes and went to sleep. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 7: On the trail I''m very excited that you all continue to read my fan fiction. Please continue to read and subscribe as your comments, opinions, and feedback are what keep me so motivated in writing this story. Please be brutally honest when you leave comments. I really want to know what you think and how I can improve my writing. Remember to rate and review before you leave. Chapter 7 "Foria is still knocked out. The damage she suffered must have been really severe. I guess I''ll check out the new equipment we got from the orc before I go out hunting." He inspected the new sword and shield he got from the orc before he left.
Iron Long Sword
Type:Long SwordDurability:40 / 40
Quality:Low
Attack: 15
Iron Round Shield
Type:Round ShieldDurability:40 / 40
Quality:Low
Defense: 12
Hiro immediately sharpened the sword so that he could reap the reward of the bonus damage. He then tried to equip the weapons. "What in the world!? I can''t even lift this thing! How strong was that orc? He was holding this thing like it was a feather." He could not hold it in his current state so he left the shield. To wield it he would have to increase his strength. He dropped the shield on the ground an it made a large CLANGG!! He took a couple of swings with the sword. "This feels great! It is perfect for me. It feels light as a feather and it is clearly better quality than the iron short sword that had before. Since I can''t use the shield yet I guess I''ll try fighting by wielding both the long and short swords simultaneously." Since they were both light he should have no problem. He thought he should use the short sword to defend and parry attacks while the long sword should be used for attacking. He began swinging the swords trying to get a feel for a good fighting style¡­
Ding! You have learned the skill dual wield.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Dual WieldBeginner010%
With this skill you off-hand can do progressively more damage until the two hands are equal in doing damage. Upon leveling up this skill you will gain a bonus of +3 to your dexterity
He decided to imagine the orc before him in order to practice with the blades. He thought about the orc he had slayed. Slowly, the gray-skinned figure of the orc began to appear in front of him. It was armed with the long sword and the round shield. He began to size up his enemy. "I''m definitely not going to be able to pierce that shield so I will have to use my agility to create an opening." He drew closer to the orc with his blades clinched tight in his hands. The orc was so real that he could have sworn he could smell the foul odor emanating from the monster. Hiro engaged the orc. He slashed at the shield but his attacks were deflected without the orc taking any damage. On his last attack the orc pushed toward his blade causing a strong vibration to be sent back at Hiro. The shock that went through his arm caused such a jolt that he almost dropped the long sword. The orc immediately followed up with a series of slashes. Hiro dodged the first horizontal slash by ducking. Then orc then brought the blade down at him vertically. Hiro blocked that attack by using his two swords together creating an "x" and stopping the orc''s attack. The orc seized the opportunity and used its shield bash to strike Hiro in the face. The pain from the attack seemed so real. Hiro had enough of battling the orc. He closed his eyes and stopped imagining his enemy. When he opened them the orc had disappeared. Hiro had stopped his training as this enemy was a little bit too powerful for him with his current skill level. Hiro was not satisfied with his level of skill so he knew he would have to practice. Hiro decided to get some more real world practical application of is practice. Hiro left out and found 5 forest rats. He charged at them and cornered them against the side of a large stone. They had no place to go so the rats decided to fight back. Hiro parried the attacks of the rats with his short sword guiding them away from his body and after that they were slashed or impaled by his long sword. Using his new dual wield skill he killed them very quickly.
Ding! Dual Wield increased to level 2
After placing the carcasses of the rats in his bag he continued on. Next, he saw some of blood flowers that he used to make the healing salve. He gathered them for later. After that he continued traveling moving through the forest. He found a small encampment of goblins. There appeared to be 5 of them. Hiro decided this would be a good chance to test his new blade. "I killed 3 goblins before but I took a lot of damage in the process. Five might be too much even with my new weapon. I''ll try a little bit more stealth in approach this time. " He watched the enemies carefully observing their patterns and movements for about 2 hours.
Ding! through careful observation of several enemies you have learned the sub skill, copy
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
CopyBeginner010%
This skill will allow the user to learn skills that enemies use by observing them. The stronger the enemy the more difficult it will be to copy their skills.
"What does it mean I can copy other skill. It sounds like it can be useful." He thought about the disorienting gaze of that night viper. That would be great to learn or maybe the shield bash that the orc used on Foria. Hiro decided to think about that later. Hiro moved closer to the camp. He saw another humanoid looking monster but it looked different than the others. It was considerably taller with a more yellow color to its skin and had 2 horns protruding from either side of its head. It was also carrying a staff and wearing a cloak that covered its face. As it spoke the others seemed to be following its orders. One goblin drew a sword and pointed it at the goblin with the cloak. The goblin with the cloak pointed its staff and fire shot out setting the goblin with the sword on fire where it was burned to a crisp. This goblin was a mage. "I wonder if I could copy magic. Right now I don''t have any mana or any magical skills so maybe if I copy it I can then have access to magic." Hiro made his way to the camp. Using his hide ability the goblins were unaware of his presence. He put away his short sword and waited for the goblins to move into a place he could attack them from the shadow. He hid behind a thick tree and as the first goblin came near he grabbed it by its mouth. Then he thrust his long sword right through its chest. It died instantly, without a sound he quickly moved the body out of sight and moved on. He hunted the goblins with the skill of a tiger. He moved in silence attacking them without mercy. Before the goblins could even react they were being pierced by through their chest by his blade. He killed 4 more goblins in the same fashion. Unfortunately, he was not able to sneak up on the mage as it would not move to a place where he could attack from the shadows. "I guess I have no choice but to fight him head on. I''m gonna have to keep moving because I definitely can''t take a hit from that fire spell." He stepped out in front of the mage. It made a sound as if it was calling for backup but no one came as Hiro had already dispatched with its friends. The battle quickly began between the mage and Hiro. His prediction ability helped him to avoid the fireballs the erupted from the mage''s staff. He still took some damage as he had to dive through some of the flames. After watching the mage use fireball several times "What is this?" A warmth was welling up inside of him. It was like a fire was being set off in his belly. "Was this the mage''s doing? Is one of his spells causing this? There was no pain though so it couldn''t be the mage." The fire got hotter and the warmth began to spread outward to his chest, legs, arms, and finally to his head.
Ding! You have developed an affinity with nature so you now possess the life spirit of mana/ki. Mana/ki is the essence of all magical techniques.
Ding! Through your copy ability you can cast the spell, fireball.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
FireballBeginner010%
Mana cost: 10.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "He''s breathing hard. Is he running out of mana? Hiro began to move closer. The mage cast another fireball spell. It came out but Hiro had gotten the hang of dodging them so he avoided it. The mage fell to the ground in exhaustion. "He must be exhausted and out of mana. This is as good a time as any to try that fireball spell." Hiro held his hand out and power from his abdomen began to dart up through his hand. His hand began to feel hot like it was on fire but it wasn''t being burned. He concentrated and the hot energy came out in the form of a fireball. It was not as large as the mage¡¯s but it flew towards its target with great speed. When it hit its mark, the mage screamed writhed in pain as flames engulfed his torso. Hiro quickly rushed in and plunged his blade into the mage and killed it."That spell was pretty good. I will have to practice using it as it took a long time to cast. In order to use it effectively I will definitely need to improve that." Hiro retraced his steps in the camp and collected all the weapons and supplies he could loot from the goblins in his bag. Among the dead goblins he also found 2 more magic bags that he took. Hiro also took the mage¡¯s staff and cloak. After this he returned to the cave. When Hiro arrived back at the cave Foria was awake. She was in a lot of pain and groaned a little a she sat up on the panther fur. "Sorry for not being much help against that orc." ¡°It¡¯s ok. I have something for you.¡± He handed Foria the bow, arrows, and quiver he had made. She smiled and said, ¡°thank you." ¡±Now let¡¯s eat.¡± Hiro made a fire using his new ability. After using it he suddenly felt his body get weak. ¡° You fight like a warrior but I have never seen a warrior using magic. How did you do that?¡± asked Foria. ¡°I learned it today from watching a goblin¡± replied Hiro. ¡°You learned it just from watching? That is incredible¡± ¡°Thanks. Is it really that strange that I learned by watching?" "Are you kidding? People study for years to be able to use magic properly. You must be some kind of prodigy" "Years! I never thought I was that special but may be i''m different here." Hiro sat down and skinned and cooked the forest rats then
Ding! You gained 6 pieces of light leather
. Then he made salve from the flowers then mixed it with water in some of the empty potion bottles he found in the bags he took from the goblins.
Ding! You made 4 light healing potions
Ding! Alchemy skill increases to level 3
He stored the potions in his bag. Hiro thought about how to raise his mana so that he would not be weak after using his magic as that would be incredibly bothersome in a battle. "In games, magic was always linked to wisdom or intelligence so I''ve got to think of way to increase those stats." After a few moments of contemplation the only thing he could come up with was meditation. Hiro talked with Foria for a few minutes "If you feel up to it, tomorrow we will head out towards the place we found those orcs and see if we can pick up any information on your brother''s whereabouts." "That sounds like a good plan." "How is you leg?" "It seems a lot better now that I took those healing potions you made. After another day of rest I should be back to full strength." "I guess then we should have that rematch" , laughed Hiro. "I don''t think you will be laughing after the match." "Ohh.. pretty arrogant for someone who just got there but kicked aren''t you", smiled Hiro. "We''ll see who gets there butt kicked" They laughed together and at the rat kabobs that Hiro could. Shortly after they finished eating, Foria told Hiro good night and lay down. Hiro took the opportunity to try out his plan for increasing his mana pool. He went to the entrance of the cave and sat down in lotus position and closed his eyes. He thought in order to increase his mana he had to feel the natural energy around him. So he closed his eyes and visualized the teachings that he learned from his martial arts classes. It didn''t really make any sense to him before but now that he could actually feel his own energy may be he could actually begin to feel that everything had ki, or energy. All of it flowed all around him. As he meditated he could feel energy that floated around him. After some time passed he could begin to feel the energy of the things around him like the moss on the wall of the cave and Foria.
Ding! Detect presence learned.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Sense PresenceBeginner0100%
You have developed the ability to detect things that possess ki around you
Through your meditation your wisdom has increased 1 point.
"I wonder how much I have improved over the last few days." He opened his status window.
Status Window
Name:HiroAlignment:Neutral
Level:10Class:??
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles
??
-
Health:310 / 310Health Regen:5 / Sec
Mana:140 / 140Mana Regen:1.4 / Sec
Stamina:500 / 500Stamina Regen:7.5 / Sec
-
Strenght:31Agility:32
Vitality:42
Intelligence:20Wisdom:18
Leadership:??Luck:??
-
Attack:??Defense:??
Physical Resistances
Slashing:??Piercing:??
Crushing:??
Elemental Resistances
Fire:??Water:??
Wind:??Earth:??
Light:??Darkness:??
Stats Equipment Leather tunic Leather pants Long Sword Iron Shield Leather gloves
¡°I am definitely getting stronger but I still have a ways to go.¡± Hiro began to feel sleepy so he went back inside the cave a slept. I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 8: Preparing the siege I love the feed back I''m getting! You guys help to make my writing soooo much better! I do agree with one of the comments made. I will use the blue windows to highlight his status improvements but I will get rid of the dings. Continue reading and some of the things you feel are mistakes may be revealed in later chapters. Remember this is still very early in the story. I''m glad that you guys like my story. Remember to review and rate my story to help keep me inspired. Leave your comments too whether they are good bad or indifferent. Now on to chapter 8 _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 8 The next morning began the same as usual calisthenics followed by practicing martial arts and with his weapons.
Due to your physical training you gained strength +2 speed +2 and vitality +2
"Why didn''t I get any improvements to my skills? Have I gone past the point of improving with just simple basic practice? Either way I will keep up my practice to hone my skills even if I don''t get any status upgrades" Hiro decided to equip the shield he had. "Damn.. This thing is still heavy. At least now I can hold it though." Hiro stood holding the shield. The muscles in his arm screamed as the weight seemed to feel like it was going to rip his shoulder out of place. Hiro lifted the shield in a defensive position across his chest and placed his sword behind it. He gave a couple of thrusts of his sword and then as if to block an enemy''s attack he lifted the shield.
New ability learned shield mastery.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Shield MasteryBeginner010%
This ability grants the user with increased proficiency in using a shield. Higher levels of proficiency afford the user higher defensive capabilities as well as offensive and defensive techniques requiring a shield.
Hiro smiled and wiped his brow as he was sweating uncontrollably. His had to maintain all of his concentration just to hold the shield in place. Hiro thought to himself, "There was no doubt that I could defend against any attack that I''ve had faced so far with this shield (with the exception of the Rocodile) but can I actually attack and do any damage while holding it. Let me practice a little more." He took a deep breath and let it out and began a series of thrusts followed by a block. After about 10 thrusts and blocks ...
You gain 1 point in strength
Hiro dropped the shield and fell down in exhaustion. "I gained a point for to my strength just practicing with this thing. Wow this is awesome. Maybe if I practice some more I can gain enough strength to wield it properly." Hiro stood up and took a few deep breaths. He grabbed his shield and lifted it in place. "Still heavy. I guess one point in strength is not going to be enough." He continued with his thrusts and blocks. This time he was able to reach 25 consecutive thrusts and blocks before he dropped the shield and fell down in exhaustion.
Shield mastery improved to level 2. strength increased by 1
His plan was working. Hiro stood up one more time and grabbed the shield. This time he began to feel a difference in weight. It was not easy to hold but his muscles were no longer screaming just to pick it up. "This will be good for now" he thought. After gaining the shield mastery skill and enough strength to hold the shield Hiro decided that he would try to wear it and use during battle for a while partly because its defensive capability would protect him but also by wearing it he would definitely grow in strength. There was no sparing today. They both equipped their weapons. Then Hiro gave Foria the magic bag he obtained from the goblins this way they could carry more items that they might find in the woods. They left out and began hunting. Hiro was excited to see what kind of skill Foria had with a bow and he was partly relieved that she would no longer be in melee combat. Shortly after they left Hiro picked up the trail of forest panther using his tracking ability. He followed the trail until they found the beast. Upon finding the forest panther Foria pulled back her bow and fired one of the arrows. It flew straight to her target with incredible speed. The arrow buried itself deep within the chest of the panther and it fell dead. "A 1 hit kill with that bow! What the hell!?? This will be great! With her firing arrows like this we should easily be able to take out anything. They tracked and killed 4 more forest panthers and 8 forest rats.
Your tracking skill improved to level 4
As they moved through the forest on their exploration, they were attacked by a black viper. It was the first time Hiro had seen one during the day. Immediately the black viper used its glare ability which caused Foria to miss her target as she was disoriented. However, Hiro was able to defend against the ability with his hero¡¯s courage ability.
While observing the night viper you learned icy stare.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Icy StareBeginner010%
This ability disorients your enemy causing their attacks to loose accuracy.
"I think I will give it a taste of its own medicine." Hiro used his own icy stare on the snake and it became disoriented before him. The snake begin to shake its head back and forth and it began to sway back and forth hissing at Hiro as if it was confused. Then it opened its mouth and spit poison at him. Luckily, Hiro¡¯s predict ability let him see some of the possible trajectories of the poison. He moved out the way of 2 possibilities and raised his shield and blocked it the one that actually would hit him. "I knew that it was a good idea to keep this shield. It stopped the poison so I took no damage." The night viper tried once again to bite Hiro but he countered its attack by swinging the iron shield at it. The shock from the collision sent the snake flying into a nearby tree.
You learned the battle technique shield bash.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Shield BashBeginner010%
This technique allows you to use the weight of the shield to become a destructive weapon and cause damage to any enemy.
After moving up to the night viper¡¯s body, Hiro noticed that the head was completely smashed and it was apparently dead due to the violent impact with the shield. Hiro noticed that shield was feeling lighter than it did in the morning. It was still heavy but he was getting the hang of using it.
You gained +1 strength.
After killing the snake they gathered some wood and Hiro lit the fire with his fireball skill. "You hungry?" "I could eat" answered Foria. Hiro prepared the black viper and made some snake fillets. He added some of his mint and sunlion as it cooked. As they waited they talked more about Foria''s home. "My village is small. There are a little ove 200 people in our village and I no every one of them by name and face." "So you are kind of like royalty?" Hiro said while turning the fillets to cook the other side. "I wouldn''t call my family royalty but we do get held in very high esteem. We make the laws in our town and govern the way the town runs economically and socially." "Wow that seems like a lot of responsibility!" "It is but my father loves the people in our village and would do anything to make sure that they are safe and cared for." "He sounds like a great leader." "He is. The people adore him. What is your family like Hiro?" "Well my father works as a teacher and my mother stays home and takes care of the house. She is a great cook and very kind. My father is a bit distant at times but he loves me very much." Tears began to well up in his eyes. "You miss them don''t you?" "Yes. Every day I wonder if I will ever see them again." "Well when we get back to my village, we can ask my father and his chief advisor. I''m sure they will be able to help you." "Really! Thank you." "Stop it. It is I who should be thanking you" "Let''s call it even. Anyway the food is ready let''s eat" Hiro handed Foria some of the snake fillets. She blew on it as the steam from it rose sending out a wonderful aroma. She bit into the meat. "Oh my God!" "What''s wrong! Does it taste bad!?" "No it is fantastic!! Where did you learn to cook like this?" "My mom taught me." "She did an excellent job." They finished their meal and then Hiro skinned all of the monsters that they had killed.
You gained 13 pieces of light leather
After skinning everything Hiro looked at Foria who was wearing some tattered clothes. "Hey, I think you could use some equipment meant more for battle than for being an ambassador." Foria looked down at her clothes and said, " Yes I do look a little out of place here." "I''m not great at it but I think I could make you something with a little more protective ability than the clothes you are wearing." "Would you?" "Sure. I''ll give it a try." With that Hiro decide to try and make her some leather armor. He cut and poked holes in the pieces and finally he did it. Using all 13 of the pieces of leather he created a complete set of leather armor. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
You created a set of leather armor (pants, vest, and gloves)
He gave the pieces to Foria who smiled and took them graciously. Foria went off and changed into her new leather armor. When she returned Hiro was amazed his skill must have improved significantly because the leather he made fit her very well. His face turned a little red as he felt somewhat embarrassed because he was staring. She had an hour glass figure and the leather hugged her curves just right. While she was out she tied up her hair showing even more of the her ample bosom. "Are you ok" asked Foria "Umm.... Yes... uh.. no... um.. I''m fine it''s just that.. well" "What''s wrong?" "Nothing is wrong. I was just amazed at how beautiful you are." Embarrassed at his actually confessing what he thought to a girl Hiro stared at the ground. Foria moved closer and lifted his chin with her fingers. She gently caressed the side of his face and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You''re not so bad looking yourself" she said with a smile. Hiro''s heart began to race. He could not imagine in his wildest dreams that something like this could happen. His heart felt like it was about to burst. "I''m a little tired so I think I''m going to lay down for awhile" "OK. I''ll keep watch while you rest" While she rested, Hiro thought,"I''ll do some meditation for a while to improve my detection abilities and increase my overall mana." After meditating for a while he was able to see clearly all of the area surrounding him. He could see Foria¡¯s ki. "Man she has a lot of ki, compared to me. Why though? She was not a mage so why did she have so much? I guess I will save that question for another time." He continued to meditate and slowly his detection area began to grow. {window] sense presences has improved to level 4[/window] It was now big enough that he could detect anyone within about 20 meter radius. This was definitely going to be useful if they were going to take on the orcs.
Due to meditation your wisdom has increased by 2.
After meditating he stood up and practiced his fighting technique with the sword and shield. He slashed and thrust his sword while protecting himself from attacks. The shield began to feel even lighter. Foria woke up and the both got their equipment on to get ready to move to the area where they found the orcs the previous day. They traveled for a while and just before they reached the area where the found the orcs, Hiro detected 3 orcs moving toward them. "Hide in the tree so that you can fire arrows without being attacked." She nodded and scaled a nearby tree. Hiro hid himself and waited for the orcs to come close enough for him to strike. As the orcs came closer He noticed that they were all wearing chainmail armor. "This is bad. The 3 of them alone would be tough. With their added protection this is going to be nearly impossible." He used his hide skill to remain hidden from them until they were almost upon him. When they were close enough, he sprang up behind the first one and swung his sword. The opponents were surprised by his attack and could not get their weapons out to defend themselves in time. He attacked the closest one and chopped the head clean off. Then he activated his icy stare ability. The orcs were confused and Foria rained down arrows on them. One of them was hit by an arrow that went right through his eye and he fell dead. The other had the arrow bounce off of his chest due to the protection of his chainmail armor."I guess we have to make some better arrows", he thought. Hiro immediately attacked. His prediction ability showed him the orc was about to swing at his head so he ducked under and cut the orc¡¯s arm off. Then he spun around and sliced the leg of the orc off. While it was on the ground the orc began to speak words in a language that was unknown to Hiro but he knew what it wanted. It was pleading for its life. Foria had no compassion for the monster so she shot and arrow that went right through his mouth killing him.
level increased to 11 You increased you sword mastery to level 8
After the ferocious battle the two victors stood over their victims in awe of their own strength. "Hiro, how did you get so powerful. You actually overpowered the orcs head on." "What about you I mean you fired off so many accurate and deadly shots with such a poorly constructed bow and arrows." Hiro decided to upgrade his armor by taking the chainmail from the one of the orcs. He removed his leather vest and placed the chainmail on his torso. It was surprisingly heavy but he knew its defensive power was top notch through observing its ability to deflect Foria¡¯s arrows. "Do you think we are ready to take on the orc camp?" "I think so. Let''s loot their equipment and then i''ll follow their tracks until we find where they were coming from. After resting and regaining their strength they set out to find the orcs¡¯ camp. They traveled about a half a day¡¯s walk then they saw smoke coming.Then their was a familiar beat of drums that they heard previously when they were near the orc camp. Hiro used his detect presence ability to determine how many enemies were in the camp. From where he was, he could sense that there were numerous enemies in the camp. He also noticed 2 other bodies that housed ki. "There are about 2 dozen enemies but I also sensed that there were two other presences in the camp. One was much larger than the other. I think one of them must be your brother. Let''s wait and observe the orcs from a closer distance in order to ascertain the strength of the force that they would be going into a battle against." "That sounds good. We don''t want to walk into a trap. A full frontal assault would be much too dangerous." "Hide in the shadows of the trees and wait while the orcs went along with their activities." As he continued to observe Hiro noticed that one orc had an animal with him. The animal had the appearance of a wolf. It had all silver fur with steely grayish blue eyes and large powerful legs. Hiro used inspect on both of them.
Orc Beastmaster
Type:Humanoid MonsterHealth:650/ 650
Mana:0/0
An orc with an affinity for animals. It is able to tame and train animals to do as it commands. The animals obey it until death.
Silver Wolf
Type:BeastHealth:450 / 450
Mana:0/0
A wolf from the cold lands of the north. It¡¯s fur is strong and warm protecting it from the elements. The animal possesses a keen sense of smell and hearing. It used primarily for its hunting abilities but it can also be used to track down prey or enemies.
Hiro thought to himself, "I should keep watching the beastmaster in order to learn his ability to train animals as that could come in very handy later." As they watched the camp they noticed there were two beings that looked like humans in a cage near the fire at the center of the orc camp. Both were wearing rags and covered in bruises. Foria whispered, ¡°The smaller one is my brother. He is alive. I can¡¯t believe it he¡¯s alive.¡± Hiro told her, ¡°Stay calm. We¡¯ll get him out safely¡±. Hiro continued to use his copy skill while observing the beastmaster giving commands to the wolf. After an hour or so watching him training the wolf,
After closely observing the beastmaster you have learned the ability beast tame.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Beast tameBeginner010%
This skill allows you to implant yourself into the mind of a wild beast making it obey your every wish. As you improve your skill level you will no longer have to use gestures to communicate you will be able to speak to the beast using only your thoughts and it will understand and communicate back.
"This will be very useful" Hiro thought for a moment of him leading a pack of wolves like this or a pack of the forest panthers. Hiro let out a sinister smile. Then they continued to watch as a group of about 5 of the orcs broke away from the camp. Foria exclaimed, ¡°They must be going out searching for food. This will be a chance for us to thin out their numbers.¡± Hiro agreed. They did not look as powerful as the ones they had already killed plus they were not nearly as well equipped. They wore simple leather armor, not chainmail and their weapons were primarily clubs. However, one orc did have something of interest. It was a bow and a quiver full of arrows. "What a stroke of luck as this would definitely help them capture the orc camp. If Foria could do as much damage as she was doing with the crude bow and poorly made arrows he created what could she do with a decent bow and some arrows?" He shuttered for a moment. He and Foria decided to follow the group until they were far enough away from the rest of the force at the camp that they could kill them with having the rest of the group of orcs attack them. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 9: Hiro and Foria vs. the Orcs I felt particularly inspired as it is my birthday this weekend so I wrote an extra chapter this week. Please read and review. Also follow and favorite if you like what you are reading. I''m also looking for an illustrator as I am thinking about publishing this after I write this original rough draft. I plan on posting over 75 chapters. Keep reading. Chapter 9: Hiro and Foria vs. the orcs
Hiro and Foria were stalking the small hunting party of 5 orcs for about 45 minutes. Finally, they stopped. Foria climbed a nearby tree and made an owl hooting noise to let Hiro know she was ready. Hiro gave Foria the same signal and she began to open fire on the orcs. She rained down her arrows with her normal deadly pinpoint accuracy. Her first shot pierced straight through the back of the skull of the orc holding the bow. The arrows rained down sending the orcs into a state of confusion. Next, Hiro who was hiding behind a tree activated his dashing slash attack ability, with his blinding speed he was able to decapitate one of the orcs before they had a chance to react. Immediately after his attack he used his icy stare to confuse and create fear amongst the group. As they backed away from Hiro Foria took one of them out with a well placed arrow through the back of his neck. Now there were only 2 left. They moved toward Hiro and tried to attack him from both sides. His predict ability allowed him to see through the simple attacks. He dodged one club and used his shield bash to counter the other. When his iron shield struck the club, it was reduced to splinters. After destroying the weapon, Hiro drove his sword into the chest of the orc through its leather armor. The orc fell dead in a pool of its own blood. As the other orc tried to move in from Hiro¡¯s blindspot, he quickly turned to face the enemy. He parried the next attack with his blade and struck the orc with his shield bash attack causing a large gash in the orc¡¯s temple. The orc fell back onto the ground dropping its weapon.
Shield mastery increased to level 4 Shield bash to level 3
As the orc who was bleeding profusely, it slowly crawled backwards, Hiro slowly walked up to end his life. The fear on the orc¡¯s face was like a drug to Hiro. He relished the moment. As he moved closer his shadow covered the defenseless orc, he raised he sword and slashed across the orcs neck separating the orcs head from its body. Hiro turned around and noticed Foria taking the bow and quiver from the dead orc. The bow was of decent quality. It was much better than the poorly constructed one Hiro had made. ¡°What kind of damage can she do with that?¡± Hiro thought to himself. Satisfied with their triumph Hiro and Foria rested for a few moments and went back towards the orc camp. Once they arrived back at the orc camp. The observed the rest of the orcs that the remaining orcs were only equipped with weak weapons and leather armor much like the ones that they ambushed. The only one that concerned Hiro was the beastmaster. His armor was leather but he also had a metallic gauntlet on his arm and large two-handed sword that he carried attached to his back. Hiro decided that they would start the attack with Foria killing as many as she could from a perch in a tree so she could stay hidden. Hiro also thought he would need a diversion in order to get into the camp and begin the melee slaughter of the orcs. He felt like using his fireball ability would do the trick. He could use it to ignite some of their tents while they were inside. So with their plan set Foria climbed a tree that gave her a great view of the center of the camp but covered in this leaves and branches as not to reveal her location easily. Hiro activated his hide ability and began to move closer to the camp. When Foria fired her first shot through the temple of one of the orcs, Hiro immediately cast his fireball spell burning one of the tents to ashes with 2 orcs inside. As Hiro moved towards the beastmaster, orcs began to close in on him form the sides running and screaming with their short swords and clubs flailing in the air. As they came from behind cover, Foria skillfully slayed them one by one until only Hiro and the beastmaster were left. The beastmaster unleashed his wolf and it charged directly at Hiro. Hiro did not flinch, as he had fought several beasts he was fully confident in his ability to take down the wolf. As the wolf charged Foria shot several arrows all missed accept one which hit the wolf in his front leg. This shot caused the wolf to stumble and Hiro took advantage of the opportunity. As the wolf crashed down because of the arrow through its leg, He jumped up and came down with the full weight of his blade crashing through the torso of the wolf. Blood squirted out onto Hiro who removed his blade and moved onto the Beastmaster. Hiro moved prematurely because the wolf was not yet dead and with its large paw it struck at Hiro. His prediction ability alerted him to the attack but he was unable to dodge it. He used is shield to try to block the attack. The paw slammed into Hiro¡¯s shield throwing Hiro about 10 meters across the camp and into a tree. Hiro¡¯s dropped over 100 points. This was a heavy blow. In addition Hiro¡¯s left shoulder had been dislocated so he was now unable to wield his shield. Hiro let out scream of pain.
Your arm is injured. Your strength is reduced by 25% Endurance increased to level 10.
"Just what I needed another status ailment!" Foria jumped down from her tree perch and rushed towards Hiro to help knowing full well of the horrible situation that was unfolding. The Beastmaster now removed the large blade from behind his back and began to move towards the injured Hiro. In order to try to defend himself, Hiro dropped the shield as his arm could no longer wield the heavy shield. As the Beastmaster began to run towards Hiro arrows began to fly. The beastmaster dodged them skillfully. He moved so fast that it seemed as though there clones of him. The beastmaster continued on his path toward Hiro. Hiro steadied himself as he knew this would be tough. He readied his sword and waited. The Beastmaster¡¯s attacks were on another level. The prediction lines came so quickly Hiro could hardly keep up. The length of the beastmaster¡¯s blade kept Hiro at a distance where he could not counterattack.The beastmaster must have noticed that Hiro¡¯s arm was damaged because he began striking him on his left side. Hiro¡¯s dodging ability was helping him stay away from the fatal attacks of the blade but the beastmaster began to land some punches and kicks on Hiro when Hiro dodged the blade. The beastmaster slashed his blade down vertically against Hiro. Hiro stopped the attack with his longsword but the beastmaster kicked him in the chest sending him flying back. Hiro rolled over and stuck his sword in the ground to try and stand up. ¡°This guy is tough but I can die here. What can I do though? My body is racked with pain and I only have a third of my health remaining.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Hiro could not land an effective attack and Foria¡¯s attacks were useless against the skillful Beastmaster. ¡°I¡¯ve got to save him.¡± With her last arrow Foria decided to try a different approach. She shot the lock off of the cage that held her brother and the large stranger. The lock fell to the ground and she immediately used her small hunting knife that Hiro had given her to cut the ropes that bound her brother and the stranger. ¡°Korin, its me Foria! Wake up!¡± She slapped him in the face. He opened his eyes. ¡°Get up we are in great danger. My friend is battling the beastmaster but he is hurt and I fear he may die.¡± ¡°Foria? Is it really you? They got you too?¡± ¡°No I did what you asked and got help. Now I need you to help my friend. Please brother he is dying.¡± Her brother, Korin, immediately ran out to help. He cast a fireball spell that forced the beastmaster to back up. Next, Korin pointed his hand towards Hiro and began muttering some words. Hiro¡¯s arm began to have a glowing aura around it. He could feel the bone inserting itself back into the joint. As the bone returned he was in agony and screamed out in pain, ¡°GRRAAHHHHH!¡± Once the bone return to the joint the pain he was feeling subsided and the glow vanished.
Your arm has recovered now your strength has returned to normal.
Hiro squeezed his hand together making a fist showing that had strength had returned. Next, he looked at the beastmaster as he picked up his shield and said, ¡°This is it for you!¡± Hiro raised his sword and screamed out, ¡°AHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Hiro¡¯s anger had exploded and released his ki which surrounded him in a reddish colored shrouded.¡±
New ability learned, Warrior''s Battle Cry.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Warrior''s Battle CryBeginner010%
When this ability is used it gives the user an incredible boost in attack power. It also strikes fear in the heart of all enemies and draws their attention to him and his extremely threatening aura.
Hiro dashed toward the beastmaster. The beastmaster swung his sword to meet his charge but Hiro used his shield to deflect the attack. The beastmaster was off-balance after the deflection. Hiro took this opportunity to slash the beastmaster¡¯s torso. His enemy darted backward but not without suffering some damage. It was bleeding from a small gash that opened in between its ribs. Hiro pursued his enemy unwilling to fight at a distance that put him at a disadvantage. He swung his sword while close to the beastmaster but it used its metal gauntlet to stop the blow. The gauntlet held firm. ¡°How strong is he to stop my blade with one arm?¡± Hiro quickly headbutted the beastmaster causing blood to spill from its nose. Hiro smiled and the two separated and began their attacks again. The two warriors sized each other up carefully analyzing their opponent. Hiro activated his dashing slash and exploded towards the beastmaster. He slashed at his enemy but the beastmaster was able to stop the attack by blocking with his sword. He then turned his blade sideways causing Hiro to break his stance then elbowed Hiro in the face. Blood poured from Hiro¡¯s mouth. Once again they reset and got ready for their next attack. They seemed to be fighting evenly. They attacked each other furiously. Each attack filled with murderous intent. The blades flew so quickly that it was hard for the on looking people to even follow the path of the swords being swung. All you could hear is the clang of metal on metal as the swords struck their targets.The battle was deadlocked. The two warriors swung their blades over and over but neither could do any damage to the other. The beastmaster¡¯s gauntlet and Hiro¡¯s shield kept them protected from each other¡¯s attack. That was until Korin cast a spell of bind on the beastmaster causing him to momentarily be paralyzed. This was all of the opportunity that Hiro needed. He charged in and activated his dashing slash ability. With one swift motion he plunged his sword into the chest of the monster. Blood spurted out towards Hiro as the beastmaster dropped to its knees and released its sword. With the last ounce of its strength it tried to strike Hiro in his face but the attack hit nothing but air as Hiro had jumped back before it could land. Finally, Hiro¡¯s worth foe fell face down dead. ¡°A warrior to the end. I will salute you.¡±
Level increased to 12 Level increased to 13 Shield mastery increased to level 6 Sword mastery increased to level 10
Foria jumped for joy as she and her brother praised Hiro for vanquishing the beastmaster. Foria ran and hugged Hiro for his heroic deed. Hiro smiled saying, ¡°Is your brother safe?¡± ¡°Yes he¡¯s right over¡­.¡± Before should could ge the words out Hiro collapsed in her arms from the exhaustion of the intense battle. She looked at him. His body was covered in blood and his face was badly bruised. ¡°Why would he do all of this for someone he barely knew?¡± She held him tight and began to cry. Her tears were of joy for Hiro had helped her rescue her brother and now she could return home. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 10: New Companions Thanks everyone for all of the great comments and reviews. I love that you guys are giving me so much feedback. Please continue to follow, rate, and review my work. If you comment I will definitely try to incorporate your feedback as much as possible in the upcoming chapters. I am actually feeling very good about my work and I will be adding at least 2 chapters each week for a while. Chapter 10 Hiro opened his eyes. It was night and he could feel a fire providing warmth against his skin and something warm and soft under his head. His eyes slowly began to focus. At first he could only make out some shapes and colors so he blinked his eyes. After a few seconds, there he saw it Foria¡¯s beautiful face. She had laid him on his panther pelt bed and placed his head in her lap. When she saw his eyes open she said, ¡°I was worried about you.¡± Laughingly Korin said, ¡°Yeah, she hasn¡¯t moved all day waiting for you to wake up. It was actually quite cute. I''ve never seen my sister act like this. You must have made have made quite the impression on her out here in these woods." Korin winked at Hiro and Foria blushed. This was the first time Hiro had actually saw Korin. He was about average height for a man. He was not very muscular. Actually his physique looked very slender and face was so perfect it was almost feminine. He had shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. He was the classic pretty boy. This was the type of person Hiro definitely hated most. ¡°I saw that I have you to thank for my rescue. Oh I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me for my manners. My name is Korin. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome and my name Hiro. Nice to meet you¡±, he replied. Then Hiro moved his glance over to the larger man who was next to Korin. ¡°Excuse me. Umm¡­. Who are you?¡± The man turned and faced Hiro. His body was covered with scars that appeared to be from countless battles or possibly torture. His hair was all white even though he did not look much older than 25 or 30 years old. He was about 215 cm tall and his physique was something out of a cartoon. His muscles were huge. It looked as if he was born to be a warrior. The man turned and said, ¡°I am called Snow and I am from a small village far to the north of here. I was captured by these orcs when they raided my village. I have been tortured and imprisoned by them for the last 2 years.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all that has happened to you. You are free to return to your home now if you choose. I suggest that you go with us though as the forest is not safe for you to travel alone. It is riddled with monsters of all kinds and I¡¯m sure there may be more orcs out there. Snow agreed to go with the group. They all decided to rest in the orc camp for the night. In the morning Hiro woke up early. The sun had barely broken the plane of the horizon. "That beastmaster was one tough bastard. I barely made it out of that fight alive. I really have to find a fighting style that works for me. The sword and shield was nice but it doesn¡¯t really suit me as it requires a lot of strength which I do not yet have. Maybe fighting relying mor on my agility might be better for now." He decided that he would take the beastmaster¡¯s sword and gauntlet as that fighting style appealed more to him. He went over to the beastmaster¡¯s corpse and inspected the equipment. The leather armor did not seem to have any advantage on the chainmail he had so he then looked at the sword and gauntlet.
Claymore
Type:GreatswordDurability:85 / 100
Quality:Medium
Attack: 22 Claymore: A greatsword made of steel. This sword was created with the intent to kill and man while he was riding a horse in one blow. The blade is long and the hilt is heavy. The weight of the blade adds to its destructive force-
Black Iron Gauntlet
Type:GauntletDurability:150 / 200
Quality:Medium
15Vitality +3, Agility +3 Black Iron Gauntlet- A gauntlet that covers the arm from should all the way to the hand. It protects it¡¯s wearer like a shield, while giving them the mobility of still having a free hand.
"Wow! These two are a huge improvement over my others. The gauntlet actually has the same protection ability as my shield and it gives some stat boosts." Hiro equipped them both but he immediately fell sluggish as the weight of the 2 items together was massive. ¡°How strong was that beastmaster to wield both of these at the speed he did?¡± Hiro decided to hold off on wearing the new weapons and focus on training his body to strengthen himself so he could move in the new equipment. He began with his calisthenics. "i guess I''ll try sets of 50 since my strength has increased." He got through 5 sets of each and was feeling some fatigue. "I''ve got to push myself further." He continued until he was so exhausted he could barely move. He was surprised he was now able to do over 400 of each of his situps, pushups, and squats. Hiro sat up and noticed and looked down at his arms and chest. "What has happened? Is this the result of my daily training?" His arms and chest had become a lot more toned and defined. His training was not only showing in battle but in his general appearance.
Passive skill unlocked, Warrior¡¯s Body.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Warrior''s BodyBeginner010%
Through numerous daily repetitions of physical training you have acquired a warrior¡¯s body. This body has heightened senses, strength, speed, even reflexes. As you continue to train your body will improve faster than before allow you to go beyond the limits of a normal human being.
Hiro thought to himself, "I should try more exercises to build my strength." He went to his bag and found the large battle axe that he had taken from of the orcs. He decided to use it to chop down a tree. He went to the outskirts of the camp and found a tree with a relatively small trunk to test his strength. He grabbed the axe with both hands a swung it with all of his might. The axe cut deep into the small tree. After about 5 more swings it fell to the ground. Hiro then proceeded to cut the tree into pieces. His shoulders, back and arms, started to burn from swinging the axe. Sweat poured off of him profusely. After some time passed Hiro had finally cut of the tree into about forty 2 foot sections. He sat down as he panted for air and his muscles throbbed.
Due to your rigorous training your strength has increased by 4. Warrior''s body increased to level 2
Hiro decided to continue with cutting up the tree. He placed each piece up so that the rings of the interior of the tree were facing up. He placed another piece in the same fashion on top of the previous piece. He then swung his axe and cut partially through the log. He placed his foot on the log and pulled it out. He then swung the axe down again. The log split into 2 pieces and fell to the ground. Hiro picked up another piece and repeated the process over and over again. His arms began to hurt again. He looked around and noticed that he had cut up about 30 pieces of wood. He also noticed that he was splitting the wood in one cut now. He was not sure whether his strength had increased or that his skill with slashing weapons had improved due to swing the axe so many times. He kept going until he had split the entire tree into smaller pieces.
Through your continued training your strength has increased by 3 Warrior''s body increased to level 3
"I¡¯ve improved this just this morning. Is this due to the warrior''s body passive skill?" Then he took a deep breath and looked his work. He counted up all of the pieces and he now had about 80 pieces of wood that he could use for fires. He went back to the campsite to grab his magic bag. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When he returned everyone was awake. Everyone had taken the leather armor that the orcs had worn. This force looked very strong. They were just missing a couple of things. Hiro decided to ask some questions so he could ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of his group. First he asked snow, "Do you know how to use a weapon?" Snow laughed and said, "I was am warrior who learned to fight in order to protect my village. I was only defeated by the orcs because they came under the cover of night and used magic to bind me before he could reach my weapon." Hiro then asked, "What weapons do you have the greatest skill?" Snow paused for a moment and replied, "Heavy weapons and armor. I like to stand in toe-to-toe with my enemies so my weapons and armor usually have high defensive and offensive capabilities." Hiro could have guessed it with Snow¡¯s huge frame and freakishly muscular physique. Hiro gave snow his iron shield and long sword. Snow put them on and began to move taking practice swings. His speed and power were ridiculous. The heavy shield seemed like it was weightless while snow was wearing it. Next, Hiro moved on and talked to Korin. He already knew Korin was a mage from the spells he had already seen him cast. "Korin, have you been trained to fight using weapons or are solely trained to cast spells?" Korin replied, "I had very little training in martial skills but what skill I do have is in using a staff." Hiro went to his magic bag and pulled out the staff and cloak he took from the goblin mage and gave them to Korin. Korin smiled, took the staff, and put cloak around his body it fit him well. Hiro then went put on the gauntlet and picked up the claymore. It was still ridiculously heavy but he could hold if he used both hands. Now everyone was equipped. Now it was time to see what everyone could do and to get some fighting experience with his new weapons. Everyone thanked Hiro for the equipment. "In order to properly work as a team they would need to know each other''s skills, strengths as well as their weaknesses. If we are going to travel together we should see each other''s skills. I would like to have a spar with each of you if that''s ok?" Everyone nodded in agreement. The first battle was with Snow. This battle was over quickly as Snow¡¯s overwhelming strength coupled with Hiro¡¯s hampered mobility due to the weight of his equipment gave Hiro an insurmountable disadvantage. Hiro tried to use his speed but he could not find an opening against Snow. He slashed at Snow but each time the shield was there to meet his blade. On his last blow, Snow rammed the shield into Hiro''s blade causing a shockwave to go through Hiro''s arm. The shockwave caused him to drop his sword. Snow immediately took the opportunity. He kicked Hiro who placed his arm protected by the gauntlet in the way. The kick was so powerful that it knocked Hiro off his feet. He quickly jumped up but as he did Snow thrust his sword straight at Hiro''s head. "It''s my win young warrior." Hiro bowed his head in acknowledgement of his defeat. Next up was Foria. "I have been looking forward to another battle with you. My brother has healed my leg. It won''t go the same as last time Hiro." "You are full of confidence I see." "No need for any more talking. Let''s do this!" Foria was extremely agile and she used the 2 knives that Hiro had given her from their conquest of the orcs. Her attacks were ridiculously fast and it seemed that all Hiro could do against her was rely on his predict ability to dodge her attacks until she eventually moved so fast that he lost sight of her. When he realized where she was it was too late for him to defend. She was behind him with a blade pointing directly at either side of his neck. Again he lost. "I told you!" "I guess you were right" Hiro was feeling really terrible now. Finally, he began his spar with Korin. He thought, "This will be easy as long as I don¡¯t give him time to cast his spells." As soon as Foria told them to begin Korin had cast his bind spell. Hiro was completely defenseless. Korin walked over and tapped Hiro on the head with his staff and said, ¡°You¡¯re not my match yet. Maybe in a thousand years! Hahahaha!¡± Hiro was mortified. He was unable to do anything against his comrades. He felt like he was the weakest of all of them. He felt like he right back in school where everyone looked down on him. The day had quickly gone by and they were in need of food. The all grabbed their weapons and went out in search of food. On their way, they found a group of forest panthers. Everyone was starving, so they set up a plan to attack. Korin would bind them with his magic then Foria, Hiro, and Snow would finish them off. The plan went flawlessly Korin¡¯s bind was extremely strong and none of the forest panthers could move an inch. As they were paralyzed the 3 used their blades and plunged them deep into the necks of the animals. Each died quickly with one clean blow. They took the animals back to the camp. As they walked closer to the camp Hiro¡¯s detect presence showed him that there were 3 large enemies at the campsite. When they arrived at the camp they saw several large birds that looked like vultures. These birds were about 1 meter tall with razor sharp talons and a curved beak that looked like it would tear flesh from bone. These creatures were eating the remains of the dead orcs. Hiro used inspect.
Bloody Vulture
Type:AvianHealth:350 / 350
Mana:00/00
Bloody Vulture: A large bird that preys on dead and rotting flesh. They are often seen on battlefields among the freshly slain warriors.
The vultures noticed the presence of the party and began moving toward the group with their wings spread in a threatening manner. Korin used his bind skill to paralyze them while the others killed them off. Now they also had birds to cook. They decided to dispose of the corpses of the orcs before cooking dinner so they would not attract anymore of the vultures. So Korin said that he would cast fireball to burn the corpes. He raised his hand to cast the spell but he stumbled saying, ¡°I guess I used up too much magic¡±. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it Hiro said.¡± He raised his arm and cast his fireball spell. The flaming ball that came out from his hand was not as large as Korin¡¯s but it burnt one of the bodies to to a crisp nonetheless. He had to take pauses after burning two corpses as his mana pool was not very large yet. After he rested he cast and regained his mana, he continued burning the bodies.
Fireball spell increased to level 3
After disposing of the bodies, Hiro began to skin the animals they had killed during the day so that Foria could cook the meat for dinner.
You gain 6 pieces of light leather. Skinning skill improves to level 8
While Hiro was working on skinning the beasts, Korin gathered some fruit from some nearby trees and Snow gathered fire wood from the blocks Hiro chopped up earlier and started a fire. Foria began cooking the meat from the panthers and the vultures and Korin helped by cutting up the fruit he had found. While the food was being cooked Hiro took the time to create some more arrows for Foria. He saw how talented she was with the bow and wanted her to use that first. He took some pieces of fire wood and cut them up into pieces that resembled the shaft of arrows. He left one end large so he could sharpen them to a point by using his hunting knife. Snow offered some advice saying that he should add feathers to help with the flight of the arrows. Hiro took Snow''s advice and took the feathers from the vultures to place on the rear of the arrows. The first few did not go so well but after some practice, Hiro was able to make some good arrows.
You made 80 wooden arrows Weapon making skill improves to level 7
He filled Foria¡¯s new quiver which could hold 50 arrows and also placed the rest in her bag for later use. As soon as he had finished Foria called for the group. The food was finally finished. They ate until the all of the food was gone. After eating they laughed a joked for a while. Many of the jokes were from Korin who insinuated a lot of things about Hiro and Foria being in a cave for a few days all alone. Hiro and Foria were embarrassed. After a while they decided that they would leave camp bright and early to journey to Foria and Korin''s hometown. Chapter 11: Warrior Training Hey folks please continue to rate me and add to me to your favorites. Chapter 11 The next morning Hiro arose with one thing on his mind, ¡°How can I get stronger? I thought I had gotten stronger but yesterday showed me that I¡¯m really not strong yet. I was too weak to fight Snow head-on, too slow to fight with Foria now that she had recovered, and not skilled enough in magic to take on Korin.¡± To clear his head he decided to do what he had done since he came to this world, train. ¡°Before when I wore the heavy shield I gained strength just wielding it so that should apply to using this sword and gauntlet. I might as well kill two birds with one stone and practice with it on while I do my training.¡± After equipping the weapons he began doing his calisthenics. He quickly noticed the weight of his new items greatly increased his own weight. His fatigue added up quickly and shortly after about 100 repetitions he was unable to move.
Through your training, your strength has increased by 3 and vitality increased by 3.
Hiro was panting from the exertion of doing the exercises while wearing the heavy equipment.When he looked up snow was standing over him with his hand stretched out. He grabbed Snow¡¯s hand and got up off of the ground. Snow said, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you train very hard like any great warrior should. That is a good habit for a warrior. My master always told me to sharpen you blade each day as well as your body.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s honestly the only thing that I could do right now. I don¡¯t know much else.¡± ¡°I thought you might say that. You have great physical skills but you have never had any formal battle training have you? ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I was raised to be a warrior from the time I was very small. I can tell what skill looks like. I learned a lot about you during our spar.¡± Smiling Snow said, ¡°You are raw but you have a lot of potential.¡± ¡°Can you train me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t consider myself a master but I can teach you some of the things that I know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. It is the least I can do for freeing me from that cage.¡± ¡°Thank you Snow¡± ¡°Ok. First you must train both parts of your strength.¡± Hiro scratched his head. ¡°What do you mean both parts of your strength?¡± ¡°You are only training your outer strength. You have to strengthened your exterior very well and that is good and it will slowly grow over time but the true strength of a warrior is the inner strength, ki.¡± Hiro thought back to when his martial arts teacher talked about ki and what he had felt since he was in this world. ¡°I can feel it Snow but I can¡¯t really do anything with it.¡± ¡°I will show you how to access your ki at will then we will move on.¡± Hiro nodded. First watch me. Snow took a deep breath and a small breeze rustled through the grass and a few leaves blew away from him. Hiro instantly felt a powerful presence. ¡°Can you feel that?¡± ¡°Yes. Is that your ki?¡± ¡°Yes. It is my inner energy a manifestation of my fighting spirit.¡± ¡°Now close your eyes. Feel the heat coming from your belly.¡± Hiro did as he was told. ¡°I can feel it its warm.¡± ¡°Now begin to imagine it moving from your belly all around you.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Hiro began to do as Snow instructed. As Snow watched he could begin to see parts of Hiro¡¯s body flicker with a pale blue almost white colored ki.¡± ¡°Focus! You must concentrate. Relax your mind. Your if you mind is raging so will your ki. You have to focus and relax.¡± Hiro took a deep breath and bit down on his lip. His brow was full of sweat. ¡°I must learn this! I must focus¡± Hiro said to himself. He began to picture his ki swirling around his stomach. Then he imagined that there were holes in his body that allowed it to simply flow out instead of trying to push his ki out. Snow looked on as the pale colored ki that flickered like lightning flashes gained a more stable red color and became more calm a free-flowing. ¡°This kid¡¯s power is crazy. His aura is incredible. What kind of power is hidden away in this boy? How can he do this his first time?¡± Snow said to himself. ¡°Good Hiro! Now relax and open your eyes.¡± Hiro open his eyes and looked around he could see his red aura around his body. It was amazing. "Now I will teach you how to increase your strength using your ki so that you can wield those weapons now and when your body catches up you will be even stronger. Come let me demonstrate." Quickly Hiro activated his copy ability. Snow stood still and began to breathe slowly. Snow then let out a sound that began with a hum and got louder as he gathered more of his ki. "AAAHHHHHHHH!!!" The trees around began to rustle and a faint breeze could be felt. Around his feet Hiro could actually see Snow¡¯s ki beginning to disperse around his body. It was emanating from his center and moving to his arms legs filling his muscles. Hiro was in awe of his comrade¡¯s ability. As he watched he understood more and more how Snow was able to freely control his ki. Snow continued to gather his ki as his voice got louder and louder. "HHHAAAAAAAA!!!!" Then suddenly he stopped. He had gathered his ki. Snow showed Hiro what he could do. "If you move your ki to your legs you can greatly increase your speed." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Hiro watched a Snow ran. ¡°He moved just like the beastmaster did. It was as if there were several of them. That must have been what that monster was doing.¡± "If you move it to your arms you can strengthen the swing of your sword. If you become a master at this you may not need a weapon anymore. I¡¯ll show you." Snow went up to a nearby rock. It appeared that rock was solid and very large. It was a sphere with a radius of about 165 cm. Snow said watch carefully. Hiro saw Snow¡¯s ki gather into his right hand. Snow then made a fist and brought it down with all of his might on to the rock. The rock shattered into pieces as Snow¡¯s punched pulverized the rock.
Through careful observation, you were able to copy the body strengthening ki skill.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Body Strengthening/tds][tds]Beginner0100%
With this skill active you will be able to strengthen your body with you ki. As you improve in proficiency you will be able to concentrate you ki in more body parts at the same time. If you reach the master level the ki will surround you whole body giving you a golden glow.
Hiro activated the ability. ¡°It feels so warm. Is this the feeling of my ki moving around my body?¡± Hiro looked down at his body. ¡°My muscles are bulging and nearly double their normal size. How strong am I?¡± He then pulled the sword from his back. ¡°This is incredible Snow. The heavy sword and gauntlet feel nearly weightless. My body is now able to move as it did before. No it was even faster.¡± Snow watched Hiro swinging the sword "Incredible you can already replicate what you saw me do? You are definitely gifted." Hiro thank Snow and smiled. He thought to himself, "I definitely can''t tell him that it is just one of abilities that I can copy techniques that I see." "Remember the more of your body that is covered by your ki, the more ki it will consume so start your training small. Use it on one body part at a time. Each part of you can be strengthened try using it in different ways to get some amazing results." "Ok. I will. Thank you Snow. You''ve really opened my eyes to something great." He looked up at his display he had lost over half of his mana in the 2 minutes that he activated this body strengthening skill. He released the skill and immediately the weight of the sword and gauntlet returned. Hiro decided to make sure he spent time meditating and practicing using his ki each day. So he began by sitting down on the ground and breathing very deeply and slowly. He let his mind clear and he began to feel the ki from all of the living things around him. Snow went back to the main part of camp to begin his preparations to leave. After some time past Hiro stood ended his meditation period.
Due to your prolonged period of meditation you have raised you wisdom by 3 points.
You have learned the passive skill, clear mind. Due to your meditation you have learned to keep your mind clear.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Clear MindBeginner0100%
This skill helps you to regenerate you mana at a much faster rate, thus allowing you to sustain your ki for longer periods of time. Each level that you gain in this skill you will earn + 2 points towards you intelligence.
Hiro now decided to focus on using his ki in small intervals like he trained his body physically. He gathered his ki around his legs, which he felt would increase his movement. ¡°Let¡¯s see I guess I should do this until my man is half way depleted. I want to see how long I can sustain this. As my wisdom increases mana supply should grow which means I can increase the number of his limbs that I concentrate my ki in. I¡¯ll do this until I can supply my whole body for extended amounts of time.¡± After about 10 minutes he was half way through his ki. He released the concentration in his feet and took a break. Chapter 12: A sticky situation Chapter 12 Now that the morning training was over everyone got their equipment on and prepared to leave. They decided to go to Foria and Korin¡¯s home town of Kaito. Snow and Hiro led the front of the group while Korin and Foria moved to the back of the group so that if they came across any enemies the higher defensive units would already be out front. Korin said, "We should head west until we escape this forest. Then we should be about a day from our village." Everyone nodded in agreement and they set out. As they walked they laughed and chatted sharing stories of their past. Soon the forest began to get dark. They noticed thick spider webs all over the place. As they walked deeper into the area they ran into a web that blocked their path. Snow tried to cut through the web but it was to no avail. The webbing was too thick. Korin decided it was just better to burn it all and cast his fireball. He raised his hand and a basketball sized ball appeared in his hand. Korin threw the ball at the webbing in front of them and the webbing it hit was burnt to a crisp. Any other pieces that it was attached to also began to burn up as well. They continued until¡­
Dangerous presence detected!
¡°Everyone be on your guard I sense a dangerous enemy ahead.¡± Everyone armed themselves and they move forward cautiously. Hiro could sense a very large ki not far ahead of them but they could not yet see it. He could also sense numerous small energies all around them but they were not close enough to attack. They reached a clearing where they saw it. It was a large spider. It was over 4 meters tall. It was all black with 8 green eyes on its head. Hiro immediately used his inspect ability as well as copy because the spider was strong and he might be able to learn from it.
Widow Queen
Type:ArachnidHealth:1,200 / 1,200
Mana:00/00
The most powerful of the forest spiders. She is the mother of all the spiders in the woods. She is extremely dangerous. Her venomous fangs can kill with only a few drops. Her powerful legs can crush and man easily and she spits out webbing that is as strong as steel and cannot be cut with a normal blade.
Snow leaped into action. Hiro activated his ki and joined in behind Snow. ¡°We will have to make this quick as I won¡¯t be able to use my ki for very long¡±, thought Hiro. He and Snow attacked the spider. They slashed at its body to no avail. Their weapons could not pierce its thick hide. The spider took one of its long legs and thurst it at Snow. He used his shield to block the attack but the spider¡¯s leg pierced through it leaving a large whole. As the spider pulled its leg back, it yanked the shield away from Snow. With out a shield Snow could not block the webbing the spider spit a him. The spider¡¯s webbing covered him from his toes to his neck. Snow immediately fell over and was incapacitated. Hiro now had to take the brunt of the beast¡¯s attacks. He knew he had to keep the spider away from attacking the defenseless Snow. He activated his Hero¡¯s battle cry ability. The red threatening aura covered his body and he let out a scream the caused the spider to pause. He tried to use his icy stare but it must not have been high enough level to intimidate the spider. Since that didn¡¯t work he immediately began furiously attacking the spider with extremely fast and heavy strikes from his blade. None were working but he had the spider¡¯s complete attention and Snow was temporarily safe. Foria was shooting her arrows trying to keep the beast at bay but they could not penetrate the thick carapace either. Korin used his bind spell.
After observing Korin using copy numerous times you have learned, dark magic spell bind.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
BindBeginner0100%
This spell releases your ki in a chain-like shape wrapping around an enemy preventing it from moving. The strength of the spell will increase with you skill making it last longer and becoming more difficult for enemies to break free.
The spider was immediately paralyzed. Hiro used the chance to dart in and try to land an attack that would finish the spider. Just before he could land his attack the spider broke free of the bind spell and swung one of its powerful legs at Hiro. He could not avoid but he was able to block the attack using his gauntlet. Blocking the attack sent him flying into a tree. Hiro lost 120 hp. He stood back up but the attention of the spider a returned to Snow. The spider took one of its long legs and pierced Snow through both of his shoulders. It opened its mouth to bite Snow. Just before it could Hiro used his dashing slash to land an attack right on the spider¡¯s head. The spider fell back releasing Snow. Unfortunately Snow was bleeding badly. Hiro charged at the the spider again. The spider spit webbing at him but Korin burned it with his fireball. When he was close enough the spider attacked him with one of its legs but Hiro dodged it by rolling on the ground. He quickly returned to his feet and slashed the leg with his sword. The leg was chopped off and the spider stumbled. ¡°Hold on Snow we¡¯re going to finish this thing. Foria, Korin the Hide is thick but the legs were weak. We can incapacitate it by destroying its legs then we can figure out how to kill it." ¡°I¡¯ll also blind it by shooting out its eyes¡± said Foria. She shot its eyes out with pinpoint accuracy. As the arrows hit their mark the spider let out a loud shriek. Hiro covered his ears as the sound was so loud that it made his ears bleed. After a moment he looked around. All he could hear was a loud ringing in his ears. He saw Foria and Korin trying to talk to him. ¡°What are they saying? I can¡¯t hear anything. Am I deaf?¡± The widow queen was blinded and it moved around wildly swing its legs. Just then Hiro could feel the other energies moving towards them. ¡°Look out more are coming!¡± Foria and Korin understood him and got on alert. The new enemies appeared. They were smaller spiders only about half a meter tall. ¡°They must have been the widow queen¡¯s children. That shriek must have been her calling for their help. Quick kill them before she starts attacking again¡± said Foria. ¡°Let¡¯s do it¡±, replied Korin. She fired her arrows and they pierced these spiders. They were not nearly as powerful as the queen. Korin used his fireball spells to burn any that got past Foria to a crisp. They made quick work of the queen¡¯s reinforcements and then they went back to the queen. ¡°Regain your mana Korin. I have a plan.¡± ¡°OK.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it busy let me know when you have enough mana to cast your most powerful spell.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Hiro charged in at the queen. ¡°It is much easier to dodge her attacks now that she can¡¯t see me.¡±
Dodge increased to level 6.
Hiro used his dashing slash this time when he dodged the queen¡¯s attack. He was able to cut one of the legs and queen lost its balance. His mana was beginning to run out. He had to do this fast. He ran towards the queen again. It spit webs at him but he was able to dodge. ¡°Might as well try it!¡± Hiro ran in as close as he could and called out his new skill ¡°Bind!¡± The queen immediately froze. Hiro quickly activated his dashing slash and cut all of its legs remaing legs. The queen¡¯s body hit the ground with a loud crash. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Now Korin!¡± Korin now raised his staff in horizontally with both hands firmly clasping about arms with apart. Hiro grabbed Snow and moved back. Suddenly a bolt of lightning shot forth from the staff and the spider was shocked and stopped moving. It was dead. Hiro released his ki and they all paused because they now had deal with another problem, Snow was still bleeding and he was encased in the webbing.
Level up Sword mastery evolved to novice
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Sword MasteryNovice0100%
Sword mastery novice gains 5 points to agility for each level. Also you gain a 10% chance that enemies struck with your sword will also be inflicted with the bleeding status ailment making them lose 10 hp per sec.
¡°Quickly, Korin cast your healing spell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t my mana is too low.¡± ¡°Give him the potions from in the magic bag.¡± Foria quickly took out 2 of the potions and poured into Snow¡¯s mouth. He swallowed and the bleeding stopped. His wounds were healing but he would need some rest. He was not going to die but he was still trapped. They needed to free him. Foria tried cutting the webbing with the knives and Hiro tried with his sword but it wouldn¡¯t budge. They were afraid to use magic because Snow might be harmed. ¡°Guys, I have an idea. Everyone stand back. I have to meditate for a moment in order to regain my ki.¡± He closed his eyes and began to meditate. After a few moments he had regained his mana. Hiro began summon his ki. ¡°I can feel it flowing around my body. Now I have to move it to my arm like Snow did when he crushed the rock.¡± His arm suddenly had a red aura around it. He opened his eyes and thought, ¡°It worked! Now I just have to push it out into the blade. If I can strengthen my body then why shouldn¡¯t I be able to strengthen my blade?¡± He closed his eyes again. Hiro visualized his ki moving from his arm to his hand and from his hand down to the hilt of the sword all the way to the end of the blade. Snow said, ¡°Amazing! How can this kid have developed this amount of control of his ki in one day? It usually took years of training to do such things.¡± Hiro opened his eyes. His blade was shrouded in a red aura. The blade looked almost as if it was on fire.
You have learned the technique of weapon enhancement.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Weapon EnhancementBeginner0100%
With this skill you are able to shroud your weapon with your ki and thus give it remarkable destructive capability. As you gain proficiency with this skill you will be able to imbue more ki causing your blade to cut through armored foes, rock, and even the hardest materials.
Hiro moved toward Snow. ¡°Stand him up against a nearby tree.¡± They did as asked. Hiro then told Snow to take a deep breath and hold completely still. Snow inhaled and Hiro raised his blade. Hiro paused for a moment clenching both of his hands around the handle of the blade. In one quick motion Hiro swung his blade down through the webbing. ¡°That was amazing it cut through as if it was just paper. It was if it had no resistance at all. It fell like he was cutting through butter.¡± Snow was even further impressed that Hiro was able to achieve such skill in such a short time. Snow thought to himself, ¡°This young man has great potential. I would like to see what he will achieve.¡± After getting Snow free they took some time breaking the spider into pieces. Hiro decided to use his new ki skill to cut the spider up. He cut part of the carapace in a larger round circle. He then attached a handle made from the leather of the forest panthers to make a shield for Snow. It was much larger than his previous shield as now it protected him from his thigh almost to his neck and now no normal weapon would be able to penetrate it. Snow was now like a walking fortress. As Hiro continued to cut up the spider he found something shiny. It was a baseball sized emerald green gem. He had never seen this before. He raised it up to the rest of the group. ¡°Does anyone know what this is? Foria and Snow shook their heads saying they didn¡¯t know. Korin said, ¡°That it was an elemental gem. Some monsters have and affinity for certain elements making them resistant to damage from that element. Green signifies wind. Brown is earth. White is light. Black is dark. Red is fire and blue is water. If you knew an enchanter you could use the gym to give you equipment wind elemental properties.¡± Now that they were finished with the spider they took a break as the spider was definitely a powerful foe but their group had triumphed showing their skill and teamwork. ¡°While everyone relaxes, I might as well go and work on my herbalism and alchemy skills as they will definitely help me with my mana.¡± He activated his ki placing it around his feet and began to walk away from camp towards the forest. He looked around and saw many plants but none had a glow about them like the other plants he had used for herbalism. ¡°Is it that they are not useful or my skill is not high enough to detect their usefulness? Let me check.¡± Hiro grabbed one of the plants and used his inspect ability.
Weed. A normal weed that grows in the wild. Has no value.
¡°I guess they are jus not useful and my mana is low. I need to meditate to replenish.¡± Hiro sat down and meditated to regain his mana. After a little a few minutes past he was ready to go. He reactivated his body strengthening technique then continued his search for a little while. He had now walked about 200 meters away from the camp going south when he found something. He saw a soft glow in the distance. ¡°Maybe that could something useful¡± Hiro saw a field of flowers. He recognized the mint and sunlion but there were 2 other flowers growing. One flower had white petals and the other was a very soft purple color. Hiro inspected them both.
Poison blossom Do not be fooled by its beautiful white petals, the nectar inside is an extremely potent poison.
Paralytic Jasmine Its beautiful soft purple color invites you to come in but the oil from its petals will cause whatever it touches to lose its ability to move.
Hiro carefully collected as many of these plants as he could.
You have collected 25 blood rosed, 18 mint, 20 sunlions, 24 paralytic jasmines, and 35 poison blossoms. Herbalism Skill has increased to level 7
¡°If I can make some poison and paralyze potions that will definitely upgrade my alchemy skill. Once I make them I can coat our weapons in those potions so that they can have a greater effect in battle. That spider was tough but with poison or paralytic weapons it would have been much less difficult.¡± Hiro made a sinister grin and rushed back to camp. Chapter 13: Invasion of Kaito Hey everyone. Thanks for all the love in your comments. You keep reading and i''ll definitely keep writing. Keep commenting, rating, and reviewing to help me improve my writing. Thanks everyone! Enjoy the next chapter. *body strengthening has been renamed body enhancement Chapter 13 Hiro returned to the camp and saw everyone resting. He took out some of the poison blossoms he had collected. " I need to attempt to make an effective poison. I guess I''ll try the same thing I did with the blood roses. I guess to start I should grind these up and on a rock but I can¡¯t let this get on my skin.¡± He placed the 2 of the blossoms on a rock and began to crush them against each other. As he ground up the flowers up little by little they lost their beauty and turned into a white paste. "Hmm... No notification saying that I created poison? Well I guess I should see if it was successful. I need to make a trial run on something." He took his blade and rubbed it into the paste.
Your blade is now coated with poison. Upon inflicting damage upon an opponent it will be poisoned.
Alchemy level increased to 8.
He stood up. ¡°Hey guys I want to try out this poison I created. I¡¯ll be back shortly and then we can leave.¡± Everyone nodded then he ran off into the woods. Hiro used his tracking skill and he found the signs that a black viper had been near the area. He tracked it until he found the snake laying out on a rock sunning itself. ¡°I need to test the poison. I want to see how weak or powerful it is. I need to fight it and wound it slightly. Then I will dodge until it dies.¡± Hiro jumped out at the night viper and tried to slash it but the snake detected him before he attacked. It dodged his attack and hissed at him baring its fangs. Hiro activated his icy stare. The snake was intimidated by his stare. "I''ve got to be fast to avoid all of its attacks."While the snake was intimated he gathered his ki into his legs to augment his agility. Hiro lunged at the snake and slashed it. ¡°Now lets see how effective it is.¡± Hiro retreated back but the snake was angered from being damaged. Despite being intimidated by Hiro¡¯s icy stare the black viper furiously attacked him. Hiro dodgedthe attacks one after another. His prediction ability makes this very easy. ¡°It¡¯s slowing down. The poison is working.¡± The snake begins to attack less and less and eventually it drops to the ground dead.
Dodge now level 9 Body Enhancement now level 5
¡°The poison was a success. I am going to coat all of our weapons in this.¡± He returns to the camp. ¡°Hey, my plan worked my alchemy skill has improved to allow me to make poison. Foria and Snow coat your arrows and sword in the poison to help us if we get into a battle. ¡°That¡¯s what you were doing¡±, said Foria. ¡°Nice work young one. Poisoning an enemy will definitely give us an advantage in battle ¡± said Snow. ¡°Thanks¡± Hiro said as he looked at the ground blushing. ¡°I just wanted to be useful. I was kind of down after our sparring the other day.¡± ¡°We were all raised to be a ranger, mage, and a warrior. You just began. You should not try to compare yourself to us¡± said Korin. ¡°Thanks. I didn¡¯t think of it that way. I feel a lot better now. Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready!¡± The group grabbed their equipment and left to finish journeying through the forest. The group walked and talked as they traveled through the forest. The mood was light and the group laughed as they shared stories of childhood. Hiro and his group began to notice the trees were not as thick. They began to see more and more sunlight. Then the trees began to make way to a lush green pasture. They saw grass as far as the eye could see. Hiro was so surprised. He couldn¡¯t believe there was a place this beautiful just outside of the hellish forest he had been living in recently. They continued walking and eventually came upon a dirt road. Korin indicated that they should follow the road north and after about a day¡¯s journey they would come to their home town of Kaito. The group decided to walk until the sun began to go down. They set up camp with the tents that they had taken from the orcs. Hiro took some of the pieces of firewood he had stored in his bag and lit a fire using his fireball skill. Everyone laughed and talked for hours. Eventually they began to fall asleep one by one. The next morning Hiro awoke as usual early in order to begin his physical and mental training. He equipped his gauntlet and sword and began doing his strength training. He did pushups, situps, and squats until his body was exhausted. "I was able to increase the amount of pushups back to 250 even while wearing the gauntlet. The fruits of my training already began to show." Hiro now began meditation. "I have to practice moving my ki around my body. I have to see how it will effect different parts of my body." He sat down and tried to pass his ki around his body in different ways. He began by gathering it all in his abdomen. Then he started moving smaller portions of it around his body. First, he gathered it into his right hand and then to his left. Next, he gathered it around his left leg and then his right. Finally he shrouded his whole body with the ki. As he opened his eyes he saw the familiar aura of his ki around his body. He felt his ki surging through his body creating a dramatic improvement in his speed, stamina, defense, and strength. Hiro thought to himself what if I could do this all times? What if I could train so much that my body enhancement could always be on? He had now managed to keep his ki active for nearly 40 minutes which was nearly triple the amount he was able to do before. He then took a deep breath and released his ki.
Your continuous training has improved your strength +5, wisdom +4, vitality+2.
Hiro was proud of his steady improvement. "Now he should practice my sword technique. I cannot just improve my body I must also improve my technique." Hiro grabbed the claymore from his back. It did not feel as heavy. His strength must have increased sufficiently for him to begin to wield the large sword. Next Hiro began to concentrate. The image in his mind was that of the beastmaster. Hiro focused and the beastmaster began to appear before his eyes. He began to attack. The beastmaster was still faster than he was and Hiro was barely able to dodge the attacks. The weight of his weapons was still a hindrance. No matter how hard he tried he was still not able to best the image of the beastmaster. Now he was pouring sweat and breathing very heavily. Hiro lay down on the soft grass and looked up at the clear blue sky. He could feel a cool breeze on his skin. The sun was just over the horizon showing its beautiful bouquet of colors. Hiro could not believe that this was truly real. Then he heard Snow¡¯s voice. ¡°Have you improved any since our last spar?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Let¡¯s find out¡±, said Hiro. He and Snow squared off. Hiro activated his ki ability and copy as he knew Snow might have some seriously strong techniques. When the breeze stopped blowing they charged each other. Snow¡¯s aura was intense. His new shield made it seem like he was a walking tank. Hiro knew he would not be able to penetrate that shield. He moved his ki to his legs. He began to dart back and forth in order to confuse Snow. Hiro was moving so fast that he created an after image. "I can move like the beastmaster did. Amazing! Snow was right! I have improved'', Hiro thought to himself. Snow began to show signs of difficulty tracking Hiro. Hiro noticed this immediately and darted in at Snow. He attacked from what seemed to be a blind spot. Snow was caught off guard but he was still able to get his large shield around in time to take the attack. Hiro slashed at Snow with all of his might. Snow felt the heaviness of Hiro¡¯s blows. They were incredible. "I couldn¡¯t imagine that Hiro was the same person from the other day when we sparred at the orc camp. I guess I should join Hiro in that training he does in the morning seeing his immense progress." Hiro continued to press the attack while Snow defended extremely well with his shield. The blows began to come faster. They jumped in at each other and crossed swords. Snow was no longer far superior in strength. He still had an advantage but the difference was not the same as it was in their first match. They struggled as they pushed each other trying to take a superior position. Snow¡¯s edge in strength forced Hiro to bend at his knees as Snow¡¯s full strength was upon him. Hiro dodged to the side and darted back in using his new found speed. Snow was ready this time. He used a strange foot movement to side step Hiro. As Hiro went past him Snow used a leg trip to make Hiro fall forward off his feet. Hiro was falling causing his body to fly horizontally, then he brought down the shield across Hiro¡¯s back. The thud of the metal on Hiro¡¯s back could be heard all over. When Hiro hit the ground it created a small crater. Snow, who was actually perspiring, put his blade near Hiro¡¯s throat and said, "This is my win but you are definitely much better than before." Hiro half laughed as he was in a lot of pain. "Thanks. I only improved because of your teaching"
Endurance improved to novice level 2
Snow extended his hand and Hiro slowly grabbed it. Using Snow''s strength, Hiro got up. Feeling the pain from Snow¡¯s attack. Hiro groaned. He went to his bag and grabbed some of his healing potion. Hiro drank some of healing potion and he felt better. "Snow I''m still not your match. You are still the strongest but the gap between us has been closed considerably." "That is true but you will need more than improved physical stats to beat me." "What else will I need?" "Battle experience. You will need to fight in battle against different enemies in order to sharpen you battle instincts and skill." After resting, Foria and Korin awoke and the party gathered all their equipment and got on the road. They walked along the dirt path for most of the day, occasionally stopping to rest. Finally in the distance they could see building. ¡°There it is!¡±Shouted Korin ¡°There is our Kaito!¡± The group was relieved. Hiro was excited but said, "Something seems off. I feel something strange is going on there." "What do you mean", asked Korin? "I don''t know but I just sense something is off." "Ok. Let''s be on guard." They continued walking and were getting closer to the town. Hiro felt something very off. He told everyone to be on their guard. As they got closer to the town they began to hear screams. Hiro¡¯s presence detect ability was now able to reveal information about enemies in the town. There were over 70 enemies within the town. Most seemed to be similar to orcs but there were two that were on a different level. The group got in their battle formation a prepared to attack.
New quest save the town from the monster invasion. Accept? Yes! Rewards: ??? Rewards ???
"That¡¯s never happened before oh well I¡¯m going to help save the town regardless of the rewards. Snow lead the charge. Hiro followed closely behind. Korin and Foria stayed about 30 meters behind them parallel to each other. As they entered the city, they saw the brutal scene goblins and orcs were killing people all over the place. Bodies had been ripped apart. People had been decapitated and children had been taken hostage. The goblins were chasing survivors on the street with swords and clubs. It was awful. Snow was enraged but what he saw. Snow broke off to the right once they entered the town. He saw 3 orcs around a young woman. He smashed the first orc with his shield. It flew about 20 meters into the side of a building and died upon impact. He then spun around and sliced one of the orcs with his sword. The slash came vertically across the orcs chest. Blood shot out from the wound onto Snow. He licked the blood off his face and charged the last orc. The orc tried to run but Snow quickly over took him and ran the orc through with his sword. The sword went through the orc¡¯s back and came out its chest. The orc fell limp and Snow moved on. Meanwhile Hiro was facing the main force with back up from Foria and Korin. About 8 orcs and 12 goblins were standing in front of Hiro. He activated his predict ability along with icy stare, Hero¡¯s battle cry, and his weapon enhancement. The red aura surrounded his body while his ki shrouded his blade. Hiro charged at the enemy. Foria began firing arrows. She killed 4 enemies in her first volley of arrows. Now the arrows only had to pierce the skin of her enemies as they had been coated in the poison that Hiro made. The orcs fell one by one. When Hiro came close to them they were confused and cowered before him. He swung his claymore and cut three orcs completely in half. He then dashed over to an orc that possessed a shield. He swung his weapon at the orc who lifted his shield to defend. The sword cut through the metal shield as if it wear nothing more than a piece of paper. Korin began casting his fireball spell and burnt several of the orcs to a crisp. Hiro continued cutting through the orcs one by one and by the time Snow had rejoined party all 20 orcs that stood before Hiro were dead.
Sword Mastery increased to novice level 3.
Now it was time to take on the two large enemies. Snow and Korin decided to take on the one Hiro sensed was in the southern section of the village. Hiro went with Foria to the Western edge of the village. Chapter 14: Korins Vengeance In the last chapter Hiro''s group of 4 entered a town under siege. After dispatching the welcoming party. Hiro sensed two powerful enemies. Snow and Korin took on one while Hiro and Foria took on the other. This chapter describes the events that occured with Snow and Korin. Enjoy. Snow and Korin quickly ran towards the southern section of the village. "What is that smell?" asked Korin. "I don''t know" replied Snow This area was the market place of the village. Since the attacks, all of the shops were in ruin. Some were even on fire. As they got closer to the center of the market a horrible sight became more and more clear. The savage orcs had piled up bodies of the dead villagers and set them on fire. The smell of smoke and charred human flesh was the disgusting odor that they had smelled. "I''m going to be..... OOOOOHHHHHLlllkkkk!" Korin vomited on the ground while Snow could only turn his head in disgust. The sight of his people like this made his anger boil over. His aura began to show in a thick yellow shroud around him. ¡°Who did this?! Where are you? Come out and show yourself so that I can watch you die!!¡± Not a sound could be heard as his voice boomed. From inside one of the nearby buildings an arrow was shot. Korin and Snow easily dodged it. Then several orcs and goblins came out from various buildings. Snow readied his shield. ¡°No. I¡¯ll take care of these¡± said Korin. He slowly walked up as the orcs created a circle around them. Snow could not only see but feel the power that Korin had begun to display. It sent a chill down his spine. ¡°To think that someone so young could possess this much power, this generation is truly frightening.¡± Korin raised his head and said, ¡°You animals dare do this to my home? I will teach you the meaning of pain.¡± His body was trembling with the anger and rage he was feeling. Korin clenched his fist and his aura gathered in his hands. It looked like he was holding on to electricity; or rather he wrapped his hands with it. He attacked the orcs using only his hands. ¡°I have never seen such a technique.¡± He watched as Korin moved extremely well for a mage. His combination of balance and speed was top notch. As he moved the orcs swung their pitiful clubs and short swords but these sluggish movements were not match for Korin¡¯s graceful attacks. Each attack seemed like a lightning bolt struck its victim. Whatever part Korin touched on their body would immediately be electrified causing massive damage and sometimes even an explosion. He hit the first goblin in the temple. The punch was so devastating that the goblin¡¯s head exploded. The next two goblins he struck in the chest creating large holes in their torsos. The holes were so big that you could see clean through them to the other side. Snow watched on as Korin made short work of the final 2 orcs. One he hit in the knee. The blow ended up causing it to explode severing the leg at the knee. The orc fell down writhing in pain at the loss of his limb. Korin left him their saying,¡±I¡¯ll be back for you in a minute.¡± Korin then dodged underneath of a terribly inaccurate and wild head strike from the last orc¡¯s short sword. After dodging Korin grabbed the orc but its face and it exploded in his hands. The gory scene left Korin covered in blood and panting with a look of rage still on his face. His bloodlust had not yet been quenched. He moved back to the orc that was on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my time with you¡± The orc tried to escape but with only one leg it could not manage to get away from the deranged looking man. He grabbed the orcs other leg and it exploded. He then grabbed the orcs shoulders one at a time they exploded as well causing its arms to be severed from its body. Now the orc was nothing but a torso. Its cries were horrible. Korin then cast a lightning spell on the orc causing it to convulse so much that it began to froth at the mouth. Finally, Korin hit his chest so hard that the orc¡¯s entire torso blew apart. Korin¡¯s hands lost the lightning and Korin let out a breath. He had used a large part of his mana and his stamina. He was exhausted with sweat pouring from his brow. As he relaxed a dagger flew over. Snow caught in his hands. They both looked up and saw what appeared to be another orc but he was different. ¡°This must be the powerful one Hiro sensed¡±, Korin said to Snow. Snow nodded in agreement then he readied his shield. ¡°You rest I will take this one¡± Blade in hand, Snow walked towards the enemy. He had never seen an orc like this before. It did not have the extremely powerful muscular body. It was fit and trim. Its body looked more like a dancer than the normal body builder type that orcs usually had. Its skin was also jet back with yellow eyes. This look was much different from the normal. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Snow said to himself. ¡°You think you can kill my men?¡± said the orc. ¡°It talked!¡± Korin said to Snow. Snow looked back at Korin wide eyed. Neither had ever heard of an orc that could speak let alone well enough to make a complete sentence. ¡°I killed your men because they killed the people of my hometown like animals. Then set them on fire as if they were meat. You and your men ravaged my town and for that you will all pay with your lives!¡± screamed Korin. ¡°Ho ho¡­. You think you have what it takes to kill me pitiful human? I''m different than those that you have already killed.¡± "You will die the same as they did. Just wait and see" , said Snow. The orc readied its two sabres one in each hand. ¡°Come do your worst!¡± Snow looked at the enemy. The black orc did not have any spectacular equipment from what he could see. He only had the weapons in his hands, a pair of ragged leather pants, and a leather vest on his chest. Snow thought, ¡°This enemy must be built for fast movements.¡± He asked Korin, ¡°Can you still use that bind magic?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Yes, but it will take a few minutes. My anger caused me to use almost all of my mana. I¡¯m sorry I lost it when I saw the burning bodies.¡± ¡°No need to explain. I would have done the same. My blood is boiling even now with rage for what they have done here. Listen carefully as I have a plan.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Regain your mana while I engage the enemy. I want to test its fighting skills. If it is not strong enough to put me in any real danger rest assured I will slay that beast. If it is powerful wait for my signal and then cast bind on it.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Good. Once it is bound I will kill it. I¡¯m going to battle him and keep his attention while you regain your mana. Quickly began preparing the trap." "Alright!" Korin sat down and began to meditate to restore his mana. Snow moved forward to engage the enemy.The two warriors were set to battle it out. The orc rushed at Snow with incredible speed. It leaped into the air coming down with a series of crushing blows. Thanks to the shield Hiro created Snow was able to block the orcs ferocious volley of attacks. ¡°These blows are heavy. How is it doing this with just those weak weapons? Don¡¯t tell me it is somehow able to use ki. If that is the case this is definitely going to be tough. Snow enhanced his body with his ki. His strength increased dramatically. He pushed back the orcs blades knocking it back and charged at it. ¡°Not bad said the orc, but you are 1000 years too early!¡± It charged at Snow and they crossed blades. Neither did any damage. The orc blocked Snow¡¯s blade with its own blade and Snow blocked the orc¡¯s attack with his shield. The stalemate quickly ended with a headbutt to Snow''s nose and a vicious boot to his chest. Snow flew back about 15 meters. When he stood up his nose was bleeding. He put his finger to the side of his nose and blew out. The blood flew onto the ground. Snow licked the blood that remained on his lips. His blood boiled this was the first time in a while that he was in a good battle. ¡°This thing is tough! I¡¯m using my ki to its maximum and I can barely keep up. I hope Korin is almost ready." The orc sped up again and Snow began to get pushed back. The power of the orc¡¯s attack increased as well. Snow could barely keep up. The orc slashed at Snow with both blades. Even with the heaviness of the blows from the orc, Snow¡¯s shield was still too strong for the orc to pierce but Snow began to give up some ground. Snow continued to back up as the orc pressed his attack forward. Blow after blow landed on Snow''s shield but it did not wilt under the attacks. Snow''s arm however began to feel the effects. His arm was going numb and soon he would not be able to hold the shield anymore. The orc landed one more heavy blow on Snow¡¯s shield. This time it was successful in blowing his shield to the side, exposing Snow to its next attack. The orc licked its lips as he knew his prey was as good as dead. Just then Snow said, ¡°Now Korin!¡± Korin made a gesture with his hand then 3 binding ropes came up on the orc. Korin had no more mana and fell to his knees. The orc¡¯s body was completely trapped. Snow rushed in and slammed the orc with his shield. The orc flew back about 30 to 40 meters into the side of a wall. Upon impact the orc let out a cough filled with blood. The plan was a success. The orc was in bad shape. The binding spell wore off but the damage and been done. The orc coughed again as it struggled to get back to its feet. Snow walked slowly closer to the monster. It tried to charge Snow while letting out a loud but not so threatening cry. Snow was unaffected. The orc''s movements had dulled and Snow was able to see through them now. Snow met its double blade attack with his shield. This time Snow focused his ki into his arm creating a huge shockwave as he struck the blades. The shock from him meeting the blades broke what little form the orc had left. It was in an awkward position as its arms had been blow far its right as Snow brought an attack towards the orc¡¯s left side. The orc somehow managed to defend against Snow¡¯s sword attacks with both it swords but Snow struck it across the arm and shoulder with his shield. Snow could feel the orc¡¯s arm and ribs break with the attack. The orc now was lying on the ground bloody and gasping for air. It cursed Snow and Korin. Korin laughed as he rose to his feet saying, ¡°I guess a 100 years passed pretty quickly you bastard!¡± ¡°Do you want to do the honors Korin?¡± Korin nodded his head, ¡°I do but I don¡¯t have the strength to do so right now. You do it Snow. Just do me one favor.¡± ¡°What is that Korin?¡± ¡°Make him suffer!¡± ¡°With pleasure!¡± Snow walked slowly to the orc whose face was no longer filled with confidence. It was now faced with fear as it knew the shadow of death was upon him. ¡°For taking the life of all of these people I am going to cut you into the same amount of pieces.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t! Just kill me already!¡± ¡°I will but you are going to suffer before you die!¡± Snow lifted his blade and cut off both of the orc¡¯s hands. Then he cut off both of its feet and moved on cutting it in pieces little by little. The orc screamed in agony which was like a sweet melody for Korin. Finally, the orc was nothing but a mass of blood and guts. Snow turned to Korin and said, ¡°It is done friend. Your people have been avenged.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Snow helped him to his feet. Korin created a spell of water and doused the flames that had engulfed his fallen townspeople. ¡°I will give you all proper burial once this is all over I promise¡± said Korin. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes saying a short prayer. Then he and Snow surveyed the area. It was completely clear of orcs and goblins. As they began to look for survivors they thought to themselves about how Hiro and Foria were doing on their side. Chapter 15: Anger is the Enemy Hey guys back again with another chapter. Please continue to rate, review, follow and favorite. I see my numbers growing each day that I post something. Please continue to show me the love as I write this ever evolving story. Enjoy the gory details that I added to help make this a great action-packed chapter. Chapter 15 Foria and Hiro moved toward the western part of the city. They began to see an increased number of goblins and orcs. With poor armor and only blunt weapons it was mere child¡¯s play for Hiro and Foria to lay waste to them. Hiro¡¯s blade sliced through them separating heads from bodies and torsos from legs. Blood splashed out with each strike. All one could hear is Hiro¡¯s battle cry and the screams of the monsters he slayed. Foria¡¯s arrows were just as devastating. She continued to attack with pin point precision. Her arrows went through the heads and chests of the orcs and goblins. Even when she did not hit the target with a one hit kill the poison coating would take care of the problem. With a mere scratch, the poison would infect her enemies and cause breathing issues eventually killing them. She and Hiro mercilessly dispatched their enemies as they made their way through the streets of the town. Hiro stayed in front using his Hero¡¯s courage which caused all of the enemies to focus on him while Foria stayed a short distance back allowing her to make full use of her archery skills. It was a great battle formation that played to both of their strengths. Once they made it through the streets where a local tavern had been they paused and took a breather as they had killed what seemingly was an endless supply of enemies.
Level up. Sword mastery increase to level 3.
¡°That is the way to my house. My mother and father are probably there. We have to save them.¡± She said as she took off running. ¡°Wait you don¡¯t know what is in there. Calm down! Acting impulsively will only get you killed¡±, said Hiro as he began chasing her. ¡°What would you do if it were your family?¡± ¡°I would run to save them and hope that you would talk some sense into me before I got myself killed.¡± She stopped running and waited for Hiro to catch her. They had arrived at the entrance to her house. The house was huge it looked like some sort of mansion. The walls were high and made of stone. At the front of the house you were met with a fountain and at the foot of the steps there were statues of lions on either side. There was blood all over the steps.
You sense a dangerous presence.
¡°Be careful¡± ¡°Ok¡± replied Foria. Hiro clutched his sword with both hands and began to walk cautiously through the door. Foria followed behind him with her bow ready to fire. Once they entered into the door they were greeted by a horrifying scene. They saw a middle aged woman lying on the floor. She had been butchered. Her legs had been cut off, eyes poked out, and she was left to die. Foria rushed over and fell to the ground, ¡°Mother, Mom!!! NOOOOO!!!¡± She held her mother¡¯s mutilated corpse in her hands and rocked back and forth. As she stroked her hair, Foria wailed. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Hiro¡¯s heart broke with the site. He placed his hand on her shoulders and tried to comfort her but it was to no avail. With the death and mutilation of her mother Foria became enraged. Her eyes welled up with tears. ¡°I will find who did this and they will die slowly by my hands. DO YOU HEAR ME?! WHOVER YOU ARE YOU ARE DEAD!¡± Hiro could sense the rage in her voice. He thought to himself, ¡°She has completely lost it. I will have to be careful because her rage will make her reckless.¡± Foria stood up and searched for a blanket. She placed over her mother and said a quick prayer for her dear departed mother. Her mood changed from sadness to a smoldering flame of rage. ¡°Let¡¯s go Hiro¡± They moved up the stairs towards the second floor of the house. The house staff had been chained up. The house staff consisted of several women all of whom had been raped, beaten, and left bloody. There was also an older man whose body was bloody mess. Their bodies were not only covered in bruises but some appeared to have broken limbs. All of them were crying. One woman lifted her eyes and said, ¡°Young Mistress is that you? Have you returned?¡± ¡°Yes and my friend and I will stop the monster that did this. I promise¡±, said Foria as she held her hand. ¡°Where is my father?¡±, asked Foria. The house staff all looked down at the ground in shame. ¡°The master stood up for us and the troll made an example of him. He took your father with him into the master¡¯s chambers. I¡¯m sorry young mistress. We couldn¡¯t do anything to save him.¡± ¡°It is alright you are not warriors. I would not expect you to fight against these monsters. I¡¯m glad you are all safe. Leave that beast to me.¡± ¡°No young mistress. The beast is far too powerful for you and your friend to take on alone. Please get more help.¡± ¡°No we will be fine.¡± Hiro took his sword and with one slash he broke the chains freeing the people. Hiro told them, ¡°Leave and take shelter outside. We killed all of the monsters so it should be safe outside.¡± The older gentleman warned, ¡°Be careful because the leader in the master¡¯s chamber was a troll.¡± ¡°A troll?¡± ¡°Yes and it wields an extremely powerful hammer.¡± ¡°Thank you¡±, said Hiro as he gave them some of his healing potions made from the petals of the blood rose. With that he turned to Foria and then opened the master chamber. Standing before them standing about 275 cm tall was the troll. The troll was holding Foria¡¯s father by his legs and his chest. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Foria, don¡¯t come any.... AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!¡± Before he could get the words out the troll pulled on her father¡¯s chest and legs until he ripped apart. His internal organs fell in the floor and the troll tossed the pieces of his body on either sides of the room. ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!!!¡± Foria¡¯s face went white in horror of the scene she had just witnessed. She sank to the floor as tears streamed down her face. ¡°There is nothing I can say right now to console her. All I can do is help her with seeking vengeance." Hiro looked at the troll that stood in front of him. It was even more intimidating than he thought it would be. It had two large fangs coming out from his lower jaw all the way up past his nose. His skin was a dark brown and his body was covered in scars. The troll wore boots with white fur on them and matching leather gauntlets. It also had a large belt that covered his entire midsection up all the way up past his navel. On his shoulder he held a very large hammer with a handle so long it looked as if it should have needed to be wielded with two hands. The hammer also had a very sharp scythe blade on the back side of it. The weapon looked extremely dangerous. This savage opponent exudes a murderous aura that gave Hiro a cold chill run down his spine. This was going to be an opponent that he would have to put his life on the line and maybe that wouldn¡¯t be enough.
New quest available! Defeat the troll. Reward:???
Without Hiro noticing, Foria ran at the troll and began to attack. She shot arrows at the troll without even waiting to make a plan. The arrows went straight at the trolls head. He quickly lifted his hammer and blocked them. Foria continued charged and fire arrows. Hiro ran in order to move closer as well. He noticed her recklessness and knew that she was in danger. She got closer and closer firing arrow after arrow. Each time the troll was able to block them with his hammer. She now was within range of the troll¡¯s hammer. He swung his hammer and Foria dodged by jumping in the air. The troll smiled and Hiro knew why. He was able to see with his prediction skill that he was about to swing at Foria while she was in the air where she had no room to avoid the attack. Hiro quickly charged in and tackled Foria to the ground narrowly avoiding the troll¡¯s attack. ¡°You idiot! Don¡¯t let your anger blind you! Stay back and support me in this battle. Wait for your moment then strike!¡± ¡°No I am going to kill that thing for murdering my family! You can¡¯t stop me!¡± SMACK! Hiro slapped Foria across her cheek and stared at her with a look of compassion and concern. Foria nodded as the blow brought her back to her senses. Stolen story; please report. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just want that thing dead!¡± ¡°I will help you just listen and back me up.¡± ¡°Ok¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± They began the attack again together this time with Hiro leading the way. She shot another arrow at the head of the troll which he skillfully block this time though when he moved his hammer away Hiro had already gotten near his face. Hiro swung his blade with all his might but the troll deflected his attack as if it was nothing with his hammer. The shock from the hammer on his sword almost made Hiro lose his blade. ¡°What power this guy has¡±, I¡¯m going to have to use my head and I definitely cannot take any attacks from that hammer. First, any attack I land has to do real and lasting damage.¡± Hiro activated body enhancement and weapon enhancement ki. He had covered his blade in some poison that he had created from the poison blossom so if I even graze him it should begin to weaken him. He also knew that he would not be able to match the troll¡¯s power so he decided to try and stop the troll¡¯s movements for one powerful attack. Hiro cast the bind magic skill on the troll. Hiro could see a single magical rope go around the upper body of the troll and immediately the troll was paralyzed. Hiro thought, ¡°That was easy. All I have to do now is attack and the battle will be over.¡± Hiro readied his sword and dashed towards his enemy but the troll looked at him and its mouth curled up into a smile. It flexed its muscles and broke free of the binding magic. Hiro was in awe. ¡°It broke through a spell with nothing more than its sheer physical strength.¡± His first attempt failed but he was not done yet. Hiro¡¯s second plan was to attack with speed. He pushed all of his ki down to his feet. He then dashed around the troll. ¡°The troll is so large and wielding that large hammer it can¡¯t possibly keep up with my top speed." Hiro was correct in his assumption. The troll struggled to keep his eyes on the speedy Hiro. Hiro was moving so fast it actually looked like there were multiple versions of him. Foria began to fire arrows at the troll while he was transfixed on Hiro¡¯s movements. She hit the troll in the back several times but because it was moving she could not land a critical hit to its head. The troll growled in pain as the arrows pierced his skin. The troll was infuriated by their teamwork and took a wide swing at Hiro but the one he hit was actually an after image. Hiro took this opportunity to use his maximum speed to make the best of his opportunity and badly wound the troll. He activated his dashing slash. He pushed so hard on the ground that a small crater was made. He came at the troll and then moved his ki to his arms to strengthen his sword slash. His arms and the sword glowed red while shrouded in his ki. Hiro struck the troll twice before the troll could react. The first attack severed the troll¡¯s right leg from his body and the second blow was plunged deep into the back of the troll. As the troll began to fall it threw its hammer with all of its strength at Hiro and he could not avoid it. The troll¡¯s hammer struck Hiro. Hiro was able to deflect some of the damage by moving his ki to his gauntlet but the force of the blow caused him to fly against the wall. Parts of the wall crumbled and fell on top of him. Hiro¡¯s body went limp against the wall. He felt like he was losing consciousness. ¡°What in the world is going on? I know it was strong but I shouldn¡¯t be in this bad of shape from 1 attack, unless it had some sort of effect. That¡¯s it the hammer must cause some kind of shockwave when it hits. That¡¯s why I almost lost my sword earlier and I¡¯m hurt internally now.¡± The world looked cloudy and his body felt like it had no strength. The troll could not move towards him quickly because he could no longer walk. Hiro looked at the troll and smiled as he observed the troll starting to struggle to breathe. He knew that the victory was at hand because the poison was working .While the troll was breathing heavy and bleeding profusely after losing his leg, Foria began moving into the shadows of the room. She inched closer and closer without the troll noticing her. The troll stood up on his one leg and began to hop towards Hiro. It was no longer profusely bleeding. The blood now was only slowly dripping from its wounds. ¡°How could I be so stupid? I forgot trolls are known for their regenerative abilities. The poison must not be strong enough to completely counteract its regeneration. It¡¯s coming closer and I haven¡¯t even recovered from the last attack. This is bad. I have to get up or I¡¯m dead but I feel like every single one of my bones is broken.¡± Hiro decided to try his body enhancement ki ability again. He focused all of his ki and shrouded his entire body in the ki. He felt a well of strength swell up around him and he was slowly able to get up. He took a fighting stance holding his sword. ¡°My body is screaming in pain and this strength is only temporary. Moving in this condition could very well cost me my life. Oh well at least I can take that smug look off that bastard¡¯s face.¡±
Due to your ability to take on the most powerful blows and keep standing your endurance skill has evolved into toughness.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
ToughnessNovice70%
Toughness grants you +5 stamina for each level and increases your physical resistance by 1% for each level.
He ran towards the troll as fast as he could but this speed was only a shadow of the speed he possessed earlier. The troll reached out his hand to grab him. Hiro could see the line for predicting the attack he felt he could easily dodge that. He tried to duck down but his body wouldn¡¯t respond. The troll grabbed him. The troll¡¯s huge hands were wrapped around Hiro¡¯s body and it began to squeeze. His strength was gone and he could no longer hold on to his sword. Hiro could feel the bones in his arms and ribs breaking. ¡°AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!¡± Hiro screamed from the pain. ¡°Even with my body enhancement and toughness I can¡¯t withstand this for long. Is this it? Is this how I die crushed to death by a troll!¡± Just then Foria came out of the shadows and was around the neck of the troll. She had her two blades drawn and she stabbed each one in either side of the troll¡¯s temples straight through its brain. The blood and brain matter was on both blades as she pulled them out. Immediately, the troll¡¯s body went limp and fell down. As it fell the troll released Hiro and he fell to the ground in a heap. Hiro now barely conscious ran out of ki and his body enhancement released. His breathing became very shallow. He was now looking up at the ceiling gasping for air. His body was covered in bruises. He was now also bleeding from his ears, nose, and mouth. Hiro saw his vision begin to fade. ¡°This must be it. My body is getting cold death must close. Did we do it? Did we save the town? Did we save your people Foria?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes we did. My parents can rest in peace knowing that we avenged their deaths¡±, Foria replied. ¡°Thank you for helping me to regain my composure during the fight. You saved me once again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re not keeping score but for the record I did save you three times¡± he coughed. Foria opened one of the healing potions and poured it in his mouth. Some of it he swallowed the rest he coughed up. She saw some of the wounds he had begin to improve but he was still in critical condition. Suddenly, Hiro lost consciousness. ¡°Hiro!¡± she said tapping his face. Tears began to well up in her eyes. ¡°Hiro! Wake up! Don¡¯t you die on me! Wake up¡± she said listening to his chest. "I love you, Hiro. Please come back to me!" She placed her ear on his chest. Bump Bump, Bump Bump. ¡°His heart is still beating.¡± She placed her finger under his nose and could feel him breathing softly. ¡°Rest now Hiro you earned it. You saved me and my town. Here is your reward¡±, she said as she softly kissed his lips. Chapter 16: We will rise Here is another chapter for you. This one is rather long. Please continue to vote review my story. I love the comments everyone has made so far. I hope that my writing has included any requests that have been made. Please keep reading and I will keep writing. Enjoy! Chapter 16 Hiro awoke as the sun began to shine on his face. As he opened his eyes he saw several notifications.
Quest completed defeat the troll. Rewards: Troll hammer. Level up
Quest completed town saved. Level up.
You have now reach level 20. You have me the requirements for the following classes, swordsman, fire mage, and the rare class, ki warrior. Which do you wish to make this your class?
"The first two I can guess what they do but I wonder about the ki warrior class. What bonuses does it give?" Immediately when Hiro thought of the question a blinking exclamation point popped up in his HUD. He touched it and ....
This job allows greater reservoir of ki in addition ki regeneration is accelerated and ki attack and defense skills are strengthened.
"That sounds great!" Hiro pressed the accept button and immediately he felt a rush of energy run over his entire body. "It feels like I''m about to explode with power! This is AWESOME!"
New titled gained Town Hero. People of the town of Kaito will be forever in your debt. Cost of goods purchased in the town of Kaito will be give 25% discount and your ability to lead people of Kaito has increased.
Toughness now level 8 Dashing Slash now novice level 1 You gained 450 points of Fame for your part in saving the town of Kaito.
Body enhancement and weapon enhancement have merged into ki manipulation.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Ki manipulationNovice825%
This skill allows the user to manipulate their ki in various ways. The more this skilled is practiced the more different things you can do with it. As you master this skill you will be able to mold your ki into attacks outside of your body.
. ¡°Wow that was a lot of upgrades. Those quests are definitely ways to help improve my skills and levels.¡± ¡°Man my body feels so much better. It¡¯s as if I was as never in a battle at all.¡± He hadn''t noticed because he was paying so much attention to all of the notifications but he felt something soft underneath him. "It can''t be!" It was a bed. It felt amazing. He didn¡¯t realize how much he missed sleeping on a bed with a mattress. He looked around him. The room he was in was huge. It looked as if he could have fit his whole apartment in the bedroom. The bed was enormous. Four or maybe even five people could have comfortably slept in this bed. Hiro got up and felt a cool breeze. ¡°Man why did that breeze feel so cold?¡± He suddenly recognized he wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. ¡°I¡¯m naked! How did I get like this? Where are my clothes? More importantly, who took them off?¡± He looked across the room and found them sitting on a chair fold up neatly. The stains of blood had been cleaned and they smelled great. As he put oh his pants on and his boots, he noticed a mirror on the wall. He saw his reflection in the mirror for the first time since he had been in this world. He had grown about 10 to 15cm. ¡°I guess that my height is now about 6 feet tall and I¡¯ve developed some serious muscle.¡± His chest had become well defined and his abdominals were like something out of an anime cartoon. His abdominal muscles looked like tiny bricks popping out. He turned around and saw his back. It looked wide and deep crease went down the middle. His arms looked massive for and defined, yet they still fit his frame. His waist was still slim so the width of his shoulders made his torso look like a capital ¡°V¡±. He looked and wondered, ¡°If I simply worked out daily would I have looked like this in the real world. He started to pose a little in the mirror to see his well-developed physique. Well I guess my face has even changed a little. I¡¯m the same average looking guy I¡¯ve always been but I look a little older. I had just turned 17 in my world. Here I look to be about 21 to 23. Maybe that explains why I am taller. I still have my nice hazel colored eyes and short jet black hair. My skin is still a nice golden brown color. It¡¯s funny I¡¯ve been in the sun for weeks but my skin has not tanned at all and my hair hasn¡¯t grown at all.¡± He could not help but appreciate the strength that he had cultivated through his hard work. Next, he saw a large window in front of him. He looked in horror. There was death all over. The bodies of orcs, goblins, and townspeople were littered all over the ground.The scene was bleak people were moving dead bodies out in wooden wheel carts. It was awful. The battle wasn¡¯t a dream and this scene was something directly out of his nightmares. All of those people were killed and all of the monsters he and his party killed. He clasped his hands and set a short prayer for the spirits of those who were killed human and monster. He decided to go out and see what he could do to help and he wanted to see Foria, Snow, and Korin. Hiro walked out of his room and he recognized the where he was. It was the house where he and Foria killed the troll. He walked down the stairs and saw the man and the woman he saved in the house. They were feverishly cleaning up the blood on the stairs. The rest of the house staff was helping to clean up the mess that had been made inside the house during the battle. They all paused and bowed when he walked by saying thank you. Hiro graciously said, ¡°You are most welcome.¡± Then he walked out the front door. Outside the sun was shining and people were trying to repair the damage done by the monster attack. People were moving the debris from damaged buildings and the corpses that were lying about. Hiro looked around at the charred remains of the buildings in the city. There was feeling of despair in the air around them. Hiro looked out farther and he saw Snow, Foria, and Korin in the middle of what appeared to be the town square. They seemed to be supervising the cleanup. Hiro ran out to meet them. When he reached them he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up I could have helped?¡± ¡°You were asleep for 3 days due to your injuries¡± said Korin. ¡°Even with my healing spell you were pretty banged up. You had tons of internal injuries, two broken arms, dislocated shoulder, and almost all of your ribs were broken broken. I''m acutally surprised that you made it out here.¡± ¡°Are you serious?! Wow that attack from that trolls hammer was crazy. Also when he squeezed me I knew I was going to die. Enough about that, thank you guys for taking care of me¡± ¡°You must be kidding¡±, said Foria. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have taken down that monster without you. You are the reason that our parents can rest in peace and the reason I¡¯m alive right now. How much do you remember about the end of the battle? ¡°I remember you stabbing the troll in the head. Then it let me go and you held me. I remember you giving me the potion then I passed out.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Ummmm¡­. Nothing. Everything went dark after you gave me the potion. Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Oh.. nothing¡± Foria said as he took a deep sigh of relief. ¡°We are eternally in your debt so much so that we want you to be our general and build, train, and lead our army.¡± ¡°What!? Are you sure? Me? Wouldn¡¯t Snow be better because he¡¯s actually lead a group of soldiers¡± replied Hiro with his mouth wide open. ¡°It was Snow who suggested it¡± replied Korin. ¡°At some point I may return to my home in the north so I believe you would be better for the town¡± said Snow ¡°Who better to lead us than one of the finest swordsman I¡¯ve ever seen?¡± said Foria. ¡°If you really believe in me, I¡¯ll do it¡± said Hiro.
You have now gained the leadership stat. It expresses your ability as a leader. The higher the stat the more your troops will be able to lead and the more powerful troops you can command.
Then they began to talk of their plans to rebuild the town. ¡°First, we will need materials and supplies to fix the buildings and begin building a wall¡± said Korin ¡°Yeah we can get wood from the forest that we just left¡± said Hiro. ¡°There was a mine nearby where we could get minerals to create metal objects such as weapons, armor, and even everyday items like nails¡± said Foria. They decided to finish the town cleanup of corpses first. Korin went about 800 meters out of the town and used his earth magic open a large number of graves in the ground. There each of the villagers was buried. The remaining survivors of the attack came out and with heavy hearts they wept for their lost loved ones.
New Quests available: 1. Find food for the villagers to eat. Rewards increase in leadership and experience 2. Find wood to rebuild the buildings improvement in crafting skills, leadership, and experience. 3. Find a mine a get materials to create town defenses improvement in leadership blacksmithing skills, and experience. 4. Rebuild the town.
Hiro quickly accepted all of the quests Amidst the tears Hiro decided he should say something. ¡°In ancient times there was myth about a beautiful bird named the Phoenix. This bird was beautiful and strong but as time went on it was ravaged by time. In its weakest hour when all other animals fled from the sun¡¯s powerful rays the phoenix stood firm. It was burned to ashes.¡± A hush fell over the crowd. Everyone looked at Hiro as if he was crazy. Hiro continued, ¡°The sun¡¯s rays did cause the phoenix to burn to ashes, but in those ashes and from those flames it was reborn stronger and more beautiful than it was before! People I tell you, we will be like the great Phoenix! We will rise from this cowardly attack from these beasts and become stronger! Our town will become greater! We will see those savage beasts pay for what they did! Who is with me?!¡± he yelled as he pumped his fist in the air. ¡°YEAH!!!¡± the crowd cheered and pumped their fists with him. The crowd cheered at their the inspiring speech given by their new military leader.
Leadership improved to by 10 points
Afterwards, Hiro met with Snow. ¡°I know you don¡¯t plan on staying here forever but until you are ready to leave I would like you to help me with the army.¡± ¡°Sure. What would you like me to do?¡± ¡°I know you are a man who was trained from your youth to be a warrior and you were in the military at some point. I would like you to be my second in command in the military.¡± ¡°I accept. What would you like me to do?¡± ¡°You will be in charge of training the army including me.¡± Snow said, ¡°Including you? Won¡¯t that look bad in the sight of your men?¡± ¡°It will look like their leader is training alongside them in order to get stronger just like they are. Hopefully it will inspire them to improve. ¡°Alright then Hiro, we will begin first thing tomorrow morning with physical training and basic combat training.¡± Hiro agreed. For the rest of the day Hiro helped with the cleanup of the debris that was left from the attack. With his strength and ki manipulation he helped the people clear the larger stone debris and lift the large pieces of wood that others could not carry. The people marveled at the young man¡¯s strength. The people loved having their hero work alongside them.
Due to your work in the town your strength and vitality have increased by 3 points each.
After a few hours passed, Hiro went and found Snow, Korin, and Foria talking in the town square. Foria was discussing with Snow that they currently had only about 200 people left in the town many of which were children whose parents were killed during the attack. Korin added, ¡°Only about 20 of the town¡¯s soldiers were left but many of them were badly wounded during the battle. Only two would be able to fight currently. Hiro asked, ¡°Only 2?! This is going to be tougher than I thought. Anyway, the two who can fight please come out and introduce yourselves.¡± The first was a young woman with short dark hair and a slender build. She had bronze colored skin and her eyes were green like the finest jade. She wore a green cloak with a katana strapped to her back. Along her thighs she had several in her pants holding throwing knives. She said, ¡°My name Kaura and I was our team¡¯s scout. Next, a very young looking girl came up and timidly said, ¡°My name is Rain and I am a magician.¡± Her frail appearance showed that she lacked any physical strength. Her deep blue eyes were covered up by the fact that she wore glasses.Her jet black hair was partially covered by the dirty white cloak she was wearing. Her pale skin was covered a dark blue robe. She also wore a ring on each of her index fingers. ¡°This girl reminds me a lot of myself before he came into this world.¡± Hiro said to himself. ¡°Pleased to meet both of you¡±, said Hiro. ¡°Please to meet you sir¡±, they said in unison. ¡°This is my second in command Captain Snow, he will be training you in combat.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± said Kaura ¡°Umm¡­.Sir¡­. I¡¯m not very good at melee combat¡±, said Rain ¡°I can see that. Korin would you mind spending some time training Rain in the ways of magic?¡± ¡°Sure but my duties in running the town will come first so I will not have much time.¡± ¡°I will learn all I can from you sir¡±, Rain said as she bowed her head deeply. Foria informed Hiro, ¡°There was not enough food in the store houses to feed the people. ¡±We need to remedy that situation immediately.¡± [window[ Quest get food to feed the townspeople tonight [/window]
Rewards: improved fame among the people of Kaito, vitality increase.
Hiro accepted the quest. Hiro decided to take this opportunity to go out to the nearby plains to see his new comrades in action. Hiro decided they would hunt some of the large birds he saw out in that area. He told Rain, Snow, and Kaura to come along. They would have to do a lot of hunting in order to feed the town. They immediately packed up their food and Hiro¡¯s 2 magic bags and their equipment and head west out of town. Snow and Hiro led the party while Kaura scouted ahead with Rain bringing up the rear. They found the area Hiro had spoken of where the large birds resided. There were 6 large bloody vultures. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do¡± said Hiro. ¡°You first Rain.¡± Snow watched with Hiro as Rain moved forward and placed her hands on her staff. She murmured some words and a bolt of lightning came out. It knocked the bloody vulture to the ground killing it. The vulture that was close to it began to charge. Rain cast the same lightning spell and again the vulture dropped dead. ¡°Ok. Your turn Kaura.¡± Kaura moved in towards the vultures. She threw and knife at one of the vultures hitting it in the wing immediately gaining its attention. The vulture was bleeding and unable to move its wing. The pain must have enraged the vulture as it began chasing Kaura as she backed away from the group. When she had gotten to a safe distance she engaged the vulture. Kaura¡¯s movements were like a ninja. She easily avoided the vulture¡¯s wing attacks as well as the attacks from its strong talons. The vulture thrust its beak at her and she leaped into the air avoiding the attack. While in the air she did a somersault landing on the back of the vulture where she stuck her katana into the bird¡¯s neck. It fell to the ground instantly. Hiro was impressed. He then moved forward to attack the remaining 3 birds head on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Snow, I will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Not a chance. I want some of this action¡± replied Snow Hiro and Snow moved in and began to attack. Each attack the birds used they saw with and they were easily able to avoid them. Hiro used his bind magic on one of the birds. It was instantly paralyzed. While it was paralyzed Snow cut the head clean off of the vulture. The other 2 vultures attacked him viciously from both sides. Snow guarded with his shield while Hiro took on the second bird. Hiro and both used their ki enhance their strength. Hiro hit one of the vultures with the hilt of his claymore stunning the vulture and knocking it to the ground. He took this opportunity to activate his icy stare. The other vulture began to cower in fear as Hiro approached. It thrust its beak at him but he dodged and grabbed it by the neck. He moved his ki to his hand and squeezed. He easily broke the neck, killing the vulture. Finally, the last vulture returned and began a futile attack against Snow. He dodged the attacks one by one. Then Snow found an opening and plunged his blade deep within the chest of the bird killing it. ¡°Two to one, It¡¯s my win this time Hiro.¡± ¡°Yeah you won this one. I¡¯ll get you next time.¡± ¡°I must say though, each time I watch you fight you get better and better. Especially with your ability to manipulate your ki. I can¡¯t believe you have improved that much in only 2 weeks. ¡°I had a good teacher¡±, Hiro said with a smile. Hiro was pleased with the result. He and his companions grabbed the bodies of the bloody vultures and put them into the magic bags. Then they paused. ¡°Kaura you were a scout correct?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Scout ahead and come back with what you find.¡± While they waited Hiro asked Rain a few questions. ¡°What types of magic can you use Rain?¡± ¡°Right now I am able to use lightning and healing magic.¡±replied Rain. ¡°Is your healing magic powerful? Can it be used on a group or is it limited to just one person?¡± ¡°It can be used to heal as many as 8 people. It is my highest level spell.¡± ¡°So you are more of a cleric than a magician?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m suited to be a good auxillary person in a party. If the party is injured I can heal. If we need to do damage, my spells can do a lot of it.¡± ¡°Sounds good Rain. I am impressed with your understanding of your role in battle.¡± ¡°Thank you sir¡±, Rain said while blushing. After about 15 minutes of talking, Kaura returned with a report. ¡°Sir! I found a group of beasts living up ahead there were about twenty of them. They looked like the cats of the forest but larger and considerably more powerful. I also saw some animals that looked like they were grazing in the pasture about 1000 meters south of their current position.¡± Hiro decided to try to take advantage of the animals that were in the pasture so they headed south. After a short time they came upon animals that looked similar to cows but they had very thick brown fur all over their bodies. Hiro used his inspect ability.
Name: Plains Cow Plains Cow: a beast that roams the plains. They are very docile and reproduce quickly.
Hiro thought, ¡°This would be a good thing to try to domesticate these animals. This would give the town a constant food source rather than having a meal for a single day.Maybe I could use my tame beast ability on the leader of their group at another time.¡± Now he asked Snow to follow him and they would kill a few of the beasts. Rain asked, ¡°Um I have a request. Can use a spell to end this quickly? I hate to see animals suffer.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead¡± replied Snow. Rain placed her hand in a circle and the ki within her rose dramatically. Hiro felt the power she had within her. She said the words ¡°Chain Lightning¡± and a bolt of lightning came out from her hands and struck one cow. Immediately the other cows began to run away but the lightning jumped from the first cow and struck another and then another. In the end 4 cows had been struck down. She did it 2 more times then Rain fell down on her knees and took a deep breath. The next two spells killed a total of 10 beasts bringing the total 14 cows. ¡°Is that enough captain?¡± Snow and Hiro nodded in agreement. Hiro recognized his new found comrades were going to be very useful. Hiro and Snow grabbed the beasts and stuffed them inside Snow¡¯s magic bag. Hiro then told everyone, ¡°Return to the city. I want to see these other beasts that looked like the forest panthers.¡± ¡°Are you sure Hiro?¡± asked Snow. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Ok. Everyone place the dead animals in your bags so we can get them back to the city to feed the group. After everyone left Hiro thought, ¡°it may be time to put his tame beast ability to good use.¡± Hiro traveled to the place that Kaura told him the panther-like beast would be. Sure enough they were exactly where she said. She was an excellent scout. Hiro used his inspect ability on the beasts.
Female Liger
Type:BeastHealth:750/ 750
Mana:0/0
IThe offspring of a lion and a tiger. This beast hunts with the pack mentality of a lion but a body that is camouflaged like a tiger yet it is larger and more powerful than either. Its strong powerful legs, sharp claws, muscular body, and sharp teeth make it truly the king of all felines. It is an extremely dangerous foe.
¡°I have to have one of them, no, not just one but the strongest of them.¡± He looked at the group. Most were of similar size. ¡°If they are a mix between lions and tigers, the leader should be the only male and I can recognize him because he should have a large mane.¡± He searched but could not find the leader. Just then he heard a growl that was so powerful it nearly made him jump out of his kin. He looked around and on top of a large rock above where the other ligers were walked out the alpha male. He was beautiful. His mane was thick and brown. His fur was golden brown but it black and white stripes like a tiger. His paws were huge. As he roared again Hiro was able to see the teeth of the monster. The sharp canine teeth left no doubt about what this beast was born to do. It was made to rip other animals apart. The ligers majestic appearance was definitely overshadowed by the ferocity of its aura. Hiro smiled and knew at that moment this would be his partner. He had to have him but retrieving him while all of the others were around would be too much. He thought back to when his family visited the zoo and saw lions and remembered that in a pride of lions the apha protects the pride against invaders and defends against challengers. ¡°I¡¯ll make a huge racket and hopefully the alpha will mistake me for an invader and come out to protect his territory.¡± Hiro went on the outskirts of what he believed was their territory. So he walked out about 200 meters and started yelling at the top of his voice. He banged his sword against his gauntlet. The racket was incredibly loud.
You sense a dangerous presence
Hiro knew without looking that the shadowy figure that began to appear before him was the alpha liger. Behind the beast the sun was setting creating a picturesque background of oranges, reds, and yellows behind the alpha. The aura of this beast was incredible. It was on a totally different level than a forest panther. Its bloodlust was overwhelming. Hiro felt a cold chill run down his spine. The danger was real and he liked it. ¡°No need to inspect this enemy as your aura is telling me that you are powerful.¡± This enemy could truly kill him. Its claws probably could rip through my armor. Its teeth could tear off my limbs. ¡°Seeing it from a distance didn¡¯t do it any justice. This thing was so big that I could ride on it if I chose. We will have a fair fight between the two of us. I will not use my magic only my ki. Just in case I¡¯m gonna use copy. I would like to learn any abilities that this thing has.¡± He activated his tame beast ability. The alpha began to act erradictly. It let out a growl and began to glare at Hiro. Hiro activated his Hero¡¯s courage to counteract the beast¡¯s attempt at intimidating him. ¡°Was he tamed?¡± The Liger charged at Hiro. ¡°Guess not.¡± Hiro understood in a game you can¡¯t tame a strong beast without lowering its hp to a critical state. So Hiro set his mind to do battle with this ferocious beast. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Hiro enhanced his body with his ki. ¡°This surge of strength is incredible. This must be due to my new ki warrior job. The ki is flowing so smoothly and I can feel it permeating through every cell in his body. It is incredible.¡± His predict ability allowed him to see where the beast was going to attack. His body felt incredibly light. It took almost no strength whatsoever to avoid the beast¡¯s attack. It seemed like the beast was moving in slow motion compared to him. He slashed the beast across its abdomen. The slash was superficial as Hiro was not trying to kill the beast. The attack did cause the liger to start bleeding. The Liger arched its back a showed its large teeth. ¡°Ahhhh¡­. You are angry now huh?¡± He decided to drop his blade as his strength right now would probably cause him to slay the beast in one attack if he made a mistake. After dropping his sword he began to counterattack the beast after he dodged his ferocious attacks. His punches and kicks landed solidly against the beast causing it to howl out in pain. The beast then jumped at Hiro. He stepped back but when the beast hit the ground it caused a seismic wave that caused Hiro to lose his balance. Hiro was falling backwards onto the ground and the beast took advantage of the opportunity. It struck Hiro on the across his arm. Hiro defended with his ki and his leather armguard but the impact brought him down hard. His arm wasn¡¯t broken but if felt numb and he had trouble lifting it. There was also a large gash on his arm where the beast had torn through his leather armguard. ¡°He cut through that hard leather like it was paper. Those claws are no joke.¡± While Hiro was getting up, the liger attacked again. This time it ran directly into Hiro it felt like a car hit him. He flew back about 20 meters and rolled on the ground several times before coming to a halt. He slowly stood up. ¡°Wow my armor and my toughness ability are faring pretty well against this beast¡¯s attacks. He got back to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. ¡°You have done well so far in this battle. I expected nothing less than this from my new partner¡±, Hiro said with a smile. ¡°Come beast and face me with all of your might so that I can show you who the Alpha truly is.¡± The beast roared again.
New ability learned, Liger¡¯s roar.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Liger''s RoarBeginner0100%
This loud roar causes the opponent to fear you. Your opponent¡¯s accuracy and speed decrease due to their overwhelming fear of you.
"This liger sure is tough." As the beast came at him Hiro began to gather his ki into his right hand. ¡°I can¡¯t let this fight draw out because my ki is less than a quarter so I need to end it with the blow.¡± He said breathing heavily. The power continued to build in his hand until it became covered in a glowing red ki shroud. Hiro waited until the beast jumped in, knowing that the seismic shocked cause him to lose his balance he jumped up to attack the beast just as it landed. By jumping he avoided the seismic shock and then he was in perfect position to land a devastating blow right on the crown of the liger¡¯s head. The crushing blow knocked the beast¡¯s head straight into the ground causing a crater to develop in the ground.
Ki strike technique learned.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Ki StrikeBeginner0125?%
Ki Strike: An attack imbued with the users ki. The attack is more powerful than a normal strike. Its power is amplified by the amount of ki used and the physical ability of the person using the skill. With higher levels you will be able to use ki strike with any attack you desire.
Seeing the beast was down and not moving Hiro thought to himself, ¡°Did I overdo it? Did I kill him?¡± He went closer to see if the beast was still alive and just then the beast snorted. It was still breathing so he was alive. ¡°This thing was tough¡± Hiro said to himself, ¡°That attack would have killed any other foe he had faced thus far but this beast took the attack even in a weakened state.¡± The liger began moving and struggled to get to get to its feet. Hiro moved slowly closer and noticed that the liger had a red flickering glow to it. Hiro was worn out and his ki was almost empty. ¡°I better release my ki before I completely empty out my ki.¡± The liger stood tall and bore its fangs at Hiro. It swiped its claw at Hiro one last time but it was to no avail because Hiro easily dodged the attack. Then it collapsed. Hiro stood over the beast. ¡°You did well my friend. Now join me and grow even stronger.¡±Hiro placed his hand over the alpha¡¯s head then activated the tame beast ability.
You have acquired a pet! What will you name him?
Hiro thought for a moment and the decided, ¡°Your name shall be Leo¡±
For taming such a powerful beast, your Tame beast ability has increased novice level 5. You are now able to effectively communicate with a beast using gestures.
Before completing the process you must share some of your ki with the pet.
¡°Oh! I need to meditate then.¡± As Hiro sat down and began meditating his ki began to recover. It seemed as the though the ki did not return to him but it simply went into Leo. Hiro continued meditating until Leo no longer absorbed his ki. Once the absorption stopped, Hiro went to his bag and grabbed some of the flowers he had saved to make healing potions. He crushed some of the flowers up and poured it into his empty bottles to make the healing potions.
You created 4 light healing potions.
Hiro poured two into Leo¡¯s mouth and drank two potions himself. Hiro fell onto his back as Leo continued to lie on the ground. Hiro closed his eyes as he was exhausted from his battle with Leo. Hiro felt the sun on his face and a cool breeze blowing. ¡°This is nice.¡± Moments later Hiro opened his eyes to find Leo standing over him. ¡°Good boy Leo¡±, Hiro said with apprehension. Leo opened his mouth exposing all of his teeth. Hiro could not fight the beast anymore he was still too fatigued to fight on. ¡°What should I do?¡± Slowly, Hiro slid back from underneath of Leo and got on his feet. In all of his nervousness he forgot that the potions had worked. Hiro was healed of his external wounds .¡°We can¡¯t stay out here tonight. I have to get us both back to the town.¡± ¡°Sit!¡± Leo just stared at Hiro. ¡°Come here!¡± Leo continue to stare at Hiro. ¡°That¡¯s right my skill isn¡¯t high enough to talk to him yet.¡±He motioned for Leo to lie down and he did as he was commanded. Hiro climbed on his back grabbing the fur from Leo¡¯s mane. Once atop the mighty beast
Beast riding skill learned.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Beast RidingBeginner0100%
With this skill user can ride on the back of any beast. The increased skill will allow the rider to be more effective in battle from atop the mount and it will be more difficult for foes to make the rider dismount.
Hiro clicked his heels to order Leo to run. Immediately Leo began running. This was incredible. The speed that this big cat could move was amazing. In no time they were back on the outskirts of town. Hiro commanded Leo to stay. Leo sat down curling up on the ground to rest. Hiro decided it would be a bit awkward to have a beast like Hiro in the town.
Beast Riding increased to level 2.
Hiro went into town and smelled something delicious cooking. The villagers were cooking the meet from the plains cows. The smell made his stomach growl. Hiro followed his nose and he made his way to the town square where the villagers were all gathered round as Foria was passing out bowls of stew. The stew must have been made of vegetables and the meat from the cows. Hiro came up to Snow, Rain, and Korin. They asked where he had been. He told them, ¡°I went out and tamed a beast.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± asked Snow ¡°A liger!¡± ¡°What?! Those things are monsters.¡± Replied Korin. ¡°Yes he was but my ki is so much stronger now. It was a pretty even battle.¡± They were in awe of him. Rain asked, ¡°Can I please see him?¡± ¡°Sure let¡¯s get some food and take it to him¡±, replied Hiro. The got some stew from Foria and then Hiro cut a leg from one of the beasts that were being prepared into more stew for the villagers. He carried the leg and led Rain to the outskirts of town where Leo was resting. It had become night and Leo¡¯s stripes made it difficult to see him as he lay in the all grass. Hiro whistled and Leo jumped from his resting place and came running. He stopped in front of Hiro who tossed him the leg from the cow. Leo immediately began tearing the flesh from the leg. Rain was terrified at first at the sheer size and aura given off by this beast. ¡°It¡¯s ok Rain. He¡¯s been tamed. He won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Rain felt relieved and went closer. Leo leaped to his feet as she approached. She reached out her hand and Leo sniffed her. He then stuck his tongue and licked her. Rain smiled and began to pet Leo on his head. She felt the softness of his fur. She observed him and said he is even more impressive than what I¡¯ve read about in books. I never thought I would see one of these creatures so close. ¡°Well now that you have, just be glad he¡¯s on our side.¡± Hiro gave Leo a gesture for him to lie down. Hiro told Rain that he would sleep outside with Leo tonight. Rain agreed and returned to the town.
Tame beast level increased to novice level 6
Hiro sat down and ate his stew as Leo continued eating the cow leg until nothing remained but the bone. While he ate Hiro thought about what he should do next. He decided to skin the bloody vultures that he and his group killed today. He opened his bag and pulled out the vultures and skinned them 1 by one. When he finished..
You gained 6 pieces of light leather.
Leo stared at the corpses of the vultures. "Oh you are still hungry?" Hiro gestured for Leo to come and he ate the vultures.
You and Leo gain the affinity of wind
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Wind AffinityBeginner0000%
This allows the user to have a connection with the wind element. This gives the user greater bonuses from wind based materials, provides protection from wind based attacks, and gives add damage to the user''s wind based attacks or spells.
You gain the magic spell wind cutter
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Wind CutterBeginner0100%
This wind based spell allows the user to shoot out blades of wind to attack a foe. As the skill improves the user will be able to release more blades at a greater velocity causing more damage.
"What just happened? How did I gain these and I didn''t do anything? I didn''t copy it. I didn''t learn it in combat. What is going on?" Hiro thought for a few moments but he could not come up with a reason why this happened. "Guess I''ll just attribute it to having good luck." He shrugged his shoulders and sat down with the pieces of leather he had just gotten from skinning the vultures. ¡°Well since I¡¯m not doing much I guess I¡¯ll try and craft some more pieces of leather armor to see if I can improve on my current equipment. He successfully made 2 pairs of leather gloves and a leather hat. The gloves were the same as the first 2 pairs. He was able to make them with less effort but they did not come out any better. The hat was something new.
Feather cap
Type:HatDurability:30 /30
Quality:Medium
Defense + 9 Agility +3
¡°My skill in armor making is definitely improving. Next I should check my stats.¡± So he looked at his character screen. Status:
Status Window
Name:HiroAlignment:Good
Level:20Class:Ki Warrior
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles
Hero of Kaito
Fame:500Infamy:0
-
Health:800 / 800Health Regen:4.5 / Sec
Mana:700 / 700Mana Regen:10.1 / Sec
Stamina:1450/ 1450Stamina Regen:15 / Sec
-
Strenght:130Agility:82
Vitality:145
Intelligence:68Wisdom:53
Leadership:50Luck:23
-
Attack:155Defense:102
Physical Resistances
Slashing:18%Piercing:18%
Crushing:18%
Elemental Resistances
Fire:??Water:??
Wind:??Earth:??
Light:??Darkness:??
Wow my stats have improved a lot. I can¡¯t believe I have gotten this strong. He clicked the icon next to his name that looked like a set of scales he clicked it and then his skills menu opened. Below his picture there was another one that looked like Leo. He figured it was his pet¡¯s status. Hiro clicked it and it opened.
Leo
Job:Hiro''s PetLevel:20
Health:2,000/2000
Strength- 175 Agility- 250
"I wonder if he has any skills? As soon as he thought about it there was a skill icon next to Leo''s picture. Skills:
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Liger''s Roar???????%
Liger¡¯s Roar: Roar that strikes fear in the heart of enemies occasionally paralyzing them.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Absorption???????%
Allows Liger to gain strength and abilities to from things he has eaten.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Symbiosis???????%
Abilities gained will be immediately shared with the pet¡¯s master.
¡°Wow this is cool¡±, he thought. ¡°If Leo eats enemies he can gain new skills and pass them on to me. I guess that is why he absorbed some of my ki. That must be how I learned the wind affinity and windcutter. It must have happened when he ate the vultures. I can''t see the levels of his skills. Does that mean that they do not improve like mine? Or are they already at there maximum level? Or maybe I just have leveled up high enough as a trainer to see them. No need to worry about that now because my partner has already increased my learning potential dramatically. What should I do next?¡± he thought. Hiro decided that he would take part in the military training exercises to gain fighting experience. He also decided to train Leo so that their abilities would grow and his bond with Leo would grow so that he could communicate his thoughts to Leo and he could hear Leo¡¯s thoughts. ¡°With my abilities coupled with my daily practice, and my strong pet I should now be a very formidable opponent when facing the orcs or any other enemy in the future. I also need to spend some time fighting without my weapon to develop his basic skills. I¡¯ve been relying too much on his abilities. I should improve my actual fighting skills so that when I use my abilities I will be even more powerful.¡± He lay back on the soft fur of Leo¡¯s abdomen. Leo wrapped his tail around Hiro. Looking up at the stars, Leo said, "So beautiful" "Were you talking about me?" a voice said Surprised, Hiro jumped to his feet and Leo did as well letting out a ferocious growl. "Whoa boys calm down!" As he looked closer he recognized the figure from her walk and her figure. It was Foria. Hiro quickly gestured for Leo to lay down. Leo did as Hiro commanded. Foria continued to walk closer. "What is she doing out here at this time of night? What should I do?" Hiro''s hands began to sweat and his heart began to beat faster. As she came into view, Foria looked beautiful as ever. She was wearing a beautiful green dress that accentuated her curves just right. As she continued to move closer she asked him again, "When you said beautiful were you talking about me?" In his head Hiro began to say, "How should I respond? What should I do? I have never had a woman take any interest in me? Hiro began to panic. For moved closer until she was almost within an arm''s length from Hiro. Her smell was intoxicating. "Screw it!" he thought. "I might as well go for it. I won''t know unless I try." He reached out his arms and grabbed Foria by the waist. "What are you doing?" she said "Answering your question" , he replied "All the stars in the sky together could not match the beauty that you possess." Foria blushed as she laid her head on Hiro''s chest. Hiro leaned down and whispered in her ear, "That kiss was amazing. I could never forget it" She pounded softly on Hiro''s chest and said,"You jerk why didn''t you say anything when I asked you earlier?" "I didn''t want to embarrass you." "Uh huh. Well let''s make another memory you won''t forget" she said as she leaned closer to him. and placed her hand softly on his cheek. Hiro placed his index finger under her chin and lifted it up. The both closed their eyes. He leaned in and their lips touched. The kiss was only a moment but it seemed like time stood still for Hiro. "I can''t believe! This beautiful girl kissed me" he said as he opened his eyes a looked at his goddess of love, Foria. Once the kiss ended he held her tightly. Foria felt safe and warm in his arms. "I have never felt this way about anyone." "Me either. Where I am from most women ignored me." "Well I will never ignore you." Hiro smiled and all he could do was hug her. He never wanted to let her go. "I have to go home for tonight. I will see you tomorrow." Hiro didn''t want her to go but he replied, " Until tomorrow then." He watched her walk off into the distance smiling as wide as his mouth could possibly go. Once she disappeared from sight, Hiro laid back down on Leo''s soft fur and drifted off to sleep. Chapter 17: Upgrades Chapter 17 The sun slowly came over the horizon as Hiro woke up from his slumber. ¡°Leo was quite comfortable to sleep on. His fur was soft but his body created a lot of heat. Hiro stood up up yawned and stretched his arms. ¡°Well I guess it is time to begin my training. I guess I¡¯ll start with the basics my calesthenics pushups, sit ups, and squats.¡± Hiro got into his position and began doing his sets of pushups, situps, followed by squats in sets of 50. "I hadn''t noticed but even with my heavy sword and gauntlet on this is not as difficult." Soon he had completed 400 reps of each exercise was but Hiro felt that he had not reached the extreme level of fatigue he sought during his workouts. ¡°I guess my strength, vitality, and stamina increases are showing even more now. Better do more to keep myself advancing." He continued with several more sets of each exercise until he had reached almost 750 of each. On his last squat he bent his knees and dropped his body down. When he reached the lowest point his body could go, he felt all of the fatigue he had built up until this moment rush over him like a wave. He strained his muscles to continue. His muscles were screaming for him to stop but Hiro would not quit. He bit his lip and looked up at the sky. His legs quivered as he began to stand. Hiro used every last ounce of strength¡°AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" he grunted as he finally stood up straight. Hiro immediately collapsed onto his knees from the strain he had placed on his body. His muscles were aching and he was sweating like crazy. "Now I¡¯ve worked up good sweat, it is time to recover using my meditation.¡±
Strength stamina and vitality increase by 5.
He sat down to meditate. During his meditation he noticed that his sense presence ability had improved by leaps and bounds. ¡°I can now sense everyone in the town and he could even determine who was who. It was amazing. He could feel everyone¡¯s presence and the radius of the skill was now big enough to cover the entire town.¡± As he meditated he visualized himself moving the ki around his body using smaller, smoother, more controlled motions. No longer did he have the sloppy movements of the past but now it moved in a smooth motion like electricity passing through wires. His ability to manipulate his ki had developed dramatically. He felt like he had complete control over it. ¡°Now to train this skill a little. I need to move the ki around into the smaller body parts.¡± First the ki moved to his hand then he tried to move it so that it went into his fingers one at a time. His brow began to sweat as it required a lot of concentration to accomplish these small movements. He then moved his ki up into his ears. When he did it all of a sudden he could hear everything. He could hear Leo¡¯s heartbeat. It was beating so fast even though he was resting. He could hear the townspeople talking. ¡°This is amazing. I can even augment my senses with my ki. ¡°I wonder what else I can do¡± He decided to try something new.
Ki manipulation increased to level 9
Hiro thought of some of the television shows and characters he had seen in the past. They were able to actually manifest their ki into physical external attacks. Hiro started with trying to move his ki from inside his body outward into the palm of his hand. Little by little the ki began to manifest in his hand. The ki was about the size of a golf ball but its shape kept fluctuating. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I need to make it into a shape that I can use like a ball.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and imagined it as a ball. When he opened his eyes it looked like a ball but it not perfectly round. It was taking a lot of concentration to manifest the ball and to make it take shape. Hiro looked up at his ki and to his surprise the mana had been reduced to one half of its original amount. ¡°What in the world?! I didn¡¯t even do anything except manifest my ki and that small ball took that much of my mana away.¡± He sat and thought for a moment. ¡°Oh yeah. That¡¯s right! The skill said that I need to be on the master level before I can manifest my ki outside of my body. So I guess it didn¡¯t mean that I could do it. It must have meant that I shouldn¡¯t do it because of the strain it would put on my mana reservoir.¡± Hiro decided to come back to it later after he had leveled up his ki manipulation skill a little more. After sitting and meditating for a few minutes his mana level had returned to its maximum. Hiro focused the maximum amount of ki he could into his legs then he whistled for Leo. Immediately, Leo came running and Hiro took off running. Hiro ran as fast as he could in attempt to outrun the big cat. He was able to get out to a comfortable heads start but Leo¡¯s speed was way too much. Even with his speed being augmented by his ki, he was unable to outrun Leo. ¡°Did he get even more powerful once I tamed him? Our difference in speed wasn¡¯t this big before.¡± They continued these sprinting contests for awhile. Hiro would run until Leo caught him and then Hiro would command Leo to stop.After Leo caught his breath they would repeat the same thing. After about a half hour, Hiro¡¯s stamina was completely exhausted. While he rested to recover his strength, he noticed that his ki had barely drained his mana at all. It was amazing. He could now try to maintain it longer during the day. The fruits of his training continued to amaze.
Beast taming improved level 8
Ki manipulation improved to intermediate level 1
Improvement grants 10% decrease in the mana needed for ki based skills and you are now able increase your strength and speed by up to 300% for a short time using your ki. Be careful as the side effect of this tremendous power increase will cause a great amount of pain to your body.
After all of the morning¡¯s training, Hiro was a bit hungry and he assumed that Leo would be as well. ¡°Instead of going in the town let¡¯s go hunting buddy.¡± Hiro decided to see how well Leo could fight in battle and test out his absorption ability. ¡°After we kill a few things I should be able to eat something.¡± He gestured for Leo to sit down then he jumped on Leo¡¯s back. He activated his detect presence skill. He noticed that there were no enemies within 1000 meters of his location so he clicked his heels and turned Leo towards the north. Hiro was still not accustomed to Leo¡¯s speed so he ducked his head behind Leo¡¯s and kept a tight grip on his mane. As they ran Hiro continued to try and detect the presence of some enemies. After a few minutes of running Hiro found the presence of what he thought were orcs and goblins. Hiro clicked his heels and pointed Leo in their direction. It seemed like they got there in a flash. Hiro dismounted and signaled for Leo to lay down.He confidently walked up until he was in eyesight of orcs. He noticed that there were 10 orcs and 8 goblins. He continued to walk forward as to grab their attention. The monsters noticed him and charged. The orcs had some decent weapons. A few had shields and short swords, others had axes, and one had a decent looking spear. The goblins on the other hand had no armor and crude wooden clubs. As they got close Hiro pointed directly at them and whistled for Leo. Leo immediately leaped out from behind Hiro and growled using Liger¡¯s Roar. The enemy orcs were completed terrified. Some stopped running and others were so afraid that they dropped their weapons and were frozen in place. Hiro told Leo to get them by taking his thumb across his neck in the universal sign for kill. Leo attacked the ones who were not frozen in place. The goblins that were running away could not outrun him and he slashed their backs with his claws causing them to fall. When he slashed them deep gashes opened up in their flesh exposing their insides. Those that did not die instantly screamed and began bleeding profusely. Once over top of them Leo would bite down with his massive jaws and rip the monsters apart. After finishing his meal Leo roared loudly. Now that all of the ones who could run away were taken care of Leo walked back and began to kill those that were frozen in fear. He quickly tore every one of the orcs and goblins limb from limb. After killing all of the orcs Leo began to eat their flesh. It was a truly gruesome sight but Leo was after all a wild animal and hopefully Leo would be able to learn some new skills. ¡°That was impressive. It was even louder and more fearsome than when I fought you.¡± Hiro patted Leo on his head in approval of his partner¡¯s strength. Leo purred affectionately at Hiro.
You and Leo have learned orc language. You will now be able to understand the language of the orcs.
You learned the goblin language. You will now be able to understand the language of the goblins.
Beast tame increased to level 9. You can now speak one word phrases to your pet and he will understand. You no longer need to use hand gestures.
This was too cool. ¡°I thought I could only learn fighting skills from the monsters he ate. Being able to learn a language will be useful as well. Hiro was thoroughly satisfied with Leo¡¯s fighting ability and his absorption ability was even more intriguing. He had truly gained a wonderful ally. He went over and took any weapons and armor he could from the dead orcs and put them in his magic bag. He Then he jumped back up on Leo¡¯s and they travel back to the town.
Beast riding increased to level 4
Upon arriving at the town Hiro told Leo ¡°Wait¡± so that he would wait for him at the gate and he would return soon. Leo sat down in the high grass near the entrance to the town. ¡°That was great I can already verbally communicate with Leo. Not to mention I am beginning to understand what Leo¡¯s roars, growls, and other sounds meant. Their bond was already improving in the short time they were together. As Hiro walked into the town, he heard the sounds of weapons clanging. He grabbed his sword and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the battle sounds. ¡°I must have been out to long. Could it be another attack? Could it be more orcs, goblins, or something even worse?¡± Hiro increased his speed by using his ki on his legs. Upon reaching the place where he heard the sounds, Hiro became embarrassed. It was only weapon training by the army. Once he arrived at the army training area, Snow yelled out, ¡°Welcome Commander!¡± Immediately all of the troops stopped and stood in the attention position with their weapons in a resting position. Hiro walked closer and he saw Snow in front of Kaura and about 10 other teenagers. There were 4 girls and 6 boys. They all looked young and very frail but their eyes told of their strong determination. ¡°I see we have some new recruits.¡± ¡°Yes. They are young but they all have the eyes of hungry lions waiting to devour anything that comes to attack their home.¡± ¡°I like that.¡± As Hiro walked through the troops to Snow each soldier bowed his head. He was a little embarrassed by all of the attention but he decided to be more confident and began to address them. ¡°We will train together under Captain Snow to get stronger! We will fight together to protect our home and loved ones!¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± the soldiers replied. ¡°To accomplish these things listen to Snow and train your bodies and minds to be in the best possible condition at all times.¡± Everyone cheered as Hiro walked closer. ¡°I also have some presents for you all. I grabbed them from some orcs who no longer need them.¡±He opened his bag and gave each of the new recruits the weapons and armor he had taken from the orcs Leo killed earlier in the morning. A taller very pale skinned boy took the axe and a very tall darker skinned girl took the spear. The rest took the shields and short swords. Now their small army was equipped. ¡°Now captain can we proceed with weapon training?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°What shall we do then captain?¡± ¡°It is simple. You all will become warriors by learning to fight using your body first. The basis for all combat is empty handed fighting. You must master your own body before you can make a weapon a part of it.¡± ¡°Agreed, please take care of us Captain.¡± ¡°GRROOOOOWWWWLLLLL!¡± Hiro¡¯s stomach let out a huge sound. Everyone including Hiro laughed hysterically. Hiro looked towards the ground and felt a little embarrassed. He remembered that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day. One of the recruits whispered, ¡°Here sir take this. It isn¡¯t much but it will hold you over until you can get something else.¡± He handed Hiro a few bits of something that looked similar to jerky. ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°You are welcome sir.¡± Hiro quickly devoured the jerky. His hunger subsided and ¡°Line up!¡± yelled Snow. The group lined up with Hiro and Kaura in the middle. ¡°Watch and observe as I demonstrate the beginning of your fighting form.¡± The group looked on transfixed as Snow began his movements. Snow moved from left to right blocking and striking at an imaginary enemy. He used all sorts of different attacks including kicks, elbwos, punches, and even knees. Hiro thought to himself, ¡°He looks like my master in the dojo doing a kata. This is the only part of martial arts I was any good at because I could quickly memorize the movements. Unfortunately my balance and coordination was so bad that I could not perform the moves well.¡± The group was in awe as Snow¡¯s large body looked so elegant and graceful. He made every movement intentional. Every strike and block looked like he was facing a real opponent. When he finished his last movement, he placed his hands at his side and bowed towards the group. Everyone clapped in approval of their trainer¡¯s magnificent skill. ¡°Now that you have seen the skill you will perform it with me until you have memorized the movements. When I count you will move. Remember to breathe out whenever you hit or block. This will help you maintain you focus and stamina during battle. Begin!¡± ¡°1!¡± Hiro and the group followed Snow blocking an attack from below then punching ¡°2!¡± The group returned to the center. ¡°3!¡± The group turned right and blocked an attack coming from below. ¡°4,5,6!¡± The group jabbed, hit with a cross, and then a front snap kick. ¡°7!¡± The group returned to the center. ¡°8!¡± The group ducked under an imaginary attack. ¡°9,10!¡± The group through a leg kick followed by an elbow. ¡°11!¡± The group returned to the center and bowed finishing the kata.
Due to learning a system of skills to defend yourself from an enemy your unrefined skill of unarmed combat skill has evolved into martial arts.
Martial arts skill now novice level 1.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Martial ArtsNovice120%
You have now learned the basics of an ancient art form for self-defense. Each level you gain will grant you a 1% increase to your attack
Hiro and the group continued to practice the kata over and over as Snow walked around stopping them and adjusting stances, fixing improper defensive posture, and attack placement. After about an hour went by and Snow decided to give the soldiers a lunch break. ¡°Attention!¡± the group lined up and saluted Snow. ¡°You will now have time to go out an eat lunch. You have 1 hour to return. When we resume this after, we will begin with body strengthening training. Dismissed!¡± The group quickly dispersed. ¡°Thank you Snow. This was definitely good and I look forward to the improvement that our army makes while you are training them.¡± ¡°They are doing well so far. I did not expect that they would be able to keep up with pace I¡¯ve set. Seeing their home ravaged by those monsters must have really strengthened their resolve.¡± ¡°I can see that. Well I will be off now as body strengthening exercises are something that you have already taught me. I will return each day during the weapon and empty handed training sessions.¡± ¡°I agree. It would be best for you to test your limits using your ki in anyway you can manage. Keep trying new things. The sky is the limit for your abilities. Good luck and I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Continue training them for the rest of the week. At the beginning of the next week I would like to make our way to the forest so we can set up a logging camp. The wood produced should help us to rebuild the town.¡± ¡°Do you think that is enough time?¡± ¡°No, but we don¡¯t really have another option. We need to rebuild these buildings and to make a defensive wall around the town. The only way to do that is to get wood.¡± ¡°If we must, I will do my best to get them ready.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hiro walked off and went into the heart of the town. Near the north end of the town he saw Korin and Rain. They were standing in front of a line of children from ages 12 to probably 17. Korin waved Hiro over. Hiro came over and discussed what Korin and Rain were doing. ¡°I would like to have a unit that acts as a support unit for the melee part of our army.¡±said Korin ¡°In order to determine magical ability we have to perform a test using this cube. If a person has magical ability the cube will react and change color. White meant that person had an affinity for healing, red was fire, blue was water, green was wind, brown was earth, purple was lightning, and black was dark magic.¡± Said Rain. ¡°Only one of the children had magical ability at this time. The child¡¯s name was Galen and his affinity was healing and lightning magic¡±, said Korin. ¡°It was great because Korin and I both know those so we have much to teach him.¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°Train him well. I want to test myself. Do you mind if I try?¡± Korin smiled, ¡°Sure why not. Just place your hand on the cube.¡± Hiro placed his hand on the cube. The cube reacted and turned completely red. I guess that means that I have an affinity for fire. Then suddenly the cube turned a very dark green. ¡°You have the affinity for wind and fire. That is good. Having an affinity to more than one element allows you to become a powerful mage with some training.¡± Said Korin. ¡°Really? Well¡­ do you mind if I come here and practice while you train Galen?¡± ¡°Sure. The more the merrier. I will teach you all that I know.¡± ¡°Thank you Snow. I will see you guys tomorrow.¡± Hiro then strolled around the town for a little longer and found one building that was not a broken down as all the others. It had some sort of logo on the front. From his extensive knowledge of games he recognized that the symbol was for a genral store. ¡°This is great because general stores sell all sorts of tools.¡± Hiro knocked on the door. As he knocked, the door slowly creaked as it opened. ¡°Is anybody here?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here¡±, said an older gentleman who appeared from a room behind the counter. ¡°Are you the owner of this shop?¡± ¡°Sure am.¡± ¡°First let me introduce myself. I¡¯m..¡± ¡°I know who you are. You¡¯re that kid who defeated the monsters that invaded our town. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Eveyone¡¯s been talking about how you helped to kill that troll and how you killed so many of those goblins and orcs. I don¡¯t have much inventory at the moment but how can I help you?¡± ¡°Do you have tools for working with leather and blacksmithing?¡± The shop owner replied, ¡°yes I have some different kinds of thread and needles for leather working. I also have a hammer and some whetstones for blacksmithing. You might also want to buy a skinning knife to help you skin the beasts you defeat and a pick axe to mine materials for blacksmithing.¡± Hiro nodded and said,¡±How could he afford those things when he had no money.¡± He asked could he trade for them? The shop owner nodded, ¡°What do you have?¡± Hiro pulled out the 2 pairs of leather gloves and handed them to the shop owner and about 10 pieces of leather that he had gotten while skinning varioius monsters in the wild. ¡°Hmm these things aren¡¯t worth very much but for the Hiro of our town I think I can make an you a deal.¡± ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Let¡¯s give you a test run. Bring me back 20 bloody vulture talons. You bring back the talons and I will take them as payment for the supplies you asked for.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Hiro left and sprinted outside the town. ¡°Those vultures are easy to find because they go wherever they find something dead. I know just where to find them.¡± When he reached the entrance to the town, Hiro whistled for Leo. Leo came running and Hiro jumped up on his back. Leo charged ahead while Hiro steered him in the direction of where they killed the goblins and orcs the previous day. Since he had not burned the bodies he was sure that the vultures would be there trying to get a meal. As Leo ran, Hiro¡¯s sense presence skill confirmed his suspicions. Unfortunately there were more vultures than he had anticipated. There were about 20 vultures there at the site. They were all eating away at the meat that Leo did not devour. They picked at the bones and fought each other over the scraps of meat that remained. As they got closer Hiro told Leo, ¡°Roar!¡± Leo let out his Liger¡¯s roar and it did its job. It paralyzed about half of the vultures in fear. The other half began acting wildly or they simply flew away. ¡°I¡¯ve got to kill them quickly because if the get free from the fear they will definitely escape. ¡°Kill!¡± Hiro said as he dismounted Leo. Leo rushed ahead and slashed several of the birds that were frozen in fear knocking them over and killing them. While Hiro dealt with the grounded birds. Hiro lifted his hand and cast his bind spell on the birds that were trying to fly away. He cast the spell on each of the birds. Each time his spell was was successful one of the birds dropped from the sky because its wings could no longer move. The impact when they hit the ground was devastating. Several of the vultures died on impact those that were left found themselves at the mercy of Hiro¡¯s blade.
Bind spell reached novice level 1. You can now bind up to 2 targets at a time. The number of chains that surround the target will be 4 making it very powerful. In addition the duration of the bind has increased from 20 secs to 25 seconds and the mana cost for casting has been reduced by 10%.
Hiro and Leo made short work of the vultures killing all but 2 of them. The 2 that escaped were at too great a distance for Hiro¡¯s bind spell to be successful. Once they were all dead Hiro quickly skinned them and then cut the feet off of each one. He had collected 36 talons and 18 pieces of leather. ¡°This should satisfy the shopkeeper.¡± He placed everything in his bag and told Leo, ¡°Eat¡±. Leo quickly ate 5 of the vulture corpses. Hiro waited to see if he learned anything but he did not. I guess maybe I learned everything I can from them. Hiro put the rest of the corpses in his bag and mounted up on Leo¡¯s back. ¡°Go!¡± Hiro shouted and they were off. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Shortly after they started running, Hiro¡¯s stomach began to growl again. He wanted to eat but thought he should go back and get the supplies he needed first. About 20 minutes later they returned to the town. Hiro told Leo to stay at the front gate and then rushed back to the general store. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Hiro said to the shopkeeper. ¡°So soon? I guess the vultures were too much for you, huh?¡± ¡°Actually I have what you asked for and more.¡± ¡°Really!? Show me.¡± ¡°Hiro opened his bag and pulled out 36 of the talons.¡± ¡°Not bad kid! Well a deal is a deal.¡± He gave Hiro 20 pieces of coarse thread, a pickaxe, skinning knife, a hammer and 20 whetstones. "You must be the young man all of the people are so up in arms about." said the shop owner. Hiro sheepishly replied, "Yeah. The people look at me as there hero after I helped to stop an invasion." "Yeah. I know that part but you don''t look like much of a warrior to me. In fact you look like a wet-behind- the-ears newbie to me!" "What?! What are you talking about old man?!" yelled Hiro. The man walked up to Hiro and suddenly Hiro could sense a huge amount of murderous intent. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he felt goose bumps all around his body. His sense danger skill was going crazy. (i)Is this coming from this old man? What the hell is going on? (/i) Hiro activated his ki and his aura came out. The old man''s eyes didn''t even blink. He only moved closer to Hiro. Hiro boosted his power to its max but the man kept coming. When the old man was within arms length he took a deep breath and suddenly his power shot up. (i)It''s so strong I can barely breathe. It''s like it is suffocating me. Who is this old man?! (/i) "Enough I concede." Hiro said as he put his hand up. The old man opened his mouth but suddenly began violently coughing. Hiro rushed to the man as his aura had disappeared. The man fell into Hiro''s arms. Hiro quickly took out one of his healing potions and poured it into the old man''s mouth. He quickly stopped coughing and stood up. "Do you feel better?" "Yes. Thank you. I should not have done that. I was once one of the protectors of this village and a general in the King''s army." "Pleased to meet you.You are incredible! I couldn''t imagine that their was someone as powerful as you in this village." "I am not nearly as powerful as I used to be. This is only what is left of my power." "What''s left?! You mean you were even more powerful than you are now?" "Yes this is only a fraction of my power. Unfortunately, years ago I was poisoned by on of the great dragons. I went to healers all over the world and I none of them could heal me. So over time the poison sapped my strength, stamina, and decreased the strength of my heart. Anytime I use my strength it puts too much strain on my heart." "Then why did you show me your power? I mean that could have killed you." "After hearing the tales of your adventures I thought I would test you because I have been searching for a successor to my own style of martial skills." "You mean.." "Yes Hiro I think you may have what it takes to be my successor in the lightning style of martial arts." "Are you serious? I mean your power is unreal! You could teach me to have power like that?" "Yes. You are already the protector of this village but you have not seen the true evils of this world. As you are you and your army are no match for what may come. I will train you so that you can defend this place." "Thank you." "From now on you will refer to me as Master!" "Yes, Master. When shall we begin my training Master?" "First tell me about the healing potion you gave me. I feel better than I have in a long time. Where did you get it?" "I made it master. I have practiced making these potions over and over again and little by little my skill has improved until now. The one I gave you is one of the best ones I have made so far." "Hmmm... You are even more talented than I thought. You may one day even be able to cure me. To do that you will need the strength to stand up to the dragon that poisoned me." "Teach me Master and I will slay that dragon and cure you." "HAHAHAHAHA! Cocky little brat! I like you though. Before we begin with your training give me a few days to make some preparations. In a week come to this shop and I will leave directions for you to come to the training grounds where my master taught me." "Yes Master." ¡°Hey kid, I want to give you this book as proof that you are my pupil.¡± ¡°What is this master?¡± ¡°You have never seen one of these before.¡± ¡°No sir. Sorry I haven¡¯t. ¡° "Well I would imagine you wouldn¡¯t my apprentice. This is a weapon skill book. It gives you the ability to learn new weapon skills and advance them using a weapon experience method.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well basically each time you kill something with a weapon you will get weapon experience points. If you gain enough you can improve your skills with a weapon and gain extra points towards your status and possibly learn new skills.¡± ¡°Seriously!? Hiro bowed graciously, ¡°This will help me greatly in improving. How can I ever thank you?¡± ¡°In order to thank me my apprentice you can do two things. First, protect this town and never let any harm come to it.¡± ¡°I will Master.¡± ¡°Second, you can help me by creating more of those healing potions for me. That potion stopped my heart from feeling the pain of the poison in my heart. I think the effects will only be temporary but it will give me a chance to use my power and train you properly.¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Finally, come back to me when you have improved enough to not be intimidated by mi fighting spirit and I will teach you the true way of the sword.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ Master ... I don¡¯t mean this to be rude but didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t use your techniques anymore and how will I know when I am strong enough not to be intimidated by your fighting spirit?¡± ¡°Yes you are correct that I can''t use my techniques at the moment. I am hoping that your potions will allow me to do them just long enough that you can see them. I won¡¯t be using the techniques though you will. I will teach you to become a better swordsman and learn some powerful skills. Second each time you feel like you have grown in strength come back here and I will release my strength. When it is no longer suffocating then you will be able to stand without conceding. Be sure that you have that healing potions when you are ready.¡± ¡°Thank you Master. I will do my best and I am so honored that you will teach me.¡± ¡°Of course. I believe this town needs someone to keep it safe from the evils of the world. I wasn¡¯t able to save them.¡± The old man said as tears fell from his eyes. ¡°Save who Master?¡± ¡°My wife and only son were killed in the invasion. He was not yet old enough for me to teach. So he could not protect himself or his mother.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking where were you during the invasion. With your power you could have easily defeated those orcs and goblins.¡± ¡°I was out of town on a trip trading goods when the invasion occurred. When I got back, the town was trashed and my family was dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Master.¡± Hiro said bowing his head.¡± ¡°It is not your fault. I am just proud that someone was able to protect my home in my stead.¡± ¡°Thank you. Master, what is your real name so that I may show the proper respect.¡± ¡°You may call me Matsuro, The Lightning Blade.¡± ¡°Thank master Matsuro. I will return when I have gained more strength.¡± As Hiro walked out of the store one of the young army recruits came to tell Hiro Foria needed him. He went to Foria and she told him she was leading people to the place where the plains cows were so that they could begin to domesticate them as a food source. Hiro went back to the outskirts of town a called Leo. He jumped onto his back and used his detect presence ability to find Foria. He was instantly able to find her but there was a powerful presence near her that made Hiro uneasy. Hiro told Leo the direction to run and they were off in a flash. Hiro and Leo arrived to see a large plains cow with 3 sharp horns on his head. ¡°This must be the leader of the cows. He must be a bull¡±, thought Hiro. He was about 1.75 meters tall and his skin was a light brown color. It lowered its head and began to charge at the villagers. Foria backed away and told the villagers to scatter as she began to shoot arrows at the bull. His hide was so thick that the arrows would not penetrate. Hiro called out to her, ¡°Stop firing we will take care of this.¡± Foria looked up and saw that it was Hiro. She had known that he had tamed a liger but this was the first time she saw him. She was completely amazed at the beast. Hiro told Leo to use his roar and Leo let out a roar that froze almost all of the plains cows and most of the villagers. However it did not paralyze the bull. ¡°You must be a little tougher. Well in that case I guess we will have to beat you into submission.¡± Hiro dismounted. He and Leo began to walk towards the bull. Hiro began to let his ki flow around his body. He was shrouded in a soft red glow. The aura of the two together was so powerful that even the bull began to settle down and back up in fear. ¡°watch him!¡± Hiro said to Leo. He immediately ran down to the where the bull had been rampaging. As Leo¡¯s aura continued to restrain the movements of the bull Hiro found the lead farmer and grabbed his hand. ¡°I need to try to tame the bull and make the farmer his master. If the bull was tamed by the farmer, he could have the bull lead all of the cows to the town without killing them.¡± He led the farmer down to the bull. ¡°Stand here.¡± He walked away from the farmer and went towards Leo and the bull. ¡°Wrestle¡± instinctively Leo knew what Hiro meant. He knew it meant that he was to wrestle the bull down to the ground. With one quick movement Leo had used his paw to strike the bull but it jumped back. However, the attack caused a shockwave on the ground causing the bull to lose its balance. Hiro knew this attack well as he had experienced it with his own body. While the bull was off balance Leo charged in and tackled the bull to the ground. ¡°Stop¡± Hiro yelled as Leo was about to bite the bull. Leo roared loudly and place his paw on the bull behind its head. Leo kept his paw on the bull¡¯s head and it squirmed trying to get free but due to Leo¡¯s strength it was unable to move. ¡°Come here.¡± Hiro said to the farmer. Once he came Hiro placed the farmer¡¯s hand on the bull and activated his tame beast ability. Instantly the bull stopped moving.
Beast tamed by farmer.
Hiro instructed, ¡°Release¡± to Leo so that he would let the bull go. The bull got back to its feet and walked slowly to the farmer. By this time Leo¡¯s roar skill had worn off and the cows were able to move. The farmer directed the bull to lead the cows to the pen that they had built on the edge of town. All of the cows followed behind the bull. The people cheered and everyone went up to show their thanks to Hiro and Leo. They all began to pet Leo and Leo licked each of them as the embraced him or stroked his fur. Leo now had become more accepted into the hearts of the townspeople.
Quest completed: Gain food source for the townspeople. You gain 50 points of fame and 10 points towards your vitality.
Foria came up and hugged Hiro. ¡°Our town is now able to have a sustainable source of meat. Once the cropps begin to grow back our people will always have food. How can I ever repay you my hero.¡± Hiro grabbed her around the waist and kissed her on the lips. ¡°That is payment enough for me to do this 100 times over.¡± ¡°My kiss is really worth that much.¡± ¡°To me, its worth more than gold!¡± Foria blushed. ¡°Will I see you later for dinner?¡± ¡°Why wait come ride with me and let¡¯s go do some hunting like we used to do.¡± ¡°Sure why not. I¡¯ve been itching to do some battling. All of this diplomatic stuff has left me a bit bored.¡± Hiro jumped onto Leo¡¯s back and reached his hand down. Foria grabbed his hand and he pulled her up onto the Leo¡¯s back. They waved goodbye to the farmer and the group that were returning to the town and headed east. Hiro, Leo and Foria went off to do some hunting on the nearby plains. While they were traveling, Hiro asked, ¡°Have you ever heard of one of these?¡± while showing her the weapon skill book. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± ¡°So you have heard of it. Can you tell me about?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a book that allows the person who holds it to gain skill by killing. The more things you kill the greater the amount of points the book records. Once you gain a certain amount of points then you will be granted with various increases in stats based on the weapon you are using. ¡°So the old man was right.¡± ¡°What old man.¡± ¡°Matsuro¡± ¡°You mean the Matsuro, the lighting blade?¡± ¡°You know of him?¡± ¡°Yes he is one of the most famous swordsmen in the world.¡± ¡°Wow! He said he would teach me to use a sword once I gained more power.¡± ¡°Listen to him carefully if he is willing to teach you. They said he moved like lightning and when his blade struck it was like the rumble of thunder.¡± "Wow. He must have been very powerful. It will be good to learn from a master like that." They felt Leo stop as he had found a group of what looked like hyenas fighting with some bloody vultures. The hyenas were all black with yellow spots and their rear legs were slightly shorter than the front legs letting you know that they could not run very fast. What was scary was the size of their head. It was massive. Their head was nearly the size of Leo¡¯s but their body was about 25% smaller. The bite from these things had to be very dangerous. ¡°No need to inspect them as the will not last long.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the vulutres. You take the other ones¡± said Foria. ¡°Agreed. First one finished is the winner¡±, said Hiro. ¡°What will the prize be?¡± ¡°You decide¡± ¡°The loser has to cook dinner for the winner.¡± ¡°Oh you miss my cooking?¡± ¡°A little¡± , she said with a smile. Hiro nodded and the battle began. Hiro intentionally took some from the hyenas¡¯ claws so that he could improve his toughness skill. Meanwhile Leo did not waste anytime. Once he entered into the fray the hyenas turned their back on Hiro directed all of their attention on him. ¡°That makes sense he would be there natural enemy.¡± This made it very easy for Hiro to slay them. He activated dashing slash ability and cut through the hyenas like they were nothing. Once he had cut down 5 of the hyenas he gained their attention again.
You gained 5 weapon skill points.
¡°It worked¡± On the other side Foria had already shot down 6 vultures with her deadly bow. ¡°Can¡¯t you keep up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry you won¡¯t win this.¡± Hiro looked up and Leo had killed 3 of the hyenas that were in front of him but he had taken some damage. He was not bitten but he had been scratched several times. Hiro ran up and thrust his blade straight through the stomach of 1 of the remaining 3 hyenas. While it let out a wail the other 2 hyenas turned and that was all of the distraction that Leo needed. He quickly pounced on one of the hyenas crushing it with his massive paws. The other jumped to attack Leo but Hiro activated his dashing slash ability and chopped off its head in mid air killing it instantly. ¡°I¡¯m getting bored over here!¡± Foria said while leaning on her bow. She had already killed her 10 vultures and was waiting on Hiro.
You gained 6 weapon skill points
¡°So I even get points when Leo kills things. That¡¯s good to know¡± ¡°You¡¯ve still got your skilI with that bow.¡± He said to Foria ¡°Well when you¡¯ve got it you¡¯ve got it.¡± ¡°I guess it is your win.¡± ¡°Yes but I want a special dinner. I will wait until we get the ingredients for what I want.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°Yes. I will wait and let you know. Hiro sat down and skinned the vultures and hyenas.
You gained 20 pieces of light leather.
Skinning skills has improved to novice level 3.
Once he finished skinning the carcasses Hiro went in and collected any parts that might be valuable. He took the jawbones and paws of the hyenas as well as some of the wings and talons of the vultures. Hiro noticed Leo was waiting patiently. He had finished with getting the valuables and said, ¡°Eat!¡± Leo jumped up and began to devour the carcasses of the hyenas.
Leo learned the passive skill strong jaws. With this skill he can now crush the bones of an opponent creating impairment wherever he attacks.
You learned the skill scavenging.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
ScavengingBeginner0100%
With this skill you are able to determine if materials may be useful from the remains of foes you have killed. The useful pieces will have a light glow to them to help you recognize them. The higher you level the stronger the glow helping find more important materials.
¡°That is great! Now I can be better at finding materials that I can sell for more money.¡± Hiro again tried to make some more armor from pieces of leather. He decided to make something different. He attempted to make a cloak to cover his head and back. He combined 5 pieces of leather with some of the coarse thread but he completely failed at his first attempt. His second attempt was another failure and so was his third. Finally, on his fourth attempt he found success.
You created a hand stitched cloak.
Hand stiched cloak
Type:LeatherDurability:40/ 40
Quality:Medium
Defense +8 Agility +1
Armor Making now at novice level 1.
Hiro was happy with his skill progression. ¡°Not bad, Hiro. Your getting pretty good at that.¡± ¡°Yeah. Seems so.¡± ¡°Well try it on.¡± Hiro placed the cloak over his shoulders. Foria attached it to his chainmail shirt by using some of his thread and weaving the thread in between the leather and the links in the chainmail. ¡°It fits me pretty well¡± ¡°Sure does. The sun is starting to go down. We should head back to town.¡± Hiro nodded and he whistled for Leo and they jumped up on his back. They left and soon they had returned to the town. That night the people slaughtered three cows and made more stew. Everyone ate well including Hiro. While he ate several people came up to him greeting him and thanking him for saving the town. Hiro continued to say that he was only one of the people that saved the town. People loved his humility. They loved how their hero was just one of the common people. Once he ate his fill he looked for Foria but she was nowhere to be found neither was Korin. Snow was relaxing in the company of some ladies so Hiro decided not to bother him. Hiro spotted one of the house staff and asked where Foria and Korin were. She told him that there was a meeting in the house tonight with them and the counsel. She told Hiro that he should leave them alone until tomorrow. He listened to her advice and went outside of the town to keep Leo company. Once he sat down he took out the skill book that Matsuro had given him. As soon as he opened it, the book disappeared. ¡°What just happened?¡± Suddenly, a sword icon began blinking in the bottom right hand corner of his HUD. Hiro clicked it and he saw a screen come up.
Martial Arts Skill Points: 0
Weapon Skill Points: 11
¡°Since I don¡¯t have any martial arts points yet, I guess I¡¯ll look at weapon skill points. He touched the weapon skill points and another screen came up. There were several bubbles each with the name of a weapon. Since he was using a sword he clicked the sword.
Do you wish to level up sword skills? It will cost 10 weapon skill points.
Hiro clicked yes.
You now have 1 weapon skill point remaining.
Sword mastery level up to novice level 4.
¡°Seriously, now I can increase my weapon mastery even faster! YES!¡± As soon as he clicked the sword mastery bubble two others appeared along a spiral that went out from the sword mastery bubble. One said, ¡°Sword Wave¡± the other said, ¡°Agility +15¡±. Hiro tried to click them but nothing happened. ¡°Judging from the fact that they are grey, I would assume I can¡¯t click them because I don¡¯t have enough points. Well tomorrow I need to learn some more skill points.¡± ¡°Today was a day full of surprises and learning new things¡±, he thought to himself. ¡°I would really like to know what happened during that counsel meeting. I guess I will ask them about it tomorrow. Hiro lay down on Leo¡¯s soft fur and began to slowly drift off. Moments later he fell fast asleep outside the town under the warmth of Leo¡¯s fur. Chapter 18: Armys first battle I''m so glad everyone is enjoying my story. With your feedback it seems to be getting better and better each week. I can''t wait to read what you guys think of this next chapter. Enjoy and as always read, review, and comment. Chapter 18 Hiro arose early the next morning. ¡°I have to go do my training in town but I should get a quick jump on my training and start here first. Hiro began with his calesthenics until fatigue then he moved on to his meditation and sensory training. After finishing all of his basics he went into his martial arts training. ¡°I need to try and make this as much like battle as possible. Oh I can create enemies to help me practice my kata.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He pictured the weak form of 4 goblins surrounding him in the cardinal directions north, south, east, and west. When he opened his eyes there they were standing in front of him as if they were actually real. Hiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he opened his eyes he exhaled and took his stance fighting stance. This time he felt a little different as he had learned a more guarded fighting stance from Snow. Now his right hand was extended almost completely except for a slight bend in his elbow. His chin was tucked behind his left hand. His legs were spread out a little more giving him a more powerful base from which he could kick or move quickly. Finally, his body was turned on more of an angle giving his attackers less area to attack. The goblins were weak and they were not carrying any weapons. Hiro could remember that there attacks were quick but they possessed very little form. The goblins attacked 1 at a time. Hiro went through his entire kata of blocking and striking over and over. In the beginning he made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes he did not react fast enough when changing from defense to offense. So it took too long between blocking and attacking, allowing the goblins to avoid his attacks. At times he missed the attack completely and was struck in body the imaginary goblins. Other times he was unable to block the attacks and he was struck in vital places. As he practiced on the goblins, he became more and more comfortable with blocking the attacks and he was able to improve on his timing of blocking and parrying strikes. By improving the timing, he actually began to do damage to his attackers when he blocked their attacks. As he attacked his enemies they fell before him one by one.
Martial arts increased to level 3
¡°I think that was enough solo practice for today, I should head on over to the military training area.¡± Hiro called for Leo and they walked over to the training area. When they entered into the army training area the recruits were already sweating profusely. Snow was screaming at the recruits,¡°You weaklings must get ready for fighting out in the world. If you fail people will die. If you are not strong enough people will die! If you don¡¯t have enough skill, you will die! Think about that when you think you can¡¯t do anymore.¡± Hiro walked up to Snow and asked, ¡°How are they doing?¡± ¡°They are doing great!¡± ¡°Why the screaming then?¡± ¡°I need to get them to understand the gravity of the situation that they are in.¡± ¡°Yes, out in real combat there are no second chances. ¡° Hiro looked over at the recruits who were panting heavily and covered in sweat. ¡°Rest now soldiers. Recover your strength. When you recover, return for your next round of training¡± Snow said sternly. ¡°Yes sir!¡± They said weakly. ¡°Can you train me personally while they rest?¡± ¡°Yes, they will need at least an hour to recover. I pushed them to there limit to help them grow faster.¡± ¡°I would like you to train me in martial arts in case for some reason I lose my weapon in combat. I want to be able to fight effectively even without a weapon.¡± Snow nodded his head in agreement. "A true warrior''s greatest weapon is his own body. ¡°Show me your ki body enhancing technique.¡± Hiro did as instructed. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out he calmed his mind and began to concentrate. His ki began to permeate all through his body. Slowly it began to manifest itself creating a red glow around his entire body. ¡°Impressive! Your progress continues to surprise me. Your aura is completely different than before. It used to look very choppy but now it looks much smoother and serene.¡± ¡°I also feel much calmer and my body doesn¡¯t feel like it is under any stress from the immense ki that I am producing¡±, said Hiro. Snow told Hiro, ¡°First, you will be working on defense. With no weapon or shield you will have to be able to defend yourself. In order to defend yourself from weapons with only your body, you will have to use your ki to shield your body. I know you have great agility and can dodge most attacks. What I want you to do is learn to take attacks just in case you cannot dodge. Do not avoid the attacks! Make sure you focus. I will start slow with weaker attacks. As you improve I will begin to make the attacks faster and much harder.¡± ¡°Ok. Please teach me.¡± Hiro gulped down a large lump in his throat. Snow grabbed a wooden staff and said, ¡°Remember do not to avoid the attacks but rather defend using your ki. Each time an attack is about to land strengthen that area so the damage is minimized or negated altogether.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Snow began to attack. He began with an attack that came down. Hiro used a high block and was able to block the attack but he could not move his ki fast enough to negate the damage of the attack. He felt the thud of Snow¡¯s staff against his forearm and he lost some of his health. Snow moved to attack again. This one was aimed at his leg. Hiro lifted his shin and moved his ki towards the point of impact but it was too late. He lost more health. Snow continued to attack and Hiro was able to block the attack using his martial arts skills but he was unable to successfully move his ki to the point of impact. Little by little the damage from the training session began to build up. After an hour Hiro¡¯s arms, shins, and back were all covered in bruises from Snow¡¯s assault. Hiro conceded and sat down to rest. ¡°Hiro, it will take time to master this skill so I suggest you continue practicing. ¡° Snow said.
Toughness improved to intermediate level.
Your body has gotten even more durable. Strength, vitality, and agility all increase by 10 points. Your skin is still supple but it will protect you like leather armor. Weak physical attacks with out a blade will do almost no damage.
Martial arts improved to level 4.
¡°That is definitely a bonus to training.¡± Hiro said to himself. Hiro knew Snow¡¯s words were true so he rested a while and his body recovered. After recovering from his lesson, Hiro thanked Snow and went over to the area where Korin and Rain were training. When he arrived he saw Rain outside panting heavily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired from the training. Korin is a very strict teacher.¡± Just then Korin walked out and said, ¡°Hello Hiro. Are you ready to begin your training as a mage?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Ok. Cast your fire spell.¡± Hiro did as he was instructed to. He held out his hand and the flame appeared in his hand. It was only slightly bigger than a tennis ball. ¡°Make it bigger. Show how big you can make it.¡± Hiro concentrated and tried to pour more of his man into the fireball but he was unable to increase the size of the ball. ¡°I can¡¯t make it any bigger¡± Hiro said as he began panting. He had used up one quarter of his mana with that one spell.¡± ¡°That is the extent of your magical skill huh. Your first training will be to read every book in the library of my family¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What?! You want me to read the entire library?!¡± You need to raise your level of intelligence. The only way I know for you to increase your intelligence is to read and learn about the world. Come back when you finish.¡± Hiro nodded and walked off towards Korin¡¯s family home feeling dejected. Hiro went into the home where one of the house staff led him to the library. The library was composed of over 1,500 books. ¡°How am I supposed to read all of these books? It will take forever. Well it¡¯s not like I can do anything about it for right now. Well I guess I should get started.¡± Hiro grabbed a stack of books and sat down at the large table in the middle of the room. The first book was a bestiary of the monsters. He read through the book page by page until about 2 hours later he had finished it.
You learned memorization. This ability let¡¯s you instantly recall anything you read.
You learned speed reading. This ability let¡¯s you read 25% faster.
Intelligence increased by 1.
¡°That is fantastic. The more I read the faster I will be able to read.¡± Hiro continued to read. He read the next 3 books in a little over 2 hours.
Your intelligence increased by 1 point
Speed reading increased to level 2 which boosted his speed reading to 30%.
Hiro read for about 5 more hours which allowed him to read another 12 books. He gained another 1 point to his intelligence He leveled up speed reading to level 3 which boosted his speed reading to 35% ¡°That is enough for me for today. All of this information swirling around in my head, I need to rest to process it all. ¡°Hey, bookworm. How are you doing?¡± said Foria as she stood in the doorway. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m tired. In order to teach me magic your brother told me to train my mind by reading all of the books in the library.¡± ¡°Korin is a tough trainer but if he said he do it, it will probably help you. Come take a break with me.¡± Hiro nodded and smiled. Foria took him by the hand and they walked out of the library and down the hallway. Hiro began to smell the scent of something tasty. The scent let him remember that he hadn¡¯t eaten much today. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We are having dinner together.¡± Just then they entered a large room with dark colored wooden table. There were only 2 places set at the table that had 12 chairs. There were burning candles placed on the walls around the room. The dimly lit room set a very romantic mood. Hiro walked behind Foria as she led him to the head of the table. He pulled her chair out for her to sit. Then he sat down. A moment later the chef entered with 2 plates. The food smelled delicious. ¡°You did all this for me?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve missed you. Eat up. We can talk while we eat.¡± ¡°I missed you too.¡± Hiro said as he began eating. ¡°I wanted to see you yesterday but I was told you were in a counsel meeting.¡± ¡°Yes we were discussing how the town should be led. My father did not leave instruction for who should become the town¡¯s leader in the event of his death. Some of the counsel wanted to create a leadership by committee. My brother wanted to assume the leadership and others in the counsel wanted to make me the leader.¡± ¡°How do you feel about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure right now but I don¡¯t think the counsel is the best option.¡± ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t more than one person give you a better all picture?¡± ¡°Yes in theory but in practice when several people have to agree things move very slowly and I don¡¯t think the town can afford that luxury when things go worng.¡° ¡°I understand.¡± There were a few moments of silence as they finished their meal. Once they finished there was some laughter. Soon Hiro stood up. ¡°Its getting late and I think I should leave for the night.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go¡±, said Foria as she softly grabbed Hiro¡¯s hand. Gulp! A huge lump went down Hiro¡¯s throat. ¡°You want me to stay here with you tonight?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I do want you to stay just not in the bed with me. At least not yet!¡± she said with a wink. ¡°Yet? So¡­.. you do want me to sleep with you? ¡°No.. umm.. well¡­ ?¡±, said Foria as her face turned a bright red color. ¡°I will leave that alone for now. If you don¡¯t want me to sleep with you, then where will I be sleeping?¡± ¡°I want you to stay in the bed that I had prepared for you. I would rather you not sleep outside.¡± ¡°Oh I understand. I will concede to your request for tonight.¡± She stood up and led Hiro to his room. ¡°Rest well tonight.¡± As she finished her words she hugged Hiro tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her gently. She looked back at him at he gently moved a strand of her hair from in her face behind her ear. Then they shared a long passionate kiss. Hiro could feel her body trembling. ¡°I¡­. I¡­. I have to go! Good night!¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± before he could finish his words she was out the door. ¡°Did I do something wrong? What just happened? Should I chase after her? No, I should just wait for her. She is definitely worth being patient.¡± Hiro then removed his clothes and lay down on the bed. It was so comfortable? Hiro¡¯s mind drifted off to thoughts of his pet Leo. ¡°How was he doing?¡± Was he lonely? He¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure he will manage one night without me?¡± With that thought Hiro drifted off to sleep. The next morning Hiro awoke at first light. He quickly put his clothes on and left his room. On his way down the steps he met several of the house staff who greeted him warmly. Foria was nowhere to be found though. ¡°Has anyone seen Foria?¡± ¡°She is still in bed¡±, one of the ladies on the staff replied. Hiro smiled and thanked the ladies. ¡°If she is looking for me tell her I went to the military training area.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡±, the staff responded. ¡°I can¡¯t get used to everyone calling me sir. It¡¯s just weird¡±, Hiro thought to himself. Then he left the house and went towards the training area to find Snow and the rest of the recruits. ¡°What¡¯s going on Captain?¡± ¡°I have decided to take the new recruits out to the plains area nearby and test them in actual combat.¡± ¡°That sounds good to me. We only have a few days left to train before we got to the forest to build that logging camp so we definitely need to get some actual combat experience.¡± Hiro used his detect presence ability to find some suitable foes. He was unable to detect anything within his range (about 1,500 meters) so they decided to go out and explore. ¡°Soldiers, pack up your equipment and get the 3 magic bags. While we are out we will also be collecting blood roses to make more healing potions. Be ready in 10 minutes. Dismissed!¡± said Hiro. The soldiers quickly ran out to get their equipment which included weapons , armor, and shields. The girl with the spear, the boy with the axe, and Kaura grabbed the magic bags. When they finished , everyone met at the town¡¯s entrance where Leo was resting. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Leo raised his head and ran up next to Hiro. Hiro lovingly patted Leo¡¯s strong body. ¡°Everyone this is my partner Leo. You need not be afraid he will be a great friend to all of you all the battlefield.¡± Everyone was impressed and a bit intimidated. Snow said, ¡°He is magnificent. He must be the alpha of their group¡± Hiro nodded and smiled. ¡°Is the pack is still in the same place? ¡°Yes. I mean I don¡¯t think there would be any reason they would leave.¡± ¡°Then maybe after our recruits improve their skills and can defeat an adult on their own, maybe you can tame the Liger as their pet¡±, said Snow. Leo roared in disapproval. ¡°Maybe not¡± said Hiro ¡°I don¡¯t think Leo approves.¡± The recruits were laughed. Snow even cracked a smile. They set out and went south of the town. The road was rocky and nothing was really around but a grassy plain. They continued to walk south after about an hour of walking Hiro¡¯s detect presence ability discovered a group of what appeared to be beasts of some sort bout 1000 meters to the west of their position. ¡°It¡¯s time to earned these weapons you¡¯ve given men!¡± ¡°HAAAAOOOOWWWW!¡±the soldiers shouted.The group turned in that direction and readied their equipment for battle. In the distance they began to see a wooded area of dense trees and on the outskirts there they saw them about 5 bears covered in black fur. Once they closed in Hiro used his inspect ability.
Black Fire Bear
Type:BeastHealth:900 / 900
Mana:0/0
Black fire bear: These bears live within the forest. They are known for their ability to breathe fire and their bodies are extremely muscular. The muscle is so strong that many blades cannot penetrate their hides.
Hiro thought to himself, ¡°This challenge may be at bit much for the recruits but only by being challenged would they grow stronger.¡± Snow led the recruits. Those with shields were in the lead position with snow followed closely behind by Hiro, the axe wielder, and the spear wielder. The rear was brought up by Kaura and the soldiers who only carried a sword. Snow gave the signal to charge. The recruits responded by yelling a battle cry as the attacked the bears. Hiro had Leo engage a bear on his own as Hiro was confident that Leo could handle it by himself. Leo went after one of the bears. He growled but and the bear backed down. The fighting was intense and the bears¡¯ fur was like chainmail. The blades were not able to pierce the outer fur of the bears. The bear that was facing Snow and the spear wielder rose up on his hind legs. As it rose up Snow noticed that it had very little fur on its underbody. Immediately, Snow yelled to the spear wielder to come. The spear wielder jumped on Snow¡¯s shield to propel herself at the bear. She thrust the spear into the bear¡¯s chest and it fell to the ground in a heap. The spear wielder pulled the spear from the bear¡¯s chest and yelled in triumph. Kaura, the axe wielder and 4 other recruits were facing a bear that had begun to breathe fire. Those that were holding shields were able to block the flames from the others without taking much damage. Kaura sneaked around behind the bear as it was breathing the flames and took her daggers and stabbed the bear through its ears to its brain. The bear fell to the ground dead. The last group who was fighting with Hiro was battling the bear. 2 of the recruits blocked the bear¡¯s attacks while the others were slashing it with their swords. Hiro was impressed with their coordinated attack. This bear was definitely the strongest. It was almost the same size as Leo. Hiro thought to himself, ¡°This would be a good pet for Snow.¡± He yelled to Snow, ¡°I think this fits you. It is big and powerful and none of our blades can pierce him. I think this one should be yours.¡± ¡°Sounds good¡±, Snow said as he nodded in agreement. He quickly came up behind Hiro. Hiro activated his skill ki strike.Hiro felt his ki gather in his hand.He then gathered as much ki as he could into his legs. As the bear attacked the recruits he jumped up as high as he could. On his way down the ki in his hand reached its maximum and he struck the bear at the base of its skull. Hiro backed away after landing the blow. Miraculously the bear was still standing after the attack, however, it was definitely in danger. The blow must have dazed the bear. Snow followed up with his shield bash to the face of the bear finally knocking the beast off its feet. The familiar red glow was on the bear. ¡°It must be in a critical state. It should be able to be tamed now¡±, thought Hiro. ¡°Snow, touch the bear.¡± Snow grabbed the bear¡¯s paw then Hiro activated his tame beast ability.
Snow has gained a pet black fire bear.
Snow looked at the bear and it looked back at Snow. Hiro could see that a large portion of Snow¡¯s ki was being absorbed by the bear.The bond was secured. Hiro looked up and saw Leo still fighting with the bear. The bear was bleeding heavily and Leo was darting in and out swiping at it with his paws. As the bear slowed down, Leo charged in and hit the bear with his head. This attack Hiro knew all too well as he had experienced it firsthand. The bear flew back and was down. Leo jumped into the air and his paw began to glow. Then he struck the bear with his paw in the back of the head. The bear was dazed. While it was dazed, Leo used his huge jaw to bite down on the bear¡¯s neck. The bear¡¯s head was ripped completely off. Leo roared in triumph and began to eat the bear. Leo ate the bear until nothing was left but bones.
Level up
Leo learned Pyro kinesis. Leo can now breathe fire.
Leo learned passive skill thick skin. With this ability Leo¡¯s fur has become strong enough to withstand low level weapon attacks.
You gained a weapon skill point.
While Leo finished devouring the bear, Hiro went to the others and looked them over. He noticed that they were very large and may be worth something. He looked closely to see if his scavenger ability would show him the parts to take. There was a feint glow on the fur and the claws so Hiro skinned the 3 beasts and then cut their paws off to get their claws.
You gained 3 medium leather hides.
Scavenger increased to level 2.
¡°By the way what did you name him?¡± asked Hiro. Snow replied, ¡°Her name is Ora¡± ¡°She? It¡¯s a girl?¡± ¡°Yes¡± that suits me must fine. She will be a powerful ally. Hopefully as I train her, she will be nearly impervious to blades which will make us a formidable front line in our wars to come.¡± ¡°Status everyone!¡± ¡°Only minor injuries sir!¡± ¡°Good! Now look around and see if you can find any red flowers¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The recruits moved into groups of 3 and spread out to begin searching for the blood roses. Hiro and Leo moved deeper into the forest as they searched for the blood roses. As they searched they killed over a dozen forest rats.
You gained 12 weapon skill points.
Hiro looked at the corpses of the forest rats and strangely the tails were giving off a faint glow. ¡°Is this my scavenger ability letting me know that they are worth something? Well might as well. Every little bit of loot helps.¡± Hiro took his skinning knife and cut the tails of the rats off.
You gained 12 rat tails
Scavenger increased to level 3.
¡°I have 13 skill points. Let me check and see if I can get anything else from my weapon skill menu.¡± Hiro opened the skill menu and saw that in the sword section the skill bubble marked ¡°Swordwave¡± was no longer greyed out. It said that it required 10 skill points to learn. Hiro clicked it.
You have learned the skill sword wave.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
SwordwaveBeginner100%
This attacks uses mana to create a small wave of energy the moves forward in the direction of your sword swing. Upon improving this skill, you will be able to launch a larger more destructive wave that has a larger attack area.
¡°That seems like something I will definitely use if I see a larger number of foes in front of me.¡± Hiro and Leo continued to look for the blood roses but were unable to find any. ¡°I guess there are no blood roses in this direction so I guess I should just go back and meet up with the rest of the group.¡± Hiro and Leo walked back to the area where they fought the fire bears. To his surprise the soldiers had found dozens of the blood roses. ¡°I can¡¯t level up my herbalism skill without finding them myself but I can definitely use these to increase my alchemy skill.¡± ¡°Now that everyone is together let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The small army got together and began to walk back towards their town. They returned home triumphantly. Snow¡¯s training had definitely paid off. This rag tag band of teenagers was now a small fighting force. The soldiers and Snow went off to the training grounds to store their weapons while Hiro took the magic bags filled with the blood roses to begin making his healing potions. ¡°I am going to need more flasks in order to create this many potions. I should go by Master Matsuro¡¯s and see if he has some that I can get from him. Hiro walked towards the general store and entered. As usual Matsuro was waiting patiently behind the counter. ¡°Welcome Hiro¡± ¡°Hello, Master Matsuro. I have some rat tails to trade today along with some claws of a fire bear.¡± ¡°The rat tails are not worth much but the fire bear claws are actually pretty good. What would you like in trade?¡± ¡°I need some small bottles or flasks and maybe a grinding stone that I can use to grind up plants and herbs for mixing up potions.¡± ¡°I think that sounds good. How many flasks do you need?¡± ¡°How many do you have?¡± ¡°I usually carry a lot of them but right now I have 50.¡± ¡°How many will you give me in trade?¡± ¡°I will give you all 50 because right now you are my only customer.¡± ¡°Really!? You¡¯ve got a deal.¡± Hiro handed over the claws and the rat tails and Matsuro gave him the flasks. Hiro placed them in his bag one by and the bag absorbed them all. Hiro took the evening to make healing potions from the flowers they had gathered in the woods. He was able to craft 30 healing potions then¡­
Alchemy increased to novice level 1.
You gain 10 points to your wisdom and intelligence. In addition, when you have multiple ingredients you will be able to tell which ones will work well together to create a potion.
Hiro picked up one of the blood roses and immediately another blood rose began to glow slightly. ¡°I guess that means I can put together more of the roses when I make my potion. That makes sense. I wonder what will happen.¡± Hiro grabbed his grinding stone and smashed up 2 blood roses together. He poured the flowers that he had ground up into the flask and added some water. Hiro noticed this potion had taken on a darker color.
You have created a minor healing potion. This item is capable of recovering about 20% of your health points
¡°That is definitely going to be beneficial in the even that we have any upcoming battles.¡± Hiro made 9 more minor healing potions before he ran out of blood roses. After he finished he placed his grinding stone and all of the healing potions into his bag before leaving to go spend some time with Leo.
Alchemy increased to level 2.
He went into town and ate then returned with a bear carcass that he gave to Leo. Leo roared with delight and at the bear down to the bones. Hiro felt his strength increase but no new skills were learned. After letting Leo finish his meal, Hiro curled up with Leo and began to think about his fledgling army. ¡°I am the commander of this army and to truly be there leader I will have to grow stronger. To get stronger I will need to gain more skill, strength, and experience.¡± He felt that Leo could grow stronger by sparing with Ora and buy eating anything that they found while he was out exploring. Hiro also thought to truly be the leader he would have to be the strongest. ¡°To become the strongest I must defeat the other powerful warriors in the army in full on combat. How can I do it though? Snow¡¯s experience and strength are overwhelming. Foria speed made it almost impossible to hit her and Korin¡¯s magic mas nothing to be toyed with either.¡± He decided that the first order of business was to increase his strength so he would have to step up his training methods. ¡°What can I do to dramatically increase my strength? I train with calesthenics every day to get stronger but my strength onl increases by 4 points or so at best. How can I train to get greater results or get small increase in my strength all day?¡± Hiro lay there and looked up at the stars. He stared at the stars for a moment while he mulled over his situation. ¡° I¡¯ve got it.¡±, he said to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll practice with that hammer I got from the troll. It is incredibly heavy. When I manage to wield it, I will have definitely gained the strength I need to face Snow.¡± He smiled and felt confident in his plan so he fell asleep. Chapter 19: Getting Stronger Hey everyone! I''m looking forward to more feedback from everyone. I would also like to thank you all for continuing to support me and my ff. The story is beginning to take shape and I have a better idea of where I would like to go with it. If you have any advice please leave it as a comment. Please know that I read all of them each time they pop up. Well enough talking from me. Enjoy the new chapter. Chapter 19 Early in the morning Hiro woke up and began his morning training routine. He completed over 1000 reps of each of his calisthenics. He then meditated for an hour.
Your training caused your strength, agility, and vitality to increase by 5 and wisdom to increase by 5
Warrior¡¯s body improved to novice level 1. With the improvement of your warrior¡¯s body skill, you gain plus 10 to agility, strength, and vitality.
"Over 1000 reps of each and I only got 5 points of increase! This is starting to get too time consuming. I hope my idea works." It was time for his new training method. First he opened his weapon skill menu and found the hammer weapon skill. It was colored so it was available for him to learn it. ¡°I guess this should be good. When I learned sword mastery I gained agility, when I learned spear mastery I gained strength, what will I gain with the hammer weapons? Well let¡¯s find out.¡± He clicked the bubble for hammer weapons master.
You have learned the skill hammer weapon mastery.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Blunt weapon MasteryBeginner0100%
This will give you proficiency with hammer weapons. As you increase you will do increased damage with blunt weapons and you will gain 5 points towards you vitality for each level of increase.
¡°Vitality huh. That is good. I need to have a lot of health if I¡¯m going to fight the enemy from the front lines.¡± Next, he pulled the troll¡¯s hammer from his bag. It was so heavy that it immediately made him fall to the ground. ¡°This is insane! How strong was that troll that could wield this so easily with one hand?¡± Hiro could not lift the hammer at all. He decided his first day of training would be to drag the hammer as far as he could. He grabbed the handle with both hands and began to pull. The hammer barely budged even with Hiro putting every last ounce of strength he had into it. Finally after all of his struggling, the hammer moved about 10cm. Hiro fell down in exhaustion. Every single one of his muscles was screaming.
Your strength increased by 1.
¡°I got a point to my strength for only moving this thing 10 cm?!¡± His idea worked his with one try his strength had increased. He took a few moments to catch his breath and then he tried again. He continued to do this same cycle for about an hour. He had completed 100 tries and ended up moving the hammer about 25 meters.
Due to your training your strength has increased by 11 points.
His strength had also gone up 12 points. This was the biggest increase in strength he ever had. Hiro decide to end his physical training there for the day and meet up with his army so that they could go to the woods and secure wood for the rebuilding process. Once in the town Hiro met up with Snow and the army, Korin, Rain, and Foria were also with them. They discussed the plan to return to the forest and build a logging camp so that they could chop wood to bring back to the town. Foria said, ¡°The area east of the town had become a large farm where the farmer began grazing the plains cows and growing crops to feed the people of the village.¡± Hiro was pleased. Several villagers had joined up with them. The brought an enormous cart. This presumably was to carry the wood from the forest in. The group set out led by Snow, Ora, Hiro, and Leo. Kaura went ahead of everyone to scout the area for enemies. The group of 30 people consisted of 12 villagers, and 10 soldiers Kaura, Rain, Korin, Foria, Snow, Hiro and the 2 pets Ora and Leo. After walking for a few hours, the group decided to rest then they ate some fruit that they had brought along with them. Kaura returned and said that they were about 2500 meters from the forest and there were no signs of orcs ahead. The group finished their fruit and set back out on the road. After another 30 minutes they came upon the forest. The villagers came out with their axes and began chopping down some trees. Hiro told the soldiers to remain vigilant because the noise might attract some predatory animals. The villagers quickly chopped down about 15 trees. With their tools they began to build a small structure that looked similar to a fort. The trees they had cut down became the walls and they cut a hole in it that was big enough for 2 soldiers to look through. They continued building the structure well into the afternoon. As the sun went down Hiro looked at the structure in awe of how efficient the villagers were at building. In less than 1 day they had built a structure that could easily be defended from its high tower. ¡°Now all it needs a set of stairs to get up to the top of the tower¡±, said one of the villagers. ¡°You guys are impressive¡±, said Hiro. The villagers smiled. While they sat around a few villagers cut up a portion of one of the downed trees and made a fire. Others pulled out meat that they had brought from the town. Foria and Hiro cooked the meat while the others sang songs and danced around the fire. Snow continued to stay vigilant as he new all too well that this is the type of situation where orcs would invade. As he kept watch the smell of the food began to permeate through the group. The villagers were each given several pieces of the meat that was cooked. Everyone gave thanks for the food and ate until they were full. ¡°Snow, let¡¯s take shifts with the soldiers and watch out for any dangers", said Hiro. ¡°Agreed", replied Snow ¡°I¡¯ll take the first shift.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Hiro¡±, said Foria. "I figured that"said Korin. Snow smiled and sent two other soldiers with them to patrol the camp. Everyone else laid down and quickly fell asleep. Hiro and his small group began to walk around the camp checking for any signs that there might be danger approaching. They walked around the camp over and over surveying the area. Hiro was totally comfortable in the dark as he now possessed the night vision skill. However for the others who were not so lucky, he made torches from large fallen branches.Then he lit the torches using his fireball spell. Hiro¡¯s group continued to search around the camp but nothing came. Soon it was time for the guard to switch. Just as Hiro leaned down to wake Snow up, he sensed the presence of several energy signatures coming fast from the east. ¡°Wake up everyone! Battle positions! Something is coming!¡± Snow and the others who had been sleeping quickly woke from their rest and grabbed their weapons. ¡°What¡¯s going on Hiro?¡± ¡°I sense something coming from the east. There are 6 of them and they are moving fast.¡± ¡°Get ready!¡± Just then 6 large wolves jumped from the trees. They were like the silver wolf that the beast master had. These looked a little different though. All of these gave off a strong aura but they did not look like they had eaten in a while. ¡°I won¡¯t kill an opponent who is in poor condition to start the fight. Everyone please stand back I want to try and settle this without any bloodshed. Leo, come here.¡± Leo moved forward as the wolves continued to growl and snarl. ¡°Roar!¡± yelled Hiro. Leo opened his massive jaws and roared. It was so loud that it seemed like it shook the very forest. The soldiers had to grab their ears as the sound was deafening. The aura that Leo was exuding was tremendous. Once he stop his roar he leaned down and bared his fangs showing that he was going to attack. The wolves lost their will to fight and began to back away. Leo took a step forward and continued to intimidate the wolves. The army stood their breathless as they watched Leo force 6 wolves to back away solely with his aura. Leo took another step and the wolves turned and began to run away. The soldiers cheered as Leo scattered the wolves.
Leadership increase by 5 points
¡°What could have caused them to attack in such poor condition?¡± asked Snow ¡°I don¡¯t know. Are we infringing upon their territory?¡± replied Hiro ¡°You two are thinking too hard. It was the food¡±, said Foria. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Man you didn¡¯t learn anything reading the books in the library. You are still as dull as ever¡±, said Korin. ¡°We cooked delicious meat and the smell made us hungry and we ate breakfast. How do you think those wolves were feeling when they smelled that meat cooking in the near starving condition they were in?¡± ¡°I see. Yeah that does seem pretty obvioius when you take the time to think about it.¡± Hiro and his patrol group lay down as there were still a few hours until day break. Snow, Kaura, Korin Ora and a few soldiers took the next shift. The rest of the night was uneventful as Snow and his group patrolled around the campsite. Once day break came the group awoke and ate breakfast cooked by Hiro and Foria. Everyone had plenty of food to eat and then got back to work. The villagers quickly built the steps of logging camp so that soldiers could maintain a defensive position in the tower. Finally they constructed walls around the tower and a door that was large enough to bring trees in. The logging camp was finally complete. The villagers went back into the forest and cut down almost 2 dozen more trees. Once the trees were downed, the group assisted by Ora and Leo were able to load the trees onto the giant cart. The logging was complete. The mission was a success. ¡°Snow can you escort the villagers back to the forest along with the rest of the soldiers?¡± asked Hiro. Snow nodded in agreement. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going hunting with Leo¡±, replied Hiro. Hiro said his goodbyes to everyone and went into the forest. Hiro¡¯s detect presence ability allowed him to see numerous enemies within the forest. He decided that he and Leo should fight until their hearts were content in order to increase their strength for his eventual showdown with his 3 rivals Foria, Snow, and Korin. They found the first group of enemies which was 6 night vipers. The raised their hoods and hissed but their icy stare no longer was effective against Hiro or Leo. Hiro made quick work of them with his claymore.
You gained 6 weapon skill points.
Hiro took all of the snakes and stuffed them into his magic bag. They continued into the forest where they found an enemy that looked like a lizard but walked on 2 legs like a man. Hiro was intrigued. It was not an enemy he had seen before so he used his inspect ability.
Lizard man
Type:HumanoidHealth:1,000 / 1,000
Mana:0/0
A strong warrior known for his discipline in training. They are very fast and agile as well possessing an impressive ability to heal. Nearly any wound that is not fatal is able to be healed. They can even regenerate limbs that have been lost making them a difficult enemy to defeat.
Hiro decided to attack the Lizard man. It didn¡¯t have much equipment and its weapon looked feeble. Hiro used his hide ability and told Leo to stay back. Hiro was able to sneak up on the enemy without being notice. Once close he used his dashing slash ability and struck the enemy severing its head from its body before it noticed what was happening. Hiro called for Leo to eat the body. Leo ate the Lizard man down to his bones.
You learned the lizard man language. You can now communicate with lizard men
Due to consuming the lizard man your swimming skill as increased to advanced level 1. Now you are able to hold your breath for several minutes and your swimming speed as increased dramatically.
You and Leo have learned the passive ability of regeneration. This ability cannot be increased. Physical healing and regeneration of tissues has been increased. Like a reptile you will now be able to regenerate limbs that have been severed.
You gained a weapon skill point.
¡°That is awesome! I can swim like that well now? I may be almost ready to fight that guardian beast, Rocodile. Hiro decided to test the skill out. Hiro held out his hand and cut himself with his Claymore. The wound started to heal instantly. The blood stopped and his skin began to mend itself. ¡°This is even better than I imagined.¡± Hiro looked around and his tracking skill let him pick up the tracks of several other lizard men. They were heading away from his present position towards the east. Hiro began to follow the tracks. Leo began to sniff the air. ¡°Did you catch the scent of something?¡± Hiro asked Leo only arched his back and began to show his fangs aggressively. Hiro was confused. He could not detect anything with his sense presence ability but Leo was definitely on edge. He decided to trust Leo¡¯s instincts and got ready for battle by readying is blade. Hiro moved forward slowly as Leo followed behind him. The trail they were following continued ahead of them but the trail went cold as the came to a lake with a waterfall. Leo continued to growl at the lake. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What is it? Is something in the water?¡± Just then a harpoon like spear shot out of the water impaling Hiro through his leg. ¡°AAAHHHHH!!!!¡± screamed Hiro as he fell to his knees.
You are now bleeding. Until it stops you will lose 10 points of health per second.
Leo jumped in front of him to protect him from the enemies who came out of the water. There were 4 lizard men. Two of them were wearing nothing but a loincloth and the other 2 were wearing some sort of leather armor but it looked more like the hide of a crocodile or a snake. They were all wielding spears except one which Hiro assumed was missing his because it was now lodged in his leg. They began to slowly walk towards Leo who roared. This time the roar had no effect. These guys were seriously tough. ¡°How did my prediction not see that attack? Why did I not sense their presence? Could they be able to mask their presence?¡± Whatever the case is I gotta get this thing out of my leg.¡± Hiro pulled the sharp end of the spear from his leg and wrapped as his enemies were taking their time. Leo kept them at bay but they had now spread out slowly around them. They were encircled by the 4 enemies. There was no way of escape. Hiro and Leo had to fight. Hiro pulled out one of his potions and drank it.
You are no longer bleeding.
Now it was time to fight. Hiro began to call forth his ki. The wind began to blow softly as Hiro began be covered in a shroud of red energy. He had not gone out in a while so he had not realized how much stronger he had gotten. His ki made his body feel as if he was floating. The pain in his leg was no longer an issue. He looked at Leo and said, ¡°Get them!¡± The both launched simultaneous attacks at the lizard men. Leo slashed one of the lizard men. The lizard man was unable to avoid the claw attack and Leo hit him causing him to take major damage. While he laid on the ground, another lizard man attacked thrusting his spear at Leo. His new passive skill of thick skin stopped him from taking any real damage. The blow did do some blunt force damage but it could not break through Leo¡¯s skin. While taking the blow from the lizard man Leo countered by breathing fire at him. The lizard man was set ablaze and jumped into the lake to extinguish the flames. The other lizard man he was facing was breathing heavily. This was probably due to internal injuries he sustained from Leo¡¯s first attack. The lizard man was struggling to breathe and bleeding from his snout and mouth but he ran at Leo and tried to attack with his spear. Leo tackled the lizard man knocking him down and pinning him to the ground. Then he tried to bite the lizarard man. The lizard man stuck his wood spear out horizontally to stop Leo from biting down on him but it was to no avail. Leo crushed the spear in his powerful jaws and the bit down on the lizard man¡¯s head killing him. Leo looked around but the other lizard man had not yet emerged from the water. Meanwhile Hiro was battling the other 2 lizard men. They were both coming at him from either side with their long spears. They were both very fast and their attacks seemed to be well coordinated. ¡°I¡¯ve got to do something. Each time I attack they cover for each other. I¡¯ve got to separate them somehow. That¡¯s it!¡± One of the lizard men thrust his spear at Hiro who dodged it by just a hair. Instead of using his blade this time Hiro cast his spell of windcutter. A quick gust of wind came out and the lizard man flew back from the force and Hiro noticed he had a few cuts on his torso presumably from the wind as well. While they were separated Hiro cast his bind spell on both of them. The familiar chains came out and stopped the movement of both the lizard men. Hiro quickly attacked the on closest to him. Hiro swung his blade with all of his might but instead of meeting the torso of the lizard man he realized that it had brought its tail up to take the attack. The tail was cut clean off but the rest of its body was unharmed. Hiro jumped back as his spell had worn off. He decided to finish this without using anymore spells. He activated his Hiro¡¯s Courage skill and ran at full speed to attack. He unleashed a flurry of slashes that the lizard man was only able to defend itself against. The slashes did little damage but they stopped the lizard man from mounting any offensive actions. Hiro jumped up and came down with a slash. The lizard man lifted his wood spear to stop the attack but Hiro¡¯s claymore cut right through it and cleaved the lizard man in two. Hiro turned around and dashed towards the other one who¡¯s regenerative ability had allowed him to recover completely from Hiro¡¯s windcutter spell. It let out a scream and dashed towards Hiro. Its strikes were quick and very accurate. if not for his prediction ability Hiro would be in serious trouble. Hiro parried some of the strikes with his sword but a few times the monster was able to get in a few good strikes. Hiro lost about half of his health and about 60% of his mana defending himself from the lizard man¡¯s attacs. Slowly but surely Leo was able to get acclimated to the speed and distance of the lizard man¡¯s attacks. Then Hiro started to fight back. He slashed and parried. The battle was heated. It was a war of attrition that neither could pull ahead on because both of them were able to regenerate so fast. Soon Hiro¡¯s ability to avoid the enemy¡¯s attacks began to show. He began to dodge all of the piercing thursts and then it happened. He found an opening. The lizard man¡¯s strike missed as Hiro timed his dodge perfectly. He dodged under the sweeping strike and came up with a rising strike with his blade severing both of the lizard man¡¯s arms off. They both fell down to the ground still holding onto the blade. Blood squirted out as Hiro spun around and slashed the lizard man across his waist severing his body into two pieces. The legs dropped to the ground immediately followed by the torso. It screamed out in agony! ¡°It isn¡¯t dead yet. I guess that regeneration ability is really something.¡± Hiro then took his blade and slashed the monster across his neck killing it instantly. The fight was tough but together they had made it.
Level up
Sword Mastery increase to level 6
Toughness increased to level 5
Windcutter increased to level 2
You gained 3 weapons skill points
Hiro went up to Leo looking for the last of lizard men but it did not return. ¡°Maybe he was afraid of you Leo.¡± Hiro looked at the corpses of the 3 lizard men to see if there was anything worth salvaging. He noticed that the tails lit up. He cut off the tails and he also looted a wood spear from them. Finally he let Leo eat the corpses in hopes that he might learn something else. Leo gorged himself on the lizard men but he did learn anything new. After resting for a bit Hiro and Leo continued their hunt. Soon they came upon 4 forest panthers. Hiro decided to let Leo take them on. Leo let out his liger¡¯s roar and the panthers were all frozen in place. Leo then breathed fire using pyro kinesis on 2 of them burning them to a crisp. The next one he crushed its head with a blow from its paw. Finally the last one Leo bit it across the neck causing it to bleed out and die. Leo was truly frightening with his overwhelming strength. Hiro skinned the 2 bodies of the 2 forest panthers that he did not burn. He then looked at them to see if anything was worth scavenging. ¡°Nothing on these is glowing. Maybe it is like that because Leo destroyed their vital parts with his attacks.¡± Once he saw that there was nothing usable, Leo ate them.
You gained 2 light leather hides. Leather hides can be used to make stronger leather armor.
You gain 4 weapon skill points.
Hiro wanted to continue hunting things in this area but his detect presence ability was showing that most things in the forest were now moving away from he and Leo. He guessed that he was too overpowered for this area so he decided to go back to the town. He mounted up onto Leo and began to leave the forest. Before they got to the edge of the forest they heard a familiar drumming sound in the distance. Hiro stopped Leo and told him to go towards the drumming sound. Leo quickly moved as he was asked and soon the came upon a small orc encampment. Hiro detected about 15 orcs. ¡°What do you think buddy? Want to have some fun?¡± Leo purred in agreement and immediately they charged into the camp. The orcs were stunned as the large beast rampaged into their camp. Leo used his Liger¡¯s roar and 10 of the orcs were immediately paralyzed. Hiro slashed them with his claymore. His blade was so long and powerful that several of the orcs were cleaved in two pieces when he slashed them horizontally. Others he decapitated. While he finished off the paralyzed ones, Leo was making short work of the ones that could still fight. Their pitiful weapons were no match against his thick skin. Many of their attacks he repelled simply with his fur. The other attacks he simply dodged and then clawed the beasts with his razor sharp claws. Finally, the last orc remained. It tried to run away but Leo quickly chased it down and hit it with his paw knocking it to the ground. ¡°Wait!¡± Hiro yelled. Leo paused as the orc lay on the ground motionless frozen in fear knowing that death was only moments away. ¡°Where are you from?¡±, Hiro asked the orc in his language. The orc was stunned, ¡°How does a human know the language of the orcs?¡± it replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how. You should answer my question as my hungry friend here would definitely like to eat you and your friends. Now I will say it again, where are you from?¡± ¡°My home is an area to the east of here. We live in a large mountain full of tunnels that we have dug.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to let you live so that you can return home to your friends and deliver a message.¡± "I am no slave to a pitiful human." "Crack!!" Hiro slammed his fist into the face of the orc. The orc spit blood out from his mouth along with one of his teeth that Hiro broke. ¡°What is your message human?¡± the orc said with hatred in his voice. ¡°Tell them never to come to the village of Kaito again. They will know it because it is the home of the man who rides the liger. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes I understand.¡± ¡°Now get up and go before my friend decides to eat you anyway.¡± Leo growled and showed his fangs. The orc got up on his feet and began to walk away as it was still suffering major injuries it received from Leo.
You gained 14 weapon skill points
Hiro went back to the rest of the dead orcs and looted their bodies finding some weak weapons and some tattered cloth and leather armor. He decided to try repairing them with his whetstones and patching the holes with his thread. As he worked the weapons began to shine like new. The rust and blood was removed from the weapons and their original metallic shine returned. They were made of iron. He then noticed that the cloth and leather armor no longer had holes and its defensive capability had returned. He placed all of it in his bag and decided to take it to the store and sell it as he was beginning to run low on supplies.
Armor making increased to novice level 1. Agility increased by 5
Weapon making increased to novice level 1. Strength increased by 5
Hiro told Leo that they were returning home. Quickly Leo began running back towards the town. He made it back to the town just as the sun began to go down. Leo laid down at the entrance to the town and he went to the town store to barter the weapons and armor he looted and repaired today. Matsuro gladly took his trade and gave him more whetstones and coarse thread. The Matsuro said, ¡°I see your leather working and blacksmithing skill is improving. Have you tried making anything new lately?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I don¡¯t have any metal yet to make any new weapons or armor. I haven¡¯t found any place to get the ore I would need like copper.¡± ¡°You can find that stuff in mines or even in deposits around the sides of hills¡± said Matsuro. Hiro thanked the shop owner and decided he would go out and look for some when he next went out to hunt. He left the store then gathered some wood from in the town and brought it back out to make a fire in front of where Leo was. After placing the wood in a pile he asked Leo to breathe fire on it. Leo breathed in and blew out fire lighting the firewood. Hiro took out the night vipers that they had killed earlier. Hiro cooked 1 of them over the fire. He ate a portion of one of the night vipers and gave one of the uncooked ones to Leo. Leo ripped it apart and devoured it in a flash.
Leo has learned poison creation. Leo can now coat his claws with poison as well as inject poison into a victim with his fangs. When he bites or scratches an enemy they will be poisoned causing them to take damage over time.
You and Leo have gained lesser poison immunity.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Lesser Poison ImmunityBeginner0100%
Weak poisons will no longer affect you and Leo and stronger poisons will have their effects diminished.
Hiro thought today was a good day. He curled up with Leo and told him good night. Leo growled and wrapped his tail around Hiro as they both drifted off to sleep. Chapter 20: Training steps up and Hiro gets down. Chapter 20 Hiro woke up and began his training with the hammer training. He pulled it from his inventory and it was the same thing. He was still unable to even lift the hammer so he continued whernue he left off from the previous day. He began pulling the hammer. Today he was immediately able to move the hammer. He began pulling it around until exhaustion then resting and repeating. In the end he was able to pull the hammer over 100 meters. ¡°The hammer does not feel as heavy whe I drag it anymore. I think I should give lifting the hammer a shot.¡± He grabbed it with both hands lowered his waist and lifted with every ounce of his strength. The veins in his arm began to swell so much so that you could see them through his skin. The hammer began to rise. ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!¡±, Hiro screamed as his effort began to show results. ¡°I¡¯m lifting it.¡±He got the hammer to lift about 50 cm. Then he ran out of strength and the hammer fell back to the ground with a great crash. Hiro fell down on his butt and wiped his brow as he was sweating bullets.
Your training has earned you an increase of 20 points in strength and 10 points in vitality.
¡°Yes. This is way more improvement than I normally got in my training. I can¡¯t even imagine how strong I will be once I can lift this hammer and then I activate my ki. I can¡¯t just train my strength; I also need to spend time training my speed and ki manipulation. What good is it to do a lot of damage to an opponent you can¡¯t hit.¡± Hiro sat down and began his meditation. As he began to meditate he started breathing very softly in order to relax his mind. As he sat in his meditation his stamina and mana gradually returned. After meditating for an hour Hiro stood up and called Leo. Leo came running and purred as Hiro patted his powerful torso. Hiro took off running as fast as he could this time without his ki. After he ran for a bout 10 secs he yelled to Leo, ¡°Chase!¡± Leo quickly ran after him. Without his ki to enhance his speed Leo overtook Hiro and tackled him to the ground. ¡°Wow I didn¡¯t think he would tackle me. That gives me an idea. I can train my agility and my dodge skill at the same time. I will try to avoid Leo¡¯s attacks as I run as fast as I can.¡± ¡°Chase!¡± Leo ran after Hiro again. This time Hiro was well aware that the tackle was coming. As Leo leaped at him Hiro used his dashing slash ability to quickly dart sideways and avoid the hit. ¡°ROOOAAARR!¡± Leo seemed a little upset that he missed. He resumed his chase of Hiro. He closed in quickly but once again as he leaped Hiro avoided his tackle. The chase continued for several moments. Hiro began panting and his stamina was getting drained from running at full speed and using his dashing slash ability. Leo once again closed in but he didn¡¯t jump this time. ¡°You figured out what was going on, Leo? I guess you are definitely a great hunter.¡± Leo closed in on HIro and when he was close enough he took his paw and lightly swiped at Hiro¡¯s leg. His stamina was almost completely depeleted so he was unable to gain the speed boost from dashing slash. The large paw hit him and knocked him off his feet. Hiro lost 100 points of health from the attack. ¡°Good job Leo!¡± laughed Hiro as he made his way back to his feet. ¡°That is good training for both of us. Your speed is helping me get faster and my ability to think and come up with plans is helping you hone your battle instincts. This is great for both of us. You win this time though.¡± Leo let out a roar of approval. Hiro came up and patted him on the head. Leo licked Hiro. ¡°Alright buddy we¡¯ve got to head into town to see Snow.¡±
Due to your training agility has increased by 10, wisdom increased by 5 and, vitality has increased by 10.
Dodge reached novice level 1. You gain +10 to agility.
Hiro was very satisfied with his physical and mental training today. ¡°At this rate, I will catch up to the others in my group in no time.¡± He placed the hammer back in his bag and went into town. It was time for his lesson on ki defense with Snow. He met up with Snow in the training grounds. ¡°Snow, I¡¯m ready for another round of training.¡± Snow grabbed his staff and said, ¡°Come then.¡± Hiro thought, ¡°I should fair much better this time with my new regeneration ability.¡± Snow readied his staff and Hiro activated his ki. Snow began to attack. Hiro could feel his ki moving faster today than last time. His meditation must have improved his ability. Hiro was able to counter each of Snow¡¯s attacks with his hands and his shins and he was even able to get his ki in place most times. His regeneration ability was keeping his hp from dropping when he didn¡¯t get his ki in place. Each time he deflected an attack with his ki, his mana dropped significantly. ¡°This is something I will need to remedy. There will be no point in using my ki for defense if it drains after a few hits¡± Hiro said to himself. ¡°I am impressed.¡± said Snow. ¡°Now let¡¯s take it up to level 2.¡± Snow increased the rigor of Hiro¡¯s training. Snow began to increase the speed of his attacks. As Snow increased his speed Hiro suddenly found that he could not move his ki fast enough to react to Snow¡¯s attacks and with no defense against Snow¡¯s attacks his health began to deplete as he was taking more damage than his regeneration could handle. After a few minutes with Snow¡¯s increase in speed overwhelmed Hiro¡¯s defenses and he was forced to concede once again.
Toughness increased to level 6
Martial arts increased to level 5
Ki manipulation increased to level 3
¡°Thanks Snow. If you can do that much damage to me with a wooden stick I can¡¯t imagine what this battle would have been like if you had your sword and shield.¡± Snow let out a haughty laugh. ¡°I¡¯m training just as much as you. As I attack you I am able to work on exposing my enemy¡¯s weaknesses just as you are working on defending. Do not get discouraged you are progressing quite nicely.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m going to go and training with Korin on my magical abilities now.¡± Snow nodded as Hiro walked off. Hiro could feel his wounds healing as he walked through the town towards Foria and Korin¡¯s home. As he walked through the town he could see numerous villagers feverishly working on rebuilding the town. The old buildings that had been burned were already being replaced with new ones. Hiro smiled, ¡°At least now they should be fine for a while.¡±Hiro continued to walk through the town until he saw their home. He sighed deeply as he knew he had to return to the library and finish reading the books. Once he entered into the home he was greeted by the house staff with some fruit and some water to drink. He thanked the ladies and made his way into the library. He grabbed a stack of books and placed them on the table. As he began reading he learned more and more about the world that he was now living in. He was able to piece together parts of their history like how all of the humanoid species came to be. The God¡¯s created two species light and dark. The light spawned humans, elves, gnomes and dwarves. While the dark spawned goblins, orcs, and trolls. Each of them inhabited different areas and took on forms that were more advantageous to where they lived. The species began to grow in numbers and eventually came into contact with one another creating battles between each species. Since then there has been no peace. The battles were insecent, dark versus light and light versus dark. They constantly fought over the lands and resources. After reading more about the history for over 4 hours Hiro had leveled his speed reading skill to novice.
You have increased this skill to the novice level so you now gain 10 points towards your wisdom and intelligence and a 10% increase to reading speed for each level.
Speed reading increase now at 150% of normal reading speed.
Your intelligence increased by 7 points.
Hiro continued to for several more hours. He had read nearly 80 books and then he came across a book that contained a magic called cloning magic. Hiro read very carefully as the book described how a person could use mana to create a clone to aid them in battle. The book also described that the clone could be used but it would require a large amount of mana to create and a steady amount of mana to maintain. The requirements were high but the reward was a clone that could fight with about 10% of the strength of the original to begin with and the user would gain any knowledge or experience gained by the clone when the spell was released. Hiro continued to read intently as he learned more and more about this spell. When he finished he put the book down¡­.
You have learned the dark magic spell shadow clone.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Shadow CloneBeginner0100%
You can now create one clone of yourself. Due to your dark magic affinity your clone will fight with 15% of your strength and it will be able to use your skills in battle. Any experience your clone gains from fighting or otherwise will be given to you when you release the spell. As you increase your proficiency with this spell you will be able to create more clones and they will be stronger.
¡°YESSS!!¡± shouted Hiro. ¡°Can I learn spells just by reading about it? What else can I learn? I wonder if I make a clone and it reads will I learn what it read? If it uses speed reading, will my speed reading skill increase? It is kind of a cheat but whatever it takes to get stronger.¡± Hiro got up and locked the door. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to see me use this magic.¡± He then began to concentrate his mana and focused on his own image. Then he said the words, ¡°Shadow Clone!¡± Immediately a dark mist rose up from the ground and slowly materialized into a figure that looked exactly like him complete with weapon and armor. ¡°This is amazing!¡± The clone looked identical to him but it did not move. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t have a will of its own. I must have to give it instructions.¡± Hiro grabbed two stacks of books. He sat down and opened one. ¡°Sit down and read these books¡±, he said to his clone. ¡°Ok.¡± The clone replied as it sat down and opened the books. ¡°It even sounds like me. This is great now I should be able to increase my rate of reading by at least double.¡± Hiro and the clone read about 30 mins before Hiro¡¯s mana ran out. When his mana ran out the clone faded into a mist and disappeared. ¡°I can feel it. Everything he read I know. This is awesome.¡± Hiro meditated for a few moments until his mana was at its max. Then he cast the spell again. Once it materialized, he and his clone continued reading. He did this several times letting his mana run out, meditating, and recastsing the spell. In a little over 1 and a half hours including his time for meditating, he and his clone read over 50 books.
Shadow clone spell increased to level 2
Speed reading increased to level 2. You now read at 160% of normal speed.
Hiro was exhausted from his mental and physical training and decided to get some food before resting for the night. He went into town where the people were eating. He grabbed a plate that contained meat and what looked to be vegetables resembling broccoli but they were orange like carrots. He ate until he was full and then went out to find Leo. He went out and found Leo was playing with some of the children from the town. Apparently, the mighty liger was nothing more than a pussy cat when it came to the children. The children jumped and played on with Leo as he rolled around and jumped with them. Several of them actually got up and rode on his back as he trotted around the entrance like a horse. Hiro smiled then said, ¡°Alright children it is getting late and it is time for Leo to eat so you guys should go on back inside.¡± The children smiled and waved as they returned to the town. Hiro sat down with Leo and pulled out some of the remains of the animals they had killed and threw them to Leo. He ate the quickly. Leo lay down and Hiro curled up next to his partner. The warm fur made him feel comfortable and he quickly drifted on into a dream. The next 4 days went the same way as Hiro spent his mornings training with the hammer. Then he would visit Snow and train his defensive then finally he would train his intelligence by reading the books with his clone at night. On the 5th day after he had finished his training with the hammer, he checked his stats. Status: Hiro Town Hero
Status Window
Name:HiroAlignment:Light
Level:25Class:Ki Warrior
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles
Forest Hunter, Hero of Kaito
Fame:350Infamy:0
-
Health:1,600 / 1,600Health Regen:8.0 / Sec
Mana:1,300 /1,300Mana Regen:6.9/ Sec
Stamina:2,000 /2,000Stamina Regen:10.5 / Sec
-
Strenght:280Agility:249
Vitality:300
Intelligence:145Wisdom:105
Leadership:10Luck:??
-
Attack:355Defense:400??
Physical Resistances
Slashing:19Piercing:19
Crushing:19
Elemental Resistances
Fire:10%Water:??
Wind:20%Earth:??
Light:??Darkness:20%
¡°My training has definitely paid off. My stats are pretty high now compared to what they used to be. I wish I could compare them to someone else so that I had a bar to measure myself against. Well it is time to go and start my training again.¡± Hiro got up and walked to the training area to meet Snow. Hiro waved to the saluted the recruits who immediately came to attention as he entered the training area. As Hiro passed, the recruits went back to practicing on their individual weapon forms. As Hiro approached Snow waved and asked Hiro, ¡°Are you ready for more?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Remember stay focused and anticipate the attack and place your ki on the body part you want to block the attack. Oh and by the way today I want to add something else to your training.¡± Snow decided that Hiro should remain still as he attacked. This would require him to focus more on the attacks rather than moving his body. Snow attacked him across his back but the ki showed bright beneath the attack. Snow attacked his chest but again the ki negated the attack. Hiro was able to negate every attack. Slowly but surely Snow began to pick up the speed of the attacks. Hiro was able to to continue to counter his attacks with ki. ¡°Now comes the final step, I am going to go all out with this staff and attack you with attack enhanced with my ki.¡± Hiro gulped remembering the way that Snow crushed the rock with his bare hands using his ki. ¡°No sense dwelling on it. If Snow thinks I¡¯m ready then let¡¯s do it.¡± Snow began twirling the bow. Hiro could feel his ki beginning to surround the staff. Snow dashed in and attacked Hiro. Hiro placed both his arms up in an ¡°X¡± to try and stop the vertical smash attack from Snow. It was a success. Hiro was able to stop the attack even though his hands and arms had gone completely numb. ¡°Nice job!¡± said Snow.
Ki manipulation increased to level 8
Toughness increased to level 9
Martial arts to level 8
Hiro was shaking his hands and arms out as they had lost feeling. ¡°That was one heck of an attack you gave me there. I wasn¡¯t sure I could stop it.¡± ¡°You did and it shows your dedication to practice.¡± Hiro decided to try seeing how powerful his defense was now against foes that could not use ki based attacks. Hey you two, come here.¡± Hiro said to a pair of the sword and shield wielding recruits, ¡°Come at me and try cuttting me with your swords while I defend.¡± ¡°Are you sure sir? I mean you might get hurt¡± said the recruit. ¡°I think you should be more worried about yourself¡± replied Hiro. ¡°Now come at me!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± They followed their commander¡¯s orders and came at him. The 2 soldiers moved extremely fast but their speed was nothing special compared to Snow or Foria. Hiro was easily able to predict their movements. Both slashed at him but he stopped them with his forearms. The blades did not penetrate his arms as they were both now glowing from his ki. The faces of the soldiers were in shock. ¡°How¡­. How did he do that?¡± said one of the soldiers. ¡°Never lose concentration in battle!¡±, shouted Hiro. Then He grabbed one of their blades and ripped in from the soldier¡¯s hands. The other warrior continued to slash. Hiro simply moved his ki around to negate each attack as he tried over and over to disarm the warrior. This went on for a few moments before Hiro was finally able to dodge a thrust from the warrior¡¯s sword and grabbed his wrist while he simulataneously struck the man¡¯s elbow. The restraint of his wrist coupled with the blow to the back of his elbow caused the warriors joints to bend at an unnatural angle which placed the warrior in agony. He quickly released the blade for fear of his arm being snapped. Once the sword hit the ground Hiro released the young man. The recruits looked on in awe of their commander. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°My blade could pierce him!¡± said one of the soldiers to the others. ¡°Seriously?!¡± they replied. The soldiers were even happier to be led by a warrior who could do such a feat. In addition, he was trained by the one who was training them, Captain Snow. ¡°Maybe if we get good enough he will teach us too¡± the warriors said amongst themselves. ¡°Not bad Hiro but you still looked a little sloppy. That shouldn¡¯t have taken you that long.¡± Hiro dropped his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep working on it.¡± Then he sat down to rest. After regaining his stamina and man Hiro went off to the library at Korin¡¯s house. He once again locked himself into the library and cast his shadow clone spell. The clone immediately appeared and they began to read. ¡°There are about 250 books left.¡± Hiro and the clone sat and read again for about an hour before his mana was exhausted and his clone disappeared. As usual the information clone gathered from reading came rushing into his mind like a flood. He had gotten used to this as he had summoned numerous clones during the week.
Speed reading increased to intermediate level. You gain a 50% bonus to reading speed and continue to gain 10% bonus for each level you increase the skill.
Your reading speed is now 300% of normal speed.
¡°Yes! This should be enough for me to finish the rest of these books.¡± Hiro immediately began to meditate in order to restore his mana. After a few minutes his mana was restored to its max. He called forth his clone once again.
Shadow clone increased to level 5. Now any clone you create will share your thoughts and feelings. The clone immediately sat down and started reading the books.
¡°Well what are you waiting for? These books aren¡¯t going to read themselves.¡± Said the clone. Hiro was dumbfounded. ¡°You can talk?¡± ¡°Of course I can talk. We are the same. Whatever you can do, I can do.¡± Hiro blinked several times before he could really understand. ¡°Alright let¡¯s finish this up.¡± They continued reading together for an hour. In the hour they each read 50 books before his mana ran out. Hiro went through his routine of meditating and then creating another clone. ¡°Hello¡± said the new clone as he sat down and grabbed another book. Hiro sat down and read with him and the cycle of depleting his mana, meditating to regenerate it, and creating a new clone went once more before he had read every single book in the library. As soon as he read the last book he heard a knock at the door. ¡°Why do you have the door locked?¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I just didn¡¯t want to be disturbed¡± , replied Hiro as he didn¡¯t want to share the fact that he could create a clone of himself. ¡°Open up!¡± Hiro quickly went to the door and unlocked it. There stood Foria, her face red with anger. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you come to see me in days?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was really busy with training.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even sleep here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was exhausted after feeding Leo so I just slept out there with him.¡± Foria ran up and hugged Hiro tightly and then kissed him passionately. Hiro was surprised but he wrapped arms around her and picked her up. She squealed slightly as she was raised off the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me like that again.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I could eat.¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°Ok, I have food ready for us in the dining room.¡± Hiro followed Foria to the dining room where he found Snow and Korin already sitting at the table. Hiro and Foria sat down to eat as well. While they ate they laughed and chatted about the events of the last few days. After the finished their meal the group began to talk about the state of the town. Korin said, ¡°The rebuilding was coming along very well. The market place area has nearly been completely rebuilt as well as many of the homes that were damaged.¡± Foria informed everyone, ¡°That food supply that had begun to increase due to the success in domesticating the plains cows. The farmers had replanted the field behind the town so they should have a fresh supply of vegetables soon.¡± ¡°I am delighted that the town is starting to get back to normal. I guess the third part of our plan is ready to be implemented, finding and securing a mine for metal materials¡± said Hiro. Foria opened a map from the town archives and pointed to a mine that was south of the village. ¡°The mine was about a half a day¡¯s walk from the town¡± said Foria. Hiro called his army together along with some villagers. ¡°Everyone our next project is to secure the mine that his about a half a day¡¯s walk away¡± said Hiro. ¡°Since it is the evening now I want all of you to go home and get plenty of rest tonight because we will be leaving at first light.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± said the soldiers with a salute. The villagers nodded and everyone began to disperse. Hiro quickly ran out to make sure that Leo had some food to eat. To Hiro¡¯s surprise the farmer had brought Leo an entire plains cow to eat. Leo had laid waste to the meat of the cow. Its carcass was laid out on the ground as Leo was gnawing at the bones of the beast. ¡°Thank you¡± Hiro said to the farmer. ¡°It was my pleasure to help out this majestic beast. Leo stood and rubbed his snout on the farmers back purring with delight.¡± The farmer turned and ran his fingers through Leo¡¯s mane. ¡°I will be back in the morning. We have a mission to a carry out tomorrow.¡± Hiro said to Leo. ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand everything but tomorrow we will be fighting so rest up my friend. I will need you in your top form because I have no idea of what we will find out there.¡± ¡°ROOOAAAARRR!¡± Leo responded. Hiro patted his head before he went back into the town. He walked through the town as the sun set and really noticed what Korin was saying. ¡°The town is getting back to the way it was before the attack. The old buildings have been cleared and the froming of new buildings are up in their place. It is amazing how industrious these townspeople are.¡± After a short walk Hiro returned to Korin and Foria¡¯s house. He entered inside greeted by the house staff. One of the ladies asked, ¡°Master Hiro, please follow me.¡± Hiro nodded and followed as she led him to a room where there was a large oval shaped object. There was steam rising from it. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Hiro said to himself as he moved closer. ¡°It is! It is a bathtub! I had almost forgotten I haven¡¯t bathed in over a week. My mind has been so consumed with fighting and rebuilding that I had forgotten some basic necessities.¡± Hiro began to disrobe which startled the woman as she quickly turned around. Hiro climbed into the tub and let out a sigh. ¡°This hot water feels great.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it sir. Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­. Who told you to do this?¡± ¡°Mistress Foria instructed me to prepare you a bath.¡± ¡°Oh she did. Give her my thanks.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡±, the young woman said as she left the room. Hiro lay back in the tub and sank down so that his entire body including his head submerged in the hot water. ¡°Since I have the advanced swimming skill, I should be able to hold my breath for a while.¡± Hiro laid completely flat at the bottom of the tub. With his eyes closed he just relaxed and let the heat of the water wash over him and remove all of the stress he had been carrying. 1 minute passed. 3 minutes passed. 5 minutes passed. After 6 minutes Hiro actually felt that he could no longer hold his breath. He lifted his head up and in the corner of the room he saw the door cracked and a soft light barely entered the room. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me¡± replied Foria. She walked in carrying a towel and some sort of liquid in a vial. She came over to the tub and sat on a chair that was nearby. ¡°Sit up.¡± She said softly. Hiro did as he was asked. She opened the vial and poured it into her hands. The smell poured into Hiro¡¯s nostrils. It was the wonderful smell similar to the flower in his world, jasmine. Foria slowly rub the liquid across Hiro¡¯s arms, back, and chest. ¡°This feels great¡± said Hiro as he moaned softly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± She said as she continued gently rubbing him with the liquid. After a few more moment she finished and stood up. ¡°I feel great now, like I could take on an entire army of orcs by myself.¡± With her face turning a little red, ¡° I would rather you just come to bed.¡± ¡°Come to bed?¡± ¡°Yes¡± replied Foria as she laid opened up the towel so that she did not see him completely naked. Hiro stood up and took the towel to wrap it around him. His brown skinned muscular body glisten from the water that was now gently falling off of him. ¡°Lead the way¡± he said softly. Foria grabbed his hand and led him to his room. A set of clothes had been laid out on his bed. Hiro put on the pants and shirt and climbed into the bed. Then he rolled back the covers making from for her. Foria who was wearing a robe opened it up revealing a blue silk looking dress. It was so form fitting that it looked as if it was panted on. She slowly climbed into bed and he wrapped his arms around her. Their bodies intertwined for what seemed like an eternity. The passion between the two overflowed as they both moaned and groaned in ecstasy. When it was all over Hiro stared into her eyes and said, ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± Foria responded as she buried head in his chest. The two drifted off to sleep. In the morning the two awoke in each others arms. They kissed each other as they both got out of the bed. ¡°I need to go get my equipment for today¡¯s journey. I¡¯ll meet you at the military training area.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Hiro said with a smile as he lightly smacked her on the butt. Foria squealed with delight. ¡°Don¡¯t you start or we might not make it on the trip.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think everyone will be happy about that but we can resume this conversation when we return¡± said Hiro with a smile. She smiled back and left the room. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I just slept with the hottest girl I¡¯ve ever seen and she wants to do it again. This is crazy! If this is a dream or something please don¡¯t wake me up.¡± Hiro quickly put on his equipment and rushed to get Leo. Once he got to Leo he called and Leo followed him to the military training area. There they found all of the members of the expedition party waiting. Foria had arrived as well as nearly 18 new soldiers. ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°They are the soldiers that were injured in the battle with the orcs and goblins. They have healed from their injuries and are ready to rejoin the army.¡± ¡°That is great. Give them equipment and bring 5 of them with us.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡± said Snow. ¡°Alright is everyone ready?¡± shouted Hiro ¡°Yes sir!¡± the group responded. ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡± Hiro rode on Leo while Snow mounted up Ora¡¯s back. Then they left the town with about 10 villagers, 5 soldiers, Korin, and Foria. They decided to leave the strong young soldiers to protect the town until they returned. About noon when the sun was highest overhead they saw the mountain which the mine had being created from in the distance. They continued to move closer but just then Hiro was alerted to numerous enemies within and around the mine by his detect presence ability. There were dozens of lizard men and deep within the mine there were others but Hiro could not make out who or what they were. Hiro decided to split the teams up. Foria, Leo, and Hiro would go left and Snow, Korin, and Ora would go right. Once they had killed all of the enemies on their way they would meet at the mine¡¯s entrance. They all nodded and went off on their way. Hiro and Foria decided to use an inverted triangular battle formation with Leo and Hiro parallel to each other and Foria behind them in the middle providing cover fire with her bow. Hiro decided to begin his fighting today with no weapon. Instead of using his weapon he wanted to see if he could simply use his ki to overwhelm his foes with precision strikes. Hiro saw the first group of enemies. They appeared to have the head of a dog but they stood upright like a man. It stood about 125cm tall with red eyes and extremely long whiskers coming from its large nose. It carried a bag on its back and a pickaxe in the other hand. It was obvious they were mining something so Hiro inspected them.
Kobold
Type:Humanoid BeastHealth:650 / 650
Mana:25/25
A very aggressive industrious dog-like creature. They are known for and mining.
They began to charge forward. The first wave of 15 kobolds came out but they were mercilessly slaughtered by Leo¡¯s claws and fangs. He bit the head off of one kobold and the others he slashed with his claws. The wounds were not mortal but the poison from Leo¡¯s claws was extremely effective. The Kobolds fell to their knees and began convulsing. They died in moments. Leo ate the corpse of the one with the head bitten off.
You have gained 15 points towards your weapon skill.
You and Leo have developed the passive ability to sense traps.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Sense TrapsBeginner100%
You can now notice the traps that normally would be undetectable. This will allow you to avoid traps laid for you by your enemies. For each level you gain in this skill you will be awarded 5 points towards your wisdom.
Hiro and Leo moved on. Hiro noticed some enemies hiding in the trees. He signaled Foria and she skillfully shot them down with a single arrow through the chest of each of the foes. The both fell from the trees to the earth. They continued their trail of death until they reached the front of the mine. There a large kobold stood with two long blades in either hand. Hiro inspected the enemy.
Kobold Warrior
Type:Humanoid BeastHealth:1,000 /1,000
Mana:100/100
A warrior of the kobold clan. Its job is to protect the clan while the other more industrious kobolds complete their work. It wields two blades one in each hand. With its uncommon size and strength developed from hard work in the mines it is a formidable opponent.
Hiro decide to attack the enemy head on. As Hiro attacked the kobold warrior charged forward. The Kobold attacked Hiro with both blades slashing down at Hiro¡¯s chest. Hiro moved his ki to his hands and grabbed the blades. His training had paid off. He received no damage from the blades. He then kicked the Kobold warrior in the stomach sending it flying. After picking itself up the Kobold warrior let out a scream. Suddenly about 15 more kobolds showed up along with 3 more kobold warriors. This was bad. Even though they were not that powerful, these numbers would be difficult to beat. Just then fire came across and torched 2 of the kobolds. Hiro looked over and Snow, Ora, and Korin had arrived. The 4 warriors and the 2 pets attacked and made short work of the larger force of kobolds and kobold warriors.
You gained 9 points toward your martial arts skill.
Hiro took the bags and placed them in his bag along with the pickaxes and then he inspected the swords carried by the kobold warriors.
Falchon Sword
Type:SwordDurability:68 / 75
Quality:Medium
A light shortsword that is incredibly sharp. It is so sharp that it seems to cut the air when swung properly. It also possesses a wind enchantment making extremely effective against earth type monsters.
Hiro decided to give the 5 soldiers one of the falchion swords and then he placed the rest in his bag. He allowed Ora and Leo to feast on the kobolds and Kobold warriors.
You and Leo learned map making. Now you are able to make accurate maps of anywhere you have been from memory. This skill is at its maximum and combines with your memorization skill.
You learned the mining skill at the intermediate.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
MiningIntermediate100%
With this skill you gain a +5 to your strength. For each level improvement you will gain greater gains towards you strength.
You learned the mining sub skill, ore location.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Ore LocationBeginner0100%
With this this skill you will be able to locate mineral deposits within 50 meters of your location and improve you ability to mine different ores. As you increase your level in this skill you will gain 1 point to luck and increase your location range by 2 meters.
¡°That makes sense that they would know how to make a map as they have been digging this mine.¡± They collected themselves and went into the mine. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ This chapter was pretty long for me. I decided to stop here so I can give great detail to what will happen in the mine in chapter 21. I love how everyone is reading my story and I am completely enthralled with writing each day. Continue reading and please leave your comments and reviews. I would really like to get into the top 50 list in the future. It takes a lot of time and I am usually up late writing after I finish completing my lesson plans for teaching. I have finally been approved for the donation button which is located on the bottom of the page. Please donate as it will help me continue to write this fan fict and possibly new ones in the future. Thanks in advance and the new chapter will be out soon.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER Back to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 21: Battle in the mines Hey guys welcome to chapter 21. I have been home for a few days as work was closed due to the snow. I''m glad because it gave a lot of time to write some more chapters. Guys please leave your comments and review my work. I will reply to any comments good or bad. If you see any errors please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you in advance. Enjoy chapter 21 ___________________________________________________ Chapter 21 ¡°So that our escape route is secure I want you 5 soldiers to stay here and make sure nothing blocks our exit¡±, said Snow. ¡°Yes sir!¡± replied the soldiers who all saluted. ¡°Begin building the mining campsite here. You should have the walls constructed before so that we can be safe from anything that comes out at night.¡± ¡°You heard the commander. Let¡¯s get to it!¡± said one of the more grizzled veteran soldiers. ¡°We shall return after we have cleared out any dangerous creatures inside of the mine. Protect the villagers. Not one hair on any of their heads should be harmed!¡± said Korin. ¡°Yes sir!¡± the soldiers said in unison. With the perimeter secure, the group entered the mine. The mine was very dark but there were torches left by the Kobolds to light the way. A few of the torches had gone out and Hiro. ¡°Fire¡±, Hiro said. Leo quickly used his pyrokinesis ability to breathe fire and light the torches.
Your beast taming skill has improved to intermediate level 1. You can now communicate telepathically with your pet.
¡°Wow! That is awesome. Now I can talk to him just by thinking. I wonder what his voice will sound like.¡± Hiro could sense numerous mineral deposits. He made a mental map of where they were so he could collect them on his return. The party traveled into the mine deeper and deeper. They battled some stray kobolds but with their superior numbers it was not much of a fight. The quickly slayed the kobolds and continued farther down into the depths of the mine. Eventually they came to a large chamber that seemed like it was the deepest part of the mine. There they found 5 dwarves locked in a cage. Their bodies were bruised up pretty bad.
New Quest Available
Set the dwaraves free
Do you Accept?
YesNo
Rewards????
Sitting on a throne was half-man half snake looking creature surrounded by what appeared to be 3 kobold warriors that wore heavy armor. The snake man had a dark cloak with some shiny golden bracelets on his wrists. He also had a purple colored chest piece and earrings in his ears. In addition he had a long silver spear with some ornate designs and a purple colored jewel encrusted inside of the handle. The kobold warrior looking ones were extremely muscular and covered with scarred. They wore durable silver colored armor plated breast plates along with armored legs, and gauntlets for both arms. The thing that worried Hiro the most was the large round shield that they all had. The shield looked very strong. "How are we going to get through that thing?" he thought to himself. Hiro inspected them.
Cobra Man
Type: Snake Humanoid
HP: ??/??Mana: ??/??
Description:?
Kobold Champion
Type: Dog Humanoid
HP: 1,750/1,750Mana: 0/0
A kobold warrior that has undergone severe training causing it to gain the immense strength and vitality needed to wear heavy armor and wield a heavy two-handed sword.
Korin said, ¡°Be careful the snake looking guy appears to be a magic user.¡± ¡°Korin, you and Foria handle him. Snow, Ora, Leo, Foria and I will take care of the kobold champions¡± said Hiro. ¡°Ok let¡¯s do this!¡± said Snow ¡°Snow you and Ora take one. Foria you take Leo and take on one of them and I will take the last one.¡± ¡°You are one cocky bastard Hiro.¡± Said Snow. ¡°I just want to see how strong your training has made me.¡± ¡°You think you can take it one on one. Go ahead. Just don¡¯t come crying when he it kicks your but.¡± Laughed Foria. ¡°You just be safe.¡± Replied Hiro. Hiro took out his sword as these enemies appeared to be a lot tougher than his previous encounters today. ¡°The blade feels light as a feather! I haven¡¯t used the sword since I began all of my strength training. Is this the fruits of all of that training? This is crazy. Now maybe I can fight like him.¡± He decided to try to wield it like the beast master simply using one hand. It was a success. The blade was no longer too heavy to wield. Hiro activated his ki and imbued his weapon with ki. The weapon glowed with a golden aura along with Hiro¡¯s body. Hiro charged one of the kobold champions. The champion raised his shield to block Hiro¡¯s attack. Hiro¡¯s sword banged against the shield but did not penetrate. The champion then swung down his sword Hiro¡¯s prediction showed the path of the attack but it was so fast that he could not move back unscathed. The blade cut Hiro down the side of his face leaving a large gash that blood began to flow from. Fortunately his regenerate ability began working and the wound started to heal. The Kobold warrior followed his blade attack with a shield bash. Hiro used his gauntlet covered in ki to block the attack. He then countered by striking the kobold champion with the hilt of his blade across its temple. The kobold champion sank back. Hiro charged in again and the kobold champion raised he shield. This time Hiro had a plan for when the attack was blocked. While his blade smashed into the shield he used his free hand to cast his fireball spell. The flames quickly engulfed the kobold champion. Once on fire the kobold champion dropped his sword. This was all the chance that Hiro needed. He quickly used his dashing slash ability to charge in close to the kobold champion. It quickly raised its powerful shield and Hiro¡¯s sword once again banged against it. The shock of his sword hitting the shield sent pain down Hiro¡¯s hand. The fire that was engulfing the kobold champion had now extinguished. It grabbed its sword as it growled at Hiro and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve got to find a way to get past that shield. This guy uses his shield just like Snow. They are like an impenetrable fortress behind that thing. How can I get past it?¡± ¡°Snap out of it Hiro and watch out!¡± yelled Snow. HIro immediately looked up and the kobold champion was rushing towards him. Hiro grabbed his sword with two hands and placed an equal amount of ki in his legs and his sword. ¡°This should let me attack with greater strength and move at top speed to get in the best position to attack. Hiro charged forward at top speed. When he and the kobold champion clashed the sound of metal on metal was deafening. The two pushed on each other. Hiro could feel himself loosing out in a battle of raw strength. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go all out!¡± Hiro pushed his ki to its max.
By increasing your ki to its maximum you have gained a 300% increase to all of your physical stats, strength, agility and vitality.
WARNING!
You will only be able to maintain this state for 3 mins
Hiro¡¯s muscles in his arms bulged followed by those in his legs and finally his chest. His muscles were pumped up so much that his chainmail began to stretch. Hiro pushed back against the kobold champion and began to overpower him. ¡°This is incredible!¡± The kobold champion tried to swing his shield to attack Hiro but with his new strength Hiro stopped the shield with the palm of his hand and then landed a crushing elbow strike to the kobold champion¡¯s temple. The attack dazed his enemy. Looking at the beast blinking its eyes, Hiro quickly followed up with a vicious knee strike that caused its teeth to crack and fall to the ground. With a quick slash Hiro severed the outstretched arm holding the shield. With its head blown upwards and its defenses crushed Hiro went in for the kill. He grabbed his blade with both hands and swung with all of his might at its neck. The resulting slash severed the head from the kobold champion¡¯s body. He looked over the dead kobold champion and took the shield. It was very strong but it seemed light. It was round and large enough to block most attacks but light enough to be used as a weapon if need be. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left with this new power. I¡¯ve got to help the others quickly.¡± Hiro looked up and saw the other¡¯s slowly but surely winning their battles against the kobold champions except Leo and Foria. They were having great difficulty dealing with the shield. Suddenly Hiro heard a voice say ¡°help me Hiro.¡± Hiro looked around but the voice definitely was not Snow, Korin, or Foria and how could the dwarves know his name. ¡°Help me Hiro, it¡¯s Leo¡±. He and Leo were able to communicate telepathically. He could now hear Leo¡¯s thoughts. Hiro told him, ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± ¡°These guys are tough but they aren''t that tough that that the two of you couldn¡¯t take him down. Why are struggling with him?¡± Leo replied, ¡°I ate too much on the way so my movements have been slowed. I also expended a lot of my energy breathing fire so I am not fighting at full strength¡±. ¡°Foria, I thought I was going to be the one crying.¡± Hiro said smugly. ¡°Oh shut up and help us. The kobold champion is able to counter my arrows and Leo¡¯s claws with that damn shield. We can''t get through his defense.¡± Hiro understood and went to the aid his friend. ¡°Alright I¡¯ve only got about 1 minute left of this strength so listen. I¡¯m going to charge him and both of you attack from the sides. We want to make this a all or nothing attack.¡± ¡°What do you mean 1 minute left? What¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°Just do what I say for now. I will explain later Foria.¡± She saw the seriousness in his eyes and nodded. Hiro rushed in at the kobold champion. It quickly raised its shield. Hiro smashed into it with his sword. The kobold champion readied his sword to swing but it was too late Foria was on his right and Leo was on his left. It tried to jump back but Foria shot two arrows one threw each of his legs. The kobold champion fell to his knees. Hiro pressed the attack again and smashed his sword into the shield. ¡°CRRRAAAAACCCCKKK!¡±
From excessive use with out repair your sword has been damaged and can no longer be used.
Hiro saw a large crack run down the center of his claymore. ¡°Not now.¡± ¡°Look out Hiro! The blade is coming!¡± Hiro saw it but there was no time to react. ¡°CHHHOOOOOMPPP!¡± Leo bit down on the kobold champion¡¯s arm ripping it off. The kobold champions screamed in pain as it rolled on the ground holding the bloody stump that used to be its arm. Leo walked up and finished it by biting down on its head killing it instantly. ¡°Thanks buddy!¡± said Hiro ¡°You are welcome. What are friends for?¡± replied Leo.
You gained 2 weapon skill points.
At the same time Ora and Snow were facing off against another kobold champion. The champion stood there behind his shield like a a fortress. Snow and Ora moved up slowly trying to out flank the champion. "Now! Ora fire!" Snow yelled. Immediately Ora breathed fire at the kobold champion. It raised its shield and a large smile came over Snow''s face. The kobold champion was fixed in place while Ora was breathing fire. Snow enhanced his body with ki and quickly flanked the kobold champion. Once in position Snow thrust his sword towards the monster but to his surprise the champion rolled underneath of the slash and out of the way of Ora''s flame. "Clever move for a monster!" said Snow. The damage had been done. The kobold champion''s arm was badly burned due to hold the shield under Ora''s intense flames. His shield was probably useless at this point. Snow immediately pushed his attack and rammed his shield into the beast. It stayed on its feet but its defense were blown away. Its injured arm could not take the shock from Snow''s shield ram and it dropped the shield. With the injured arm revealed Snow and Ora could clearly see that the arm was burned so badly the part of its bone was showing. "How hot are you flames Ora?" asked Snow. She only growled in response. Snow ran quickly and engaged the kobold champion while Ora began to maneuver herself behind their opponent. The kobold champion began to strike feverishly at Snow. His attacks were very precise and Snow had no room to counter. He could only defend with his shield. As the kobold champion readied his sword for another swing he felt a huge weight suddenly around his arms. It was Ora. Her power paws had wrapped around his body. Ora began to squeeze her paws together with her monstrous strength. The kobold champion tried to take his sword and stab her but it was to no avail as Snow quickly severed the arm. Ora continued to crush the monster. It was a sickening sound the armor began to bend and Snow could hear the bone in its rib cage along with the discs in it spine began to snap one by one. It was like listening to someone crack their knuckles. The kobold champion screamed and wriggled trying to escape her clutches but it was of no use. She squeezed even more and eventually she crushed him to death. Snow and Ora had finished off the kobold warrior they were facing. Then they looked over to Korin who was engaged in a fierce battle with the Cobraman. "Pitiful human you think you can defeat me with you low level of magic" said the Cobraman. "My level of magic is far beyond yours. I will crush you in the blink of an eye." Korin retorted. The 2 mages squared off in a battle of magic. They both used lightning spells but they were negated by each other. "Is that all you''ve got snakey?" laughed Korin "Sssssnakey!? You dare talk to me like that!? You ssssicken me. You disssssgusssssting human", the Cobraman said as he flicked his black, forked tongue in and out of his mouth. They engaged in shooting various elemental magic at each other but their powers were equally matched and neither could do any damage to the other. They were at a stalemate Foria ran over to help her brother and began to shoot some of arrows. None of them hit their intended target. They all deflected off of something. ¡°What is that?¡± said Foria ¡°It must be some kind of magical shield the cobraman is using.¡± Said Snow. ¡°If I keep firing then his magic will be expended by maintaining the shield. Then he won¡¯t have any power left to deal with Korin¡¯s attacks¡± thought Foria. "The sounds reasonable. Mages have to use mana in order to keep a shield like that up. Ora, fire!" Foria continued to fire arrows and Ora breathed her flames. The shield began to crack with the damage that it received from the two attacks. ¡°A little more hits should do the trick.¡± said Foria Just then the magician casts bind on Foria and Ora. As the spell was manifesting she shot 3 arrows out. Each hit the mark on the cobraman¡¯s shield. The last arrow caused the shield to shatter. Korin seeing his sister in trouble cast a light spell that temporarily blinded the cobraman. In his confusion Korin used his lighting spell. The bolt came from his staff and electrocuted the cobraman. It immediately fell to its knees. As it lost momentarily lost consciousness, Foria was freed from the bind spell. She walked over face to face with the cobra man. Then she readied her bow and shot an arrow right through the cobraman¡¯s face. With all of the enemies killed Hiro went over and broke the door holding the dwarves hostage down freeing the dwarves.
Your 3 minutes are now up. You will now experience the side effects of pushing your body to its breaking point.
¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± Hiro screamed. ¡°My body is in pain all over. It feels like every muscle in my body was ripped apart.¡±He fell down on the ground. ¡°The pain¡­. The pain¡­. It is¡­.. ahhhhh.¡± ¡°Hiro! Hiro!¡±, said Leo. Hiro could hear his voice but the pain was so great that he could not respond. Snow, Foria, Korin, Ora, and Leo rushed over to their fallen comrade. Hiro was rolling on the ground screaming out in pain. ¡°Heal!¡± Korin quickly cast his spell. Hiro¡¯s body was bathed in a warm golden light but he continued to scream. ¡°Heal!¡± Korin cast his spell again and again and again. After 4 times Hiro stopped screaming and was able to communicate with Leo. ¡°I used my ki to its max and my body couldn¡¯t take it.¡± Hiro said to Leo. ¡°I guess my ki is stronger than I thought.¡± Hiro¡¯s eyes began to glaze over and his consciousness began to fade. Before he could pass out Foria slapped him across the face. ¡°You better not scare me like that ever again. Do you hear me?¡± The slapped woke Hiro up and he smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to worry you.¡± Leo lowered his head and Hiro wrapped his arms around the big cat. As Leo lifted his head, Hiro slowly stood up. His legs were still shaky and looked like a light breeze could blow him over.
Quest Complete
Rewards
New Title Earned: Dwarven savior
With this title you will have great influence on the dwarves.
Quest completed
Mine secured now you can harvest materials from within the mine
Level up
Leadership increased by 5
All of the dwarves came out of the cage except one who had died a few hours before they got there. They looked up at Hiro and smiled. They began to speak but Hiro was unable to understand their words.
Sword Mastery Increase to intermediate.
All sword based attacks will do 15% more damage and you will gain 5 points of agility for each level.
You will now be able to listen to the soul of a sword. When you practice with a sword, it may deem you worthy and teach you secret sword skills.
¡°The soul of a sword¡­. I wonder what that means¡± Hiro thought to himself. ¡°Does anyone speak the dwarven language?¡± Everyone shook their heads, no. ¡°Well since we can¡¯t talk to them we should at least get them out of here safely.¡± Hiro gestured to the dwarves that they will be leaving now. The dwarves nodded in response. ¡°Let¡¯s take them out of the mine and lead them to the town. Maybe someone in the town could understand the dwarves.¡± Leo asked, ¡°Could he and Ora eat the enemies?¡± ¡°Wait until we removed the equipment.¡± Snow removed the armor from the Kobold champions and the cobraman. Hiro inspected the armor and weapons.
Silver Armor Set
A set of armor made from silver contains a breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, and boots
Wearing the entire set gives you a +10 bonus to strength and agility
Breastplate:Defense +50
Gauntlets:Defense +20
Greaves:Defense +30
Silver Longsword
A basic weapon that has a long blade.
Durability:35/125
Attack:45-60
Snake Leather armor set
A set of leather made from the scales of a powerful snake.The set includes pants, chest plate, and a cloak.
The wearer gains improved ability to wield lightning magic Lightning based attacks increase in damage by 20%.
Chestplate:Defense +20 mana +75
Cloak:Defense +10 Wisdom + 5
Pants:Defense +17 Agility + 5
Silver Spear
A spear made of silver. The spear has a lightning gem placed inside.
Durability:0/175
Attack:85-110
Golden bracers
A pair of golden bracers enhanced with magical properties.
Durability:150/175
Defense +10Wisdom+10
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Golden Earrings
A pair of golden earrings enhanced with magical properties.
Durability:100/100
Mana + 75Intelligence +10
Hiro decided to give the armor and weapons out to the group. Foria refused saying, ¡°I cannot move in heavy armor like that and the Cobraman set would be better suited to Korin than me.¡± Hiro nodded and agreed. ¡°Thank s sis¡± Korin grabbed the Cobraman¡¯s armor and equipped it. ¡°This feels pretty good.¡± ¡°Korin you also take the bracers and earrings they are for a mage.¡± ¡°They are? What do they do?¡± ¡°Well the bracers increase your wisdom and the earrings increase your intelligence.¡± ¡°Young man, how do you know that?¡± asked one of the dwarves ¡°You can speak the human language?" "Of course we can. We are blacksmiths but we are also merchants we have to know how to communicate with our customers." "Well why didn''t you say that earlier." "We just wanted to feel you out a bit first. You seem like good people so we decided to speak a little." "Dwarves aren''t very trusting but I guess under the circumstances I wouldn''t be either" said Snow. "Now how did you know about the bracers and earrings?" "It¡¯s a skill I picked up out in the wilderness.¡± Hiro replied with a smile. Hiro equipped the silver armor set and so did Snow. Snow was able to move around immediately but Hiro had some difficulty as he was still recovering. ¡°Yes! I really like this. It reminds me of the armor I once wore at home. This armor is strong, durable, and heavy just the way I like it. The weapon cannot be used right now though. It is in need of some serious repair.¡± ¡°Did somene say repair?¡± asked one of the dwarves. ¡°Yes¡± replied Snow ¡°We can fix anything if we had a forge.¡± ¡°Well then we will have to get one built for you when we return¡± Said Korin. He thought to himself, ¡°Wearing this armor will be good for my training.¡± Hiro looked over at Leo and Ora and saw them looking very hungry. ¡°Eat until your hearts are content. Be sure that you eat the cobraman.He may possess the ability for using magic that may help us.¡± Leo began by eating the Cobraman. He quickly devoured it from head to toe.
You and Leo can now use the spell bolt.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
BoltBeginner0100%
This spell allows you to send a single bolt of lightning at an enemy causing minor lightning damage. As you improve in this spell you will be able to inflict more damage and possibly paralyze the target.
You and Leo have gained the passive ability elemental lighting resistance. You and Leo now take 20% less damage from lightning based attacks.
¡°Damn, I thought I would learn that magic shield ability but anyway that bolt spell is pretty good.¡± Leo continued on to the Kobold champion. Ora had already eaten 2 of them. He quickly scarfed down one and they shared the the fourth one. The group rested for a while and ate some food that Hiro had stored in his bag. During the time they had rested, Hiro¡¯s regeneration ability had completely healed him from the side effects of using his ki to the max. Then they got ready to leave. Leo asked Hiro, ¡°should I eat the dead dwarf? If it is like the lizard man you may learn to communicate in their language in case we run into other dwarves in our travels.¡± Reluctantly Hiro agreed but said, wait for us to go ahead of you out of the mine.¡± Hiro and the others left. Leo quickly scarfed down the body of the dead dwarf.
You have learned the dwarven language. You are now able to communicate with dwarves.
You have gained the skill of black smith.
You possess skills in this trade already so weapon making, armor making, as well as sharpening will be absorbed and your blacksmithing skill will begin at intermediate level 2.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
BlacksmithingIntermediate0200%
You are able to forge and repair weapons made of stronger metal like silver, gold, iron, and bronze. You are also able to sharpen weapons to have a +5 damage rating and can create your own whetstones using common stones and iron ore. You will gain +5 strength for each level gained.
You have learned the skill enchanting.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
EnchantingBeginner0100%
You are now able to imbue weapons with magic gems items to give them magical properties. Now when you mine minerals there is a 10% chance that you will find magical stones. You will gain +5 wisdom for every level gained.
Hiro felt sick to his stomach but he knew Leo did the right thing because now he could speak to his new comrades the dwarves. Soon they reached the light and were out of the mine. ¡°Hiro asked the dwarves what happened to them.¡± The dwarves looked puzzled along with everyone else. ¡°How did you learn to speak the dwarven tongue human?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡± ¡°I guess we will not press the issue as you have saved us from our captors¡± said one of the dwarves. "When we are alone we will speak in dwarvish but for the sake of your companions we will speak in the human language." Hiro nodded in agreement. They began telling a tale of bloodshed. The mine was originally a place built by dwarves. The dwarven town of Offenheim was about 2 week¡¯s journey away. He and his friends had set out to get some materials to practice blacksmithing and enchanting. The mine was known for having spirit stones and good raw minerals such as iron, gold, and very rare metal known as mithril. When they got close they fell into a trap set by the kobolds and were taken hostage. They had been forced to make the silver armor pieces that they were wearing as well as the falcon swords and longswords that the kobolds used. ¡°You made these weapons and armor?¡± ¡°You betcha youngster. Dwarves are the best at making weapons and armor.¡± They continued with the story. The cobraman wanted more and more weapons to supply his growing army of kobolds. We tried to resist but when we did he had us beaten and whipped. We tried to resist by slowing down the process hoping that help would come but when the weapons took too long to be constructed. He beat us even worse. This went on for weeks. A few hours before you showed up the cobraman decided to make an example. He electrocuted my friend so badly that his heart stopped. Finally, and your friends showed up and killed those monsters and now we are free. We are forever in your debt. Hiro said, ¡°I am truly sorry for what happened to you and for the loss of your friend. If you would like you could come with us back to our town? We could use some skilled blacksmiths like you to help our town.¡± The dwarves agreed. ¡°Is there was a blacksmith shop in town that we could work in?¡± ¡°No but that one could be built for them. We could always use skilled craftsman in our town¡± Replied Foria. The dwarves huddled together and then turned and agreed to go. ¡°Our first order of business would be to build Hiro a weapon, shield, and armor made for him and not one that he had to take from another in battle.¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t really use a shield but if you can make these weapons, I¡¯m sure it will be worth it. I would also like to see if you can repair this spear as it is a very powerful weapon.¡± "We will give it our best try." replied the dwarves. ¡°Everyone please go back to the town I would like to stay and supervise the completion of the mining camp. Our original objective was to finish this so that our town would have a supply of raw materials and I don¡¯t want to leave until the job is done.¡± ¡°We will make it back safely. Just come back when everything here is finished.¡± Said Foria as she walked closely and whispered in his ear ¡°Don¡¯t take too long. The bed will start to get cold without you.¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I will be hurrying back as fast as I can so keep the bed warm for me.¡± She kissed him passionately and they waved goodbye as the Snow, Korin, Foria, Ora, and the dwarves left to return towards the village. The villagers and the 5 soldiers had already completed the outer portion of the mining camp. There was a wall already up around the area along with a tower for the guards to be posted. ¡°What else needs to be done?¡± Hiro asked. ¡°We need to make a forge and begin to build mining carts to carry the raw ore out of the mine¡± Replied one of the villagers. ¡°How do we build the forge?¡± We will need some stone to build the edges of it so that the heat will not melt them. Then we will need leather to make the bellows to heat the forge. Finally we we will need some coal.¡± ¡°Soldiers, you will get the stones and help the villagers build the forge itself. Leo and I will go out and hunt for food and for any leather we can find.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Hiro and Leo quickly ran off towards the south. Hiro could sense numerous energies but none of them were things that he recognized. ¡°Leo can you tell what is ahead?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t picked up the scent of anything yet.¡± They continued running and eventually they stumbled upon a group of what appeared to be wildboars. They were larger than a normal boar but still only about 1 meter tall. Instead of having tusks that protruded from their mouths they had a horn that protruded from their skull similar to a rhinocerous. Hiro used his inspect ability.
Rhinoboar
Type: Beast
HP: 1,000/1,000Mana: 0/0
This animal is highly aggressive and has a very thick protective layer of fur. Its short legs hinder its lateral movement but it is very fast when it charges.
Well I don¡¯t have my sword now so I¡¯ve got to kill them with my own hands. ¡°We need to kill as many as we can¡± Hiro said to Leo. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s go¡± Leo replied. They both dashed in and attacked. The rhinoboars saw them and charged directly at Hiro and Leo. They had no fear of the intruders. Hiro cast his bind spell and 3 of the boars fell down immobilized. Leo avoided the first rhinoboar and tackled the next one to the ground. Before he could bite down one of the boars gored him through his side with its horn. Leo fell down in a heap. He was bleeding heavily. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes, the wound is not fatal but it will be difficult to move now.¡± Hiro ran over and use his ki strike on the rhinoboar that was trying to gore Leo again. The blow crushed its head completely. Hiro quickly pulled out one of his strong healing potions and poured it into Leo¡¯s mouth. Leo was bathed in the same glow that came out when Korin cast his healing spell. ¡°It¡¯s closing up! That thing you just gave me is working wonders already.¡± ¡°Be careful their are a lot of these things and we already know that their horn is dangerous. Alright get up and help me kill these things!¡± Leo roared as he stood up. ¡°Shadow Clone¡± Hiro cast his spell and his clone appeared. ¡°You use magic while I fight hand to hand.¡± The clone nodded in agreement. Hiro charged along with Leo. Behind them the clone began casting the bolt spell. Hiro and Leo both dodged incoming rhinoboars. As they dodged the rhinoboars were both hit with the bolt spell from the clone. The both fell to the ground. Hiro and Leo quickly pounced on them, Hiro with his ki strike and Leo with his massive jaws. They both were instant kills. ¡°Not bad for a clone!¡± ¡°Just get out there and kill those things you cocky bastard!¡± replied the clone with a smile on his face. Hiro and Leo continued to battle with the rhinoboars while the clone fired off spells one by one. They killed about 8 rhinoboars before Hiro¡¯s mana had emptied out. The clone fizzled away.
Your bolt spell increased to level 2
Fireball increased to level 9
Shadow clone increased to level 6
Ok we need to take these two out without using any ki. Leo roared and jumped towards one of rhinoboars. It moved back to avoid the slash from his claws but this was Leo¡¯s seismic attack. The rhinoboar lost its footing and stumbled. Leo slashed its face with his claws poisoning the boar. Then Leo walked closer and closwer to it. Now it began to show a look of fear on its face. Leo charged in after it and the rhinoboar turned to run. It was of no use. All of the practice Leo had in chasing Hiro the rhinorboar didn¡¯t have a chance. Leo swiped at its back legs and it fell into a heap. As Leo opened his jaws to finish off his prey the other rhinoboar charged at him. Hiro quickly stepped in and stood between the two. Hiro held out his hands. When the rhinoboar got close enough Hiro grabbed its horn with both his hands and jumped on the rhinoboar¡¯s back. As Leo sank his teeth into the rhinoboar he had pinned to the ground Hiro grabbed the other around its neck and horn and drove it to the ground. While on the ground Hiro quickly mounted the beast and began to rain down punches on it head. Punch after punch until the rhinoboar no longer moved.
You gained 5 martial arts skill points
You gained 5 weapon skill points
Hiro looked over the beasts with his scavenger skill and noticed that the tails and the horns were lit up. He quickly cut them off and placed them in his bag. Next, he skinned the beasts and placed all of the carcasses except one into his bag.
You gained 8 pieces of medium leather and 4 medium hides.
The remaining carcass he allowed Leo to eat. They rested for a few moments and then Hiro checked Leo¡¯s wound. ¡°There is nothing there. It¡¯s as if it never happened¡± said Hiro. ¡°It closed completely as soon as I ate the rhinoboar¡± replied Leo. ¡°So maybe your regenerative ability is linked to eating. That is something to keep in mind.¡± Hiro jumped on Leo¡¯s back and they returned to the mining camp. At the mining camp the villagers and soldiers had already built the forge. ¡°These guys work fast¡± Hiro thought to himself. He ran over and took out the medium leathers and gave them to the villagers. ¡°This is great with these, we can build the bellows. Now we need some wood and iron to build the mining carts as well as some coal to heat the forge.¡± ¡°Ok you guys get the bellows built and start cooking these¡± Said Hiro while he removed 2 of the rhinoboars from his bag. ¡°You killed these?¡± ¡°Sure did. Why?¡± ¡°These are babies. The parents will be looking for them and the parents are very dangerous beasts¡± said one of the soldiers. ¡°Oh no! I will remain here and you soldiers take these 2 pickaxes and go into the mine and get the materials we need. I will stay ou here and stand guard in case the rhinoboar parents come looking for trouble.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± the soldier replied as they grabbed the pickaxes and ran into the mine. ¡°Hiro walked over to the fire that the group had made to cook the food. He took out some of his seasoning flowers and placed them inside of the carcasses. Then he took some pieces of wood and built a built a rotisserie large enough to hold the two rhinoboars out of some thick pieces of wood. Hiro took his skinning knife and cut the stomachs of both rhinoboars out along with their intestines. Then he took the sticks from the rotisseries and ran them through the mouths of the rhinoboars all the way through them. Finally, he placed them onto the rotisseries and let them cook. While he was doing this the villagers had near completed making the bellows. Once they finished they came over and sat with Hiro who was rotating the meat letting it cook thoroughly on both sides. ¡°That smells fantastic!¡± said one of the villagers. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve been cooking for myself in the wilderness for a while now. It really comes in handy from time to time.¡± They laughed and talked for about an hour while the food cooked. As they finished they heard a noise coming from inside of the cave. Hiro stood up along with Leo. Hiro felt the energy and knew it was the 2 soldiers he had sent into the cave returning. They both were covered in black soot. ¡°We got what you asked for, iron ore and coal¡± the soldiers said as the dropped to large bags down on the ground each one filled completely with iron ore and coal. ¡°Great job!¡± ¡°Thank you sir!¡± ¡°Food is finished!¡± yelled Hiro.
Your cooking skill is now at novice level 1.
Your can now distinguish between materials that will go well together. When you have a material in your hand other compatible materials will emit a slight glow.
The group hastily sat down around the cooked meat. Hiro took out his knife and cut pieces of the rhinoboars off for each person. When he had finished, the group had dismantled one of the beasts completely. ¡°Leo, you hungry?¡± Hiro asked. ¡°Yes, but I wanted to let them eat as they were working really hard today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you but this whole rhinoboar is for you.¡± ¡°BLEH!!! No thanks, I don¡¯t like cooked food as much as raw meat. Give me one of the ones you still have in your bag.¡± ¡°HAHAHAHA! You may be my partner but you still are a wild animal¡± Hiro laughed to himself. He grabbed one of the whole carcasses out of his bag and put it down in front of Leo. Leo devoured it quickly. When they finished eating, the group thanked Hiro for the great meal and they all opened their bags and pulled out tents to sleep in. Hiro who did not possess a tent curled up on Leo¡¯s fur. ¡°I got a lot of weapon and martial arts skill points today. I guess tomorrow as part of my training I should use them to increase my skills. I better get some sleep because the parents of those rhinoboars may come tomorrow.¡± Hiro looked up at the stars. ¡°I wonder what Foria is doing now. I really wish I was there with her right now. Hiro began to day dream about the night he spent with her. He could smell the soft scent of the oil she had rubbed onto his body. Hiro licked his lips as he could taste her lips. Hiro began to breathe heavily. ¡°Calm down! You¡¯ll see her soon. Jeez give it a rest!¡± said Leo. ¡°You could hear what I was thinking?¡± ¡°Yes every bit of it. I don¡¯t want to think about Foria like that so please dream about her when I¡¯m not around.¡± Leo said gruffly. Hiro laughed loudly in his head and then replied, ¡°You¡¯ve got it Leo.¡± Hiro lay back on Leo¡¯s warm fur and his breathing slowed as his body relaxed. Then he quickly fell fast asleep. _________________________________________________ That is the end of chapter 21. Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site. The next chapter will be out in the next couple of days. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though. :)
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 22: Secrets Revealed Hey guys thanks for reading. Those of you who have asked several questions about how did Hiro get to this new world, get ready this is the chapter for you. Enjoy! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 22 ¡°What¡¯s going on? What am I seeing?¡± Hiro was shocked as he was looking at himself playing on his computer the day before he came to this world. ¡°Why am I seeing this? Am I dreaming? I remember this I was playing games and then¡­ Yes there it is the mysterious e-mail that told me to sign up for a new MMORP. Then as I remember played a little longer and then went to sleep.¡± ¡°What is this? I don¡¯t remember this part.¡± Hiro saw himself falling out of bed bleeding from his mouth and struggling to breathe. His father burst in the room. ¡°Call the paramedics! Something is wrong with Hiro!¡± Hiro¡¯s father yelled to his mother. She quickly ran to the phone and called for emergency assistance. Hiro saw himself continue to struggle to breathe. As he looked closer his head was grotesquely swollen. His eyes were almost completely shut. ¡°Was the beating I took from Chu really this bad? Hiro began choking on his own blood. ¡°Hold on son. Help is on the way.¡± Hiro¡¯s father said with tears in his eyes. "What is going on? Why don¡¯t I remember this?¡± The scene continued to play out. Paramedics rushed into the room and put Hiro on a stretcher. ¡°His pulse is weak and his airway is almost completely closed up. We need to intubate him to get him air¡± said one paramedic to the other. One of the paramedics slipped a long tube down Hiro¡¯s throat and then attached a small round bag to it. He then began to squeeze the bag in order to push fresh oxygen into Hiro¡¯s body. ¡°Am I dying?¡± ¡°Of course you are¡± said a strange voice. ¡°What?!! Who is that?¡± ¡°I am who I am Hiro¡± said the strange voice. ¡°I saw your plight in the world you lived in. You are true hero at heart but you were cursed with a body that could not live up to your will.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you died. ¡° ¡°I died?¡± ¡°Yes. You died. Just as you thought. It was a result of the beating you received from Chu. He broke several of your ribs and you bled internally. The ribs punctured some of your organs. In addition the times you hit the ground with your head caused bleeding in the back of your brain. If you had gone to the hospital immediately after the beating you would have survived but when the symptoms manifested it was too late. The doctors could not save you.¡± "That can''t be true! No.... It can''t be true!" screamed Hiro as his eyes welled up with tears. "I''m sorry my boy. It is true." ¡°Why are you showing me this? It can¡¯t be true!¡± Hiro said with tears in his eyes. ¡°I am showing you this because I want you to remember the pain and the hurt those with power put upon those without. I want you to see the pain on your family members¡¯ faces as you died for no reason. See their pain! Hiro fell to his knees and sobbed as he saw himself pass out in the ambulance. "He''s coding! He doesn''t have a pulse!Charge the paddles!" said the female paramedic. The male paramedic got out the small defibrillator and they attached the electrodes to Hiro''s bare chest. "No! This can''t be!" screamed Hiro. "Give him the adrenaline!" the male paramedic said to the female. As the machine began to make beeping sounds it readied itself. While they waited for the charge the female paramedic stuck Hiro''s chest with a needle filled with epinephrine to help restart his heart. "Hands off I''m gonna shock him!" the two paramedics allowed the machine to shock Hiro. The muscles in his body contracted as the electricity coursed through his body. "Nothing! Shock him again." said the female "Still nothing. Shock him again" said the female. Just then they arrived at the hospital. Doctors rushed onto the scene and pulled the gurney that Hiro was on out of the ambulance and into an operating room. The doctors worked on Hiro for 10 minutes trying to revive him but they made no progress. Finally, the head doctor called it. "Time of death at 2:35A.M." Then Hiro saw the doctor go out and tell his family the news of his death. Hiro saw his mother collapse in his father''s arms. His little sister screamed and wailed at the loss of her brother. "Make it stop! Make it stop! No... NO...... NOOOOOOO!" Just then everything went white. Hiro looked up as he heard footsteps in the white room. Ahead of him he saw the figure of an old man appear in front of him. The old man was dressed in an all white suit trimmed with golden stitching. His face was pale white and his hair was pure silver. He had a set of the bluest eyes Hiro had ever seen. Suddenly the old man spoke.¡°Hiro, see there loss and grow strong! Grow strong enough to protect all of those in the world in which I have placed you.¡± "You placed me in this world? What do you mean you placed me? I thought I died." ¡°You did die. I gave you this life to save the people of this world. The people here are good and wholesome but evil is around every corner. I want you to grow strong and strike fear in the hearts of the evil ones in order to protect the innocent. Will you do it Hiro? ¡°You gave me another chance at life? Why me? I couldn''t even protect myself. You saw what Chu did to me¡±Hiro said as he slowly stood up onto his feet. The old man laughed and replied, "Yes you could not protect yourself but that was before you had the body I gave you it is special. I saw how hard you worked but your old body would not do what your mind wanted. It was weak. This body is strong. With it you will be able to increase your power by working hard, practicing, and honing your skills." "Yes. I did notice that I am better able to do a lot of things now. What else can my new body do?" "It will do whatever you train it to do. The harder you train, the more it will respond. Your work ethic was only part of the reason I chose you Hiro." "Why else?" "I saw your heart." "What do you mean my heart?" "You have the heart of a true hero." "What does that mean?" "All of your instincts scream for you to protect the innocent. You rescued the girl, her brother, and the warrior. You saved her town. You have put your life on the line several times for people you barely even know. Hiro will you protect the innocent people of this world from the evil that is awaiting?" He raised his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. He clenched his fists and said, ¡°I swear upon the new life that I have been given. I will protect the people of this world. I will be the light in the darkness, I will answer the call of all those who cry out from oppression¡± Hiro paused from speaking. The old man watched as Hiro¡¯s ki began to shroud his body. His body began shaking from the rage that was boiling within his body. ¡°Good! Your power has grown¡±, said the old man as Hiro¡¯s power was on full display. ¡°I will be an ALLY TO GOOD AND A NIGHTMARE TO EVIL!!!¡± ¡°I will leave you with these words¡­. The evil one¡¯s minions are stirring trying to revive him. You must grow strong enough to face him before he regains his strength.¡± ¡°The evil one? Who is that? How will I know I am strong enough?¡± Hiro¡¯s words echoed into the white space but the man had disappeared. Hiro calmed down and his ki shroud dissipated. He looked around and there was nothing there. The old man was nowhere to be found. A sense of unease began to fall on Hiro as he began to think. ¡°I died. I will never see my family again. Mom¡­. Dad¡­. My little sister¡­. Never again. I hate Chu for what he did to me!¡± Suddenly Hiro heard a voice. ¡°Hiro! Hiro! Wake up!¡± It was Leo. Hiro tried to talk back, ¡°I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Hiro wake up!¡± Suddenly Hiro sat up breathing heavily and said ¡°I¡¯m awake my friend and I¡¯m ok.¡± ¡°What was going on? You energy went crazy and you wouldn¡¯t answer me.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you hear my thoughts?¡± ¡°No for some reason that was just noise. I couldn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am completely sure about what happened. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t exactly explain what happened I will prepare myself for what could be my purpose for being here.¡± ¡°Purpose? What do you mean your purpose for being here?¡± ¡°I must become a protector of all those around me from a great evil that will soon be upon them. I must stand up for those who walk in the like and keep them from harm.¡± ¡°Then I will become a protector of the light as well.¡± ¡°Thank you my friend I will need your help on this journey.¡± Hiro got up as the sun had crept over the horizon. Hiro asked Leo to stand guard at the front of the mine in case any kobolds returned.Then Hiro walked into the mine and took out his pickaxe. He found his first mineral deposit on the wall of the mine about 50 meters inside the cave entrance. His eyes could not see anything particularly different but his ability to sense mineral deposits was telling him it that there was something right there in the wall. He grabbed his pickaxe with both hands and swung with all his might. Immediately, a piece of the wall broke off. ¡°Was that the ore?¡± No he sensed it was still in the wall. He swung his pickaxe several more times and finally several orangey almost gold colored rocks fell. He inspected them
Raw Copper ore Can be smelted and purified into pure copper ore which can be used to create weapons and armor or sold to a blacksmith.
You gained 3 pieces of iron ore.
Hiro continued onto the next ore mineral deposit. There he gained 2 more copper ores. The next 5 mining spots were copper where he gained 13 more pieces of raw copper ore. The next deposit several pieces of a silvery metal fell out. He inspected it.
Raw tin ore This can be smelted and purified into pure tin ore. Tin is too weak to make weapons and armor.
You gained 3 pieces of tin ore.
He continued and found 3 more copper deposits and 5 tin deposits where he collected a total of 8 coppers and 12 tin ores. Then he came upon the last mineral deposit that he located with his ability. He began swinging his pick axe. The rocks began to break and a golden looking metal began to reveal itself but it was not falling out like all of the others. He continued hitting the areas around where he saw the metal but it only revealed more of the metal. He hit it again and again and more and more of the metal revealed. Finally, he hit the wall with his pickaxe and the large ball of the metal fell out. It was 10 times bigger than any other piece of metal he found previously. He inspected it
Large Raw iron ore This can be smelted and purified into pure iron ore. Iron is too weak to make weapons and armor.
You gained 1 large piece of raw iron ore. This could be smelted into at least 10 to 15 pieces of pure iron ore.
Hiro became excited as his gathering skill was already paying dividends.
You mining skill has increased to intermediate level 3.
He rested for a little while and then placed all of his minerals into his magic bag. Next, Hiro went to the front of the cave to meet up with Leo. He patted him on the head. ¡°Thanks for watching over the people here.¡± ¡°No problem. There wasn¡¯t much for me to do. No enemies came up so all I did was lay here and wait for you.¡± ¡°How is the mining camp coming along¡± Hiro asked the villagers. ¡°It is now ready. The forge is operational and we just completed the first mining cart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! How long until you can begin to ship materials to the town. It will take us a few days because we will have to build a cart to bring it back to the town and find enough materials to fill up the cart.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Sounds good. Would it be helpful if we could bring back a plains cow that could pull the cart for you?¡± ¡°That would be great¡± the villagers said ¡°At full speed we could probably get to the town in a little over 2 hours but I am scared to leave them witht the threat of those adult rhinoboars still looming overhead¡± Hiro said to Leo telepathically. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just track them down and kill them. I have been sitting here for most of the day. I¡¯m ready for some action.¡± ¡°Not a bad idea. Let¡¯s go back to the area where we found the babies¡± said Hiro. Hiro climbed on Leo¡¯s back as they raced to the spot where they found the babies. When they arrived Hiro saw fresh tracks on the ground. He could see that the adults were much larger than the babies. Based on the size of the footprints the adults were Leo¡¯s size and very heavy. Hiro activated his tracking ability and noticed that the trail the adults left went further to the south. Hiro and Leo followed the tracks for about 30 minutes and then Hiro felt the presence of 2 large powers. They were much more powerful than anything he had seen up until this point. ¡°This must be them.¡± ¡°Yes. I smell the scent of rhinoboar very strongly in that direction as well. Let¡¯s approach them quietly so that we can use stealth rather than brawn.¡± ¡°Good plan.¡± The two of them approached very quietly through the trees and found two rhinoboars rubbing themselves against the nearby trees. They were huge. The stood at least 175 cm tall and probably weighed well over a ton each. They also had a long horn protruding from their foreheads but unlike the babies their legs were thick and muscular. The hair on their bodies also looked thicker and it was a grey color rather than the black color of the babies. Hiro used his inspect ability.
Rhinoboar
Hp:2,500/2,5000
A large aggressive beast that is very protective of its young. They are very dimwitted and will charge at anything that comes within their territory. Their hide is very thick and sturdy and their horn is hard as a rock.
Hiro and Leo¡¯s presence all but disappeared due to Hiro¡¯s hide skill. ¡°When we get close enough I want you to use your poison ability and I will summon my clone to help cast magic on them.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± The two of them moved closer and closer to the 2 beasts. When they were in striking range, Hiro summoned his shadow clone then he pulled out the falcon swords he had in his bag. ¡°I am going to wield both swords. You back us up with magic¡± said Hiro to the clone. The clone nodded in agreement. ¡°On my mark we are going to attack. Ready?¡± ¡°Ready¡±, the clone and Leo replied. ¡°3¡­¡­2¡­¡­1¡­..GO.¡± In a flash clone cast his bind spell on both of the rhinoboars. It was ineffective. It did not restrict their movements at all. ¡°Since that didn¡¯t work I guess I¡¯ll just have to fry you up. He created a fireball in each hand and threw them at the rhinoboars. The fireballs hit their mark and the beasts were ignited into flames. They squealed in pain as the flames engulfed them. As Hiro and Leo slowly closed in the beasts began to charge at the clone. While hidden the rhinoboars didn¡¯t notice Hiro and Leo until it was too late. Just as they ran passed Hiro and Leo, the pair sprang out and attacked. Hiro jumped onto the back of one of the rhinoboars and tried to drive his bladed down into the beast¡¯s neck. ¡°It won¡¯t go through!¡± said Hiro. ¡°The hide on the top is too thick.¡± Leo on the other hand had great success. With his powerful jaws he was able to puncture the hide of the rhinoboar and inject poison into it. With his powerful jaws tearing a chunk out of its neck the beast screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Blood began to pour out from the wound but the damage had been done. The largest amount of poison Leo could deliver would be injected through his fangs and the rhinoboar had received it all. ¡°It is a matter of time before it dies. How are you doing over there Hiro?¡± ¡°My blade is not working. So I¡¯m going to do this the old fashion way.¡± ¡°You want my help?¡± ¡°No I¡¯ve got a plan. Just finish off the other one.¡± Hiro jumped off of the rhinoboar and put his ki into his legs to increase his speed. Then he put ki into both of his hand and ran straight for his enemy. The rhinoboar lowered its head so that it could gore Hiro with its horn. This attack was too easy to predict so Hiro simply dodged to his right and landed a punch to the side of the beast¡¯s head. The blow caused a shockwave in the beast brain causing it to become dazed. While the beast was dazed from the blow Hiro¡¯s clone launched several fireballs lowering the beast¡¯s health by almost half. Hiro then gathered his ki into his right hand and prepared his ki strike. His clone continued to pummel the beast with fireballs keeping it engulfed in flames. Once his attack was ready Hiro jumped as high as he could and came down with a crushing blow to the rhinoboar¡¯s head just behind the horn at the crown of its head. The impact from the blow caused its skull to crack then its head hit the ground causing a small crater to form. That blow without a doubt had killed it. Hiro released his shadow clone.
Shadow clone now at level 7.
Fireball now at novice level 1
It now takes 20% mana to cast the spell and you can no create more than one fireball at a time.
Hiro looked over and saw that the other rhinoboar had died from Leo biting down on its head and crushing it.
You gained 1 weapon skill point
You gained 1 martial arts skill point
You gained a level.
Ki manipulation now at intermediate level
All ki/mana based skills use 20% less ki/mana.
You also gain 5 points in wisdom and 5 points to your intelligence.
Your intelligence has reached 150.
Due to your superior intellect you can now see the level and class of those around you above their heads. If you inspect them you can see some of their basic stats. As you gain more intelligence you will be able to see all of their attributes in a status screen like your own.
Hiro looked over the corpses of the rhinoboars and saw that the horns were glowing. He quickly went up and used his knife to cut the horns off and placed them in his bag. Then he went to work skinning the beasts.
Skinning level increased to intermediate
Due to skinning so man animals you have gained knowledge of their anatomy
You can now see weak points on their bodies helping you land critical attacks 10% more often[/table]
You gained 4 pieces of medium hide and 12 pieces of leather.
Leo began eating one of the corpses but it was so large and meaty that he could not finish it. ¡°Well we didn¡¯t learn anything from them. I guess they didn¡¯t have any special skills. Oh well we got a level from them and some good loot that is good enough for me.¡± Hiro stuffed the remains of the corpses into his bag and climbed up on Leo¡¯s back. They quickly headed back to the mining camp. When they returned to the camp the villagers were busy working on making a cart and Hiro could see that the forge had already been ignited. The mining camp was already working. ¡°Well you won¡¯t have to worry about those rhinoboars. We took care of them.¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± one of the soldiers asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How strong is the commander?¡± the soldiers asked amongst themselves. Hiro looked at each of them and he could see it over their heads there were words in blue showing their names, level, and job. This was amazing and it was all because he increased his intelligence. ¡°I wonder what will happen if it gets up to 300? Or will something crazy happen as my other stats reach a certain level? Oh well I guess I will just keep improving and then I will see. I can treat it like a surprise¡±, Hiro chuckled to himself. Now that he knew the mining camp was relatively safe. He climbed on Leo¡¯s back so that they could return to the town. ¡°Be safe guys and I will send someone back with one of our plains cows so that you can pull your cart back and forth between here and the town.¡± ¡°Thank you Hiro!¡± everyone said as he and Leo rode off into the distance. A few hours later they arrived at the gate leading into the town. Upon entering the town, Hiro noticed that a new building had been built. The townspeople rushed to greet him. The new building was a house for him. He was embarrassed and very grateful to the people for doing something like this. Someone in the crowd said, ¡°We would not even have this town or food without your help. The house is just a small token of our gratitude.¡± ¡°Thank you all so much. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Hiro said as his eyes welled up with tears. ¡°No one has ever treated me with this much kindness.¡± ¡°We love you Hiro!¡± a voice said from in the crowd. ¡°And I love all of you. I will protect you all until my dying day and that is a promise!¡± ¡°HOOOOORRRRAAAAAYYYY!!¡± the crowd shouted. Hiro walked to the house. It was small but very comfortable. On the first floor it had a rack for him to place his weapon and armor as well a door opening large enough for Leo to fit through. ¡°Leo, come in.¡± Hiro said. ¡°This is our new home make yourself comfortable my friend.¡± Leo rubbed his face and mane against Hiro and purred with delight. They both went in and lay down for the night. Hiro began to think of home. He missed his mom¡¯s cooking and his sister¡¯s nagging and annoying behavior. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t come back mom, dad, and little sis" he said as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "I promise I will not let what happened to me happen to the people of this world. I will stand up for all those who can''t stand up on their own.¡± Hiro lay his head down on the soft bed and closed his eyes. ¡°In the morning I will go and see Foria to let her know how much I missed her. Then maybe she will spend the night here.¡± Hiro thought to himself as he let out a wolf like smile showing all of his pearly white teeth. Slowly he drifted off to sleep. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written good or bad. I love any kind of feedback that my readers give. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site so please review, follow and favorite my story. The next chapter will be out in the next couple of days. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 23: The new Apprentice at work Thank you all for continuing to read my story. I love the comments that I have been reading even those with strange point of view. I appreciate them all and I will try to incorporate them into the upcoming chapters. The poll result are in the new powerful weapon Hiro will get is a spear. It will happen sometime in the next few chapters. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 23 Hiro woke up late the next day. The sun was already high in the sky. It was shining through the large window in his bedroom illuminating the beautiful face of the woman he loved who was sleeping softly. Hiro smiled and thought to himself, ¡°Foria, you are absolutely beautiful. I can¡¯t believe how lucky I am to get someone like you.¡± Hiro stroked her long hair and pulled the cover up onto her shoulder. ¡°This life isn¡¯t so bad but I can¡¯t lose focus. I must continue my training.¡± He stood up and stretched his arms. ¡°Ouch! My shoulder still hurts. That is strange. Usually my injuries are all gone by the next day. Could it have been because my injured internally and with poison? Did my body not completely heal yet?¡± He rubbed the spot where he felt pain as he went to the large window where he saw the townspeople already busily working in the town. Hiro got dressed in the pants and shirt that Foria had brought him to wear. They were simple clothes, a black pair of relaxed pants and a white shirt. They both felt almost like linen. Then he went downstairs and saw Leo sleeping soundly. ¡°It was rough day yesterday. Go ahead and sleep partner.¡± Hiro left to go out to get something to eat. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes the town seemed like it had grown even more since the last time he had paid attention. There was now a smithy shop and a restaurant. The training grounds had been improved with wooden dummies for the soldiers to practice on. ¡°The townspeople continue to impress me with their dedication to their craft. I¡¯m going to have to do the same with my training¡±, he said to himself. ¡°Since there is a restaurant I should try eating there.¡± He went to the restaurant and sat down. The waitress came up and showed him the menu. She then said anything you want is on the house Hiro. ¡°Thank you for rescuing our town.¡± Hiro smiled and order some steak with a side of soup. The waitress took his order and return shortly. The meal looked delicious. He thanked the waitress and dug in. In no time Hiro had devoured all of the food. He felt stuffed. It had been a long time since he ate like this. After he finished eat his shoulder pain was gone. ¡°I guess it works for me just like it does for Leo. When I eat my health and strength returns. Hiro then left and went outside to visit the dwarves at the smithy. He opened the door and noticed that the shop was bare on the inside. It was to be expected the shop had just been built today. He called out for the dwarves. They came out and greeted him with large smiles. Their short stout bodies were covered in sweat. They must have been working hard. Hiro noticed that about their heads their names and levels were showing. ¡°I guess that new status ability is going to work for everyone.¡± To be polite and not let on about his new found ability Hiro asked, ¡°I have been very rude. I¡¯ve never asked you guys your names.¡± The dwarves smiled and replied one at a time, ¡°Our names are Brandani, Lun, and Harailt.¡± ¡°I am pleased to meet you gentlemen.¡± Hiro opened his bag and took out the large wind gem and the small fire stones. The dwarves¡¯ eyes got very large. Then he asked, ¡°When you make my armor and weapon can you use these?¡± The dwarves said, ¡°Of course what would you like your armor to be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The dwarves explained the enchanting process. The said that fire properties increase strength attack power, earth properties raise defense, water properties raise vitality and thus your life, lightning increases your speed and thus your ability to dodge attacks, wind increases you wisdom, and thus improving your ability to use magic. Hiro was impressed with the knowledge possessed by the dwarves. ¡°Ummm¡­ I want to have my blade made with fire gems, my boots from lightning, my gauntlets from wind, my breastplate from with water gems, and my shield with earth gems.¡± The dwarves smiled and said ¡°Young man, what you are looking for is elemental armor. It is extremely rare due to the components needed to make it. First, you will have to gather an adequate amount of spirit gems. Then you will have to find metals suitable for embedding these types of gems into, we suggest titanium or mithril due to their strength and weight.¡± ¡°Ok I will get them.¡± The dwarves smiled again and said, ¡°Those materials are difficult to mine as they are only found in the deepest parts of a dungeon where the most dangerous monsters live.¡± Hiro thought for a moment and said, ¡°If I get them can you make my armor and weapon?¡± The dwarves huddled for a moment and Brandani, who seemed to be there spokesperson, returned saying, ¡°We will make you the finest armor and weapon in the land if you obtain the materials that we asked for.¡±
New quest available: Find the materials for the elemental armor.
Do you accept
YesNo
Reward: Elemental Armor
Hiro quickly selected the yes button. ¡°Until then young warrior, please bring us your current equipment so that we can repair it¡° , said Harailt. Hiro agreed and went home to get his weapon and armor. Upon inspection of his armor and weapon he said to himself, ¡°My armor is nicked up pretty bad and my sword has a crack straight down the middle of the blade.¡± He looked at the spear too. ¡°This spear that I looted from the Cobraman isn¡¯t in any better condition. I hope the dwarves can fix them.¡± He grabbed the equipment and returned the smithy. The dwarves took his equipment and inspected it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Hiro your claymore is beyond repair.¡± said Lun. ¡°The blade has been fractured. If I try to repair it the metal will be too weak for you to strike it against anything solid.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You mean you can¡¯t repair it at all?¡± The other 2 replied, ¡°Lun is a master blacksmith specializing in weapons. If he can¡¯t fix it none of us can. We are sorry Hiro.¡± Upon hearing the news from the dwarves Hiro¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°That weapon has served me well. It was the first quality weapon that I had since I have been in this world. ¡°If you want a quality sword then give me one of the swords you took from the kobold champions and I¡¯ll repair it.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Hiro¡¯s face returned to its normal cheer. ¡°Thank you, Lun. I will take whatever you can give me.¡± ¡°Your armor and shield are a mess too but we can fix them¡± said Brandani. ¡°Umm¡­. The spear is going to take some time. It has been enhanced with a lightning gem but the gem has been damaged. I will need you to find a lighting gem of equal or greater quality in order to fix it¡± said Lun ¡°Thank you I will find the gem. Is it a really good weapon?¡± ¡°I would estimate that when it is repaired it would be a high quality item. It is not in the rare or legendary category but it would definitely be a big step up from the weapons you currently have.¡± ¡°Wow! I will get to work on finding that gem. Do you know any where I might find a gem like that?¡± Brandani replied, ¡°Usually gems are found from monsters that possess that attribute or from mines where they are found inside of ores.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­. I¡¯ll have to make trip to the mine as soon as my armor and weapons are ready.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get on that right now.¡± After talking with Hiro, the dwarves grabbed up his equipment and went into the back. Hiro remained out front and waited. A few hours later, the dwarves returned. ¡°Hey ummm¡­..The armor looks different. It seems to be a bit smaller.¡± Brandani replied, ¡°I resized the armor to fit your body rather than the body of the Kobold. It should afford you the same protection with less restriction in your movement.¡± ¡°I melted down your shield and re-forged it with one of the fire gems you left as well¡± said Harailt ¡°Your sword you left was in bad shape so I re-forged them with the fire gems you left here. The result was better than I had hoped¡± said Lun. ¡°What do you mean better than you hoped?¡± Hiro said as his eyes began to light up. ¡°We know you have the ability to use fire magic so we know you have an affinity for fire. These weapons that we forged will react to your fire affinity. Now your armor, shield, and sword will do so as well.¡± Hiro donned his armor, shield and sword. ¡°The dwarves were right. The armor felt much better. I don¡¯t feel restricted at all. My arms feel loose and my legs feel.¡± He then put on his sword and shield. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ve equipped everything. What did you mean by it will react to my fire affinity?¡± The dwarves felt the power of Hiro¡¯s aura. They told him, ¡°Since you have a fire affinity to mana or ki also has a fire affinity within it. Feel the fire that is flowing through you and release it slowly into your armor shield and sword.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and focused. ¡°In my body I can feel my ki but I don¡¯t know how to distinguish between my different affinities.¡± Hiro said to the dwarves. ¡°You have more than one affinity to magic?¡± ¡°Yes I have an affinity to darkness, wind, and fire.¡± ¡°Impressive¡±, said Harailt. ¡°Just simply push your ki into your equipment slowly and we will see what happens. Maybe the armor will react because your ki has the correct affinity in it.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Hiro began to channel his ki into his armor. He began with his boots, then moved to his greaves. Following the greaves his ki traveled to his breastplate and helmet. Finally it moved to his gauntlets. From his gauntlets it moved to his sword and shield. ¡°Nothing is happening¡± Lun said. ¡°Just wait¡± said Harailt. Suddenly his armor, shield, and sword started to heat up. The dwarves began to step back as the heat became unbearable. They all wiped their brows as they had instantly broken into a sweat. The heat increased even more then suddenly Hiro¡¯s equipment burst into flames. The dwarves backed away in awe of Hiro. Hiro said calmly, ¡°I am on fire but I am not being burned. This is awesome. I think I will call this the Armor of Wild fire.¡± The dwarves told him, ¡°Alright that is enough. Relax or you will burn down our new shop.¡± Laughingly he took a deep breath and released his ki. As he did the flames subsided and the armor cooled off. The armor was amazing. Hiro inspected his new equipment.
Wildfire Helmet
Defense+ 28Fire resistance: 10%
Breastplate
Defense+ 50Fire resistance: 30%
Wildfire Gloves
Defense+ 17Fire resistance: 15%
Wildfire Shield
Defense+ 45Fire resistance: 25%
Wildfire Greaves
Defense+ 25Fire resistance: 20%
*Set bonus: +20 strength. Fire absorption allowing you to gain health and mana equal to 25% of the damage inflicted by a fire based attack.
Wildfire SwordAttack: 65+20 strength10% fire damage to enemies.[/table] Hiro thanked the dwarves. He then pulled out one of his whetstones and sharpened the blade.
Due to your sharpening the weapon now has a +5 to its attack damage.
The dwarves were impressed and asked, ¡°Are you a blacksmith¡± ¡°Yes but I¡¯m just learning.¡± ¡°Well we¡¯ll teach you whatever you would like to know.¡±
You gained a new title Blacksmith Apprentice
Because are now being taught by several master smiths you have gained the title Blacksmith Apprentice. With this title you will now gain smith 2x the experience in your trade skill of blacksmithing.
¡°That is great! So learning under a master will help to improve twice as fast. Hmmm¡­ I wonder how fast I will learn sword skills under Master Matsuro?¡± Hiro thought to himself. After a moment he focused on learning blacksmithing from the dwarves. Hiro removed his armor, shield, and sword then asked the dwarves, ¡°What should I learn first about being a blacksmith?¡± Before answering, they asked him to come into the back of the store. There he saw a forge. They asked him to take out the raw ore that he found. He took out the copper, tin, and finally the large iron ore from his bag. The dwarves¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°You mined all of this ore at the cave where we were being held captive." Hiro smiled, "I sure did." "Let¡¯s start with the basics of blacksmithing. In order to create anything as a blacksmith you need to have pure metal to work with. Ores are filled with impurities that must be removed before you can work with the metal. Copper as it is the most common of the ores and the one you have the most of so we will start with that" said Brandani. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Brandani took two of Hiro¡¯s copper ores and placed them in the forge. The heat began to melt away the impurities and all that was left was the pure copper in a liquid form. Brandani then poured the liquid copper into a mold. Once the mold was closed it was allowed to cool. A little while later the mold was opened and there was a shiny copper bar. Brandani gave it to him and then said, ¡°Your turn¡±. Brandani talked Hiro through the process and he made all of his copper into copper bars while under Brandani¡¯s watchful eye. When Hiro made a mistake that like not letting all of the impurities burn off then Brandani would tell him to wait a little longer. When the metal was done and he had not taken it out of the forge, Brandani would tell him to stay focused.
Blacksmithing increased to level 3.
Then he did the same for tin. As he worked Brandani watched but began to say less and less as he felt that Hiro was learning quickly. Now it was time to work with the iron ore. ¡°My turn to teach our new apprentice.¡± Lun said with a smile. ¡°First you should cut the large Iron ore it into some smaller pieces to fit inside the forge. I suggest you try your new sword.¡± Hiro agreed and took out his wildfire sword. He placed the large iron ore in the middle of the room. Then he moved his kiit with his ki. He slashed at the large ore 6 times and cut it into 12 pieces that were similar in size and shape to the other ores. ¡°Good. You have pretty good technique with a sword. Now you have some smaller pieces to work with. Now try smelting the iron.¡± Hiro tried to smelt the iron. He began the process the same way but he failed on his first try. Lun smiled and said to his new apprentice, ¡°Iron was a little more sensitive so you will have to heat it on a lower temperature so that the iron did not completely melt away.¡± Hiro then tried again and this time the impurities left and he was left with a spongy substance. ¡°What is this, Lun?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see¡± Lun said laughingly. Lun took some large tongs and grabbed the pieces. Then he pull out a hammer. The small dwarf beat it with a hammer until it began to form the shape of a bar. Once it cooled It was a perfectly shaped iron bar. ¡°That is how iron is smelted into a bar. Part of being a blacksmith is trial and error. You will not know what to do until you make a mistake. It is costly like this but the experience you gain will be tremendous.¡± ¡°Thank you Lun¡± said Hiro. He tried 8 more times but he was on successful 6 out of the 8. ¡°I need to continue to improve my blacksmiting skill¡±, he thought.
Hammer mastery increased to level 4
"I even get increases in mastery for hammer while swinging a blacksmith hammer? This makes learning that skill very easy. I wonder what other skill will level up along with my trade skills." When he picked up the last 2 pieces of ore he noticed that there were jewels inside the ore. He showed it to Lun. Lun said, ¡°You are lucky there were 6 small fire gems inside the pieces of ore. However, by removing them you will no longer be able to use the ore for smelting.¡± Hiro agreed. ¡°You are not quite ready for this skill yet so I will remove them for you. If you fail at this the learning experience will not be worth the loss.¡± Lun quickly removed the gems. Then Hiro asked them a favor. ¡°Could you teach me to make some armor for Leo?¡± The Dwarves asked, ¡°Who is Leo?¡± Hiro nodded and smiled, ¡°He is my partner, he is a liger. You saw him in the dungeon.¡± ¡°Making armor for your pet will take some time and materials. If you gather material we can make him armor like your elemental armor affording him the same protection, attack, and attribute buffs as you.¡± said Harailt
New quest available: Find materials for dwarves to make Leo¡¯s elemental armor.
Do you accept
YesNo
Reward: Liger''s Elemental Armor
Hiro clicked yes and returned to his conversation with the dwarves. Brandani said, ¡°If you want something now we can teach you to make body armor and helmet out of any of the metals you smelted so far using your current skill.¡± Hiro agreed. The dwarves asked Hiro to go and get Leo so that they could examine his size and shape. Hiro left and went home. ¡°Leo wake up!¡± ¡°ROOOOAAARRR! What¡¯s wrong Hiro?¡± ¡°Nothing I want to give you a present.¡± ¡°A present? Where is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to make it for you.¡± ¡°Then go make it and wake me when you get back.¡± Hiro laughed and said, ¡°I need you there to make it.¡± ¡°Why? What is it? ¡°I am learning from the dwarves how to make armor and I want to make some for you to help protect you when we go back into battle.¡± ¡°Really¡­? ¡°Yes you are my partner and my friend¡± Hiro said as he stroked Leo¡¯s mane. Leo purred and then stood up. They left the house and quickly went to the smithy. The dwarves came outside and saw Leo. They were in awe of the fierce beast but even more admiring of Hiro as he had tamed this monstrous beast. They took in his dimensions and made 3 patterns for Hiro. They gave him the pattern for bronze greaves, iron body armor, and a bronze helmet. ¡°Once I make the armor can you teach me to place the fire gems that I found in the iron ore into them so that Leo¡¯s armor can absorb fire like mine?¡± ¡°Sure¡± said Harailt. ¡°Go ahead home buddy this may take a while.¡± Leo left and Hiro went back into the back where the forge was located. He looked at the pattern and grabbed the bars of iron and began working. As he hammered the pieces they slowly began to take shape. Hiro was sweating heavily but his work was paying off. Harailt, master armorer, looked on correcting Hiro as he worked. After several hours Hiro had completed all 3 pieces. ¡°Good job apprentice!¡± said Harailt.
Blacksmithing now at level 4
¡°Now it is my turn¡± said Brandani. ¡°I am the master of enchantment. Come watch so that you can learn apprentice.¡±
You have gained the title Apprentice EnchanterYou
By learning from the Brandani the master enchanter, you will gain 2x the normal experience you would have gotten on your own.
¡°Sweet having a master is definitely going to benefit. I wonder though¡­ How come I didn¡¯t become an apprentice when I learned from Snow or Korin? Is it because there skills are not at the master level?¡± Brandani sat down with the pieces in front of him. ¡°Hiro enchanting is the process of placing the gem¡¯s magical properties into the item.¡± ¡°So how do I do that?¡± ¡°You have to slowly place the gem into the armor and spread small links to the gem into the armor so that when it reacts the magical energy is spread throughout the item. Watch young apprentice.¡± Brandani cut a small notch into the armor and inserted 1 of the gems. He then covered it with his hand. All of sudden Hiro could feel Brandani¡¯s ki skyrocket. As he looked on he saw Brandani¡¯s ki flow completely through every part of the armor. As it began to return Hiro could faintly see numerous red lines like a spider¡¯s web spread out from the gem throughout the armor. Once Brandani removed his hand then all of the lines disappeared. ¡°Did you see the lines of my energy mixed with the gem?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you are ready to try. The first part of becoming an enchanter is to be able to see and manifest your energy in an object. After watching you with your armor, sword, and shield I thought you might be ready.¡± ¡°Ok. I will give it my best.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit apprentice.¡± Hiro grabbed one of the gems and cut out a small notch for it in one of the bracers. ¡°Now you have to visualize the fire engulfing the armor. Do it slowly.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and placed his hands on the fire gem. Hiro envisioned the fire moving slowly across the bracer. Brandani¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Hiro completely the skill perfectly. Hiro began sweating. ¡°Brandani, the strain is incredible. Keeping my ki like this is so difficult.¡± ¡°Keep focused boy. You are almost there!¡± replied Brandani gruffly. Hiro concentrated and continued on with the enchanting process. Slowly but surely the lines spread throught the entire brace. Finally, Hiro¡¯s ki had reached its limit and returned to him. Hiro opened his eyes and he saw the bracer had changed to a white color with. ¡°I did it!¡± Hiro yelled with joy.
Enchanting increased to level 5.
¡°I got 5 levels for doing one thing.¡± He said to himself. Then Hiro noticed his mana. It had dropped by 50%. ¡°I lost that much for doing this one time? Could it be because my skill is low? Or is it because it is a skill that consumes a lot of mana?¡± Hiro went back and enchanted the rest of Leo¡¯s armor pieces one at a time resting in between to regain his mana.
Enchanting increased to novice level 6
Due to becoming a novice you can now enchant items with 1 medium sized spirit gem or 2 small spirt gems. You will also gain 5 points of wisdom for each level you gain from enchanting.
¡°That was a great day¡¯s work Hiro. When you get more materials be sure to come back. We have a lot more things to teach you¡± said Lun. ¡°Thank you so much my friends.¡± Hiro equipped his armor then placed Leo¡¯s in his bag. ¡°See you guys later.¡± The dwarves waved goodbye as he exited the shop. Hiro returned home to find Leo lying on the floor relaxing. ¡°It¡¯s done my friend. Let¡¯s try it on and see how you look.¡± Leo stood up and Hiro placed the bracers on each of his legs along with the armor that covered his torso and finally the helmet. ¡°How does it fit?¡± Leo moved his legs and his head from side to side. ¡°It feels good. It¡¯s almost like I don¡¯t have anything on. You actually made this?¡± ¡°What do you mean I actually made this? What you thought I didn¡¯t have any skill?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding Hiro.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.¡± The two exited from Hiro¡¯s housel. ¡°Ok now what?¡± ¡°Now for the best part. You have my ability to manipulate ki so place your ki in your armor.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Leo began to place his energy into the armor. Hiro could feel the heat. ¡°Yes keep going!¡± The armor got hotter and hotter. ¡°I have my armor on so it shouldn¡¯t harm me¡± Hiro thought to himself. The temperature increased even more then it happened. The armor burst into flames. ¡°What is going on Hiro?¡± ¡°It''s armor made from those gems you brought me. It reacts to our affinity to fire making us immune to fire based attacks and giving strength.¡± ¡°ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!¡± Leo said as he breathed fire into the air. Hiro Inspected Leo¡¯s equipment
Fiery Bronze Liger Bracers
Defense+ 20Fire resistance: 15%
Bronze Liger Helmet
Defense+ 12Fire resistance: 10%
Fiery Iron Liger armor
Defense+ 45Fire resistance: 30%
¡°Just as I thought with his natural affinity to fire along with the armor he will be complete immune to fire. Now in battle we should be able to ignite ourselves and burn up our enemies.¡± Hiro was excited about their new equipment. He also told Leo about the dwarves¡¯ proposition to make them new armor elemental armor. ¡°We are going to become the strongest team the world had ever seen.¡± Leo roared showing his approval. Then Hiro went upstairs to his bed and they both fell asleep. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written good or bad. I love any kind of feedback that my readers give. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site so please review, follow and favorite my story. The next chapter will be out in the next couple of days. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main Page[url=NEXT CHAPTER]NEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 24: Give them hell As asked by someone in one of their comments, "Why hasn''t Hiro contacted another town?" Well your answer is within the this chapter. I won''t go into too much detail now but Hiro gets an opportunity to see more of the world that he finds himself in. Enjoy and as always please favorite, comment, and review my work. Thank you! _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Hiro awoke to Leo¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Someone is at the door. It seems urgent!¡± It was Snow at the door. ¡°Hiro, 3 messengers have come from my hometown in the north. The messengers have been sent to get help from any town or village that would lend a hand but no one else has responded. "What is going on? Why do they need help?" Hiro said while wiping his eyes. "There is an army of 250 orcs headed toward the town. The messenger had said that the army was about 10 days out but it took them 4 days to get here. We have 6 days to get there and prepare a defense.¡± said Snow ¡°Snow, only Leo and Ora could get us there that fast and we don¡¯t have time to get the other soldiers mounts. Do you think the 4 of us can take out over 200 orcs?¡± Hiro smirked ¡°Ora and I can take 100 by ourselves¡±, Snow replied with a hearty laugh. ¡°Leo and I could take on the entire army.¡± Said Hiro. Leo roared in agreement. "Cocky little brat!" Snow said with a devilish grin "I learned from the best!" Hiro said with his chest poked out with pride. ¡°Will you fight alongside me, Hiro?¡± ¡°Of course I will. Let¡¯s go to the training grounds and inform the army.¡± Snow, Hiro, and Leo walked to the army training grounds where the soldiers were already working hard training on the straw dummies. The sound of wooden swords slashing and thrusting the dummies reverberated throughout the area. ¡°Attention!¡± shouted Snow. The soldiers immediately stopped their training and lined up in front of Snow, Leo, and Hiro. ¡°A grave message has come to us men. Captain Snow¡¯s hometown is about to be attacked by orcs. His town is about 4 days away but we do not have enough mounts for all of you to get there in that short of time. Snow and I will be traveling to the town to lend a hand.¡± ¡°Sir is that wise?¡± asked one of the soldiers ¡°It is our best choice¡± Replied Snow. ¡°Then sir we will do as you command.¡± ¡°It is settled then. You soldiers will stay and protect the city with Foria and Korin.¡± Hiro and Snow asked their pets could they carry an extra person and still get them to the town to the north in a day. They both said yes. So Kaura rode with Snow on Ora and Rain rode with Hiro on Leo. Hiro secretly could not wait to reveal the armor the dwarves had made for him and use it to kill some orcs. They grabbed some food from the restaurant for the long journey and stuffed it in their bags. Next they went to the farmer and asked for a cow that he had slaughtered to feed Ora and Leo on their journey. The farmer smiled and said anything for our hero. Hiro stuffed the cow into his magic bag and ran back to the group. Hiro asked, ¡°Snow can you wait while I go get my equipment?¡± Snow nodded and said, ¡°We will wait for you at the entrance to the town.¡± Hiro and Leo went home. Once in the house Hiro donned his equipment and placed the new armor pieces on Leo. Leo roared in approval of his new armor. Then they went to the town entrance to meet everyone. ¡°What is that armor, Hiro?¡± , Snow asked ¡°Oh..¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°It is the silver armor we took from the kobold champions that the dwarves repaired for me.¡± ¡°It looks fearsome.¡± ¡°Yeah. I also made some armor for Leo as well.¡± ¡°Not bad. Ora¡¯s body is like armor so I don¡¯t think she will need it for now. If she does, will you make some for her too?¡± ¡°No problem. Blacksmithing is actually quite fun. I like the feel the hammer and the heat from the forge.¡± ¡°Everyone ready!¡± said Snow ¡°Ready!¡± shouted everyone. [tr]
New Quest Available!
Save the village in the NorthDo you accept:
YesNoreward:???
The first 3 days of their journey went by with the group making great distance each day. On the third day, half a day¡¯s journey went by and they decided to take a rest and eat. Hiro took the food from the restaurant out and divided it evenly amongst the group then he removed the slaughtered cow from the bag and told Leo to eat and make sure he shared with Ora. Everyone ate and regained their strength. This was the last of their food if they did not make it to the town today they would have to hunt for food. Rain looked at Hiro and noticed his aura and ki were visible and had been for their entire trip. She asked him, ¡°Why are you using your ki for no reason?¡± Hiro replied, ¡°It¡¯s is for training. I need to train 3 things. First, I¡¯ve found that the more I use it the better I get at manipulating it. Second, the more I use it the greater my overall capacity of mana increases. Third, because I use it so much my body and mind begin to use it more efficiently so the amount of mana or ki I need for different things decreases. For me my ki is like any of my other muscles.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ Do you think I could do that too?¡± replied Rain ¡°It couldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± Rain took a deep breath and her energy became visible. Her body was shrouded in a thin blue coating. Her ki looked so peaceful. ¡°Try to hold it like that for as long as you can¡±, Hiro told Rain. She nodded and they continued eating. 1 hour had gone by and Rain was beginning to look fatigued. Hiro told her to stop. She released her ki and began to rest. ¡° ¡°You lasted about an hour. That is way longer than I did when I first started training. Now rest and recover then repeat the same thing but this time try to improve even if it¡¯s only by a little bit.¡± Rain nodded and smiled. ¡°Now can you teach me something?¡± ¡°Sure but what could I possibly teach you though?¡± replied Rain. ¡°You could teach me that healing spell.¡± ¡°Of course. First you should understand the basis of water magic. water magic¡¯s source comes from the water that is all around us. It is in the air, the plants, and even in your own body. It is necessary for all life.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Said Hiro. ¡°Since you have such a great regenerative ability you should practice on yourself. Even if your spell is not successful your regenerative ability will keep you safe.¡± ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± ¡°In order to be healed, you must be injured so I am tell you to harm yourself. To make your training even better I am going to injury myself so that you can heal me. I don¡¯t have your regenerative ability so I could actually die if you don¡¯t master this skill.¡± ¡°No Rain that is not necessary. I can learn by healing myself.¡± ¡°Well let¡¯s begin. Kaura can I borrow one of your daggers?¡± ¡°Sure Rain. Here you go.¡± Rain took the dagger and cut her hand. Blood began to slowly pour from her hand. Rain closed her eyes and Hiro used his copy ability. Hiro could see it. She began to pull water in from the area around her. The water was drawn into the wound and the blood was returned in to the skin. As she stopped bringing the ki into her body she the water stopped and the wounded was healed. ¡°Amazing Rain.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Hiro what did you see?¡± asked Rain ¡°I saw the water around you being drawn into the wound. The water healed you.¡± ¡°Yes that is part of it but not the whole thing. The water was drawn in but the mana within the water acts as a catalyst for the regeneration of the cells.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Now it is your turn. You will have to inflict a more serious injury upon yourself as your regenerative ability will close a small wound like that without you performing the spell.¡± ¡°Ok here goes.¡± Hiro pulled out his blade and bit down on his lip. Then he thrust the point of his blade through the palm of his hand opening a wound that immediately began bleed down his arm.¡± ¡°Relax now and focus on drawing in the water from the air and pushing it into your wound.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to relax with the pain I feel.¡± ¡°Do you want to cut yourself again? If not you better learn this right now.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and began to use his ki to draw water from the air into the wound. ¡°The process is not that difficult¡±, he thought. ¡°Is it due to my intermediate level of ki manipulation skill? Anyway this is not that bad.¡± The wound slowly stopped bleeding and then began to close. ¡°I did it!¡±
You have learned the spell, Heal.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
HealBeginner0100%
With this spell you can now heal individuals with minor injuries. Increasing you proficiency with this spell will allow you to heal individuals with more serious injuries and possibly from death.
¡°That was excellent Hiro. I¡¯ve never seen anyone learn it that quickly.¡± ¡°You are a great teacher Rain. Plus, I had a lot of motivation from the idea of having to put a sword through my hand if I failed¡± he said smiling. After a short rest the got up and mounted up on Leo and Ora. Then they were off again. The sun began to set when the town came into view. Hiro could sense the presence of the large army of orcs but it was still about a half a day¡¯s journey away. They ran to the town. The villagers saw Snow and were overjoyed. ¡°Welcome back Captain Snow!¡± they cheered. Snow introduced his comrades and they entered the town. The town¡¯s leader came and spoke to the group. Snow told him that the leader of the group was Hiro. The town¡¯s chief said, ¡°Thank you for aiding us in this battle but don¡¯t you think this is too few.¡± Hiro replied, ¡°It is not the number of soldiers you have but the quality of those soldiers.¡± The town chief smiled, ¡°But what can only four warriors do?¡± ¡°Test him chief and then make your judgment on how much he can or can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± The chief call for two of his best warriors and 2 large men wearing powerful looking blue metallic armor came forth. Hiro you shall face off against them in combat. Fear not of inflicting serious wounds for we have several healers in the town.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this chief?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Afraid, young warrior?¡± ¡°Yes, but not for myself¡± ¡°The why are you afraid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid for your men.¡± ¡°HAHAHAHAH!¡± laughed the chief. ¡°Let the test begin.¡± The two men who were as muscular and powerful looking as Snow faced Hiro. One had a large sword the other wielded a large battle axe. Hiro decided to leave his weapons sheathed because they did not exude any ki. He began to walk slowly towards them. ¡°You think you can take us on with no weapons?¡± said the man with the battle axe. ¡°He is just a foolish boy¡± said the man with the sword. ¡°I will use my snake fist style on these two. Because there weapons are so large I need to be fast¡±, Hiro thought to himself. Hiro began to let his ki gather into his arms and legs. He walked closer. The two men gripped their weapons and readied them for battle. Hiro took off like a bullet and closed the distance between the 2 in a flash. The two men were surprised by his speed. The man with the sword swung his blade first. Hiro narrowly avoided the slash as he ducked down. He flattened out his hand so that it resembled the head of a snake and quickly struck the man on the elbow and the side of his knee. The man was barely able to hold onto his sword but his arm was useless. In addition he was barely able to stand on his leg. The man holding the battle axe swung his weapon but was unable to make contact with the speedy young man. Hiro had backed away and resumed his fighting stance. His body looked like a snake coiled up ready to strike. The man holding the sword tried to hold his large sword with one hand and he staggered closer to Hiro as the man with the battle axe continued to move closer. Hiro waited as they closed in on him. The first to come within his striking range was the man with the battle axe. Hiro quickly moved in as the man swung the axe down vertically. Hiro slid to the side avoiding the attack and he quickly struck the man on his wrist and elbow causing the man to drop his axe. Hiro followed up his attack with a low kick to the man¡¯s leg which buckled his leg. Then he smashed a knee into the man¡¯s chin knocking him flat on his back. Hiro then dashed towards the man with the sword who was barely able to still fight. The man used a horizontal slashing attack but once again it was too slow to land against Hiro¡¯s superior speed. Hiro ducked down under the attack and when he stood up he was behind the man. Hiro strengthened his arms to their maximum and grabbed the man around his waist. Hiro then lifted the man with all his might and arched his back. The man with the sword could not fight the inevitable. Hiro had raised him up and now the man¡¯s head and neck were quickly approaching the ground at a frightening rate of speed. ¡°SMMMMAAAAASSSSHHH!¡± The man¡¯s skull hit the ground and lost consciousness. Hiro stood up and released his ki. Hiro looked at the town¡¯s chief who was staring back in awe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for their injuries chief. Do you approve of my strength now?¡± ¡°Yes most definitely. You did all that with no weapons and I can see you have a powerful sword and shield on your back so you are probably even more powerful. Your strength is definitely for real.¡± ¡°Thank you. I was trained by Snow so I should be strong.¡± Snow smiled sheepishly, ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s eat!¡± The town chief had his people prepare a meal for the group and gave them beds to sleep in. Hiro rested during the night but it got extremely cold. This was the first time that the temperature had changed like this. Hiro went and found Leo and curled up in his warm fur. Then he fell fast asleep. The next morning came quickly and Hiro awoke with the rising of the sun. It was very cold outside so cold in fact that he could see his breath in the air. ¡°In order to keep warm I will practice with using my wildfire armor.¡± Hiro quickly pushed his ki into the armor and it began to heat up. ¡°That is better. I feel much warmer now.¡± Hiro decided that he would train this morning as he had missed it the previous morning. He took out his hammer. The hammer was still heavy but now he was able to lift it and hold it off the ground. He tried to begin swinging it with both hands. There were trees nearby so he swung the hammer at the tree. The hammer struck the trunk of one of the trees. The head of the hammer went right through the tree knocking a huge part of its trunk out. The trunk began to crack and then the tree fell over. ¡°The destructive power of this thing is insane.¡± He panted to catch his breath as that swing took and incredible amount of effort. Once he recovered Hiro then struck the tree while it was on the ground. The tree nearly exploded. Bits and pieces of tree bark was everywhere. ¡°That must be the seismic wave ability.¡± Hiro continued to knock down trees and break them once they were on the ground until he was completely exhausted. He fell to the ground and breathed heavily. His stamina and mana were both completely exhausted. He couldn¡¯t even maintain the ki in his armor. The heat from the armor quickly dissipated.
Through your training your strength and vitality has gone up 25 points each.
Your hammer mastery has increased to level 5.
Toughness increased to level 7
After catching his breath he placed the hammer back into his inventory. As he put the hammer into his bag he looked at his hands and noticed that they were red and bruised. ¡°What is going? Why are my hands so messed up? Could have been the vibration from the impact of the hammer hitting the trees? Well I guess this will give me a chance to use my heal spell.¡± Hiro sat down and began meditating. Once his mana had recovered he looked at his hands. The swelling had gone down significantly but they were still injured. Hiro began using his healing spell. He cast it and the familiar golden glow began to appear around his hands. Hiro¡¯s hands began to feel cooler as they were bathed in the light. After casting the spell several times, Hiro¡¯s hands were completely healed.
Heal spell increased to level 2.
With his morning training complete, Hiro went back to the town. He met up with the rest of the group to prepare for battle. He gave Snow and Kaura some healing potions. He knew that he and Rain could heal using magic and his regenerate ability and armored skin ability would allow him to withstand most weak attacks. Hiro then began to create division for the forces of the town led by his soldiers. Hiro began with Kaura leading a light armored unit of the villagers. They would be allowed to roam and try to outflank enemies or support the man attacking force. While Ora, Snow, Leo, and Hiro lead the main force which would face the front of the enemy and occupy their attention. Finally, Rain would stay in the back and lead the ranged unit and use her magic to heal allies or use her chain lightning magic to decimate the enemy. ¡°Now that everyone has been placed in their groups, I want you all to get familiar with those around you. All of you will need to depend on the person to your left and your right. For all of us to survive this you will all need to follow my orders to the letter¡± said Hiro Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°YEESSS SIIIRR!¡± the group screamed! ¡°Understand this, your families and friends are depending on you. If you fail know that those monsters will not spare those that you love. Hold this in your heart as you fight tomorrow.¡± ¡°YEESSS SIIIRR!¡± the group screamed! ¡°How was that Snow?¡± asked Hiro ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it better myself, lad. You are by far my finest pupil.¡± ¡°Thank you Snow.¡± After Hiro¡¯s stirring speech everyone went and began preparing for the next day¡¯s battle. Kaura went out and began scouting the terrain for the most advantageous battle position and finding as much information as she could about the approaching army of orcs. Hiro and Snow went off to plan for the upcoming battle to make sure that they would have the best chance of defeating the orcs. Night quickly fell and Kaura returned. ¡°Commander, the army is somewhere between 400 and 500 orcs. They have groups of heavily armored troops, some troops that ride on the back of large wolves, and a ranged unit. I was unable to locate their leader without be spotted but I also found a hill that will be a great point to defend the town from.¡± ¡°Great work Kaura! Your information will definitely be invaluable to us in winning this battle.¡± ¡°Snow, what do you think our formation should be?¡± asked Hiro ¡°I believe the heavily armored unit should be placed in front while the ranged unit and the highly mobile, light armored unit should be behind us on either flank. While behind us they can provide support and whittle the enemy force down before clashing with the main attack force.¡± ¡°I totally agree. We just have to make sure that they do not flank the main unit or attack Rain¡¯s unit. If that happens they will in grave danger¡± said Hiro. ¡°Alright tomorrow we will be in a tough battle so rest up well.¡± When the sun came overhead and the temperature raised to a comfortable level the orc army stood in front of the small army composed of Hiro¡¯s troops and about 7 5 villagers. Hiro yelled to the group referencing one of his favorite movies, ¡°This is where we hold them!¡± The troops yelled, ¡°Hoooo!¡± ¡°This is where we fight and they DIE!¡± The troops yelled, ¡°Hoooo!¡± ¡°No mercy! No prisoners!¡± The troops yelled, ¡°Hoooo!¡± The orc army began to advance. The orcs that made up the melee force wore either chain armor or leather armor. Most had small round shields on their arms with short swords, hand axes, or clubs. Hiro raised his sword to signal Rain to bring the archers to ready. She yelled to her troops, ¡°Ready!¡± The archers grabbed an arrow from their quivers. The orcs advanced closer. ¡°Aim¡± yelled Rain The archers raised their bows and prepared themselves. The orcs began running toward the front lines. ¡°Fire!¡± The archers released their arrows and they sailed through the air. The orcs that were hit were killed immediately. Those that protected themselves with their shields continued to advance. ¡°Fire at will!¡± Rain screamed to her soliders. The archers continued to fire more and more arrows cutting down the orcs as they pressed forward. ¡°It is our turn boys¡±, Hiro exclaimed to the troops. He stepped out in front of the army and activated his Armor of Wildfire. The armor immediately was covered in red flames. The men gasped behind their leader as they saw the man who looked like a walking ball of fire. "What in the world? Hiro you cheaky bastard! Hiding such a powerful armor like that to show it off on the battlefield, Oh that is just what I would do." "Thanks Snow. Now le''ts kill some of these orcs." He raised his sword which was also covered in flames and yelled, ¡°Charge!¡± The Melee troops raced towards the orcs. Hiro led the way. When the two sides collided blood began to flow. The flimsy shields were no match for Hiro¡¯s wildfire sword. His sword cut through the orc¡¯s armor and shields as if they were paper. Ora and Leo breathed fire at the orcs scorching dozens leaving nothing remaining but their charred bodies. The tide of the battle was in the favor of Hiro¡¯s army. Kaura¡¯s group came down on the right flank of the orc army and began cutting orcs down from their blind side. The orcs were being overwhelmed. Their leader who was sitting up on top of the hill blew a large horn. Shortly afterwards, a group of about 40 orcs who were riding white wolves appeared on the hilltop. They began to charge at Hiro¡¯s army. ¡°Hiro bring the lightly armored unit back. They will be no match for the cavalry units.¡± yelled Snow ¡°Kaura retreat!¡± said Hiro as he signaled for Kaura¡¯s troops to retreat. He had his infantry move back into ranks. They formed up into 3 columns of 10 soldiers. Hiro and Leo flanked them on the left. Snow and Ora flanked them on the right. Rain and Hiro began to heal the wounded with their healing ability.
Heal spell increased to level 3
The soldiers were ready for the next wave. The mounted units closed in on Hiro¡¯s infantry. Hiro moved out front with Ora, Snow, and Leo. ¡°Hold!¡± The enemy came closer. ¡°Hold!¡¯ Hiro repeated. The enemy came even closer. ¡°Fire!¡± Ora and Leo breathed fire at the front of the cavalry force. They were set on fire. The flames confused and disoriented the enemy causing them to separate and lose their formation. Hiro ran out at the mounted units. His infantry followed. He and Snow jumped up and mounted their pets. As soon as Hiro mounted Leo the flames covered Leo as well. Leo ran out slammed into the mounted units. His body was like a flaming ram. Each time he struck one of the mounted units they started to burn. After being dismounted, the infantrymen man short work of the orcs. Not to be out done Snow unveiled a new technique of his own. While riding on the back of Ora, Snow had Ora breath her flames onto his sword and shield. Snow then threw his shield at the enemies. It struck the enemy with a terrible force. In addition to doing damage the shield attack set the enemy on fire and the shield returned. Snow then used his blade to cut down several of the orcs. His blade cut with so much force that the orc was cut in half as well as its mount. Snow continued to use these 2 techniques as Hiro watched. [/window] Your copy ability allowed you to learn the technique, boomerang shield. [/window]
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Bommerang ShieldBeginner0100%
With this technique you are able to throw you shield at an enemy causing great damage before it returns to you.
The battle continued on and soon the cavalry unit was decimated. Hiro had the wounded villagers moved up onto the hill with Rain. All those that were left ready to go were 19 infantry men, 12 light infantry, Snow, Ora, Kaura, Leo, and Hiro. The Light infantry joined the rear of Hiro¡¯s unit. Then the small army proceeded to march up the hill toward the Orc¡¯s leader. Hiro yelled to the Orc Leader in the orcish language, ¡°Leave this place at once or DIE!¡± ¡°Pitiful human do not try to speak the orcish tongue. The pride of the orcs is strong and we do not retreat human!¡± replied the orc leader. ¡°Then you WILL DIE! Charge!¡± Hiro and his troops ran up the hill where the found the leader who appeared to be a mage and his personal guard a pair of trolls. Hiro said, ¡°Back up men! Let me and Snow handle these guys!¡± The trolls prepared to attack. They carried huge long swords. One of the blades was white with a purplish tint to it and the other blade was red in color and they had what appeared be smaller blades coming out the sides. The blades looked ominous. Kaura had used her hide skill. She had become virtually invisible to all that were around her. Hiro looked around because he could no longer detect her. Leo said, ¡°fool, pay attention!¡± Hiro narrowly dodged the slash from the troll¡¯s blade. Hiro and Leo took on one of the trolls while Ora and Snow faced the other. Hiro decided to check out the troll so he analyzed it.
Troll warrior
Health: 8,000/8,000Mana: 00/00
Resistances: Poison,IceWeaknesses: Fire
*Status ailment: enslaved*
A troll that has undergone extensive physical training and been taught the martial art of using a sword. Its natural regenerative abilities and great physical strength make it a difficult opponent.
Hiro decided to test his new strength against the trolls. The troll swung his sword, Hiro prepared himself to block the attack with his shield. The troll¡¯s slash was heavy but Hiro was able to defend. Upon defending the flames from Hiro¡¯s shield engulfed the troll¡¯s arm. The troll screamed in pain. Its weakness to fire made the flames extremely painful and its hp was dropping rapidly. While it was distracted Leo went in and bit its leg. With his crushing jaws the troll¡¯s leg was completely crushed. Now the troll was on fire, bleeding, and poisoned . Hiro then jumped up and used his shield bash on the troll¡¯s face. The impact was massive. The troll¡¯s head was knocked completely off of his shoulders. Meanwhile, Ora and Snow were battling the other troll. The troll swung at Snow but he was able to avoid the attack. Snow moved around so that the troll had to follow his movements. The troll did not realize it but now Ora was almost directly behind him. Snow continued to attack while Ora moved into position the the troll¡¯s back. Then Ora stood on her hind legs and wrapped her huge paws around the arms and shoulders of the troll. She began to squeeze. You could hear the troll¡¯s bones cracking as she crushed him with her powerful arms. The troll dropped his sword as his arms and ribs broke 1 by 1. Ora released him and Snow severed his head from his body with one quick slash. The mage stood up as he was afraid of what would happen to him. He began to cast a spell but Leo¡¯s liger roared paralyzed him so he was unable to cast the spell. He wanted to escape but before the paralysis wore off, Kaura appeared from her hiding place and plunged her daggers deep into the sides of his temples. The orc leader died instantly and the troops yelled in triumph. Hiro and Snow went up and checked the equipment of the orc leader and trolls. They took the swords as they looked valuable. They also removed the cloak of the leader. It was not an orc. It was demi human of some kind but with yellow skin and two horns coming out of either side of its head. Hiro analyzed the leader.
Hobgoblin Mage
Health: 2,000/2,000Mana: 6000/6000
Resistances: Magical AttacksWeaknesses: Physical Attacks
A goblin who has evolved due to its affinity for magic. Upon its evolution the Hobgoblin grows in height and ability making its amount of mana increase. This new increase in mana allows the Hobgoblin mage to use more powerful magics.
Snow and Hiro turned to the army and raised their swords. The army cheered triumphantly as they had defeated the orcs. Leo and Ora gorged themselves on the trolls and then Leo ate the leader.
You have learned Hobgoblin language.
You have learned troll language.
You have learned the enslave ability.
Now you are able to make slaves out enemies. The chances of success will be higher with enemies who have low intelligence and low health.
You have gained the passive ability to resist magical attacks.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Magical ResistanceBeginner0100%
This reduces the amount of damage you take from all magical attacks elemental or non-elemental.
You gained 50 weapon skill points
Your level increased
Leadership has increased by 50
Quest complete
Fame has increased by 500 pointsYou are now known through out the region
Your level increased
Leo has learned the ability, evolution. After gaining sufficient stats and completing certain requirements Leo will evolve into a more powerful form. Hiro is human so he cannot use this ability.
Hiro instructed the soldiers to collect any weapons and armor that they found and bring it to Snow, Rain, Kaura, and himself. The soldiers did as they were told. The total Was 3 magic bags, 83 Shortswords, 68 clubs, and 51 hand axes with 160 round shields and 100 sets of leather armor and 100 sets of chainmail. This was quite a haul they placed everything in the magical bags held by Hiro¡¯s group. They mounted up and went back into the town. The town rejoiced and had a huge feast. The meat was from various types of beast near the town. The chief made a toast to Hiro and his group of warriors. Everyone cheered. Then four women came out in white robes each carrying a box with them. The chief announced these are four treasures of our town please take them for saving us. First, for the mage here is a book of spells containing the knowledge of water magic that has been passed down for centuries. It contains the secret mysteries of the water element including how to create ice magic with water as well as summoning elementals. Second to the scout, please accept these leather boots imbued with lightning spirit stones. They will allow you to move at a much greater speed without making a sound. Thus allowing you to complete reconnaissance missions with the highest degree of stealth and speed. Third for our returned son Captain Snow, a badge that recognizes you as the leader of our entire military force should you choose to take the job. You will be promoted to head of the military. If Hiro is the type of warrior that you can help mold our town will be safe from harm for years to come. Finally for our savior Hiro, a piece of mysterious metal that fell from the sky. We found t in a large crater out in the plains near hear some time ago. It is harder than any metal that we¡¯ve ever seen but we do not have a smith capable of forging it into anything useful. May you find a use for this. Hiro¡¯s party thanked them for their gifts. Then the party began. They ate, drank, and danced until the wee hours of the morning. Hiro saw Snow standing by a door looking at the ground. ¡°Is something troubling you my friend?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°I want to stay here and protect my people but I feel like I owe you my life because you saved me from those orcs¡± replied Snow. Hiro smiled, ¡°You were never obligated to help me because I saved your life. You are my trusted friend so you stayed. As my friend, just do two things for me.¡± ¡°Anything, just name it Hiro¡± replied Snow. ¡°First promise me you will protect these people who love you even if it cost you your life and second call upon me to fight by your side again if you need help.¡± With tears in his eyes he nodded in agreement. He hugged Hiro and thanked him for being a great friend. No more like a brother. The night ended and Hiro fell asleep in his room with Leo. He was sad about the losing of a powerful ally like Snow but he knew Snow had to take care of his people. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written good or bad. I love any kind of feedback that my readers give. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site so please review, follow and favorite my story. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 25: Returning Home Sorry it has been so long since I entered a chapter but things have been crazy at work. Please enjoy this chapter. As always don''t forget to rate review and comment. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 25 The morning came and Kaura, Rain, Hiro and Leo met at the entrance to the town. The chief, Snow, Ora and several members of the army met to tell them farewell. Hiro embraced Snow and waved farewell to everyone. He told Rain and Kaura to mount up on Leo. He decided to take the morning to train his speed and vitality by running alongside Leo. They ran off. They could hear Ora roar in the distance. Hiro was concentrating his ki into his legs. He was keeping up with Leo, however, he wasn¡¯t wearing his armor. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky Hiro, I am only warming up¡± , said Leo Leo than raised his speed and like a flash he started quickly leaving Hiro behind. Not to be outdone Hiro concentrated nearly all of his ki into his legs. His speed went up dramatically but it still was not enough to catch up with Leo. After a few moments Hiro was so far behind that he had trouble even seeing Leo and the girls. Hiro called to Leo and told him to stop. Leo stopped near the entrance of a forest where he and the girls waited while Hiro caught up. A minute or two later Hiro ran in at high speed. He stopped when he reached them. He was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. He bent over and put his hands on his legs trying to catch his breath.
Your agility has increased by 3
He finally was able to compose himself he looked up and saw Rain with her blue aura surrounding her. ¡°How long have you been doing that now Rain?¡± Rain replied, ¡°About 2 hours now.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You don¡¯t even look tired. Your training is progressing very well.¡± Rain blushed making her pale cheeks extremely red. ¡°Thank you sir¡± said Rain as she bowed her head. Hiro thought for a while about his team. "These two are definitely much more skilled than the rest of the army soldiers. They now have command experience. They deserve a promotion." He decided it was time for Rain and Kaura to become lieutenants in the army and by earning their promotions they should get partners. He thought long and hard about what kind of pet they should have. ¡°For you Kaura, I think we should find a quiet animal that hunts in stealth. That¡¯s it! The perfect animal for you Kaura would be a night viper. What do you think?¡± ¡°A night viper that sounds great.¡± Replied Kaura ¡°For Rain, I don¡¯t think you should have a physical animal but something that is magical.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Rain ¡°I mean we should find you some way to call forth an elemental spirit to make use of you mana and you affinity to magical energy.¡± ¡°Wow.. you know about those. I would love to be able to do that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how you could do that but maybe we could find out something from that book that they chief gave you. First though let''s go look for a night viper for Kaura.¡± The two nodded their heads. Hiro used his detect presence ability. He was able to quickly locate a night viper. It was strange though it seemed different than the others as it was exuding a lot stronger aura than any of the others that he had faced before. Hiro equipped his weapon and armor and led the group to the place where he sensed the night viper. All of a sudden the presence vanished. Everyone raised their weapons to be ready for an attack. ¡°Hiro this was the same as when they were out hunting¡± said Leo. The presence had been completely erased. It was if the snake had completely vanished. Hiro inched forward while activating his armor of wildfire ability. His body was completely engulfed in the flames. From the flickering flames, Hiro noticed that there was a shadow on the ground that had nothing attached to it. Hiro immediately cast his fireball spell and threw in the direction of the shadow. A snake suddenly appeared in front of the group. It was almost identical to all of the night vipers he had fought before but it was completely invisible until he cast his fire spell on it. The snake writhed on the ground in pain. They tried to slash the snake but it quickly avoided their attacks. It then shot out venom from its long fangs at Hiro but he quickly raised his shield to block the attack. The snake moved extremely fast as it quickly moved towards Rain. She quickly cast her lightning spell and the snake received more damage but now it was paralyzed. Hiro quickly went up and attacked using his tiger style. He opened his hand then bent his fingers so that it resembled the claw of the mighty tiger. While the snake was paralyzed Hiro used his claw like palms to scratch at the beast tearing parts of its flesh away. Then he grabbed the snake below the mouth and smashed it onto the ground. The snake went limp and the familiar red glow that indicated that the beast could be tamed showed on the snake''s scales. Hiro instructed Kaura to come near and touch the snake. He activated his tame beast ability.
Kaura has a pet!
Hiro quickly cast heal on the snake. It recovered Its wounds quickly as the flames extinguished. Kaura said, ¡°I think I will name him Orochi.¡± Hiro said, ¡°Train him well and he will increase your power.¡± Kaura nodded. She told Hiro to stand back and watch. She closed her eyes and she and Orochi vanished. Hiro could no longer sense her presence at all. Then she suddenly reappeared on the other side of the group. ¡°I call that our camouflage ability. We are able to erase our presence and blend in to the environment allowing us to sneak up on our foes without detection.¡± ¡°Not bad, you two you should continue to practice as scouts and assassins. That camoflauge ability will definitely aid you in the future¡±, Hiro said. They returned to the road outside the forest and continued on their journey back to Kaito. As they traveled the road Hiro did not see anything he also could not detect anything. He felt that they were all safe. That night the four camped out together. While around the fire Rain sat and read the book given to her by the chief of Snow¡¯s town. Hiro saw her scouring the book. She meticulously read page after page. ¡°Rain, are you hungry?¡± asked Kaura. There was no response. Rain¡­ Rain, can you hear me?¡± she repeated. ¡°Huh.. uhhh¡­ Oh I¡¯m sorry¡± said Rain as she slowly took her head from her book. ¡°This book is so amazing. I¡¯m learning so many things.¡± ¡°Well you do need to eat though¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°I guess you are right about that.¡± Rain said as she raised her hand to take the piece of food Kaura was offering. ¡°What have you learned so far?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Oh so many things. I have learned the theory of how to cast a two new spells, blizzard, a magical shield made of water, but what is most intriguing is that the book describes how to make a pact with a water elemental spirit guardian.¡± ¡°That is amazing Rain! Now you could have a partner just like us.¡± Said Kaura ¡°Similar but not quite the same¡± Rain said to Kaura. ¡°By making a pact with a water elemental spirit guardian I will gain the protection of that spirit but it will cost me my mana to manifest that spirit and it will cost mana to keep them in this world. My mana becomes the conduit that brings it here and the energy it needs to remain in a physical form. The more powerful the spirit the greater the drain on my mana.¡± ¡°Oh I see so we need to find a way to increase your mana¡± said Hiro. ¡°Yes but that will be difficult. With the training that Hiro taught me I have been able to significantly increase my mana. Maybe I should make a pact and then train my mana using the same method¡± said Rain. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Kaura ¡°Well Hiro taught me that mana is similar to a muscle in that the more you use it the more you will possess and the more efficient your body will be in using it. By that logic if I summon a relatively weak spirit constantly, I should be able to train the skill up getting more powerful as I practice.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan Rain¡± replied Hiro. Rain closed her book and stood up. ¡°Stand back please as the discharge of mana for this will be massive in order to make a pact.¡± Rain said. She placed her hands together and her aura began to show. This aura was nothing like what Hiro had seen on their trip. Now, she showed her true power. Wind was whipping around her causing a gust to blow in all directions away from her causing Hiro, Kaura, Orochi, and Leo to brace themselves for fear of being blown away. Around her the aura was massive. Hiro could faintly hear Rain¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh spirits of life hear me call. Please share with me your power!¡± said Rain. ¡°Share with me the essence of life and the strength of cold!¡± Suddenly, droplets of moisture in the air started to condense. Slowly moisture began to take shape. Little by little, the water formed a beautiful woman who was made of the clearest blue water Hiro had ever seen. The water even began to take on the color of skin, hair, even clothes formed from the water. ¡°This is amazing!¡±, Hiro thought to himself. Then the water being spoke, ¡°I am Shiva master of all that is water, why have you summoned me?¡± ¡°Mistress Shiva, I ask you to make a pact with me to help me protect those around me.¡± Replied Rain ¡°You would use my power? You have not yet grown enough to wield my power young one.¡± "How can I grow to use your power and protect those around me, Mistress Shiva?¡± ¡°You must increase your magical energy. By summoning me you nearly depleted all of your mana have you not?¡± ¡°Yes Mistress, it took almost everything I had to summon you. I am barely able to keep you here.¡± ¡°I will form a pact with you but I forbid you from summoning me until you can summon 3 large spirits at once and maintain them in your world for an entire day. If you try to summon me in battle at the present time it will cost you your life. At your present level you can only summon 2 small spirits for a short period of time.¡± ¡°Yes Mistress Shiva.¡± Rain said as she bowed. Shiva grabbed Rain by the hand and the light grew so bright that Hiro had to avert his eyes. When his eyes returned to her she had fallen on the ground. Hiro rushed over and picked her up. ¡°Rain, are you ok?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Yes I¡¯m fine. It was just a strain to summon a spirit that powerful. I couldn¡¯t even keep her here for a few moments. She must be super powerful¡± said Rain as she panted. Her head was soaked with sweat. Hiro carried her to Leo and laid her on his soft fur. ¡°Rest now Rain and recover. Tomorrow continue your training and grow stronger¡±, said Hiro softly. ¡°Is she ok?¡±, Leo asked Hiro. ¡°Yes, she just needs to rest¡± Hiro looked a Rain and for the first time actually looked at her status bar over her head. It said ¡°Rain Clearwater Lvl 32¡±
Rain Clearwater
Hp: 1,800/ 1,800Mana: 8,000/8,000
Intelligence: 450375
¡°Her stats are pretty high. No wonder she such a powerful mage.¡± Hiro thought to himself. ¡°Are you planning on trying that?¡± asked Leo. ¡°No if she couldn¡¯t do she has almost 3 times as much mana as I do, I think it might be too much. Besides I don¡¯t need to summon a partner when I¡¯ve got you Leo.¡± Hiro smiled. ¡°That¡¯s enough for one night. Everyone get some rest and we will get back on the road in the morning.¡± Hiro awoke from his sleep and the sun had barely crept over the horizon. Hiro decided to wake up and get an early start on his training. ¡°After seeing what is to come I can¡¯t slack on my training. I need to keep at it.¡± ¡°Commander, what are you doing up so early?¡± asked Kaura ¡°Oh¡­ this is my time to train. I usually do it by myself but I wouldn¡¯t mind having a partner if you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Commander, I won¡¯t be much of a match for you. My skill is in stealth killing not straight melee combat.¡± ¡°Well then I guess we will have to remedy that. I will teach you what I know about melee combat and then you will spar against me. I will only defend so feel free to attack all you like. As a matter of fact you will get to be the first to see my newest skill. Stand back.¡± Hiro harnessed his ki and summoned his clone.
Clone skill reached level 7
¡°Whaaaatt!?! How did you do that?¡± ¡°It is a shadow clone. He is exactly like me except for he only possesses 15% of my strength. ¡± ¡°Is he real? I mean like can he actually hit me?¡± SMAAAAACCCCCKKKK!! The clone thumped her on the head and said, ¡°Does that answer you question.¡± Hiro smiled and laughed as Kaura immediately pulled out her katana. ¡°Let¡¯s do this then.¡± She squared off against the clone. He pulled out his blade and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you get hurt I will use the healing spell and help you recover.¡± ¡°It will be you who needs the healing¡± said she charged the clone. The clone immediately pulled out his shield and sword and prepared to defend. Hiro watched from the sidelines as he meditated. Kaura advanced just into the clone¡¯s striking range and then as the clone braced his shield for her attack, she vanished. The clone looked around puzzled. ¡°You¡¯d better watch out!¡± The clone turned and immediately Kaura slashed at him. The clone¡¯s ki defense managed to keep his head on his shoulders but he definitely lost his edge in the battle with her being able to disappear. ¡°You¡¯d better figure out a way to find her¡± Said Hiro. ¡°If I can¡¯t detect her presence, I need to figure out what she is doing in order to conceal herself. If she erases her presence how does she do it. There is no smell no, no sound, not even an outline.¡± She may be able to bend the light a contain her smell and sound but she can¡¯t stop external forces from acting upon her. That¡¯s it! She can¡¯t stop the light so there must be a shadow!¡± The clone looked down on the ground and there it was a shadow that had nothing attached to it. ¡°There you are!¡± he said as he threw his shield. The shield struck something metal and then Kaura reappeared on the ground. ¡°Not bad. You actually found me. No matter, if that is all the strength you have I won¡¯t need that ability.¡± She dusted herself of and twirled her blade. She motioned to the clone to come on. He quickly obliged and came at her. He used his dashing slash and he covered the distance immediately. Kaura ducked under the slash but he quickly followed his attack up with his shield bash. The impact of his shield hitting Kaura was sickening. Her body quickly flew about 10 meters sending her crashing to the ground. ¡°Finished already?¡± said the clone smugly. Kaura stood up wobbling and said, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± She put away her katana and pulled out 2 daggers. Hiro¡¯s clone dropped his blade and shield and assumed his snake style stance. They both inched closer and closer together until they were both able to strike. Hiro¡¯s clone looked like a viper ready to strike. Kaura slashed first. Her daggers were lighter so the attacks were much faster. The clone dodged several attacks to his head and neck, but he had to block attacks that came to his body using his hands. Kaura¡¯s attacks were fast and varied. The clone was having difficulty keeping up. She even mixed in some martial arts strikes that included kicks, elbows, and knees to keep the clone off balance. Little by little the clone began to grow accustomed to her speed and range. As he grew more comfortable he began to attack. His strikes were lightning quick. He targeted her joints and vital areas such as the eyes, ears, and throat. Surprisingly, Kaura¡¯s agility was high she was able to dodge most of his attacks. Those that she couldn¡¯t she was able to parry with her blade. The battle was furious. Neither side was giving an inch. ¡°This clone is pushing me to my limit and he is only 15% of the commander¡¯s strength. How strong is the commander.¡± Kaura said to herself. ¡°You are fighting me! Don¡¯t take your focus away from the battle!¡± the clone said has he landed a sharp elbow to her temple. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Kaura was flattened immediately from the force of the blow. The clone looked over her body. She was unconscious but she was still alive. The clone quickly cast the healing spell on her until she had fully recovered. The clone also cast the spell on himself regaining his own health. The two continued on sparring while Hiro began his personal training. Hiro opened his menu for weapon skills. It showed that he had 60 weapon skill points. ¡°Currently I am using a sword so I think the best thing to do would be to increase my sword mastery skills. I¡¯m at level 8 so I would at least like to get my sword mastery to the advanced level.¡± He opened the sword mastery skill menu and there were 8 bubbles that could be selected. There were 3 level increase bubbles, 3 agility increase bubbles and 2 sword skill bubbles. Hiro selected 2 of the level up bubbles.
Sword mastery increased to advance level 1.
Upon increasing you sword mastery to advanced level you now do 25% more damage when you use a sword.
Because of your skill and experience with a sword you gain a 20% change of doing critical attacks with your blade.
¡°That was great. When I get back to town I should check with Matsuro to see if I am ready for his training. If he accepts me I wonder what his training will be like?¡± He looked at the amount of points he had left and it read 3. ¡°Wow! Those levels were pretty costly but I guess that was better than grinding the skill in battle. Oh well let me practice my sword form for a little while and see how my sword skills have improved.¡± Hiro took out his blade and shield he closed his eyes and imagined the troll he faced outside of Snow¡¯s village. ¡°I need to improve my skill with the sword so I think this time I will try to face him without the aid of my ki¡± Hiro thought to himself. He readied his sword and shield and the troll came at him. The troll¡¯s slashes were extremely fast Hiro dodged, ducked, and rolled out of the way of the attacks. He was unable to retaliate right away but he tried anyway. Several times the troll¡¯s blade passed through his neck when he did not time the attack properly. ¡°I¡¯ve really become dependent on my skills as of late and I have not really honed my skills. That is definitely not what I wanted. I need to continue with this type of combat practice.¡± Hiro continued for a while working on his timing and finding ways to turn his shield defense into offense. Each time however, he was met with the end of the troll¡¯s blade. ¡°Am I really this weak without my abilities? I can¡¯t take on one enemy without them?¡± Hiro ended his test feeling dejected. He had been excited to gain all of these powerful abilities but since he gained them he relied on them so heavily that he was unable to fight without them. ¡°I will continue to practice like this every day. I will spend time honing my abilities but I will also spend time honing my fighting skills.¡± ¡°Commander how did you split yourself into 2 beings?¡± asked a soft voice ¡°Oh Rain you¡¯re awake. It is a spell I learned called shadow clone. It allows me to materialize a clone of myself. He is considerably weaker than I am but he works well with Kaura¡± replied Hiro. ¡°Commander are you ok?¡±, Rain said. ¡°Yes just feeling a little down. I have been relying too much on my abilities and I have neglected my fighting skills with the sword. By the way Rain what is that on your shoulder?¡± Hiro was referring to the little blue fairy looking thing now residing on Rain¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Oh he is one of my water spirit guardians. I plan to let him stay with me all day until I can summon another. I call him storm.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you storm¡± said Hiro. ¡°Are you two ready to go?¡± Hiro asked the clone and Kaura who were currently sitting on the ground. ¡°Yes sir!¡±, Kaura said. ¡°That training was great! Do you mind doing it again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Of course, we need to improve more and more each day.¡± ¡°Thank you sir.¡± Hiro dismissed his clone and it disappeared in a poof of black smoke.
Martial arts increase to level 5
ki manipulation increased to level 7
Healing spell increased to level 5
Shadow clone increased to level 8
Then next 3 days went by with the same routine the group training in the morning while Rain kept her guardian spirit active throughout the day. Four days past and they finally made it back to Kaito. The city had changed again. While they were gone the city had dramatically increased in size and a wall had been erected around the city. In addition there was a large gate at the entrance and four towers one in each corner. As they came closer to the city, the gate began to open. Some of the soldiers they had trained were waiting for them at the door. They greeted the group and asked of how things went on their trip. Hiro walked and talked with them describing the battle and how Snow decided to stay in his home town. Hiro walked to the center of town he noticed that the population had increased as well. He sensed two, three, no nearly 400 more people than there were before he had left. ¡°How did the population increase this much!?¡±, Hiro asked one of the soldiers. The soldier replied, ¡°It is because of you sir. Your fame has begun to spread and people in villages that had been attacked by monsters have abandoned their home and come here to be protected by the man who tamed the liger.¡± Another soldier said, ¡°They came in carts, on foot, on horseback, and one guy came on the back of a gorilla.¡± Hiro was amazed that he was becoming a legend.Soon Foria and Korin came to greet him. When Foria¡¯s eyes met his she rushed into his arms. He held her tightly and kissed. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much¡± Hiro said. Foria couldn¡¯t even form words. All she did was bury her head into Hiro¡¯s muscular chest. ¡°Alright now that the hellos are finished let¡¯s talk about the state of the area. There are a few towns that have been ravaged by the orcs and they have all but been destroyed. We started taking in the refugees from all over. Right now we are the only town still standing in this area aside from Snow¡¯s hometown in the North. The capital city of Atraps is to the south but the shortest route will take over 2 weeks to get there.¡± ¡°So what you are saying is that we are the only line of defense for all humans in this area?¡± ¡°In the simplest of terms yes¡±, replied Korin ¡°What about Dwarves or Elves?¡± asked Hiro ¡°The dwarves¡¯ main city is about 3 weeks journey towards the east and it is over rough mountainous terrain and the elves¡­ well we don¡¯t know much about their towns as they try to remain hidden from all others¡± said Korin ¡°I see so the only help we can hope to get is from human refugees and possibly help from the capital?¡¯ asked Hiro ¡°That is about the sum of it¡±, replied Korin ¡°Enough business for now¡±, interrupted Foria. ¡°How was your trip to the north?¡± He told them of their trip, the battle in the North, Snow¡¯s decision to stay, and how Kaura now had a pet with an amazing ability. He also discussed how Rain was able to form a pact with a water elemental guardian spirit. "How has the army been since I left?" asked Hiro ¡°People from all over have brought their talents to this town. We now have over 100 soldiers.¡± replied Korin ¡°The army has grown that much? When I left there were only about 20 people now we are over 100? Who is training them?¡± asked Hiro Recently we have found someone who we thought could be an interim replacement for Captain Snow¡± said Korin ¡°You found someone to replace Snow?" asked Hiro with surpise ¡°Well one of the refugees, who came from the capital has recently been training our new recruits. His name is Caesar and he has a large gorilla as his partner. "Is he really strong?¡± ¡°By his looks, I would say so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see about that¡±, Hiro said with a devilish grin. ¡°Thanks for updating me on everything. Foria do you mind coming by later?¡± ¡°Nothing could keep me away¡± Replied Foria Hiro decided to go check on his army and their new trainer but first he should go and practice his blacksmithing skill by doing some repairs at the dwaves¡¯ shop. Hiro and Leo walked through town towards the smithy. The people cheered as the man with the Liger walked through. Hiro was filled with pride but somewhat embarrassed with all the fuss people were making over him. Hiro opened the door to the Dwarves smithy shop. The store was filled with customers. There were weapons of all types mounted on the walls and on several hooks around the store there were complete suits of armor hanging in different areas. Hiro sat down and waited for the other customers to be served. One by one the customers got their orders filled and went on their way. Finally, It was his turn the dwarves squealed with joy at the sight of their friend. They ran from behind the counter and embraced him. Brandani asked, ¡°How did the armor fair in the battle?¡± ¡°It was fantastic. Those orcs did not stand a chance against me.¡± Hiro smiled. ¡° I brought back some weapons and armor that I looted from the dead orcs. Would you mind if I try and repair it using the forge? I have a lot of new recruits so I need more equipment to arm the growing army.¡± ¡°Sure no problem¡± said Lun. He then took out the 2 swords he got from the trolls. The Lun¡¯s eyes lit up. They looked as big a saucers. ¡°These are exquisite. They are worth at least 100 gold pieces each.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Hiro. Lun began to speak, ¡°These are actually 2 parts of a single blade. A single sword was broken to make these two swords.¡± Master Lun continued and said, ¡°There are shards of lightning gems in one blade and shards of a fire gem in the other blade, so if it was returned to its original form it would be quite the weapon. ¡°Hold onto the blade. I will return with the money to pay for them to repair the sword as I know I don¡¯t have enough skill to do that at this point.¡± ¡°You are quite astute. It will take you some time to complete your training and repair a weapon of this high quality. I will charge you 50 gold pieces to repair the sword.¡± Hiro agreed and then he showed them the mysterious metal that he got from the chief of the village to the north. They looked at it and said, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Hiro told them, ¡°The chief of the town I saved gave it to me. He said that only a master smith would be able to forge something with it.¡± Lun said, ¡°I have never seen anything like it. It was so light but it was stronger than the highest quality mithril. Would you give us the pleasure of forging something out of it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a blacksmith.¡± Hiro asked, ¡°What do they think they could forge?¡± Brandani said, ¡°A shield that would be nearly impossible to penetrate and if you let us work on this material we will fix the sword for half price.¡± He smiled and nodded his head in agreement seeing how much it would mean to the dwarves. He said his goodbyes the left the shop and went out to the town. He continued walking around looking at all of the new buildings when he came up a sign for a shop that he had not seen before. The sign read, ¡°Tanner¡¯s shop.¡± Hiro decided to go in and see what kind of items he could find in the store. He opened the door to find all types of animal fur and skins hanging on the walls along with various types and colors of leather armor, boots, gloves, and cloaks. Then tanner came to the counter and said, ¡°Hello.¡± He noticed immediately the man with the liger, the legendary warrior, Hiro was in his store. The tanner was excited. Leo opened his bag and pulled out 100 sets of leather armor. Can you sell me the items necessary to repair these? ¡°Yes¡±, said the tanner. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a great deal, free.¡± ¡°Free? What¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°No catch just buy your leather supplies for your army only from me.¡± ¡°So you want an exclusive deal?¡± ¡°Yes. Battles are going to happen and I just want to be the guy that helps out the army. ¡°Help out the army or line your pockets with gold?¡± ¡°Well do I have to do one or the other? Why can¡¯t I do both?¡± ¡°Promise to keep your prices fair and you have a deal.¡± They shook hands and Hiro took the leather kits and coarse thread. It was getting late so he decided to go see the army in the morning. He and Leo went home where they would rest for the night. Hiro rubbed Leo¡¯s fur as Leo purred. ¡°We did well today partner. Now sleep. You deserve a good night¡¯s rest.¡± Hiro removed his armor and placed it on the rack along with his shield and weapon then he walked slowly up the stairs. His body was feeling weary. When he got to the top of the steps he opened his door and there she was. Foria was standing there in a soft white colored robe looking out of the window. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± She said as she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had some army business to attend to.¡± Foria came over and helped him get out of his clothes. ¡°You look exhausted¡± ¡°I am but I can¡¯t rest not while people¡¯s homes are being destroyed by these monsters.¡± Hiro said while clenching his fist. "I will not let innocent people be harmed by the orcs, goblins, or any other monsters" Foria felt the muscles in his body tense as he spoke. ¡°Hiro do not let the woes of this world consume you. If war is all you think about you will be no better than the orcs, trolls, and goblins you fight.¡± Hiro quickly turned and looked at her. ¡°Once again, my love, you are absolutely right. I can¡¯t save the whole world. I will focus on protecting the people here. I won¡¯t go looking for a fight but I will stand up for those who are under my protection.¡± ¡°I like the sound of Hiro the Protector more than Hiro the Conqueror.¡± she said with a smile ¡°Me too.¡± The two of them got into bed as Foria nestled her body under Hiro¡¯s arms. He felt her lips kiss his neck softly. Her breath was on his chest. She slowly rolled him onto his back and climbed on top of him. ¡°I want you to forget about all of the fighting for just a little while¡± she whispered softly into his ear. Foria began slowly began to move her hips. The motion of her body put Hiro in ecstasy. The two of them groaned and moaned as they made love. As she sped up she removed her robe to reveal her ample bosom. It bounced gently up and down as she rode Hiro like a thoroughbred race horse. Soon they both came to their climax. Her nails dug into Hiro¡¯s chest scratching him as her legs quivered. Hiro pulled her closely and kissed her forehead. She laid down on his chest and they both quickly fell asleep. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written good or bad. I love any kind of feedback that my readers give. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site so please review, follow and favorite my story. The next chapter will be out in the next couple of days. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 26: The Commander Returns I decided to release 2 chapters today to make up for not sending out one at all this week. Enjoy this chapter and the introduction of some new characters. Please review, comment, and follow so that we can get this story into the top 50. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 26 Hiro woke up in the morning and went downstairs to get his armor and begin his daily training. He noticed that Leo was not there. It was not the first time and he could see Leo¡¯s status was unchanged so he let him have some alone time. Hiro went out to begin his training. He pulled out the hammer from his inventory and began to train with it. The hammer had become much lighter now. He was able to wield it with two hands now well enough that he could use it in battle. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for level 2 of my hammer training.¡± He placed the hammer down and tried to pick it up with one hand. He was unable to do this so he went back to the beginning of his training with the hammer. He started dragging it with one hand the dragging it back with the other hand. Hiro did this until he was completely exhausted.
Your strength has increased by 24 points!
Hiro then sat down and meditated. He began by trying widen the range of his detect presence.
Sense presence has increased to advanced level
Through your constant increase in the manipulation of ki your ability to sense the presence of ki around you has improved. You can now sense the presence of ki at a greater distance and you can sense the affinity of the ki within a being.
"Wow! That is should be fascinating to use. How far does my sense presence reach now." He found now that he was able see about 4000 meters away. He now knew where Leo was. He was back with his pride of ligers. Hiro continued his meditation for another hour.
Wisdom increased by 5
Finally he stood up and decided to revisit making an external ki attack. He thought that with all the ki control that he has recently developed he should be able to manage the task. He stood up and placed his left hand on his right wrist. He then began to concentrate his ki into the palm of his hand. This time he did not worry about the shape but more about the collection of ki. His hand was quivering with all of the power that he had stored in it. Now it was time to release it. Hiro pointed his hand at a nearby tree. He then pushed his power out his body but nothing happened. The ki he had gathered returned to his body. The attack was a fail. ¡°What went wrong? Why did the attack fail? Maybe I need to visualize what I want the ki to do like in my strengthening techniques.¡± He decided to try again. This time he thought his hand as a cannon and the ki gathered as the cannon ball. Once he had gathered his ki again, he yelled out fire. A white ball shot out of his hand and flew across to the tree. When it struck the tree, It knocked an entire section of it out vaporizing the area completely. The large tree was ripped into two pieces.
You have developed the technique ki blast.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Ki BlastBeginner0100%
This is an attack that gathers you ki into your hand and allows you to shoot it out with great destructive power. By increasing your proficiency you will reduce the time it takes to fire the blast as well as increasing the damage done by the blast.
You have gained 10 points of wisdom.
Hiro looked at the toal amount of mana he had left. The bar showed that he had 75% of his ki left. ¡°That blast was definitely powerful but it is still using too much of my mana for it to be effective in battle. I need to increase my proficiency with that skill and improve my ki manipulation to make that more efficient.¡± Hiro was then decided to begin fixing the leather armors. He began using the thread to patch up the holes. Each time he worked on repair one of the pieces of armor he seemed to go faster and the repairs were better until¡­
You improved your leatherworking skill from novice to intermediate. Now you can make more powerful sets of leather from medium leather and hides.
He continued to work on repairing the arms for a few more hours until he completed 60 sets. "I think that is enough of working armor. Now I think it''s about time that I meet the person who has replaced Snow as my second in command. I wonder what he will be like. No sense in thinking about it. I might as well just go meet him." Hiro made his way to the training area. It had been upgraded. Now there was a place where people were doing callisthenic exercises, a place where recruits were using wooden weapons to hack and slash at a straw dummy, a place where archers where shooting targets made of hay with bullseyes painted on them, and a large dirt circle which looked like a place to spar. There was also a small building that Hiro did not recognize. He walked in a saw that his was the armory. Inside of the armory there were rows and rows and rows of what appeared to be lockers with mannequins in them holding each soldier¡¯s equipment. Most of the mannequins had no armor or the armor was tattered. Hiro took the tattered armor and replaced it with the armor he had repaired. Once he finished he stepped out of the doors and continued looking at the improvements on the army¡¯s training area. ¡°The training facility is looking great!¡± He thought to himself. Hiro entered into the ring and everyone who was there froze in their tracks and ran to him. ¡°General!¡± they screamed with joy. ¡°Glad to have you back!¡± Hiro bowed to his group, "It''s great to be back! Thank you all for remaining vigilant and taking care of the city while I was away. I see our numbers have grown as well." "Yes sir! You legend is growing and people want to go into battle with you." said one of the soldiers. Then he felt a large aura moving towards him from the training ground. He looked over and from the area where the archers were training a large man came. He was huge! He stood about 250 cm in height with an eye patch over his left eye. His skin was dark and he had huge muscles. He looked older and he had thick beard and goatee. Hiro looked at his status and saw that he was a level 45 ki vanguard. ¡°What is a vanguard?¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Well I know he has a higher level than I do so he should be pretty strong.¡± Before Hiro could inspect the man¡¯s stats, he came up to Hiro and said, ¡°So you are the legendary warrior that rides on the liger, huh? You don¡¯t look like much to me.¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°Yes, my name is Hiro nice to meet you. You are?¡± The man replied roughly, ¡°I am called Caesar and I will only follow the strongest so I challenge you to a contest of strength and skill.¡± ¡°If you wish, I will accept but I want you to understand no one here fights for me, they fight with me¡± replied Hiro. ¡°Enough talk about philosophy, little man. Show me you skill. Where I am from strength is the only language that needs to be spoken. Tell me everything about you through your fists and blade.¡± ¡°If you want a battle then I will honor your request. Whenever you are ready, Caesar¡± The two men equipped their weapons. Caesar who was smoking a cigar had strange brownish gold metal suit of armor. It appeared to be very strong and sturdy. He also carried a huge hammer but no defensive items like a shield or large gauntlet. ¡°Looking at his equipment he is definitely strong and his defensive ability is probably very high. Looking at that hammer I know he has to be strong as well. I can¡¯t let him hit me with that no matter what. I will have to use my speed in order to defeat him.¡± ¡°What are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Come on legendary warrior. Come and fight me!¡± ¡°I guess I will really have to show him my complete strength as not to leave any doubt on who the strongest is¡± Hiro thought to himself. Hiro decided to activate his ki strengthening skills at the onset of the battle. One of the soldiers came up and asked were the two ready. They both nodded in agreement. The power of the two warriors was stifling. The soldier could barely stand between the two. The soldier standing between them weakly said, "Begin!" The battle commenced. The Caesar immediately charged Hiro. Hiro decided to test out Caesar¡¯s strength. The hammer crashed down on Hiro¡¯s Shield which was strengthened with his ki. The attack was defended but Caesar¡¯s raw power was so immense the Hiro¡¯s knees bent so much that one knee was buried in the ground in order to take the blow. ¡°In terms of physical strength, this guy is stronger than Snow but after taking an attack from the troll and Snow¡¯s ki attack this was no so bad.¡± Hiro pushed the hammer away blowing Caesar¡¯s hammer towards the sky. While his stance was broken,Hiro hit Caesar in his face with hilt of his sword and spun on his pivot foot to continue his attack bashing his shield into Caesar¡¯s chest. Caesar was knocked back several feet. He then spit some blood out of his mouth. Hiro noticed Caesar was also bleeding from his nose. "He''s got strength but his technique not nearly as refined as Snow''s" Hiro thought to himself. "With his level of technique I should be able to defeat him without too much trouble but I shouldn''t get cocky." ¡°Not bad young whelp but it will take more than that to stop me.¡± Caesar said as he used his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. Hiro banged his sword on his shield and said, ¡°Then come get some then old man. I¡¯ve got plenty more where that came from.¡± Hiro then went on the offensive. He used his dashing strike to deliver a vertical slashing attack against Caesar while he was recovering from the previous blow. Caesar managed to block the attack with his hammer but the shear force behind the blow forced him to stand flat footed making him unable to move quickly. Sensing his opponent''s mistake, Hiro delivered a kick to his enemy¡¯s knee which buckled his legs and broke Caesar¡¯s stance. Once his stance was broken, Hiro quickly kicked Caesar in the chest making him fly back about 20 feet. Caesar was now visibly injured but he stood up. Hiro asked, ¡°Do you concede?¡± ¡°Not a chance!¡± replied Caesar as he wiped blood from his mouth. ¡°You are arrogant to think that was all you would need in order to beat a real warrior. I acknowledge that you have some skill and you definitely are strong so now I will show you my true strength.¡± ¡°Bring it!¡± ¡°Tell me something Hiro, have you ever experienced fear!?¡± "What?" "HHHHHHAAAAAAAAA!!!" screamed Caesar Hiro could see Caesar¡¯s ki rising an engulfing his entire body. The color was brown like mud after a rainstorm. The murderous intent that was coming from Caesar was on a completely different level than anything that he faced up until this point. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I can see it! My sense presence is showing me his affinity is earth so that means his defensive is going to be sturdier.¡± Hiro thought to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful.¡± Hiro ran in to attack. Caesar didn¡¯t even take a defensive stance. Hiro swung his sword and it slashed at Caesar¡¯s armor. The sword stopped cold and a serious vibration went up Hiro¡¯s arm. Before he could regain his fighting stance, Caesar grabbed Hiro by the throat and lifted him off his feet. Hiro struggled to breathe. ¡°His strength is incredible. I can''t breathe. I¡¯ve got to get free.¡± Hiro thought. ¡°His defense is so strong that my sword could even penetrate it. That¡¯s it! I need to do something that doesn¡¯t penetrate his armor but still damages him.¡± Hiro activated his wildfire armor and his body was immediately engulfed in flames. The flames immediately burned Caesar¡¯s hand and he let go. ¡°My sword can¡¯t cut through that armor what should I do?" "No time for daydreaming young warrior" said Caesar as he swung his hammer at Hiro. Hiro could not avoid the attack. He concentrated his ki into his arm and shield and braced himself for the impact. "SMMMMAAAASSSSHHH! The deafening thud of Caesar''s hammer on Hiro''s shield could be heard all over the place. Hiro flew 20 feet out of the sparring circle. "Do you concede Hiro?!" Caesar yelled. Hiro got up but his legs were unsteady. "That attack took a third of my health even though I blocked with my shield and reinforced my arm and shield with my ki. This guy is amazing." He thought to himself. "This is where the real battle begins Caesar!" Hiro yelled. "If I can¡¯t cut through it maybe I can hurt him in places where his armor isn¡¯t¡± Hiro thought to himself. Hiro placed is ki into his legs to make him speed up. Next he attacked Caesar head on. His attacks were blindingly fast. Caesar¡¯s armor held up when Hiro slashed the large pieces on his chest, shoulders, legs, arms, and back but then it happened. ¡°I see it. His black armor hides it but it doesn¡¯t cover his joints completely.¡± Hiro quickly thrust his sword toward Caesar¡¯s face. Caesar easily stopped the blow using the head of his hammer. Hiro quickly recoiled his blade and quickly slashed it across Caesar¡¯s arm in the crease between his bicep and forearm. ¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡± scream Caesar as blood squirted out from the deep wound. It looked to be so deep that, he could no longer use his arm because the tendons had been cut. ¡°I knew it! His armor is powerful but without the armor and his ki working together he can¡¯t stop my attacks¡± Hiro thought to himself. ¡°Your arm is useless and I have figured out the weakness in your defense. Do you concede? I do not wish for this to continue.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! You cocky little bastard! You think this small cut will stop me. I will never surrender not while I still stand!¡± ¡°Then I will just have to remedy that!¡± Hiro decided to prove to Caesar the difference in strength and skill so he dropped his sword and shield and prepared for hand to hand combat. ¡°You dare challenge me bare handed?¡± He charged at Hiro wildly swing his hammer. Even without his prediction ability Hiro could have seen through these attacks. "It''s over now. His poor technique has gotten even worse no due to his anger and the injury to his arm. He can''t beat me now." Caesar¡¯s anger had ruined his technique. After dodging a few attacks Hiro began to counterattack with his snake style attacks. The blows landed at all of Caesar¡¯s joints. Caesar took the blows better than Hiro expected but the punishment was building up. ¡°The only way to end this is to knock Caesar out.¡± Hiro thought to himself. He continued attacking Caesar''s joints which caused his enemy to further slow down making the attacks easier and easier to land. Caesar began breathing heavily as wildly swinging the hammer had depleted most of his stamina. "I need to end this." thought Hiro. He gathered ki in his hand preparing his ki strike. As he gathered the ki he continued to narrowly dodge all of Caesar¡¯s attacks waiting for the right moment. Caesar''s stamina had almost completed emptied then Hiro saw it. ¡°There!¡± Hiro¡¯s eyes widen and charged in ducking under a wild swing that caused Caesar to turn slightly. Hiro land a blow to Caesar¡¯s temple. His armor gave him some protection agains the massive blow but Caesar¡¯s body went limp and he fell face first on the ground. Hiro cast his healing spell on Caesar, who quickly regained consciousness. ¡°Sorry about that. I just saw that you would give up unless I killed you, so I decided I would knock you out because I would like to keep you in the army.¡± Hiro said while extending his hand to lift Caesar up. Caesar grabbed his hand and said, ¡°You are definitely the real thing. I didn¡¯t think anyone could beat me. I acknowledge your strength and I will follow you anywhere you lead.¡± ¡°Thank you my friend. You are definitely strong yourself. Would you mind if I left you in charge of training the men and in the afternoons you and I will have help push each other in sparring matches or share training methods. Agreed?¡± ¡°Agreed. I Just have one question for you¡± "What is it?" "If you could use magic why didn''t you use it during the battle?" "You said you wanted it to be a test of strength and skill so I figured you would want a melee contest. Strength is the only currency remember." "You are alright with me!" Caesar said as he laughed hysterically. "You are my kind of guy Hiro." Caesar whistled and out came a gorilla with silver fur and huge muscles, with 2 large fangs protruding from his lower jawing going up towards his nose. It stood about 2.5 meters tall and was definitely a formidable partner. ¡°His name is Gori and he was the son of the leader of a pack of apes in the south. I found him when he was just a little guy caught in a trap. His leg had been mangled by a metal trap laid by a hunter. I freed him and bought to my home. There I gave him some of my healing potions and his leg was healed. He hasn¡¯t left my side since.¡± ¡°Tell me a little about yourself, Caesar. Where do you come from? Where did you train to be such a powerful warrior?¡± ¡°Well I am from a small town outside of the capital city Atraps. In my town my family were farmers and all I did from the time I was young was work on my parents farm. One day when I was about 12 years old goblins and orcs raided my village. I watched my father get murdered by those beasts so that my mother and I could escape to Atraps.¡± ¡°Wow. That is rough.¡± ¡°Well once I got to the city my mother enrolled me into the military.¡± ¡°So you were trained by the military in Atraps?¡± ¡°Yes. I was very young so I spent my first 4 years doing body strengthening exercises and learning to channel ki.¡± ¡°4 years? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, in order to begin combat training you had to have a strong body and a strong will.¡± ¡°That makes sense. What happened after you were strong enough?¡± ¡°Once I was strong enough I was sent to a drill sergeant who taught me to defend myself by dodging attacks. Once I could dodge attacks, he taught me how to block attacks using my ki. This is where I excelled as you may have noticed. My ki became like an iron coat that most attacks could not penetrate.¡± ¡°Wow that sound a lot like how Snow trained me.¡± Hiro said to himself. "Yeah your defense is the real deal. My attacks could not pierce your armor and your ki at all." Hiro said to Caesar. Next, he made me pound on a tree that grows in the south that feels like a rock. After a year of hitting that tree my limbs felt like iron. Then I was taught how to use ki as a means to attack. Once you mastered your own body then and only then were you given a weapon.¡± ¡°So why did you choose a hammer? Why not choose a sword or spear?¡± ¡°Well I thought about my own ability. Swords and spears have to cut through their opponent. I thought what if I came up against an opponent like myself whose defense could not be penetrated. The answer came to me like a flash. If I can¡¯t cut your armor, I would simply crush you inside of the armor with my hammer.¡± ¡°Wow! That is definitely scary.¡± ¡°Once I got my hammer I was thrust into battle. I began as a low level grunt soldier but in about 6 years I was promoted to a lieutenant. I won battle after battle against the minions of darkness. I¡¯ve seen it all werewolves, treants, orcs, hobgoblins, trolls, ogres, even a dragon.¡± ¡°Really?! Even a dragon?! That sounds amazing, Caesar. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, you rose up through the ranks, why did you leave the army.¡± ¡°One day I returned home to see my mother who had at that point become very sick. When I came to her house there was no one there. Immediately, I looked all over town but I couldn¡¯t find her. I became very distraught. My mom was missing.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°She passed away while I was in battle. I wasn¡¯t there for her funeral. I wasn¡¯t there in her last moments to hear her last words. She died alone. I returned to the military and retired. I told my Commanding Officer that I wanted to retire. He approved and after that I wondered around for a while before I ended up here.¡± ¡°¡­. Well I¡¯m sorry about your mom. We are glad to have you here.¡± ¡°Thank you. Enough with this sentimental crap! What are we going to do about these monsters invading the towns surrounding the area.¡± Said Caesar ¡°Well right now we are trying to build up or town. I want this place to be a safe haven for those in need. I would rather it not become a place to enslave the other races or to be a weapon for merciless killing.¡± ¡°So if the orcs come what then?¡± ¡°I will fight with all of my strength and kill them without mercy but I will not go to their home in an attempt to destroy them. That would make me no better than those monsters¡± ¡°You have a good heart Hiro. It is a rare quality. I have fought by man many over the years in more battles than I care to remember and none have spoken like you. I hope that your kind heart does not get corrupted by the ecstasy of battle.¡± ¡°The ecstasy of battle?¡± Hiro asked ¡°Yes¡­ It is a feeling that you get when you are on the battlefield. It is a state of being in which you enjoy the killing and bloodshed. The sound of metal meeting flesh, the smell of blood in the air, they all titillates your sensing making you feel almost a state of arousal.¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ I¡¯ve never felt like that on the battlefield. I actually don¡¯t like the killing. I see it more as a means to an end.¡± ¡°You are definitely a peculiar one Hiro. I mean that in a good way though.¡± Caesar said with a hearty laughed as he patted Hiro across his back. Hiro ¡°Caesar, Gori, come with me I would like to let you meet my partner.¡± ¡°Your partner? Yest that¡¯s right I heard you were the man who rides on a liger. Where is he?¡± ¡°He is with his pride a few thousand meters from the town.¡± ¡°Is he powerful? Well¡­ I think you should assess that for yourself when you meet him.¡± Caesar nodded and they left town towards where Leo was with his pride. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading. Please rate my story and leave any comment whether you like the story or not. I will respond to any comments that are written good or bad. I love any kind of feedback that my readers give. I really want to make this story great. I''m looking forward to hopefully getting in the top 50 fan fics on the site so please review, follow and favorite my story. As always if you like what you''ve read please feel free to donate. No pressure though.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main Page
Evolution Hey guys sorry for not submitting any chapters for a while. I had a host of issues that have now been resolved. This is my first chapter back in a while so I hope you all enjoy. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 27 Evolution Caesar, Gori and Hiro ran towards the pride of ligers. When they arrived Hiro told Caesar and Lobo to wait. He walked up and the Ligers began growling menacingly at Hiro. Leo stood up and roared. This was probably telling his pride that the Hiro was a friend. The ligers bowed down and Hiro began approaching. Hiro waved to Caesar and Lobo so that it was ok and that they could follow him. They ran down and caught up to him. There were about 25 ligers lying down in front of a large rock where Leo was standing. Pointing up to Leo, Hiro told Caesar, ¡±That¡¯s him¡± Caesar was impressed. He and Lobo continued to follow. After a few moments they made it up to the top of the rock and there they saw hi.m Leo was playing with several small liger cubs. ¡°I came to see the birth of my cubs my friend. I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Anything my friend.¡± ¡°Several monsters have been coming from the nearby woods. From the description given to me by the members in my pride that encountered them they sound like the things you call "hobgoblins" . These hobgoblins are enslaving members of my pride and forcing them to work as mounts. Somehow they are being trained to even kill those of their own pride. I will not stand for this! They must be stopped! Will you help me free my family?¡± ¡°Of course! Your family is my family!" replied Hiro. "Roar!" said Leo as he came and brushed his warm fur against his companion''s face. "Can you convince them to move closer to the city and join us? There they can join the army and grow strong like you did with a partner.¡± "No, I don¡¯t want them to be warriors or to be exposed to all of the bloodshed. They will stay here and we will eradicate the threat to their safety. Will you help me?¡± ¡°Of course my friend. I would protect my family the same way.¡± Just then Leo started to glow and an icon shaped like a box with an arrow pointing up appeared. ¡°Ding!¡±
Leo has now met the requirements to evolve into the Fire Liger King! By evolving his strength, speed, and vitality will increase as well growing into a larger body more powerful body that is imbued with the fire element.
Evolve:Yes?No?
¡°What is going on with me?¡± asked Leo. "It says you evolution ability has triggered and you can now evolve into the Fire Liger King. What do you want to do Leo?¡± "What will it do?" asked Leo "Evolution usually makes you stronger by improving your physical abilities and making you more specialized. I would assume since it says the "Fire" Liger King you become more powerful with fire skills. Honestly though I''m not sure exactly what will happen." Leo roared in agreement. Hiro clicked yes and suddenly, Leo was covered in a white light. The light was so bright that the ligers, Caesar, and Lobo had to avert their eyes. Hiro squinted but refused to look away. In the light, Hiro could see the outline of Leo''s body. Leo¡¯s outline grew about 50 cm in height and about 100 cm in length. I can''t see what''s happening to him. "Leo are you alright?!" No answer came. "Leo! Answer me!" No answer came. What is going on? Is he ok? What is happening to him? Just then the light started to subside Hiro could see. Hiro looked and almost didn''t recognize his partner. His body had undergone some dramatic changes. Leo¡¯s body was now predominately black with red stripes. His eyes glowed red. His physique showed a definite increase in muscle. The final change was appearance of two extremely long fangs the protruded from the roof of Leo¡¯s mouth below his jaw line. These fangs looked extremely sharp like a sabertooth tiger¡¯s fangs and they were filled with poison. Caesar said, ¡°What manner of beast is this? It is making me tremble at its very sight and this man is its master? ¡°No, I am not his master. He is my partner. We are a team¡± replied Hiro. "How do you feel my friend?" asked Hiro "The power, I feel it coursing through me! It feels incredible. I need to test out my strength. Do you mind having a sparring session Hiro?" "Sure why not. Just remember I beat you last time." Hiro said with a smile. "Don''t worry, I haven''t forgotten and I will be fixing that loss this time around." "Caesar get back and whatever happens do not interfere!" "Are you sure about this? I mean can''t you feel his power. He is far beyond you now even with your equipment I don''t think you will be his match at this time." "Don''t worry I''ll be fine." Leo and Hiro walked off to the spot of their first battle. The wind blew softly as the sun was shining through some spotty clouds. The air seemed thick with the tension of the battle about to occur. Caesar was right.He is emanating a ton of energy. I''ve never felt anything like this. He is on a whole other level. "You haven''t gotten cold feet have you Hiro? If you won''t come to me I will come to you." With that, Leo rushed forward towards Hiro. Hiro readied his shield and his sword. He also coated them with his ki so that he could decrease any damage he might incur. What is with this? Why do I see so many prediction lines? There are hundreds of them.I can''t decide which one is which. Leo moved forward at an incredible speed and attempted to tackle Hiro but Hiro quickly rolled to his left to avoid it. Unfortunately, Leo was so fast that he already had his next attack started before Hiro had finished his roll. The glowing ki strike hit Hiro on his back crushing him to the ground. "AAAAAHHHHH!!" he screamed out in pain Leo was not finished yet. He opened his mouth and breathed fire at Hiro. The fire was even more intense than usual and the flame burned a pale blue color. Hiro raised his shield to block the attack. His shield held up but the heat from the flames started to affect his arm. Hiro quickly activated his Wildfire Armor''s ability to absorb the flames. He was able to regain the health he lost from Leo''s first strike. "I forgot that fire only strengthens you. It is a mistake I won''t make again, Hiro." "Now its my turn!" said Hiro as he charged. Hiro threw his shield at Leo using his boomerang shield ability. Leo easily dodged the attack and moved towards Hiro. Hiro readied his sword and cast his shadow clone spell. Leo leapt in and attacked but his attack was met with a lightning spell from Hiro''s clone. The lightning bolt crashed into Leo and knocked him back towards the ground. "Well played Hiro but your going to need to do better than that!" "Don''t worry I intend to." Hiro caught his shield as it returned to him and he rushed towards Leo. Leo ran towards him. Just as Hiro swung his blade Leo seemed to vanish. Where did he go? What just happened?! "AHHHHH!" the clone let out a blood curdling scream. Hiro turned around and saw that Leo was shaking the clone back and forth in his mouth. Leo clenched his powerful jaws together once more and the clone vanished. Hiro rushed forward and attacked. Leo countered the ferocious flurry of sword and shield attacks with deft movements and powerful swipes. The battle seemed to be at a stalemate as Hiro defend himself from one of Leo''s claw slashes when suddenly Hiro felt something around his waist. It was Leo''s tail. With a quick flick Leo tossed Hiro high into the air. This bad! I have no way to defend myself from any of his attacks in this position and hitting the ground from this high up will be devastating as well. Just then Leo leapt into the air and pounced on Hiro. Hiro tried to swing his sword but Leo''s powerful paws kept the blade and shield at bay. With Leo on top of him the both plummeted to the earth. CRRRRRAAAASSSSSHHHH!! The two warriors hit the ground causing a crater. Hiro''s body was beneath the powerful body of Leo. Leo opened his massive jaws and placed them around Hiro''s neck. "Do you concede Hiro?" "I don''t think I have much choice" Hiro said as he groaned in agony. "Looks like our battle record is now even my friend." "Seems so. Your speed and power are amazing. I have a long way to go before I can match you but I will get there." Hiro quickly began casting his healing spell on himself to heal his wounds. Little by little the wounds healed and he was able to stand. "Are you ok Hiro? I mean that last attack was insane!" said Caesar. "Yes I''m ok but I definitely don''t want to be on the receiving end of that again." The two of them laughed heartily as they walked with Leo and Gori back to the area where the rest of the Liger pride was. "Leo, are you going to stay with the pride or return to the city?" asked Hiro. "I am going to stay for a while I want to make sure none of my pride goes missing. Come to me when you are ready to attack." Hiro nodded his head and embraced his friend before leaving to return to the city. The walk back to the city was silent. Caesar was in awe of this man and the strength of his partner.Then Caesar broke the silence. "How did he get that strong? I want Gori to be powerful like that." "Well... Honestly I don''t really know. He and I are connected and he gains strength and abilities as he eats his prey. So the more powerful enemies we face the more powerful we get." replied Hiro. "Hmmm... maybe we should try that. What do you think Gori?" Gori pound his chest in agreement. The three continued walking until they arrived back at the city. Once there Hiro immediately informed Kaura and Orochi of what Leo said. "Go and scout out the area that Leo said his family members had been abducted from and report back what you find." "Yes sir Commander!" she said with a bow. Immediately she rushed off out of town. I guess will wait for the report from Kaura. In the meantime I guess I can work on some more of these leather pieces. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He worked late into the evening but he finally finished the last set. I wonder what my stats are now? Let me take a look. Hiro placed his hand over the icon he saw in his heads up display and immediately his status screen came up.
Status Window
Name:HiroAlignment:Good
Level:Class:Ki Warrior
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles
Hero of Kaito
Fame:500Infamy:0
-
Health:800 / 800Health Regen:4.5 / Sec
Mana:700 / 700Mana Regen:10.1 / Sec
Stamina:1450/ 1450Stamina Regen:15 / Sec
-
Strenght:235Agility:184
Vitality:350
Intelligence:100Wisdom:150
Leadership:50Luck:35
-
Attack:455Defense:590
Physical Resistances
Slashing:34%Piercing:30%
Crushing:28%
Elemental Resistances
Fire:100%Water:10%
Wind:25%Earth:15%
Light:0%Darkness:10%
I¡¯m definitely continuing to improve especially in the area of strength. Now lets'' see how much Leo improved since his evolution. I bet his stats are crazy now. Hiro touched the now red and black picture of Leo on his HUD and suddenly Leo''s stats were revealed to him.
Leo
Job:Hiro''s PetLevel:20
Health:10,000/10,000
Strength- 750 Agility- 450
Abilities:
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Liger''s Roar???????%
Liger¡¯s Roar: Roar that strikes fear in the heart of enemies occasionally paralyzing them.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
FlamethrowerAdvanced340%
This is the evolved version of Leo''s ability to breathe fire. His fire will now do more damage and enemies will no longer be able to extinguish the flames without water or magical assistance.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Absorption???????%
Allows Liger to gain strength and abilities to from things he has eaten.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Symbiosis???????%
Abilities gained will be immediately shared with the pet¡¯s master.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Armored SkinIntermediate920%
Leo''s fur and skin are like armor allowing Leo to take less damage from physical attacks a in combat.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
PredictionIntermediate780%
Leo can use Hiro''s ability to predict the path of incoming attacks.
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Ki StrikeItermediate650%
Allos Leo to mimic Hiro''s ki skill by focusing his ki into one of his claws and using the ki to increase the destructive power of his attack
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Fire ImmunityMaster10100%
Leo is now completely immune to fire based attacks. This attacks will not only not harm him but he will be able to absorb them and increase his own strength..
We¡¯ve sure grown a lot Leo. We are truly strong now. Your new body and skills are definitely formidable. I won¡¯t lose to you though. I will continue to train and improve myself so that I can be worth of being the partner of the Fire Liger King. ______________________________________________________________________________________________I hope you enjoyed this chapter and again sorry for having such a long time between chapters. Please rate and leave your feedback about the story so far. I try to incorporate as many of your suggestions into the upcoming chapters as possible. I hope all of you who have read my work continue to support me as I keep writing more of Hiro''s Journey. Thank you and as always if you can donate please feel free. Doesn''t matter how much or how little every little bit helps. Chapter 28: A New Master Hey guys! As promised another chapter is up. I''m glad you guys showed me so much love after my break from writing. *Author''s note: If you see italics those words are what Hiro is thinking to himself. *Story note: I am also working on a summary of the characters up until this point to give those who haven''t read the story in a while some context on who is who and what their skill, strength, and classes are in comparison to the main character. As always fans please rate, review, and leave comments. I am up to 347 followers which I am thrilled about. I''m hoping to get to 500 one day. Thank you for reading and enjoy the newest chapter! ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 28 New Master Hiro opened his eyes as the sun crept past the horizon. The sun''s rays illuminated his room through the huge window. The window was open allowing a cool breeze to come into his room. As he removed the covers from himself and got out out of bed he noticed that the air was colder than usual but it still felt pleasant. Hiro got out of bed and got dressed in his full armor. Leo got a huge power up yesterday when he evolved. I''ve got to do some training in order to keep up with him. I can''t let him get too far ahead of me or I will only be depending on his strength.Well I guess the best way to improve is some good old fashion hunting so let''s see.... Hiro closed his eyes and searched for some enemies. Hmmm hunting should also allow me to get some materials to pay off my debt to the dwarves. So I guess I''ll stay out for a while to kill time until Kaura gets back with her scouting report. I don''t sense anything powerful at the moment so I think I''ll go back to the last place Leo and I fought some enemies. He headed towards the area he found the scorpions. They were tough days ago but with my new weapons armor and strength they should not be a problem. He arrived quickly. His speed training had paid off too. He was moving so fast it seemed like everything else was standing still. He walked out into the beginning of the desert. He felt the presence of 3 no 4 of the scorpions. He activated his ki and prepared for battle. The scorpions rose out of the sand and came at Hiro. He was able to quickly cut the pincers off of the first scorpions. As the next two tried to pierce him with their stingers Hiro dodged and evaded. He then went back on the offensive using his blade filled with his ki to cut the heads off of two of the scorpions. Then he turned to face the other two. The backed up as he let out his liger¡¯s roar skill. The scorpions were frozen. Hiro went over and cut both of their heads off as well. Then he grabbed them and put them into his magic bag. He sensed more enemies ahead so Hiro continued out into the desert.
You gained 4 points towards your weapon skill.
He saw about 20 enemies scattered about that looked like the widow queen from the forest only smaller. Hiro decided to analyze them.
Wolf Spider
Type:BeastHealth:2,000 / 2,000
Weakness:Fire
IA carnivorous beast of the desert. It burrows in the ground and comes when enemies tread near its burrow. Because it lives within the ground, earth attacks are nearly useless against it.
This was great I can really rack up on the experience with these guys. They are weak against my element so they should pose no real threat but there are so many so I should be able to get some good loot from them.. He activated his armor of wildfire and charged the spiders. The spiders quickly went on the offensive hissing and spraying their spider silk at him. However, the spider silk was ineffective against Hiro. As it got close to Hiro¡¯s flaming armor the silk was burned up. Hiro began his offensive and slashed the spiders with his flaming sword. Sometimes they died from the attack other times his attack did not kill them but they were set on fire from his attack and died from the flames. He had already killed six when the rest surrounded him. Something feels wrong here. I better end this quickly. I should try my volcanic strike skill. It should make short work of these spiders. He activated the skill and he felt his ki going into his sword. Then sword burned white hot. He swung his sword in a horizontal arc. The flame left his sword and burned about 10 spiders that were out there. The 4 spiders that remained jumped on hiro and tried dig their fangs into his flesh. His fire armor and armor skin protected him so he didn¡¯t take much damage. The poison from their fangs was ineffective but he was losing energy because the spiders were sucking his blood. He increased his ki to his fire armor and the flames burned even hotter causing the spiders to be burned to death.
You gained 20 weapon skill points.
I think I will hold on to these weapon skill points until I get my new weapon from the dwarves Hiro walked around and collected the bodies and stuffed them in a bag. He noticed that as he picked the spiders up they dropped some earth stones. He placed them in his bag as well and checked his wounds. They had already healed back. My regenerative ability is definitely a life saver. This should be enough hunting for one day. Time to head back to town and sell the spoils of my hunting trip. Then he returned to the town. Hiro entered into the goods shop looking to sell the materials from his hunt. He entered into the door looking for Master Matsuro but he was nowhere to be found. Hiro looked around and saw the attendant who happened to bent over behind the counter. ¡°Have you seen Master Matsuro?¡± ¡°No, not for a few days. He has been gathering up some supplies recently but he hasn¡¯t been here all day. He did leave this note for you.¡± The attendant stretched out his hand and gave Hiro the piece of paper. Hiro went over and asked about selling things that he found while hunting. The attendant said that they would buy whatever he wanted to sell. Hiro opened his bag and began pulling out the carcasses of the monsters that he had slain. The attendant¡¯s eyes were wide opened. "The poison sacs from the scorpions and spiders fetch a good price. Also many adventurers like the armor from the scorpions to make their own armor. You have done well. I believe I can offer you 12 gold for all of the monsters and their parts."said the attendant. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Hiro nodded his head and agreed. ¡°I will return when I have goods to sell Mr. Attendant." "Goodbye and safe journey Hiro¡± "Thank you master! I will return when I have goods to sell Mr. Attendant." "Goodbye my apprentice." Hiro left the shop and then decided to go to the smithy shop and drop off his payment. Hiro opened the door and went up to the counter. The dwarf was happy see him. "Your weapon and shield are about 60% complete." said the dwarf. Hiro smiled and gave the dwarf the payment. The dwarf said, "It is a long process but it is moving along." Hiro smiled and asked, "Could I use the forge to try and repair my armor and weapons I got from the battle?" The dwarf agreed and led Hiro back to forge. Hiro took out his smithing hammer and began with the armor from the field. The copper gloves and breastplates were pretty simple. After they became a bright red color he quickly hammered them and the dents and holes vanished. I''m actually getting pretty good at this. Those dwarves are definitely great teachers. He quickly went through the rest of the copper equipment. Next, he found that the shields required a little more finesse as many of them were made of bronze. Little by litlte his skill continued to improve so much that some of the armor had better stats after he repaired it. After a few more hours he had finished all of the armor. He was exhausted but he decided to finish his armor of Wildfire. He heated up the armor with the fire from the forge. Something peculiar began to happen. As soon as the armor touched the fire it began to repair itself. That''s it! The armor is made from fire stones. It even gave me the ability to absorb fire so it would only be natural that it would be repaired by being bathed in fire. He took the metal armors he repaired back to the army barracks to leave them in the armory. It was getting late at the this point and the sun was going down but it was still was slightly above the horizon so it was still some light out. There was a cool breeze flowing through the town and the training grounds. This is as good a time as any to do some training of my own with that hammer. He went to the sparring circle and pulled his hammer out the inventory. The hammer is still too heavy to wield in one hand but I can actually pick it up. His training regimen continued. He kept lifting the hammer up and down with both arms. He did this for about 100 repetitions on each arm. His arms were bulging, the veins in his arms were pulsing, and his body was dripping with sweat. All of this showed the tremendous amount of exertion he had been through in order to complete his training.
Through your training your strength has increased by 25 points and 15 points of vitality.
Good now I¡¯m at 260 in strength. This hammer is great for helping me build my strength. A few more days like this and I can catch up to Leo. He stood up and noticed that several of the soldiers were watching him in awe. Many thought he was just naturally gifted as a warrior but seeing him work this hard gave them renew vigor in their training. One soldier, named Blade came up and looked at the hammer. This was the young man who Hiro fought that carried an axe. His physique was very defined and he was about 3 inches shorter than Hiro. "May I sir?" , Blade axed "Sure but be careful it is extremely heavy." Blade moved towards the hammer. He dropped his legs down into a strong squat-like position. Then he put both hands on the hammer. With all his might blade began pulling on the hammer trying to lift it from its resting place. His arms and chest bulged, he even had a vein in his forehead began to pulsate. It was to no avail. He could not move the hammer. Hiro smiled and said, "I told you it was heavy. When I started I could only drag it a few inches but little by little I got stronger and now I can pick it up with one hand." "Sir how long have you been working like this?" said one of the other soldiers. "This is how I always train. Every bit of strength and skill that I have, I gained through hard work and perseverance." All of soldiers'' eyes widened. "Men back to practice! We must not let our superiors outwork us!" yelled Blade "HOOWWWWOOOO!" shouted the soldiers as they returned to their training. "Keep up the good work men!" "HOOOWWWOOO!" shouted the soldiers saluting their commander as he left. Hiro left the training center and went to the restaurant to eat. Hiro walked inside and saw a sign out front that said, ¡°Today¡¯s special Ultimate Cheeseburger!¡± Hiro rushed in and sat down. The waitress came and he ordered the Ultimate Cheeseburger. Hiro sat with anticipation waiting patiently for the waitress to return with his prize. After a few moments had passed, the meal was served. This cheeseburger was huge. It was about 50cm in diameter and it was piled three meat patties high. It also had lettuce, tomatoes on each layer. ¡°If you eat it all it¡¯s free if you don¡¯t it¡¯s five silver coins. Oh I¡¯m sorry Hiro I didn¡¯t recognize you. Your hair has grown and you¡¯ve gotten even more muscular. It¡¯s on the house but you can take the challenge if you would like. ¡° Hiro told the waitress, ¡°I if I lose the challenge I will pay for my food.¡± ¡°Ok. Good Luck¡± the waitress said as she smiled.
Event Quest! Eat the Ultimate Cheeseburger Do you accept: Yes or No. Yes.
Hiro grabbed the burger and began tearing through it. In a flash he had eaten half of the burger. He let out a loud belch and picked the burger back up. He ate until only about a quarter of the burger was left. He felt good. He patted his stomach and grabbed the last piece. Hiro took two bites and the Ultimate Cheeseburger was vanquished.
quest complete. Reward: 50 points toward vitality.
Hiro felt stuffed. He thanked the waitress and left the restaurant. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be out in a few days. I hope that you enjoyed as the story. In the upcoming chapters you will be getting a glimpse of the turmoil in the world around Hiro''s village and see glimpses of the evil faction that is working behind the scenes causing problems in the world. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave any comments, questions, or critiques about the story. I will gladly reply to them and try to incorporate any feedback you give me into the upcoming chapters. Thanks and please keep reading. Characters and Information Hey guys someone asked me to create a post to explain some of the story info about my story because people may have forgotten about characters and the situation at the time in the story due to my long absence. So this is it. I hope it dispels any mistakes that I have made and brings people up to speed on the story. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Characters: Main character: Hiro- He was picked on and bullied in the beginning of the story and he finds out in later chapters that due to complications from a vicious beating he took at the hands of a bully he died. The world he is now in is not a game but a new world that he was reincarnated in. For him the world has game-like properties where he gains skills, strength, and abilities like a character would in an rpg game. Leo- He is a liger who Hiro tamed as his companion. In recent chapters he has evolved into a sub species called the Fire Liger King. His power, strength, and speed have exceed Hiro at this point in the story as evidenced by his defeating Hiro in a 1-on-1 duel. He helps Hiro to gain strength through a symbiosis ability. When he eats prey he gains some of their abilities and transfers them to Hiro. Foria- Hiro''s love interest. He saved her in the beginning of the story and slowly they have fallen in love. Foria is an excellent archer with great speed and agility in 1-on-1 combat. She doesn''t have a strong constitution. She is what I would considered to be the thief/ranger type character from an RPG. She is also the daughter of the town chief and the sister of the character Korin. Korin- Is the brother of Foria and currently the town''s chief after his parents were killed in the invasion. Korin was kidnapped by orcs in the early part of the story and rescued by Foria and Hiro. Korin is a powerful magician who leads the town and trains the mages of the army. Snow- Snow is another character that was held prisoner with Korin by the orcs. Snow is the iconic warrior tank class character. He was trained to be a soldier and taught Hiro the basics of using ki and of being a warrior. Snow gained a pet with Hiro''s help, however, earlier in the story he returned to his home town in the north to protect it from invasions. Ora-Ora is Snow''s pet. She is a bear that was able to breath fire. Her powerful body and tough armor-like fur made her a perfect match for Snow''s fighting style. Rain- I soft spoken young lady who is growing into a the role of a powerful wizard. She possesses the ability to use multiple magic types and through her battles alongside Hiro she has gained the ability to summon elementals. She helps to train mages alongside Korin in the town as well. In the army she commands the magical troop and is a force to be reckoned with. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Kaura- she was one of the few warriors that survived the invasion of Kaito by the orcs. She is an excellent scout and skilled in close range combat. she wields a short sword or twin daggers and does extremely well using stealth. With Hiro''s help she was able to gain a pet snake whom she name Orochi. Kaura is the commander of the light armored unit of Kaito''s army. Orochi- Orochi as species of night viper that has a special ability allowing it to erase its presence completely. It leaves no trace of sound, smell, ki, or even sight. It''s poisonous fangs and muscular body help it crush or poison its enemies from the shadows mimicking Kaura''s stealth killing skills perfectly. Caesar- A battle hardened ex-soldier that became an immigrant to Kaito during Hiro''s trip to the north. Caesar is a man of immense strength and grizzled toughness developed through rigorous training. Using his massive strength and hulking body Caesar overwhelms his foes with brute force. He is currently in charge of the heavy armored unit in Kaito''s army as well as being in charge of the training of the army. He also has a gorilla for a partner named Gori. Gori- Gori is the son of the alpha of a tribe of Gorillas. Caesar saved him from a hunter''s trap and he has been loyal to Caesar ever since. His power is immense like his partner and he is a huge addition to the army''s current strength. Master Matsuro - Some trouble came up with this character as he was mentioned twice by 2 different names. I will be correcting this soon. Master Matsuro was a famed warrior who protected the town of Kaito before he was poisoned by a dragon. Due to the poison his heart was damaged and he can no longer use his full strength. Even in his current condition Hiro was overwhelmed by his ki. He has agreed to train Hiro in his style of martial arts known simply as the lightning style. Well these are the characters so far. If you have any questions feel free to pm me and ask or leave it as a reply in this thread. I hope you enjoy and I will correcting those mistakes about Matsuro soon. The next chapter will be up in the next 2 days. Keep reading. Thank you, Swordnube21 Chapter 29: Battle Preparations Hey everyone! Sorry for the long vacation from writing but life was getting in the way. Now that things have slowed down I got back to writing. I have recently written 5 new chapters and I will be posting them this weekend so if you are up for some binge reading these next few chapters should satisfy you. By the way I started a new story the other day I placed it on here. It is called Humanity''s last hope. If you''re waiting on a new chapter please feel free to read it and let me know what you think. The link is posted below. http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5059 Happy reading and as always please rate and review. I will be editing earlier chapters for any mistakes that I made. Keep the criticism coming as it makes me a better writer. Enjoy! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 29 Hiro headed home but before he got home he ran into Kaura and Orochi. Kaura told him of what she had found while scouting the enemy encampment. "Sir, There was a medium sized base of about 280 to 350 hobgoblins. The base appeared to be a cave that was made of several rooms. In the cave were several different monsters. There were 4 trolls standing guard at the front and numerous goblins all over the camp. There was also about 25 ligers in cages in various areas around the base. The enemy had several different classes of soldiers as well. They had archers, some magicians, a few warriors that rode on the backs of the ligers, and heavy infantry that I assume will be led by the trolls." Hiro asked, "What about the leader?" "My apologies, Commander. I was unable to find the leader." "No need to apologize Kaura. You did an excellent job scouting. Thank you for you¡¯re your service. Please tell Caesar of what you found and tell him that I will meet him in the sparring circle tomorrow to talk about our battle plan." Kaura saluted him and then she and Orochi left. Hiro went to look for Foria and Korin. Since I¡¯m close to the training center I will start looking there. Here walked towards the training center and once he got there he heard the familiar sound of arrows hitting a target. To his surprise, It was not one of the soldiers he saw. It was Foria practicing with her bow and arrows. ¡°Hey Foria!¡± yelled Hiro. She came over and Hiro and was surprised at Hiro¡¯s appearance. His appearance had changed a little. His hair had grown a little more and he started to grow a bit of a manly gotee. His muscles were well defined. He looked like he was chiseled out of stone. She blushed and said, ¡°You sure look different.¡± He laughed and said, ¡°Do you like what you see?" "Oh yeah!" replied Foria as she ran up and kissed him. "How did you get all manly and muscular like this?" "I try to keep to my strenuous training every day. The reason I came to discuss the situation with the hobgoblins and the ligers.¡± ¡°This is definitely a problem and that we should use whatever means necessary to stamp out the problem. I know you are really busy right now but I do have a request of you.¡± ¡°Anything for you. What would like me to do?¡± ¡°Anything?", asked Hiro with a sly grin on his face. "Well yeah but leave that talk for your bedroom." "I''m going to hold you to that later?" "You can hold me anyway you want." Foria said with a smile. "But seriously,Hiro can you help me find a pet?¡± ¡°Of course but why so interested now?¡± replied Hiro. ¡°I miss being out on the field of battle that is why I relinquished my part of leadership and returned to being a soldier. I want a pet so that I can be of more use to you out on the battlefield. I will tell my brother of your plans to crush the hobgoblins but I need you to help me with a pet.¡° Hiro agreed then said ¡°Think of an animal that suits you. When you come to me tomorrow, have that idea in your head and we can go out hunting together and find it.¡± Foria nodded. I want to see her improvement and compare it to my own. I¡¯m going to arrange a little competition between the two of us. ¡°Foria can you do something for me?¡± ¡°Sure why not. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to stand about 20 meters away and see if she could hit him with an arrow.¡± She looked at him confused saying, ¡°If I do hit you, it could kill you.¡± ¡°I want to test your growth. Being in a town for this long with no fighting could have made you rusty.¡± ¡°Rusty?!!¡± she screamed as a her face turned red. ¡°You do know the last time we faced each other I kicked your butt?¡± ¡°Hmph! Well that was last time. You said it yourself, I look a lot different than before. I don¡¯t just look different I am different and you aren¡¯t fighting with your daggers, you are shooting arrows. ¡°I¡¯m just as deadly with my bow as I am with my daggers.¡± ¡°We will see.¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°Besides, I have learned the healing spell and my body is as strong as armor so I¡¯ll be fine. Besides your arrows have to actually hit me and not be caught. I just want to see if you are still the marvelous archer that I remember¡±, said Hiro. ¡°If you can¡¯t hit me I get to choose a prize. Agreed?¡± ¡°Agreed. But what do I get if I hit you?¡± replied Foria. ¡°You get to name your prize¡±, Hiro said as he laughed. Foria walked out about 20 meters and drew her bow. ¡°Let¡¯s make it more interesting. Move to 10 meters.¡± ¡°Are you crazy or are you just looking down on me!?¡± ¡°Neither. I¡¯m just trying to give you a fair chance.¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°Now, fire whenever you are ready and keep firing until all of the arrows in your quiver is empty.¡± Foria was starting to get angry because of his cocky. Didn¡¯t he remember the last time they face off she whipped him. Foria fired an arrow. It whistled through the air at an incredible speed but Hiro snatched it out of the air. HIro yawned and said, ¡°That¡¯s it? Come one¡± Foria gasped in awe of his skill. She continued and fired another arrow with the same result. Another, another, and another. He caught them all. ¡°I guess I will have to try something else.¡± She knocked her last arrow and drew her bow. She took a deep breath and the tip of the arrow began to glow. She is trying something new. I better get ready. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you deal with this. Mirage Arrow!¡± she yelled as she released the arrow. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.What the..!! It looks like there are 3 arrows. Well I guess I better up the ante too. Hiro released his ki to its max. The sheer amount of his ki blew back the arrow and he never even moved from the spot he was on. ¡°It¡¯s your win¡±, Foria said with her head hanging down. ¡°Name your prize¡± ¡°A date with you in town after we crush the hobgoblins¡±, he replied triumphantly. ¡°You dirty cheater. You knew you were gonna win!¡± ¡°Well I had a suspicion!¡± Hiro said while looking at the ground. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pull this little ruse to get a date. I would have gone regardless.¡± She jumped in his arms and gave him a deep kiss. Hiro grasped her tight around her ample bottom as she wrapped her legs around his waist. After the embrace the two parted ways and Hiro left for his home. Once he got home he removed his armor and weapons and went to bed. He lay in his bed thinking. I get to go on a date with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. This would never happen back home. That kind of girl would never look twice at me. Now she¡¯s actually going out with me. The sun was setting but Hiro missed his friend. It was the first time they had been apart for so long since they became partners. He decided to rush out and find Leo with his pride. Hiro came to the pride and he was greeted by some of the younger ligers he patted their heads as he walked closer to the area where he knew Leo would be. Hiro made his way up the larger rock and there he saw Leo lying on the ground with 5 young cubs. The cubs were playfully biting him practicing on how they should attack larger prey when they were able to hunt. Hiro walked up and embraced his friend. ¡°Would it be ok for me to stay with the pride tonight?¡± ¡°Agreed but only if he would play with the cubs.¡± Replied Leo Hiro laughingly said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal.¡± The cubs stopped biting on Leo and looked towards Hiro. Immediately they surrounded him. Why am I sensing danger from these cubs? They are not even close to Leo¡¯s or my strength but for some reason I feel their threatening aura. What is going on? Hiro readied himself as the liger cubs crept closer and closer. Suddenly and without a sound, they attacked. Hiro dodged the first two by rolling on the ground. He was not so lucky with the other 3. When he stood up from his roll one of the cubs was in midair and it tackled him to the ground. The two others that were pouncing, grabbed his left arm and right leg. They were surprisingly strong for being so young. Hiro¡¯s armored skin prevented him from taking any damage but another foe would have been seriously harmed by those little sharp teeth. Hiro expanded his ki over his body and the sudden increase in strength made the cubs release him. Even in their youth they could sense the danger but that didn¡¯t stop them. They regrouped and surrounded Hiro again. ¡°Is it ok if I fight back Leo?¡± ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t harm them too much or you will have to deal with the females in the pride and you definitely don¡¯t want that.¡± Hiro smiled and readied himself for their attacks. This time I will try to parry their attacks instead of dodging them.I will use their own strength against them rather than trying to hurt them with brute force going back. The cubs attacked in the same fashion that they did last time. However, HIro was prepared now. The first two cubs who jumped in saw Hiro step in close to the one that jumped him from the left. This messed up the trajectory of the cub¡¯s attack and allowed Hiro to grab the cub in midair. Hiro then tossed the cub into the other and they crashed to the ground. When he turned the 3rd cub was already moving towards his chest but Hiro smiled and sidestepped the attack while countering with a side kick to the cub¡¯s ribs. It was a weak kick meant to primarily knock the cub off balance. The cub fell awkwardly but got right back up growling. The final attack came but it was dealt with in the same manner as the others. Hiro¡¯s superior fighting skills allowed him to parry the claw scratches of the final two cubs before he delivered a roundhouse kick to the body and head of one of the cubs that was on its hind legs. The other cub Hiro managed to dodge its attack by stepping back slightly. He then countered with two punch combination followed by a front kick that sent the cub crashing down. All the cubs got up with little to no damage. Hiro healed them just to be safe before each attack. After a while the cubs began to get sleepy and the went to their mother and curled up in her warm fur. ¡°I see you little ones have had enough huh?¡± Hiro said with a laugh. ¡°You were good with them. Fighting with you was a good lesson for them. They will grow strong and help the pride hunt.¡± ¡°What is it like to be a father Leo.¡± ¡°It is my pride protecting them and seeing them grow. It is difficult at times but I love all of them.¡± ¡°Maybe you can play with my children like this one day?¡± ¡°When you have children of your own I will protect them just like I do with you. Your family and mine will forever be together Hiro.¡± ¡°I feel the same way my friend.¡± Hiro, like so many nights before curled up in Leo¡¯s fur. Leo¡¯s fur has become even warmer now. This must have been a result of his evolution in the fire liger king. As he lay in the warm fur of his companion, Hiro told Leo about what they had found out about the base. ¡°Can you give me a few days while he finished the preparations of repairing the equipment for the army as well as giving the dwarves time to finish my new weapon and shield?¡± ¡°Will that improve our chances of success?¡± ¡°Definitely. The more prepared we are the better our chances. We are already dealing with a larger force. We definitely don¡¯t want to go in unprepared.¡± Leo agreed and Hiro closed his eys. He could feel the heat from Leo¡¯s body as well as Leo¡¯s chest expanding and contracting as he breathed. Little by little Hiro drifted off to sleep. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Please rate and review. If you have any new comments on how to improve my story please let me know. The next chapter will be up later today! Thanks for reading and please follow my story so you know when the next chapter is up. Thanks for reading. Chapter 30: A New Companion I''m back and cranking out new chapters. I read a few stories on Royal Road like Forgotten Conquer and a few others and I was so inspired now I''m going to have a few new ones for you guys. Please read, rate, and follow me so that we can make this story one of Royal Road''s top 50! Thanks! By the way I started a new story the other day I placed it on here. It is called Humanity''s last hope. If you''re waiting on a new chapter please feel free to read it and let me know what you think. The link is posted below. http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5059 Without further wait.... _______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 30 Early the next morning Hiro arose to rising of the sun. ¡°Leo I¡¯m going to return home for some training.¡± Leo opened his mouth in a bit of a yawn showing his long fangs and said, ¡°Yeah you will need it after they way I kicked your butt the other day.¡± ¡°You are definitely right but don¡¯t get too cocky. I will be training hard and soon I will be even more powerful than you.¡± ¡°Sure you will¡±, Leo said with a snort. Leo then rolled over and Hiro stood up and left. I can¡¯t believe how fast I am running. How I am now is nearly incomprehensible to the way I was when I first came here. His speed was dramatically different than it was when he first came and stamina had improved as well. In moments he returned to the town. The gate was opened and he entered into the town. The town was just beginning to awake. Most people were still in their beds. Only the farmers were out at this time. Hiro made his way to the training center for the army and pulled his hammer from his inventory. He grabbed the hammer with his right arm and picked it up. It was a strain but he was able to move the hammer. He decided to put it down and try with his left arm. He picked the hammer up and was able to swing it with his left arm as well. Hiro then decided to take practice swings with the hammer in sets of 3¡¯s. He would swing the hammer down then right to left and switch hands. He did this until he had completed 300 repetitions. His arms seemed to be screaming when he finally put the hammer down.
Due to your rigorous training your strength and vitality have increased by 25 points!
Hiro wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath. PEEEYUUUUU! Man I really stink. I guess after playing with the ligers and sleeping outside all night will really make you work up a powerful odor. I need to wash off and get this smell off of me. The lake should be a good place to clean up. He ran to the lake as fast as his legs would carry him. I better be cautious because there are dangerous animals out here and I didn¡¯t bring any weapons or armor with me other than that hammer and I know I can¡¯t fight with that yet. He used his detect presence skill and determined that things were safe. I can¡¯t sense any power levels anywhere near here so it should be safe. He undressed a dove into the water. The water was cool and he felt refreshed. Hiro laid his head back and began to float. He looked up at the sky. The sun was out and the sky was clear blue with some fluffy white clouds. It was beautiful. I feel much better and I definitely don¡¯t stink anymore. ¡°GROOOOWWWLLL!¡± Hiro¡¯s stomach made a loud noise. I guess I need to go get some food. Hiro got out of the water and got dressed so he could return to the town. Once he dressed himself he began walking towards home when suddenly he felt the presence of some animals. The powers began to creep closer and closer to him. What kind of enemy are they? There are around 20 of them. Should I run or stand and fight? If I fight I definitely can¡¯t let them surround me. Well their power isn¡¯t that great so I think I should be able to manage. Suddenly, the enemies came and showed themselves. They looked like ants except their bodies were about a meter tall and 2 meters in length. In addition, that had some powerful teeth that protruded from the front of their heads that looked like pincers. I better be wary of those pincers and ants are very strong. Usually they can lift things 50 times their own weight so throwing me won¡¯t be a problem for these things. I have to keep my distance. Hiro released his ki in order to strengthen his body. The scene became more and more intense. The ants stood still as he readied himself. Hiro could feel the sweat dripping down his face as the ants came within his attack range. Why aren¡¯t the attacking? What is going on? Is it my power? Is my power so strong that it is actually intimidating them? Maybe I should release more. Hiro tightened his fists and spread his legs so that they were shoulder width apart. He then began to gather his energy. ¡°HAAAAAAAA!!!¡± he screamed as his power began to rise. When he released 20% of his power the ants began to slowly back away. I don¡¯t want to get into a needless fight especially with no weapon or armor. I need to release more of my power. ¡°HAAAAAAAA!!¡± I will increase the effects by adding my Hero¡¯s Battle Cry skill. His power continued to rise. It was now at 50% coupled with the intimidation of his Hero¡¯s Battle Cry Skill, the ants turned around and began to run away.
You have learned the skill intimidation.
Because of your increase in power, some enemies will no longer attack you as they fear the power you exhibit. This skill will increase with the amount of power you gain. As it grows you will be able to intimidate more powerful enemies and you will be able to focus your intimidation technique on specific enemies.
That is cool now I can avoid fighting small fries and go straight for the powerful enemies! Well enough of being out here I need to get back home so that I can meet the dwarves. Hiro lowered his power back down and ran home. Once in town he went straight the dwaves¡¯ blacksmith shop. Hiro opened the door to the blacksmith shop and the dwarves greeted him with smiles. The dwarves said that his weapon would not be ready until tomorrow at the earliest. Hiro smiled and thanked them for their hard work and left. Hiro went to the restaurant and ate breakfast then went home to ready himself for the trip with Foria. Hiro heard a knock at his door and went to answer it. Foria was there ready to go. She looked very excited. She told Hiro that Korin had agreed to let the army go to crush the hobgoblin stronghold. Hiro smiled and they left out towards the gate of the town. ¡°Did you decide what animal would be the best pet for you?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°I was thinking a Liger like Leo?¡± ¡°WHATTT!!?¡± replied Hiro. ¡°Yes I¡¯m a hunter and what creature is a more powerful hunter than a liger?¡± ¡°I guess that is true but I don¡¯t know if Leo will approve of this. He is the alpha and he was pretty adamant about his pride members not being involved in the war.¡± ¡°What do you suggest then?¡± asked Foria. ¡°I was thinking a wolf.¡± Replied Hiro ¡°Wolves are natural born hunters.¡± ¡°I had my heart set on a liger but if you say Leo will be upset then I won¡¯t fight you on it¡± They got their things and set out for the forest. About a quarter of a day¡¯s journey they arrived in the forest where the originally met. Hiro used his detect presence ability and found a pack of wolves. He also noticed a very large presence but he was not sure what it was. It was even larger than a troll. Hmmm¡­ the presence is pretty powerful but it is a pretty large distance away so I won¡¯t tell Foria. I don¡¯t want to alarm her. I will come back when Leo and I are together and take on whatever the creature was. They headed towards the wolves that were in the eastern part of the forest. Along the way the killed seven night vipers, 12 forest rats and 4 forest panthers. Hiro really didn¡¯t do much. He always placed the bodies in his bag so that he could skin them later. By the time he readied his attack Foria had slayed the beasts with her arrows. She was truly impressive. They finally reached the area where he felt the wolves. The couple looked and saw large wolves. They varied in color but they were all about 1.5 meters tall with muscular bodies and thick fur. The also had large powerful jaws and thick padded paws. ¡°Do you see one that you connect with?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°That one¡±, said Foria as she pointed to a wolf that was completely white. Hiro nodded thinking that it was a great choice. There were over a dozen wolves down there and they looked strong so Hiro used his analyze ability.
IFrost Wolf
Type:BeastHealth:4,000 / 4,000
Mana:500/500
From the forests in cold northern areas, these wolves are nearly immune to ice and water based attacks. They are deadly with their strong jaws and powerful paws. They hunt prey with their extremely keen hearing and sense of smell. They are extremely loyal to their pack.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°We are here to get you a partner so we don¡¯t want to harm these animals if too badly¡± said Hiro. ¡°I understand I will wound them if necessary but I will not kill any of them¡± replied Foria. ¡°That is fine. I will heal any of them that get injured.¡± ¡°I will fight them and draw out the leader which seems like the white one. You support from the rear.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± He walked into the area where the wolves were. The wolves began to growl at the intruder. Hiro strengthen his body with his ki and dropped his sword. The wolves darted at him but their movements were too slow to actually hit Hiro. He moved through them dodging those who attacked. He kept walking and he was suddenly surrounded by the wolves. Hiro smiled and let out his Liger¡¯s Roar ability. The sound was so powerful you could almost see Leo their roaring. The wolves backed down in fear except for the all-white wolf. It came down from under the tree where it was resting. It began moving toward Hiro growling and flashing its teeth. Its icy blue eyes stared at Hiro with great intensity. Hiro motioned for Foria to come close so she came down from in the tree where she was perched and rushed to Hiro¡¯s side. ¡°It is strong so I¡¯m going to have to fight it and weaken it before I can tame it. Stay behind me! ¡° said Hiro. She backed up and Hiro began fighting with the wolf. Its speed is amazing. It may actually be faster than Leo before his evolution. Hiro was unable to do any damage to the speedy wolf as it darted in and out. He simply could only dodge the wolf¡¯s attack in a high-speed exchange of blows. Unlike Leo it is not balanced. It is simply a fast set of attacks. The blows that I am blocking don¡¯t really have any power. So I¡¯ll just let it land an attack and then I I will end the battle with one hard counter. The wolf darted in and jumped to grab Hiro¡¯s wrist. It¡¯s powerful jaws clamped down on his gauntlet like a vice. It was pulling as if it was going to rip Hiro¡¯s arm off. Fortunately for Hiro his abilities and armor kept him from taking major damage. While the wolf was tugging on his arm Hiro gathered his ki for his ki strike attack. The wolf ferociously pulled at his arm but did not realize the danger it was in. Hiro charged is attack and hit the wolf right in the base of the head the wolf went limp. Did I over do it? No it is still breathing it is just knocked out. ¡°Foria, place your hand on the wolf¡± Hiro activated his tame beast ability.
Foria now has a pet
Through taming several beasts you are now possess the job, beast master.
Having this job allows you to tame and manage more than 1 beast at a time. At your present level 2 beasts is all that you can manage. With improvement you will be able to have up to 3 beasts at a time. It also allows you to speak to animals if you have tamed one of their species.
Hiro cast heal on the wolf and it woke up. He saw the wolf pull some of Foria¡¯s ki. Foria was excited. She now had a pet. ¡°What will you call it?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Foria replied, her name is Amaterasu¡± ¡°Another female? She was definitely strong to withstand my Liger¡¯s Roar. Train her well and grow strong together.¡± Said Hiro. Amaterasu got up from injuries. ¡°Amaterasu I am sorry for hurting you.¡± She ran up to Hiro and licked his face. He tried to fight it but she overpowered him and he fell on his back. The playful wrestling match continued for a few moments, then Amaterasu went back to Foria. Hiro¡¯s Liger¡¯s Roar ability was wearing off so they decided to go before they had to battle the wolves. They quickly left and went back through the forest. They killed six more forest panthers and Foria even shot down a three of bloody vultures. Hiro stuffed them all in the bag except for one of each that he let Amaterasu eat. As they came upon the edge of the forest several forest rats jumped. There were about 10 of them. Amaterasu growled showing her razor sharp fangs. Foria motioned to her to go and in a flash she had mercilessly slaughtered all of the rats. The snow white fur around her mouth was stained in blood. Hiro also found 80 petals of the blood rose to help him make the potions for Master Matsuro on his way back. Foria laughed and said, ¡°You will need a bath when we get back¡±. Hiro grabbed the bodies and stuffed them in his bag for skinning later. Then they exited. They felt a little tired so they rested for a few moments before heading back to the town. The sun had begun to set as the three warriors, Hiro, Foria, and Amaterasu, walked up to the town gate. The gate was opened and the entered into the town. Two soldiers came rushing up to them. The soldiers bowed and gave Hiro thanks for their weapons and armor. Hiro smiled. This army is beginning to look more powerful with their new equipment. Foria asked, ¡°What did you do?¡± Hiro replied, ¡°I knew we had an army and it needs equipment so I took all of the damaged equipment from the skirmish against the orcs in the north and brought it back and repaired it.¡± ¡°You said that was over 500 pieces of armor, weapons, and shields! That must have cost a fortune!¡± ¡°No because I repaired it myself. Now with the hunt that we had today I can put money towards the weapon I brought back for myself¡± ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°The dwarves said it would cost 25 gold for the weapon.¡± ¡°That must be one heck of a weapon.¡± ¡°I hope so. I¡¯m going to skin these animals then go to the goods the goods shop to sell the proceeds from today¡¯s hunt.¡± Foria said her goodbye and Amaterasu licked Hiro¡¯s face then they walked off. Hiro went home and skinned all of the animals. He gained 25 pieces of light leather and 8 pieces of light hide. Then he walked to the goods store and entered. Upon entering he saw the attendant who smiled at him. ¡°Welcome Hiro, what did you bring me today?¡± ¡°I brought you some animals from the forest¡± said Hiro as he pulled the carcasses of the night vipers, bloody vultures, forest panthers, and forest rats and laid them on the ground. The attendant seemed pleased. ¡°These are not bad but not as good of quality as what you gave me the other day. So I won¡¯t be able to offer you as much as you got previoiusly.¡± Hiro frowned but he knew every little bit would help. The attendant gave him five gold coins for all of the animal parts. Hiro smiled and thanked him. I thought that the profit would be less today because the monsters that we fought were much weaker than the previous day¡¯s catch. I will need to fight some stronger enemies if I want to get the weapon. Hiro left the store and looked around. It was very dark but his stomach was growling. He decided to eat something before going to bed so he went to the restaurant. He was met at the door by the waitress who smiled as usual. ¡°There no special today ¡° said the waitress. ¡°I will just have a bowl of beef ramen and vegetables.¡± He waited patiently thinking of what the weapon and shield the dwarves were making would look like. He envisioned a long sword that was electrified and burning at the same time. He began to smile thinking that he would be even more formidable with something like that. How tough would he look? In the middle of his fantasy the waitress came over and brought his food. He said thank you and said a quick prayer giving thanks for his food. Hiro then ate. The noodles tasted perfect and the meat was so tender it seemed like it melted in his mouth. The vegetables were so fresh and they were steamed just right. It was amazing.
Due to eating nutritious food your vitality has increased by 5 points.
I had almost forgotten that each time I eat I receive a boost to myvitality. This probably accounts for why my vitality has grown more than any of my other stats. Hiro left a tip for the waitress and left the store. He felt really good about how the town had improved. The new shops and how the people were now able to live off of the food that they grew. He decided to go home as tomorrow would be the day he went to battle the hobgoblins and free Leo¡¯s enslaved pride members. Foria hasn¡¯t been in battle for a while and she is still wearing the same equipment she had from the forest when I met her. If she is going to be in battle I will need to give her something a little bit better.That¡¯s it I can use the skins and hide I got from when we went hunting earlier. Hiro sat down and began working on the hides he got from the creatures they skinned. After an hour he created a set of studded armor including a cloak, pants, gloves, bracer, and tunic. It was a fine set of armor. All the pieces had improved abilities from the original leather pieces he made and they gave a +2 stat bonus to agility. Foria will be pleased with this. Hiro placed his armor and weapons on the rack and then went to his bed where he quickly fell asleep. Chapter 31: First Strike 420 Followers ! Hiro seems to be developing a great fan base. He exploits will continue to show how his hard work continues to pay off. Please rate and review as well as follow so you can see when the new updates come out! By the way I started a new story the other day I placed it on here. It is called Humanity''s last hope. If you''re waiting on a new chapter please feel free to read it and let me know what you think. The link is posted below. http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5059 Thanks for reading. Now for chapter 31 _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 31: First Strike Hiro awoke to a dark sky filled with lightning and rain. I better consult with Caesar, Foria and Leo as today would not be a good day to attack the Hobgoblins. The rain will make the ground moist and footing would be difficult making it much more difficult to battle the enemy. He got out of bed and got his equipment. He then rushed over to the training grounds to get his early morning training. There he saw Caesar already hard at work. He was lifting a makeshift barbell. It was a long piece of iron attached on either side by boulders. Hiro looked at them they had to extremely heavy but he was lifting over and over. Hiro smiled as his companion though the same way he did. Hiro went over to Caesar and said, ¡°Good morning, do you mind if I join you?¡± ¡°No problem, do you think can you handle this?¡±, Caesar replied. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be ok. How about we share work outs? We switch on and off. I¡¯ll do some reps with you equipment then you do some with my hammer.¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± replied Caesar. He picked up his weight and began lifting it over his head like a military press. Caesar¡¯s muscles bulged in his powerful arms and thick chest muscles. Hiro removed the hammer from his inventory and began practicing fighting movements with the hammer as he was now able to wield nearly well enough to use it in battle. After a few moments they switched. Caesar went over and grabbed the hammer with one hand and lifted it up and began moving as if it was weightless. Hiro was in awe. This man is amazing! How strong is he? ¡°This is a good hammer. I like it!¡± said Caesar. ¡°It¡¯s yours!¡± replied Hiro. ¡°Seriously!? I can have it. Commander you are so generous!¡± replied Caesar. Hiro then placed his hands on the bar and pulled with all his might. He pulled it up and then dropped his body down to a squat holding the bar at his shoulders. He then used his leg strength to stand up. Caesar smiled looking at the young man struggle. Hiro¡¯s body was trembling as the weight of this thing was insane. Hiro then bent his knees slightly and pressed the weight over his head. His body was completely exhausted but he did it. He dropped the bar and he started panting. Then they switched again and again. After about 10 sets of each they both were soaked from the rain and exhausted.
Due to your rigorous training you have increased your strength by 30 points and vitality by 10.
Hiro felt good as he continued to push his limits his body would respond and grow even stronger. Hiro invited Caesar to meet at his home after he changed. Caesar agreed and Hiro left and changed his clothes. He also went to invite Foria to the war meeting. Then he decided that he must talk to Leo. Hiro shrouded himself in his ki and ran at top speed to get Leo. His pride was huddling under the rock where he usually slept; however, Leo was pacing back and forth as the lightning struck in the scenery behind him. He looked very angry. Hiro came up to his friend and asked him, ¡°What is wrong my friend?¡± Leo responded angrily, ¡°Do you not feel them? The hobgoblins are out there and they are coming to take more of my pride.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and used his detect presence ability. In the distance he could sense as Leo said some enemies a few thousand meters away.¡± ¡°Yes my friend I sense them. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I want them dead!¡± said Leo gruffly. ¡°Then I will fight with you and crush them. Then when the rain stops we will take the army and finish the larger force.¡± Hiro replied. Leo growled and fur began to steam from the heat he was giving off. He replied, ¡°Thank you my friend. Let¡¯s go then.¡± Hiro equipped his wildfire armor, shield, and sword then mounted Leo. They sped off to where they felt the presence of the hobgoblins. Hiro stopped Leo as they observed their enemy from a safe distance from on top of a hill. There were 10 hobgoblins in all. All of the hobgoblins they saw appeared to be warriors of some kind except one who had a bow. Some were close combat holding 2 swords, a sword and shield, or one two handed sword. They wore no armor leaving their bodies completely exposed.They were the same height as orcs but their physiques looked better-rounded. Orcs were simply strong with huge muscles and usually dim-witted and slow. These hobgoblins looked more intelligent and most likely much faster. Hiro used his analyze ability.
Hobgoblin Warrior
Type:Humanoid WarriorHealth:6,000 / 6,000
Mana:0/0
Hobgoblin Warrior: An agile warrior that has been trained since they were young to use various weapons. Their combination speed and strength make them a formidable enemy. These monster have high resistance to earth and wind but are week against fire and lightning attacks.
Hobgoblin Archer
Type:Humanoid WarriorHealth:4,800 / 4,800
Mana:0/0
Hobgoblin Archer: An agile warrior that has been trained since they were young to use ranged weapons. Their eyes have been trained as well to seat greater distances and to develop superb vision in night or day combined with their climbing ability allows them to attack from the most advantageous positions on a battle field.These monster have high resistance to earth and wind but are week against fire and lightning attacks.
Hiro smiled and looked at Leo. ¡°No one can beat us in terms of speed right?¡± ¡°Leo roared saying no way! They mounted up and decided to attack together.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Using Leo¡¯s speed they would surprise the enemy before they could form into ranks to repel the attacks. Leo used his Liger¡¯s Roar and Hiro coupled it with Hiro¡¯s icy stare. This struck fear and confusion into all but the most powerful of the group. As they got close Hiro activated his armor and he and Leo both were engulfed by flames. Then they charged straight for the enemies that were confused causing them to burst into flames. They slayed the hobgoblins one after the other. Those that were able to defend against the attack were burned by the flames. Feeling their power Hiro dismounted. ¡°Leo, you go kill the archer and I will finish off the rest.¡± Leo ran away in a flash chasing the archer who was trying to climb a tree. The archer must have thought that such a large animal could not climb a tree but he was mistaken. Leo jumped on the tree and continued his chase. The archer was unable to fire any arrows as Leo closed in on him. When he finally got to a branch he could stand on he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and fired. The arrow bounced off of Leo¡¯s armor like fu as he continued to chase his prey. Leo leaped to the next branch and fired his flamethrower. The fire destroyed the branch that the archer was standing on and it began to fall. CRUNCH! Leo bit down on the enemy as it fell towards the ground. His powerful jaws clamped down on the archer injecting with a powerful poison. The archer began to convulse as Leo¡¯s poison coursed through its body in addition the wounds inflicted by Leo¡¯s massive fangs were bleeding profusely as Leo shook him back and forth. Leo felt his body go limp and released him and he fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Hiro was battling the hobgoblins. Hiro¡¯s ki was running through his body providing a previously unknown level of strength. I didn¡¯t realize that the stronger I got through training without my ki would produce even greater gains when I began using my ki. Every movement the warriors made seems like it isin slow motion to. I don¡¯t even need predict with an enemy this slow. Before they could move he had slashed them. To the Hobgoblins he seemed like a demon. This man whose body was engulfed by flames slaughtered them one by one. Hiro continued his onslaught until there were only 2 left. Hiro released the flames from his armor of wildfire. I can speak to them because I have learned the skill so maybe I can get some information before they die. Hiro asked them, ¡±Why are you taking the ligers?¡± They ignored his words and attacked with their axes but he quickly avoided the attacks and bashed one of them with his shield. It blocked the attack with its own shield but Hiro¡¯s strength sent it flying into a tree. The impact made it spit blood out of its mouth and then it was knocked unconscious. Hiro turned to the other hobgoblin and ducked under its attack then smashed the pommel of his sword into the back of the hobgoblin¡¯s head. It hit the ground hard. Hiro stood and activated his enslave ability. The hobgoblin looked up with a blank stare and said, ¡°Yes, master¡± The hobgoblin¡¯s face had a completely blank look to it.
You have enslaved the hobgoblin. It no longer has any free will. It will do whatever it is that you ask of it. It is completely loyal but unable to think for itself.
Hmmm¡­ This ability is not something I want to ever use but this time it is necessary. ¡°Why did you and your group try to capture the ligers?¡± asked Hiro The hobgoblin replied, ¡°We needed mounts to fight on and the ligers were the strongest animals.¡± ¡°Why did you need mounted units?¡± ¡°Our leader wants to take the human city nearby so that we can have a home instead of living in a cave¡±, said the hobgoblin. Just then Leo jumped in and asked, ¡°What was going on?¡± Hiro told him what the hobgoblin said. Leo shook his head and they looked at the hobgoblin. With anger in his eyes, Hiro said, ¡°kill him and eat the rest!¡± Leo bit his head off and swallowed it. Hiro went around and collected all of the weapons from the rest of the hobgoblins they had killed and placed them in his bag while Leo ate the bodies.
Ding!
You and have gained the passive ability improved sight. Now you are able to see a greater distance and your night vision has improved.
Ding You and Leo have gained the passive skill wind resistance. You are now able to resist wind based magic without taking much damage. As this skill improves you may be able to make yourself immune to wind.
While he was collecting the weapons, he sensed the one he had knocked unconscious start to escape. This might be a good time to try my new ki blast technique on the goblin. He straightened his arm with the palm facing the goblin then grabbed it at the wrist with his left hand. He breathed deeply as his ki began to collect in his hand then he said, ¡°Fire!¡± The blast from his hand came out as a white ball of energy traveling extremely fast. It struck the hobgoblin in his back and went straight through him leaving a gaping hole where his torso used to be. The hobgoblin¡¯s body fell lifelessly to the ground. Hiro¡¯s technique was a success. Now I have to figure out a way to speed up the technique so I can use it in battle.
Ding! You gained 10 points to your weapon skill.
¡°Leo, come back to the town with me so we can discuss the plans with the others and plan our battle strategies.¡± ¡°I can do that but I want this to be over. So once you make your plans, I want this finished. I want my people free. If you won¡¯t go with me, I will free them by myself.¡± ¡°I get it but you won¡¯t have to fight alone regardless¡±, said Hiro with a smile. The two shared a look between them that each other knew what it meant. It was a look of respect and honor only shared by those who have shed blood together on the battle field. Hiro climbed on Leo¡¯s back and the began riding back towards the town. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks for reading the next chapter will begin the battle with the hobgoblins. Thanks for reading! Please rate, review, follow and or comment. See ya in the next chapter guys. Chapter 32: Last Minute Preparations Hey guys I''m going to try and update weekly on Monday''s for this story. Please continue to read this story as I feel like it is getting better with your comments and suggestions. I noticed that the followers for this story have increased and I''m full of pride that you guys read my story each week. I''m having a lot of fun writing and I hope that you guys continue to follow and R&R. By the way I started a new story the other day I placed it on here. It is called Humanity''s last hope. If you''re waiting on a new chapter please feel free to read it and let me know what you think. The link is posted below. http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5059 Enjoy the next chapter. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 32: Last Minute Preparations Hiro and Leo walked into the town. Leo¡¯s new appearance was shocking to many of the townspeople. They were in awe the powerful beast and excited that he was there to protect them. ¡°Leo, can you take a rest a home while I go talk to Caesar, Foria, Korin and the rest of the army.¡± Leo nodded and went to their home. Hiro left and went to the dwarves to sell the weapons that he had retrieved from the hobgoblins. He entered into the shop and he saw a white light coming from the back where assumed the forge was located. The light was so bright that he had to avert his eyes. When the room went back to its normal light he looked up and the dwarves were standing there. They told him that his weapons were ready. They said these were the finest weapons that they had every forged. Hiro, a man of his word, asked, ¡°Can I sell my wears that I collected from the hobgoblins first so that I can settle my debt?¡± The dwarves looked at the swords, axes, and shields. The dwarves told him they were not of the greatest quality but they were made of good materials that they could melt down and forge better weapons. The dwarves said that they could offer him 13 gold coins for the weapons. Hiro agreed and thought the 8 that he made plus the 13 they just gave him made only 21 pieces of gold. Just then Caesar entered into the shop. Hiro told the dwarves that he had 21 pieces of gold but he told that he would pay 25 pieces so he would come back after he got the final four pieces. ¡°Nonsense! You get them now. I will give you a measly four gold coins. That hammer you gave me was worth well over 75 gold coins¡± said Caesar as he handed Hiro 4 gold coins. ¡°Thank you, Thank you Caesar¡±, Hiro said as he bowed showing his gratitude. He gave the dwarves the money and they rolled the cart out with a spear and shield. The dwarves were coming out carrying a shield and what appeared to be some sort of spear-like weapon on a cart. The dwarves were struggling to push them indicating that the weapons were extremely heavy. The spear-like weapon had a long handle made of a shiny silver handle. The end had two curved blades protruding from either side. One of the blades had a purplish tint to it while the other had a reddish tint. The blades had a metallic shine to them showing their sharpness. The shield was beautiful. It was a polished silver color and looked as if it would protect Hiro from his thigh to his neck making him a virtual fortress. Hiro noticed on the edges there were razor sharp teeth that resemble the teeth of the young ligers. Hiro thought if he used his boomerang shield skill with this it could possibly even decapitate an enemy or at the least cause it to have massive bleeding. Then they explained that the shield was made from the special metal that he gave them. It absorbs magic. Any magic the strikes the shield it absorbs. We don¡¯t know how or even what it can do once it has absorbed the magic. It is strange but In addition the shield is the hardest thing we have ever worked on. Its strength is just like mithril but it is much, much lighter and one tenth of mithril. Next is the spear. When we finally got the two pieces it changed shape. The pommel elongated into the handle which you see. Within the blade were several fire and lightning gems which cause it to possess the properties of both. In addition, this blade can be used to shoot out fireballs or lightning bolts if imbued with the user¡¯s mana. This weapon should suit you well as you are able to wield a weapon and mana at the same time. Hiro was excited he picked up the shield and it was light as a feather compared to his wildfire shield. Then he reached out to grab the spear. His hand wrapped around the around the long handle. Hiro allowed his ki to flow into the handle and suddenly the blades on either side of the end of the spear ignited with a white flame encircled by electricity flowing up and down the blades. It was heavy but not as heavy as the troll hammer so Hiro could handle it with one arm. ¡°Oh my God! Where did you get a weapon like this?¡± said Caesar. ¡°From two trolls I killed a while back.¡± Replied Hiro. The dwarves were proud of their work and said please let everyone know that we made the weapon. Hiro graciously told them anything for them after they made him such a magnificient weapon. The dwarves then brought out Caesar¡¯s hammer. He picked it up and I was engulfed by lightning. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a special weapon¡±, laughed Caesar. He paid the dwarves for their spectacular work and they both left. Hiro and Caesar went through the town past the square and to Foria and Korin¡¯s home. At Korin¡¯s home they were greeted by servants who brought them to a beautiful room where Foria and Korin were talking. Hiro shared what he heard from the hobgoblin with his three comrades and they all came to the conclusion that their town had to be protected along with honoring his word to Leo and protecting the pride of ligers. Hiro, Caesar, Rain, Foria, Kaura were to split the army into divisions. Rain would lead the magic unit responsible for attacking at distance and healing the wounded troops. Caesar and Hiro would lead two infantry units. Foria would lead a unit of archers and Kaura would lead a lightly armored stealth unit that would take quick action when needed. The plan would be to have Hiro and Caesar lead their troops to the front of the cave followed can crush the goblin main force. They would supported by the units led by Rain and Foria. Rain¡¯s troops who are some of the most vital because it contained the healers, would be flanked on either side by Kaura¡¯s unit and Foria¡¯s unit. They all agreed to the plan. Korin wished his military leaders a glorious victory. Hiro asked Korin to do him a favor if he came back alive from the battle. Korin agreed then Caesar and Hiro left to return to their homes for the night. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Since it was still early Hiro decided to check out his troops. He had Caesar ring a bell that had been constructed in the middle of the city to alert the troops to come to the training center and prepare for battle. They quickly went to the training center and in moments nearly 100 soldiers had arrived armed and ready to battle. He began to examine the units. There wear about 15 archers, 15 light armored units, 28 units who wore chainmail and had large shields, and about 40 units that carried medium shields and axes. As Hiro finished inspecting everyone Rain and her mages who number about 6 reported in. Hiro asked them to step forward. ¡°Can you please demonstrate your magic for me?¡± They all looked confused. ¡°It¡¯s alright just use one of your weaker spells.¡± The mages including Rain nodded according to their commander¡¯s wish. One at a time they used their magic to attack Hiro. The mages used ice, fire, and lighting magic but each time the attack got close to him and he raised his shield to defend the magic was sucked into the shield. The mages were in awe.
You have learned magic spell, ice blast. This spell allows the user to shoot shards of ice at its foes. As you continue to use the spell it will unlock new and stronger ice based spells.
You have improved the magic spell, lightning bolt to the novice level. Now the spell does increased damage and requires 25% less mana to cast.
So that¡¯s what it does with the spells. This is going to be very interesting ¡°That shield is really something!¡± said Rain. ¡°With it you are nearly immune to magic. Hiro smiled and said, ¡°You have taught them well Rain.¡± Hiro decided to hold a little competition to see how well Caesar had trained the infantry section of the army. The units were placed one on one against others in their groups. The battles went on until one person lost their weapon or submitted. Two of the units stood out to him. One was using a large axe that looked extremely heavy. The other had a trident with a long metal handle. They defeated their opponents quickly with little to no effort at all. Hiro asked them to step forward. ¡°Attack me!¡± Following orders they drew their weapons. Hiro removed his sword and shield and decided to fight only using his ki. Hiro activated it and his body was covered with the familiar golden glow. He clenched his fist and took his fighting pose in a southpaw stance with his right hand extended slightly and is left hand covering his chin. The two warriors came at him. They had good speed. The axe user swung his axe but it was far too slow to strike Hiro as he deftly ducked under the attack and struck the young man with a right hook body blow and straight left to his head. The young man dropped to his knees and the female using the trident jumped on his back as and used him to give her a boost. With his added strength she jumped high into the air and threw her trident at Hiro. The speed of the trident was excellent but she had thrown it from too high and Hiro could easily see its trajectory. He stepped back slightly and it pierced the ground all the down the base of the blades on its end. When the woman came down he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down. Both warriors had been thoroughly defeated by their commander. Hiro cast a healing spell on both of them causing their injuries to be removed. Next he asked them their names. The young man with the axe said, ¡°My name is Blade.¡± The young woman with the spear said, ¡°My name is Sakura.¡± ¡°I am impressed by your skill. You two will both serve directly under me in my heavy infantry unit.¡± Next Hiro introduced all of his captains to the army and told the groups who would be reporting where. Archers were to report to Foria. Mages would report to Rain. Light armored units would report to Kaura. Units with heavy shields would report with Hiro and units with light shields would report to Caesar. ¡°Everyone get rest tonight for tomorrow we face the enemy on the field of battle!¡± The army yelled, ¡°Howwwoo!¡± ¡°Dismissed¡±, Hiro yelled and the army left the training center. Hiro left the training center and returned home their Leo greeted him and he told him that the preparations for battle had been made. Hiro stroked Leo¡¯s main and told him that tomorrow they would free his friends and destroy the scourge of the hobgoblins from this area. Leo purred with delight that his friend was going to help him save the members of his pride who had been enslaved. Hiro placed his spear, shield, and armor on the rack then he bid told Leo to rest for tomorrow would be a long day. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Sorry for this chapter being a little short but the next two will be kind of long as they will be describing the large scale battle that will be going on next. As always, thank you for reading and the next chapter will be out sometime before next Monday. Please rate and review. If you haven''t already please make Hiro''s Journey one of your favorites or follow the story so you can know when the updates are posted. Chapter 33: The battle begins Author''s Notes Thank you for all of my loyal readers. I apologize I had a meeting yesterday after work that stopped me from being able to complete and upload the chapter. *I will be going back to edit earlier chapters to fix issues that have been brought to my attention this week so please bear with me. *Matsuro and Sky are the same person. I will be making that edit. In future chapters starting with 44 Hiro''s stats will be shown at least at the end of each chapter to keep his stats consistent and the increases will be shown in red to let readers know what the increases are. Thanks for all of your support! You guys make writing this story so worthwhile. ______________________________________________________________ Chapter 33 Hiro woke up before the sun came up. He decided to take the opportunity to power up some more before he went out to battle. He went downstairs where Leo was sleeping soundly. Hiro decided to let his friend sleep then he got his armor, shield, and sword. Once dressed, he went outside to the training grounds and found Caesar¡¯s weights. He began to try lifting it. Amazing now I can do several repetitions of these clean and jerk Olympic lifts. I still can''t get it all the way above my head like Caesar but this is definitely an improvement from the yesterday. He decided to rest and repeat the process several times before he did calisthenics for the day. He decided to try to make his calisthenics more difficult. He began doing one arm pushups and one legged squats. He also decided to go from sit ups to hanging leg lifts. He felt his body was going to need the extra power. After completing the exercises Hiro felt pretty exhausted.
Your strength has increased by 45 points.
45 points!? That means my strength is over 300 now!! He looked out and saw that the sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon. He decided to spend some time getting used to his sword and shield. Hiro began practicing his movements with his sword and shield. His strikes were so fast that it felt like he was cutting the very wind around him. He was even able to attack at a range of about 25 meters with a fireball or lightning bolt fired straight from the blade of the sword. Hiro began to feel something strange as he practiced though. It was as if the sword was telling him something. He paused and stayed quiet. He heard a quiet voice and it said, "Concentrate your ki into the blade and then swing it. " It seemed strange but he decided to give it a try. Hiro took his fighting pose with the blade pointing out over his shield. He concentrated on the sword and his ki began to flow into it. The sword¡¯s flames and electricity began to get stronger. Hiro then swung the blade and a wave of what appeared to be red lightning came from the blade completely leveling several trees that it touched.
you developed a new sword skill, Red lightning slash.
The red lightning slash combines the properties of fire and lightning creating an attack that is extremely fast and very destructive. Enemies that are struck with this attack are burned and have chance to be paralyzed.
That was pretty good. This can definitely be beneficial to me in the upcoming battle. He kept practicing. Now he began to incorporate his boomerang shield attack. The teeth on the shield ripped through the bark on the trees and seemed to return to Hiro even if he moved after launching the attack. After practicing for a little longer, Hiro decided to sit down and meditate. He wanted to improve his ability to gather his energy for his ki blast so he did it over and over again.
You have learned a new passive skill, Ki manipulation.
Due to you constant practice you have developed the ability to manipulate you ki all around your body. Now it moves faster and can be gathered at will.
This is great!¡± He decided to test his new ability immediately he placed his hands in position and it felt like immediately the attack was ready. There was no longer a wait to gathter the ki. Next, he fired the attack and it was just as powerful. His continued dedication to his training has shown tremendous dividends. Hiro now had several ranged attacks to compliment his close range fighting style. He now felt ready to go into battle. Then he put his armor and got ready to greet his troops as he heard the gathering bell ringing in the town square. Hiro and Leo stood front and center facing all of the troops. In front of each unit was a captain. The captains stood out front of their units. Behind each captain, stood their unit in perfectly spaced out rows the army had been trained well. He went to Foria and gave her the set of studded leather armor that he had created. Her eyes were shining brightly as a smiled crept across her face. She took the armor and hugged Hiro tightly. ¡°Thank you. It is fantastic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Next, Caesar, Foria, Rain, and Kaura were chosen to lead each individual unit. Hiro began to address the crowd. ¡°These monsters feel like they can come to our land and take our land from us! They think they can tear down all that we¡¯ve built! They think we will back down because they might be bigger than us or outnumber us! Men and women we will be the line that stops them!¡± ¡°Howoo!!¡± , shouted the army. ¡°We are the light in this dark world!¡± ¡°Howoo!!¡± ¡°We will fight to our last breath to defend this land!¡± ¡°Howooo!!¡± ¡°We will fight and they will die!!¡± ¡°Howoo!!¡± Leo breathed fire into the air in agreement. ¡°Move out troops!¡± ¡°Howoo!!¡± The army moved out marching toward the base of the hobgoblins. Many of the youth that made up the army were nervous but after seeing their commander in action realized that they would be able to take on anything with him on their side. Kaura and Orochi used their camouflage ability and scouted ahead. They found several scouts but being undetectable allowed Kaura and Orochi to kill them quickly and quietly. Once they finished their scouting mission, Kaura and Orochi reported back to their commander. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Kaura began to report, "The area is filled with well over 400 hobgoblins. They had a large force of over 80 archers and about 20 mounted units who rode on the backs of Ligers." Leo growled in displeasure. Kaura continued, "The heavy infantry held large tower shields. The shields look extremely strong and would be hard to penetrate. The commander was not visible from my vantage point but I noticed several heavily armored Troll¡¯s standing near the cave entrance." "Hmm.. so we do not know exactly who or what the leader is and their capabilities?" "No sir but I also saw some humanoid looking creatures being taken inside of the cave." Hiro began to understand that these Hobgoblins were definitely a danger to the town and they had to be stopped. Hiro gave the signal and the army continued to march until they came close enough to see the cave and then they were seen by the enemy. The hobgoblin army frantically tried to get into their ranks. Meanwhile Hiro calmly commanded the troops to get into formation with his heavy infantry in front light, Kaura¡¯s light infantry flanking his right and Caesar¡¯s infantry unit on the left flank. The mages followed behind the heavily armored force with archers split into two separate groups on the flanks of the mages. Hiro order his heavy infantry with the large shields to lock them together if arrows were fired. They began to move forward. The archers began firing. The arrows came down like rain dropping hobgoblins all over ass they tried to charge the human army. Hiro continued to march forward with his unit slowly closing in on the man force. Rain and her unit began to cast spells like chain lightning charring the bodies of the incoming army. Now Hiro¡¯s unit was almost upon the enemy. Hiro dismounted from Leo and instructed Leo to take out his rage on the enemy. ¡°Leave none standing my friend!¡±. Leo roared and Hiro yelled charge. The heavy infantry engaged the enemy and stopped their forward advance. Hiro unleashed his devastating new shield attack. His shield flew through the air slicing the head off of a charging hobgoblin. They hobgoblins continued to charge and finally collided with the human army¡¯s heavy infantry. The strong shields held but several of the humans were knocked to the ground. ¡°Form up! Do not let them break our formation!¡± , yelled Caesar While the heavy infantry was engaged at the front lines, the hobgoblin archers began to fire arrows. ¡°Turtle shell!¡±, yelled Hiro. The Heavy infantry troops quickly followed their commander''s order and placed their shields together in the front and the lines behind locked their shields together overhead making them appear to be like a medieval tank. ¡°Kaura, take out those archers!¡±, yelled Hiro Kaura¡¯s unit immediately removed itself from the flank and charged the archers from the left flank avoiding the concentrated arrow fire. The fighting continued to intensify. Several humans had now been slain but they were holding their own against the larger force. Rain and her mage unit were casting healing spells on the infantry force while the archers continued to pummel the force with their arrows. Hiro decided that he would go out and be the difference maker. As soon as the arrows stop, We will attack the enemy head on and crush them. There was a short break in the arrow fire. Hiro looked out through the interlocking shields and saw Kaura¡¯s force decimating the archers. The savage brutality that was inflicted upon the archers was surreal. Orochi began to bite the archers with his enormous fangs while his tail either whipped into the enemy causing them to go flying or he crushed them with his powerful coils. The rest of the troops who were able to get close where archers were at a distinct advantage. The time it took the archers to ready their bows and arrows was far slower than Kaura¡¯s lightly armored unit could swing their short swords and daggers. They were crushed in the blink of an eye. It is time to deal a crushing blow. Hiro yelled,¡± advance!¡± The three infantry units removed the turtle shell and begin to march forward ready to destroy anything that came at them. Leo roared freezing many of the hobgoblins ahead. They were not within striking distance of the hobgoblin main force. It was time. Hiro shouted, ¡°Attack¡±, and his troops charged the hobgoblin force led by their commander and his faithful partner. Hiro began his onslaught using his red lightning slash. His blade emitted the blood red lightning and it charred the front line of the hobgoblin force. Leo breathed fire on the ground beneath the force and they broke their formation trying to escape the flames. The human army engaged. Their blades struck true. The hobgoblin army was being overwhelmed. Foria¡¯s unit moved closer and began to support Hiro¡¯s troop with cover fire. The arrows were placed with pinpoint accuracy. The hobgoblins were struck down one by one. Caesar and Gori pressed forward as well showing their brute strength. Caesar used his monstrous strength to swing the hammer which Hiro had given him. Each strike let out a seismic wave causing internal damage to the target as well as those within a 2 meter radius. The strikes were so heavy that this became unnecessary as nearly no hobgoblin was able to withstand the force of his blows. Gori simply punched and wrestled with his opponents. His punches seemed so powerful that the enemy would simply be knocked 10 to 15 meters away resulting in huge concussive damage when they struck an object or the hobgoblins would simply be killed by the initial blow. Gori would also grab enemies and rip them apart with his powerful arms other times he would knock them down and pound them with both hands until they were a bloody mess. It was crude yet effective. The front lines continued to press forward. Hiro started to feel uneasy. He knew his army as powerful but this was going a little too well. _____________________________________________ Thanks for reading. Please rate and review. All comments will be read and taken into consideration. You guys help my writing to be better when you comment. The conclusion of the battle will be out later today. Upcoming Chapters: Battle conclusion Sadness and loss Training and growth Chapter 34: Battles Conclusion *Author''s notes* Guy''s each weak I will be moving through the first 34 chapters of my story and editing as well as checking any inconsistencies such as Hiro''s stats. Please bare with me as this will be a long process. If anyone would like to help please pm me. I have now completely written then end of this arc. I will be renaming the first 34 chapters into chapters of at least 3 arcs to help me organize the story. With this organization it will help me continue to give you my best quality work. I have also started a new story called slave''s rebellion. It will also be released weekly. If you would like to read it I am placing the link below. Humanity''s Last Hope Now as promised the conclusion to the battle! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 34 As Hiro and Caesar¡¯s troops began to push forward, Kaura and her unit continued to attack the main force from the rear. Just then Hiro¡¯s detec t presence ability sensed something moving in behind him very fast. He turned and used his improved vision. He saw the liger riding hobgoblins. They were headed straight for Foria and her archers. This is bad! They won''t know what hit them. They will be slaughtered! ¡°Caesar, Hold the line!¡±, Hiro yelled. ¡°Leo come with me!!¡± ¡°Yesssir!!¡± replied Caesar Leo ran over and they headed straight for Foria and the archers who appeared to be unaware of the danger that was approaching.As he ran Leo came along side of him and Hiro jumped up on his back and they moved at max speed. The world seemed like a blur as they were moving toward the desperate situation. Hiro began screaming, ¡°Look out behind you!¡± but they were unable to hear him. He watched in horror as the group finally recognized that the liger riders had come up behind them but it was too late. The shining blades cut through the troop effortlessly. ¡°NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!¡± screamed Hiro as tears filled his eyes. Amaterasu attacked and killed several of the riders but she was being wounded as well. Hiro finally got their and saw that the archers were falling quickly at the hands of this vicious mounted unit. Hiro dismounted. ¡°Leo handle the ligers and I will handle the hobgoblins¡± said Hiro Leo roared and the ligers became confused. Their training by the hobgoblins was being countered by their alliegance to their alpha male coupled with Leo being the Fire Liger King this his pull was even more powerful. This pause in the action was all Hiro needed. Hiro immediately began using all of his skills to confuse and attack the hobgoblins. He used his evil glare to instill fear in all of the hobgoblins. Several were frozen in place others fell from their mounts but assumed a fighting pose. He used his spell ice blast freezing 2 of the hobgoblins in place. He then smashed them to pieces with his sword. He moved on ducking under a sword slash. As he ducked he sliced right through the leg of one of the hobgoblins and then stood up decapitating it. His bloody blade began to glow as he released his red lighting slash. 8 of the hobgoblins were charred in an instant. There were 15 left. Amaterasu growled and rushed to Hiro¡¯s side. He cast a healing spell on her and the sword wound she had began to recover. She was still wounded by she was no longer bleeding. Leo continued to roar and the ligers began to respond. His influence began to free the ligers form their capturers control. They began to shake free from the riders and attack them. The death of the riders was quick and bloody if they were not cut down by Hiro¡¯s blade they were ripped apart by the teeth of the ligers and Amaterasu¡¯ fangs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my friend¡±, said Leo. Hiro looked over and he saw Foria lying on the ground. She was not moving and her body had a lot of blood on the ground beneath it. Hiro could barely sense her ki. He dropped his sword and shield and ran. He grabbed her in his arms and peeled off her armor. Good there are no wounds to her torso. That means her heart should still be beating. He listened to her chest and felt under her nose to check for her breath. She wasn¡¯t breathing and her pulse was week. He cast his healing spell but nothing happened. He cast it again and again but nothing happened. Hiro screamed out in pain, ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!¡± He kept casting his healing spell over and over. Hiro was panting now and breathing heavy as using his healing spell so many times had drained his energy. Leo and his pride put their heads down while Amaterasu howled showing her pain. Leo held Foria¡¯s body close and kissed her forehead. ¡°I love you¡±, he said softly then he laid her down. Then suddenly, she gasped and took a large breath. She coughed hard and blood spewed from her mouth. ¡°You are alive!¡± Hiro said with his eyes full of tears. ¡°Don¡¯t ever scare me like that again.¡± Foria could do nothing but look in his eyes. Hiro could see everything that he needed to know from that one look. He knew that she loved him and that she was so grateful for him saving her. Hiro could no longer cast his healing spell so he gave her healing potions until Foria was no longer bleeding. As the blood stopped her breathing gradually became less and less shallow. Finally, she strong enough to speak. ¡°Hiro, my love, I thought I had lost you.¡± ¡°I will never let something like this take you away from me. Rest now¡± he replied. Amaterasu whimpered and licked Foria¡¯s face. Foria smiled at her friend¡¯s gesture. Weakly smiled and slowly raised her hand to pet her head. ¡°Amaterasu, I will be fine¡± she said in a whisper. Amaterasu continued to lick Foria¡¯s face. Hiro knelt down and brushed Foria¡¯s hair from in her face and smiled. ¡°I am glad you wore that armor. I think it saved you today. Don¡¯t worry I will put an end to this here and now¡± said Hiro as he stood to his feet. The look of rage and pain on his face was intense. His eyes were red from weeping. His face was covered in blood and soot from the battle. His chest was heaving. I will not rest until they all die! I will end this! Never again will they bother us! Hiro grabbed his sword and shield and began to meditate. I need to regain my ki so that I can attack at full strength. His ki began to regenerate quickly as he meditated. After a few brief moments it had nearly completely returned. Hiro activated his ki. His anger raged and his golden aura burned brightly around his body. ¡°Will you help me finish this my my friend?¡± he asked Leo. Leo roared and the rest of the ligers roared along with him. ¡°Leo please get your ligers to take the wounded to Rain and the rest of the magical unit.¡± Leo roared and the ligers bent down near the wounded. Hiro picked the up and placed them on the backs of the ligers. ¡°Amaterasu, take care care of her and get her to Rain and the magical unit care her, while we destroy the rest of these monsters?¡± Amaterasu howled in agreement. The ligers and Amaterasu rushed the wounded to the magical unit. Immediately they ran to catch up with Leo and Hiro. Once they met up the group rushed to the battlefield. When they returned the human forces were still holding their own but the tide of battle had changed more towards the hobgoblins. ¡°Hiro shouted to his group, ¡°Charge!¡± The ligers immediately made an impact on the battle. They began to rip apart the hobgoblin infantry. Hiro rushed out in front of his army¡¯s formation. I am going to kill every last one of you hobgoblins. He slowly began to walk towards the enemy¡¯s formation. His aura was so great that the enemy was afraid as he closed towards them. They could feel how strong his bloodlust was. He continued to walk forward then he raised his sword and shield and began to charge. Hiro used his shield bash ability on the front line of the enemy. His shield broke that of the hobgoblin and threw the hobgoblin warrior back about 20 meters breaking the enemy unit¡¯s formation. There were about 100 hobgoblins in the formation but Hiro didn¡¯t care. He continued to slash at them. Each time he slashed his blade would penetrate deep into the flesh of one of the hobgoblins. Hiro was so focused on the battle it was like he couldn¡¯t see anything else but the enemy. He struck with such precision that the enemy began to think he was a god. Hiro began to use his boomerang shield abilty as well. He would avoid attacks, then throw his shield.While he awaited the shield¡¯s return to his hand. His fighting skill coupled with his abilities and physical attributes made him an absolute nightmare for the enemy.He ruthlessly killed them one by one. Without recognizing it he had killed all 100 of the hobgoblins on his own. He also did not realize that he had taken a substantial amount of damage due to his recklessness. He stood there covered in blood panting with tears in his eyes.
You have gained 100 weapon skill points.
He ignored the status updated. All he could think of was Foria¡¯s mangled body. Leo came to his side as well as the ligers. Every one of them had some wounds but they were all prepared to continue fighting. A warm glow came over Hiro and felt his strength return to him. He looked around and all of the beasts had the same glow. It looked back and saw Rain. She and her unit must have cast a healing spell on them. Hiro lifted his blade and his troops rallied behind him. Leo roared helping to rally the rest of the ligers. It was time to finish this battle and destroy the rest of this Hobgoblin army. Hiro¡¯s army began to advance towards the cave. His anger continued to boil over as he stormed towards the last of the hobgoblin¡¯s army. As they stormed towards the cave Hiro felt a very storng power residing deep within the cave. As he and his units dispatched the the remaining hobgoblin warriors several trolls and 2 more figures came from within the cave. The trolls were adorned with large 2-handed swords and very little armor. Their hulking muscular bodies were a deep green in color. All of them had large fangs protruding from their lower jaw going up almost to their noses. The largest of the group had a large ring pierced through his nose and an incredibly large axe. The blade of the axe appeared large and sharp enough that it could cut a tree down with one swing. Their legs were covered with animal skin boots and pants that were in laid with the teeth of various wild beasts. The leader had the same boots and pants but he also had a shiny metal gauntlet. They all looked formidable but Hiro felt no fear at this point he continued to move forward. He told the army to a halt while he, Leo, Caesar and Gori moved forward. The group of trolls numbered 7. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°How many can you take?¡± Hiro asked Caesar. Caesar replied, ¡°Gori and I can take 2.¡± ¡°Great! Then the rest are all ours right partner?¡±, Hiro said with a sinister smile. ¡°GRROOOOWWWLLL!¡± Leo replied loudly. ¡°Are you serious Hiro?! This is madness! You have no idea of the fighting strength of those trolls and you want to take on 5 of them and you are injured.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen us at our maximum strength yet! Just watch and see.¡± All of the ligers backed down while Leo approached the trolls with Hiro. Gori and Caesar charged 2 trolls and the battle began. Gori engaged the the first troll while Caesar took the other. The troll began to swing his large sword. It cut Gori on the arms and chest but Gori¡¯s movements were so agile that the troll was unable to land a fatal blow. Gori¡¯s defense kept him from being damaged too much but he was being cut repeatedly. ¡°Now!¡± yelled Caesar. Gori then grabbed the trolls arm as it swung the large sword. Then using its powerful arms, it broke the troll¡¯s wrist causing it to howl in pain dropping the sword. Gori then used a judo-like toss and flipped the troll over onto its back where he began pounding the troll¡¯s face and chest. Blood began to spout from the troll¡¯s body and eventually it stopped moving. Gori let out a roar and pounded on his chest. Meanwhile, Caesar took another approach. The troll attacked Caesar ferociously but he blocked each and every attack the troll made using his hammer. ¡°Damn this thing is strong. I¡¯ve gotta do something¡± thought Caesar. His arm began to go numb from the force of the blows given by the troll¡¯s attacks. His body was in pain from the shock that reverberated through his body each time the troll struck his hammer. Then he saw it, a chance to counter through the troll¡¯s barrage of vicious attacks. Caesar charged in narrowly dodging the troll¡¯s attack then he swung his massive hammer with all of his might. The attack smashed into the troll¡¯s ribcage completely breaking it. The impact was so massive that the troll was flung like a bullet into the wall of the cave. As it struck the wall of the cave it left a large crater where the troll¡¯s blood splattered all over the place. Gori and Caesar were victorious but both were riddled with wounds from the battles with the trolls. Leo and Hiro began to battle the remaining 5 trolls. Leo roared and the trolls charged. Leo went after 2 of the trolls. His speed was incredible. He avoided all of the troll¡¯s attacks. He began to confuse the troll as he moved. To the trolls it appeared as if there were numerous copies of Leo. They were unable to distinguish between the real one and the the after images. He saw an opening and attacked biting one of the troll¡¯s legs. His powerful jaws crushed the bones of the troll¡¯s leg. It howled in pain and then tried to punch him. Leo released the troll and jumped away avoiding the attack from the troll. The damage had been done. The bite from Leo immediately poisoned the troll. Even though it had a great regenerative ability the poison rendered it ineffective. Leo continued his onslaught as he lept at the 2nd troll but it blocked the slashing attack from his paw with the blunt side of its sword. The troll kicked Leo in the head and he flew back about 15 meters. He was bleeding from his mouth. Leo licked the blood that streamed down his jaw. Leo qucikly returned to his feet and was clearly in some pain. The troll¡¯s were definitely physically strong. The troll charged just as he made it back to his feet. Just as the troll began to swing its axe, Leo took in a deep breath and let it out. The breath he let out was his flamethrower. The troll was immediately set ablaze. The troll fell on the floor writhing in pain. Its screams only intensified as Leo¡¯s blue flames ate away at its skin all the way down to the muscle and then to the bone. The troll finally stopped moving as it expired. Leo roared as he won he defeated his enemy. Then he turned to the one who he had poisoned earlier. It then charged at Leo violently swinging his large blade. Leo was able to deftly dodge the attacks but he was unable to mount a counteroffensive. ¡°How can this thing still be attacking at this speed when I poisoned it?¡± Leo thought to himself. The speed the troll swung the blade increased. It increased so much that Leo was unable to follow the blade. The troll slashed at Leo as he tried to dodge but the tip of the blade cut into Leo¡¯s face from the top of his head all the way across his face. The blood got into Leo¡¯s eyes momentarily blinding him. The troll took full advantage of the moment and troll bashed him in the head with the hilt of the sword. Leo crumbled to the ground. The troll let out a howl and raised his blade ready to strike the final blow. Leo jumped to his feet to avoid the blade as it plunged down to the ground. Leo was bleeding heavily from his head and the troll charged swinging his blade but Leo was able to dodge but the troll continued to swing his sword. He was stuck avoiding the troll¡¯s attacks. Leo waited as the troll came closer and close with his attacks, then when the moment was right he breathed fire on the troll again. This time his attack did not completely miss, it landed on the troll¡¯s arm. The troll¡¯s arm was charred off completely. Leo then slashed the troll with his claws that had been imbued with his poison ability. With even more poison in its system its regenerative ability could no longer hold it back. The troll began to breathe heavily. The deadly poison was already working and the troll dropped his blade and fell to his knee. The troll was now virtually defenseless as Leo approached. Leo stood over the the troll and open his jaws wide and bit down on the troll¡¯s head. The head came of in Leo¡¯s massive jaws and the troll¡¯s body fell limp and lifeless. Now Hiro stood in front of the final 3 trolls which included the most powerful of the group. Hiro continued to move forward while the trolls raised their hands. In Hiro¡¯s mind all he could see was the deep pain he felt when he held Foria in his arms as she lay on the brink of death. The blood from her wounds was still on his hands. His anger boiled over. He screamed out and charged the trolls. His prediction ability allowed him to see the attacks from the first 2 trolls but the more powerful one made no attempt to attack. The trolls came at him but Hiro ducked under the first troll¡¯s attack and used his boomerang shield ability to sever its leg at the knee. The troll fell to the ground screaming in pain. While he awaited the return of his shield he blocked the other troll¡¯s attack with his sword. His strength was overflowing. The troll¡¯s strength seemed to pale in comparision to his own with his ki strengthening technique active. His shield returned to his hand and he bashed the troll in the face with the shield causing the troll to fall back on the ground. Hiro then took his blade and drove it into the chest of the troll whose leg he severed. Then he moved to the one that he knocked down with his shield bash. The troll made a pathetic attempt to swing its blade at Hiro but he easily parried the attack and severed the troll¡¯s arm. Hiro then moved his ki to his leg and stomped the troll¡¯s head, crushing its skull completely. Two trolls dead and only one remained. Hiro pointed his blade at the final troll and said ¡°Come on! You¡¯re next!¡± The most powerful of the trolls snorted in disgust at the human¡¯s pitiful taunt. He raised his axe and ran at Hiro. Hiro charged the troll as well. Hiro¡¯s prediction ability was going crazy. There are 5 attacks coming simultaneously can this troll produce so many attacks at once? I''m not going to wait to see what this troll is capable of. It will have to deal with my attacks first. Hiro charged in. The troll¡¯s attack happened all at once. All Hiro could do was hide behind his shield. The attacks hit his shield with such force he was knocked back and his arm went numb and coughed up some blood. His axe must have done some internal damage to my body from the shock I received blocking the attacks. Hiro smiled and regained his fighting pose. Hiro waited for the next rush from the troll. I can''t let him take the lead on in attacking, I have to take the fight to the troll. He rushed the troll and cast his fire at its legs. The troll jumped back but it was off balance. Hiro then charged into the troll with his shield. The axe that the troll wielded was pinned to its body. Hiro then used his ice blast attack to freeze the troll¡¯s arm that was holding the axe. He then kicked the troll in the chest and it flew back about 10 meters. Its arm was completely frozen and it could not longer wield its axe. Hiro began to charge as the troll tried to stand. With no way to defend itself Hiro charged his red lightning attack and released it into the troll¡¯s weakened body. The attack hit its target and the troll was electrified and burned simultaneously. It dropped to its knees and Hiro quickly slashed at its throat severing its head from it body. The head fell off and the body fell down with the chest facing the ground. All of the trolls were dead and all that were remaining were the 2 hooded figures that stood at the cave entrance. Caesar and Gori joined Hiro, Amaterasu, and Leo. All of them were bloody and injured from the battle. All of them had been completely exhausted but were ready to continue fighting. Then he looked up at the 2 hooded figures, Hiro could sense the power coming from them. These guys are even more powerful than the trolls we just defeated. This is a battle that I should not take on with my people in this condition. The hooded figures turned around and began walking away. One of them said, "I could kill you now but this won''t be any fight. Keep your life today young warrior. The Master wouldn''t like if I killed you now." [i] The Master? Who is that? Why are they leaving? ¡°Hiro, what just happened?¡± asked Caesar. ¡°I don¡¯t know but based on what I felt, I don¡¯t know if our combined strength would have been enough to defeat them.¡± Hiro fell to his knees and began sobbing for all those who died in the battle. Caesar held his friend around the shoulders while Gori, Amaterasu, and Leo all lowered their heads. Rain began to fall on the battlefield. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ The battle has ended. I hoped you enjoyed the content of this chapter. Please leave you comments as they help me improve my writing and hopefully your reading your experience. If you are not a follower of my story please rate, review, and follow if you have enjoyed the story. Next release date is 2/8/15 Stay tuned for the next release: Sadness and Loss Chapter 35 Hey guys! I''m'' so happy I just saw that my story now has 500 followers! YESSSS!! We are almost in the top 100. You guys are awesome. I really appreciate everyone for showing my story all of the love. Please keep reading, rating, reviewing, and following. Well here you go chapter 35 __________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 35 Kaura came up. ¡°Sir, shall I search the cave?¡± Hiro nodded. Kaura and Orochi disappeared into the cave. Rain and her group came down and began healing all of those with their spells. The familiar warm glow covered the bodies of the wounded warriors. A short time passed and Orochi and Kaura emerged from the cave followed by several humanoid beings. They were all in bad shape. They were covered with wounds from head to toe and their clothes were torn to pieces. J Judging from the looks of it some of them, they were probably raped and beaten. Others have definitely been starved. They appeared to be various types of elves. There were 3 males and 6 females. All of them except one had golden blonde shoulder length hair with pale skin and pointy ears. Their eyes were blue with flecks of gold inside the part of the eye that would normally be black. One the females had platinium silver hair with jet black skin eyes that were blood red. All of them had the very same physical shape. They were all physically slender with athletic physiques. They were not overly muscular but they still looked strong. Kaura brought them out to meet Hiro. The female elves looked at him with tears in their eyes all except the one with the jet black skin. The way they had been treated must have been awful. Their bodies had been beaten and many had not even been bathed. Their smell was discusting. The males turned their eyes from Hiro until one spoke. Hiro was unable to understand what he was saying. The male bowed his head and clasped his hands. He must have been trying to convey his thanks for being rescued. Hiro asked, ¡°Kaura, were their any others.¡± She nodded yes and said, ¡°That they were unable to make the trip because they were either dead or unable to walk.¡± Hiro then told Leo, ¡°Go in the cave with your ligers. Eat any dead elves in hopes that I can learn their language. The ones that cannot walk please carry them out.¡± He went in and found the elves, Six that were freshly dead and 3 others that were barely clinging to life. Their bodies were still warm. Leo devoured the elves.
"Ding!¡± you learned to speak in the elf language.
You can now able to communicate with the elves.
¡°Ding!¡± Your hide skill has improved to conceal.
You can now erase your presence in dark places making you invisible to detection.
¡°Ding!¡± You have improved you hearing.
You can now hear much softer things from a greater distance.
Hiro began to speak, ¡°I am Hiro, the commander of this army. What is your name?¡± ¡°You speak elvish? How does a mere human know our language?¡± ¡°That is not important¡± replied Hiro ¡°Please answer my questions as we want to know what happened.¡± ¡°I am called, Kavlish. I am the commander of this small expeditionary force. We were escorting some dark elves when were ambushed by those hobgoblins¡± replied Kavlish. ¡°Were they criminals?¡± asked Hiro ¡°No they were not criminals, they are dark elves and we do not mix with their kind so we decided to escort them from our land.¡± ¡°So what kind of elf are you?¡± ¡°We are wood elves. We come from the forest¡±, replied Kavlish. ¡°Wood elves and dark elves do not get along?¡± ¡°No, we have been at peace for a very long time but the peace continues because our treaty keeps us on opposite sides of border lands. It is forbidden to trespass in the lands of the other race.¡± Hiro nodded his head. ¡°We will give you shelter until you are strong enough to return to your homeland or you can decide to stay with us permenately in our town.¡± Kavilish looked at his people who nodded their heads in agreement. Hiro turned to the army and raised his sword. ¡°Never forget the cost of this victory! Our friends, who have fallen, let their memory never leave your hearts and minds! Grab any weapons and armor you can find and prepare to return home.¡± ¡°YEEEAAAHHHH!!!¡±, shouted the army. ¡°Caesar, lead them home. I wish to remain here for a short time¡± said Hiro. Caesar nodded and began to walk off with army. Leo roared instructing his freed pride members to return to their land. They roared and ran off. Hiro then began to talk to Leo. ¡°I want to train with Master Matsuro so that we can become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone.¡± Leo roared to show their agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s start by seeing what they could gain from those that we killed.¡± Leo began to eat the trolls that they killed. After a few moments he had devoured the 5 trolls.
¡°Ding!¡± your regenerate ability has improved.
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°Ding!¡± you have learned the passive ability ¡°animal speak¡±
You are now able to speak to any type of animal you come in contact with. You can also understand the animals even if you have not tamed them.
¡°Ding!¡± you have learned the passive ability ¡°beast slaying¡±.
Now your attacks do an extra 15% damage to any beasts.
This will be good, as we will now be working on improving our skills out in the open. Their natural regeneration had already healed nearly all of their wounds. "We should return to the town and repair my weapons and armor before going out to train with Matsuro" "I agree", said Leo The two began walking towards the town. Hiro and his companion reached the gate to the town. There were about 100 people standing out front. Several of the people were soldiers others were townspeople including the dwarves who owned the blacksmith shop, the elves who had just been saved. Hiro noticed that Korin was not present as he would have expected. The two came closer and the people began to clap. ¡°Hiro, Hiro, Hiro!¡± they cheered loudly. Hiro could do nothing but smile. He had never experienced this type of joy for simply doing what he thought was right. He patted Leo on his side. They all walked proudly into the town. The people ran out to greet their heroes. The children hugged Leo and the rest shook the Hiro¡¯s hands. Hiro was overwhelmed with pride in how he had led the army. The warm welcome he received washed over him like a wave until he entered the city. Inside he saw the teared up faces of the loved ones of the fallen soldiers. In the middle of the town square stood Korin, who was crying tears of sorry after seeing the condition his sister was in when she returned from battle. Hiro walked towards him and tried to comfort him but before he could Korin jumped to his feet. ¡°How could you let this happen¡± asked Korin with tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to save her but I could not make it in time. She was hurt badly but she is alive.¡± replied Hiro. His prediction ability showed the blow coming towards his face but he did not avoid it. Korin struck him in the face. Hiro¡¯s mouth was bleeding. Hiro spit out some blood and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried. You have to believe me.¡± ¡°She was all I had left and you almost let her die. You promised me you would protect her. How can I believe you now?¡± ¡°I will get stronger. Matsuro has agreed to train me and no longer will I be leading our army in offensive battles. We will only be fighting if someone tries to attack our town. Now I need you to lead these people and honor the memory of their fallen.¡± said Hiro softly. Korin looked at the tears in Hiro¡¯s eyes. He instantly saw how heartbroken he was that he had allowed Foria to be injured on the battlefield. The pain that Hiro carried on his face was so deep it caused Korin to burst into tears. Korin ran and hugged Hiro and the both cried morning the pain of nearly losing the person they both loved most in the world. The evening came and there was no celebration for the victory. This victory had come at too great a cost. Hiro left Korin and took Amaterasu to see Foria. Upon reaching the house the servants let the group in. They traveled quickly to Foria¡¯s bedroom where she was laying in her bed. She had bandages on her arms and her chest. She was also badly bruised. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Foria¡± Hiro said as he clasped her hands in his. ¡°It is ok Hiro, I am a warrior like you. This is a result of my weakness. I must grow in strength in order to be with the man I love on the field of battle. I must gain enough strength that I can be your support on the battlefield like it was when we first met.¡± Amaterasu whimpered as Leo nuzzled his nose on her neck. ¡°It is ok Amaterasu. I will be fine. I just need some time to rest. The healing spells can fix some things but it cannot replace the blood within your body. That must restore itself on its own.¡± ¡°I will watch over her.¡± Said Amaterasu to Hiro and Leo. Oh my! Her voice is so soft and distinguished it is almost regal. How did¡­. Oh that¡¯s right my new ability let¡¯s me speak to and understand animals. After Foria gets better I definitely want to test this later. ¡°I will trust you with the love of my life. Take care of her.¡± ¡°I will¡±, replied Amaterasu. ¡°We will be back tomorrow to check on you two. Get some sleepy Foria.¡± Hiro leaned in and kissed Foria on her forehead and left the room. He and Leo returned to his home where the rested for the night. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you enjoyed this emotionally charged chapter. I will be continuing to regularly update the chapters at the very least each Monday. Be on the lookout for my newest chapter. If you are looking for something to read while you wait for the next chapter of Hiro''s Journey to come out go and check my newest story. Humanity''s Last Hope I hope you enjoy. I''m thinking about putting my donations link back up if anyone is interested in supporting my writing. Again thanks for reading and the next chapter will be up by Monday. Chapter 36: Preparing to meet Master of the Lightning Blade Author''s Notes My story is about to take a turn towards the traditional training arc for Hiro to grow. If you have any ideas on the type of training you would like him to go through please leave your ideas in the comments section. I hope you enjoy this upcoming chapter. _________________________________ Chapter 36 Hiro woke up early as usually and went down stairs where he saw his companion resting. As he came close to Leo, he woke up and greeted Hiro with a good morning. ¡°Today we will not train in the morning so that we can attend the memorial service for all those that had fallen in the battle.¡± Leo agreed and then they left their home. They all went outside of town where nearly the entire town had gathered. Korin was using earth magic to create graves for all of those who had perished during the battle. Many of the townspeople had gathered flowers to place on the graves of their loved ones who died in the battle. Hiro went to the front next to Korin and addressed the people. ¡°Today we bury our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. Those who went out and valiantly battled to keep us safe from harm should be remembered for their bravery. Today, we live a life of freedom because of their sacrifice. Remember them within your hearts so that their memory never fades from your minds. Take a few moments to say your goodbyes.¡± The people were moved by his words and many began to cry. As the graves were covered using Korin¡¯s magic the people began to place their flowers on the graves and say their last goodbyes to their loved ones. Korin with tears in his eyes said, ¡°Goodbye my friends. I will miss all of you.¡± Hiro then said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep you all safe from harm.¡± He fell to his knees and screamed, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I strong enough to save them!¡± Hiro pounded the ground with both of his fists. Korin grabbed him at the shoulder and said, ¡°Let this be a lesson my friend. You are the most powerful among us but even you can be even stronger. Go out and improve your skills and come back to us even more powerful so that you can prevent this from ever happening again.¡± Hiro looked at Korin with tears in his eyes and smiled. ¡°I promise. I will train myself and my companions and we will protect this town from any threat. No matter how powerful it is. I will stand against it and let no other person be harmed at the hands of an enemy.¡± Hiro said. Korin smiled because he knew his friend was going to watch over the town. Hiro told Korin that he was going to the cave where they faught the hobgoblins to see what they could find out about the army that was about to attack us. Korin nodded. First, I¡¯m going to repair my equipment at the blacksmith shop. Hiro went to the blacksmith shop and the dwarves said nothing as they knew that there were no words to console the young man. They allowed him to use the forge and he repaired his armor. He was now able to do it with no help at all. His skill in blacksmithing had come a long way. He thanked the dwarves and then left. He met Leo at the gate of the village. Amaterasu was there as well. ¡°Is Foria ok?¡± Hiro asked Amaterasu. ¡°Yes. She is resting and she asked me to accompany you.¡± ¡°Then I will comply with her request.¡± Hiro mounted up on Leo and they ran off towards the cave of the hobgoblins. Once they reached the cave Hiro could smell the blood from the battle it was everywehere. He went in followed by Amaterasu and Leo. Leo breathed fire on the torches that were on the wall as they walked. Hiro could sense numerous mineral deposits in the walls of the cave but he kept walking. He wanted to see why these monsters came to his town. They came to an open room with several cages. ¡°Hiro, this is where I found the elves.¡± He looked around and saw a piece of parchment paper on the ground. It was torn up and the only thing he could read was the words ¡°Dark Lord¡±. Hiro could not see anything of use in the room as it was just a hollowed out part of the cave where they held prisoners. Well this was a bust. There isn¡¯t anything here except that piece of parchment. Well at least there were some minerals in the walls so I guess I¡¯ll mine them before I return to the town. He banged his pickaxe against the wall over and over again. From the walls spouted for silver, gold, copper, and iron ores. Once he finished he exited the cave and found that he had collected 50 pieces of copper 45 pieces of iron, 20 pieces of silver and 5 pieces of gold.
Mining skill has improved to intermediate level 5.
I guess now we should go back to the dwarves¡¯ blacksmith shop and smelt the pieces and make Amaterasu some armor. Once back in the city they went to the dwarves¡¯ blacksmith shop. Hiro went in and asked to use the forge. The dwarves agreed and he went in the back and began to smelt the ores that he had collected. The copper and iron were both complete successes. He felt that he somehow knew what to do with the silver. He placed the ore in the forge and it began to give off a gas and the impurities began to fall of it. Little by little he was able to get it purified then he placed it in the mold and made a silver bar. He successfully made 17 more. He only had 2 failures. Next he did the same with the gold. Unfortunately the gold was a bit outside of his skill level as he failed on his first 2 attempts. He asked the dwarves to smelt it and he watched carefull. The dwarves skillfully smelted the gold into pure gold bars. The dwarves said the gold bars were very expensive and could be sold for a very high price. They could also be used to forge powerful earring, necklaces, and rings. Hiro thanked the dwarves and began working on Amaterasu¡¯s armor. I don¡¯t think she is strong enough yet to wear metal armor so I will need to make something similar to Foria¡¯s studded armor for her. I need to get some skins from so animals in the forest but I don¡¯t have time for that right now. Hiro gave the dwarves all of his bars except for 2 of the gold bars. ¡°Why are you giving this to us?¡± ¡°I am leaving for a while to gain more strength to protect our town. I want you to make weapons and armor for the soldiers in the army. Use the gold bar as payment and make them weapons and armor with the other bars.¡± ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it will take. It is a journey to gain strength so I don¡¯t know how long but I will return. When I do I will have the strength to protect all of the people within these walls.¡± The dwarves smiled. Then they agreed and presented him with a copy of their pattern book. It contained all of the patterns for making weapons and armor that they had created through the years. Hiro smiled and bowed to the dwarves. Then he left. Hiro went to the town square where he asked had anyone seen Korin. One person told Hiro that Korin was out at the cementary. He ran up and checked if Korin was ok. Korin wiped his eyes and nooddded. Hiro then asked, ¡°How is Foria doing?¡± ¡°She is recovering quickly. Her exterior is back to normal but her blood and ki are still regenerating.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. I went to the cave where we battled the hobgoblin army. I found a piece of parchment that only had the words ¡°Dark Lord¡±. Do you know anything about it? ¡°How do you know about that?¡± he said with fear in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything about it. I just told youI just found a scrap of paper in the cave where the hobgoblins were defeated and it had those words written on it. Weren¡¯t you listening to me?¡± ¡°The Dark Lord is the master of all evil in this world. He was defeated long ago by a lone warrior of incredible strength and skill. I have heard that some of the remnants of his past army are trying to revive him. If that happens, the world will be plunged into war and death.¡± ¡°I will not let that happen¡± said Hiro ¡°I need to leave for awhile so that I can train in order to gain the strength I need.¡± ¡°Where will you go?¡± asked Korin. ¡°I will begin by training with Master Matsuro.¡± ¡°Matsuro!? You mean Matsuro the lightning blade?¡± ¡°Yes. He agreed to train me to become the protector of this town. Before I leave, I need you to do something for me. I want you and Rain to attack me with your magic so that I can learn them. If I had possessed a stronger ranged attack I could have stopped the attack that injured your sister. I don¡¯t want that to happen again. ¡° ¡°Ok. I understand why you need me but why Rain?¡± ¡°I also need Rain¡¯s group healing magic. Many of the people in Foria¡¯s unit did not get the treatmemt they needed because I could only heal one person at a time. I need to be able to heal multiple people. Can you meet me at the training grounds at noon and bring Rain.¡± Korin nodded in agreement. The two friends embraced each other and touched the angel above Foria¡¯s grave and then went into town. Hiro went to the training grounds to check on the troops. Amaterasu and Leo followed. Hiro thought as they walked to the training grounds about how to help Amaterasu gain strength to become an equal to Leo. First, she and Leo should do some sparring each day while I do my physical and mental training. Hiro asked, ¡°Leo, can you spar with Amaterasu so that she can gain some more battle experience.¡± Leo agreed then Hiro began his workout with lifting Caesar¡¯s heavy weights. He was now able to lift it to his chest and then press it above his head. He tried to mimic what he had seen Caesar do. He jerked the weight from the ground to his chest then he bent his knees and pressed it over his head and then down to his chest and back up over head. He was able to do this five times before being fatigued. He put the weight down for a minute then repeated this. While he was resting he looked over a Leo and Amaterasu. Their sparring session was heating up. They were not using any of their lethal skills. It was simply a test of their speed, strength, technique. Leo was superior in every way but Amaterasu¡¯s battle instincts and reflexes were definitely on a high level. How was she able to dodge so many of Leo¡¯s attacks? They were at a stand off. They were staring at each other. Amaterasu was panting. Leo¡¯s aura was pressuring her both physically and mentally. She charged forward anyway, darting in and trying to strike Leo with her fore paw. Leo easily avoided the blow and countered with his version of Hiro¡¯s dashing slash. It hit Amaterasu in the middle of her body and sent her flying. Leo went over and checked on her. She was breathing heavily. The blow did some damage. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Leo asked ¡°Yes but barely. You are definitely a strong opponent.¡± Hiro walked over and cast his healing spell on her. Her wounds were healed and she got up. ¡°You want to go again?¡± asked Leo Amaterasu jumped to her feet and showed her fangs, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± They squared off again and Hiro returned his training. After completely exhausting himself with Caeasar¡¯s weights, he sat down and began to meditate. My meditation feels different today. I can sense the energy of all of the living things around me. I can even sense their power in relationship to mine as well as get a general picture of their size and physique. It is like I could see them even though my eyes are closed.
Ding!
Your detect presence ability has evolved to energy scan. You see individuals based on their energy. You no longer need to use your senses to detect the presence of enemies or allies. You only need to feel their their energy.
This should come in handy for enemies that have Kaura¡¯s camouflage ability. Hiro continued with his meditation for a while until he felt the presence of Korin and Rain coming towards the training grounds. He also felt Gori and Caesar coming. He decided to stop his training for the day and get ready for his time with them.
Ding!
Due to your rigorous training your strength has increased by 30 points and your stamina has increased by 25 points.
Ding!
Due to your rigorous meditation training your wisdom has increased by 15 points.
My stats are continuing to improve. I need to find a way to improve my speed though. That is not increasing as much as I would like. I have to find a way to not only use that speed to avoid damage but also put me in a position to inflict great damage. Just then Rain and Korin arrived. ¡°Thank you for coming. I asked you both here because my ability allows me to copy things that I am able to see and any spell that my shield absorbs I can use as well. I would like you to use your chain lighting spell on me Korin and Rain I would like you to use your group healing spell so that I can learn them.¡± ¡°Are you sure about the lightning spell? Last time you lost to me pretty quickly and I didn¡¯t even use that spell¡± , said Korin ¡°Ha ha ha¡­ I¡¯m not the same as I was back then. If you would like we could have a rematch and you can use any spell you want?¡± ¡°Sure why not. I haven¡¯t been on the battle field in a while¡± replied Korin. ¡°But I¡¯m sure I¡¯m still good enough to kick your butt.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Well then stop talking and let¡¯s get to it.¡± The two friends squared off. Rain was appointed to be the referee. They agreed that the battle would be over when one was no longer able to battle. The battle began and Hiro activated his Evil eye skill along with his body and weapon strengthening ki abilities. Korin immediately try to use his bind. The magical ropes wrapped around Hiro but He broke through them with his raw strength. ¡°You will have to do better than that¡± , Hiro taunted as he increased his speed and began to charge Korin. He activated his dashing slash ability but Korin cast his earth wall spell rasing a wall of earth from the ground to stop Hiro. Hiro broke through the wall with his slash and sensed that Korin was gathering a large amount of energy so he raised he shield because he knew a powerful spell was coming. Korin had already begun casting his chain lighting spell. The bolt of lightning was coming forth from his staff as Hiro broke through the earth wall. Hiro¡¯s shield was raised and the lightning struck the shield. His shield absorbed the lightning but the forec of the attack caused Hiro to fall back.
Ding!
You have learned chain lightning. This spell calls forth a lightning bolt that attacks an enemy then jumps to 2 other enemies who are within a 5 meter radius. As your skill improves you be able to call forth more lightning bolts and the bolts will jump to more enemies.
Hiro stood up and decided to show Korin his own magic skills. He began by casting fire at Korin. Korin skillfully cast an ice blast to cancel out the fire spell. The colliding spells caused a dense fog to appear. Korin was unable to find Hiro but Hiro¡¯s sense presence ability let him know exactly where Korin was. HIro shot out an ice blast on the ground beneath where Korin was standing. The ground was frozen and Korin lost his balance. Hiro followed up and unleashed his red lighting attack. Before the attack hit him Korin raised some sort of magical barrier to protect himself from the damage but the shock of the red lightning attack caused him fall to the ground. Hiro then used his dashing slash to cover the ground between the 2 of them almost instantly. He stopped his blade at Korin¡¯s throat. Korin conceded and it was Hiro¡¯s victory. ¡°Thank you mind friend¡±, said Hiro. ¡°I now have your chain lightning magic spell¡± ¡°No, thank you. You are incredible. To think that you have grown this much in such a short time it is amazing¡±, said Korin. Rain came over and healed them both with her group heal magic.
Ding!
After feeling and seeing the group several times you have now been able to copy the heal spell you are now able to use it. Your current spell has now been upgraded to group heal. The spell can now be used to yourself and 2 companions. With continued use and improved wisdom you will be able to heal greater amounts of health to more companions.
¡°Thank you rain. I now can use your group healing spell.¡± That spell coupled with the regeneration ability that I have should keep me safe wherever I go. Just then Caesar arrived. Caesar came up and hugged Hiro. ¡°Take care of the army and continue to train them. You have done an excellent job so far keep up the great work! I will be leaving for a while to train with Master Matsuro. While I am away I know that you will keep my troops strong.¡± Caesar placed his hand on his chest and bowed, ¡° It would be my honor commander.¡± Hiro embraced Caesar then Rain and ended with Korin. ¡°I will not be gone long but I will definitely miss all of you. Keep our town safe while I am gone.¡± nodded. He shook hands and embraced the members of the army as he left the training grounds and went into the town. I need to go see Master Matsuro so that I can train but first I need to enjoy my last night in this town for awhile. Hiro walked around followed by Leo. They walked and talked. Leo shared that his father had been the alpha before him and he had challenged his eldest brother for the title of alpha in their pack. He said he easily defeated all of his brothers and had been the alpha since. Leo shared his experience with fighting Hiro for the first time. He said that his strength was overwhelming. He had never fought a foe that compared to him. His speed, strength, agilty, and skills, were far over and above any foe that they had faced. Hiro told him that the battle with him was difficult as well and that he was glad that he had chosen such a strong companion. They continued to walk through the town chatting the night away. As the walked through the town people also came up and hugged the Leo and gave thanks to Hiro for helping to keep their town safe. After a while Hiro began to feel tired so the 2 of them returned home. When they arrived at the house Foria was standing at the door. ¡°Foria! What are you doing out of bed?!¡± ¡°What am I doing? A better question is what are you doing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I will leave you two alone¡± said Leo as he walked into he and Hiro¡¯s home. ¡°They told me that you are going to train with Matsuro tomorrow. You are leaving again with out me?¡± ¡°No¡­ well¡­.I mean¡­ it¡¯s not like that. You see I am going to train with him because I couldn¡¯t protect you on the battlefield. I almost lost you and my weakness is the cause of that.¡± ¡°It was not your fault nor your weakness that got me injured on the battlefield. It was your strength and ability that saved me. My weakness caused me to be injured. I need to improve. So I have come to ask you to take me with you.¡± Just then a shadowy figure appeared from behind Hiro¡¯s home. ¡°Hello, you must be the fame warrior of this town name, Hiro¡± said the figure. It was the dark elf they had rescued from the hobgoblin army. ¡°What were you doing there? This is a private conversation snapped Foria. ¡°My apologies my lady¡± the dark elf said as she bowed her head. ¡°I have only come to speak with Hiro and pledge my allegiance to his army. I am a skilled ranger from the dark elf clan to the west of this place.¡± ¡°Why should we believe you?¡± yelled Foria. ¡°Hold on a minute Foria. Let¡¯s listen and hear her out.¡± ¡°First let me introduce myself. My name is Scarlairet lemsfire. You may call me Scarlet as the humans I have met said that my eyes are scarlet red. I left my home land after learning that some of the dark elves were supplying mithril weapons to orcs. I could not stop them but I refused to be a part of it so I left¡± ¡°If you left why did the wood elves place you in chains.¡± ¡°I went to the wood elf lands to seek sanctuary but they refused and placed me in chains in order to escort me out of their lands. I was not aggressive nor was I violent in any way. I gave them my weapons. While they were escorting us the hobgoblins attacked. I was chained and had no weapons and the elves that were escorting me were weak. They captured us rather quickly¡± ¡°So that is what happened. I understand that you went through an ordeal and for that I am truly sorry. You are a stranger from a race that we have had trust issues with in the past. Why should we trust you?¡± asked Foria. ¡°Even though I am a dark elf, I am a person of honor and whatever you task me to do to prove myself I will.¡± ¡°I think trust should be earned and maintained through the actions of an individual. I will give you a chance. You said you had weapons so I assume you have combat skills.¡± ¡°Yes. I was trained from a very young age. I was the top hunter in my clan. I specialize in ranged combat but I am also adept in close quarters combat with daggers or short swords.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking how long have you trained?¡± ¡°Over 300 years¡± ¡°What!?! 300 years?¡± ¡°It is not odd as we elves live much longer lives than that of you humans.¡± ¡°So you must be really good.¡± ¡°As I said I was the top hunter in my clan.¡± ¡°Foria, I don¡¯t think Master Matsuro¡¯s sword skills are suitable for you but Scarlet¡¯s would be. I will agree with you training with me but only if you are taught by Scarlet Scarlet this is the one thing you can do to earn my trust.¡± Scarlet and Foria agreed. ¡°Scarlet do you have a place to sleep?¡± asked Foria. ¡°No I have slept in the woods since I was brought here.¡± ¡°Since you have gained Hiro¡¯s trust, you have earned mine. I will have my servants prepare a room for you and give you food tonight as well as in the morning.¡± ¡°Your generosity is much appreciated¡±, said Scarlet ¡°I will be back here in a little while Hiro. I want to stay with you for the night¡±, said Foria. ¡°I will be waiting¡±, said Hiro with a smile as the two ladies walked off. Hiro entered into his home and took of his equipment. He slowly walked up the steps thinking of the events that have unfolded recently. When he reached the top of the stairs he entered into his room and lay down on the bed. It¡¯s been a while since I did this so I guess I should check our stats. Hiro pulled up the character screen to see his stats and that of his companion.
Hiro
Title:Town Hero
Job:Ki Warrior
Level:42
----------------Stats-----------------
Health:7,000/7,000Mana:2,000/2,000
Strength:405Speed:260
Dexterity:150Intelligence:225
Wisdom:275Endurance:500
--------------Equipment--------------
Head:NoneChest:Breast Plate of Wildfire
Right Hand:Wildfire SwordLeft Hand:Razor Shield
Legs:Wilfire GreavesForearms:Wildfire Guantlets
Feet:Wildfire Boots
Next, He looked at Leo¡¯s stats. [/tr]
Leo
Job:Hiro¡¯s Pet
Species:Fire Liger King
Level:45
Health:13,000/13,000
Strength:875Speed:
715
------------------------Abilities--------------------
Pyro kinesis: Ability to breathe fire at enemies.
Absorption: Allows Liger to gain strength and abilities from things he has eaten
Symbiosis: Abilities gained will be immediately shared with pet master.
Predict: Leo is able to see his enemy¡¯s attacks coming.
Armored Skin: Skin is tough as armor. Allowing Leo to take less damage from physical attacks a in combat.
Evolution: When certain parameters are met Leo may evolve into a stronger form gaining new abilities and strength.
---------------------------/Skills--------------------
Liger¡¯s Roar: Roar that strikes fear in the heart of enemies. Occasionally paralyzing them.
Ki strike: Leo is able to mimic Hiro¡¯s ki strike ability imbuing his claw with ki and striking his enemy.
Flamethrower: This ability allows Leo to breathe a flame that is blue. The heat and power of this flame far exceeds his previous ability of pyro kinesis.
Poison Coating: Leo¡¯s fangs and Claws are covered with a strong poison.
Dashing slash: Leo is able to mimc Hiro¡¯s dashing slash ability causing him to increase his speed dramatically to slash his targe with his claws.
Hiro closed his eyes and began to use his sense presence ability. He quickly found Foria and noticed that she had already begun to return to his home. He lay there in silent anticipation for his beautiful woman to return. Moments later she returned to his home and got into the bed with him. Her soft body and betwitching scent put Hiro into a state of bliss. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you more¡± , she said as she kissed him softly on the lips. She nestled her body into his and the fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms. __________________________________________ Author''s Notes *Hey guys thank you for all of your support. We have almost made it to the top 100 on this sight. If anyone would like to make any contributions feel free. I would greatly appreciate it. *Hopefully in the next chapter I can give you a complete list of Hiro''s skills. The list has gotten kind of long so I will be making notes about changes in the upcoming chapters. *By the way please rate and review. If you have any ideas of how Hiro should be trained by Matsuro please let me know this week as I am currently beginning the upcoming training arc. Leave your ideas in the comments section. Chapter 37: Training Part 1 Hey guys sorry I was unable to get online for the past couple of weeks. I am going to be uploading several chapters today. I hope you all enjoy the work. I''m looking forward to get my followers up over 600 and I''m hoping to get 100 ratings. My goal is to break the top 100 this month. Guys please help! __________________________________ Chapter 37 The sun rose over the horizon and Hiro¡¯s eyes slowly opened. ¡°Wake up sleepy head¡± Foria said with a smile. ¡°You sure are excited¡± Hiro said as he wiped his eyes and yawned. Foria pulled the covers back as she was already up and dressed in her studded armor. Then she grabbed Hiro¡¯s arm and pulled him out of bed. ¡°Ok. Ok. Ok. I¡¯m up.¡± Hiro said gruffly. He rubbed his eyes and went downstairs. Once downstairs he put on his armor and the 3 went outside. Outside Amaterasu was waiting outside for them when they opened the door. She licked Foria¡¯s face. ¡°I guess she didn¡¯t want to be left behind either¡± said Foria. ¡°I told Scarlet to meet us at the center of town so we should head there now.¡± ¡°Ok lets get moving¡±, said Hiro The group began moving towards the center of town and after a few moments they reached their destination. There they found Scarlet waiting for them in the center of town. They went over and greeted her. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any weapons or equipment, I would like to get you some before we leave.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What type of weapon and armor would you like to use?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Leather type armor is best for me and a bow with some some daggers would be great¡± ¡°I can make you some armor once we get to Matsuro¡¯s place but let¡¯s stop and see the dwarves to get you some weapons.¡± Scarlet agreed and the group went to the dwarven weapon shop. Once they arrived the dwarves greeted them with a smile. ¡°How can we help you Hiro?¡± ¡°I need a bow and a pair of daggers for my friend Scarlet. Do you have anything.¡± ¡°Yes, actually we have a couple of silver daggers in our inventory that are light and durable. The bows we have are not of very good quality but they are still usable.¡± ¡°Thank you kind dwarves. The weapon¡¯s ability is not as important as the skill of the one using it¡± said Scarlet ¡°We will take them. Can you take that out of the gold that I left you?¡± said Hiro ¡°Of course Hiro¡± replied the dwarves as the gave the bow and daggers to Scarlet. She placed the daggers in her belt and put quiver of arrows and bow on her back. They thanked the dwarves again and set out. Hiro open the letter the Matsuro had left for him. On the back was a map to an area northwest of town. Scarlet looked at the map. ¡°I know that area. It is about a 2 day journey from here on foot.¡± ¡°Then that means we should make it in a day riding Leo and Amaterasu¡± said Foria. The group mounted up and rushed off. Hiro and Scarlet rode on Leo and Foria rode on Amaterasu. The group took off in a blinding flash. The two beasts moved at an astonishing rate. By noon they had already made it half way to the place where they were to meet Matsuro. They dismounted and began preparing lunch. Hiro cooked lunch and the group sat around as they ate. ¡°What is this aroma?¡± asked Scarlet ¡°I call them snake fillets. I made them from a night viper that I killed. Is there something wrong?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°No to the contrary, this is the most amazing thing I have ever smelled.¡± Scarlet said as she took a bite of one of the the fillets. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it!¡± The group quickly finished eating their meal and mounted up and left. Around 4 hours later, the group made it to the area on the map. There was a small home surrounded by a small fence. ¡°I guess this is the place¡± said Foria. ¡°MASTER MATSURO are you here!?¡± yelled Hiro. No one came out and Hiro yelled again. Then out came his master. Matsuro was wearing what appeared to be black leather armor. He was carrying a blade in a scabbard that was attached to a belt that was on his way. The group entered to meet him. ¡°Who are you friends Hiro?¡± ¡°You know Foria her brother is the town chief. This is Scarlet she is a friend who pledged to join the army. The animals we have are Leo, my Liger companion and the wolf is Amaterasu, Foria¡¯s companion¡± ¡°Ah. So why are they here? I agreed to train you not anyone else besides my training is not suitable for one as delicate as these ladies and there can only be one successor to the lightning blade style¡± ¡°No master they are not here to train with you they came along to be with me. Scarlet is going to train Foria.¡± ¡°Oh I see well then did you bring the healing potions I asked for?¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± ¡°Remove your armor and weapon. While he finishes,ladies you may use any part of this place to train. All that I ask is that you do not interfere with my teaching in any way", said Matsuro The two ladies nodded and Hiro removed his armor. After his armor was removed Foria hugged Hiro and she and Scarlet walked off to another area. Matsuro placed the bracelets on each of Hiro¡¯s wrists and the rings on each of his ankles. ¡°These are heavy master!¡± ¡°These cuffs that I gave you will allow you to transcend your limits. Each piece weighs roughly 50lbs. As of right now your weight is about 200 lbs. Currently they have double your weight.You will wear them as long as you are here. You may not take them off ever!¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± ¡°Hiro do you know why they called me Matsuro of the lightning blade?¡± ¡°No master.¡± ¡°It was because I moved so fast that it seemed as if I was as fast as lightning.¡± ¡°I understand¡± ¡°Now your training begins. Gravity times 4.¡± The bracelets began to glow and Hiro could feel the weight of his the cuffs increase. ¡°My body feels so heavy.¡± ¡°Yes it should now be close to 600lbs.¡± Hiro began to increase his ki to allow himself to move more freely. ¡°No do not use your ki. The first part of my training is to increase your base strength and speed. You will not do this while using ki. Hiro your ki should be used to augment your existing strength. The greater your raw physical abilities are the greater your ki will be.¡± ¡°I understand Master.¡± Hiro released his ki. Matsuro instructed him to begin his training by running around the area 5 times. ¡°Master how can I do that with no ki and weighing 600 lbs.¡± ¡°You wanted my strength? This is what you will do. I thought you wanted the strength to protect the town and vanquish the dragon that injured me. Are you already wiling to give up.¡± Matsuro turned around and walked away. ¡°I will not quit! I will do this!¡± Matsuro smiled with his back turned towards his disciple. Hiro began walking. Each step seemed like his it took everything out of him. He moved step by step around the area. The single lap took him nearly 45 minutes to cover the distance that was about 1 mile. Hiro was sweating profusely. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ This kid has way more potential than I ever thought. Even at the height of my strength I could only do this with about 3000 lbs. of extra weight. Even though I could run at that weight, It took me years to get that level. This kid is is able to move at a place that took me nearly 6 months to reach. He is very interesting.¡± Hiro stopped and grabbed a quick drink of water from his inventory then continued his laps. Four hours later he completed the 5 laps and collapsed onto the ground. It was pitch black outside and Matsuro came out. ¡°That was terrible kid. Tomorrow do it again and add another lap.¡± ¡°Yes Master.¡± Hiro said weakly.
Due to your training you gained 20 points to strength, speed, and stamina.
This is incredibly hard but it is already showing its merit. This will be a good experience. Hiro fell asleep on the ground. As he slept Leo came and wrapped himself around Hiro to keep him safe. The morning quickly came and Hiro awoke at the crack of dawn. He got up and saw that Leo was laying there protecting him. Thank you for keeping an eye on me my friend. Hiro slowly got up. They are heavy but not as heavy as yesterday. My body is improving but I also need to build up my wisdom and some of my other skills. Since I can¡¯t use my ki for strength I will let my clones work on other skills while I train my physical abilities. I¡¯ll summon 3 of my clones. Each one will have a job. One will meditate, one will practice with the martial arts techniques and the last will practice magic. Hopefully that keeps my wisdom and fighting technique improving just as fast as speed, strength, and stamina. Hiro summoned his 3 clones and they began training their individual skill. While they were training he began his laps. His pace was better today. He was still unable to run but he could walk at a normal walking pace. He even tried to jog for short intervals. Matsuro was watching his pupil closely. It took Hiro approximately 30 minutes to complete each lap today. Once Hiro finished, Matsuro came up to him. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Good Master¡± ¡°Eat something and then come to see me over near the training ring.¡± Hiro moved as fast as he could to hut and ate the food left for him. Why haven¡¯t I seen Foria, or the others? I hope they are ok. Well I¡¯m sure they are fine. Leo is with them. Once he finished his food Hiro went out and found Matsuro standing in the training ring. ¡°The second part of the beginning of your trainining is to speed up your swing with the sword. To accomplish this I want you to swing this sword 500 times. Swing it vertically like this each time.¡± Matsuro demonstrated by clutching the sword tightly in his hands and lifting the sword above his head and swinging it down vertically. The swing he made was so fast that that Hiro could barely follow it with his eyes. He did notice that the wind from the strike caused the grass on the ground to sway. ¡°Incredible Master!¡± He handed Hiro another very large sword. The blade was nearly 4 feet long and nearly 1 foot wide. The hilt was covered in some sort of engraving that looked to be a picture of a lightning bolt.Hiro grabbed the sword. What the hell?! He just swung this sword like it was nothing. I pick it up and it weighs a freaking ton. How strong is this old man! "Ah so you noticed how heavy it is. I cast the same gravity magic the sword. I weighs around 200 lbs." "What?! You mean I have to swing it along with wearing these bracelets and anklets?" "You dare question your master?!" "No master. My apologies" Hiro lifted the sword above his head and swung down. The blade was so heavy that it hit the ground and dug in about foot. It took all of Hiro¡¯s strength to remove the blade from the ground. He swung it again and again and again. Master Matsuro sat down on a nearby chair and began smoking a long pipe while he watched his pupil. Hiro continued to swing the sword. It took him almost 3 hours to complete his task. ¡°I have done it master¡­ huff¡­puff.¡± ¡°Yes you did. Now comes the hardest part of your training.¡± ¡°The hardest part¡­ GULP!¡± What the hell does he mean the hardest part? I feel like I almost died doing the running and swinging this sword. What could he have that is harder than this? ¡°In my style of combat I used heavy armor but it impeded my movement. I will make you better than I was by helping you build a body that is harder than steel. Your skin will be like the scales of a dragon. I have seen your ability to grow and I plan on making full use of it now.¡± My skin will be tough like a dragon¡¯s scales? That sounds awesome! ¡°Yes Master. I will do as you say¡± ¡°In order to survive these hits your body must become stronger than the most powerful blade. Your skin must be like metal. So you will begin by taking 10 strikes from me. I will only use 10 percent of my strength and I will use this wooden sword to begin. As you are able to take attacks from this wooden sword then we will move on to a sharper weapon. Now, Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Take strikes from you?¡± ¡°YOU DARE QUESTION YOUR MASTER!¡±, yelled Matsuro. ¡°My apologies Master. I am ready.¡± Hiro opened his stance and lowered his body into a horse stance with his knees bent and upper leg parallel to the ground. He clenched his fist and readied himself for the blow. Matsuro readied by grasping it firmly with both hands. The blade pointed vertically as he held it close to his chest. Matsuro widened his stance then he moved. His wooden sword whistled through the air as the blade struck Hiro in the ribs. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°AAAACCCKKKK!!¡± HIro shouted as the blade struck him. He fell to his knees and drooled out of his mouth. ¡°On your feet! Exhale when you are being struck to minimize the damage.¡± Hiro looked at his health and noticed that the attack took nearly 60 percent of his health. He stood up and took a deep breath as he breathed in his health began to recover. ¡°I see you have remarkable healing abilities. That is good. I¡¯m going to put them to the test.¡± Matsuro waited for a moment as Hiro recovered. As soon as he recovered Matsuro hit him with another shot. And the process repeated until Hiro had taken all 10 blows to his ribs. After the last blow Hiro fell to his knees. Even though his health had recovered his body was showing a dark bruise in the area where he had been struck by his master. ¡°That is enough for today. We will continue tomorrow. For the next for days you will stay with what you did today. On day 6 your menu will increase to 10 laps, 750 sword strikes and 15 attacks from me.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Hiro stood up and covered his ribs with his hands. He bowed to Master Matsuro and then went to where his clones were training. They stopped training when he stood in front of them. Hiro dismissed the clones and absorbed the skill that they had accumulated. He lay down on the ground exhausted. Every single one of his muscles was screaming.
You have gained 35 points towards strength, 20 points towards speed, 20 points toward stamina, and 10 points towards wisdom.
You also advanced your endurance ability to intermediate level 1. By advancing to the intermediate level you have gained 50 points to your stamina and increased your health by 15%.
Taking those attacks did a lot for me. I definitely need to improve my endurance level. This training is great but my body is taking a pounding. I have to heal myself at night or the fatigue may build up. Hmm I guess they did not practice enough to gain a level in sword skill or martial arts skill but that is ok. I will continue with this and hopefully my skill in the clone spell will improve. Actually I should just have them battle each other. Hiro cast his healing spell on himself until his bruises from his master were no longer visible. He clenched his fist as the his body felt like it was back to normal. His strength seemed to be even greater than before. He closed his eyes and used his energy detection to find his companions. They were not far from him only about 1.5 miles. What the heck is up with that energy! Is that actually Foria? How did it increase that much in such a short time? I have to do better in my training or she will surpass me. Hiro laid down on the ground and looked up at the stars and began to fall asleep. This went on for nearly a week. On the morning of the 6th day, Hiro opened his eyes he noticed Leo was not there and Master Matsuro was standing over him. ¡°Why are you still asleep? Get up! Get to your training! This is not a vacation!¡± Hiro quickly jumped up and bowed to his master in apology for his lack of discipline. He quickly began walking away from his master. He was so startled he did not have to time to summon his clones. Wait I¡¯m moving just fine. My body doesn¡¯t feel that heavy anymore. Let me see¡­ Hiro started to jog. He was able to jog for about a minute before his he felt like his lungs were going to pop. He walked for a while as he calmed himself and his breathing returned to normal. Then he jogged again for another minute. He did this cycle over and over again until he completed all of his laps. When he finished his last lap Master Matsuro was waiting. ¡°I see you are moving faster that is good. Now begin your strike with the sword. I want tyou complete 800. 200 downward slashes, 200 upward slashes, 200 horizontal from the right, and 200 horizontal from the left.¡± ¡°But Master, yesterday you said it was only 750.¡± ¡°You dare question me! Make it 1,000! 250 of each type of slash So called Hero of Kaito!¡± Hiro took a deep breath and apologized to his master and began as he was instructed. He picked up the heavy blade and began swinging over and over and over again. The sun began to beat down on Hiro¡¯s head as sweat poured from his head. He paused for a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow. GRRRROOOOOWWWWLLLLL! His stomach made a loud noise. That¡¯s right I haven¡¯t eaten anything today. I gotta hurry up with this and then eat as I feel my strength leaving me. Hiro finished with his sword strikes and then went into the hut where he found Matsuro sitting at the table eating a bowl of rice. Hiro sat down but there was no more food. ¡°Are you ready for your endurance training?¡± ¡°Yes Master! May I eat first?¡± ¡°No complete your training then you eat. Your growth must mean more to you than food, water, or even love. Without it you will be powerless against the forces that will surely be gathering around you.¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± Matsuro grabbed his wooden sword and took his stance. Hiro readied himself. The blade whistled through the air again. As it hit Hiro he breathed out. The pain from the attack was still intense but he was able to remain standing after the attack.
You have learned the skill power breathing. By breathing as you are attacked you can mitigate some of the damage you receive upon impact. This is also applicable to increasing your attack strength by breathing when you attack your opponent.
Excellent this will help me improve on taking master¡¯s attacks. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky because were able to take one attack!¡± said Matsuro as he readied his blade again. ¡°This time I will attack with 20% of my strength.¡± The blade whistled through the air. This time Hiro could not breathe out because he could not see the blade. The attack smashed down on his should immediately bring him to his knees. ¡°Focus! Your eyes are not the only way you can see your opponent. Feel him.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and tried to track his master¡¯s energy. The energy is faint but he can feel it. Hiro focused all of his effort on tracking it as it moved the strike came again. This time I can feel the flow of his energy. He was able to exhale as the attack landed. He continued the same way for the next 12 strikes. I have improved a great deal as I can now take 2 of master¡¯s attacks before I need to recover. This in only a week, I know he isn¡¯t using his full strength but that is a tremendous improvement. ¡°Thank you master is there any food left?¡± ¡°No, today you must hunt for your own food but I have some conditions. First, you may not take your liger. Second you must hunt with your practice sword while wearing your cuffs and anklets. You will do this once each week.¡± ¡°WHAAATTT! I can barely move with these things on and that sword weighs a ton. How can I fight powerful monsters like this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry the wild animals here are not powerful enough to harm you¡±, Matsuro said with a scowl. Hiro bowed to his master and grudgingly walked out of the hut. He closed his eyes to search for something nearby. After a few moments of walking he found what appeared to be a large night viper. That should be fine they are weak enough that I shouldn¡¯t have too much of a problem. Hiro began jogging towards where he felt the presence of the night viper after about 10 minutes he came to a clearing. There he saw the night viper sunning itself on a rock on the plains. This one was different than the one he had seen before. First, he had rarely seen them out during the day and this was one was a bright green color and it was about 15 feet long weighing probably 250 to 300 pounds which was at least twice the size of the night vipers Hiro had fought before. GULP! I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this! Let me inspect it to see what I¡¯m dealing with.
Name: Plains Constrictor
Hp:10,000/10,000Mp:0/0
Weak:Earth/Fire
Strong:Slashing/Lightning
Plains Constrictor: A large snake that kills its prey by wrapping it up with its powerful coils. Its thick scales act as armor which makes it difficult to pierce. It tracks its prey through sound.
Hiro readied his blade and began inching closer. He kept his focus on the snake as this was an extremely dangerous opponent. CRACK! Hiro stepped on a branch and suddenly the snake whipped its head around and its body uncoiled and began moving towards Hiro. That things speed was amazing for it to be so large. Hiro inched closer. The snake raised its head up its cold blue eyes began to stare at Hiro as its forked tongue flicked in and out of its mouth. Hiro charged in at his opponent. The snake hissed and flicked its tail at Hiro. Hiro ducked under the attack but the snake¡¯s attack was so quick that as he stood up the tail had already returned for its second strike. He had just enough time to put his sword in the way to block the tail but the attack was so heavy that it knocked him 15 feet back across the grass. He jumped back to his feet and smiled. This thing is strong! Thank you master. This will be good for my training and you snake will be the material I use to make my new armor. The snake came at Hiro this time with its head showing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The snake¡¯s head struck quickly at Hiro. He quickly parried the head¡¯s attack with his sword and followed it up with a crushing slash to the base of the snake¡¯s head. Clang! The sword didn¡¯t cut through the snake¡¯s scales but it did smash the snake to the ground. I guess its scales are very hard. Hiro lost his concentration for a split second and the snake¡¯s tail came and whacked him in the back. A searing pain was radiating up and down Hiro¡¯s back as he slowly returned to his feet. A status screen popped up.
You are bleeding you will lose 10 hp per second while this status is active.
Master told me not to use ki so I can¡¯t use magic either. I do still have some potions so if things get too bad I can use one of those. I¡¯ve got to find a way to hurt this thing! Hiro turned around but the snake was already attacking. It grabbed a hold of his leg with its tail and began to wrap itself around him. The snake quickly wrapped his body up all the way to his chest his hands and arms were free so he tried to slash at its body but it was to no avail. The snake began to squeeze. Hiro could feel his bones creeking. CRACK Several of Hiro¡¯s ribs broke and he spit out mouth full of blood. [i]I can¡¯t die here![i] The snake raised its head and opened its mouth and slowly began to line up an attack to finish Hiro. Hiro stared down the rows of sharp teeth as a bit of saliva fell from the snake¡¯s mouth. Then it quickly struck but Hiro was waiting. As the snake attacked with its mouth wide open Hiro plunged his blade deep into the snake¡¯s mouth. The blade went through the roof of the snake¡¯s mouth and blood spurted out from its wound. It began to writhe in agony on the ground. As it writhed back and forth the coils that were around Hiro slowly loosened. The snake slowly stopped moving and making noise. Once it was silent and motionless Hiro knew it was dead. Hiro fell to the ground as his legs and torso had taken considerable damage from the snake crushing him in its coils. Hiro closed his eyes as he began to lose consciousness. __________________________________________________________________ I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you would like to become a patron please do as it would help me with updating more often. As always please rate, review, and follow. The next chapter will be out within the hour. Chapter 38: Training Part 2 Hey guys this is the second of my chapters for Hiro''s training arc. Enjoy! _____________________________________________ Chapter 38 Hiro began to open open his eyes and he could feel the warmth of a fire near him and he could hear the familiar voices of his Foria and Scarlet. He blinked his eyes several times as the world was very blurry to him. As his eyes began to focus he saw that the sun had set and it was night time. ¡°So you are awake my foolish apprentice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Master. I thought you said that the enemies near here were not enough to hurt me.¡± ¡°Yes, that is true but you should have felt that the snake you fought was strong. I don''t know where it came from but it was not from here. It was definitely not something you should have fought while you were still training with those cuffs, anklets, and heavy training sword.¡± Hiro rubbed his head and smiled as he chuckled a bit. Then he looked over and saw Foria. It was the first time he had seen her in almost a week. Her skin was a lot more tanned and her muscles had become very defined. Her waist was slightly smaller and her long flowing hair had grown a lot. It was now nearly down the middle of her back and it had taken on a beautiful silver color. Her eyes shined with a beautiful pale blue color. ¡°Foria, what happened to your appearance?!¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Well it happened as Amaterasu ate the carcas of some elves that we fought a few days ago.¡± ¡°You killed some elves!?¡± exclaimed Hiro. ¡°They weren¡¯t really elves per say¡± said Scarlet. ¡°They were zombies that some necromancer made from the corpses of elves. We killed the necromancer and the corpses and then these two began changing.¡± ¡°What do you mean these two?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Oh that¡¯s right Ama come on out¡± Suddenly, Amaterasu appeared out of thin air. Her appeareance had drastically changed. Her beautiful white fur had changed to a jet black color. She had grown about a foot and a half taller and body¡¯s lengthed had grown about 2 feet. It also appeared that she had packed on some serious muscle and grown some sharp looking claws. The only thing that remained the same were her icy blue eyes. ¡°She evolved into something called a Nightshade Wolf¡± said Foria. ¡°That sounds pretty cool. Leo I guess you¡¯re not the only evolved one around here.¡± ¡°So what about you? What is with your change?¡± ¡°Well Scarlet can better explain it than I can¡± replied Foria. ¡°I gave her some of my blood.¡± ¡°You did what?!¡± ¡°I gave her my blood. In small amounts she was given my blood. The blood of an elf is like an elixir for humans. It was simply supposed to heal her wounds from our extreme training but Foria is not a normal human.¡± ¡°What do you mean not normal?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Well normally my blood would simply heal her wounds but in Foria¡¯s case her body began to absorb some the properties of my blood. Her speed and agility increased each time I healed her and as she also gained improved reflexes as well as improved sensory abilities.¡± ¡°Wow so the change in her hair color and skin tone means that her body is assimilating your elven physiology? That is incredible.¡± ¡°So how is your training going Hiro?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not exactly sure Master Matsuro told me that I need to build up my physical abilities. I am wearing these cuffs so I can¡¯t really tell how much stronger I have gained.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know if you have gained any strength or not? Hmph! You think my training hasn¡¯t benefited you any? You stupid apprentice! You haven¡¯t noticed it yet have you?¡± said Matsuro gruffly. ¡°Noticed what Master?¡± asked Hiro ¡°I have increased the weight of those cuffs to 5 times the original amount. Currently your body with the cuffs weighs about 1,200 pounds. You have been running, fighting, and swinging your sword while weighing 1,200 pounds.¡± ¡°What!?!¡± everyone said with a gasp! ¡°Gravity off!¡± said Matsuro The cuffs glowed then their magic was dispersed. ¡°Wow, I feel great!¡± ¡°Try using your ki enhancement now Hiro¡± said Matsuro ¡°Go all out so you can see how much you have progressed¡±, said Matsuro Hiro took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A white mist began to encompass his body as his aura began to manifest. The muscles in his chest began to bulge followed by those in his arms and legs. His power continued to rise. ¡°Keep going Hiro!¡± shouted Matsuro ¡°ladies you might want to stand back ¡°HAAAAAAAA!!!¡± screamed Hiro as he unleashed his full power. The ground beneath him began to sink in and his normal thin golden aura turned into a large mass of white spirit energy that shrouded him. The light from his ki was brighter than the fire that was warming them. The pressure from his energy was so powerful that it was literally pushing Foria and Scarlet backwards.Even Amaterasu could not stand firm. To keep from flying back she had lower her head and dig her claws into the ground. Leo and Matsuro were the only two to stand firm. ¡°This power is amazing! Thank you master I will never doubt you again.¡± ¡°Good now release your ki so that these ladies do not fly away.¡± Hiro did as he was told. He took a fighting pose. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Master I would like to take some more of your strikes today. Can you please increase the weight of my cuffs and anklets?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m impressed I was going to give you the night off after you battled that snake but I guess now that you¡¯ve seen the results of your training you want to continue. Ok, gravity on times 5.¡± ¡°No raise it to 10 times!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes I have to get strong enough to protect everyone.¡± ¡°I like it! Ok you have impressed me apprentice. Gravity times 10!¡± Immediately, the cuffs began to glow and the weight returned. ¡°AHHHHHAAAAHH the weight feels like its tearing my body apart!¡± Hiro immediately took a moment to compose himself with the weight back on. Then he began to speak. ¡°How heavy huff¡­.pufff were you able to wear them huff¡­.pufff at the height of your strength?¡± ¡°At the Height of my strength I wore them at 15 times the weight. It made my body weigh over 3,000 pounds.¡± ¡°Then I will surpass you and I will wear them at 20 times their normal weight and then I will go looking for that dragon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got guts and a lot of ambition I like that. Well let us begin by you taking these strikes from me. ¡°Ready yourself Hiro.¡± Matsuro grabbed his sword, while everyone else watched. He took his stance and Hiro closed his eyes. Matsuro took his sword and attacked Hiro with 2 consecutive strikes. Hiro used his power breathing technique and was able to negate a lot of the damage from the attacks but it still dropped him to only 25% of his health. Matsuro waited a few moments as Hiro healed himself and readied himself. The cycle continued as Matsuro bombarded Hiro with strike after strike. After Hiro finished taking the strikes he passed out from the pain. ¡°Stupid boy you may have bit off more than you can chew. But I am beginning to see why they love you as the hero of Kaito.¡± Leo wrapped himself around Hiro and watched over him as everyone went their separate ways for the night. Hiro slept soundly through the night and with the rising of the sun he woke up with renewed vigor. Hiro struggled to stand up with the increased weight of the cuffs. He began rolling his shoulders and stretching his legs. I gotta get stronger! This training is working but I have to continue with my other skills too. Hiro summoned his clones and they began their daily training routines then he took off and began his laps. Every step was agony. He was barely able to walk with the new even heavier weights on. It took him nearly 2 hours to finish a single lap. He was breathing heavily and his muscles were bulging. This is crazy but I have to keep going! Hiro continued his laps walking very slowly. As the hours passed he continued to struggle but he finally completed his laps. Now it was time to pick up the sword. ¡°Apprentice, eat something first to renew your strength.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­huff¡­. Puff master.¡± Hiro dragged himself into the hut and found there was a large plate of rice and some sort of meat. The smell was delicious. He walked closer and closer to the food and he tried to pick up the food but he couldn¡¯t. His arm began shaking as he lifted the food to his mouth. The food began to fall onto the floor. I can¡¯t eat it like this. Hiro put his whole face into the bowl and began eating straight from the bowl. ¡°What!?! You are not an animal! If you want to eat like one then go eat off the floor¡±, yelled Matsuro as he slapped the bowl to the ground spilling the food all over the floor. Hiro looked at his master with shame and disappointment. He walked out and grabbed the sword. He tried raising the sword but the strain was incredible. As he lifted the sword, his muscles bulged and his legs began to quiver. Little by little he lifted the sword until he had it above his head. Then he swung the sword down to towards the ground. The weight of his arms and the blade were too much for him to stop. The blade crashed to the ground and created a crater in the ground. Hiro tried to pull the blade from the ground but it would not budge. Hiro rested for a few moments to compose himself. After composing himself, Hiro grasped the sword with both hands and concentrated all of his strength. He began pulling and little by little the sword began to come out of the ground. This cycle continued for two hours until he no longer had the strength to lift the sword. He could only manage about 50 strikes with the new weight but it was a start. He was determined to push his body beyond the limits. While Hiro laid on his back, Matsuro walked out and stood over him. Hiro struggled to get himself off of the ground and stand up. Once his apprentice was on his feet, Matsuro grabbed the sword that Hiro was swinging and took a fighting stance. ¡°Master, you are going to use an actual sword today?¡± ¡°Yes, I will only use the dull end though so it will not cut you. Strengthening you skin will take place after this. Ready yourself.¡± Hiro nodded and then Matsuro attacked. The blade flew through the air and struck Hiro across his chest. As the blade struck him, Hiro breathed out. The blunt end of the blade left a deep indentation in Hiro¡¯s chest knocking him back about 20 feet. ¡°Get up! You said you wanted more in your training. That was only 30% of my power using a weak weapon! You will need to do better if you truly want to be a Hero.¡± Hiro grasped the ground ripping up some of the grass that was growing as he fought to return to his feet. His health had been reduced to 10% with the one blow. As he stood his was bleeding from his mouth. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Damn! I shouldn¡¯t have asked for this with my ribs broken. My regeneration has healed them for the most part but this might be over doing it! ¡°I will not quit Master! I will gain the strength needed to protect our town!¡± Hiro quickly cast his healing spell and his wounds began to recover. He could also feel his ribs healing. He cast it several more times until his hp and completely recovered along with his ribs. His body still displayed the wound that Matsuro inflicted upon him. As soon as he stopped healing himself Matsuro attacked again. They followed this same pattern until he had taken all 15 strikes from his Master. ¡°You did well in enduring the strikes now I am going to take you to the next part of your training.¡± Leo and the clones, who were watching from a distance, could hear Hiro¡¯s thoughts asking for help. He quickly came over and laid down as Hiro climbed on his back. Leo stood up and walked behind Matsuro. ¡°Why are you so heavy, Hiro?¡± aske Leo ¡°This is part of my training. This anklets and bracelets increase my weight and force me to use all of my strength to its limit for each and every movement I make.¡± They continued walking until they reached a cave. As they entered the cave the temperature began to fall dramatically. They walked for a few moments until they came upon a unique waterfall. ¡°This place is where you will be doing the next part of your training. Here you begin training your body to resist piercing type weapons. During the day the cold water falls down freely but at night the water begins to freeze and icicles fall from the height of the top nearly 150 feet up. Each day you will come here and stand under the falls. You will begin when by standing under the falls while it is still water. As your skin hardens, you will stay longer and longer until you can stand underneath for an entire night.¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± ¡°Walk over now and stand underneath.¡± Hiro slowly walked over a small rocky path that led around the small lake to where the falls were. Hiro could feel the temperature of the room continuing to drop and when he finally got to the falls he could see his own breath as he he let air out of his mouth. Hiro walked out and the water from the falls fell upon him. The weight of the water was incredible. A status screen popped
You are cold As your temperature continues to drop you will begin to go numb losing feeling in your arms and legs.
Hiro began to shiver under the freezing cold water. Little by little he began to feel the water getting more solid. The small solid pieces began to strike his skin each of them began to hit him all over his head, back, and shoulders. This isn¡¯t so bad. It¡¯s freezing but the water only feels like small pebbles are hitting me. I can do this. Hiro stayed under the the falls and the water continued come down on him. After about 20 minutes he opened his eyes. He looked down and he noticed that the water underneath him was turning red. What¡¯s goin on? Why is the water red? He looked around and noticed that his health was down to half of its maximum and that a status window had popped up.
You are bleeding heavily. You are losing 25 health points per second
Hiro looked as his shoulders, arms, and chest and they were all covered in blood. There were several large icicles embedded in his skin What in the world!?! Because I was in this freezing cold water I must have gone numb. That must be why I didn¡¯t feel the icicles piercing into me. I¡¯ve got to get out of here. Hiro walked out of the water and began pulling the icicles from his body. With each one removed he screamed out in pain. Once they were all removed he cast his healing spell immediately the blood stopped flowing and his health began to recover. Hiro walked over to Leo and collapsed. As he lost consciousness his clones disappeared. Matsuro rubbed his long beard and smiled slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he could take it that long and he had been using shadow clones the entire time as well. This kid is truly talented. You have a very special master here Leo¡±, said Matsuro as he patted Leo¡¯s head. Leo carried him back to the area where they slept and covered Hiro with his body. This kept Hiro warm as he slept that night. The next morning Hiro woke up to a plethora of status screens.
You gained 25 points wisdom You gained 1 level in sword mastery You gained 2 levels in endurance You gained 1 level in iron skin You gaine 50 points to strength You gained 35 points to your speed You gained 1 level mana manipulation You gained 1 level in shadow clone You gained 1 level in healing You gained 3 levels in power breathing
You have improved your cold resistance to intermediate.
Now you can go for a longer period of time in a cold place without feeling its effects and the effects you do experience will be decreased by 10%.
I got all of those stats yesterday. This training is great. Now that my body has gotten stronger I should be able to do more than I did yesterday. Hiro got up and started his training by summoning his clones. To his surprise he was able to summon 4 clones. Hmmm¡­. I guess that new level in shadow clone allowed me to summon one more clone. That¡¯s good. That means this one can practice martial arts. ¡°Leo you should go do some hunting around this area to increase your strength and maybe gain some abilities. I¡¯m not sure if it will be any good because Master said there aren¡¯t any strong enemies near here.¡± ¡°Sounds good, I have been getting bored lately anyway watching you train. I hope to run into one of those snakes that you killed.¡± ¡°Be careful out there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry I don¡¯t have those weighted things on me so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to start my training now.¡± Leo rushed off as the clones started their individual training. Hiro began walking. He was able to move a lot better today. I guess that bonus of 50 points to my strength is showing its dividens. I wonder if I can go faster than this. I¡¯ll try to jog a little bit. Hiro began moving faster until he broke out into a slow jog. He moved well for about 20 seconds but then he had to start walking again. He continued to switch between walking nd jogging. Today he walked and jogged over 10 laps and he finished his 10 laps in just under 3 hours. This was a huge improvement from the previous day. After taking a short rest, Hiro picked up his sword and began practicing his swing. Matsuro watched on as his apprentice worked through his training menu.Today Hiro was able to lift the sword and swing it without getting it stuck into the ground, however; couldn¡¯t keep it from hitting the ground. Today he made it through over 1300 swings. ¡°Good you are progressing well, apprentice¡±, said Matsuro. ¡°Thank you Master¡± said Hiro as he bowed. ¡°Ready yourself. Today you will be receiving 30 strikes at 50%. Each day I will increase the number by 10 until you reach 50 then I will increase my strength to 75%.¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± Hiro readied himself and then his Master took his stance. Hiro concentrated on his master¡¯s movements. The energy was still faint but today he could see a little better. It was as if his eyes were singleing out his master¡¯s energy making it easier to see. Matsuro came to attack. Hiro breathed as the attack landed. The attacked pushed him back a few feet but he didn¡¯t have any internal bleeding and he was still on his feet. Matsuro struck him again and Hiro fell to his knees. His health had been reduced 30%. He cast his healing spell on himself several times and readied himself for the next set of attacks. Hiro continued taking his master¡¯s attacks as he practiced his power breathing. After every 2 attacks he healed himself. Then Matsuro attacked again until Hiro had taken the full 30 attacks. Hiro had some bruising on him but it was nothing like the previous days. ¡°Master I¡¯d like to take the full 50 attacks today.¡± Masturo smiled and returned to his attacks. Hiro managed to take all of the blows and maintain his consciousness. He bowed to his master and walked towards the cave where the waterfall was. Once there he stood under the falls and began to let the water run over him. The water began to cool off but his cold resistance allowed him to resist the cold status. His body did not go numb. He was able to feel the water running over him as it turned into icicles. As the icicles got larger he could feel them banging against his skin. Little by little the icicles began to get larger and larger and soon they slammed against his body with increasing force. Yet they still did not pierce him. My iron skin must be doing this. They are hitting me but not piercing me. The icicles were now as large as walnuts and they formed as they fell down the waterfall. Their formation created a sharp point on the end that struck Hiro. Soon the numbness began to take over and the pool beneath Hiro began to fill with his blood. Just a little more, I can take it. Hiro remained in the waterfall as his health declined due to the damage he received from the icicles and the heavy bleeding status they inflicted. As the icicles increased in size to that of coconuts, Hiro fell to his knees while the damage the inflicted increased. As he blinked his eyes and saw the crimson colored water, Hiro fell forward out of the waterfall. His body¡¯s exhaustion had reached its peak and he began to lose consciousness. Just as he passed out he felt something wrap around his chest. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ And there you have it the training arc continues. I hope you are all enjoying it. Please feel free to become a patron for this story. I would greatly appreciate it. Today I am planning on releasing one more chapter. As always rate, review, and add Hiro''s Journey to your favorites. We are getting close to being in the top 100 on this site. Thank you for reading. Chapter 39: Training part 3 Hey guys this is my third chapter of the day! I''m feeling really, really, really, inspired as you can tell. I hope you are enjoying my mini writing marathon. I hope you are enjoying reading this story. While you read please feel free to leave a comment as well as rate and review. ____________________________________________________ Chapter 39 Hiro opened his eyes and the light was blinding. He blinked his eyes a few times to get his eyes to focus. He saw a figure in the distance. ¡°Who is that?! Who are you?¡± ¡°You have forgotten me already? Shame on you¡± said the famillar voice. Hiro continued to rub his eyes and blink them as they began to focus and the figure in front of him became clear. ¡°Oh it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯m the God of this world. I see you have listened to my words and are getting much stronger.¡± ¡°Yes I have gotten stronger but I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°I came to tell you that your training speed has to increase as your time before the ¡°Dark Lord¡± returns grows short. You must prepare yourself faster so that you are ready to conquer the evil that he will try to bring into this world.¡± ¡°I understand. I will push myself even harder to protect all of the people in my town and the world.¡± ¡°I knew I chose well when I picked you. When you complete your training with Matsuro I will visit you again with something special for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will see you then. I would like to return to my training now if it is ok?¡± ¡°Yes you may. Simply close your eyes.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and immediately he woke up. He was lying on the ground. As he stood up on his feet he realized that he was outside of the cave where the waterfall was. As he looked around he saw Leo lying near him sleeping soundly. The sun was barely over the horizon and Hiro could see something flashing in his HUD. He touched it and it showed all of his status screen that he had gained from his previous day¡¯s training.
You gained 25 points wisdom You gained 2 level in sword mastery You gained 2 levels in endurance You gained 1 level in iron skin You gaine 50 points to strength You gained 35 points to your speed You gained 1 level in mana manipulation You gained 1 level in shadow clone You gained 1 level in healing You gained 2 levels in power breathing You gained a level in martial arts training
The training continues to improve my stats but I still have been able to survive an entire night under the waterfall. I guess I will just have to trust Master on this and believe that my training will allow me to pass that test. For the next few weeks Hiro¡¯s training continued. He ran with the weights, swung his sword, took the blows from his teacher, and finally stood under the waterfall. At the end of the 3rd week He finally made it through an entire night under the waterfall. ¡° I did it!¡± screamed Hiro. ¡°Yes, you did apprentice. You have succeeded where I had failed in my time. My skin was never strong enough to spend an entire night under the falls.¡± ¡°Really?! This is awesome! I actually surpassed you in a part of my training?¡± ¡°Yes, you did. You have also far surpassed me with the weighted cuffs. You did not notice but each day had increased the weight. Over the last 3 weeks I have increased it from 10 times gravity to 35 times their normal weight.¡± ¡°What!? You mean¡­. I exceeded my own goal?¡± ¡°Yes you did. You work ethic and perseverance have helped you to gain the fundamental strength, speed, and endurance to learn the Lightning Blade Style of Sword Play.¡± ¡°YEEEESSSSS!!¡± ¡°Tomorrow we begin with me teaching you swordsmanship. I will teach you technique then we will spar.¡± ¡°But Master, you said that your stamina is gone due to the poison. How can you spar with me?¡± ¡°That is why I told you to bring the potions. Each day I will take one and then we will spar. I will train you until they run out. Once they are done then your training with me will be over.¡± ¡°Will that be enough time?¡± ¡°Hiro it took me 5 years to get to the point at which you are now. You reached it in about a month. Then it took me another 5 years to master the swordplay skills. So it should take you about another month.¡± ¡°I see and we have about 40 potions so we should be fine. I will take full advantage of your training master.¡± ¡°You will continue your basic training with the sword swings and running but instead of taking sitting beneath the falls you will learn swordplay and spar. If you choose you may go out hunting at night as well. You are still forbidden to use your ki or magic while you go out hunting.¡± ¡°Yes Master.¡± ¡°Go rest you will need it. I will also continue to increase the weight on the the cuffs as long as you can handle it except for during our sparring.¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± Hiro said as he bowed and turned away. Hiro ran back to where Leo was resting and lay down. As I ran back here I didn¡¯t have to stop once and Master said I was at 21 times their normal weight. I can¡¯t even imagine how fast I am without these weights. Hiro laid down on the ground next to Leo and began looking at the stars. The sky was full of stars and there was a cool breeze blowing. Hiro stared at the stars as his eyes grew heavy. As the air began to cool, he huddled himself closer to Leo¡¯s warm fur and began drift off to sleep. Early the next morning, Hiro arose to the sun shining in the sky. It was already hot. Hiro was sweating heavily as he got up off of the ground. Wow! What¡¯s going on? Last night it was freezing cold and now it is hot like fire.The weather here is crazy. Hiro summoned his clones. Now there were 6 of them. Each of them was to work on one of his skills. 1 would do bare handed fighting skills, 1 will work with swords, another with spears, 1 with meditation, 1 with spells, and the last one will work on crafting new armor from the skin of the plains constrictor. All of the clones began working on their individual tasks while Hiro began his running. The heat was unbearable. He was sweating profusely moments after he began jogging. I need to step this up and try running as fast as I can with these cuffs on. Hiro picked up his pace until he was running all out. He was moving fast. Matsuro stared in awe as his pupil continued to make tremendous strides in his training. Hiro ran until he was exhausted, then he paused to catch his breath. As soon as he regained his stamina he began running again. He continued this way until he finished his laps. He speed and stamina had increased dramatically as he now finished his laps in 1 hour. Now he ran to the hut and grabbed the sword so he could begin his practice his sword swings. ¡°This time you will follow me and my movements as you swing your sword.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± ¡°Give me the sword you use in battle.¡± ¡°Hiro handed him his Wildfire Sword¡± ¡°This is a good sword. You have an affinity for fire too¡± Matsuro said as the blade became engulfed in flames. ¡°Whoa! Master you can do that too?!¡± ¡°Yes boy. I am far your superior when it comes to combat experience and skill. I have learned to manipulate my ki to wield all sorts of weapons.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I just thought that because your were called the Matsuro , the Lightning Blade, that your skill was lighting not fire.¡± Matsuro laughed loudly and said, ¡° Boy I am called the Lightning Blade because of my speed not because of what magic affinity I displayed.¡± ¡°Oh I see.¡± ¡°This is a good weapon for a relative novice but it is far too weak for you to attack something on the level of a dragon. You will need something stronger if you want to go after that dragon that poisoned me. With this blade you would not be able to pierce his scales even with your monstrous strength.¡± ¡°Well I will definitely make sure I upgrade my weapon before I continue on my journey.¡± ¡°That would be a good idea. I wish I could give you my old weapon it is passed down from master to disciple as the torch is passed in the lightning blade style, but it was lost during my battle with that poison dragon.¡± ¡°I would have been honored master¡±, Hiro said as he bowed. ¡°Anyway, back to your training Hiro. The Lightning Blade Style is about your ability to predict an enemy¡¯s movement and then attack him before he gets to make his move. For that you will need to make your movements faster, sharpen your reflexes, and make your eyes capable of seeing the slightest movement of your opponent¡¯s muscles or ki fluctuation.¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± ¡°Alright enough talk. Follow my movements with your sword¡± ¡°Yes Master¡± Matsuro drank one of the potions Hiro had given him. Once it was empty, Matsuro gave Hiro his the empty vial. A moment later Hiro could sense his master¡¯s ki rising. His strength was amazing. A pale white aura surrounded him. His ki is SO POWERFUL!! It is even stronger than it was that day in his shop. How much have I grown that I can stand here nearly unphased by this incredible strength? ¡°Thank you Master for helping me attain this level of strength. Now I will show you what you have created.¡± ¡°Hmph! You insolent little whelp. You think just because you have gotten stronger that you are a match for me. I see I will have to show the difference between our battle powers. ¡° ¡°Yes please instruct me Master!¡± ¡°This form is called Lightning blade style roaring clouds¡± ¡°Oh so the Lightning Blade Style had more than one form?¡± ¡°Yes it has a 5 forms they can be adapted to those who wield any type of weapon whether it is a single sword, dual swords, daggers, axes, whatever you choose.¡± ¡°Master do you mind teaching them all to me?¡± ¡°The adaptations you will teach yourself. I will teach you the fundamentals using my weapon of choice a greatsword¡± Matsuro grasped the sword of wildfire with both hands and held it in front of him. He spread his feet so that were should with apart with his left foot in the front. Hiro mirrored his master. Next Matsuro went through a series of steps and strikes as Hiro tried his best copy his master. Amazing! It is like he was water. Everything flowed together. There was almost no energy expended in all of those powerful strikes. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again¡± said Matsuro They both went through the movements of the Dragon¡¯s tooth again. Hiro struggled mightily as the weight of his cuffs and the weight of the sword made his movements awkward and sluggish. Once they finished the movements the second time, Matsuro stopped and drove his sword into the ground. He then turned around and faced Hiro. ¡°Now do the movements as I watch you. I will help you correct the mistakes in your form. On my count. 1!¡± Hiro stepped forward with a downward slash. ¡°Breathe when you strike so that you can use your full strength. Relax your shoulders so that you don¡¯t show your intent before you strike. 2!¡± Hiro stepped sideways and used a horizontal strike. ¡°No! Push off your left foot to move to your right and breathe! You are showing your enemy too much of your intent before you make your move! 3!¡± Hiro stepped back and used a sideways high block as if someone was attacking him with a vertical slash. ¡°Better, but push off your front foot in order to get a strong dash backwards and breathe!¡± His master continued to critique his technique as Hiro complete the form. Once he finished about 15 attempts at the form, Hiro was panting heavily and sweating profusely. While Hiro was starting to gather his breath he noticed a blinking sword icon in his HUD. He touched it then a message appeared:
Lightning Blade Style Master 5%
As you gain proficiency in this form all of your weapon attacks will be faster and do more damage.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Faster and doing more damage. That is great! This style is amazing. ¡°Moving slowly and using all of your muscles is extremely stressful on your body. Take a few minutes to recover, Hiro. After you have rested we will begin sparring.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± Hiro walked over to the well and pulled up some water. As he drank it, the cool refreshing water helped him to cool off some. The water also helped him recover some of his stamina. After about 10 minutes or so, Hiro¡¯s breathing had returned to normal and he had stopped sweating. Now he decided to get up and retrieve his sword as his next task would be to spar with his master. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± Matsuro removed the magic from Hiro¡¯s cuffs. As the magic was removed, Hiro felt light as a feather. ¡°Now take a few moments to get used to your strength as your movements may be a bit different without the cuffs.¡± Hiro stretched his muscles then tried to jump. He bent down and exploded with his strength. He shot up into the air like a missile. He was going higher and higher, so high that he was almost out of sight. When he stopped he was a few hundred feet in the air. This is insane! I didn¡¯t know I was this strong but¡­ what is going to happen when I come back down? Hiro looked down at the ground. His master was so far away he looked like an ant. His ascent ended and then he started to go back down to the ground. As he hit the ground a large crater was created. How strong is my body now? I didn¡¯t even feel any pain as I landed from that high in the air. ¡°Not bad! You got almost as high as me. Next time use your ki to soften the blow when you hit the ground.¡± ¡°Yes master. I did not realize you had helped me to gain this kind of strength. Thank you master.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you will want to thank me just yet. Take your fighting pose.¡± Hiro matched his master¡¯s pose with his sword gripped in both hands with his arms pulled near his heart. Both of their feet were shoulder¡¯s width apart and they moved subtlely. He has no openings its like he is a fortress. How should I attack him? No need to over think it. I just need to do it. Here I go! Hiro charged at his opponent. He opened up with a horizontal slash from the left. Matsuro evaded the strike by the smallest of margins. He ducked under the blade mid swing and hit Hiro in the leg and arm with the blunt side of the sword. Hiro quickly fell down to his knees. Matsuro followed with a swing to his throat but Hiro blocked the blade with his own. The clash of swords caused sparks and a loud metal clang. Hiro regained his footing and jumped back to create some space. Man what happened he avoided and attacked so quickly. Wait that¡¯s it I must have had to many excess movements in my swing so he knew what was coming. I¡¯ve got to be more compact and faster. Hiro dashed at Matsuro again. This time he feinted with his eyes that he was going to try to cut Matsuro on his left side; however, his true plan was to slash at Matsuro from above. The feint with his eyes worked Matsuro moved towards his right to avoid the attack but Hiro quickly changed the path of his blade so that it came down near Matsuro¡¯s head. Matsuro blocked with his sword. YESSSSSS!!! I actually made contact. That must be it my movements were simple with no feints so it was easy to avoid his attacks.What¡¯s this? He¡¯s gathering his energy? ¡°Not bad my apprentice. Your battle instincts have definitely been well developed on the field of battle. It will take more than some feints to beat me¡±, said Matsuro As soon as he got his last word out, Matsuro dashed at Hiro at an incredible speed. The sword strike was incredibly fast but thanks to his energy sensing ability he could sense where his opponent was. Hiro could see prediction lines but there were too many of them. Hiro backed up to create some room but it was too late. Matsuro unleashed a slashing attack that Hiro was able to block but the force behind the attack was so powerful that knocked him off his feet. Hiro began flying and Matsuro pressed the attack. To Hiro it seemed like Matsuro just disappeared. Then all of a sudden, Matsuro repapeared behind Hiro and he smashed Hiro in the back with a knee. Hiro gasped in pain. Spit poured form mouth. The pain was incredible. Matsuro followed up with a downward slash from his sword which he imbued with the fire element.Hiro was hit across his chest with a massive slash. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!¡±, Hiro screamed out in pain. The attack left a deep wound across his chest. The wound instantly cauterized due to the flame element. Hiro was breathing heavy. ¡°Your body has gotten really tough apprentice. That strike would have cut a normal man in two.¡± ¡°Thank¡­.Hufff¡­..Pufff.. you Master¡± said Hiro as he was trying to get back to his feet. Hiro was dizzy and the pain was unreal from the wound his suffered. The strain on his body was incredible but he man to ready his sword and take a fighting pose. Hiro looked closer at his master. I have to concentrate. His moves are to fast for me to read with my natural eyes and his energy is so feint it is hard for me to follow it. What can I do? That¡¯s it I¡¯ll move ki to my eyes, then maybe my perception will improve and I will be able to follow him. Hiro concentrated and began moving his ki towards his eyes. As he did his vision became sharper. He could see the lines in his master¡¯s face more clearly showing his age. As he moved greater amounts of ki Hiro was able to perceive the paper thin layer of ki surrounding his master. This is great I can sense him more now. I need more though. Hiro continued to pour ki into his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes started to change. The pupils became smaller and his normally brown eyes changed completely green. What is happening?! My vision¡­ I see¡­. I see¡­ everything. I can see his ki, his breathing, even his muscles tensing and relaxing beneath his clothes. This is amazing.
You have developed a new ability warrior¡¯s eye. By increasing ki flow to your eyes they will improve you visual perception. As you improve this ability you will be able to perceive even more minute details.
A sly grin appeared on Hiro¡¯s lips. He clutched his sword tightly and readied himself for his master¡¯s next attack. Matsuro came at him like a flash. This time Hiro could see the attack as it came. It was as if time was slowing down. Matsuro was moving extremely fast but his eyes were now making it so he could recognize the movements. Hiro charged in and began attack of his own. Their swords clashed with a thunderous roar. ¡°Ah you have awakened a new ability in your eyes I see¡±, said Matsuro as the two pressed their swords against each other. ¡°Yes now I can see you when you move.¡± ¡°I guess you do have potential. It took me more than a year to learn that but you only have the beginner level. Let me show you what a real master¡¯s eyes look like.¡± Matsuro kicked Hiro in the leg bringing him to one knee and then pressed his advantage by pressing harder on Hiro¡¯s sword. Then Hiro looked up and saw his master¡¯s eyes change. His eyes went completely purple with golden pupils. ¡°You see these eyes Hiro? These are the pinnacle of perception. I can see your ki flowing, your muscles moving, even the veins in your body pumping blood. Nothing can escape my sight.¡± Hiro struggled to push back his master and regain his stance. As soon as he got to his feet Matsuro moved to attack again but this time as Hiro followed Matsuro used a feint. Hiro raised his sword to block the feint, but Matsuro was no longer on that attack path. He slashed at Hiro again. This time, he struck Hiro¡¯s arm. Blood gushed forth from the wound. Hiro fell to his knees and screamed out in agony. His arm was nearly severed from his body. Hiro¡¯s healing ability was working but the wound was serious. I guess my skin is not strong enough yet to stop a sword slash. Hiro composed himself and cast his healing spell. The wound quickly began to heal. Then suddenly Matsuro began coughing. Hiro looked over towards his Master who was leaning on his sword for support. Hiro rushed over ignoring his pain. ¡°Master are you ok?¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯m fine. I got a little excited because it has been so long since I was able to fight. I may have over done it a little and nowthe potion you gave me is wearing off. Just let me catch my breath.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Hiro looked at his master and watched as he caught his breath. Matsuro stood up and handed Hiro his sword. Hiro released the ki flowing to his eyes and they returned to normal. ¡°Hiro, you did well today.¡± ¡°I did!? It just looked to me like I got my butt kicked.¡± ¡°No stupid apprentice. You still do not understand. Your body has gained a tremendous improvement in all of your physical attributes. Even today as you learned to improve your perception you have improved. What has not improved and will take time to do so is your mind!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Your mind has not gotten comfortable with all of your body¡¯s new abilities. Your movements are not smooth. Your new massive amount of strength and speed are not easily controlled. In short, you mind cannot control your body yet. It will come you just need to keep sparring.¡± ¡°Yes master. My skin still is strong enough to take your attacks though. I want to keep training my skin. Will you continue giving me the slashes with the sword?¡± ¡°Yes I wish to see the point where the slashes no longer pierce your skin.¡± Just then one of the clones came up. In its hand it was holding some clothes. ¡°Are these the ones you made from the plains constrictor?¡± ¡°Yes. It was so big that I tried something new. I made each piece in 2 layers. The inner layer is flexible to allow movement and the outer layer is thicker and more rigid to protect your incase you are hit.¡± ¡°Thanks but after learning from Master Matsuro I will no longer be wearing armor.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Yeah, today in our spar he slashed me with the my own sword and it did not sever a limb. So instead of wearing armor I¡¯m going to develop my ki and physical resistance to its max so that I don¡¯t have to wear restrictive armor. ¡° ¡°Ok. Then I will reshape it so that it protects Foria.¡± ¡°That sounds like a great idea.¡± ¡°You are learning my apprentice.¡± Hiro and Matsuro went into eat dinner. After dinner it was quite dark outside. Hiro¡¯s clones walked up towards him and he dismissed them. As they disappeared in a cloud of smoke all of the acquired skills, knowledge, practice flooded into Hiro¡¯s body. ¡°What just happened?¡± asked Matsuro ¡°I didn¡¯t know it at first but as my clones train, I gain any strength, knowledge, experience, and skills that they acquire. So as I work with you they train my other skills.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ that is an excellent training method. ¡°Thank you sir!¡± Hiro went out and found a quiet place to lay down in the grass. He pulled out blanket from his inventory and looked to the stars. I wonder what Leo is doing now? I haven¡¯t seen him all day. Hiro¡¯s exhaustion throughout the day built up and he finally fell asleep. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be the end of the training arc. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave you questions, comments, and opinions in the comments. If you would like to be a patron please do. I''m am hoping that all of you who read will help me make this story part of the top 100 stories on this site. I know we can do it! Chapter 40: Training *Author''s Notes: Hey guys welcome back to Hiro''s Journey. I''m very proud to say I have finished the training arc and I''m sure you guys will enjoy it. Many people have alreaday commented on a few things such as getting charts for Hiro''s stats as well as everyone else. I will be putting those in it is just going to take some time as there are a lot of calculations to put together. Please be patient I''m hoping to get it ready by the start of the next arc. Well please enjoy the next chapter! ______________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 40 The next week went the same as the previous few days with Hiro training while wearing the weights that were set to be 60 times their normal weight. This was followed by Hiro summoning his clones and sparring with Matsuro and Hiro absorbing their collected fighting experience a swordsmanship. Hiro continued to improve as he was now fighting completely even with Matsuro. Unfortunately, Hiro was well aware that Matsuro¡¯s condition was steadily worsening. This was the last day of the week and Hiro was now beginning his sparring session with Matsuro. The clones had already begun their battle royale. ¡°Come apprentice. You have made great progress this week let us see if you can hold my prediction of you being able to defeat me in a week true.¡± ¡°Master I am ready", Hiro said with a slight grin on his face. Hiro summoned his ki and it shrouded him in very pale blue. The calmness of his ki was amazing it was almost as if flowed from the world itself. It did not disturb the grass nor did it stir up the wind. He then activated his warrior''s eye ability. ¡°Ah I see you have finally gotten more control of your power", said Matsuro. ¡°Yes I have been practicing controlling it after our sparring sessions each day by allowing 11 of my clones to chase me about trying to touch me. This allowed me to get used to moving and avoiding attacks from all different kinds of angles", replied Hiro ¡°Ah you sneaky little whelp training outside of what your master instructed you to do. It was a very good idea, however, let us see if you training has paid off.¡± Hiro took his sword stance with blade raised over his head with the blade pointing diagonally towards his master. Matsuro began moving towards Hiro. In an instant he closed the distance between the two and unleashed a flurry of thrusts. Hiro could see all of them as the approached. He dodged each strike using the least amount of effort possible by sliding his head from side to side. He quickly countered with a quick kick aimed at his master¡¯s solar plexus. Matsuro quickly blocked with a flat side of his blade but the force pushed him back. Hiro lowered his sword and motioned for his master to come on. ¡°Not bad, you have definitely improved.¡± ¡°I had a good teacher!¡± ¡°Good?! You smug little¡­ I am great!¡± The battle between the 2 raged on. Both Hiro and Matsuro''s blades were attacking furiously. The loud sound of metal crashing against metal echoed all throughout the area. The only pause came when each round of the clones battle royale ended. Each time one of their rounds ended Hiro would absorb all of their information and practice. Once he did this the battle would resume in all of hits ferocity. As the battle continued both landed some attacks but only Hiro''s attacks were significant. Matsuro tried valiantly but little by little he was being overwhelmed. With Hiro''s superior health regeneration and superhuman speed and strength the battle of attrition was begin lost. In addition, Hiro continued to gain a wealth of combat experience from his ever improving clones as the battle waged on. Finally the last clone was standing and Hiro dismissed it to absorb its gained knowledge. ¡°You were right master when you said you were great. but now I am greater. The student has surpassed his teacher. Now let us finish this.¡± "You are definitely cocky. I will give you that much. Now show me how great you are!" Hiro rushed towards his master. The speed that he moved at was on an entirely different level than what Matsuro had seen from him during their matches. Matsuro with his heightened perception could still track the movement. He moved so quickly that it seemed to Matsuro that there was more than one of Hiro. "Good you are now moving fast enough to make after images to confuse your opponent. This is a good technique. However, it is not enough to beat me!", said Matsuro Matsuro attacked but the image he attacked was only an afterimage. "WHAAAATTTT!??!?! He was even able to deceive my eyes." Hiro quickly to advantage of this opportunity and went on the attack. He made several more after images with his speed. As he moved closer and closer the after images move closer to Matsuro. "Amazing! I know they are just after images but I can''t tell which one is which. It was as if he is each and every one. They even have some of his ki within them. I am truly in awe of his skill." Hiro could sense his plan had worked and attacked. He appeared on his master''s right side. As soon as he lifted his blade to attack his master was already slashing the his body but this was yet another after image. By the time he realized it was too late. Hiro was behind Matsuro and d swinging his blade. He slashed across Matsuro¡¯s back. The blade cut through Matsuro like a knife through butter. Blood splattered everywhere and Matsuro was laying flat on the ground. ¡°Master!?¡± There was no answer. ¡°Master!?¡± Did that strike hit him too hard? There is a lot of blood. He grabbed his master and turned him over. He was still breathing. Hiro quickly cast his healing spell several times. Each time the wound on his master closed up more and more until finally he was completely healed. Once the wound was completely healed Hiro helped his master to his feet. ¡°You have finally defeated me.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Master..¡± ¡°What Hiro? ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this but I wasn¡¯t showing all of my strength?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well during our fight today I had the weight of the cuffs at 20 times their normal weight and the sword was about 2,500 lbs.¡± ¡°What?! You mean you went easy on me?¡± ¡°Yes. I probably was strong enough 4 days ago but I didn''t want to win on ability. I wanted to win on skill¡± Said Hiro as he put his head down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Master please forgive me.¡± ¡°There is no need for forgiveness. This is what every master wants from his pupil. He wants his pupil to surpass him and you have done that in a way that I never thought possible.¡± Hiro smiled wide and embraced his master. Hiro felt like he did when his father hugged him. Once they released their embrace Hiro noticed his master had tears in his eyes. ¡°Master what is wrong?¡± ¡°Hiro I¡¯m sorry I lied to you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Yes. I passed the point of which I could be healed days ago. I don¡¯t think I will make it through the night. I can already feel ¡­.. Bleh!¡± Matsuro spit out a pile of a black liquid. He wiped his mouth and continued speaking. ¡°My organs are starting to shut down and you do not have the ability to heal me.¡± With tears streaming down his face, ¡°No..! I promised that I would heal you. You can¡¯t die. No!¡± ¡°You did Hiro. You healed the pain of not being able to pass on my skills to my son. To me Hiro you are like what I had hoped my son would become. There can only be one master of the lightning blade style. That is why sparring between master and disciple is always deadly.¡± ¡°Are you saying..?¡± ¡°Yes in order to master the lightning blade style you must kill your master.¡± ¡°Then I will not do it! I will not kill you master. If that is what it takes, I will not become the master!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous my young disciple! You already have. That blow you gave me would have killed me had you not healed me and with my condition I will die very soon.¡± ¡°No master! Please don¡¯t die!¡± said Hiro as he held Matsuro close. ¡°I have lived in this world a long time and I have never come across anyone like you. Please Hiro do not use the power that you have obtained here to bring death to this world. Do your best to unite the broken pieces of this land and become a king that I can look down from the heavens and be proud of.¡± ¡°Yes mas.. Father I will.¡± Hiro picked Matsuro up and laid him on the bed in the corner of the hut. Matsuro smiled weakly. ¡°Yes. Even though you have not been with me long I have come to see you as my son. I am sorry I cannot give you your true gift that the master of the lightning blade style is supposed to relinquish upon his defeat.¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t need a gift. Please save your strength.¡± ¡°I told you already it is too late. I wanted to pass down a unique weapon but it was lost. However, the shop that I own in Korin belongs to you now. Please take care of it.¡± ¡°Thank you, father.¡± ¡°You.. cough¡­..are welcome¡­ cough¡­ my¡­ son¡±, said Matsuro softly with a tear running down his face. Hiro laid Matsuro down in the hut on the bed. Then Hiro sat next to Matsuro as the sun set. Hiro looked at his surrogate father in his eyes and watched as his breathing became more and more shallow. Matsuro grabbed Hiro¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Be strong and continue to grow. Never stop training and improving¡±, said Matsuro ¡°I won¡¯t! I will make sure that the Lightning Blade Style is known throughout the world!¡± Hiro sat there as Matsuro''s as body began to cool off. "It won''t be long now my son." "I will not leave your side." "Thank you." Slowly but surely the light that was in Matsuro''s eyes dimmed and his grip loosened. Hiro could no longer sense his master''s ki and Matsuro slipped off into the afterlife peacefully. Hiro stood up and placed his hands over the old man¡¯s eyes closing them. ¡°I will miss you father. I swear upon my life that the poison dragon that hurt you will pay for this if it is the last thing I do.¡±
Ding!
You have become the 17th master of the lightning blade style.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
You have earned a new title. Master of the lightning blade style.
With this title your sword mastery skill has been increased to the master level. In addition, you have gained 300 points of speed and strength.
Hiro smiled as tears ran down his face. "Don''t worry Master I will make you proud and I will continue to train until you can feel my power wherever you are." Something began to glow near his master¡¯s body. Hiro turned and saw the old man or God that had brought him to this world. ¡°I am sorry about Matsuro. He was a good man.¡± ¡°Yes he was. Why are you here? I would like to be alone at this time¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding but I told you the last time that we met I would be bring you something when you completed your training. "I''m sorry. I''m really not in the mood for gifts right now. Someone I really cared about just died." "As I said I''m sorry but this cannot wait. So here they are you may choose one of the two. One is armor the other is a sword ¡± ¡°In honor of my master¡¯s teachings I will no longer be using defensive items so I choose the sword¡± The ball of light morphed into a sword. ¡°What is this? This thing doesn¡¯t even look like it could be used.¡± With a hearty laugh the old man said, ¡°Hiro you should never judge a book by its cover. Inspect it.¡± Hiro used his inspect ability
Soul Lightning Blade
Attack:0Durability:9999/9999
This weapon is passed down from master to disciple in the lightning blade style. This blade of will grow along with the weilder in power. It will grow when being used in combat. In addition it is capable of absorbing materials to strengthen itself. As it gains more materials it will unlock new abilities.
¡°Wait a minute do you mean..?¡± ¡°Yes.. It is the weapon that Matsuro used when he was still out adventuring. It was lost during his battle with a certain poison dragon. For me to bring it to you it had to lose all of its power.¡± ¡°I understand. I will never let this go. Thank you for granting my master¡¯s wish.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Now, what will you do to prepare the land for the return of the Dark Lord?¡± ¡°I have changed my plans.I will still face the Dark Lord in combat and I will defeat him. Instead of facing him by myself I wish to fight him with the support of all that is good. I wish to travel to a place where all sorts of people gather. There I will make my plans of peace between all races known to the world.¡± ¡°You mean you want to make peace with the monster races as well as the humanoid races?¡± ¡°Yes. We all have a right to life and if we can get along then our lives will be enriched. We could all use something from someone else, meaning that we could live symbiotically instead of the strong preying on the weak. If we teach each other then we will all be better.¡± ¡°This will not go over well with most of the others and most likely it will bring war to your doorstep.¡± ¡°That is fine. With my master¡¯s help I think I can protect them now and with this weapon I will stand against anyone and everyone who comes to our door. I will only protect my home and help it flourish.¡± ¡°Your plan sounds grand. I will be watching with much curiousity to see how it all turns out.¡± ¡°Thank you again for this gift. I do have one question?¡± ¡°Can the weapon change shape?¡± ¡°I never thought about it. Hmm¡­.¡±, the old man touched the blade and instantly HIro got a notification.
Soul Lightning Blade
Level:1
Attack:0Durability:9999/9999
---------------------------Skills--------------------------------
Absorb material: beginner level 1
Absorb essence: beginner level 11
Shapeshift: Master level 10
Status ¡°Amazing so I can make it change shapes now. That is great! So I can make it into any kind of blade weapon I choose.¡± Master, I will use this weapon like you taught me. ¡°Yes, you can change it according to your will. The weapon is only bound by your imagination.¡± Hiro held the weapon in his hands and then closed his eyes. The small sword began to glow. As it glowed, it began to change shape. The blade elongated to about 1.5 meters. The width extended to about half a meter. It was a simple weapon but it was peculiar that had no guard above the hilt. One side was razor sharp and the other side was thicker allowing one to parry the attacks of others. The blade ended in a sharp point that would allow Hiro to pierce his enemy as well. Hiro opened his eyes and gazed upon the blade. It is just like I imagined. ¡°That is some sword that you have created. I will be watching on to see what you do with this weapon.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. Now it is time for me to gather my companions and return home.¡± ¡°Oh and by the way the first place I would go is to check out a small goblin community to the southwest of your home or to the city of Atraps where they hold the tournament of warriors.¡± ¡°I understand the tournament of warriors because that will spread my fame, but why the goblin community?¡± ¡°Just go check it out. You will see. Oh and by the way here is something for you. You can¡¯t very well run around with a sword like that in your hand¡±, the old man said a small orb floated towards Hiro. When it touched his hands it transformed into a holster for his sword so that he could carry it across his back. Hiro nodded and then went outside of the tent. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes. I can feel everything around me. It is amazing. Now where are they? After a few moments he could sense where his companions were and decided to go and get them. Hiro released the magic on his cuffs and then in a flash he went to find Foria and Scarlet. After only a few moments Hiro found Amaterasu, Scarlet, and Foria. It had been weeks since he had seen them. As soon as he stopped moving he saw a blade coming towards him along with an arrow flying right behind it. He grabbed Foria¡¯s arm to stop the blade and then he used his other hand to stop the arrow. The arrow pierced his hand slightly, causing a little trickle of blood to begin running from his palm. Damn that arrow she shoot penetrated my skin. How powerful is she with a bow that it actually made it thorugh my body? The next attack however was much more successful. Amaterasu recognizing Hiro¡¯s scent jumped up and pounced on him knocking him and Foria to the ground. She excitedly licked his face as the other two members of the group finally figured out that it was him. ¡°Hiro?! Is that you?¡± asked Scarlet. ¡°Of course its me.¡± ¡°What the hell Hiro, how strong are you now I couldn¡¯t sense you. How did you move that fast without your ki?¡± asked Foria ¡°Well¡­I got pretty strong and fast as a result of my training¡±, said Hiro as he scratched his head. ¡°Well with that long hair, thick beard, and scarred body I honestly could tell¡±, said Scarlet. Hiro looked down at his body and scratched his head as he stood up and gently scratched Amaterasu behind her ears. ¡°I guess I do have some reminders from my battles with Master.¡± Foria ran and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him tightly. Hiro could feel how much stronger she had gotten. She must have leveled up several times. If she grabbed a normal person like this she might crack his ribs but to Hiro it was just a gentle embrace from the love of his life. He held her tight with one hand and kissed her passionately. ¡°I missed you¡± said Hiro. ¡°I missed you too¡± replied Foria ¡°Thank you Scarlet for training her so well.¡± Scarlet nodded acknowledging his approval. Amaterasu was jumping around showing her excitement. ¡°Alright everyone please come back to the hut as my training is now complete.¡± ¡°You have mastered the lightning blade style?¡± asked Scarlet. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then that means¡­?¡± ¡°You know about that¡­?¡± ¡°Know about what?¡±, asked Foria ¡°Yes I told you I was very old I knew the 12th master of the lightning blade style.¡± ¡°Someone tell me what is happening?¡± asked Foria ¡°Yes I am the 17th master of this style and Matsuro is dead. He was poisoned by a high level dragon and the poison spread through and began shutting down his organs. He died peacefully with me by his side¡±, said Hiro Amaterasu howled loudly at the moon while Scarlet and Foria hugged Hiro tightly as tears began to roll down his eyes. Hiro began to cry uncontrollably. All of the emotion he had pushed inside suddenly came out like a flood. The two women hugged him tighter as he could no longer stand and fell down on his knees. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Hiro¡±, said Foria. Hiro could not respond he just continued to weep as the ladies tried to console him. __________________________________________________________________________________ Sorry about the tough ending guys. I hoped you enjoyed Hiro''s training and his ascension as the new master of the lightning blade style. I''m still looking for a few patrons to help me fund this project if you are interested please feel free to donate. Every little bit help. I''m also going to try to release chapters more often now as I''m getting more creative and chapters are taking less time to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be out in a couple of days. Chapter 41: Return Home Author''s notes: HIro''s personal thoughts will be shown in italics and the color will be blue. It should help tell when he is talking to himself a little easier. He will be checking his stats but it won''t be for a few more chapters. Be patient on seeing his new stats. By the way the next arc will start in two chapters. ________________________________________________________________ Chapter 41 Once the emotional scene ended Hiro spoke to the ladies. ¡°Can you guys pack up and return to the hut once you are finished. I will be waiting for you there.¡± The ladies wiped their eyes and nodded in agreement. Hiro ran back to the hut where Leo and Leara were waiting for him. ¡°I have completed my training and I am ready to return home¡± said Hiro. ¡°Sounds good to me¡± replied Leo. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± said Leara. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the rest of the group before we leave. Plus I want to tell everyone about my new plan of action.¡± A few moments later Amaterasu, Foria, and Scarlet came out to the area where the hut was. Hiro welcomed them and lit a fire so that they all could sit around and talk. Hiro went over and put his arm around Foria and began to speak. ¡°The final request of my master was¡­.¡± ¡°Whoa who is that?¡± asked Foria ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry this is Leara she is Leo¡¯s mate.¡± ¡°Another Liger? You mean you now have tamed two of them?¡± said Scarlet. ¡°Yes, but this time I didn¡¯t tame anyone this time she came to fight alongside of her mate. But as I was saying my new plan is to become a leader that unites the people of this world rather than rule them with strength. So I want to unite any and ALL of the people of this world so that there can be peace.¡± ¡°What do you mean all of the people?¡± asked Foria. ¡°I mean all of the people. That would include monsters, beastmen, and any other people who have a society. This will include goblins, beastmen, and orcs as well.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Your talking about groups that have been fighting for centuries. How do you think that one man can do all of that¡± said Scarlet ¡°No, I¡¯m not crazy nor do I think this will be easy but if I don¡¯t try no one will. This world is constantly at war and only someone with an open mind can do this. Oh and I won''t be alone. I have you guys and hopefully an army in our town of Korin.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? I mean the orcs and goblins destroyed our home and killed my family¡± asked Foria ¡°I know and that day will definitely create some difficulties between our people. I just want to ask you, how many goblins and orcs did we kill? "We did kill a lot of them. We had good reason though. They kidnapped my brother and killed my parents." "Yes, I understand. Did you ever stop to think that they might have had a reason. At some point the killing has to stop and the only way it will is if someone decides to change.¡± ¡°Hiro, you make a compelling argument. I am not sure it is the most sane plan either but I you saved my life. So I will fight alongside you until my dying day¡± said Scarlet ¡°Foria, will you help me?¡±, asked Hiro ¡°I love you so no matter how crazy I think your plan is my answer will always be yes¡± replied Foria ¡°So will I as I am intrigued by your plan. You actually sound a lot like the 12th master. The lightning blade style was always strong but most of them sought out peace instead of war¡±, added Scarlet Then Leara and Leo roared while Amaterasu howled in agreement. ¡°Alright Leo, Amaterasu can you two carry Scarlet and Foria back to Korin this evening?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡± replied Leo. ¡°No problem. I was looking forward to going home soon anyway¡± said Amaterasu. "Hiro would you like me to carry you?", asked Learra "Umm... No I don''t think you could keep up if you carried me", said Hiro "What are you saying I"m not as strong as Leo?" "Well... sorry to say it but you are not. I am even stronger than him so you should run and try to keep up as part of your training. You want to be as strong as Leo than train like he does." "Ok, Hiro." The group shared a meal together then everyone went to sleep. Early the next morning the group awoke and packed up all of their things for their journey home. Once everything was packed up the group left out as fast as they could. The speed at which they moved was incredible. Leara was much faster than Hiro expected but she was still much slower than Leo and Amaterasu even though they were carrying people. The group moved at such a high rate that it only took them about 5 hours of running to make it back to the town. When they came over the final hill and saw Korin from a distance the group was shocked at what they saw. In the 2 months or so that they were gone the town had once again gone through an expansion. There was a large white building at the Northern end of the town. It looked to be a very large home. It was more like a mansion. In addition, the wall around the city now had watch 8 watch towers where archers were stationed. Finally, outside of the city wall there were a large number of buildings that looked to be a residential area for refugees who came to live in Korin. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Hiro smiled and the group walked towards the town. Once they got close to the gate a familiar voice said, ¡°Hey welcome back.¡± Suddenly, a dark figure jumped down from one of the high towers and ran towards Hiro. When the figure got close enough Hiro could tell that it was Kaura. She threw several kicks at Hiro. He easily dodged them. He was moving so fast that to Kaura, it was as if her blows were passing right through him. She pulled out her two short swords and began slashing at him but he simply used his arm to block the blade. As the blade struck his arm, there was a metallic clang as if she struck and piece of iron. She slammed both of her swords down on his arms. He blocked them again with his forearm. She added more pressure but Hiro simply flung her off effortlessly as if she was nothing more than a child. "What the hell? How are you doing that? What in the world are you?" Hiro smiled and hugged her. Once he let her go she went and embraced the rest of the group members including Scarlet. ¡°How have you guys been? I can tell you have all gotten stronger? What is up with the new look or both of you? There are now two ligers¡± asked Kaura ¡°First this is Leara she is Leo¡¯s mate and I will answer the rest of the questions¡­¡­ Just then Hiro felt something large begin squeezing him. ¡°Oh is it you Orochi? You have gotten stronger since I last saw you.¡± asked Hiro with a smile on his face. ¡°Yesssss. HHHHHello Hiro?¡±said Orochi ¡°How¡­ What in the world?¡±, Kaura said with her gaping open. ¡°How are you still breathing when Orochi squeezed you with his coils?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ve gotten a bit stronger since I left and I fought a much bigger version of Orochi while I was in training. Maybe if you train him enough he might evolve into one of those plains constrictors. However now his constricting body feels more like a massage than a deadly snake." Hiro flexed the muscles in his arms and Orochi squeezed harder. The coils were wrapped tightly but Hiro simply increased his strength even more and began to open his arms so that his hands moved away from his torso. Orochi squeezed with all his might but eventually he had to let go as he could no longer contain Hiro¡¯s raw power. Hiro smiled as Orochi released him. Hiro stroked Orochi¡¯s head. ¡°Kaura please, may I answer the rest of your questions tomorrow? I would like to get some sleep in my own bed tonight. It has been a rough few moments of training.¡± Kaura saluted her commanding officer and stepped aside. ¡°Open the gates Mistress Foria and the commander have returned!¡± yelled Kaura. ¡°Master Scarlet, I will have a room made up for you at my home¡±, said Foria ¡°Thank you Foria. It will be good to get into a bed after staying in the forest for all that time.¡± The group entered into the town to see not much had changed inside the town. Foria, Scarlet, and Amaterasu went to Foria¡¯s home and Hiro and the two ligers went to Hiro¡¯s home. Hiro opened the door to his home and allowed the two big cats to enter. Once they were in Hiro walked up and hugged both of his companions and said, ¡°Thank you for joining my family, Leara. I will see the two of you in the morning. I¡¯m going to take a well deserved rest in my bed.¡± ¡°Hiro, you have worked extremely hard while training with your Master, get some rest my friend¡± said Leo. ¡°Yes rest well Hiro¡±, added Leara. Hiro climbed the steps and finally reached his room. His bed looked so comfortable. Hiro removed his clothes and caught a glimpse of himself in his mirror. Wow! I really do look different. It looks like I have gotten a bit taller I¡¯m about 190 cms. I did bulk up too. I now probably weigh close to 200 lbs and I barely have any fat on me. I am completely ripped up. This is crazy! I couldn¡¯t even imagine my body could look like this. But I guess there are some lingering effects from my training from Matsuro. That gash he put across my chest healed but the mark is still there. I wonder while it didn¡¯t heal? Hiro touched the scar across his chest and thought of his battles with his master. I guess It is ok it will just be a reminder of my time with my master. Oh and man this beard would make a lumberjack jealous. I guess I will shave this down tomorrow. Anyway I am really worn out. That training was unreal but the result is incredible. Master I¡¯m going to make you proud, just watch. Hiro laid down in his bed. Just before he drifted off to sleep the door slowly opened and Foria strolled in. They didn¡¯t exchange any words, she just walked in and climbed in the bed next to him. Hiro could smell the wonderful scent of jasmine on her as her long flowing hair gently brushed against him. She laid her head on his chest then looked him in his eyes. They kissed softly and both fell asleep. _____________________________________________________________________ Sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be out today. Chapter 42: Showing off Author''s Notes: Hey guys this is the second chapter today. I hope you enjoy. You will get a chance to see Hiro fight a little more in this chapter. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 42: Showing Off Hiro awoke to the sun creeping over the horizon. He kissed Foria on the forehead and slowly wriggled free from her body.He got up and got dressed then went downstairs to greet his companions who were sleeping soundly. Hiro looked upon them and smiled and said, ¡°Leo my friend it¡¯s good to see you happy.¡± Hiro quietly left the house making sure not to wake the two sleeping cats. I have a couple of things to do. First, I need to check in on Caesar and the army. Then I need to talk to Korin and tell him my new plan for peace and get him to weigh in on it.I also need to check in on Matsuro¡¯s store and figure out what to do with it. I guess I will start with the army. Hiro walked over to the area to the army training grounds. They were just as he left them. Except now there were several buildings which looked to be housing barracks for soldiers. As he walked into the area he could hear see the soldiers standing in rows as their commanding officer, Caesar, barked out orders. The group had grown in size again. The numbers now were definitely close to 400 people. Upon seeing Hiro, Caesar shouted, ¡°ATTEENNNNTION! Our Commander has returned!¡± The soldiers snapped to attention and raised their right hands to their foreheads in salutation of their commander. Hiro walked slowly through one of the columns. He could feel the intensity coming from all of the young men and women. The strength of his army had grown exponentially. Each person was toned and muscular. All of them had the look of a true battle hardened veteran in their eyes. This was no longer a makeshift ragtag operation. This was a real army ready for anything. When Hiro arrived at the front he found Kaura also at the front along with Orochi and Gori. Gori beat on his chest in approval while Orochi coiled up and hissed. Hiro walked up and shook hands with Caesar. Caesar tried to test Hiro¡¯s strength by squeezing Hiro¡¯s hand. His strength is amazing. A normal man would have had his fingers crushed by this man¡¯s vice-like grip but I am not a normal man. Hiro began to squeeze back and Caesar¡¯s hand began to compress in Hiro¡¯s much more powerful grip. Caesar quickly conceded. ¡°I see your training was definitely productive.¡± Said Caesar ¡°Yes it was. I have become much stronger than I was before I came here. I also see you have gotten a lot more recruits.¡± ¡°Yes the word has gotten out that we have fought against orcs, trolls, and hobgoblins and won. People want to seek refuge in our city others wanted to join our ranks.¡± ¡°That is great. I¡¯m glad we are getting a name for ourselves that will make my next objective easier to accomplish. I also have something to discuss with you and the army, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all Commander¡±, replied Caesar. ¡°Kaura afterwards we can discuss your questions¡±, said Hiro. ¡°Everyone, I can see you have been training hard each day. Your strength and courage is evident. I want to ask you all to lend me your strength as we try to protect not only our city but the world from the shadow of darkenss. Will you fight with me!¡± The soldiers all raised their fists and shouted, ¡°HOWOOO! HOWOOO!¡± ¡°Thank you all. I must tell you that I do not wish for war with any culture be it goblin, orc, beastmen, or human. I seek peace with all of those groups.¡± The crowd began to murmur. I thought this might happen. I need them to be with me on this. I guess I should just speak from the heart and hope for the best. If they want to follow they will if not I will find a way to make this work. ¡°I know it may seem strange but in order for our children to grow up in a world without bloodshed and hate we must do something different. We must look for the good in everyone and prepare for the unfortunate battles that may occur. Raise you fist if you are with me on this road to peace!¡± The crowd paused for a moment. Then like popcorn hands started going up throughout the army. One by one each and every hand went up. Hiro breathed a deep sigh of relief as believed this would be much harder. ¡°Thank you men and women of Korin. I know this may be difficult for you as we try to make peace. I assure you that I am seeking peace but if people wish to attack we will show them our mighty fist. Now you may go back to your training! Train hard we will face tough times ahead!¡± The soldiers yelled, "YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!" Hiro then convened with Kaura and Caesar. ¡°Are you sure about this, Commander?¡±, asked Caesar ¡°I mean making peace with goblins, orcs, and trolls is not the safest thing to do.¡± ¡°Well Caesar, what is the alternative wiping out an entire species? I mean if someone turned them into an army maybe we can teach them different. Why are they always trying to kill us? Have you ever asked that question?¡± ¡°I guess not Hiro. I can see where you are coming from but I won¡¯t be leaving my hammer behind when we go to meet them¡±, said Caesar with a grin. ¡°I will be taking my sword as well. I would like peace but if they become aggressive we will defend our home and we will leave no doubt as to who is stronger¡±, Hiro said as he clenched his fist. ¡°Alright, so Hiro what kind of training did you do? I mean you body looks massive compared to what it looked like before but I can¡¯t really sense your strength¡±, asked Kaura. ¡°Well it would be easier to show you rather than tell you. First I wore these bracelets and anklets during everything I did and I was not allowed to use my ki other than when Matsuro and I sparred. So now my raw strength and speed is higher than it was when I was at my maximum with my ki before I began my training.¡± ¡°You sparred with Matsuro, the lightning blade?¡±, asked Caesar. ¡°Yes he was my master.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about those cuffs?¡±, asked Kaura. ¡°They are magical and you can increase their weight. They start at 25lbs each but by the end of my training I wore them at 60 times their normal weight.¡± ¡°What?!! That would mean that¡­ you were moving with 6,000 lbs on you in addition to your own weight?¡± Kaura yelled ¡°Yes, it was unparalled pain and agony to do it but after seeing some of our people die on the battlefield I knew I had to fight through it.¡± ¡°Now I want to fight you even more! Let¡¯s have a match Hiro.¡±, said Caesar as he stood up and grabbed his hammer. ¡°I figured you would say that after I told you what my training was like.¡± ¡°How about we do it this way Kaura, you take on one of my clones and Caesar and I will go one on one.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡±, shouted Kaura and Caesar in unison. ¡°Ok remember you two asked for this.¡± Hiro summoned one of his clones for Kaura to battle. That is strange it doesn¡¯t have the same weapon as me. Could it be that my new weapon can only be wielded by me? Hmm¡­ I will have to check on that later. Kaura and the clone went into the sparring circle in the middle of camp. Hiro gave the clone the Wildfire Sword and the battle commenced. ¡°You¡¯re not using a shield?¡±, asked Kaura ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore¡±, replied the clone. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not you will be looking up at me from the flat of you back after I beat you¡±, the clone said with a smile. Kaura immediately attacked. The clone took a deep breath and activated Hiro¡¯s Warrior¡¯s eye skill. Kaura saw his eye change suddenly. ¡°What is that?¡±, she asked. ¡°Just a little something we picked up during our training¡±, replied the clone. Kaura¡¯s movements were extremely fast but to the clone it was nothing special. It was extremely slow compared to what Hiro was used to. Kaura ran in with a flurry of quick thrusts and slashes but the clone dodged with minimal movement. The clone then jumped backwards creating some space between the two.Then it did something peculiar. The clone tossed the sword to Hiro and took a fighting pose. ¡°Why did he do that?¡± asked Caesar. ¡°I think he feels that he may hurt Kaura with this blade so he is choosing to fight her barehanded¡±, replied Hiro. The clone then jumped in to attack. Its speed was incredible it closed the distance between the two in the blink of an eye. It unleashed a few quick jabs towards Kaura¡¯s face that she barely managed to dodge. As she tried to counter attack with her short sword the clone grabbed her arm at the wrist and twisted it forcing her to release the blade then the clone attacked with a devastating combination of three kicks. The first kick the clone jumped up and closed its legs on either side of her head smashing her ears and disrupting her balance. The next kick was almost like a dropkick. The clone sprang off of her chest and finished with a jumping spin kick that landed on Kaura¡¯s jaw causing blood to come out of her mouth and her head and body to become aerial and spin before she violently hit the ground. She tried to get up but she was unable to continue. The clone quickly cast a healing spell on her and healed her wounds then helped her to her feet. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding when you said you had gotten stronger¡±, said Kaura. ¡°Yes and that was without using any ki¡±, said the clone. ¡°Wow! I was going all out the entire time. You are terrifyingly scary and you are only a fraction of Hiro¡¯s actual strength¡±, Kaura said shaking her head. ¡°Our commander is truly a monster.¡± ¡°You ready for our battle now Caesar¡±, asked Hiro. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Oh yes! After seeing that I¡¯ve gotta know how strong you really are. I want you to go all out!¡± ¡°As you wish my friend¡±, replied Hiro. Hiro walked into the sparring circle and removed his anklets and bracelets. The sound they made when the hit the ground was as if they weighed a lot more than what they looked like. ¡°How heavy were they just now?¡± asked Caesar ¡°25 times normal¡± replied Hiro. Caesar swallowed loudly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± as he readied his hammer. Caesar began strengthening his body with his ki. As he did the other soldiers stopped their training as they sensed an epic battle was about to occur. Caesar¡¯s body was covered in a brownish colored aura showing his earth affinity. His body seemed to be harder than granite. He was like a fortress. Meanwhile Hiro only observed. ¡°Show me your maximum Caesar! Don¡¯t hold back! I want you at your absolute best!¡± Caesar smiled and clutched his hands tightly on his hammer his aura exploded and the very ground began to shake. Caesar was covered in a dark brown colored aura. His body seemed like a gigantic stone, immovable. "What do you think Hiro?" ¡°I''m impressed Caesar. You have improved a lot. You give off the feeling of a gigantic iron wall. It is almost like your defense is impenetrable." ¡°Thanks for the compliment. Now it''s your turn Hiro¡±, said Caesar Ok. I haven¡¯t used my ki in a while but since you asked for it, here I go¡±, Hiro said as he clenched both of his hands together tightly making fists. Hiro lowered his stance and began gathering his ki. His body became engulfed in the pale blue color of his aura and his energy began to rise. The soldiers had to cover their faces as the wind began to blow away from him. His energy continued to rise. ¡°What is this?! How did he get that strong so quickly!?¡± said Caesar. ¡°HAAAAAAA!!!¡± screamed Hiro. Electricity began float around Hiro¡¯s body as his energy began to create a crater beneath his feet. His power was reaching levels that no one had ever seen before. Caesar took a step back to steady himself as Hiro¡¯s power was so intense that it was pushing him away. Suddenly, Hiro took a deep breath and cast gravity magic he learned from his master onto his sword it now weighed around 3,000 lbs in his hands. His eyes were now completely red with black marks in them (similar to Sasuke¡¯s Sharingan) displaying his new evolution of his warrior¡¯s eye skill. He began walking towards Caesar. Each step made the hair on the back of Caesar¡¯s neck stand up. It was as if death was walking towards him but he was Caesar was no coward so he choked down his fear and steeled himself for an all-out attack. Caesar clutched his hammer and rushed to attack. Hiro slowly continued to walk forward. Caesar swung his hammer downward vertically but Hiro could see the move as if it was in slow motion. Hiro sidestepped so fast that it created and afterimage. Caesar struck the afterimage and it disappeared only to realize it wasn¡¯t Hiro. While Caesar was figuring out what he hit was an after image, Hiro had already moved into Caesar¡¯s blindspot. Hiro quickly slashed Caesar¡¯s ribs with his dull side of his blade. He did not put all of his strength into the swing for fear of killing his friend. The blade smashed into Caesar¡¯s side breaking several of his ribs and launching him about 30 feet. He hit the ground violently and blood splattered out into the air from his mouth. Caesar jumped back to his feet and held his side and feeling the large amount of damage he had sustained from one single attack from Hiro. This is insane! Just before we left we fought a relatively even battle when I was going all out. Now if I keep this up I will kill him. Caesar looked at Hiro and readied his hammer. He was determined to win. Caesar charged again. This time instead of landing one ferocious blow he decided to use a few feints before he launched his actual attack. Unfortunately, with his new warrior¡¯s eye ability and his experience fighting Matsuro this tactic was nothing to Hiro who managed to completely avoid every attack that Caesar launched. Caesar is too proud to stop with just some superficial wounds. I have to crush him in order for him to truly accept that I am superior. Unlike last time I will leave no doubt. Hiro began to land some small glancing blows on Caesar at his joints. These slashes were not huge damaging blows but they caused Caesar to bleed from several places. This bleeding began to take its toll on him. As Caesar became visibly winded because of his onslaught of attacks Hiro dodged again moving faster, so fast that Caesar could no longer follow with his eyes. Caesar tried to follow Hiro¡¯s energy. When he found it Caesar quickly rushed towards the area and attacked. Hiro quickly dodged and moved behind Caesar. Before Caesar could react Hiro placed his blade behind Caesar¡¯s head at the base of his skull. Caesar felt the coolness of the metal of Hiro¡¯s blade on neck as he began to turn¡­ ¡°If I had struck you, you would no longer have a head my friend.¡± ¡°How¡­ How¡­ I couldn¡¯t even¡­ How did you move so fast?¡± ¡°I told you I practiced with these weights on and had to move and fight while I was weighted down. I also was not able to use my ki. Now, when they are off it feels like my body is light as a feather. I still don¡¯t have complete control yet though¡±, said Hiro with a smile. Hiro quickly cast his healing spell on his friend to stop the bleeding from the wounds he had inflicted. Then he shook Caesar¡¯s hand. The crowd was speechless. They were in awe of what they just saw. They all knew full well the strength that Caesar possessed as many of them had fallen victim to his vicious hammer attacks. However, to the commander, Caesar was not even a challenge. The crowd began to clap as a sign of respect for what they had just witnessed. ¡°Thank you Hiro¡±, said Caesar ¡°You are welcome but why are you thanking me?¡± ¡°You have shown me a level of strength that I have never seen and now I will work that much harder to reach that place. You have given me a goal to reach.¡± ¡°Well then my friend, I will continue to increase my strength so that you will continue to have a goal¡±, Hiro said with a hearty laugh and a pat on Caesar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you want to unite all of the world¡¯s people I suggest we begin with the 2 weakest groups as things stand now or you could go to my home in Atraps and participate in the battle tournament. The winner gets a special prize and their notoriety is spread throughout the land¡± ¡°How would gaining notoriety help me in my plan to unite the people?¡± ¡°Well people seek strength to lead them. By winning the tournament you would prove that your strength and skill is far above all others so people would look to you to be their leader. That would bring more people here to live and spread your fame.¡± ¡°Oh and by my fame increasing it would be easier to get people to follow my idea of peace.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Ok then what two groups would you consider to be the weakest?¡± asked Hiro ¡°The weakest monster type group would be the goblins and the weakest human-type group would be the dwarves.¡± ¡°Wow! I would have thought that the dwarves would be a more powerful group.¡± ¡°Well they were until the last great war where the king was killed. Once he died his children fought over the crown. This formed factions and dissent. That split the strength of the once great dwarven kingdom into 6 seperatef actions.¡± ¡°Oh you are very knowledgeable.¡± ¡°I was a soldier in my hometown so you hear all sorts of things. In addition the goblins are a really weak race of monsters except for those that somehow rank up into a higher level.¡± ¡°What do you mean rank up?¡± ¡°Well those goblins who have trained enough and learned enough they become a higer being called a hobgoblin and depending on what they do as a hobgoblin they could rank up into something more powerful. This rarely happens though as they are too weak to fight off other monsters and wild beasts so they usually die relatively quickly.¡± Hmmm¡­. These goblins sound interesting. Maybe I could help them rank up and then they might be able to defend themselves or better yet help us. ¡°I guess that is where I will head first. I was told there is a goblin community near here. Is that true?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Well, they don¡¯t really have a hometown as we humans have driven them away from our cities. I guess if you really want to find them you could look into a wooded area to the southwest of here.¡± ¡°I was there not long ago. I do remember seeing a goblin there¡±, said Hiro ¡°With your strength I don¡¯t think that even a large group of goblins who get angry with you could really do any damage¡±, Caesar said with a chuckle. Hiro scratched his head and replied, ¡°Yeah probably not. I will leave to go there as soon as my group awakens.¡± ¡°Hiro, do you want me to go?¡± asked Caesar ¡°No, Scarlet, Foria, our companinos, and I should be enough. I need you to protect this place. I would not entrust it to anyone else. By the way, how do you think I should approach the goblins to gain their trust?¡± ¡°Well monsters usually only respect one thing and that is strength. I believe this will be relatively easy for you to show them.¡± ¡°Thanks Caesar for all the information you gave.¡± Hiro stood up and saluted his lieutenant before leaving the training grounds. He then went back home to check on Foria and the two ligers to the dwarves¡¯ smithy shop. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If anyone is interested in becoming a patreon please feel free to donate. Thanks for reading. Chapter 43: Soul Sword Hiro left the army camp and went home, where he found Foria already moving around playing with Leara and Leo outside in the front of his home. It was crazy seeing this little woman playing around with two absolutely ferocious beasts but this was the new world that Hiro was living in. Hiro walked up and the two big cats jumped on him licking in a loving embrace. Hiro laughed as the two ligers purred in delight as he rubbed their soft fur. ¡°Alright I have decided that our first stop will be to get the goblins on our side¡±, said Hiro ¡°but first, Foria do you know where I can find your brother? I haven¡¯t seen him since we arrived.¡± ¡°Oh.. that¡¯s easy, he was summoned to the capital to meet the King. He and Rain left with about 50 armed guards including Blade left about two days ago.¡± ¡°I wonder why he was summoned?¡± ¡°News of your exploits and our town¡¯s prosperity has reached the King¡± replied Foria. ¡°Oh, I was looking forward to seeing him but oh well. I killed a goblin that was holding a sword back in the forest where we met so I would like to start looking for them there but first I need to go to the blacksmith shop and to the general store that Matsuro left me. There are some things I need to sort out.¡± ¡°Ok then I will go get Scarlet and Amaterasu and we will meet you at the city gates.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Foria jumped and hugged him. Hiro place his hands around her small waist and hoisted her off the ground as if she was a feather and kissed her. After that he looked deep into her eyes and said, ¡°I think we should spend one more night here before we leave.¡± Foria blushed as she rubbed her finger down the side of his face, ¡°I would like that but first we have to clean you up. This beard has got to go.¡± Hiro laughed and nodded his head. The two parted ways and Hiro headed towards the blacksmith shop. Hiro opened the door at the blacksmith shop and saw all of the armors and weapons that were all over the store. It was amazing in a month he saw such high quality equipment. There were several customers in the store who were being helped by the dwarves. Hiro just patiently waited until he had a chance to speak with his friends once again. After a few moments the customers were taken care of and the store began to empty out. Once the dwarves saw him they all rushed from behind the counter. ¡°Hiro..? is that you?¡± asked the weapon¡¯s master ¡°Yes it¡¯s me. Have I changed that much?¡± replied Hiro ¡°Absolutely. You look much more mature and your physique is even more impressive since the last time I saw you. You must have been doing some intense training¡± the dwarven armor master. ¡°Well..¡±, Hiro said while he smiled and scratched his head. ¡°My master was training me for the last month or so and it was pretty tough.¡± ¡°So did you come back with a new request?¡± asked the Master enchanter. ¡°Yes and no. I received a unique weapon that used to belong to my master. I don¡¯t know much about it so I was coming to see if you could tell ma little about it¡±, said Hiro as he brought out his new weapon the sword of evolution. The weapon master came close but he didn¡¯t make a sound. As he came closer he said, ¡°It can¡¯t be. Is it¡­? Yes it is? Where did you get this?¡± ¡°It belonged to my master. He left it to me after he died.¡± ¡°Your master was¡­ Matsuro the lighting blade?¡± asked the weaponsmith master ¡°Yes how did you know?¡± ¡°That weapon is known amongst most weaponsmiths. It is amazing! It is only to be wielded by the master of the Lightning Blade Sword Style. Could you be..?¡±, asked the weaponsmith master. ¡°Yes I inherited the title from my master and the sword was given to me as proof of my new title. Do you know about the weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, I know a bit about it. The weapon will grow in strength and ability when you allow it to absorb other materials. The stronger the material it absorbs the stronger that sword will become¡± said the weapon master. ¡°It appears it has not been used in a very long time though so it needs to absorb some weak material to begin the process.¡± ¡°What do you mean absorb?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± The weapon master gave Hiro several pieces of iron ore. ¡°Now touch the sword to the iron ore.¡± Hiro did as the dwarf asked and the sword began to shimmer. As it did the metal was liquefied and ran into the sword. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Hiro
Your sword of evolution has gained 2 levels.
Your sword of evolution has gained three levels in material absorb skill
¡°Amazing! Hiro you have been given a wonderful gift. Treasure it and as you find materials see if the sword will absorb them.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Do you need any equipment?¡± asked the armor master. ¡°No, currently my training was to toughen my body so that I can withstand any attack from a blade. So I think I will be ok. Besides I still have my wildfire armor for the time being. If I need anything I will definitely let you.¡± ¡°Ok. Well don¡¯t be a stranger.¡± Hiro waved as he left the store. He began making his way to the general store. As he got to the store he had a nostalgic moment of the first time he went into the store and Matsuro¡¯s aura left him breathless because it was so overpowering. He walked inside and greeted the attendant. ¡°Hello¡± said the attendant. ¡°Hi. I have to give you some bad news.¡± ¡°Bad news, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Matsuro died a few days ago.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Yes. As his disciple he left me this store.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he is dead. He was such a nice boss¡±. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!¡°Yes he was a great teacher but an even better man.¡± ¡°What will you do with the shop?¡± ¡°Well that is why I came here. I want you to run the shop as you have done it before but now instead of working for someone, I would like you to be my partner.¡± ¡°Partner?! You mean like I partially own the store?¡± ¡°Yes. We will be equal partners. I will supply the store with goods and you will sell them at reasonable prices then we will split the profits. How does that sound to you?¡± ¡°It sounds unbelievable. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°My master gave me this store but I don¡¯t know how to run it. I would hate to sell it as I believe that would upset him wherever he is. So I thought if I am going to keep it then I should hire you but I know you have been here for a while and I think you should be rewarded for your hardwork.¡± ¡°So you want to make me a partner because I worked hard?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± The attendant began to get teary eyed. ¡°Hiro I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± ¡°Thank me by treating people fairly and honest.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°I am leaving soon. When I return I will have lots of items for you to sell.¡± ¡°Alright. I will be waiting for you and the goods that you return with.¡± Hiro shook the man¡¯s hand and the waived goodbye. Alright now its time to go looking for those goblins. Hiro went to the main gate at the front of town where he was met by Kaura, Orochi, the two ligers, Amaterasu, Foria, and Scarlet. They exchanged pleasantries and began going towards the forest where Hiro and Foria met. The ladies mounted up on the beast companions while Hiro stayed on foot. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, said the ladies in unison while the ligers roared, Amaterasu howled, and Orochi hissed. Hiro activated his gravity magic and began at 70 times gravity to continue his training. Then the group was off. They began running at a decent pace. Hiro¡¯s stamina depleted rather quickly. After about 30 minutes. He had to stop. ¡°Are you ok?¡± asked Foria ¡°Yes¡­ huff¡­ I¡¯m ok¡­. Puff. I am still wearing the weighted cuffs and they are at 70 times their normal weight.¡± ¡°How heavy were they to begin with?¡± ¡°The set was 100 pounds¡± replied Hiro. ¡°What!?¡± gasped the group. ¡°You mean you were running that face with over 7000 pounds of weight on you?¡± exclaimed Foria ¡°Yes that is how I trained with Master Matsuro.¡± ¡°No wonder your strength increased so much¡± Said Scarlet. They all laughed and after Hiro caught his breath they were on the trail again. As the continued their journey, Hiro would continue to run with the weights active. He had to stop several times as they continued their trip to the forest. By nightfall they had arrived on the outskirts of the forest. There were all sorts of sounds showing that the forest was definitely alive that night. The group made camp on the outskirts of the woods and made a fire to cook some meat that Foria had brought with her as a provision. The group laughed and joked over dinner and after filling their bellies they all laid down to rest for the night. Early in the morning Hiro awoke with Foria snuggled up next to him while the two ligers he and Foria on either side. Hiro looked around and to his surprise Scarlet was laying on Leara snoring softly. Keara was already awake sharpening her blade on a sharpening stone. ¡°Seems like you are expecting a fight¡±, said Hiro ¡°Well I always prepare for the worst.¡± Replied Kaura ¡°Sounds like a good idea. Just do me a favor and try not to get violent unless I tell you.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± said Kaura as she saluted. The two got up and began getting their equipment ready. Hiro let out a loud yawn and he began stretching his body as his muscles were a bit sore from walking around with the heavy weights on. As he stretched the rest of the party woke up and he cooked breakfast. After they all ate the group entered into the forest. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show him your new skill, Foria?¡± said Scarlet ¡°New skill?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Yeah, I got a new job while I was out training. It is called huntress.¡± ¡°Really?! What does it do?¡± ¡°I gained an ability that lets me track any type of opponent that I fought before. I can see any signs of a creature that I have fought before.¡± ¡°That sounds awesome!¡± exclaimed Hiro ¡°Can you see if you can find any signs of the goblins?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Foria closed her eyes and began to concentrate. When she opened her eyes they had changed color. The iris of her eye was now gold and the pupil was a vertical slit like cat eyes. She began looking from left to right and suddenly¡­ ¡°I found it. There are footprints that look like the ones that we used to track down goblins before.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Said Hiro. Foria took the point postion and lead the group. They went through the forest for about 2 hours until finally they came to large cave in the side of hill. ¡°They are in there¡± said Foria as she pointed towards the cave. Hiro had already confirmed this with his detect presence ability but he did not want downplay Foria''s new ability. ¡°Alright, remember this mission is non-violent so please no bloodshed unless we absolutely have no choice. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author''s Note: What will happen with the goblins? Will they join Hiro''s cause or will they die by his hands? Find out in the next chapter! I''m still looking for Patreons for my story. Any little bit would help. Regardless of donations or not I will continue to put out chapters of this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Goblin Arc chapter 1 Chapter 44: Goblins Author''s Notes: Hey guys, I was feeling a little inspired today so I wrote another chapter. This begins the arc of the goblins. Please let me know what you think about the chapters. As always please rate/review/follow my story. If you choose you can always donate if you enjoy reading this story. ____________________________________________________________________ Chapter 44: Goblins Hiro and his group entered the cave. The cave was dark but it had been dimly lit with torches. Hiro could smell the scent of blood in the air. He used his sense energy to ascertain the situation. He noticed that there were only about 3 dozen energy signatures in the cave other than their own. The energies he felt were not very powerful at all but he wanted to get a closer look to ascertain the situation. The group continued to walk deeper into the cave until finally they reached what appeared to be living quarters. Upon seeing the invaders the goblins quickly took up their meager weapons. Some had clubs, others had some pathetic looking swords or spears. ¡°Stay back and wait for me outside of the cave¡± Hiro told the group. He continued to walk forward and the goblins readied themselves to strike. Hiro was unphased by their bloodlust and continued walk closer. The goblin group was spread out except for about 10 that huddled tightly around something that Hiro could not quite see. He could feel several tiny energies in the circle but he didn¡¯t know what it could be. Hiro got closer and began to speak in the goblin language, ¡°I mean you no harm. I have come in peace.¡± ¡°What you mean you come in peace, human!¡± said one of the goblins who carried a club that was larger than some of the others. ¡°Are you their leader?¡± ¡°Yes and I will kill you if come closer.¡± ¡°You will not have to attack as I have come to extend friendship to you and your people.¡± ¡°What do you mean friendship? Humans kill my people and my people kill humans.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be that way. I want you and your people to live in peace. If you agree to peace I will make sure no harm comes to your people. All I ask is that you help us in battle when the time comes.¡± ¡°My people are not strong in battle we can barely defeat the weak monsters in this forest to eat.¡± ¡°I was weak at one point too but I trained to protect myself and those I love and now I am strong. If you join me, I will train you so that you may one day become strong.¡± ¡°You train us! No way I listen to a pitiful human. You are not strong enough to do anything with us!¡± yelled one of the goblins holding a spear. ¡°Shall I prove my strength?¡± ¡°Yes you will have to prove it¡±, said the spearman. ¡°If you wish but here are my terms. I will fight any amount of your warriors that you wish, if they win we will leave you alone and never return. If I win, your group leaves this cave and returns with me to the human town to train and become part of my army.¡± "I agree to your terms human!", said the leader. The leader made a gesture and 10 of the goblins stepped forward. Hiro took a southpaw fighting stance and began bouncing on his toes. He motioned for the goblins to come at him and they did. They immediately launched themselves at him to attack all at once. Hiro moved like lightning. By the time they hit the ground he had moved out of their path and gotten behind them. He quickly struck 3 of the goblins in vital place causing them immediate critical damage. He could have killed them but he was only trying to make a point. They laid on the ground twitching or unconscious. Hiro then moved quickly in towards the group as the other 7 realized where he was. He countered each swing with quick accurate strikes. Each blow incapacitated the enemy that he struck. Quickly he whittled the numbers down until only the leader and the spearman were left. ¡°Had enough yet?¡± Hiro said with a smirk on his face. "No, I will not kneel down in front a human." "First, I don''t want you to kneel because I will not treat you like a slave. I only want you to yield and acknowledge my stength. Second, I like that you are proud but don''t be stupid. Even if you are stronger than all of the rest of your men combined, you are not my match. Now submit before I force you." The goblin clenched his teeth then lowered his club and said¡°Yes¡­ I recognize your strength. My people and I will follow you.¡± ¡°I only have one question, what are they all huddled around back there?¡± ¡°Three of our females gave birth yesterday so we were all protecting the newest addition to our clan.¡± ¡°Oh what is the name of your clan?¡± ¡°Our clan¡¯s name is given to us by the clan head. My name is Blackrock so while I was chief we were called the Blackrock Clan. Now that you are the chief you should give us a name.¡± ¡°I am just a friend and my name is Hiro. I did not come to take over as the clan chief. You are still the clan¡¯s chief. I think you should keep your clan¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Blackrock turned and told the news to his clan. Many had faces full of distrust. Hiro went to Leo and Leara. ¡°Can you go hunt in the forest and bring back some meat. They all look like they are starving.¡± ¡°You can count on us.¡± Hiro went back to black rock and they began to talk again. ¡°I think only a few of your people should come first. It will take some time before they trust humans and before the rest of the humans trust them. The ones that come will train with my army in the town so that they may increase their skills. Pick 3 of your best warriors.¡± ¡°Hiro, if I go and take 3 of my best then who will bring food to the rest of my people?¡± ¡°I have taken care of that. My two companions who you have not seen yet will be bringing your people enough food for awhile.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± Black rock called 3 of the warriors over. They all looked basically the same except for some small distinguishing characterstics like Blackrock had 2 horns protruding from either side of his temple. A female who was called Shera carried a sword and had a single horn and blue eyes. Another one of the males that carried a club like Blackrock was named Argus. Argus had green eyes to match his green skin but he did not have a horn. Finally, the last of the group was named Ash. His green skin had some strange grey marking going down his arms and legs. Ash was the spearman who thought Hiro was a weakling. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Nice to meet all of you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Hiro¡±, replied the group in unison. Hiro inspected the group and found that they all ranged between level 4 and 8 with Blackrock being the highest and Shera being the lowest. Just then Leo and Leara entered the area. Both were carrying large forest panthers in their jaws. They both dropped them on the ground. The goblins readied their weapons to attack the big cats. ¡°Tell them to put down their weapons, Hiro¡± said Leara angrily, ¡°or I will rip them apart. ¡°Wait,wait, wait. Hold on guys lower your weapons. They are my friends and they bought this food for your people to eat.¡± ¡°You mean the meat from these animals is for us?¡±asked Blackrock ¡°Yes¡±, replied Ash with a smile. The group lowered their weapons and began dancing about. Hiro quickly skinned the animals and allowed the goblins to begin to eat the meat. Hiro then went about quickly making some clothes for the goblins from the panther leather. He had just enough as their small bodies required very little material. Hiro made 4 sets of panther leather and then presented it to each of his new soldiers. They all shrieked with excitement. They had never been on the receiving end of such generosity before. They quickly equipped the armor and now they looked more like soldiers than overgrown green babies with weapons. ¡°Alright we need to get moving so that we can make it back to the town.¡± Said Hiro. Blackrock and his group of soldiers said their goodbyes and then went to meet the rest of Hiro¡¯s party outside of the cave. Hiro introduced the goblins to the rest of his party. The goblins¡¯ eyes widened as they saw the beautiful ladies. ¡°Blackrock, tell your friends not to get any ideas as these ladies are 10 times stronger than you guys at least. If you anger them who knows what they might do¡±, said Hiro with a smirk and then turned to his group. ¡°I want to train the goblins on the way back to town so do you guys mind going home with out me?¡± ¡°Yeah we can do that¡±, Foria said with a smile. ¡°Can you also prepare the villagers for the arrival of our new comrades by letting them know that these guys are coming in peace as friends and having them build a small place for these guys to live on the edge of the village?¡± ¡°You are asking a lot but I will do my best to get it done, What is my reward for doing this difficult job?¡±, replied Foria ¡°Hmmm....I will have something special for you when I get back¡±, said Hiro with a pervy grin ¡°I like the sound of that!¡± Foria said as her cheeks began to turn red They all embraced Hiro and the two groups parted ways. The goblins hung their heads but they complied with Hiro''s terms of not bothering the ladies. The group went through the forest as they ran into various monsters including night vipers and forest panthers. Hiro let the goblins fight against the monsters. As they were injured or getting beaten badly, Hiro would either heal them or he would defend them until they got themselves a better plan of action. These guys aren¡¯t very bright. It¡¯s like they think they can overpower every enemy with sheer numbers or brute strength. I¡¯m gonna gave to teach them some tactics or they are going to die. I guess taking all of these hits will improve their endurance and resistance but this is not efficient at all. ¡°Blackrock, call your people over I want to talk to them¡±, said Hiro. Blackrock rounded up his people and then they fell in a single file line. ¡°You guys have to learn to fight together", said Hiro "What do you mean?" asked Blackrock. "Well you guys are not stronger than the monsters here one on one so you have to work as a party. Everyone has to do a job in the party. For example, their should be someone to occupy the enemies attention. This will allow the others to attack the opponent from an advantageous position. That person is called the tank.¡± ¡°I think that should be me!¡± said Blackrock. ¡°I agree you are the strongest at this point. Just be careful you will have to take on the enemy directly at the most dangerous place. Next, some of you should move to the sides and the rear of the enemy and do as much damage as possible. These people are the damage dealers. That is everyone else right now. Behind the tank should be a support person preferably a healer if you have one to make sure the party stays healthy.¡± ¡°We get it!¡± said the goblins. ¡°We don¡¯t have a healer though¡±, said Ash. ¡°I will perform that role for now¡±, said Hiro with a big smile. ¡°Alright now, let¡¯s get back to your training.¡± The goblins cheered and they resumed their hunting. The next monster that came their way was a black wolf. The goblins formed a triangular formation with Ash and and Argus were on either side of Blackrock while Sheera kept to the shadows and managed to find her way behind the wolf. As soon as she was behind it Blackrock charged in the fierce battle began. The wolf jumped at Blackrock but he managed to back step just enough to avoid being crushed by the wolf. As soon as the wolf landed he was surrounded by the 4 small attackers. The plan was going just as Hiro had said it. Blackrock was occupying the wolf¡¯s attacks while the other 3 goblins pummeled the wolf from the sides and rear until it eventually fell. Once the wolf fell the goblins fell down from exhaustion. Hiro inspected the goblins and noticed that they had grown nearly 30 levels in one day. What is up with this insane growth rate? They must need very little experience or these monsters don¡¯t have levels like I do. Anyway this is good. ¡°Do you guys know what level you need in order to rank up?¡± ¡°Rank up?¡± asked Sheera ¡°Yes, we need to be level 100¡± replied Argus. ¡°That¡¯s not too bad, you guys are already in your 30¡¯s now. I can tell because I have a skill that let¡¯s me see your information like levels and health.¡± ¡°That sounds great, I think this was really good. We are definitely much stronger than we were before we met you¡± said Ash ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡± ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author''s notes: This ends the first chapter in the goblin arc. Please feel free to include any other races you think Hiro should meet and try to befriend. As of right now I have planned out goblins and dwarves. Please comment Gobin Arc Chapter 2: Chapter 45 Goblin Training Goblin Arc Chapter 2: Chapter 45 Goblin Training The group rested until they recovered their stamina and then began hunting again until it began getting dark. As the light began to fade Hiro led the goblins out of the forest and then cooked them some food. The goblins all enjoyed the food and shortly after they ate all of them were sleeping soundly. Once they fell asleep, Hiro increased the weight of his cuffs to 60 times their weight and began doing his daily exercises. He began with jumping jacks followed by inverted push-ups, and sit ups. Once that was completed he went through all 5 katas for his lightning blade style, 20 times each. Once he finished he took a deep breath and saw one of the goblins, Ash was awake and staring with wide eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Ash?¡± Ash paused for a moment then began to speak. ¡°I couldn¡¯t really follow what I was seeing because you were moving so fast. I just want to know how you got that strong and can you teach me?¡± Hiro smiled and said, ¡°I got this strong through training hard every day. I will teach everything I know accept my sword skill as I do not feel like I can teach it to someone else yet.¡± Ash bowed down to Hiro, ¡°Please teach me. I want to be strong!¡± Hiro patted him on the head and he rose from the ground. ¡°I am not a king so you don''t have to bow to me. Get some sleep. Your training really begins tomorrow.¡± They both laid down on the ground and fell asleep. The night passed and soon the sun began to creep over the horizon. Hiro quickly awoke and stretched. Hiro stood up and stretched his arms. Then he let out a loud yawn. He looked at the goblins and took a deep breath. In the loudest voice he could muster, ¡°GET UP YOU MAGGOTS!!! ON YOUR FEET IN FORMATION ON THE DOUBLE!!¡± The goblins nearly jumped out of their skins scrambling to follow Hiro¡¯s commands. Once they got in line and settled down Hiro began walking back and forth. ¡°From now on you guys will eat, sleep, and breathe combat. You will show other goblins that hard work and proper training will make you better in every way. Now lay down on your stomachs with you hands near your chest.¡± Hiro demonstrated showing them the pushup position. The group followed. ¡°When I say up, you push yourself up by straightening your arms. When I say down you bend your arms and return to the starting position. Is that clear! ¡°Yes¡±, grumbled the goblins ¡°Yes what!?¡±barked Hiro doing his best impression of Snow ¡°Yes sir!¡± yelled Ash at the top of his lungs. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit Ash! Yes What!?¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± said the goblins in unison Hiro had them do push ups until their little short arms could no longer move. Blackrock lasted the longest doing nearly 100 pushups. Ash was second followed by Argus and bringing up the rear was Sheera. The goblins could barely moved as their small bodies were covered in sweat. ¡°On your feet, we don¡¯t lay down for anyone ever!¡± The goblins moved as quickly as they could in order to comply with Hiro¡¯s order. Once they fell in Hiro had them space out and he explained that now he would be teaching them some hand-to-hand combat skills. It looked like a scene from one of those old kung-fu movies with the master watching over his disciples. As he continued to correct them as they practice throwing punches and kicks as well as blocking each others attacs. The goblins poured sweat as the practice but their desire for strength would not let them quit. Hiro worked them as hard as he could until they absolutely collapsed. When they could no longer movie Hiro began preparing breakfast from the animal meat that they had killed. Once the food was ready the goblins got up and at quickly. Once they finished Hiro had them return to the forest once again.They battled over and over again. Hiro was pleased that in one single day the small band of goblins who could barely were able to slay forest rats were now killing black wolves 2 at a time. This was a great development. The growth of these goblins is amazing! To think that in 2 days they grew this much. Hmmm¡­ Pretty soon they will be able to fight some of those scorpions after I help them get some better equipment from the dwarves. Well let¡¯s spend a few more days out here. ¡°I want to try to kill one on my own¡± said Blackrock ¡°Me too¡± said Ash. ¡°By all means go ahead¡± said Hiro like a proud father. Ash was up first. The small goblin moved up to the front as another wolf jumped out in front of the group. It showed its shiny white teeth and growled menacingly but the small goblin was unphased. Ash moved forward quickly and slashed at the wolf. His movement was similar to Hiro¡¯s dashing slash technique. Ash drew first blood. The wolf swiped at Ash with his paw but Ash¡¯s footwork was too good. He easily ducked, dodged, and rolled away from each of the wolf¡¯s attacks. Ash¡¯s attacks were quick but not heavy enough to do any real damage. The battle waged on and little by little the wolf¡¯s health was whittled down into the critical stage. Hiro continued to observe as Ash battled the wolf. The wolf jumped at Ash and swiped at him. This time Ash was unable to avoid the attack. He tried to block with his shield but the force of the blade knocked him into a nearby tree. His body fell to the ground in a heep. The wolf growled and began moving closer. This situation was dangerous so Hiro moved to intervene. ¡°Don¡¯t! I will finish this! I will kill this thing!¡± screamed Ash. Hiro smiled and watched intently to see what was going to happen. The goblin willed himself to stand as he saw the wolf began running towards him. Ash¡¯s tiny body readied his spear. As the wolf left his feet Ash fell back causing the wolf to impale itself on his spear. The wolf howled in pain but it was too late Ash pushed the wolf to the ground. He removed his spear and then moved towards the head of the wolf. Ash was visibly in serious pain but he raised his spear and stabbed his enemy through its eye puncturing it brain killing it instantly.The small goblin removed his spear from the wolf and walked slowly towards Hiro. His small body was covered in blood from his own wounds as well as the wolf. After a few steps he stumbled. Hiro quickly cast his healing spell and Ash¡¯s wounds closed up. Ash sat down as his stamina was all but depleted. ¡°Now I¡¯m next¡±, said Blackrock Blackrock led the party as they searched for another wolf. They continued for a while without seeing any wolves but suddenly Hiro saw a status update.
You have entered the territory of a pack of wolves. They take intruders in their territory very seriously. They will hunt you until they have killed all of those in your party for trespassing on their land.
¡°Be careful guys we have entered the terriotory of a pack of wolves. They will probably come at us and try to surround us. Circle up and don¡¯t let anything get between you.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡± said the goblins in unsion. Hiro felt the presence of nearly 15 wolves closing in on their position very quickly. Hiro cast his shadow clone spell and he and his 10 clones stopped 1 wolf each so that the goblins could fight the wolves 1 on 1. When the wolves came, the goblins attacked. Blackrock and Argus devasted the wolves with powerful attacks from their clubs but they did take some damage as they could not avoid the attacks nearly as well as Ash and Sheera. It was amazing to see how much power these two little guys could produce. Then Hiro turned his gaze to Sheera and Ash who were making quick and precise movements avoiding all of the wolf¡¯s attacks and piercing the wolf with precise slashes from their sword and spear. Once they killed the first group, Hiro and the clones let loose the next group and then the next group. By the time they finshed the 3rd group of 4 wolves the goblins were all heavily wounded. They all looked like they were hanging on by a thread. Hiro cast his healing spell on the group and let loose the last 3 wolves. Their wounds were healed but they were all past the limits of their stamina. The wolves attacked relentlessly. The small warriors were doing damage but they were taking it in turn. Blood was flying all over the place but in the end the tactics of the tiny warriors made the difference. Instead of trying to use brute strength they relied on distracting the enemy while one got into the wolf¡¯s blindspot and struck. 2 of them had to hold off a wolf each while the other 2 dispatched one of them until finally it was all 4 of the goblins against one wolf. Once the last blow landed on the wolf the 4 goblins fell down in exhaustion. Ding your group has defeated the wolves. You each have gained 10 points towards fame and double the experience for each of the combatants. Then they felt a warm glow upon their skin. It was Hiro¡¯s healing spell causing their wounds to recover. Then they closed their eyes and fell fast asleep. Hiro clean up the carnage and skinned all of the wolves. He put all of the usable parts, paws, teeth, fur, and leather into his bag. The meat he began to cook. As the aroma of the meat began to permeate through the air, the goblins began to wake one by one. The food had all of their mouths watering. ¡°Eat up guys. You earned it!¡±, yelled Hiro. The goblins rushed to the large slabs of meat that Hiro had cooked. They ate as if they had never eaten before. Hiro observed all of the goblins. Ash had reached level 98 while the others had reached the mid 90¡¯s. ¡°I want you guys to battle some more so that you can rank up before we return to Korin.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­munch¡­ I want to rank up too!¡± said Blackrock as he tore apart a piece of meat. The others nodded. Hiro smiled and ate some of the meat as well. The group finished the meat and then they got up to hunt again. The sun was moving towards the horizon and it was getting dark. The group walked into the forest and began to hunt. They killed any and all monsters that they found as they marched through the forest. The group was now soloing every one of the monsters that they faced. Then they came upon a clearing. It was a serene scene. The grass was swaying gently as a soft breeze blew. Hiro could feel something coming towards them but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. ¡°Step back. Something is coming!¡± said Hiro ¡°We want to fight!¡± yelled Ash. ¡°DO WHAT I SAID NOW!¡± yelled Hiro. The goblins backed away as they could sense the overwhelming pressure Hiro exhibited. Hiro began to move forward. Whatever is coming is big, really big. As it closer each step caused the ground to rumble. Soon Hiro could see it in the distance. It looked like a man but it was problably 3 to 4 meters tall. As it got closer Hiro could see that it was a Cyclops. It possessed a very heavy looking trident. It looked powerful. The cyclops¡¯s did not wear any armor other than some leather pants, boots, and a sleeveless leather shirt that exposed his massive arms. Hiro observed the enemy. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Cyclops
Level:45
Health:15,000Mana:5,000
A humanoid creature known for its strength. It is immune to any fire type attack.
Wow I couldn¡¯t see the levels of opponents before. Has my observe skill finally maxed out. Anyway, I¡¯ve finally found a challenge. Hiro took out his soul blade and dispersed the magic on his cuffs and bracelets while increasing the weight on his blade to 3000 lbs. He took a deep breath and summoned his ki. His muscles bulged and his body became shrouded in pale blue aura. He walked towards the Cyclops.It immediately twirled its trident and pointed it at Hiro. Hiro walked forward with his blade drawn. The battle started immediately. The Cyclops thrusted his trident towards Hiro but it was too large and slow. Hiro dodged it and jumped on the spear and ran towards the Cyclop¡¯s head. He quickly activated his dashing slash and his blade sank deep into the neck of the Cyclops. Hiro jumped off of its shoulder pulling out his blade and did a backwards flip landing gracefully. The Cyclops grabbed its neck as blood was squirting from his wound. The Cyclops readied his spear with one hand. ¡°I guess you are ready for round 2?¡± Hiro smiled and charged. The Cyclops let out a barraged of one-armed attacks but none of them could hit the mark. Hiro dodged them all and then counter attacked sinking his blade deep into the chest of the monster. With the last ounce of its strength it wrapped its massive arms around Hiro in an effort to squeeze the life out of him. The Cyclops¡¯s strength was great but it was nothing that Hiro couldn¡¯t deal with. Hiro activated his body strengthing tecqunice. Then he dropped his blade and kneed the Cyclops in its solar plexus. It gasped for air and released Hiro. ¡°Play time is over¡±, yelled Hiro Hiro reclaimed his sword and used his weapon strengthening ability. The aura surrounding his body began to flow into his blade. Hiro ran at top speed and began to attack. The Cyclops was overwhelmed it was almost like he was fighting several enemies at once. The goblins looked on in amazement. To them it appeared like the Cyclops was being engulfed by a tornado of death. The Cyclops¡¯s health plummeted quickly. Then Hiro stepped back. It was bleeding heavily and could no longer stand. Hiro had also chopped off both of its arms. ¡°Come on you guys. I want you to strike the final blow. By killing him you should all reach level 100.¡± The goblins nodded and drew their weapons. The group charged in and attacked the Cyclops until it fell back and died. After it died Hiro looked at the goblins who began to glow. Hiro had to avert his eyes. As the light lessened Hiro could see the new forms of his companions. Blackrock and Argus had grown to about 6 1/2 tall. Both were muscular but Blackrock was more muscular. Blackrock had also grown another horn one that protruded from the center of his forehead and then one from either side of his temple. Blackrock¡¯s skin had also gone from green to black while Argus¡¯s skin went from green to a earthy brown. Sheera had grown to about 5 1/2 feet tall. She had become beautiful, Her green hair now turned pure white and her skin became a royal blue color. Her eyes remained the same color and her figure had a small waist with very large ¡°attributes¡±. Ash had become almost identical to Hiro¡¯s height about 6 feet tall. His body looked fit but not overly muscular. The lines on his body became some sort of hieroglyphic looking characters that were red in color while the rest of his skin was a silver color. His hair turned jet black. Hiro whistled, ¡°How do you guys feel?¡± ¡°Stronger!¡±, they all said in unison. ¡°We all ranked up to hobgoblin. I gained a new skill called taunt which allows me to get and maintain my enemy¡¯s attention¡±, said Blackrock ¡°I learned an attack called power strike¡±, said Argus ¡°I learned a spell called, heal¡± said Sheera ¡°I learned an attack called, triple stab¡±said Ash ¡°You guys have done a great job so far. I think we are ready to go to the town now. There I want to get you some upgraded equipment and some rest.¡± ¡°Thank you Hiro. There is no way we would have gotten this strong without you¡±, said Black rock. All of the new hobgoblins kneeled down in front of Hiro. This was acknowledgment of Hiro being their leader. ¡°Stand up. You are embarrassing me. Now you guys can have your own formation without me. Sheera you will be the group¡¯s healer, Blackrock you continue to be the tank, and Ash and Argus are the damage dealers.¡± They nodded in agreement. ¡°Umm¡­ Hiro can we have a rematch with you?¡± asked Argus ¡°Oh now that you have gotten stronger you would like to test your new strength? I understand. I will comply but I will not use my sword as I do not have complete control over my new strength and I would hate to hurt one of you too bad.¡± The hobgoblins got into their formation, Blackrock led the charge. Shera stayed back and they came at Hiro using a pincer attack. Hiro smiled. Good tactic but not good enough. Hiro took his fighting stance and summoned his body strengthening ki again. The pressure he was exuding was stifling. The hobgoblins struggled but they were still able to attack. First came Blackrock. His attacks were much heavier than before. The club was a weak weapon but with something like Caesar¡¯s hammer he could be dangerous. Hiro blocked the club with his forearm. As he was preoccupied with the Blackrock, the two damage dealers went on the offensive. Their attacks were very good but of little effect on Hiro. After taking their attacks Hiro began to counter. He dodged a thrust from Ash, then gave him a roundhouse kick to his temple that sent him flying. Next he stopped Argus¡¯s power strike ability with one hand. Hiro¡¯s hand was red but that was the extent of the damage. Hiro followed his defense up by slamming an elbow into Argus¡¯s solar plexus. Argus let out a gasp and fell to his knees. Hiro Sidekicked him in the head and he flew 20 fet back before rolling on the ground several times. Hiro could see from the corner of his eye that Sheera had already begun healing her comrades. Good tactics! Unfortunately she doesn¡¯t have enough mana to keep up with the damage that I will do to all of you. As Hiro set his eyes on Sheera he sensed an attack coming from behind him it was Ash. Hiro rolled forward just in time as Ash had sent an excellent spear thrust towards his back. Once he rolled out of the way, Hiro leaped into the air backwards and dropped an axe kick on Ash who tried to defend with his spear. Ash successfully blocked the attack but the pressure exerted by Hiro¡¯s attack brought him down to one knee. The force Hiro continued to exert causes Ash¡¯sspear to crack then snap into two pieces. Once his stance broke, Hiro slipped around behind Ash where he grabbed him around his waist and performed a perfect German Suplex dropping Ash on his neck. Ash was completely incapacitated but Hiro could see that Argus and Blackrock had been completely healed and were ready for round 2. Hiro quickly dashed towards the hobgoblins as they readied their weapons. This time my target will be Sheera. I don¡¯t know how much mana she has but if she can¡¯t heal them the battle will be over quickly. Hiro met the attacks of the two club wielding hobgoblins with his forearms. These attacks are even more powerful than last time. Are they leveling up just by fighting me? If so then I should spar with them more often. Hiro blocked the attacks and then jumped into the air and kicked both in the face simultaneously. The two goblins flew back and rolled to the ground. Both were injured but they were able to get back to there feet. It was too late though Hiro was already on his way towards their healer. Hiro rushed towards her and she drew her sword. She slashed at him several times but she hit nothing but air. To her it was as Hiro was a ghost but what she really saw were after images because he moved so fast. After one of her thrusts with the sword, Hiro blocked by striking her wrist then he grabbed and bent her wrist and elbow causing her extreme pain. In her agony she dropped the sword then Hiro hit her at the base of her skull with a chop causing her to lose consciousness. Ash who had been fully healed rushed in but it was to no avail. Hiro quickly dispatched him and the 3 other hobgoblins with very little effort. Once his comrades were all laid out on the ground he cast his healing spell to help them recover from their wounds. Immediately Sheera awoke and the others began to sit up. ¡°You guys have definitely improved but you have a long way to go before you can fight evenly with me but fighting stronger opponents will have you improve your skills and tactics even if you don¡¯t gain levels.¡± ¡°Umm.. Hiro¡­ I gained 5 levels fighting you¡±, said Sheera sheepishly ¡°I gained 7¡± said Blackrock ¡°I gained 6¡± said Ash ¡°I gained 6 too¡±, said Argus ¡°You did? That¡¯s great then you will gain multiple benefits from sparring with me. We will do this several times during the week. You will also spar with each other to help you hone your skills against opponents on your level.¡± The hobgoblins nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°Before we go back, I want to apologize Ash for breaking your spear. I would like to give you the spear that I looted from the Cyclops.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Seriously? That thing looks extremely heavy. How can I use it?¡± replied Ash. ¡°With training¡± said Hiro Ash nodded and Hiro gave him the spear. Ash picked the spear up but it was obvious that he could only hold it. ¡°As we walk back to town carry it on your shoulders. It will be good training for you.¡± Ash nodded showing his agreement. Hiro searched the corpse for anything of value. The hulking Cyclops had nothing of value on him other than his clothes but they were suitable for anyone in this group as they were much too big. He wasn¡¯t able to find anything of value other than the spear so he motion for the group to follow him and the group began walking back towards town. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading! Please leave your comments to let me know what you think. Please rate/review/follow my story. Chapter 22 (Continued) Author''s notes: Sorry guys a lot of people left me messages about a mistake that I made with chapter 23 and 24. There was a section missing a a chapter was mislabeled. I have fixed it and added this new chapter. ___________________________________________________ Chapter 22 Hiro awoke with the sun coming up. He went downstairs from his room and saw Leo sleeping on the first floor. He placed the silver armor on. It still felt heavy. He woke up Leo and went outside to train. He decided to get used to the armor first so he asked Leo to attack him. Leo came at Hiro who tried to dodge the attacks but was unable to so he had to use his ki to block the attack. Leo you have gotten much stronger. They continued this back and forth for about an hour. Slowly Hiro¡¯s speed began to increase even though he was wearing the heavy armor.
Your strength has increased by 5!
Hiro then completed his morning calisthenics which consisted of over 1,000 pushups, sit ups, and squats all while wearing the heavy armor.
Your strength has increased by 8
Hiro then pulled out the hammer and began training with that. He was now able to lift the hammer up using both hands. It still took and incredible amount of effort. He then swung it down striking the ground. The effect was a crater was formed due to the forceful impact of the hammer onto the ground.
Your strength has increased by 1
Hiro decided to learn to use this weapon as maybe it might come in handy later. He opened his weapon skill menu and clicked blunt weapons level 2. He saw 2 bubbles light up after he learned the hammer technique. One was the skill shockwave and the other was a vitality +25 stat increase. Both were 40 weapon skill points each. So he did not have enough to learn either at this time. Hiro continued to lift the hammer and strike the ground. He was able to do this over 50 times.
Your strength has increased by 20!
His plan to increase his strength was going well now it was time to meditate. Hiro sat and cleared his mind and began to meditate. His meditation ended after about 1 hour as he stood up he noticed that his ki was surrounding his body with the thinnest shroud he could manage. Hiro decided to leave it like this as long as he could. This would be a good way to practice with his ki. He asked Leo would he like to have a sparring match with Ora today. Leo roared in agreement. He always liked having a worthy opponent. So they went to the training grounds a met up with Snow. Snow said now it is time for combat practice training. Hiro said that is just what I was thinking. He asked Snow could they spar and could Leo and Ora spar. Snow agreed then he asked Ora she growled in agreement. The spar was on. Snow put on his armor and they went outside of the town. Ora and Leo followed suit. The young soldiers paused their training and followed behind. They did not want to miss the battle. The first battle was between the 2 pets. Ora and Leo began their battle by circling each other. Leo knew Ora¡¯s hide was very strong and that he could not use his poison fangs or claws in the friendly battle. He decided to use his speed. He took the initiative and set the pace by quickly circling Ora. Ora breathed fire in front of Leo to make him change directions. She charged forward as he had to change directions and struck Leo with a body tackle. Leo was thrown back about 10 meters and received major damage. Leo jumped back up from the attack and was breathing heavily but he immediately countered with his dashing head but attack. It landed. Ora was knocked back onto the ground. She got up and charged at him but Leo¡¯s speed began to bother her. Leo was struggled but he was able to avoid the powerful attacks of Ora until he found an opening to strike. Leo then jumped up. Hiro saw his font left paw glowing as he felt some of his ki leave his body. This looked like his ki strike technique. What? Leo able to use of his techniques? The attack missed as Ora jumped back just in time but the seismic wave created from the attack hitting the ground caused Ora to lose her balance. Leo quickly dashed toward her and using his powerful front paws pinned her down on the ground, opening his jaws, and placing the around her neck. Hiro said the battle was over and the winner was Leo. Leo roared with the delight of his victory. Now the second match between Snow and Hiro would begin. Hiro and Snow both bowed to one another and took their fighting poses. They looked like mirror images of each other. Both held their shields high and their swords were pointing at each other on the side of their shields. Leo could see Snow¡¯s ki all over his body. Hiro decided to increase the amount of ki his was putting into his body. The golden shroud around his body became thicker. He could feel the power swelling up from his belly. They charged at each other. Both of their swords met the other¡¯s shield. In terms of strength now Hiro was superior. Hiro pushed Snow back down almost to his knees. While Snow was on his knees, Hiro kicked him in the chest. Snow fell back onto his back. Hiro tried to finish him but Snow used his shield to block the attack and then he slam into Hiro¡¯s Chest. Hiro was able to deflect some of the damage with his ki but he was thrown back by the force of the blow. Hiro felt the pain in his chest. Snow¡¯s attack must have been similar to the troll¡¯s attack as it caused him some internal damage. Snow was definitely a tough enemy but he was not fighting just on equal footing with him if not pushing Snow. Hiro resumed his attack. Snow defended with his shield. Hiro used his shield bash ability and it knocked Snow¡¯s shield away injuring Snow¡¯s arm and shoulder. Hiro then swung his sword but Snow ducked under the attack. Snow was in bad shape. He was panting heavily and his left arm and shoulder were injured. ¡°Do you give up!¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Not a chance!¡± replied Snow. The wind blew and the two warriors stood and face each other. Snow charged Hiro but his movements had dulled and slowed due to his damage. Hiro was easily able to avoid the slashes by Snow¡¯s blade. Then Snow thrust the blade at Hiro¡¯s chest. Instead of blocking the attack Hiro decided to parry the attack with his shield. The shock from the impact with Hiro¡¯s shield caused Snow to drop his weapon Hiro then quickly thrust his blade at Snow¡¯s chest stopping it just before the blade pierced Snow. The battle was won and Hiro was the victor. Korin came in and cast a healing spell on Snow¡¯s arm.
You have now copied the skill healing spell. This spell allows the caster to heal the wounds of himself or an ally.
Snow¡¯s arm was completely healed after Korin finished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Snow. I guess I got a little carried away¡± ¡°No problem. It was a glorious battle¡±, replied Snow. He cast the healing spell on himself. His body was bathed in the familiar glow and his internal wounds began to heal and his pain dissipated. Hiro was excited about his victory and learning Korin¡¯s spell he decided to celebrate by going out alone and hunting some new prey. He left the training area and mounted Leo. They ran off towards the north. While riding, Hiro asked Leo,¡±are you able to use my skills and techniques?¡± ¡°Oh you noticed that? Yes ever since we became partners I was able to use ki. I don¡¯t understand completely but I feel it.¡± ¡°You are amazing Leo¡± ¡°No, we are amazing Hiro¡± They continued to run north. Then suddenly Leo stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°I sense danger here¡± ¡°I can¡¯t detect anything but maybe whatever it is it can mask itself from my detection. Let¡¯s be careful. Leo nodded and Hiro dismounted and equipped his sword and shield. Leo began to sniff the air. ¡°Maybe I can smell them even if I can¡¯t see them¡±, Leo said. Hiro nodded and agreed. ¡°Nothing! I can¡¯t pick up a scent. How can they even mask their scent?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but I think we should get out of here if it is making you this uneasy¡±, Hiro said. He then mounted up and they ran off. Something was really creepy about that place. They ran to the southeast this time. This area appeared to be almost like a desert. Hiro could sense some enemies nearby so he dismounted and prepared for battle. Suddenly, a group of 3 large scorpions sprang out of the ground. Their armor looked extremely thick and their claws were razor sharp. The thing that truly worried Hiro was that long barbed tail. The poison was not an issue but the size of a wound that it would inflict would most likely be fatal. Hiro decided to inspect the enemies to see if he could find out anything.
Due to your constant studying of enemies your inspect skill has evolved to analyze. This now will give you detailed information about any enemy you encounter including their hp, weak point (if armored) and elemental resistances or weaknesses.
Name: Sand Scorpion
Hp:3,000/3,000Mana:0/0
Resistances: Slashing weapons, Blunt weapons, fire, lightning, and earth
Weaknesses: Piercing weapons, Water and darkness
Sand Scorpion: A large armored scorpion that has powerful pincers and a venomous barbed tail. The armor is thick on the top of the scorpion but its legs and underbody are soft and vulnerable.
Hiro asked, ¡°did you see the information on the scorpions?¡± Leo replied ¡°no but I suddenly know a lot more about the scorpions. It happens every time we fight. Is that your doing?¡± ¡°Yes it¡¯s a skill called analyze.¡± ¡°Well you know where to attack now so let¡¯s take these things out.¡± Hiro readied his sword and charged at the scorpion closest to him. He saw 3 prediction lines which he assumed were the pincers and tail. He activated his ki to strengthen his blade shield and body. Hiro glanced over and saw Leo bathed in the same golden glow. Hiro jumped over the 2 pincers attacks and sliced off the barbed pincer. Leo had used his sharp claws to tear off the scorpions legs on its right side. The body fell down. Leo¡¯s poison went into effect and Hiro could see the scorpion¡¯s hp rapidly falling from 2 status ailments bleeding and poison. Hiro decided to let this one die as it could no longer move. He quickly moved to the next one. Leo had beaten him to it. With his powerful legs he had jump up, sank his large fangs into the tail of the second scorpion, and bit the barber stinger off. Again the poison status ailment came up. Hiro blocked the strike from the pincers and drove his blade into the eyes of the scorpion. The scorpion immediately fell dead. ¡°Look out!¡±, Leo said. But it was too late the third scorpion had come up behind Hiro and impaled him with its barbed tail. Hiro was able to dodge slightly so the barbed did not pierce his lung or heart but the wound was extremely painful and he could not get free. Leo jumped and used his version of Hiro¡¯s ki strike on the scorpion¡¯s tail. The tail fell off and Hiro fell to the ground hard. Hiro did not feel any effects of poison but he saw his hp declining due to the fact that he was bleeding. Leo bit down on the tail and pulled it out of Hiro¡¯s back. Just has he got it out, the 3rd scorpion attacked. Its pincers lopped off Leo¡¯s two hind legs. This situation was dire. Hiro stood up and dropped his shield. Leo¡¯s wounds are not fatal and his regenerate ability will allow him to grow his limbs back in time. He activated his ki and cast his heal spell on himself. The wound did not close up completely but the bleeding stopped and the pain reduced dramatically. He then shifted his ki to his blade coating it in a white glow. This time the amount ki he placed in his blade was so great that he could no longer shroud his entire body with his ki strengthening skill. If I put enough ki into my sword, I will be able to cut through the thick armor of the scorpion. This was going to be an all or nothing attack. If he was hit by the scorpion¡¯s pincers without his ki strengthening technique it would be all over. He ran at the scorpion dodging the pincer attacks. He then struck one of the pincers at the joint where it attached to the body. Hiro¡¯s blade cut right through the thick armor as it was nothing lopping the pincer off. He then rolled under the next pincer attack. After rolling underneath the attack Hiro was in perfect position to detach the other pincer making the scorpion defenseless. He switched his grip on the blade so that the hilt was pointing up and the blade was pointing down. He swung his blade in a rising arc and it cut the other pincer off causing it to fall to the ground. The Scorpion reared up on its leg and it¡¯s underbody was exposed. Hiro realized this and took his blade with as much ki as he could muster and slashed right down the center of the scorpion severing it into to 2 pieces. Hiro fell to his knees completely exhausted. He used the last of his remaining strength to cast a healing spell on Leo. The spell stopped Leo¡¯s bleeding and his legs started to regenerate. Hiro told Leo to try to eat the scorpions as their bodies might help him regain his strength and regenerate. Then he passed out. Leo used his forelegs and dragged himself over to the now three dead scorpions. The 1st one must have finally died from the bleeding and the poison. Leo began eating the pincers of scorpions. His strong jaws took a while to break through the scorpion¡¯s armor but eventually he was able to devour the pincers. Leo felt his strength returning and but his legs had not yet regenerated. Leo then moved onto the body of the scorpion that Hiro cut in half. He bit right through the under body of the scorpion. He finished body and left the hard scales on the top. Then he ate all of the legs. Leo continued to feel stronger and he noticed his legs were beginning to grow. He quickly pulled himself to the next scorpion. He rolled it over and ate it from the underbody. He ripped through the soft underbody and gorged himself on the meat contained within and the legs that were attached. He legs grew more. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Finally he moved to the last scorpion and repeated the same thing. His legs had completely regenerated. He stood himself up on his legs and used his powerful paws to crush the hard armor into smaller pieces. Among the smaller pieces he saw 3 spheres they were glowing red. He pushed them toward Hiro and then returned to his meal. He then bit down on them and they began to crack. Leo used this method to finish off the scorpions. When he finished nothing remained of the beasts. Once finished he lay down and covered his partner. Hours later Hiro awoke to find that Leo had regenerated his legs and that they were safe. As he stood up to get his shield he noticed that there were 3 red jewels on the ground. ¡°Leo where did these come from?¡± ¡°When I ate the Scorpions it fell out. I thought you might know what they were so I left them to you¡± replied Leo. Hiro used his analyze skill. [table]Name: Fire JewelFire Jewel: This is a small gem containing the essence of fire. The intensity of its color and size tell the quality of the gem. This item can be used to add fire qualities to a weapon or armor.Then Hiro recognized that he had learned several new skills.
You and Leo have learned the passive skill armored skin. This makes your skin tough like steel reducing the damage you from physical attacks.
From eating the hard scorpion armor Leo¡¯s biting ability has evolved into crush. His jaws are now able to bite even the toughest monster hide. With continued improvement he will be even able to bite through metal.
[window[You and Leo have gained the passive skill fire resistance. You are now able to resistant fire without taking much damage. As this skill improves you may be able to make yourself immune to fire.[/window]
You and Leo have gained the passive skill earth resistance. You are now able to resistant earth magic without taking much damage. As this skill improves you may be able to make yourself immune to earth magic.
You and Leo have evolved the passive skill lightning resistance to lightning immunity. You are now able to resist lightning based spells without taking any damage. If you continue to improve this skill you will evolve it to absorbing lightning which will allow you to gain power from being attacked by lightning based attacks.
The two decided to return to the town to rest themselves so Hiro mounted up onto Leo¡¯s back and Leo swiftly took the home. Hiro was also very hungry his stomach began growling. His shoulder remained in some pain even though the wound had healed completely on the outside. His regenerative ability was definitely impressive. He attributed to the fact that the barbed tail probably damaged his internal organs. A short time passed and the sun began to set as they arrived back in the town. They went home and Hiro removed his armor and weapons placing them on the rack. Leo decided to rest as the journey back took a lot of his energy. Hiro patted him on the head and thanked him for keeping him alive earlier. Leo purred as Hiro stroked him behind his ears. Then Hiro left to go out to get something to eat. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes the town seemed like it had grown even more in the day he was gone. There was now a smithy shop and a restaurant. The training grounds had been improved with wooden dummies for the soldiers to practice on. Hiro was impressed. He went to the restaurant and sat down. The waitress came up and showed him the menu. She then said anything you want is on the house Hiro. Thank you for rescuing our town. Hiro smiled and order some steak with a side of soup. The waitress took his order and return shortly. The meal looked delicious. He thanked the waitress and dug in. In no time Hiro had devoured all of the food. He felt stuffed. It had been a long time since he ate like this. After he finished eat his shoulder pain was gone. I guess it works for me too. When I eat my health and strength returns. Hiro then left and went outside to visit the dwarves at the smithy. He opened the door and noticed that the shop was bare on the inside. It was to be expected the shop had just been built today. He called out for the dwarves. They came out and greeted him with large smiles. Their short stout bodies were covered in sweat. They must have been working hard. Hiro opened his bag and took out the large wind gem and the small fire stones. The dwarves¡¯ eyes got very large. Then he asked, ¡°When you make my armor and weapon can you use these?¡± The dwarves said, ¡°Of course what would you like your armor to be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The dwarves explained the enchanting process. The said that fire properties increase strength attack power, earth properties raise defense, water properties raise vitality and thus your life, lightning increases your speed and thus your ability to dodge attacks, wind increases you wisdom, and thus improving your ability to use magic. Hiro was impressed with the knowledge possessed by the dwarves. He decided to have his blade made with fire gems, his boots from lightning, his gauntlets from wind, his breastplate from with water gems, and his shield with earth gems. The dwarves smiled and said young Hiro what you are looking for is elemental armor. It is extremely rare due to the components needed to make it. First you will have to gather an adequate amount of spirit gems. Then you will have to find metals suitable for embedding these types of gems into, we suggest titanium or mithril. Those materials are difficult to mine as they are only found in the deepest parts of a dungeon where the most dangerous monsters live. Hiro thought for a moment and said if I get them can you make my armor and weapon. The dwarves huddled for a moment and returned saying they would make him the finest armor and weapon in the land if he got the materials that had asked for. ¡°Ding!¡± New quest available: Find the materials for the elemental armor. Do you accept:yes/no. Yes Reward: ??? ¡°Until then young warrior, please bring us your current equipment so that we can repair it.¡° Hiro agreed and went home to get his weapon and armor. Upon inspection the dwarves were right the armor was nicked up and sword had chips in the blade. He grabbed the equipment and returned the smithy. The dwarves took his equipment into the back and Hiro waited. A few hours later, the dwarves returned. The armor looked different. It seemed to be a bit smaller. The dwarves told him that they resized the armor to fit his body rather than the body of the Kobold. Then they explained, ¡°It should afford you the same protection with less restriction in your movement. Your sword was in bad shape so we re-forged it with the fire gems you left here. The result was better than we had hoped. We know you have the ability to use fire magic so we know you have an affinity for fire. This weapon that we forged will react to your fire affinity. Your armor will do so as well.¡± Hiro donned his armor, shield and sword. The dwarves were right. The armor felt much better. He did not feel restricted at all. His arms felt loose and his legs felt free. He then put on his sword and shield. The dwarves felt the power of Hiro¡¯s aura. They told him, ¡°Feel the fire that was flowing through him.¡± Hiro closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly his armor, shield, and sword started to heat up. Then they burst into flames. The dwarves backed away in awe of Hiro. Hiro said I will call this the Armor of Wild fire. The dwarves told him to relax or he would burn down their new shop. Laughingly he took a deep breath as he did the flames subsided and the armor cooled off. The armor was amazing.
Wildfire helmet Defense: 28 Fire resitance: 20% +2 strength
Wildfire Breastplate: Defense 50 Fire resitance 20% +2 strength
Wildfire Gloves Defense 17 Fire resistance 20% +2 strength
Wildfire Shield Defense: 45 Fire resistance 20% +2 strength
Wildfire greaves Defense 25 Fire resistance 20% +2 strength
Set bonus fire absorption allowing you to gain health and mana equal to 50% of the damage inflicted by a fire based attack.
Wildfire Sword Attack: 65 10% fire damage to enemies +20 strength
You have learned technique armor of wildfire. By releasing your ki into your armor imbued with fire gems you can ignite the armor. The flames will damage an enemy who attacks you.
By equipping the Wildfire Sword, you have learned volcanic strike. By strengthening your fire sword the flame it produces flames that rival the heat of volcanic magma. It will burn enemies who survive causing them to receive extended damage over time.
Hiro thanked the dwarves. He then pulled out one of his whetstones and sharpened the blade.
Due to your sharpening the weapon now has a +5 to its attack damage.
The dwarves were astounded and asked, ¡°Are you a blacksmith¡± ¡°Yes but I¡¯m just learning.¡± ¡°Well we¡¯ll teach you whatever you would like to know.¡± ¡°OK. Can you teach me how to smelt ore?¡± ¡°Of course¡± They asked him to come into the back of the store. There he saw a forge. They asked him to take out the raw ore that he found. He took out the copper, tin, and finally the large iron ore from his bag. The dwarves¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the copper as it is the most common of the ores. One of the dwarves placed in the forge. The heat began to melt away the impurities and all that was left was the pure copper in a liquid form. The dwarve then poured the liquid copper into a mold. Once the mold was closed it was allowed to cool. A little while later the mold was opened and there was a shiny copper bar. The dwarf gave it to him and then said, ¡°Your turn¡±. The dwarf talked Hiro through the process and he made all of his copper into copper bars. Then he did the same for tin. He felt that this was easy. Maybe it was because his blacksmithing skill was intermediate after Leo at the kobolds. Now it was time to work with the iron ore. The dwarves told him first he should cut it into some smaller pieces to fit inside the forge. He took out his wildfire sword and imbued it with his ki. He slashed at the large ore and cut it into 12 pieces that were similar in size and shape to the other ores. Then he tried to smelt the iron. He began the process the same way but he failed on his first try. The dwarf told them that iron was a little more sensitive so he would have to heat it on a lower temperature so that the iron did not completely melt away. He then tried again and this time the impurities left and he was left with a spongy substance. The dwarves took some large tongs and grab the pieces. They beat it with a hammer until it to the shape of a bar. Once it cooled It was a perfectly shaped iron bar. He tried 8 more times but he was on successful 6 out of the 8. He needed to continue to improve his blacksmiting skill. When he picked up the last 2 pieces of or he noticed that there were jewels inside the ore. He showed it to the dwarves and they said he was lucky there were 6 small fire gems inside the pieces of ore. The dwarves told him by removing them he would no longer be able to use the ore for smelting. He agreed and they showed Hiro how to remove the gems. He then He asked them a favor. ¡°Could you teach me to make some armor for Leo? The Dwarves asked who Leo was. Hiro nodded and smiled he is my liger. You saw him in the dungeon. Making armor for your pet will take some time and materials. If you gather material we can make him armor like your elemental armor affording him the same protection, attack, and attribute buffs as you.¡±
New quest available: Find materials for dwarves to make Leo¡¯s elemental armor. Do you accept: yes or no. Yes. Reward:???
They continued saying that, ¡°If you want something now we can teach you to make body armor and helmet out of any of the metals you smelted so far using your current skill.¡± Hiro agreed. The dwarves asked Hiro to go and get Leo so that they could examine his size and shape. Hiro left and quickly returned with Leo. The dwarves came outside and saw Leo. They were in awe of the fierce beast but even more admiring of Hiro as he had tamed this monstrous beast. They took in his dimensions and made a pattern for Hiro. They gave him the pattern for bronze greaves, iron body armor, and a bronze helmet. Leo thanked them and left Hiro was excited about his new armor he left the wind gem with the dwarves for safe keeping. He then returned home and told Leo the news about his new armor and the dwarves¡¯ proposition to make them new armor. He told Leo that they were going to become the strongest team the world had ever seen. Leo roared showing his approval. Then Hiro went upstairs to his bed and they both fell asleep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Author''s Notes: I hope this chapter fills in any spaces that might have been missed previously. Sorry guys for the mistake. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 It was getting late as the group arrived back at the town. Hiro noticed that Leo and Leara were waiting at the gate for him and his group. When they got close Leo walked up to Hiro. ¡°I have some bad news.¡± Said Leo ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Foria told me to let you know that Korin came back and he was not happy with your idea of bringing together monster races with humans. He told Foria that he forbid any monsters to live in the town¡±, explained Leo. ¡°Wait, Foria spoke to you? That means she can speak to animals too?¡± ¡°Yes I assume so.¡± ¡°Well that is impressive. Anyway, I can understand his anger because goblins and orcs killed his family¡±, said Hiro as he dropped his head. ¡°What will you do with them?¡± asked Leara ¡°I don¡¯t know. Honestly I hadn¡¯t anticipated this.¡± ¡°Hiro we are strong enough to fend for ourselves in the woods now. If you need us to we will wait for you in the forest where you found us¡±, said Blackrock. All of the hobgoblins nodded their heads. ¡°No, you may stay in my home. If he has a problem with that then he can deal with me. Starting tomorrow I will pay for a new home to be built for you guys outside of the town. Once it is built you should go back and get your families then expand your home as you see fit.¡± ¡°Really we are going to have a home?¡±, replied Argus. ¡°Yes. You are my comrades now and as such you will be given access to all of the benefits of any of my other comrades.¡± The hobgoblins looked confused as no human had ever treated them as well as Hiro had. ¡°Are you sure about this Hiro? I mean you don¡¯t want to make an enemy out of the town¡¯s chief do you?Plus he is the brother of your mate. Won¡¯t this cause some problems with your mate?¡± asked Leo. ¡°It may but right is right. They have given me a second chance even though I have killed many of their kind. So why shouldn¡¯t we give them the same chance to prove that they are not mindless savages?¡± ¡°I understand but this is not an argument of logic. It is an emotionally charged situation.¡± Said Leara. ¡°Be careful my friend. To make room for the hobgoblins we will sleep with our pride until their home is built¡±, said Leo ¡°Thank you my friend.¡± Replied Hiro ¡°Hiro were you just talking to those ligers?¡± asked Argus ¡°Yes, I gained a job called beastmaster that allows me to tame beasts and communicate with them.¡± ¡°I would like to do that!¡± said Argus ¡°Continue training and then we will work on that.¡± Hiro said with a smile. ¡°Alright everyone lets go to my place and get some rest. Tomorrow you will train with the army.¡± ¡°Agreed¡±, said Blackrock The group entered the city absent any harassment by the guards. He quickly got them to his home and showed them around. The group felt the distinct difference between the inside of his home and outside. Hiro walked over to his fireplace and placed a few pieces of wood from his inventory on top of each other. He then cast a simple fire spell and lit the fire. Immediately warmth began to flow all through the area. Hiro also lit two lamps that he had in the room. ¡°Welcome to my home. I¡¯m sorry it is not much as I don¡¯t spend a lot of time here but you are welcome here. I¡¯m going upstairs to my room to rest. Please stay inside tonight. I don¡¯t know how the villagers will react to your presence yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Sheera ¡°Well.. When I first came to this village, it was under attack by goblins and orcs. Many people were killed including the chief of the town and his wife.¡± ¡°What!? And you bought us here? Are you crazy! They will want us dead!¡± said Argus ¡°No. You will show them that all goblins and hobgoblins are not the same just like you now know all humans are not the same becasue you have met me.¡± Said Hiro ¡°You are definitely good at talking. I just hope you know what you are doing.¡± Said Argus ¡°Alright I do have 2 rules while you are here.¡±said Hiro ¡°Ok what are they?¡± said Blackrock ¡°First you stay with me wherever I go. You never leave my side while we are in public. Second do not hurt anyone even if they try to harm you.¡± ¡°I will comply with the first request but I don¡¯t know about the second one. I mean what if it is a soldier who is armed. You expect me to die?¡± said Ash ¡°I am the commander of the army. I assure you no soldier will harm you. The citizens of this town are farmers and merchants none of them have the strength to harm you at this point. Also I am good at using magic to heal wounds so you will be fine.¡± ¡°Well when you put it like that I guess I can comply then.¡± Said Argus ¡°Alright rest tonight for our training continues tomorrow. Good night.¡± ¡°Thanks for everything Hiro.¡± Said Blackrock as Hiro walked up the steps to his bedroom. Once he entered his bedroom, Hiro looked at himself in his mirror. They were right this beard is crazy. I look like some sort of rustic lumberjack or something. This has to go. He took off shirt and pants then put on some cloth shorts he fashioned. Hiro turned around and caught a glimpse of his shirtless body. Whoa! How¡­What.. I can¡¯t believe it Hiro was flexing the muscles in his arms and chest like he was trying to winner a bodybuilding contest. Each muscle of his body was chiseled to the utmost perfection. His body looked like a certain golden haired alien anime character. His abs were ripped, his arms and chest bulged, and his shoulders and back looked liked a night vipers hood when it opened. This is way more than I could have imagined. No wonder Foria turned so red when I asked did she like what she saw. Well my plan is going well. I just have to figure out a way to settle this peacefully with Korin tomorrow. I have to get him to see reason in this situation.I just hope it doesn''t come down to a fight. I would really hate to have to hurt him. Hiro sighed at the thought of harming his future brother-in-law. Hiro stared out of the window and looked out at the town. It was a getting bigger everyday. People from towns that were attacked from all over continue to pour in daily. It has become a bustling hub for trade as well. I have to keep it safe and the only way to do that is to make peace. I have to do this! There is no other solution! I don¡¯t want to fight but if I have to fight to keep that peace I will!Master thank you for all of your teaching and I hope that as the new Master of the Lightning Blade Style i will be able to live up to be the warrior that you were but more than anything i want to be a protector of those who need me. Hiro laid down in his bed and closed his eyes so that he could rest. Sleep took some time to come as Hiro longed for Foria''s soft body lying next to him. Finally, late into the night he finally fell asleep. The next morning Hiro awoke and went downstairs to find the hobgoblins already awake waiting on him. ¡°Good morning¡±, they said in Unison. ¡°Good morning¡±, said Hiro ¡°Anyone want to get some food?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± said Blackrock enthusiastically. Hiro led the group to the restaurant where he would get his meals. They went inside and sat down. No one was in the restaurant but the waitress did not come to take their order. ¡°Waitress can you come over we would like to order.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Ummm¡­ Hiro¡­. Do you know they are hobgoblins?¡± asked the waitress ¡°Yes, they are the newest additions to our growing army and they are hungry. Would you mind getting us 5 orders of pancakes with bacon and eggs?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Ummm¡­. Ok.¡± Said the waitress as her voice trembled. ¡°Thank you, miss. I know we may seem scary but no harm will come to you because of us¡±, said Sheera. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Wait you can talk?¡± asked the waitress. ¡°Yes we are not savages we have language. We learned a little of your language as we talked and trained with the commander here. When we ranked up our command of the language increased by leaps and bounds. Please do not be afraid we mean you kno harm.¡± Said Blackrock. ¡°Ummm.... th.... th... thank you I guess. Well I¡¯ll go put in the order for your food¡±, said waitress nervously. She backed away slowly not wanting to turn her back on the group of hobgoblins as she was not convinced about their sincerity. The group chatted for a few moments before the food came to the table. The hobgoblins immediately began wolfing down their food. ¡°What manner of sorcery is this?¡±asked Argus ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Hiro ¡°It is so good. I have never eaten anything like this.¡± Said Argus Hiro smiled and said, ¡°The human world has all sorts of good foods. You will earn money by slaying things and doing jobs for people around the town and you can buy whatever you want. First though I have to get you accepted int the society around here¡±, said Hiro with a smile The group continued to eat until they were completely stuffed. Hiro took a deep breath then grabbed the check. He paid the bill and left the waitress a nice tip. He then patted his stomach and stood while motioning for the hobgoblins to come with him. Before leaving the hobgoblins thanked the waitress for the delicious food. She smiled nervously and then the group left. The group immediately went to the area where the army was training. They walked in and immediately everything stopped. The soldiers came to attention. All of them had a mix of hate and adjulation mixed with apprehension in their eyes. Hiro could feel the killing intent coming from many of the soldiers. He walked up to the area where Caesar had been working with some of the recurits on some offensive and defensive maneuvers. ¡°Hey Caesar!¡±, shouted Hiro ¡°Yes Sir!¡± replied Caesar as he came to attention. ¡°These are the new recruits. I want you to take care of them. Their names are Blackrock, Argus, Ash, and Sheera. Their growth has been amazing since I have met them¡±, Hiro said while pointing to the Hobgoblins. ¡°You want me to train them?¡± replied Caesar ¡°Yes I do. Argus will be going with me soon as he said he wants to be a beastmaster so I will take him to get a pet soon. I am also going to try and get Rain to train Sheera for me so that she can improve her magical abilities.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Are you sure Hiro I mean they are Hobgoblins. They are our enemies aren''t they." "Caesar, enemies are those that wish us harm. These guys wish us no harm in fact they wish to be like us in terms of strength. They wish only to be strong so that they can protect their own." "Well if you feel like it ok, it that is good enough for me¡±, said Caesar ¡°Hobgoblins, I am the Commander of this army and this is my General Caesar. He is in charge of training the troops. You will follow his every command without question and without failure. Understood!?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± replied the hobgoblins in unison.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Caesar looked at the hobgoblins and began speaking. ¡°First we need to get you some decent equipment. Argus the future Beastmaster, you will wear leather armor and use two swords so that you can do maximum damage.¡± ¡°Argus as you say sir!¡± said Argus ¡°Next, Sheera you wield a sword like a warrior but i was told that you use magic as well. I believe you will be more like a paladin type warrior. What type of magic do you possess?¡± ¡°I am able to use a healing spell sir.¡± Replied Sheera ¡°Then you will will were leather armor and shield until you are strong enough to wield heavier armor. What weapon do you prefer a sword like Hiro or a hammer like mine?¡± asked Caesar ¡°I would like to keep my sword if that is ok sir!¡± ¡°That is fine. I would like you to check on the other swords that we hold in the armory as that may change your mind. ¡°Yes, leader¡±, she said with a bow. ¡°Now onto you Blackrock. You look strong I assume you are a close combat warrior like myself?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°You will wear heavy armor made of iron and use a large tower shield. What weapon have you been using?¡± ¡°I have been using a club.¡± ¡°Ok then I will give you a hammer which is similar to your club¡±said Caesar ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Finally, I come to you Ash. It looks like you already have a good weapon in that spear I see you holding. It looks to be a bit heavy for you right now so I will give you some chainmail armor until you can wear something heavier to protect you.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The group followed Caesar to the equipment storage where he got them all of the pieces they needed. He gave each of them the pieces he said and then helped them put each of the pieces on. The group came back out and stood in front of Hiro. ¡°You guys look fierce.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Thank you¡± said Blackrock ¡°Alright you new recruits go over there and practice your strikes on the enchanted dummies. You will begin with the basic training regimine. That includes 500 pushups, 1000 situps, and 50 laps around the compound.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The hobgoblins said as they saluted Caesar. ¡°I will leave them in your capable hands. They are very loyal and capable fighters. They are probably already stronger than most of the soldiers here. Just make sure that no one gets hurt too bad during any sparring sessions.¡± ¡°Understood Hiro¡± Caesar said with a smile. ¡°I guess your plan is already in motion. These guys seem like they are going to be good additions to the army.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe they will. I told you when given an opportunity everyone is not an enemy.¡± ¡°Once again you are right. Just don''t be so smug about it Mr. Know-it-all.¡± ¡°I will be back for you guys when it gets dark. Train hard and follow Caesar¡¯s orders. I am going to go get started on having a place for you to live", laughed Hiro The hobgoblins nodded and began their training regimen as Hiro walked away. Just before he got to the exit Korin showed up. ¡°What are you doing Hiro?!¡±, Korin barked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±, Hiro replied ¡°You know exactly what I mean. I want to know why you are bringing those THINGS into my town after I forbid it!¡± ¡°YOUR TOWN?! I believe you and everyone else who are still alive in this town are only that way because I saved you, your sister, and the rest of this town!¡± exclaimed Hiro ¡°You saved the town?! Did you forget that I fought alongside you when WE saved the town!¡±, said Korin. ¡°Yes but the only reason YOU made it back to your town is because I went out of my way to save you from the orcs that had you in a cage!¡±, yelled Hiro ¡°I believe that should entitle me to do as I see fit. They are not going to hurt anyone in this city. If they do they will answer to me! I will kill them with my own two hands but if they are willing to help to protect this town they should be allowed. You know like I do there are good and bad humans so why couldn¡¯t there be good and bad monsters?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about all of that but I will hold you personally responsible if those monsters cause any harm to this town or any of its inhabitants¡±, said Korin as the fury in his face reached a boiling point. Korin began letting his ki out and it created a golden aura around his body. His bloodlust was very powerful. ¡°Then hold me accountable¡±, said Hiro in a low growl. ¡°But don¡¯t come here threatening me because¡­¡± Hiro paused He really is letting out killing intent towards me. I guess i will have to show him who is the top dog around here. Hopefully this settles it when he sees he is far outclassed. Hiro also released his ki. The pale blue aura that came over Hiro¡¯s body engaged his intimidation skill. Korin immediately took a step back. ¡°You were not my match before I went to train with Master Matsuro! You definitely are not now! I do not want to be enemies but don¡¯t push me!¡±, said Hiro as he walked up to Korin and stood face to face with him. Hiro¡¯s threatening aura began to force Korin to sweat. Hiro increased his ki and then Korin began to find it hard to breathe. ¡°Enough Hiro! You made your point! Just remember you are responsible for those monsters.¡± said Korin as he walked away. Hiro took a deep breath and released his ki. Never ever threaten me again, Korin! I am sorry that we had to have it out like this but know that I would never willingly do anything to hurt the people in this town. Everything I do is to keep the people here safe.¡± ¡°Whatever you say! I¡¯ll believe it when I see it!¡±, said Korin as he pushed past Hiro. I really wish it could have been a different way but I couldn¡¯t see another option. Hiro shook his head then said his goodbyes to the hobgoblins, Caesar, and the rest of the army. Then he left for the goods shop. Hiro walked up to the goods store. Once there he opened the door and found it bustling with adventurers. People from far and wide were in there buying and selling items. Hiro waited on the side until the crowd had been helped. Once they were all helped and leaving Hiro went up to talk to the attendant. ¡°How have you been Mr. Attendant?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Never better. Did you see the crowd we just made a killing! If you give me a minute I can figure out the total profits so that we can split them.¡± Said the attendant Hiro laughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be making a profit so soon. Go ahead and come up with a figure. I will wait.¡± The attendant began counting up all of the money and then finally came back and said we made 45 gold 80 silver and 25 bonze coins. We should leave all of the silver and bronze plus half of the gold in the business. We can split the rest of the gold.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me. That means that I get 12 gold right?¡± ¡°Exactly¡±, said the attendant as he handed Hiro the gold coins. Hiro smiled and the said, ¡°All I really came here to bring some materials I found while I was out. It includes some wolf hides, snake fangs, and some other materials.¡± ¡°Oh great we actually sold a lot of those materials. Do you have any of those poison sacs, healing potions, or cure poison potions? People asking for those.¡± Said the attendant Hiro smiled, ¡°I have just the group that could do that for you. I will set them on that task tomorrow. By the way, do you know who I can ask to build a new house?¡± asked Hiro ¡°The lead builder is currently supervising the expansion of the wall. You should be able to find him there. Why do you want to build a new house? I thought you already had one.¡± Ask the attendant curiously. ¡°Well I have some friends that need a new home.¡± ¡°Ok well I think you should start there.¡± ¡°Thanks for all your help.¡± Hiro quickly went to the wall. As he walked around the wall, he saw that it was now being reinforced with bricks. Ah this must be the upgrade that Mr. Attendant was talking about. Hiro kept walking and then finally he saw a group of workers. ¡°Hey guys! Can someone give me a hand with something?¡± asked Hiro ¡°For you, the Hero of Kaito, we will do anything we can¡±, said one of the men. ¡°I need a house built outside of the city. I should have a double wide door that is 12 feet tall. The first and second floors need to 12 feet tall as well with 8 bedrooms. How much do you need to cover the cost of that?¡± ¡°That is a pretty big house. With materials and labor I would say you would need about 150 gold. For you we can start immediately and you can make payments until you pay it all off.¡± ¡°That sounds great! When can you start?¡± asked Hiro ¡°We should finish this job tonight, so I guess we can start tomorrow.¡± ¡°You are amazing. I can give you 15 gold pieces right now to get started.¡± Said Hiro ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal Hiro¡± said the construction worker. He thanked the men and then left the town. I have to find a way to make money. Hmmm... Mr. Attendant did say that he needed more poison sacs and potions. Poison sacs will take more time to get but I can collect the blood roses from anywhere plus it wouldn¡¯t be bad to start grinding some of my crafting skills again.That is what I¡¯ll do then. Hiro used his shadow clone skill to make 10 copies of himself. Then they all started immediately gathering the blood roses.They scoured the fields all around the town for hours and found nearly 300 blood roses. His next step was to create the potions. He sat down and took out his potion making supplies, his vials and the grinder. He spent the rest of the day making potions. After he finished he counted up the potions. He had made nearly 125 potions. By the end of his endeavor Hiro found out that he had some status messages that he had ignored earlier.
You gained a level in herbalism??
You gained a level in herbalism??
You gained a level in alchemy
You gained a level in alchemy
This is good. While I am trying to make money I can grind some of my skills that I haven¡¯t used in a while. Anyway, I better take these back to Mr. Attendant so that he can sell them. I think I will also give the hobgoblins some when I send them out to hunt those wolf spiders. Hiro rushed back to the goods store. He talked to the attendant for a few minutes and gave him the potions. ¡°These are great. The dark red color shows that they are tier III potions. These are very high end. I could get at least 50 silver for each one of them.¡± ¡°50 silver for each?! Wow I never thought that they were worth that much.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Yes these are medium potions. They will restore about 1,500 health points to anyone who drinks them.¡± I will have enough money to pay off their house in no time if I keep making money like this. ¡°Keep bringing these and will will have a fortune soon enough.¡±said Mr. Attendant ¡°Ok. I will need some more empty vials to take with me then.¡± ¡°Of course and take these. You should experiment with different types of plants to get different effects. The better the effect the better the price¡± The attendant gave Hiro a large case. Hiro opened it and looked inside. It was filled with several different types of beakers and various other tools for an alchemist. ¡°Thanks. This will be a good start for me. Eventually I think I will expand the military barracks and build an alchemy lab there.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Well good luck out there and I¡¯ll see you when you get back.¡± Hiro left the store. Once outside he saw that the sun was was well overhead. It would be a few more hours before it got dark outside. I should go to the army training area and get the hobgoblins. When he arrived he saw that the hobgoblins were sparring with some of the soldiers. Each of the hobgoblins was having difficulty with the human soldiers. Hiro watched until the sparring sessions were over then he walked over to the hobgoblins and pulled the aside. ¡°How do you like training?¡± asked Hiro ¡°It is difficult! Humans are very strong!¡± said Blackrock ¡°Yes, but they are not more powerful than you. They just have more skill and experience.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Well being trained should give us the skill but how do we gain experience?¡± asked Sheera ¡°Well I have something that might help you with that. Come with me.¡± Replied Hiro The group left the training center and Hiro led them to where he fought the scorpions and the wolf spiders. ¡°Here, I almost lost my life to the monsters that call this place home.¡± Said Hiro ¡°WHAT!!!??? You almost died here?¡± asked Ash ¡°How powerful are the monsters?¡± Asked Argus ¡°Well, you can find out because here they come.¡± Said Hiro Just then 2 scorpions came from the sand. Their pincers made a clicking sound as they opened and closed them in a threatening manner. The hobgoblins jumped into their formation behind Blackrock. His tower shield looked strong. He moved forward as the 2 scorpions moved advanced. A red glow went all over his body and the scorpions turned towards him. Ah that must be his taunt ability. It¡¯s good that he knows to use it right away to draw the opponents towards him. His tactics are getting even better. Then Ash and Argus moved towards the sides of each of the scorpions while Sheera stayed back and readied her healing spell. The battle began. The 2 scorpions began trying to grab Blackrock with their pincers but each time he smashed them with his shield. While he occupied them Argus and Ash were attacking at the sides. Neither was doing any damage because their blades could not pierce the hard shells of the scorpions. What will you guys do now that your weapons are not working? Let me see how resourceful you are. ¡°I can¡¯t pierce them!¡± yelled Ash ¡°Me either¡±, said Argus ¡°Keep attacking. Their shell is hard but it has to be some small place where they are vulnerable. Keep trying!¡± yelled Blackrock. Good leadership Blackrock. ¡°I see it¡± yelled Sheera. ¡°Don¡¯t attack the body attack the limbs and the tail! If it can¡¯t walk it can¡¯t fight!¡± ¡°Got it!¡±, exclaimed the 3 male hobgoblins. Ash was the first to do damage. He used his power strike ability and was able to take out all 3 of the scropions legs on that side. The scorpion immediately fell down towards the side where its legs had been destroyed. It yelled out in pain and while it was in a frenzy Ash jumped in the air with his trident and attacked the scopions tail. Once his heavy trident pierced the tail, he drove it down into the ground. The scorpion went into a rage but it was unable to move. ¡°This one is immobilized. Blackrock draw the other one away. So we can attack it from both sides¡±, yelled Ash. Good job guys! You guys are really learning to work together. While Blackrock moved away from the immobilized, scorpion he continued to taunt the scorpion that was able to move. He was doing a great job at keeping the attention of the enemies but it was evident that taking all of the attacks was taking its toll on him. He was bleeding from his mouth and it appeared that he had bruises all over his arm that was holding the shield. Suddenly, his body began to glow. It was Sheera¡¯s healing spell. His wounds began to recover and he fought on. While he held the attention Argus began dismantling the legs of the scorpion. It screamed in pain then it thrust its tail at Blackrock. He immediately smashed his shield into the tail as came towards him. The tail flew skyward and as it went backwards Argus jumped high into the air and used his power strike skill. His swords began to glow as the fell straight down with all of his weight onto the tough outer shell of the scorpion. The swords broke through the shell and pierced into the scorpion¡¯s soft flesh. The attack was a success but it came at a price. The scorpion brought his tail down and smacked Argus across his back causing him to fly nearly 15 feet. His sustained some serious injuries. Ash came over and cut off the rest of the scorpion¡¯s legs now it was unable to move. Sheera was currently healing Argus but Blackrock had already begun to attack. He would block one of the pincers and then smash his hammer into the head of the scorpion. As he did this, little by little the hammering began to crack the scorpion¡¯s armor. Then eventually it happened. The scorpion¡¯s armor cracked and began to fall of exposing its soft flesh. A rather brutish way of doing it but it works none the less. Now Argus was fully healed. He began attack furiously with his blade. They combined damage of Argus and Blackrock finished off the scorpion quickly. Then they moved back to the one that was currently being restrained by Ash¡¯s spear impaling its tail to the ground. The group used the same method of cutting off the rest of the scorpion¡¯s legs then let Blackrock smash it until its armor cracked. Once the armor cracked the two damage dealers ended the life of the scorpion very quickly. The goblins raised their weapons in celebration of their victory. ¡°Not bad guys, did anyone level up?¡± ¡°Yes I gained two levels¡± said Sheera ¡°I gained 4¡± said Argus ¡°I gained 3 levels¡± said Ash ¡°I gained 5 levels¡± said Blackrock ¡°Not bad guys. That was a good expereicne. It is good for you to analyze your opponent to see what their weakness is. Be sure to study your opponent. Everyone has a weakness and the more powerful you are the better you are at hiding it. You will have to train yourselves to discover these weaknesses.¡± Said Hiro ¡°Yes sir!¡± said the hobgoblins. ¡°Are there anymore?¡± asked Blackrock ¡°I don¡¯t know, keep exploring and maybe you will find some more of them. I will stay here to take care these corpses and maybe I will be able to make some weapons and armor for you guys from the shells and pincers of these scorpions.¡± ¡°That sounds great! Their armor is amazing. I would definitely like some of that.¡± Said Blackrock The hobgoblins found several more scorpions and battled on while Hiro was able to take some scorpion pincers, tails, and poison sacs. After the last scorpion was dead Hiro had looted 15 poison sacs 30 pincers and 15 tails. In addition he was able to to salvage 9 scorpion carapaces. This was a good hall. These guys should have gotten some good experience and we will make some money with these drops. He gathered his troops from their fierce battles. The hobgoblins looked visibly worn out. Their armor was bloody and damaged and Sheera was suffering from mana depletion as she had run out of man in their last battle. Hiro carried her on his back as they walked home. When they entered the town they went back to the restaurant and ate dinner then Hiro escorted them home so that they could rest. Once they went to sleep Hiro went to the dwarves and repaired their gear. Once he finished he went to the general store and dropped of the spoils of his trip. Finally, Hiro went home went to sleep. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 The next morning Hiro woke the hobgoblins up early in the morning and took them out into the forest. He looked around and finally saw what he was looking for. It was a blood rose. ¡°Blackrock, I want you and the rest of your group to find as many of these as possible. I am going to use these flowers to make potions that we can sell at the general store to make the money to purchase your new home.¡± ¡°Alright guys spread out and find all of the flowers that look like this.¡± The hobgoblins spread out and began searching for the flowers. After about 2 hours they had collected almost 500 of the flowers. They placed them in the bags that Hiro gave them and returned to the gate where Hiro was waiting. ¡°Hiro we did it!¡± said Ash ¡°Yeah we found a lot of them.¡± ¡°Great job guys! I¡¯ll accompany you to the training center so that you can begin training. Then later I will come get you so that you can go and hunt some more.¡± ¡°I like it!¡± said Argus And so the next week came and went with the hobgoblins training showing dividends. The hobgoblins began fighting evenly with the humans in the army. Each of them was gaining basic skill, strength, and speed through rigorous training. In addition, they improved their skill with their weapons. Finally, by sparring with the other soldiers and fighting the scorpions the group gained needed battle experience. On the 7th day when the group came back from hunting scorpions (they no longer needed Hiro to watch over them.) Hiro met them at the gate. Hiro had a sad look on his face. ¡°What is wrong Hiro?¡± asked Sheera ¡°I have some good news and some bad news¡±, said Hiro. ¡°Bad news first¡±, said Ash ¡°You can¡¯t live with me anymore.¡± Said Hiro ¡°What?! Then where will we live?¡± asked Ash ¡°Well that is the good news. You can¡¯t live with me because you house is ready!¡± said Hiro with excitement. ¡°SERIOUSLY!?!?!¡± said Blackrock. ¡°Yes, all of the loot I got from the scorpions you fought and the potions I was able to create from you gusy gathering the blood roses really helped me make a lot of money. With that money I was able to pay for your home to be built.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡±, said Blackrock as he stared at the house. ¡°I do. Thank you leader!¡±, said Argus. The hobgoblins ran towards the new home and went inside. It was great. The group talked amonst themselves as they walked through the entire house. It was spacious, warm, and large enough to house all of the goblins in their group. ¡°Thank you Hiro. There are no words.¡± Said Blackrock ¡°No need for thanks. You guys helped me come up with the money by hunting those scorpions and gathering the flowers for me. Now if you continue I will pay you guys for your services and I put a board in the town that residents can post jobs that they would like done. It would be good for you to check it out as now the residents have seen you enough that I don¡¯t need to escort you around.¡± ¡°So we can move freely in the town?¡± asked Sheera ¡°Yes and as my final gift. Here are 5 gold pieces. This will be enough to feed your entire clan for about 5 months.¡± ¡°What?!¡± asked Blackrock ¡°Yes. I think this will be a good start but now you have to learn to make money so that you can buy whatever you need¡±, explained Hiro. ¡°Thank you but how will we make money?¡±, asked Blackrock ¡°Well there are several ways. You could learn a trade like blacksmith and sell your goods. I could teach you to make potions and you could sell them. You could hunt animals and sell their parts for materials. There are a lot of things. You could even take up jobs from the board to gain money from the citizens.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything you have done. There is no way we can repay your generosity¡±, said Sheera The group ran up and hugged Hiro.
You have increased your relationship with the Blackrock Clan to its maximum
The Blackrock is now loyal to you for your great acts of kindness. They will fight by your side to the bitter end!
That is great that means that now step one of my plans is complete. Now I need to begin trying to recruit more of the humanoid races. ¡°Hiro we would like to return and get the rest of our clan. Is that ok with you?¡±, asked Ash ¡°No problem. I was actually going to ask you to do that now that you have a place for them to live¡±, replied Hiro. The group thanked Hiro again before they went inside of their home and closed the door. Hiro left and walked to his home. At the front door a familiar set of faces awaited him. It was Scarlet and Foria. ¡°Hey gorgeous, how have you been?¡± said Hiro ¡°Don¡¯t hey gorgeous me! I was good until my brother told me how you treated him!¡± said Foria scornfully. "I didn''t come right away because i was so pissed off! You have some explaining to do bullying my brother like that!" ¡°Hey wait a minute. Your brother stormed into the training grounds and yelled at me like a child. Then he even went so far as to start letting his mana come out like he was going to attack me.¡± Replied Hiro ¡°He did what?!¡± said Foria ¡°Yes. I guess he didn¡¯t tell you that part.¡± Said Hiro as he put he folded his arms across his chest. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t tell me that. I am sorry for not listenting to your side before I made a judgment¡±, said ForiaThe story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°It¡¯s ok. He is you brother, so it would be foolish to think that you wouldn¡¯t accept his word a face value¡±, said Hiro as he walked and embraced her in his massive arms. ¡°Just remember I would not willingly do anything to hurt you and hurting your brother would be like hurting you so I would not do it unless he left me no choice. Even then I would try my best not to hurt him.¡± Hiro looked over and saw scarlet whose face was almost completely red. ¡°What is is Scarlet?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Well¡­ It is kind of private do you mind if we talk alone, Hiro?¡± replied Scarlet. ¡°It is ok. I need to go deal with my brother.¡± Said Foria Hiro and Scarlet walked inside of the house and began to talk. ¡°Hiro in my all of my years I have never seen a human male as exquisite as you¡±, she said with a lusty expression on her face. Backing away across the room Hiro said, ¡°umm¡­ Thanks, I guess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong Hiro, I like you but you are more of a brother. I wish to have a man who is physically strong and a bit more unrefined than you.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Well I am a bit more interested in the hobgoblins you brought to town, specifically the one that is their leader Blackrock. I sense that he will rank up soon and become a much more powerful ally and I would like to have him as my mate.¡± Hiro tried all he could to hold back his laughter and said, ¡°I think that is up to him. I am not his master. He is free to make his own choices. He is a very straight forward guy so I think you should talk to him.¡± ¡°Where are they now? I believe he is asleep in their home outside of town and they will be leaving tomorrow to go and retrieve the rest of his clan.¡± ¡°I think I will go and make that trip with him and see where things go.¡± ¡°That sound like a good idea. I wish the best of luck.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out then I will return and share you with Foria.¡± ¡°WHAAATTT?!!?!?!¡± ¡°Hiro. No man can resist my charm. If I wanted you I could have you,¡± said Scarlet with a wink, ¡°but Foria is like a sister to me and I don¡¯t know if she would be good with that as humans do not tend to want to share their mates. If Blackrock does not wish to be my mate, I will have to tell Foria that I wish to share you.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. I guess thank you for the compliment¡±, said Hiro as he breathed a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Hiro you are a funny human. You are completely focused and in control at all times on the battlefield but in matters of the heart you are completely weak. I can see why my disciple loves you so much¡±, she said with a smile. Scarlet waved goodbye and left swaying her hips seductively. Hiro could not keep himself from looking as she headed out towards Foria¡¯s home. She looked back and said seductively, "I noticed you staring at my body as I began walking away. Did you like what you saw? Hiro completely flabbergasted said, "I...well... ummmm.. I no... well yeah... Ugh... I don''t know" "I knew you were interested", she said with a light laugh and then sauntered away showing her womanly assests. Hiro let out another deep sigh knowing full well that this woman could become a wildcard later on. He smacked himself on the cheeks to compose himself before heading out to the training grounds. Once Hiro entered the training grounds he quickly walked over towards Caesar for a quick chat. ¡°Hey Hiro, where is Blackrock and the rest of his squad?¡± ¡°Oh they are resting today as they are returning to their clan tomorrow. They wish to bring them here and have them study under you as their commanding officer.¡± ¡°Really!? I am kind of surprised. I was really hard on them¡± ¡°I think that is why. They appreciate you treating them just like all of the other soldiers.They want to grow stronger and they feel that under your training and my harsh guidance they have become stronger than all of the others in their clan could have ever hoped.¡± ¡°Oh I see.¡± ¡°They wanted strength for the same reason I do to protect the ones that they care about and they will endure any hardship in order to get it.¡± ¡°So what did you come to see me about?¡± ¡°I wish to go and enter the tournament in Atraps. Can you tell me how to get there?¡± ¡°You are?! I wish I could see that. I would like you come with me. Is there anyone you could leave in charge of the training of the army?¡± ¡°Yes Kaura, she has become an excellent leader. She is my right hand.¡± ¡°Then it is settled. Please inform her and prepare to leave tomorrow.¡± ¡°I will. Take care until then.¡± Hiro left the training grounds and went to visit the hobgoblins specifically Argus. Hiro knocked on the door before the Argus opened the door. ¡°Welcome Hiro. What brings you here?¡± asked Argus ¡°I came to take you to gain a pet as you said you wanted to become a beastmaster.¡± ¡°Really?! Alright let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait a moment what kind of pet do you think you would want?¡± ¡°Something loyal yet vicious, agile yet tough.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Sounds like you want something similar to a wolf or maybe some other dog-like creature. ¡°Well I think agility will be better than anything else. I saw something outside that I would like to train¡± ¡°Oh ho! What was it? I think in your language you would call it a 2 tailed fox. Its fur is brownish red with black paws and white on the end of its tails and its entire chest is white as well. It seems to hunt some of the smaller animals in this area. I noticed it yesterday as we were collecting the blood roses¡±, said Argus. ¡°Hmm¡­ sounds good. Let¡¯s go see if we can find it¡± The two of them left the hobgoblin residence and went around looking for the small animal. Hiro paused for a moment and then used his sense presence ability. He could feel numerous small enemies in the woods but one was moving particularly fast. ¡°Wait here I think I found it¡±, said Hiro. ¡°Ok¡± replied Argus Hiro moved away in a flash. Argus was amazed at his speed. It was so fast that it was like Hiro had disappeared. Hiro rushed to where he felt the fast moving presence. As he got closer he engaged his warrior¡¯s eye ability. This allowed him to see the fast movements much more clearly. Once the target was in his attack range he used dashing slash to close the distance between he and his prey. The fox was very small about 50 cm in size and it looked exactly as Argus described it. Hiro grabbed the prey by its neck. It growled menacingly at Hiro. ¡°Little one, I am sorry for grabbing you so roughly.¡± ¡°Human, you speak the tongue of the beasts? How is that possible?! As a matter of fact, I don''t care where you learned it or why you can speak it. You will release me now!¡± ¡°Yes, I speak your tongue and I have a request.¡± ¡°Release me!¡± It opened its mouth and let out a fireball which it Hiro in the chest. Because of his fire affinity and his strong body Hiro took virtually no damage at all. ¡°You are a fighter I see. You will be good for Argus.¡± ¡°Let go of me you worthless creature!¡±, said the fox as it wriggled to get free. ¡°Sorry. My friend would like to make you a part of his family so that you can grow strong. He will feed and care for you. You will no longer have to worry about predators hunting you. How does that sound?¡± ¡°What!? You mean I don¡¯t have to hide from those wolves and panthers?¡± ¡°Yes, become his pet and you will be cared for, loved, trained, and protected.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but I guess it is better than dying.¡± Hiro dashed off and returned to Argus with the fox in hand. Once he appeared back in front of Argus, the hobgoblin flashed a bright smile. ¡°Is this the one?¡±, asked Hiro ¡°Yes, that is it.¡± ¡°Place your hand on his head.¡± Argus placed his hand on the creature¡¯s head and then Hiro used his beast tame ability.
Ding!
Argus has a new pet!
¡°What will you name it?¡± ¡°Kitsune, or Kit for short¡± ¡°That is a good name. Please take care oh him and grow strong. I have to take a trip so I will see you guys when I get back. If you return before I do please lend your strength to keep my home safe.¡± ¡°We will protect this place with our lives. Thank you for everything Hiro.¡± ¡°Kitsune be good and listen to Argus.¡± ¡°I will as long as he keeps those wolves and panthers away.¡± Hiro went back home where Foria and Amatersu were waiting for him with some food. He quickly opened the door and they sat down and ate dinner. They talked for a while before telling Amaterasu goodnight and going upstairs where they disrobed. ¡°It seems like you get even more beautiful everyday. How could have been so lucky?¡± asked Hiro ¡°I must have been slipping¡± she said with a grin. He grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed. ¡°You were slipping huh. It doesn¡¯t matter I¡¯ve got you now and I¡¯m never letting go.¡± ¡°You promise¡± she said as her face became a little red. ¡°I promise.¡± The two made love until the wee hours of the morning and then as they laid in each others arms Hiro spoke with Foria about his plans to go towards Atraps and enter the tournament. She agreed and said that she would accompany him. The two lovers laid in bed and fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms. Arena Arc part 1: Chapter 48 In the morning Hiro and Foria moved got their equipment on. Hiro looked at the constrictor leather armor that Foria was wearing. It was very form fitting but he could feel the power that she exuded as a warrior. This is the woman I love and she is amazing. ¡°What are you looking at with the silly grin?¡± ¡°The most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.¡± She blushed and then walked up to Hiro, ¡°Keep talking like that and we won¡¯t be leaving this morning.¡± Hiro laughed loudly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me with a good time.¡± She jumped into his arms and pinned him to the bed and the good time began. A while later the two exited Hiro¡¯s home with Amaterasu and walked to the gates of the city.There he found Caesar, Caesar Gori, and surprisingly Scarlet. They all said hello and then Hiro asked, ¡°Scarlet, I thought you were making another trip? ¡°I think I will wait a little longer until the dish I want to eat has been seasoned completely¡± said Scarlet as she licked her lips. Hiro laughed hysterically as everyone else was trying to figure out what was going. Hiro told everyone to wait while he went to go and get Leo and Learra. They agreed and in a flash. He was at the home of Leo and Learra¡¯s pride. ¡°Hey Leo and Learra, you two up for a trip to the city of Atraps?¡± asked Hiro With a resounding roar Leo stood and Learra followed. Leo looked a Learra and she nodded in agreement. ¡°We will go. Give us a little while and we will meet you at the gates of the city.¡± ¡°Alright see you then.¡± Hiro dashed off and went back the gates of the city, where the group waited for a little while before Leo and Learra arrived. Once they arrived, the group exchanged pleasantries. Once everyone was ready their voyage began. They left the town and headed south towards the forest known as ¡°the land of darkness¡±. They walked for about half a day and then Hiro was able to dectect the presence of about 15 beasts about a mile ahead. He could sense that they were not very strong but this would be a good chance to see his group in battle so he could ascertain their combat abilities. As they continued to walk they finally encountered a group of large horse looking creatures that had two large horns on top of their heads. Their bodies were larger than a normal horse by far. They stood about 2 meters tall. Hiro used his inspect ability.
Name: Horned Stallion
Hp: 7,500/7,500 Resistances: Wind
Mana: 0/0 Weaknesses: Fire
Horned Stallion: A horse-like beast that roams the plains. It is known to be extremely fast and when angered it will try to gore its enemy with its horns.
They broke out into formation with Hiro and Caesar in the front while Leo and Learra were behind Hiro. Quickly Scarlet moved the enemy¡¯s right flank while Amaterasu and Foria flanked the enemies on the left. ¡°Caesar and I will charge ahead. Everyone else push them towards the middle¡±, ordered Hiro. They all followed his commands. Scarlet began to fire arrows at the horned stallions. This caused them to begin to run around. They were chaotic but several began to charge at Hiro who activated his Hero¡¯s Charge ability. Once he activated it all of the enemies looked his way he was the target of all their anger. They all began to charge at him. Hiro activated his body strengthening ability and prepared himself to attack. Instead of attacking them physically Hiro decided try a different approach. Hiro cast his chain lightning spell and the lightning bolt struck the first horse and 2 around him. They fell and were trampled by those that continued to charge. Leo was on their right and opened his mouth to breathe fire at the charging enemies. While Leo breathed fire, Amaterasu was on the other side of them spraying her icy breath at them. The enemies began to drop one by one as they were blasted by the fire or ice. Scarlet paused for a moment then pulled back her bow and unleashed what seemed to be about 100 arrows. The arrows rained down on the horses killing 5 of them. Now there were 2 left. Hiro took out his blade of evolution and ran towards his prey. He slashed at the closest one and it was decapitated immediately. The last stallion began to charge. He started to run but his body felt heavy. I almost forgot that I had cast my magic on the weighted bracelets and anklets. No matter this enemy is not strong enough to challenge me. He charged on as the horse lowered its head and pointed its long horns at Hiro. Leo and Amaterasu ran towards the beast. Hiro charged in and used his agility to dodge the horns of the enemy. Once he dodged it he jumped on the beast¡¯s back and stabbed down into its thick neck killing it immediately. Their teamwork had defeated and large group of enemies. After the battle, Hiro asked the group to wait while he skinned the beasts with his knife. He cut the hide from them one by one. It was strange my skill at skinning beasts did not diminish even though I havenot done it in a while.
You gained 11 medium leathers and 4 medium animal hides
You gained 10 weapon skill points
Leo, Gori, Learra and Amaterasu ate 6 of the beasts while hiro placed the rest of the carcasses in his magic bag and then he lit a fire and cooked one of the beasts for himself Scarlet,Caesar, and Foria. They all sat and ate and rested.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Your vitality has temporarily increased by 5 points for eating a large meal.
Hmm¡­. We didn¡¯t acquire any new skills after eating these animals. Is it that they were too weak or was it that we already knew all the skills these enemies possessed? After collecting themselves they left and continued south towards ¡°the land of darkness¡±. Hiro decided to increase the amount of weight so he said, ¡°75 times gravity¡±. The metal pieces began to glow as well as his sword and and then he immediately felt the weight increase. His body felt even heavier. It was so heavy that he was struggling to hold onto his sword. I will try to keep it like this for a while as we walk as part of my training. The hours passed and the sun began to set. Hiro decided that they should camp at that spot for then night. Hiro reduced the gravity magic back to one times gravity.
Due to your rigorous training your speed, endurance, and strength all have increased by 25 points.
The grouped traveled on for about 6 more days as Hiro continuously raised the weight of his cuffs while they walked 1 times gravity per day. He was now up to 80 times normal. They found some relatively weak monsters and killed them for food and battle experience. Hiro continued to improve his speed and strength each day as he made the cuffs heavier and heavier. By the end of the firs 6 days Hiro had gained over 100 weapon skill points and gained 35 medium hides and 64 pieces of medium leather. On day 7th of their trip Hiro could begin to sense stronger enemies ahead. He could sense a large number of enemies comparable to the strength he saw in Learra. This is good. These monsters would be excellent for us to learn from. This concentration of enemies must be in the forest. It was not within view at this point but I can feel that it is close. They stopped for lunch and pulled out the carcasses of some of the horned stallions that they had killed along the way. Amaterasu, the ligers, and Gori ate 4 whole carcasses while Hiro and the rest of the people at about a half. Hiro sensed a strong presence overhead. He looked up and saw something flying high in the sky. It appeared to be some sort of bird. Hiro used his improved sight ability and saw that it was a large bird that looked similar to a hawk. Its feathers were midnight blue. It looked to have a wingspan of about 4 meters. It had a large hooked beak that made it understood that it was a carnivore. It talons also looked to be razor sharp and very powerful. Hiro analyzed it.
Name: Dark Hawk
Hp: 7,500/7,500 Resistances: Fire and Wind
Mana: 4,000/4,000 Weaknesses: Lightning
Dark Hawk: A fierece sky predator. It uses it excellent eye sight to find prey for high in the sky.Then uses its powerful talons to swoop down and grab the prey.
Hiro decided to fight this predator. He tried his taunt ability on the bird to see if he could get it to attack. Once he activated his ability the bird immediately focused its attention on him diving down to attack. The bird¡¯s speed was incredible. It came down in a flash. When it finally got close it flapped its wings and a gust of wind came out blowing the group back. They all fell on the ground hard as the wind came at them. Then it began to dart in and out scratching at the group with its strong talons. Learra and Amaterasu were both wounded. Hiro was able to block the attacks with his sword but the hawk pecked him in the head with its powerful beak. Blood began to pour from his head. How strong is this thing? My resistances to piercing and slashing attacks is really high and it still caused me damage? We better be careful. Hiro motioned for Scarlet to shoot at it with arrows. The hawk dodged them easily. She continued to fire arrows while Hiro cast his chain lightning spell. The lightning shot out from hand and hit the hawk. It was rocked but still managed to fly high in the sky. Hiro was amazed at the bird¡¯s ability to take the blow from the spell and keep flying. Hiro decided to continue to watch the hawk as it flew in the sky. It was obviously wounded because it was flying erradictly. Hiro and his group continued to run after the bird as it began to lose altitude. Scarlet started firing more arrows at the hawk. They did not hit the target but they kept forcing the bird to expend more and more energy to fly higher. The hawk¡¯s flight continued get worse. It was no longer able to maintain its altitude and began to fall from the sky. The hawk continued to plummet as the group followed. As the hawk¡¯s altitude got closer to them Scarlet and Foriawere both able to strike the hawk with arrows through its wings. This caused the hawk to immediately fall from the sky. The hawk hit the ground and was badly wounded. Its wing had an arrow stuck in it. It was bleeding from several places from the impact with the ground but it still continued to fight. ¡°Hey Scarlet would you like a companion like us?¡± ¡°I was just thinking that same thing. This beast would be a great fit with me as it seems just like me, majestic but still ferocious.¡± Replied Scarlet Hiro nodded and they continued to attack. In order to tame this one we are going to have to knock it unconscious. He reduced his gravity equipment down to 1 times gravity. His body felt so light that he could almost fly. He decided that he would have to end this with one blow. He charged his dashing slash. He charged his ability and flew at the hawk. His movements were so fast that no one really even saw him move. He struck the hawk with the blunt side of his sword immediately knocking the hawk unconscious. He then motioned Scarlet to come close as he laid his hand on the beast¡¯s head and used his beast tamer ability.
Scarlet now has a pet.
¡°I think I¡¯ll call him Taka¡±, said Scarlet. Hiro then cast his group healing spell on everyone. Then he removed the arrow from Taka¡¯s wing and cast his group healing spell again on Taka and Scarlet. Hiro felt weakened as his mana drained by using so many spells. If I continue to use spells like this I will have to improve my capacity for mana so that I do not experience this physical weakness in battle which will put me at a great disadvantage. They decided to rest there for the night as Hiro needed some time to recover from the use of his ki. Learra and Foria cuddled up next to their mates while Scarlet slept wrapped in Taka¡¯s large wings. Gori and Caesar had blankets that they fell asleep in and Amaterasu laid behind Leo next to his warm fur. The night passed uneventfully. The next morning everyone woke up and began to walk south towards the forest. Scarlet decided to try and fly on Taka¡¯s back. She mounted up on his back and Taka flapped his powerful wings. A strong gust of wind came from the wings and they lifted up into the air and began climbing. Hiro watched them rise up and fly through the sky. Foria mounted on Amaterasu¡¯s back and the two of them along with Leo and Learra began to run as fast as they could towards the forest. Hiro left as soon as everyone was moving. Foria could barely believe that Amaterasu had gotten that fast. Everything seemed like a blur as they moved. Learra was actually keeping up as well too but by a large margin Hiro was faster.They continued to run for a while until off in the distance they saw a forest. Amaterasu slowed down and Foria dismounted. Taka and Scarlet touched down in front of them and they decided to take a rest before entering the forest. Arena Arc Part 2: Chapter 49 Chapter 49 The group continued to slowly move through the forest and then Hiro noticed another strong power east of their position. Hiro could feel this enemy¡¯s energy flowing from its body. He could not determine where it was going to but it seemed as if it was just going out into the surrounding area. ¡°Hey everyone be wary¡± as they approached this enemy. The group nodded in agreement as they moved forward. The enemy was now within Hiro¡¯s field of vision. He saw 2 different types of enemies. One wore a long black cloack covering its head and possessed a long wooden staff. The others were monsters whose bodies had been deformed. They appeared to have once been human but now their mouths had changed shape and grown several rows of razor sharp teeth. They had become hunched over and walked on their hands and feet. Their hands and nails changed shape to become more like the claws of a cat. They were definitely undead. Hiro used his analyze ability to learn more about them.
Name: Necromancer
Hp: 4,500/4,500 Resistances: Dark, Posion
Mana: 9,000/9,000 Weaknesses: Holy, Fire, Physical attacks
Necromancer: A master at creating and controlling undead fiends. He summons his minions using his mana to do his bidding and he is also adept at using dark magic.
Name: Ghoul
Hp: 3,500/3,500 Resistances: Dark, Posion
Mana: 0/0 Weaknesses: Holy, Fire, Physical attacks
Ghoul: An undead creature that follows the commands of his master without question. It is unable to speak or communicate in anyway. Its bite is powerful and its body is extremely agile. Take caution when fighting as these enemies will be difficult to strike.
The necromancer noticed the group and ordered the ghouls to attack the party. The necromancer also cast a bind spell on the closest attackers. Hiro, Leo, Caesar and Gori immediately broke the spell with their sheer physical strength but Amaterasu and Learra were not so lucky. They were immediately paralyzed. ¡°Leo, protect them while we take care of the ghouls.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± replied Leo. Then Caesar, Gori and Hiro charged the ghouls.The necromancer summoned 15 more ghouls to attack Leo and Amaterasu. As they appeared Leo used his flame thrower on them. It killed most of them instantly but 5 were able to avoid the blast. They quickly sank their teeth into Learra and Amatersu¡¯s flesh causing them to howl in pain. A couple also jumped onto Leo, who smashed himself into tree which killed the 2 that were on his back. They fell off and then he ran to finish off the ones that were attacking Amaterasu and Learra. They were howling in pain and both of their hp was dropping rapidly. Leo jumped in and used his version of ki strike on 2 of them cutting them both in half. Finally he bit the last one with his tremendous jaws crushing it. The two females were safe. The necromancer began casting another spell that caused a dark lance to fly towards Hiro. He quickly dodged away from the blast and began moving extremely fast. The necromancer fired the same spell 10 more times in rapid succession but none were able to hit their target.
Due to you copy ability you have learned the spell of darkness.
This spell allows you to materialize any form you choose from darkness. Then you can have it attack an enemy at will. As you improve you will be able to make the creations larger and greater in number. Caesar and Gori were also attack the ghouls in order to cut a path towards the necormancer. They fell one by one to their brute force. They were also supported by holy arrows fired by Scarlet and Foria from their high perches. Then Scarlet used her multi-arrow skill and rained down holy arrows on the ghouls decimating the entire group. Hiro then activated his dashing slash ability and charged the necromancer. The necromancer countered using his staff to block Hiro¡¯s attack and then summoned 20 more ghouls to attack Hiro from behind. Scarlet and Foria were able to shoot down 6 of the minions each and Leo killed five with his flame thrower but 2 of them managed to get in an attack on Hiro¡¯s back. The teeth sank in and Hiro¡¯s back piercing into his iron like skin. He felt the pressure of their powerful jaws clamping down on him but it was more of a nuisance than damage. Hiro tried to shake them off but he was unable to get free so he jumped back and cast his healing spell. The healing energy caused the ghouls to let go and take some damage. This is eerily similar to my fight with Korin. That¡¯s it I¡¯ve got to fight this enemy in a less straight forward way. Hiro told everyone, ¡°Watch my back and keep the ghouls away from me so that can fight the necromancer.¡± They agreed. At this point Amaterasu and Learra were both freed from the bind spell that was placed on them. The joined the fray killing the ghouls as they tried to attack Hiro. Hiro and the necromancer squared off and Hiro began his attack. He began by activating all of his abilities, Hero¡¯s charge, ki body strengthening, weapon strengthening, evil glare, and his warrior¡¯s eye. The necromancer stepped back as the evil glare activated. Hiro charged forward the necromancer used his dark magic again this time the spear came up from the ground at Hiro. Due to his prediction ability coupled with his warrior¡¯s eye Hiro could see that the necromancer had placed his mana into the ground. Hiro knew an attack was coming so he launched himself into the air to avoid it. While in mid-air he launched his lightning spell at his enemy. The necromancer could not avoid it but tried to block the attack with his staff. He was able to defend against the attack but took some damage. Once he landed on the ground Hiro looked at his enemy who was beginning to faulter. Hiro pressed his advantage by launching one of his ki blasts before the necromancer could recover. The blast flew through the air towards its target. The necromancer summoned his ghouls to take the attack for him but the blast cut right through them. Hiro continued to follow behind the blast moving ever closer. The necromancer had no choice but to try to avoid the attack. Hiro shifted even more of his ki to his eyes to get a clearer picture of what the necromancer would do next. His eye became blood shot red. A trickle of blood fell from both eyes. The pain was extreme but his vision became even clear from the extreme amount of ki that had been infused.
Due to your improved sight, prediction skill, and use of warrior¡¯s eye, you have unlocked the hidden ability Sharingan.
This ocular ability is capable of not only predicting the enemies attack but also predicting their future movements giving you a tremendous advantage in battle. In addition you are now able to gain several rare ocular abilities now that you have opened this path.
Hiro blinked his eyes as he was closing in on the necromancer. With these eyes I can see it. I can see the predicted attacks like before but now I can also see the path that the necromancer will use to avoid my ki blast technique. He changed to this path at top speed and as the necromancer avoided the blast. As he moved a top speed Hiro cast his gravity magic on the sword raising its weight to 5,000 lbs. When the necromancer arrived to its destination, Hiro was waiting and slashed him with his blade. The slash severed the left arm of the necromancer who fell to his knees. The necromancer tried to raise his staff to block the attack but Hiro¡¯s slash was so powerful and heavy that his blade cut through the staff and nearly cleaved the necromancer in two killing it instantly. Everyone cheered.
Leo gained a level
You gained a level
Learra gained 5 levels
you gained 35 towards your weapon skill
Sharingan Level increase to intermediate level 1
Learra began to glow a white much like Leo did when he evolved. The same box shaped icon with the arrow pointing up appeared as well.
Learra has now met the requirements to evolve into the Sabre Shadow Liger!
By evolving her strength, speed, and vitality will increase as well growing into a larger, more powerful body that is imbued with the dark element which will make her immune to dark magic attacks. In addition she will gain the ability to make herself invisibile for a short period of time.
Evolve
Yes No
¡°What would you like to do Learra?¡± She nodded her head so Hiro clicked yes. Hiro stood back as her body was covered in a dark cloud. The cloud pulsed for a moment and then began to dissipate from the ground moving up. First he saw paws that were jet black and much larger than before. The paws were almost the size of Leo¡¯s. The claws that extended were dark and looked razor sharp. As the cloud continued to rise powerful legs were revealed and a chest that had a large white patch. Her tail was the same shape but had become longer. It was now over 1.5 meters long. The cloud continued to dissipate until finally her head was revealed. The head was the same shape but much larger. She now had two fangs protruding from her mouth which made her look almost like a sabertooth tiger. Her eyes remained the same icy blue but the rest of her aside from the white patch was jet black. She now looked more like a lion than a tiger as her stripes had disappeared. She was as beautiful as she was fearsome. Hiro began healing everyone with his group heal ability. The wounds began to fade as well as their fatigue. He continued to cast the spell. It is healing more and more of my health each time I cast this spell. It is also taking less and less of my mana than when I first began to use it. I must be leveling up this spell. I wonder why I¡¯m not hearing the ¡®Dings¡¯ anymore? Hiro sat down to rest so that he could recover his mana while, Taka, Leo, and Amaterasu, Learra and Gori devoured their fallen foes. They ate all of the ghouls but nothing much happened. Apparently the ghouls were not powerful enough to really teach them anything or strengthen them. Next they tore apart the necromancer. Leo and Learra took his lower half while Taka ate the severed arm and then tore off the other arm and flew to a perch to finish his meal. Then Gori and Amaterasi commenced to eating the torso and head of the necromancer.
Hiro learned to use the spell summon undead.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
With this spell you can summon 3 undead monsters at a time. With practice you can summon different types of undead monsters and increase the amount of them that you summon. Any experience gained by the summoned monsters will be given to you.
So this is like my shadow clone ability except for now they are undead instead of different versions of me. This could be useful. His body flowed with a renewed feeling of power. He stood up and grabbed the staff the necromancer was carrying. Once I repair it this might fetch a good price in the market once we get to Atraps. He stuffed it into his magic bag and they moved towards the edge of the forest so that they could camp. It was getting dark and they already had several tough battles today. The group exited the forest and placed their equipment down so that they could rest for the day. Everyone felt stronger and with Learra¡¯s evolution they were definitely and even more powerful force to be recokoned with. The sun began to rise and Hiro was up and ready to go. He decided to train on his own today as he had not done so in a while. First he began by turning his gravity equipment on 80 times gravity. The massive weight on his body returned. With this heavy weight maybe I should focus on agility and using my new Sharingan. He used his summon undead ability and 3 ghouls appeared. He dropped his sword and used his body strengthening technique and his Sharingan. His body began to feel lighter with the strength of his ki. He then ordered the ghouls to attack him. They began to run towards him but he was able to predict their attacks and the path they would take to attack him. It is crazy how much I can see before each attack. Hiro began trying to move to avoid each attack. He avoided several attacks by moving subtlely side to side or shuffling his feet. The ghouls began to attack even more savagely. Their attacks came from all different sides. It became more and more difficult to avoid their attacks with small movements. Hiro began to roll under attacks, jump back, and even block attacks. This is great practice! I think it is time to begin the second stage of my training program. Hiro closed his eyes a held his sword in his hands. The sword immediately began glowing. It split into two pieces that covered his arms from his hands to his elbow. The sword had become a pair of guantlets. This is great! Now I can fight bare handed with the same attack power of my sword and I can feel the weight of the sword still in my hands. He began to fight back. He avoided the attacks and struck the ghouls with his hands. The damage was large but not enough to kill them in one blow. He would strike them and they would fall to the ground shake themselves and continue to attack. He used all sorts of strikes to combat the ghouls, knees, elbows, punches, and a variety of kicks. He felt like his body was beginning to get used to the weight so he raised it to 85 times gravity then he rleased his ki. The anklets and bracelts glowed and their combined weight increased by 1000 lbs. He slowed down quite a bit and his ability to fight against them descreased as well. The ghouls were now able to slash him with their claws. His tough body and his ki defense kept him from being harmed but his energy dropped each time he took an attack. Hiro began to block and attack. His attacks were slow but because of the weight behind them they did sufficient damage. Slowly but surely he killed the ghouls one by one until only one remained. Hiro was panting as the strain of his Sharingan and the massive weight of the bracelets were extremely taxing on his body. The last of the 3 ghouls began to charge Hiro. Hiro prepared himself as he knew what the attack would be and where it would be launched from. Instead of moving he decided to meet the ghoul right in the path of its attack. He threw a high roundhouse kick that caught the ghoul in the middle of its attack knocking it across the grassy field. The ghoul could no longer move and it quickly passed away. Hiro was exhausted and fell to his knees releasing his sharingan and body strengthening techniques.
Your passive skill, martial arts have to advanced level 1.
You now do 25% more damage using unarmed attacks. As a bonus you also take 15% less damage from an enemy attack when you defend using your body.
Through your training your stats have increased. Strength +30, Speed +30, Vitality +15.
You gained 3 points to your martial arts skill.
Hiro cast his healing spell on himself. His wounds from the ghouls healed instantly. He then began his meditation. After Hiro was meditating for a while a question popped into his head. How could Scarlet fire so many magical arrows without running out of mana? There must be some kind of secret. I will have to ask her once everyone woke up. Soon he sensed that the others began to wake up, so he ended his meditation.
Through repeated meditation periods you have gained the passive ability mana regeneration.
You now regenerate mana at a faster rate in and out of meditation.
Yeeeessss! That is exactly what I needed. Now I should be able to recover my energy faster so that means I can fight longer. Hiro went a said good morning to everyone. They all greeted him with the same. Hiro then said, ¡°Scarlet how are you able to keep your mana from running out even when you use so much on all the arrows that you fire?¡± Laughing Scarlet replied, ¡°Mana is the energy of life and life is all around you. I learned from when I was a child to take in energy from the world around me so that I did not need to use up my limited amount of internal mana.¡± ¡°Can you teach me?¡± asked Hiro. ¡°Sure why not. I taught it to Foria while we were in the woods training so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to teach you. Come and sit down.¡± Hiro sat down and said, ¡°You already taught this skill to Foria?¡± ¡°Yes how do you think she has been firing all of this mana arrows this whole time?¡± ¡°You are so dense sometimes Hiro¡±, said Foria Hiro laughed and scratched his head, ¡°I guess I should have noticed a while ago.¡± Scarlet asked, ¡°Can you see the energy flowing through the trees grass and those around him?¡± Hiro nodded. She smiled and then told him, ¡°Can you see your own mana?¡± ¡°Yes¡± replied Hiro as he had learned to do this when he unlocked his warrior¡¯s eye. ¡°Look at your own mana how was it flowing.¡± He explained, ¡°It was simply swirling around inside my belly and when I need it I move it through my body to wherever it is necessary.¡± She said, ¡°Look at me and tell me how my mana appears to be moving.¡± ¡°It is completely moving around your body and flowing in and out all around you. How can that be?¡± Said Hiro. She smiled and said, ¡°This is because I use natural energy. Your mana has been trapped inside of your body. You have not unlocked the gates within your body to allow more to flow into you¡± ¡°How do I unlock them?¡± ¡°You are going to have to forcibly open up your ki. There are safeguards inside of our bodies to keep energy within as too much natural energy can be very harm to us. However, if you break them and you learn to control how you bring in the natural energy it will freely flow into your body giving you an almost limitless supply of mana.¡± ¡°So I have to break them? How?¡± ¡°To do this you will have to keep your ki strengthening technique on at all times.¡± He agreed and activated his technique the pale blue glow of his ki surpised Scarlet. Hiro could feel his ki moving throughout his body. ¡°Now feel the energy inside of you. If you pay attention there are areas of your body that the energy stops and can no longer flow. These are the things you must break.¡± ¡°Ok¡± replied Hiro. He took a deep breath and began concentrating and trying to move his ki around his body. As the ki moved he could feel it move through his chest and lungs. Then it move out through his arms and legs. He kept concentrating on the tiniest details. There that¡¯s it. I found one of them. It is in my throat. Hiro began pushing mana forcibly to this area. The mana inside of him crashed into the barrier little by little. I need more force it¡¯s not breaking. He pushed more mana towards this point. Pain began to afflict his throat. His body began to stiffen but he did not stop. He continued on and then he felt it. The blockage began to crack. He poured more and more ki into the area and then suddenly CRASH! The blockage broke and the man was free to move past. Hiro let out a loud cough and some blood came from his mouth. ¡°Hiro! Are you ok?¡±, said Foria. ¡°Yes I¡¯m fine. The blockage was in my throat. It is now clear.¡± I can feel the energy from all over the place, the trees, plants, even the air has energy flowing through it. ¡°Good you have cleared one. Most people have 8 gates in their body in various places. Each person is different. I have opened 6 gates in my 300 plus years so don¡¯t be in a rush. The pain will get worse for each gate that you open.¡± ¡°The pain will be worse!?¡± ¡°Yes, when I opened the 6th gate I nearly died.¡± ¡°Wow, this sounds like it will be a tough task.¡± ¡°Alright now to the next step. Since your blockage was in your throat, start by trying to bring it in that way. Try breathing in the energy.¡± He took a deep breath as he inhaled the natural energy from the world began to flow into him. It was so powerful and so much he began to choke. ¡°You must not take in so much at one time. Since you gather the energy by breathing, try to take a more shallow breath¡± she said as she patted him on the back. Hiro composed himself and tried again. This time he breathed normally. The energy began to flow into his body and mix with his own ki. I can feel it. My strength is increasing even more. His pale blue glow was slowly replaced by a white aura. This aura was softer and thinner but it felt many times more powerful. He continued to breathe and the natural ki continued to flow into his body.
You have developed the subskill natural ki gathering.
Your ability to gather and manipulate ki has expanded to the natural energy around you.This allows you to gather the ki from the world around you not just the ki that is within your body.
At this time you are only able to gather a small amount and you must remain still to gather it. With practice you will improve and be able to gather larger amounts and gather it while moving.
Scarlet smiled. She was pleased that Hiro was able to learn so quickly. If I can learn to use this more freely I will be able to keep my ki skills at a much more powerful level for much longer so then I can fight with only my ki and magic. If I get strong enough I may be able to fight with nothing but my own ki and natural abilities.Next I need to use my elemental magic and mix it with my ki so that I can allow my physical attacks to be imbued with the strength of this natural energy and the elemental magic. I can train both of these together with my ghouls each day as we get closer to exploring the whole forest. ¡°I have one more favor to ask of you Scarlet and you too Foria.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± they replied in unison ¡°This sword has the ability to increase its own strength by absorbing materials.I was thinking that maybe if it could absorb some of your arrows then maybe it could absorb the holy attribute that you guys possess.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good theory but are you sure it will work?¡± asked Scarlet. ¡°Just don¡¯t make a bet against him.¡± Foria said with a smile. Hiro laughed loudly and then put his sword in front of him. The two ladies grabbed their bows and began shooting arrows. With his Sharingan active he could see the path of the arrows and he deflected or at least that was what he was trying to do. What actually happened was that as the arrows touched the tip of his blade they were ¡­ well¡­ swallowed. It was if the sword was eating the arrows. Suddenly Hiro heard a voice, ¡°Give me more so that I can grow stronger.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°It is me I am the sword that you possess. I have accepted you as my master after seeing your skills. You fight much like Matsuro so I know you are capable. That is why I have chosen to allow you to hear my voice.¡± ¡°I am honored. What is your name?¡± ¡°Young warrior you will have to do more to earn my trust before I reveal that information. For now though, please feed me more of those holy arrows.¡± Hiro did as he was asked. Then Scarlet fired her multi-arrow skill. Hiro¡¯s eyes grew large and he began to help his sword absorb as many of the arrows as possible. The sword began to glow.
The lightning soul blade has absorbed enough to gain a new skill, holy slash.
Holy Slash: This attack allows the user to create an arc of holy energy and shoot it at an enemy.
This is awesome! ¡°I take it that was enough.¡± Said Foria ¡°Yes thank you ladies.¡± ¡°As you know, Hiro you may change my shape and attributes at any time you want as well¡±, said the sword ¡°Yes I do know that. Is there anything else you can tell mea bout yourself?!¡± ¡°Yes there are many things but I will need to gain more strength before I am able but right now I sense another weapon in your possession¡±, said the sword.¡°Take out your other sword. It is a fine sword but it is not as powerful as I am. I can absorb that and gain even more strength with its power¡± ¡°You mean my Wildfire Sword?¡± ¡°Yes, it is fire based right?¡± ¡°Yes. It has taken me through many battles but I will trust you as you are the gift my master left for me.¡± ¡°Good. You will not regret this decision.¡± Hiro took the wildfire sword from his inventory and moved it near the soul blade. Immediately the two began glowing and came together.
The soul blade has absorbed the Wildfire Sword
The soul sword now possesses the abilities of the wildfire sword. The soul blade makes all fire based attacks 50% more powerful and when it slashes it adds fire damage to all attacks.
Your volcanic slash has been increased to intermediate level 5.
¡°Wow you are amazing! I don¡¯t know what to call you but thank you.¡± ¡°You can thank me by continuing to grow and feeding me more materials so that I can return to my previous form. I must rest now as my power is still recovering.¡± ¡°Ok. Rest and I will talk to you when you have recovered.¡± There was no response. Hiro looked at his sword and it had actually went through some changes of its own. Instead of being jet black, the blade was now crimson with a black handle. It was also hot to the touch. If not for Hiro¡¯s huge resistance to fire he would probably be harmed. The group got all of their things together to move out as it was time to explore the northwestern section of the forest. The northwestern section was home to mostly zombies that the group was able to dispatch very quickly using Hiro¡¯s group heal, Scarlet and Foria¡¯s holy attribute arrows, and Leo and Learra¡¯s flame thrower. During the afternoon they eliminated five groups of 10 to 15 zombies. During this time Hiro and Leo both gained levels and Leara gained 5 levels. It was a good day.
You gained 48 points towards weapon skills
Hiro was not able to ascertain Taka and Scarlet¡¯s exact levels or growth but he could see with each battle they were able to do more and more damage. The group continued to travel in the northwestern section of the forest and suddenly Hiro felt the presence of a very large power. It was straight ahead of them about 250 meters. It was larger than the necromancer and anything else he had felt other than the 2 hooded figures he was unable to face before. A cold chill went down his spine. This battle would be extremely difficult and they may not come out of this in one piece. He sat down and began gathering as much natural energy as he could. He then activated all of his ki based skills, Sharringan, body, and weapon strengthening. He warned the group of the dangerous foe ahead. Then the steeled themselves and moved forward. Arena Arc: Part 3 chapter 50 Chapter 50 They came to a clearing where they saw several dozen skeletons walking around. Some of the bony figures were simply skeletons, others carried weapons, but there was also another who one who stood on top of a stone. It wore a full suit of armor and seemed to be commanding the skeletons. Hiro decide to analyze them to get a better since of how the group should attack.
Name: Skeletal Champion
Hp: 15,000/15,000 Weakness: Holy, blunt weapons
Mp: 1,000/1,000 Strengths: Fire, Lightning, Earth, (Immune to Ice)
Skeletal Champion: A re-animated corpse of a once living being. It is now able to move as it did when it was alive. It has retained its¡¯ skills and abilities from when it was living and is a formidable opponent.
Name: Skeleton
Hp: 7,500/7,500 Weakness: Holy, blunt weapons
Mp: 0/0 Strengths: All elemental magic
Skeleton: A re-animated corpse of a once living being. It is now able to move as it did when it was alive but it lacks the memories, emotions, and logic it once had. It has been given a dark cunning which allows it to make decisions in battle as well as wield weapons and armor.
The champion must have been what was giving off the the strong aura. All of a sudden the skeletal champion let out a howl and all of the skeletons turned towards Hiro and his group. It saw us and has turned the skeletons on us with that crazy howl. The group split up into 2 teams. Scarlet jumped on Taka¡¯s back and the attacked from the sky using Scarlet¡¯s holy arrows and Taka¡¯s wind gusts. The gusts knocked down the skeletons making them easy targets for Scarlet. Meanwhile, the skeletal champion jumped down from his perch and joined the battle. He carried a long blade that looked like it should be wielded with 2 hands but he carried it with one. In his other hand he carried a large tower shield. On his body he wore a thick black armor that covered him from head to toe. It looked like it would be difficult to pierce with any weapon. His aura was like death itself. He charged through the rest of the skeletons and tried to attack Hiro. Hiro was using his Sharingan and his prediction ability so he easily defeating the skeletons by smashing them to pieces with his sword. He would dodge their attacks with the least possible movement and then slash them with his blade or deal a crushing blow with the hilt of his sword. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the movement of the skeletal champion. ¡°Guys you finish the skeletons then join me with the champion¡±, said Hiro. The stage was set. The skeletal champion charged at Hiro using a barrage a shield bashing attacks combined with deadly slashing attacks from the the long sword. Hiro was able to see all of the attacks and was not under very much pressure from this very powerful foe. No matter how strong the opponent is if he can¡¯t hit me the power is useless. Hiro cast his healing spell on the skeletal champion and it took some damage but continued with its onslaught. He had not realized it yet but the champion was backing him against a large stone. Then it happened. Hiro was backing away to avoid the skeletal champion¡¯s shield bash and hit the stone behind him breaking his concentration and losing his balance. He was unable to avoid the attack. The skeletal champion¡¯s shield smashed against Hiro¡¯s body causing him to massive damage to his torso even though Hiro tried to stop the attack with his sword and his ki. The skeletal champion continued by pushing Hiro¡¯s blade aside and attacking the arm that held it. The skeletal champion used a series of refined sword thrusts and slashes. The final attack chopped off Hiro¡¯s arm and blood ran out from his wounded. ¡°AAAAHHHHHHH!¡±, screamed Hiro as his armed fell to the ground. He had taken massive damage. Hiro dropped down as he was beginning to lose consciousness from the pain and loss of blood. The situation was dire. Suddenly Scarlet swooped down with Taka and shot arrows at the champions back. They did not pierce its thick armor but they did get his attention. At this time the rest of the group had finished with the skeletons and saw Hiro lying on the ground bleeding badly from his severed arm. They all ran full speed and stared down the skeletal champion. The skeletal champion let out a scream and began attacking them. The mix of the group members¡¯ training and abilities let them all avoid his attacks. Each of them waited for an opportunity and like a flash it appeared. Leo attacked using his ki strike. It smashed the skeletons arm that was holding the shield to pieces. The shield that seemed almost impervioius was no longer able to to be wielded.Without the tower shield, the skeletal champion was now vulnerable to more attacks. As it began to attack again Learra used her special ability to vanish. The skeletal champion was confused but then immediately focused his attention on Leo. He began attacking Leo. The speed of the blade had increased since the skeletal champion no longer had the heavy shield. Leo had difficulty keeping up with the blade and even though he dodged he began recieveing shallow cuts from the skeletal champion¡¯s blade. He was able to avoid fatal blows but he was getting slashed over and over. Caesar stepped in and stopped the attacks with his massive hammer. While the Skeletal champion tried to force Caesar to the ground with the sheer weight of his attack, Gori managed to move behind it. Then suddenly the skeletal champion realized that it had massive Gorilla arms around its waist placing it into waist lock type hold which then was was used to give the Champion a vicious german suplex to the ground. Gori bounced up and the Champion stood with his neck completely crooked. The champion grabbed his skull for and turned until it was straight again. It let a loud scream that forced everyone to cover their ears. ¡°What the heck was that?¡±asked Caesar ¡°I don¡¯t know but keep on your toes¡±, said Foria The Skeletal Champion began to walk forward brandishing his massive sword. Then suddenly, Learra who had been concealing herself, attacked and tackled him to the ground. The skeletal champion was face down on the ground. Leo and Amaterasu took the opportunity to bite down and they tore the skeletal champion apart. Scarlet and Taka came down and Scarlet removed the armor from the monster and then the beasts ate the corpses of the skeletons so that none re-animated.
Hiro gained 2 levels
Leo gained 2 levels
Learra gained 4 levels
You gained the passive ability greater cold reistance
You are now resistant to all but the highest level cold or ice spells.
Your summon the undead ability improved
New summon available: skeletons
Scarlet began casting her healing spell on Hiro. His bleeding had stopped and his arm had already begun regenerating. He grabbed the bracelet off of his arm that had been severed and put it in his bag. ¡°You guys did great! I¡¯m sorry I got injured like this. I will be more careful next time.¡± ¡°You better be. I almost had a heart attack when I saw you laying their in a pool of your own blood¡±, said Foria ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can you be mad at me after we leave here?¡± said Hiro as he winced with pain. Foria nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Leo put his head down underneath Hiro and lifted him onto his back. ¡°Thank you old friend.¡± Hiro said as it pated Leo with the good arm. The group agreed that it was time to get out of the forest for the day. They went out of the forest and found that it was still light out. Leo placed Hiro down so that he could rest at the place where they decided to camp. ¡°We need to find some food. We have only been finding undead enemies so our food storage is empty¡±, said Hiro. ¡°Ok can you find something using your sensing ability?¡± asked Caesar. ¡°Yes. Give me a second¡±, Hiro replied. Hiro closed his eyes and used his sense energy ability. ¡°I sense that there are some enemies a few hundred meters north of our position. There are about 20 of them.¡± The beasts told the Hiro, ¡°We will take care of the hunting. ¡° Hiro gave Scarlet his magic bag and told her, ¡°Place the meat in the bag and I will skin them and cook the meat when you return.¡± ¡°Skin them? How the hell are you going to do that when you only have one arm!¡±, yelled Foria ¡°It will regenerate. I gained the ability from trolls and some lizard men. I am confident that it will grow back.¡± ¡°It better¡±, said Foria. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry even with one arm, I can still do plenty of other things¡±, said Hiro with a lecherous grin. ¡°I bet you can¡±, said Foria as her face turned beet red. The beast went with Scarlet to find the food. They found the creatures that Hiro had sensed. It was more of the horned stallions that they had previously encountered. The group quickly slaughtered them showing their great improvement in strength since they had entered the forest. Scarlet did as Hiro instructed and placed all of the carcasses in the magic bag. Then they returned to the campsite.
You gained 12 points towards your weapon skill.
When they returned Hiro was sitting still meditating. He had decided to practice taking in the natural energy around him. Using the natural energy should increase my natural regeneration ability. Hiro was right. In the short time that they were gone his arm had fully regenerated. They were all amazed at the outcome of their commander¡¯s recuperative ability. Hiro opened his eyes and clenched his fist on the newly regenerated arm. He was glad his arm had returned and it felt even stronger than before. This must have been due to his ability.Then he greeted everyone and began to skin the carcasses of the animals that his group had killed.
You gained 16 medium leathers and 4 medium hides.
Leo started a fire and the beasts ate the raw carcasses of 6 of the horned stallions. Scarlet and the rest of the group patiently waited as Hiro cooked the meat. They ate and talked for a while then everyone slept soundly.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In the morning Hiro awoke as usual before dawn. He decided to begin executing his plan of diversifying his close range combat skills. He would practice in 3 phases, movement, strengthening his physical defense, and then offense. He decided also to aid his training by using his gravity equipment at the same time. He sat down on the ground and gathered as much natural energy as he could. This feels like it is more than I had been able to gather before and it is gathering much faster. I must be improving. My improvement is amazing but it is not enough. That skeleton took my arm so my skin needs to be stronger. I have to go back to taking those hits somehow to strengthen my body. He then activated his body strengthening ki technique something strange happened. It felt as if his muscles increased in size. He felt more powerful than ever before.
Due to your training of your body strengthening skill, it has improved.
You are now able to increase you strengthen up to a multiple of 5 times your normal strength.
Hiro smiled and was amazed at how much his hard work was paying off. He stood up and said, ¡°80 times gravity¡± the gravity equipment activated. He felt the weight but it was not heavy enough. He decided to push himself even more. ¡°100 times gravity¡±, he said and the equipment glowed again. He was now carrying several tons of weight. He felt heavy. It was difficult for him to run but he could make some small movements. Now it was time to train. Hiro summoned the ghouls as they were much faster and more agile than the skeletons. He summoned 3 of them and told them to attack him. They came at him trying to kill him from the very start. His sharingan allowed him to predict where the attacks would come from and the path that they would travel to hit him. He was able to avoid all the attacks with subtle movements. The ghouls became enraged and their speed increased. Hiro continued to avoid the attacks as he got used to their movements he was even able to parry them with his hands taking the power from their attacks and redirecting them away from his body.
Due to your unarmed combat training you have created a skill tree for more learning martial arts. Each different art has new skills and bonuses that will allow you to improve your fighting technique
What is that icon that is blinking in the top right of my HUD. I can¡¯t worry about it right now. I will wait until after I finish training to learn more about this. Hiro became excited his plan was already bearing fruit. He continued to practice moving and parrying the attacks from his ghouls until the ghouls could no longer touch him. He then began to destroy them. As the ghouls attacked he used attacks that perfectly countered theirs. Using his Sharingan he was able to determine where they would move to before attacking and he met them at that spot and attacked. The force was doubled as their momentum was countered by his. The attacks were devastating. Indeed his ability in martial arts was improving because it now only took him 2 strikes to kill the ghouls unlike before where it took him over 5 attacks per ghoul.
You¡¯ve gained 3 points to your martial arts skills.
Next, he summoned a skeleton. He told the skeleton to attack him. Hiro wanted to practice his defensive skills. He stood still as the skeleton punched and kicked. Each time Hiro let the blow hit his body. His body strengthening technique allowed him to take the blows and only take a little damage. This is still too much. These guys are weak and they can still do some damage if they land attacks. I have to strengthen myself even more. Until I am stronger I need to find a way to protect myself. I have to find a way to take nearly no damage from the attacks. Hmmm¡­Maybe I¡¯ll try to move my ki to the point of the attack to try and negate the attack altogether like I had practiced with Snow. It was a success. The attacks did no damage at all when he moved his ki to the point of attack. He continued to practice because he had to be able to do it in battle on instinct. With no shield or armor to protect him, he would not be able to make mistakes. He decided to step his training up some more so he summoned another skeleton. Now he had 2 skeletons attacking him. At first he had difficulty because he could only move his ki to one place at a time so he was taking damage when they both attacked simultaneously. Moving my ki is not a good enough solution. I will have to strengthen my entire body so that it could negate low level attacks without me having to shift it to protect myself. He increased his body strengthening technique and began to take the attacks. The attacks to less damage but his ki was draining a lot faster because his whole body was strengthend. This is not an option either. My ki is draining too rapidly. It would be even worse during battle with a more powerful foe and then I¡¯d be defenseless like this. I¡¯ll try something else. What though? All over is too much and I can¡¯t move in time. That¡¯s it. I¡¯ll place the strongest ki on his arms shins and back. With these parts of my body covered, I should be able to defend myself against any incoming attacks. Hiro began taking the hits on his forearms, shins, and back. It was a success. He took no damage from their attacks as long as he defended in this way. He sparred with the skeletons for a while then told them to stop. He then decided to begin the final part of his training which was to imbue his attacks with ki and elemental magic. My group healing spell is the only holy magic that I know so I guess I will try to use that. He closed his eyes and tried to manifest the healing magic on his hands. At first it was only a small fleck of the magic. He tried with greater focus on the feeling of the healing magic again and the spot got larger. He tried again and again and again until finally he was able to cover one entire hand with the healing magic. Suddenly, a mini explosion occurred nearly destroying his hand! ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±, Hiro screamed out. What the hell was that? Was it some kind of reaction of mixing my ki energy and mana energy? Maybe I have to mix them a certain way. Hmmm¡­ I have to try again after healing my hand. I cast the healing spell on my hand repeatedly until it was completely regenerated. I tried my experiment several more times. Each time he performed the combination of energies, he could feel when the two energies mixing together became volatile. When that occurred he simply let them both dissipate. He tried this experiment numerous times until he finally got it to work. His ki and mana mixed perfectly forming a white shroud around his hand.
You have learned the passive skill magical ki.
With this skill you are able to freely mix any magic you know with your ki to strengthen any part of your body
Now it¡¯s time to test my new power and put everything I have practiced into one sparing session. He summoned another skeleton. Now there were 3. He told them to try and kill him. The skeletons let out a scream that woke up everyone in camp. They looked over and saw him battling the skeletons with no armor. Hiro was evading their attacks and attacking them with his bare hands. Each time he struck a skelteton with the hand imbued with the healing magic it was destroyed. His skill definitely had power. He now simply needed more practice. He quickly dispatched the remaining 2 skeletons. You have gained 3 points to your martial arts skill Hiro took a deep breath and said, ¡°1 times gravity¡± the equipment glowed and went back to its normal weight. His body felt so light. It was like he could almost as the world was struggling to hold on to him. With this his combat practice was finished.
Your training has yielded the following boosts to your stats: strength +20, speed +20, vitality +25, and wisdom +15.
Now let¡¯s investigate more about his unarmed combat skills. He clicked the blinking icon on his HUD and a spiraling image appeared. It had seven circles that were red. He also noticed that there were some other circles that were greyed out. It looked a lot like his weapon skill tree. There were 6 different martial arts styles that he could learn and apparently each had different bonuses that went along with it. The first red style was labled ¡°Tai Chi¡±. Hmmm¡­I remember Tai Chi involves manipulating ki and using circular motions to attack and defend. He also saw karate, Muay Tai, Boxing, Krav Maga, kung-fu, and Wrestling He looked at the bottom left corner of the display and noticed that he had 29 points to allocate. These must have been some that accumulated from when he fought bare handed against the kobolds. Anyway I guess I will start with learning Tai Chi as it is the first of the martial arts and it only cost 3 points. He clicked it.
Confirm you want to learn Tai Chi?
Yes No
He confirmed and clicked yes. Immediately Hiro¡¯s mind was filled with hundreds of poses and movements from Tai Chi. He truly had learned the art form.
You have learned the basics of Tai Chi.
You can now freely use soft motions to disrupt the flow of your opponent¡¯s attacks. You can also use this soft flow to attack your opponents using a variety of blows that disrupt their internal energy.
After the Tai Chi button turned green two other small bubbles were available. Hiro read them. One was improved breathing technique and the other was natural energy manipulation. Each of them cost 3 points. Hiro learned both of the skils.
You have learned the passive technique improved breathing.
With this technique your vitality will be increased and your stamina will increase due to your body¡¯s new ability take in oxygen. This will allow you to use all of your physical abilities more efficiently requiring you to use less energy.
You have learned the passive ability natural energy manipulation.
This ability allows you to take in natural energy while moving. You will have to begin with simple movments but with practice and time you will be able to accumulate more energy doing more complex movements.
I know that this method of practicing will continue to increase my abilities. Now I will need to continue to improve my martial arts skills. Tai Chi is an excellent start. I will also need to round it out with some striking forms of combat. Maybe I could learn some by watching warriors at the the tournament. Well for now this is good enough. He went to the group and they all greeted each other. ¡°Hey Hiro is that the skill you got from the necromancer? Can you summon more for me to fight¡±, asked Scarlet? ¡°Yes if you would like.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Hiro agreed with Scarlet and thought that they all could benefit with some non-life threatening practice. So Hiro summoned 3 skeletons for Scarlet and watched as she fought them. She moved with grace and power deftly avoiding the skeletons attacks and firing her arrows at them. She dispatched them in a flash and asked Hiro for more. He obliged and summoned skeletons repeatedly as soon as she dispatched them. She went on dispatching them quickly. Hiro noticed some windows come up but he ignored them for the time being as he was observing Scarlet¡¯s fighting technique. She continued battling the skeletons one after another. As she dispatched them Hiro summoned more. She avoided their attacks with the slightest of movements, a roll of her shoulder, a subtle sidestep, a quick roll was all she needed. Then she fired arrows from impossible angles but each one hit the skeletons right between the eyes. Wait a minute the skeletons are starting appear in greater numbers now. First it was in 3¡¯s then it was in 4¡¯s now they are coming out 5 skeletons at once. The skeletons that I am summoning are also getting stonger as a single arrow from Scarlet is no longer enough to stop them. Oh after summoning so many I must have gained some levels in my summoning skill. That was probably what those windows were telling me. Taka eventually joined in to help Scarlet as the skeletons began to get the better of her. Hiro kept summoning the skeletons but the numbers would not go past 5 however the skeletons became faster and faster as well as having more strength and hit points. These are definitely stronger than the ones they fought in the forest. I am getting stronger with summoning just by allowing my team to fight against my skeletons. He looked up and Scarlet was panting. She was looking quite exhausted. She had killed at least 200 skeletons at this point so it was no wonder she was tired. Hiro told the skeletons to stop. He then cast his group healing spell on Taka and Scarlet. Their wounds began to heal. They sat down and ate some food. ¡°What about you guys? Do you want to give the skeletons a try?¡± Hiro asked Amaterasu, Leo and Learra. They all agreed. Hiro began by summoning 5 skeletons. He then commanded them to attack the group of powerful beasts. They charged but the 3 beasts were extremely powerful and fast. Leo crushed one with his tackle breaking all of the bones in the skeleton¡¯s torso. Then his powerful claws slashed another cutting its head completely off of its shoulders. Amaterasu was also just as powerful. She moved so quickly the the skeletons were unable to keep up with her movements. She instantly moved into there blind spot and raised up onto her hind legs and crushed them with her powerful paws. When the skeletons hit the ground they broke into small pieces. Then she turned to the last one. Learra had already crushed it by biting it with her powerful jaws. Hiro was impressed so he continued to summon more and more. They continue to crush the skeletons each time they came out.
Leo gained a level.
Learra gained 2 levels
This is perfect. I can train my companions and they could grow while my skill at summoning the undead would grow as well. So their battle with his skeletons raged on and little by little the number of skeletons Hiro was able to summon reached 8. Hiro also was able to call out new skeletons that actually had some rusty short swords and a small shield. He analyzed them.
Name: Skeleton warrior
Hp: 9,000/ 9,000 Weakness: Blunt, Holy
Mana: 0/0 Strengths: Fire, Lightning, Earth, Wind (immune to ice, poison, and darkness) Piercing, Slashing
Skeleton warrior: A summoned warrior who has retained some of its battle instincts and skills from when it was still alive. It also has more hit points and greater offensive and defensive abilities than a normal skeleton as it can wield weapons and armor.
These skeleton warriors were able to put up more of a fight but they were still no match for the 3 beasts. By Hiro¡¯s calculation they had killed nearly 400 skeletons without taking much damage. Each time they were slashed they just bit one of the skeletons and renewed their energy using their digestion ability.
You gained 298 points towards your weapons skills.
¡°Caesar do you and Gori want to join in?¡± asked Hiro ¡°Nah not this time maybe when they become more of a challenge¡± replied Caesar. Gori beat on his chest in agreement. ¡°Oh ok¡±, Hiro replied. He looked on the ground and some of the skeletons had left bones after being killed. In many role playing games you could sell these a shop to earn money ¡°Everyone please to gather the bones and give them to me so I can put them in my magic bag.¡± How powerful are Leo and Learra? My skill says that I actually have room for one more. What kind of beast could compare to these two? I can¡¯t even think of anything that could fight equally with these two. Hiro decided to stop the sparring session for now so that they could eat a meal before exploring the the southwest section of the forest. He used his energy detect ability and found that there weren¡¯t any strong enemies within that section but he wanted to explore it none the less. Because this section is relatively weak, I should have an opportunity to practice my new martial arts skills.