JohnWillStab and Kwispii sat at the rectangular table inside of the temple while a blizzard roared outside as always.
"Kwispii: Yes, I see - you say you can feel smell from game?"
"JohnWillStab: Right... I can also taste stuff and even get drunk."
The walls of the temple had a yellowish wallpaper, the table was covered with a red and white checkered pattern cover.
A warm cup of tea stood before JohnWillStab, the dark brown liquid emitting a stream of steam.
An uncomfortable silence passed, "JohnWillStab: Sounds pretty crazy, right?"
"Kwispii: Yes."
The quick, blunt reply almost comforted JohnWillStab.
"JohnWillStab: I know right..."
"Kwispii: And you say the NPCs are sentient?"
"JohnWillStab: I know it sounds insane! But it's true!"
"Kwispii: I heard rumour in global chat... though it is hard to believe..."
"JohnWillStab: I decided that I will help the NPCs, I don't have a plan per se... I have to do something!"
"Kwispii: I understand, you are convinced the NPC are sentient... And you made it to mountain... What you choose to do with my teachings is up to you."
"JohnWillStab: You're still going to teach me!?"
Kwispii nods.
"Kwispii: I will not look down on a man trying to save a deadman, but I will look down on a man calling a living man dead."
"JohnWillStab: I don't get it... what does that have to do with me?"
"Kwispii: Is metaphor, even if you are wrong, you don't look for power for evil."
JohnWillStab understood what he said, though he was still struggling to get his head around it.
"JohnWillStab: I think I understand..."
"Kwispii: Good, let's start your levelling."
Kwispii stood up and gestured for JohnWillStab to follow him into the larger room, it looked like a garage, a cement floor and cement walls, both grey.
"JohnWillStab: How will you level me up?"
"Kwispii: We will spar."
JohnWillStab read over the words, "He's not serious... is he?"
Kwispii stood opposite JohnWillStab.
"Kwispii: Lesson one, when you fight in form of bear, you are bear."
"Kwispii: A bear will not run from a fight and not charge to death."
Kwispii readied his fists, his stance consisting of his right arm being bent at a seventy-degree angle at the side of his torso.
"Kwispii: You have to learn to be the greater danger."
"JohnWillStab: But... isn't the level difference too great?"
"Kwispii: If you have knife, do you feel safe next to bear?"
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"JohnWillStab: No..."
"Kwispii: What about gun?"
"JohnWillStab: No..."
"Kwispii: When enemy fights you in burning steel refinery, they will not be afraid of the fire, they will pray it gets you before you reach them."
A while of uncertain silence came from JohnWillStab.
"Kwispii: Unequip your weapons."
He did as instructed.
"JohnWillStab: Alright."
Kwispii took one step forward.
Uncertain at first JohnWillStab found himself hovering his finger over the attack button.
He took another step forward.
"Kwispii: When I reach you, I will attack. he stated simply."
Another step, sweat started gathering on JohnWillStab's forehead in real life.
"JohnWillStab: Hole on! Wasn't I supposed to be the danger?!"
Without replying Kwispii took another step forward.
Each one felt like a thousand kilograms piling on his chest, his breathing turned irregular.
His hand shook over the button, was he supposed to run away? Back off?
Before he reached him JohnWillStab accidentally tapped the keyboard and made a move backwards, like a catalyst for the rest of his sprint, he started running away.
"Kwispii: You do not seem dangerous..." he stated as he stood still, crossing his arms in apparent disappointment.
"JohnWillStab: But you said you'd kill me!"
"Kwispii: You are too weak... maybe... for now we will practice first martial art."
JohnWillStab's fear was replaced with confusion.
"JohnWillStab: Martial art? Like a new skill?"
"Kwispii: JohnWillStab, I will teach you basic bear form stance."
"JohnWillStab: Stance?"
"Kwispii: When you enable stance, it is like second class."
"JohnWillStab: I see!"
Kwispii demonstrated the stance.
Overall he looked relaxed, relaxed but focused.
"JohnWillStab: How do I imitate that?"
"Kwispii: You must figure it out."
Confused, JohnWillStab played a series of emotes, "/relax" which made his current animation look more relaxed.
"JohnWillStab: Am I getting close?"
"Kwispii: Yes, you figure thing out fast."
"JohnWillStab: Can I mix emotes?"
Kwispii nodded.
JohnWillStap played the "/relax" emote followed by the "/slouch" emote, though he looked like he was about to fall asleep.
"Kwispii: Too much, you must get your arms a bit more forward and you back straighter."
"JohnWillStab: But... which animation does that?"
No reply.
He played the "/piss emote", his character did straighten his back out a bit and brought his hands forward.
"Kwispii: Better. Now attack."
JohnWillStab did as instructed, he used the basic punch attack disabling all the previous animations.
"Kwispii: Again."
"JohnWillStab: Do I have to use the emotes again?"
Kwispii nods.
JohnWillStab let out a sigh before relaxing, slouching and pissing.
"Kwispii: Now punch."
"JohnWillStab: How many times do I have to do this?"
"Kwispii: Until you run out of stamina."
With that, Kwispii logged out and didn't return for several hours.
Four hours later he logged in and saw that JohnWillStab was still performing the basic attack.
"Kwispii: You are still working?"
JohnWillStab took a while to reply, Kwispii was concerned JohnWillStab was using a bot, but in reality, his fingers were both too sore and too numb to type quickly.
"JohnWillStab: Undead don't run out of stamina... so y'know... I never knew where to stop..."
"Kwispii: I know, I mean you in real life."
"JohnWillStab: I ran out of stamina a while back, I'm running on pure determination..."
"Kwispii: I am impressed, you reached level 22 already."
JohnWillStab looked over to his level bar, it was true, he gained two levels by just practising the basic punch stance.
"Kwispii: Now, what level is your unarmed skill?"
JohnWillStab opened his stat menu confused, he looked through his numerous stats and saw his fist skill was "45 / 100"
"JohnWillStab: 45."
"Kwispii: Not bad, you can learn actual stance now."
"JohnWillStab: Wait - that wasn't the stance?!"
"Kwispii: Of course not, pose was only to make sure you do not use auto-clicker."
JohnWillStab felt his life drain from his very body in real life upon hearing that.
A message appeared on JohnWillStab's screen, "Do you wish to learn bear stance?"
He clicked yes.
With that, an icon appeared in the left of his screen, it was above his actual skill bar.
He clicked it and his character changed slightly, his muscles releaxed, even his face seemed more focused.
"JohnWillStab: I GOT IT! I ACTUALLY GOT IT!"
"Kwispii: Yes, now as you trainer, I decide if you should get a given ability or not, there are ten in total."
"JohnWillStab: Alright! Let's get onto the first one!"
"Kwispii: Didn't you say your stamina ran out?"
"JohnWillStab: Nevermind that!"
"Kwispii: Alright, the first ability is the bear claw."
"JohnWillStab: Was that the attack you used to cut the guy in half at the inn!?"
"Kwispii: Yes, but do not misunderstand, he was far too weak for that attack, at least with my level."
"JohnWillStab: Let's get going! Where do I start?!"
"Kwispii: Yes, I need you to chop mountain in half."
"JohnWillStab: ...lol..."
Kwispii didn't reply to JohnWillStab.
"JohnWillStab: That was a joke, right?"
"JohnWillStab: RIGHT?!"
Kwispii marched out of the building followed the still terrified JohnWillStab.