Dragon’s Road

Chapter 3

Familiar Training

Ryuu equipped the orange gi Kame gave him and returned to the Training hall. The instructor there this time was different from the previous one.

Ryuu said, “Hello, can I take the beginner class training?”

The man looked at him and said, “Hmm, you don’t seem to have done the basic training, but you do appear strong.”

“Yes, I completed Kame’s training.”

"The hermit? Prove it. Show me your status window.”

“Hmm, alright. Display status window.”

Status WindowExitAvatarRyuuAlignmentNeutralTitleNoneLevel2ClassNoneFame37InfamyNoneHealth1130Ki290Strength75Agility68Wisdom10Intellect10Leadership0Luck0Vitality62Endurance81Attack22Defense7Magic Resistances-Gravity12%

The instructor said, “You’ve completed Kame’s training alright, and at level 2 no less. The gravity resistance is a dead give away. His training is quite famous in this city, and those rings he lends for training are extremely rare. I have no idea how he managed to get so many of them, but all the guys who finish it have some resistance to gravity magic by the end. Though I don’t know how yours stacks up to theirs. The stats you have achieved are impressive as well. Yes, I think I can let you can attempt the challenge. Follow me."

At random points during the three weeks he wore the four Atlas rings of Restraint, he received messages saying his resistance to gravity magic increased. If it weren’t for these, he never would have been able to complete the hermit’s tasks.

After entering the hall, Ryuu noticed that in the large area with a hundred indoor trees was a swordsman fighting some people. There were however fewer trees than he remembered. Ryuu took a closer look and saw that the ones the swordsman was fighting, were actually made of wood.

The instructor said, “Infinite wooden warriors. Wood absorbs impacts by splintering, and the warriors themselves repair and regrow broken parts faster than a troll. If you don’t finish them before they regrow you will never beat them.”

Ryuu didn’t know how fast a troll regenerated but he saw the splintered arm of a wooden fighter grow back in a few seconds. Not just that. The trees themselves were slowly turning into more fighters and approaching the combatant.

The swordsman fell and was soon covered in warriors. A few moments later he was dead and the warriors returned to being trees.

“This is the beginner class training?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about your level. Those are special trees. The warriors they produce match your skill. Your elevated stats won’t help you either as they adjust for that as well. Also, within the grounds, skills cannot be activated, so your lack of them as a low level beginner won’t hurt you. This challenge is all about your ability as a fighter.”

“Is that so? Sounds perfect.”

“I like your enthusiasm. The trees the swordsman felled have already regrown, you can start anytime."

Ryuu entered the area. Immediately the two closest trees morphed into warriors with wooden weapons. Ryuu had a hard time not cracking up. Fighting against multiple opponents simultaneously, having men with wooden weapons come at him from every angle, this was one of his favorite types of practice sessions he did at least every other month at the temple.

Ryuu moved to the first warrior and forced the hilt of the sword up and down, throwing the sword back and forcing the warrior off balance before smashing it to the floor and dealing a finishing palm strike to the head, snapping it off. The entire attack was one motion. Ryuu moved to deal with the next while keeping his eyes on the trees that were beginning to morph.

Don’t get cornered. Keep the opponent’s positions and attack range in your mind. Don’t focus on any one enemy over the others. Use your own position to control the position of the enemy. Ryuu heard own his voice telling his students these principles when they were set at the challenge. To fight in such condition, in such numbers, against opponents he had no need to withhold a final blow from, was like a dream come true.

Of course there were a few added bonuses. The wooden warriors were not affected by pressure point strikes, and weak blows set to cripple or slow bounced right off the resilient wood. Any blows that did cripple without dealing lethal damage repaired themselves if the warrior was not dealt with soon after. Ryuu considered all of these things bonuses because they made the fight far more difficult, and that was exactly what he wanted.

Ryuu put his heart into every smashing punch, his soul into every splitting kick, and with a wide grin on his face hammered the wooden warriors with the martial arts he had spent the better part of his life perfecting.

“I have never seen someone so beat up look so happy about it.” The instructor was looking over Ryuu who collapsed after using all his stamina.

“How’d I do?” Asked Ryuu, still grinning.

“Nothing but splinters here. Can’t say I’m surprised Kame’s student succeeded on his first try. But you are the first person to beat it without either a class or weapon.”

Ryuu chuckled again.

The instructor continued, “You know, you have the potential in you to be a true fighter. If you want you can become a Master Fighter. You will be able to equip any weapon. Your punches and kicks will become stronger too. It is the secret class of a Martial Arts Practitioner.”

You can convert to the secret class ‘Master Fighter’

You will be able to use special skills related to this class.

You could raise Weapon Mastery further. Attack and Vitality increases. Do you wish to change your class?

The name of the class sounded good at least, but a class that could use any weapon was wasted on him. “No thanks, I’ll be fine.”

You have decline the offer to obtain the class.

“Alright, your call. Now for the prize. The prize itself is determined by the performance. You have the chance to attain a new skill. Whatever action you take, a skill will be created. Do as you wish.”

Ryuu thought about it and had his answer almost instantly. There was something he could do in the real world but no matter how hard he tried, he could not create the skill in Royal Road.

While still on the ground, Ryuu concentrated on the energy of the world around him, and felt in enter him and strengthen his own energy. When he used Ki the real world, he could recharge by taking in energy of the outside world.

You have learned a new skill: Natural Ki absorption.

It takes ki produced by the natural world into the body

The strength of the ki taken in is determined by Affinity to Nature.

Stat: Affinity to Nature formed

“So I needed affinity to nature to absorb natural ki? Well, got it now.” It made sense to a degree. In the real world, energy he took in was stronger when he was in a natural setting. Doing so in a city for example was pointless, this was one of the reasons the Temple was built in the natural setting of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Ryuu left the training hall and found a spot to use Ki circulation to reclaim his health and stamina before he headed to the monks guild. Of all the classes, monks were the only one that specialized in hand to hand combat.

At the desk of the monk’s guild, Ryuu said, “Hello, I’d like to get the monk class.”

The young women at the counter said, “You already have a gi it seems. Most gis require you to possess the monk class, is that one classless? That’s cool. Alright, go into the room behind me and ask for the test. It is a simple spar. You don’t have to win, just prove you have what it takes to be a monk.”

Ryuu thanked the women and entered the room. There was a young man waiting there.

“Hello, you wish to become a monk? Let’s see what you got.”

Ryuu gave a bow which was returned and they pair started. A second and a half later the instructor was on the ground with his arm locked behind him.

“Okay, okay, I yield.” Ryuu let him up and he continued, “Wow, that was quick.”

“I just saw something good.” From the rafters, a man was watching the match. He rolled off and landed effortlessly landed.

He looked over Ryuu and asked, “Would you care for a spar with me?”

The instructor said, “But-” and was silenced with a hand from the old man.

Ryuu gave another respectful bow and set his stance.

The man leaped forward with a punch. Ryuu dodged with a half-step but received a kick instead. A flurry of punches came in rapid succession but only three were dodged. Ryuu used a Ki empowered kick but felt a resisting ki against his own in the man’s defense. It took no time for Ryuu to realize how much the old man was holding back, he was just measuring Ryuu’s strengths. So he gave it everything he had.

After two and a half minutes, Ryuu was on the ground, his ki completely spent, with health reaching critical levels. This was the first time in over ten years he had been put into such a condition twice in one day, though the outcome this time was a loss compared to the earlier one.

The old man extended a hand to help lift the exhausted Ryuu off the ground. After he dusted himself off, Ryuu said, "Thankyou for the match.”

"Ha ha ha. The pleasure is mine. It's been decades since I've seen a recruit with such promise. My name is Korth, I'm the head of this guild."

Now Ryuu understood why the man gave off the feeling of a master, it was because he was one.

Korth said, "You wish to become a monk right? Well that might not be good enough for you. You see there are a few different kind of monks, each with their own strengths and flaws. Most would be overcome by these flaws, and never achieve their true strength so for them, the best class is the common monk. For you however the common monk may not be best. I do however, not know which one would be."

The previous instructor Ryuu had taken down, went to the head and whispered into his ear.

"Oh ho, what a great idea!" He turned back to address Ryuu. "Yes. I shall give you a quest that is above your abilities. Then you must complete it. If you cannot without a class, then the common monk is best for you. If you can, then how you overcome it will determine which monk you'd be best at. Yes. Now, give me a few minutes to think of a good quest."

Ryuu waited in the lobby of the guild thinking over the situation. It reminded him of a story his master had told him, about the founder of mantis style kung fu. The founder had three disciples, each was taught a little differently, and each passed their training onto their own disciples until, long after the founder passed on, there were three similar, but different systems, each calling themselves mantis kung fu. So the question is, which is the real one? The answer is, all of them. The founder taught each student differently because each of the three had different strengths and weaknesses. He taught them each a variant that would make them the strongest they could be.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Master Korth returned sometime later with a large grin. "I must say I've outdone myself on this. Ok, here is your quest. In a place called Kabbot cave there are creatures called Vexing Pixies. Defeat fifty of them and return."

Ding*

Kabbot Cave Pixie Slayer

Rank D

Defeat 50 of the vexing pixies that live is Kabbot cave and return. Upon showing your stat and skill progression, Guild master Korth will be able to determine the best class of monk for you.

Progress 00/50

Reward

A Variant Monk class determined to match your traits

"Very well," Ryuu answered. "I'll do it."

You have accepted the quest.

"Excellent. I look forward to you return." With that, Korth returned to the other room.

The instructor from before came up to Ryuu and said, "If you didn't know, Kabbot cave is a four days walk south of here. There are signs and such so it is not difficult to find. That being said, vexing pixies are level 80, and the cave has hundreds of monsters around level 60 and 70. You should train some before attempting the cave."

"I see. Where is a good place to do so?"

"Hmm. I'm sorry but I would not know such things. Maybe one of the city guards would know. They are often tasked to train themselves and it is their job to know where the enemy is."

Made sense to Ryuu. No NPC could know everything. If he wanted specific information, he had to find the right one to get it from. There was some information though that this NPC should be aware of, and Ryuu wanted to learn of it before leaving.

"What other kinds of monk are there?" He asked.

The instructor said, "Hmm, quite a few, even I don't them all. There's the devout monk, the shadow monk, the fallen monk, and there's even a wandering monk class. I am but an ordinary monk, so am barely familiar with the particular traits you'd need to show to obtain a specific one."

"Can you tell me any?"

"Hmm, no. I do not have enough familiarity with you to share such information. And even if I did, I would still would not. The quest is an aptitude test, doing it right will yield the best class for you, cheating on it will not."

Ryuu agreed with the man, he only asked to see how much information he could reliably get from the NPC. He left the guild and found a city guard. However it turned out to be the same one who told him off his first day. He could try to find another, but he decided against it. After doing a few small time quests, and several jobs, Ryuu had learned much about dealing with NPCs

"Excuse me, but do you know good place I can train?"

The guard looked over Ryuu and said, "I have no time for nobodies, go bother someone else."

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, I just wanted to get strong so I could protect the people of this city. Who else am I going to ask how from, but one of the city's protectors?"

He looked back over Ryuu and asked, "Where'd you get that gi? It looks familiar."

"This? Is was given to me by a hermit named Kame."

"What? Did you train under Kame?! My old mentor trained under him. Strongest man I ever knew. Hmm. Alright.You want somewhere to get stronger. I got a report that a large group of kobolds took up camp in an abandoned fort this morning. Kobolds are too small time for us, but it would be a good fit for you. The fort is six miles southwest of here. Go if you want."

"Thankyou sir." Kyuu left for the front gate of the city.

The plains outside the city was filled with equal parts players and rabbits. A few bright orange foxes littered the area, some of which were chasing small players.

To the distant south was a long mountain range. To the north, west, and east, were roads and plains spaced with a few trees. Ryuu didn't know if his destination was on the southern road, so he used the sun for directions and ran directly southwest.

A minute after he started running, he heard someone running behind him. Ryuu turned to see a man with a long bow and tunic sprinting for his position. At first he thought the person was looking for a fight, but if he used that bow he would not approach his target as he did.

When the bowmen approached, he said, "Hey, where are you going? There is nothing that way."

"I have been told differently." Ryuu replied.

"You hunting on your own? What game?"

"... Kobolds."

"Oh. My name's Telkin, I'm a level 15 ranger. I'm in a party hunting wolves. But they're too easy now. Can my party join you?"

"One question first. Why did you run to me?"

"Ah. You're new right? No one does anything without a reason in this game. Keep your eyes open or you'll miss something important. Something like a monk traveling off the roads but in a specific direction."

Now Ryuu understood what gave him away. He considered the ranger's offer. Overall he would get more experience from killing the kobolds on his own, but there was more than just battle experience to be had. The ranger proved he a different kind of experience, and learning from that might be useful.

"Alright," answered Ryuu. "The kobolds are in a fort in this direction. I'll go first and you and your party can meet me there."

"Sure. Thanks." After that the ranger walked back. He was likely tired after trying to catch up to Ryuu's running.

Ryuu continued on, and about an hour later, made it to the fort. From a distance it looked large and empty, anyone who didn't know what Ryuu was told would pass it by without a thought. Even the gate was open.

Ryuu entered the gate and saw a dozen or so small monsters with rusty bronze swords and wooden shields. There faces and heads look like a mix between a dog and a lizard. Thier bodies were no bigger than a child's.

"Human!" At the cry, the other creatures noticed the intruder and charged.

Ryuu stepped up to one that was reeling back for a sword strike and gave it a soccerball kick, sending the ugly thing to the other side of the fort.

You have gained a level!

"Attack!" The creatures were pouring out of houses in the fort like insects. Ryuu took a low stance and kicked and punched the little monsters. Most went down after one hit but a few of the larger, chunkier ones took two or even three well placed hits to fell.

You have gained a level!You have learned a new skill: Unarmed combat mastery.

Another group of kobolds were sent flying with kicks.

Skill level up: Unarmed combat mastery [2]

And another group.

You have gained a level!

From what Ryuu knew, kobloids were between level 20 and 30. A normal level 2 player should have difficulties fighting a level 5 rabbit, and have no chance against a level 15 fox, but compared to ordinary players, his avatar was a bit cheaty. Not that Ryuu had any problems with that. In real life if someone trained their heart out and became stronger for it than someone who didn't train, it wasn't considered cheating.

You have slain 50 kobolds, chaotic creatures that destroy nature.

Affinity to Nature rises by 1 (+1 AtN)

It seemed the more evil monsters he killed the better, but the kobolds inside the fort numbered a few hundred. Ryuu could fight groups, but armies were a different matter. Regardless of the increase in level, his health and stamina were decreasing, and because he was classless, he had no auto-assign function he could activate for his stats. So until he opened his status menu and assigned them, he was not getting any stronger no matter how ridiculously fast he was gaining levels.

He kept at the fort’s gate so he could run if needed as well as funnel the incoming mob through one opening. However the odds were mounting against him. Kobolds has taken position on the walls and were slinging rocks at him. Times like this he wished he really did have a skill to shoot energy out of his hands, but at that thought, one of the kobolds fell from the wall, an arrow sticking from its head.

"You idiot, you charged the fort on your own?!"

The ranger had showed up with two friends, a man in a white robe and a woman wearing a half-plate, sword, and steel shield.

The priest said, "Oh mighty lord, watch over and protect us, Healing hand."

A white form in the shape of a giant hand wrapped over Ryuu, his health bar replenished some.

The knight charged in and took position next to Ryuu in the doorway, preventing the kobolds from taking their backs or getting to the priest or ranger behind them.

With someone by his side to take half of the monster's attention, Ryuu was no longer overwhelmed. The priest cast the occasional healing spell and the ranger sniped the targets Ryuu and the knight couldn't reach.

Ryuu kept watch over the knight, she had a little skill with a sword but too many openings. Whether it was because she was a woman or because she was fighting by his side he didn't know, but for some reason Ryuu felt a little protective and took measures to watch her back.

The kobolds continued to pour in and Ryuu realized that the party was on its last leg. The knight had far less stamina than he did and so much continuous fighting was wearing her down to the bone. It had been a while since the last healing spell which meant the priest had run out of mana. And the bowman's arrows were coming less and less frequently.

It wouldn't be long before the knight fell and kobolds passed around Ryuu to kill the other two. Ryuu decided there was only one way to save them.

"Aaaarrhhhhhh!" Ryuu roared, kicked the four kobolds in front of him, and charge into the fort.

Most of the kobolds followed him, leaving too few to overpower the knight.

The ranger saw the whole thing and said aloud, "That crazy bastard."

?Chapter 4 Fun with Kobolds

?Chapter 2 Ki Conditioning in Royal Road

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