* * *
Both fell silent with that, and returned to their practice. They lost themselves in their work, she emitting mana and he on mana emission, point exercises, and point manipulation. Time passed quickly, no longer distracted by the pleasure of one another and they soon heard the other two boys stirring. Kilniara jerked aware first, quickly turning to Joe to kiss him goodbye before slipping from the room in a graceful slither that distracted Joe almost as powerfully as her full body kiss had been.
Joe shook himself away from his distraction and returned to his practice until the boys woke. They were soon awake and all four headed out into the courtyard where they practiced their forms once again, all pushing themselves past their system given bonuses until their own reserves. Joe pushed himself to his norm, to utter exhaustion. The other three, however, Joe only allowed to push themselves slightly, even with the healer already awaiting them.
Joe had been a bit distracted at the healer’s arrival, but the healer simply nodded and waved for them to continue, so he did so. Their training went quickly, the others seemingly much more willing to push themselves with the healer standing by watching. The healing after was even quicker, although the full body wash was still as refreshing as he remembered it. The healer left quickly after being paid and they returned to the inn for a hearty breakfast.
Sending the other three on ahead, Joe headed towards the temples to change his job to adventurer, which went quickly enough. After swapping through the appropriate cloak then returning it to his bag, he headed to the dungeon and caught up to the other three before they made it into the dungeon. He slipped in with them, joining their conversation easily. Their conversation was one more of humor and light mockery before they headed down into the dungeon, passing through the safe zone and heading to their corner.
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
69.00
Physical:
Wind
23
SP
69.00
Piercing
23.00
Water
23
MP
23.00
Crushing
23.00
Earth
0
Attack
46.00
Slashing
23.00
Fire
23
Defense
46.00
Ice
23
Magic
23.00
Gravity
0
Magic Defense
23.00
Adventurer
23
Magnetic
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
0
Strength
69.00
Unselected
0
Light
0
Dexterity
46.00
Unselected
0
Shadow
0
Agility
46.00
Space
0
Speed
46.00
Spirit
0
Endurance
92.00
Mental
0
IQ
23.00
Sound
0
Wisdom
23.00
Electricity
0
Will
17.25
Learning
23.00
Luck
0.00
Their return to combat was so normal that Joe was soon wiping through goblins with Zilnek easily. They went through their set of goblins quickly, Zilnek collapsing in exhaustion a bit faster than the other two usually did. After the first session, Joe fought a bit more before stopping to take a look at his gains. Ironically, despite its name, adventurer proved to be a rather boring job.
As expected, the combat gains were nice and the rest proved mediocre and useless. Despite the annoying sidetrack to gain his language ability, Joe was grateful that he had his thinking capability already at more than useful level. Even if things screwed up now, Joe would be able to still reasonably gain stats until he was back at Earth normal simply by using his intellect for combat, like he did in fighting the sparks in the advanced dungeon.
Granted, it would be unlikely that he would be able to fight the goblins, slimes, or snows or other mobile creatures very easily, but it would just take a bit of careful work to be able to be back to what he was. He could figure out what he wanted after. But… I’m going to have my base Earth stats back… pretty fast at this rate. No problem at all. Probably be stupid to just stop after getting my base stats back, right? Joe grinned at that thought, and returned to his combat while the other three rested in the corner for another five or so minutes before Garnedell came out to join him.
Joe smiled to see him joining, “Hey.”
“Hello, Joe,” Garnedell grinned back.
“Ready?”
“Yes!”
The two fell into an easy rhythm, Joe pulling monsters and smacking it good to catch its attention then simply defending for the first couple times while he watched how Garnedell fought. Garnedell was still timid, his strikes aiming mostly for limbs whenever the goblin attempted to strike. Joe watched carefully for a bit before starting to give hints about how to close and get closer to the torso. Garnedell took to them well enough, but remained pretty skittish, failing to commit and Joe had to take a bit of time encouraging and teaching him.
After having grabbed the first couple, Joe turned the fight towards Garnedell, letting him pull and take the full focus of the monster while Joe took a couple stabs before becoming more of a guardian angel and only intercepting to protect him. After settling into a rhythm again, Joe began chatting during a break.
“So, did you figure out what you wanted?”
Garnedell glanced up at Joe with some confusion before grinning shyly, “Oh… about… me?”
“Yup.”
Garnedell smiled while whipping a stick at another goblin, “Well… I would like to offer my family a proper burial.”
Joe blinked at that, not expecting the turn in conversation, “Um… I’m… not sure what to say to that?”
Garnedell glanced up at Joe, worry quickly coming to him before taking on the goblin. Garnedell fell silent as he fought it and Joe waited patiently. After the goblin fell to Garnedell’s infusion attacks, he turned back to Joe.
“I… do not wish to belittle all you did for me as a master, Joe.”
“No. Hey! No. Not at all… I’m just not sure… what I’m supposed to do.”
Garnedell smiled at that, “You aren’t to do anything. It is simply something I must do.”
“How can I help you do it?”
Garnedell’s smile grew, “You are willing to help?”
“Yes.”
Garnedell nodded, “Then… I must begin my hundred days mourning.”
Joe’s eyebrows leapt at that, “What will that do? I mean… how does it work? What should I do?”
“I will need to hold vigil for them each night. Then I will be able to properly enshrine them.”
Joe listened on, lost in how to help, but desperate to do so, “Then… what can I do. Should I hold vigil with you?”
Garnedell looked up at Joe with a bit of anger, “You are not family.”
“I… um… no. I’m sorry. I just… don’t know.”
Garnedell stared at Joe carefully for a bit before nodding, “I… am sorry, master. I forget you … do not know.”
“I don’t… but I don’t mind learning nor do I mind helping anyway I can. Anything you can teach me?”
Garnedell smiled at that, “Ah… the vigil is simple. A small moment of remembrance for the member lost before bed, cupping mana within your hand before releasing it to the cradle where they rest eternally; a moment and a burst for each. After the hundred days, the shrine is built for them to be remembered.”
“And… I can help … how?”
Garnedell grew silent before looking up at Joe, “I will need to build the shrine.”
“You want help building it?”
Garnedell quickly shook his head again, a small spurt of anger swelling before quickly being erased with a sigh, “I’m sorry… you do not know. It is so strange you do not, but… no. This is for the family.”
“Ah… still a family event.”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s my part? I was kinda asking how I could help you.”
Garnedell grinned at that then grew melancholic again, “I need to build it for myself, but I do need … materials.”
Joe sighed softly at that, laughing and shaking his head, “Garnedell. A quarter of all this… one in four of all this is yours. Take all you need.”
Garnedell grinned in relief this time, nodding, “Thank you, Joe. You may hate being a master, but … you are a good master.”
Joe’s emotions twisted, his dislike warring with satisfaction from a good compliment, “I’m… can only try as best I can.”
Garnedell nodded, “And… you do well.”
Joe grinned, “Thanks, man. Means a lot.”
Garnedell did a half bow thing, “It is only the truth.”
Joe squirmed at that, but hid behind a grateful smile, “Then… I’ll keep trying.”
The two fell silent at that, turning back to fight another monster before Joe began again after it was obvious Garnedell had the goblin on the ropes.
“So, then what do you want for me to help you with.”
This time, Garnedell’s grin was greater, if also a bit embarrassed, “I would… like to get another weapon… if possible.”
“Another weapon? Sure. We’ll have to find a job that will let you… maybe open up a growth skill… that might…”
“A … ring? From the goblin king?”
“Ha!” Joe laughed, “No problem… we got four now… one of them’s yours… no problem.”
Garnedell grinned, “I… thank you… but that is the easy… ha! The easy part! Truly only with you, Joe. Heh… but yeah, that is the easy part. I wish to wisely choose a second weapon.”
Joe grinned at that, a bright smile coming to his face, “Well… let me tell you of the joys of the tonfa!”
Joe began rattling off details and evaluations of all the weapons he knew, and while he spoke lovingly of the tonfa, he made sure to evaluate all the weapons fairly. The two spoke for some time until Garnedell grew exhausted. He did manage to push past into his own personal stamina for another fight or two before he had to beg off, exhausted. Throughout all this, Joe offered his honest evaluation of all the weapons he knew, and finally ended with his recommendations: spear and sword.
“So… the sword is stronger?”
Joe shook his head, “No. It is just more versatile. That means it’s more likely to be stronger in most of the situations you find yourself in. So, if we were to place you in a random place against a random stranger with a random weapon, chances are that a sword will be better for you than a spear. But in the times the spear is better… it is MUCH better!”
“Aaahh,” Garnedell seemed to grasp it, nodding, “I… will have to think on it. And… what of your ranged weapon.”
“My rang… oh. The bow? Yeah… that can also be a good choice… offers range and versatility. I… find it really only useful in certain situations.”
“But in those situations, it is very useful.”
“Heh! Yup… you are correct.”
“Hmm… I will have to think on it.”
Joe nodded, “Well… that would be smart. Take a rest. You’re wiped out.”
“Thank you, Joe. I do need rest now.”
“Yeah… I can tell. Go ahead and… oh! Wait! Did you get any scars or wounds when you were younger?”
“Wha… oh… uh… I do not think… I cannot think of any, no.”
“Anyone you know?”
“Um… no? I don’t think so.”
Joe frowned, “Then… no… wait,” Joe ended with a sigh, realizing Garnedell now had quite a bit of HP and multilevel job compared to most of the kids who were still on level one. Don’t feel like… experimenting about health and how much abuse a body can take with underage kids. That’s… Joe growled at the thought, both disgusted by the thought and the realization it was the only way to find it out. And… there’s gotta be a clan out there that did just that… Joe sighed.
“Alright. Go ahead… rest. Get the next person up here.”
“Alright, Joe,” Garnedell didn’t move, however, and Joe glanced over at him wondering what was going on. Garnedell nodded, speaking once more before turning back to the corner.
“Don’t worry, Joe. Whatever it is, you will take care of it well.”
Joe grinned at that, happy satisfaction at a work well done washing away his worries from before and he chuckled.
“Alright… alright. Thanks… go take a break now.”