An Unexpected Gain
The one eyed monsters rushed at us with a surprising amount of speed. The weaponless one directly ran straight towards Cher, as if it instinctively knew which one of us was weaker.
“Cher, raise the shield up!” I shouted just as an orb of water shot out from besides me. It was Hina, she had used water magic to hit the floor in front of the Cyclops wielding the club. Its forward momentum, followed by the unexpected loss of traction caused by the water, created a perfect opening for me as the monster slipped and fell over.
As if adding insult to injury, Cielle fired of an almost pin point accurate shot towards the Cyclops’ open eye. It wailed dramatically, gripping its eye as it blinked away the forming tears.
In that same instant, I was already besides Cher. I could have honestly attacked it at this point, but I allowed the Cyclops to slip through, merely as an opportunity to showcase the danger involved in this type of hunt to Cher.
The Cyclops reared its tree-trunk like arm back before it rocketed forward, directly aiming at Cher’s upper body. Cher reacted just in time guarding with the makeshift shield. Although due to taking the attack head on, a splintering sound resounded in the air just before the shield broke into two and Cher was sent flying. She stopped just as her back crashed against a plaster wall.
Using this opportunity, I quickly moved my blade, cutting off the Cyclops’ extended arm with a bit of resistance. This time around, instead of using [Dissect], I used my own strength. As expected, the resistance my swing met was greater than usual. [Dissect] was the type of skill that increased the proportionate slashing attack as well as increased the opportunity to sever things.
While I could still manage the same basic motions and end result without relying on the skill, in the end, it made things a lot easier.
As I thought this over, I simultaneously heard the screeching roar from the one eyed monster, just as I shot a quick glance back at Cielle. The attack shaved off a majority of her health,leaving her with almost 1/5th of her total hp. Luckily, before I even had the chance to call out, a floating blob with a blue hue, flew through the air and directly entered Cher’s still parted lips.
One thing Cielle noticed when experimenting with her unusual skill, was that direct contact increased its effects. Be it [Blue Gemini] or [Dark Gemini], if the substance somehow managed to get inside you, then you're either in for bliss or in for a world of hurt.
I made a slight nod, as I focused back on the Cyclops in front of me. I quickly lobbed off one of its legs just as it reared a fist my way. Just as it was about to topple over, I used this chance to cut of its remaining arm, using the force of its downward acceleration to assist my swing.
In no time flat, it dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, sending bits of broken gravel rattling with it.
Just for good measure, I lobbed off the remaining leg, causing its continuous wail to heighten to a new extreme.
At almost the exact same time I finished, the girls had also handled the remaining Cyclops. They had continually thrown a barrage of magic based attacks at their prey while it laid prone to the ground. It didn’t even get the chance to stand back up under the fire of spells. In the end, apparently Cielle was the one to deal the finishing blow, sending a stream of [Dark Gemini] guzzling down its throat, much in the same way she had healed Cher.
With their own respective Cyclops handled, the two girls turned their attention to mine. The weaponless Cyclops was still wriggling on the floor, much like a worm. Its constant movements sent a splatter of blood everywhere, forcing me to pin it to the ground with a direct stab to its shoulder.
“Uwaa…. Hide’s methods are just as cruel as always…” An unexpectedly rude comment flowed out from Hina’s mouth. Following behind, Cielle unconsciously nodded besides her.
“Cher, can you stand up?” I ignored the two and looked over at Cher. Her health had been brought back to almost the max, so there were no visible wounds left on her body. Although that may be the case, the person herself looked pretty pitiful. Her eyes were bloodshot, tears clearly evident, while her face and much of her skin took on a pale complexion. The close brush of death had served well in giving her a taste of death.
As if the two other girls noticed my intentions, they began to chirp up.
“Wow.... he really used it again… that sort of cruel technique…” Hina commented while shivering, most likely briefly remembering when I allowed a monster to almost half kill her.
Cielle likewise reacted the same way, while not saying anything, but only grasping at her own shoulders as she shivered.
Again, I ignored the two, and called out to Cher again. This time she reacted, hastily getting up while she held the broken shield in both her hands. Her breathing was rough, uneven, as if the adrenaline from earlier still flowed through her veins. I waved for her to come closer, which she acquiesced, after a bit of trepidity.
As she neared me, I pulled out one of my spare daggers from my back pocket. “Here, deal the finishing blow.”
The Cyclops had about 10% of its health left. While it may take a while for Cher to kill it, what with the huge level difference, and lack of basic attack from Cher, she should be able to do fine, as long as she aimed at the weak points.
Receiving the dagger with shaking hands, she gulped tersely as she approached. As if reading my intentions, she walked over so that she stood directly next to its head. Seeing Cher’s current actions, and the weapon she wielded, the Cyclops reacted violently, trying to wiggle its powerless body around in a vain attempt to escape. I got annoyed, so I lightly knicked at an important vein that buldged out besides its neck. The blood flowed freely, causing the Cyclops to lapse into silence as it almost choked on its own pool of blood.
“Aim for the eye,” I called out. “Thanks to the cut I gave it, if you don’t hurry, it might die before you can kill it.”
Hearing my words snapped Cher out of the trance like state she had entered just as the Cyclops had began resisting. She looked at me briefly before turning back her attention towards the body. While gripping the dagger with both hands, she knelt down and stabbed at the base of its eye. It squealed (more gurgled), before Cher did it again. She did it numerous times, her breathing getting shakier and shakier with each successive stab.
The Cyclops died a while ago, but Cher kept stabbing. After a while though, she seemingly lost strength in her arms, as she toppled backwards with a heavy sigh.
Seeing this, I turned back around to Cielle and Hina, just as I removed the end of my long sword from the dead Cyclops’ shoulder. I lightly called back towards the other two, and asked, “Did anything drop?”
After a brief look, they all wearily shook their heads, although Cielle could be seen dragging a club that was almost double her size over to me.
“...Can Hide use this….” She asked, as she made a strained face before dropping the club at my feet.
While I never explicitly told Cielle what my skill was, she already had the vague presumption that it somehow involved weapons, or items in general. I didn’t particularly mind though, sometime, in occasion, her knowing about my skill was useful.
“Let’s see…” I lightly spoke just as I bent down to pick up the weapon.
It was surprisingly heavy, but with my current strength, it was manageable enough. One end of the club, presumably the handle, was thinner, and wrapped in a rough leather that chafed the skin. As it traveled down, the width of the weapon widened, until ultimately it ended at a blunt end. The majority of the weapon was seemingly made out of an unknown wood. It was thicker and much more dense than regular wood.
I briefly pondered what type of tree from the “other world” this type of material came from.
Swinging the club around took an incredible toll on my arms, and after a few swings I was already pretty tired. While currently, the weapon was too heavy and unuseable, with [Equip]’s effects in play, that situation might just change.
And to activate [Equip], I first had to use [identify].
With that in mind, I briefly screamed the skill’s name in my head, and following that, a new blue information panel exposed itself.
Cyclops Club
A traditional weapon used by Cyclops. It has a thick end at its base, perfect for heavy, melee attacks.
Damage: 90 - 110
+40 Strength
+ 10 Defense
-60 Agility
Durability: 85/100
This weapon was….
Looking over its stats left me absolutely dumbfounded.
While the damage was insane, higher than even the unlocked damage of [Efhermet], and even the boosted stats were pretty amazing as well - a 40 in strength, as well as a boost in defense, a stat which so far, has only been effected by a grey back pack, simply put, its demerit was too extreme.
A minus in the agility department… what’s more 60! For a better perspective, my base agility stat, one which isn’t boosted by weapons, was 60. If I were to equip this weapon… wouldn’t that bring me down to 0? Would I not move or something?!
I wondered whether the Cyclops had to deal with this type of ridiculous stat distribution, or whether or not this was just the effects of my skill.
“?” Cielle, who watched my ever changing expression, worriedly tilted her hilt. “What’s wrong…?”
Seeing this, I let loose a heavy sigh while stating, “Nothing… let’s go check up on Cher…”
I placed the weapon gently down on the floor. While currently, the weapon was useless… I had a brief hint of inspiration from it, so I wouldn’t just readily abandon it just yet.
Walking over, I see that by now, Cher had mostly recovered, and was now sitting upright. Although her hands were still visibly shaking. Nodding in her direction, I lightly called out, “Did you gain a level?”
From my sudden voice, Cher jumped in her seat before turning to me. “Ah- wait, let me check…” After a brief pause, her face instantly brightened as she wordlessly nodded to me.
It was an expected conclusion. After all, the level difference between the two was amazing. And also, it was generally easier to level up the lower your level. As you grew stronger and stronger, the hurdle proportionately increased.
Seeing this, I returned the nod, with my own. “Good. For now, you’ll be gaining a lot of levels, but there’s one condition…”
Upon stating that, Cher’s expression morphed from instantly happy to confusion. “Conditions?”
“Yes, that is, regarding your stat distribution, follow my every orders. Distribute it how I instruct you.” I continued with a colder-than-usual voice.
Cher’s face turned to dismay. She was obviously against such a condition, after all, one’s own stats determined their very self in this new world. “B-but… I- I…”
She tried to argue with me but I shot her down with a cold glare. “Did you already forget? While you may have been treated kindly up to this point, you are technically a slave, correct? I also haven’t forgotten what transpired the first time we met. If I recall correctly, you tried to kill me, right?”
Hearing my tyrad, Cher’s face paled. The other two, remained silent. While they had a complicated expression on, they at least didn’t interrupt.
“Anyways,” I continued. “Just listen to what I have to say, otherwise I might kick you out, or worse…” I ended my words with a rather dark implication, which further seemed to add to Cher’s dismay.
“Ah- although I haven’t mentioned this now, I have the [Identify] skill.” I began explaining, as if I just remembered about it. “The skill allows me to look at another person’s stats, so if you try to lie to me, I’ll know.”
I mixed in a lie, which Cher didn’t seem to realize. Rather, from this person’s current viewpoint of me, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were to believe me if I said I was an immortal or something.
As if to prove the point, I further stated, “If you want an example of my skill, then let me just tell you now, the way you distributed your stats- mostly agility- won’t help you out.”
Hearing my words, Cher’s eyes bulged in shock. Rather, due to the current atmosphere, the fact that she had told me before hand how she distributed her stats didn’t even register in her rattled mind.
“Is that clear?” I confirmed to which Cher reluctantly nodded.
“Good,” I nodded. “Then for now, only distribute two points into agility. The rest… save them for now. I have something planned for them.
While she had wanted to argue over adding her stats into strength, saying something like it would help with carrying things, I instantly shot down her suggestion. Cher’s face was a mask of confusion and despair, as she nodded rather pitifully.
“Don’t worry about the strength stat for now. I’ll be feeding you easy kills for the majority of this grinding session, so for now- at the very least, you will grow stronger.”
The truth was, I planned to build Cher into an agility/defense type tank who could both block, move, and taunt. And as such, I didn’t plan on distributing any of her bonus points into strength. At least, that was the initial setting. In truth, I didn’t quite trust Cher just yet. While she may have joined up with us due to impending circumstances, she could just as easily betray us due to those same circumstances. Either way, by making her focus on something other than strength, then her danger potential decreased.
When the time comes, I’ll make Cher focus her points into something akin to the defense stat, but for now, limiting her actual potential was a good measure of security. At least, it won’t impede actual battle. With the current level of opponents, Cielle, Hina and I more than suffice.
After wrapping things up here, we decided to move away from the current area, and rest for a while, if only to recuperate and gather our thoughts.
****
We crashed in an old classroom half destroyed by the same type of explosion that created that hole in the floor. The created concrete debris blocked much of the view into the room from the outside, so it was relatively safe.
While I did say rest and recuperate, this was mainly so that Cher could regain her mental state. Her first kill, as well as my sudden declaration seemingly startled her, so a quick rest would do as some good.
Also, I had to make a new shield for Cher, as well as do something about the Cyclops Club. It was an undeniably good weapon, too good to just up and abandon even with its demerits.
After fashioning a new shield, which greatly resembled Cher’s old one, I instantly focused on the Cyclops Club before me. The hilt of the weapon which was covered in leather, was extremely thin, unimaginably so. It was almost as thin and had about the same width as the width of my long sword. The only difference was that it was a lot longer and had no guard.
The whole of the weapon was about a little over 6 feet long, shaft and all. It was definitely taller than my actual height. An incredible weapon that something without the sufficient strength would not be able to wield.
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I didn’t have that strength, but I wanted to wield it.
With that in mind, I carefully placed the club on the floor, secured it with some tape, took out my long sword and-
swish!
I lobbed off the base of the club, reducing the initial height to under 5 feet. Of course, I had to use [Dissect], since the material made to construct the club would be too dense for me to cut otherwise. The good thing about [Dissect] was that it could also sever non living things, just like that time I sliced at Cielle’s [Dark Gemini]. Although, I unfortunately haven’t tried this in actual combat on actual weapons…. maybe next time?
Anyways, refocusing back to the weapon, now the end of the Club was as smooth as a table although it had a slight slant, similar to the edge of a katana. That was made on purpose.
Next up, I put away my long sword and took out Efhermet. I twiddled the dagger briefly in my hand before I repositioned it. Currently, I wasn’t holding the dagger like I normally did during battle, but using the whole of my hand while the thumb stuck out all the way to its hilt.
Wordlessly, and with the utmost concentration, I knelt down and began to work.
I began to craft.
I whittled the base of the club down vigorously. Each successive strike was dealt while [Dissect] was in full effect. Truth be told, this was infinitely harder than actual combat. Occasionally, my stamina would run dry, and I’d have to rest and eat for a bit, only to continue again. It’s kind of funny actually, doing this increased [Dissect]’s skill level all the way up to 8. A true testament to how continuously I had to rely on this skill in order to mold the weapon to my liking.This sort of pattern with short intervals repeated for about 2 hours, until finally I rose up from my kneeling position and looked over my work.
Somehow, without me noticing, the girls had also joined in to view my current actions.
“““Oooohh….””” They all exclaimed while gazing at my semi-finished product with awe.
“...” As for me, contrary to their reactions, I was a bit… underwhelmed. As expected, being the creator himself, I am more inclined to find the flaws rather than the benefits.
Despite that, despite my inward complaints, without a doubt, this was the finished product, or at least, it was the extent to my current mediocre abilities.
The club, which used to fit snuggly in the giant hands of a cyclops, now lost most of its bulk. Its main body, was as thin as its hilt, while the tip slightly curved, similar to an actual katana. the edges themselves, weren’t smooth, rather they were rough. Some might say unfinished. I could probably smooth it out with some sandpaper, if I managed to make it all the way to the woodworking classroom deeper down the east building, but currently, this was enough.
All in all, it greatly resembled a boken, a japanese wooden practice sword. Amazingly enough, it retained a lot of its weight, while the club retained its density. I chalked this phenomenon up to the weapon’s material. It was an amazingly sturdy piece of wood, one which might be able to rival most metals.
While the finished product looked fit for human hands, in the end, what really determined everything was its stats. With both a heavy feeling in my heart, and a slight tremble in my sweat soaked hands, I activated [Identify].
Cyclops Club [Heavily Customized]
A traditional weapon used by Cyclops. Due to heavy customization by an amateur crafstman, the weapon has been modified for human use.
Damage: 80 - 90
+25(50) Strength
+ 5(50) Defense
Durability: 60/100
[Equip] Skill Bonus
+45 Strength
+10 Agility
+ 15 Intelligence
(???)
Familiarity: 50+
Level Requirement: 18 [Crafter Exempted]
“...” Much like the first time I used [identify], I was left speechless.
-The difference is way too amazing?!
The demerit was completely wiped out, and while at first glance, the weapon’s stats seemed to have gone down, in actuality, with [Equip]’s bonuses in effect, as well as the crazy familiarity amount of 50… the stats were beyond ridiculous. And another thing too, the [Equip] bonus and Familiarity.
The individual [Equip] skill bonus ever only came out to already acknowledged weapons. Weapons that give boosts to every other player, without the necessity for something like an [Equip] skill. Did this mean that this weapon could give ordinary stat boosts to other players besides me? Is that also why something like a level requirement was suddenly added in? Was this Club actually acknowledged by the system as a “game” weapon?
And Familiarity was another thing too. The max familiarity I’ve come across since prior was 9. To think this Club registered at a whooping 50… could it be because I was the one who created it?
As I pondered the absurdity and wonder of all this, an unexpected ding broke my train of thought.
Congratulations! Do to further understanding of your skill, [Equip], new information has been unlocked.
Followed by this, [Equip]’s status panel flashed across my eyes. Much like the first time this happened, there were a few changes.
[Equip] (Active)
Skill Type: Unique
Skill Rank: Beginner
Skill Level: 3
Skill Experience: 35%
Effects:
Enables user to equip items. Items are granted stat bonuses. Weapon bonuses are only applicable to the skill owner. Consumable items may vary. Familiarity attribute gives certain stat boosts and special effects depending on its value.
(???)
(???)
Available Sub-skills:
Identify
All-Purpose Crafting
Demerits:
You cannot use mana.
One notable change was that [Equip] reached beginner level 3, jumping up from its previous level 2. There was also a little snippet about Familiarity added into the skill’s description. Unfortunately, it was already something I figured out by myself.
The most important, eye catching change though, was undeniably, the addition of a new skill, [All-Purpose Crafting]. With poorly controlled excitement, I quickly brought up its information before me.
Ding!
All-Purpose Crafting
Skill Type: Rare
Skill Rank: Beginner
Skill Level: 1
Skill Experience: 0%
Effects:
A rare subtype skill that falls under the crafting specialization. It allows access to most, non-unique and non-legendary crafting skills.
Ways to acquire more skills: Tutelage, direct experience, leveling up [All-Purpose Crafting]
Currently Known Skills:
Weapon Crafting- Allows for the crafting of weapons with innate attributes (i.e. stats, damage, durability, etc.)
Weapon Customization - Customize pre-existing weapons, be it for better or for worse.
As expected, for a subclass of that troublesome skill, [All-Purpose Crafting] was also a rare skill, one which was already shaping out to be infinitely useful. Looking over its window panel, I instantly connected the Cyclops Club’s added attributes with this skill. From my point of view, the customization or crafting of a weapon was a prerequisite for the acquisition of an [Equip] sub-skill, much like how I had to independently identify an item so that I could unlock [Identify].
It was probably also the reason why the Cyclops Club acquired actual weapon stats, unlike my shoddy shields. Being the catalyst for the skill, it was obvious that it would be the first to feel the effects of my newly attained crafting skill.
In order to reaffirm something I already concluded, I picked up the Cyclops Club, henceforth now nicknamed, Cyclub. It was heavier than it looked, probably about 30 pounds in total, although with its added effects and my current stats, it felt no different from my long sword.
To test it out, I handed the weapon over to Hina, the only one other than me who met its level requirement.
Hina looked at it dubiously, before her eyes widened in surprise. “H-Hide… these stats are…” I confirmed that she could see the weapon’s individual stats window. Usually, this was something that only system recognized weapons experienced. My [Equip] skill + [Identify] combo was something that allowed my to view the panels of outside weaponry.
Seeing Hina’s surprised reaction, I couldn’t help but smile, as I urged her to test the weapon out.
She swung it a couple times, making a few amateur poses here and there. She commented over how she felt the difference the stat boosts gave her, but further elaborated that it using it drained a lot of her stamina.
-Was this due to incompatibility?
While I made a light comment like that inside my head, I pondered how unbalanced life was. Hina was obviously more suited to be something like a mage, even without her current stat distribution and skill put into consideration. It was like how some people were better at drawing than others. A sort of innate talent, and apparently, Hina did not have the talent for close combat.
After confirming it, I took back the weapon and tested it out myself. Of course, the difference in strength was undeniable. The added weight of the club allowed me to perform stronger attacks while the weapon’s stat boost was simply another spectacle in itself.
While I wanted to play around with it more, I had to refocus back on our original goal, grinding. To better improve that, I set about to recrafting another shield for Cher.
What I did was simply pushed aside the original shield, and remade a new one based off the same design. Using a whole new desk top at its base, while adding some of the leftover wood from the club’s original form over on top of the face of the shield, I was able to craft an ugly wooden shield that had surprisingly decent stats.
Wooden Desk Shield
This item was crafted with terrible materials. An emergency weapon built for an emergency situation.
+5(50) strength
+ 7(50) Defense
+10(50) HP
Durability: 9/10
[Equip] Skill Bonus
+10 Strength
+10 Defense
Familiarity: 50+
Level Requirement: 8 [Crafter Exempted]
As expected of the innate familiarity, even though the item itself was pretty shoddy, and originally did not give a good effect, its performance instantly improved by leaps and bounds, that is, if I were the one to wield it.
Unfortunately, Cher was too low of a level to wield it, so the question of whether she’ll gain the defense stat upon using this like me, was still up in the air. Luckily, if she couldn’t get the stat through such a direct method, then I had another means of acquirement… rather, even if she did get the defense stat, I would have probably still utilized the method I had in mind.
While I pondered over this, unexpectedly the shield disappeared from my hands. At first I panicked, but after calming down and turning, I noticed that Cielle had taken hold of the weapon.
“Ah…” Upon looking over its status panel (at least, that’s what I guessed), Cielle’s eyes widened. Wordlessly, she looped her arm onto the Shield’s rope brace, and cautiously swung it around. Much like her sister with the sword, she entered several fighting positions, straining (with two arms) to hold the unexpectedly heavy shield aloft in the air.
That only persisted for less than a minute though, before she gave it back to me with a tired huff. If I looked closely enough, I could see the slight tremble in her tired arms. As expected, like her sister, Cielle was also not suited for close combat.
“Hey, Cielle, did the defense stat kick in?” I began asking, overcome with curiosity and slight bitterness that I hadn’t thought this up before Cielle butted in.
With a firm nod, Cielle confirmed what I hoped to hear. Afterwards, she added, “Hide is… very talented…”
Laughing ruefully at her comment, I asked another question. “Even now, do you still have the defense stat? Is it permanent?”
After a brief moment of silence, and what I hoped was Cielle scrolling through her window panel, she shook her head.
“I see…” I lamented.
‘So it wasn’t permanent’… was my initial reaction, but after thinking things over a bit more, I reached the conclusion that that might not be so. If someone were to allocate a bonus point into the defense stat while they had the shield equipped, then things might change.
I still held onto that single hope as we began getting ready to head out, having fully recovered.
While I would have created more makeshift shields for Cielle and Hina, we faced a problem regarding material. We lacked rope, and currently, there was no suitable substitute in sight. In addition, the current shield was to high level for Cher to equip, so for now, I held onto it, looping the braced around my shoulder much like a backpack, while Cher was stuck using the inferior shield that did not qualify as an actual weapon.
Like this, our party finished resting. Having had our fill, and Cher having calmed down somewhat after her first battle, we headed out once more, into the halls and for more grinding.
****
Author's Note: I really had fun writing this chapter. It's been a while since I did a chapter that contained this much panels, haha. Anyways, if you liked this chapter, or this story in general, please rate or review. I really appreciate the feedback.