Carn woke up back inside God’s Paradise laying exactly where he fell asleep 4 days prior. He quickly went to the training area to meet with Kiera, apologizing for his absence, "I'm sorry I couldn't come for the last couple of days. Some issues came up in my world that I had to take care of."
Kiera nodded, "We assumed as much. Rourke and I saw your astral state, so we knew something was up."
"Astral state? What's that?" Carn asked, curious.
"It's when an otherworlder doesn't come to this world for a day. Your body remains here, but nothing can interact with you. It's like you're here, but you're not really here," Kiera explained before continuing, "Let's start some close combat training. We'll see if you're as skilled at that as you are with Mana Arrows."
Kiera and Carn stood across from each other in the training area, each holding a dagger. Kiera was dressed in full ranger gear, while Carn was still wearing the simple clothes he had on when he arrived in God's Paradise.
"Okay, let's start with the basics," Kiera said, gesturing for Carn to take a fighting stance. "You need to keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and your knees slightly bent. That way you'll have a stable base and won't be knocked off balance easily."
Carn nodded, trying to remember everything she was saying. He had never fought with a weapon before, and he was a little intimidated by Kiera's expertise.
"Now, let's work on your grip," Kiera continued. "You want to hold the dagger firmly but not too tightly, and keep your wrist straight. That way you'll have more control over your movements."
They began to spar, with Kiera taking it easy on him at first. Carn was surprisingly quick on his feet, and his instincts helped him avoid some of Kiera's attacks. However, it was clear he lacked any real combat skills.
"Try using Hunter's Accuracy," Kiera suggested after a few minutes. "It'll help you anticipate my moves better."
Carn closed his eyes and concentrated on his aura. He could feel it flowing through him, and he focused on slowing down his breathing and calming his mind. As he did so, he felt a surge of energy and his senses became sharper.
He opened his eyes and saw Kiera coming at him with a flurry of strikes. With Hunter's Accuracy, he was able to see through her movements but due to his lacking skills he was still unable to do much even with that advantage.
Kiera quickly realized that Carn was struggling to keep up, even with the assistance of Hunter's Accuracy. She paused the sparring and put a hand on Carn's shoulder.
"Look, I know this can be overwhelming, especially for someone who's never fought with a weapon before. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," Kiera reassured him.
Carn nodded, feeling a bit discouraged. He had always been a quick learner, but this was something entirely new to him.
"Let's take a break," Kiera said, sensing his frustration. "I'll show you some basic moves, and we can go from there."
They spent the next hour going over basic stances, footwork, and techniques. Kiera was patient and encouraging, and Carn slowly began to gain confidence in his abilities.
As the sun began to set, Kiera called an end to their session. "Not bad for your first day," she said with a smile. "We'll continue tomorrow, and I guarantee you'll be a pro in no time."
Carn thanked her and headed back to his cabin, feeling exhausted but exhilarated at the same time. As he drifted off to sleep that night, he couldn't help but wonder what other surprises God's Paradise held for him.
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Waking up he found himself holding Alicia’s hand and felt her head on his shoulder, his heart raced for a second. He thought about taking his hand away then remembered how scared she looked when he woke up yesterday and decided against moving too much.
A few minutes later Alicia woke up and stretched a bit and Carn watched as her purple eyes opened, “Good morning.” Carn said, watching her yawn.
“Mornin’,” Alicia responded reflexively, after her morning daze she realized where she was and felt Carn’s hand holding hers and she quickly let go, “Ah I’m sorry…” she said embarrassed.
“No need to apologize, you have soft hands,” Carn said with a wink.
Alicia’s face flushed red and she ran out of the room saying, “Let me get us some breakfast!”
Carn sat in the bed with a cheeky grin on his face.
A while later Alicia returned with some oatmeal and fruit, and the two ate in silence. Alicia was too embarrassed and Carn was thinking about his training with Kiera. He noticed that whenever he tried to strike with his dagger he was a second too slow and whenever he tried to dodge his path to retreat was hindered.
Remembering that Alicia was supposedly a commander at a large guild, Carn decided to ask her for help, “Alicia could I ask for some advice in regards to God’s Paradise?”
Immediately Alicia became slightly guarded, she didn’t want Carn to become just another person who treated her as a famous white mage. Cautiously she responded, “Sure how can I help?”
“Well I am at the Ranger Headquarters in Sienna Village and we are doing close combat training. However, I am struggling with my movements and timing. I was wondering if you could give me some advice or techniques to improve my skills,” Carn said, hoping he wasn't overstepping any boundaries.
Alicia was pleasantly surprised. She had expected Carn to ask for advice about healing magic or something related to her fame, but this was different. She smiled, feeling a sense of relief that someone was talking to her as a regular person and not just a famous figure.
“Of course, I’d be happy to help,” Alicia said, her tone warmer now. “Close combat is all about timing and precision. It takes practice to get it right, but there are some things you can do to improve.”
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She went on to explain the importance of footwork, balance, and anticipation. She told Carn about her own experiences with close combat, and how she had to learn to defend herself in dangerous situations.
Carn listened intently, taking in every word. He was grateful for Alicia's advice, and he could tell that she was genuinely invested in helping him improve.
“Thank you so much, Alicia,” Carn said, feeling a newfound sense of determination. “I really appreciate your help.”
Alicia smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction that she could help someone in a way that was outside of her usual duties. It was a nice change of pace from the typical requests she received.
As they finished their breakfast, Carn felt a newfound sense of confidence. He was determined to take Alicia's advice and become a better ranger. And he knew that with her help and knowledge, he could do it.
The two talked for a while. Carn was concerned that Alicia hadn’t been able to enter God’s Paradise last night but apparently in exchange for being a nurse for Carn, Alicia got the same God’s Paradise pill he did.
With that concern out of the way, Carn talked about his experiences in the game so far, “So, when I told the players I got 3rd in the tutorial speed they all freaked out. A guy from the Pillars of the Sun guild even toured me around town because of that.”
“Wait, you are the guy that got top 100 in the tutorial?” Alicia asked, honestly a little shocked.
“Yup that was me,” Carn said with an awkward laugh.
“Wow congrats, I got top 1000 when I did it and everyone praised me to no end. Getting 3rd is incredible!” She said joyously.
“Thanks,” Carn replied, unused to all the praise.
“If I may ask, who was the Pillars of the Sun guild member who showed you around town?” Alicia asked.
“His name was Shaun Bradley, he was a big paladin with white armor and a massive shield and hammer on his back, though I never saw his face because of his helmet,” Carn replied.
“Ah so it was Shaun, let's continue this in a bit. I need to go to the bathroom.” Alicia said entering the bathroom attached to the room as she typed on her phone.
As Alicia was in the bathroom he heard a knock on the door before someone walked in. To Carn’s surprise, he saw a short stubby man with pointy ears and a nice beard enter as well as an old Korean lady. It was his old boss Hector and Granny Cho.
“Hey Carn, how are you feeling bud?” Hector said with a hearty voice, “We tried coming in a couple of days ago but they said you were in critical condition so we are here now.”
“I’m fine Hector, the issue has been solved so I’m all good now.” Carn said with a smile, “How’s your house and the shop doing?”
“Ah they are all busted up but apparently the gate break was due to a government fuck up so I have gotten heavily reimbursed.” He said with a hearty laugh.
“Carn dear it is good to see you doing alright, have you entered God’s Paradise yet with the thing I gave you?” Granny Cho asked.
“Yes I have, I really appreciate it Granny Cho and I am really glad you are doing well,” Carn replied.
Granny Cho nodded and Hector looked surprised, “Little Carn is finally playing God’s Paradise? I guess I have to find a new sucker to work my late shifts. Let me know if you are ever in Helios City. I got a restaurant in town with the best monster dumplings you have ever seen.” Hector said proudly.
“I’ll make sure to do just that,” Carn said.
As he finished talking the toilet flushed and Alicia walked out with her eyes closed and a stretch showing off her smooth dark belly to everyone in the room, “Carn I am gonna grab us some dinner, what do you,” She stopped as she realized there were other people in the room, “Hello I am Alicia, Carn’s nurse.” She said awkwardly bowing while giving Carn a death stare.
“Oh I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend Carn,” Hector said bluntly, “I thought you were gay with how many girls you turned down at the shop.”
“We’re not- It’s not like I- um I just didn’t want to get in a relationship while being homeless,” Carn responded, finally finding the right words.
“Well you snatched a beauty congrats,” Hector said like a father proud of his son.
“We’re not- ugh there is no point is there,” Carn resigned.
“Nope none at all,” Hector said with a wide grin, “We should get going Granny Cho, we don’t wanna separate the love birds after all.”
“Alright, well feel better Carn, contact me if you need anything, I’ll make sure my son gets it for you,” Granny Cho said with a soft smile as she walked out of the room with the laughing Hector.
When they left Alicia stomped up to Carn and pinched his arm.
“Ouch! I am sorry, I’m sorry there was no way I could let you know and they came in before I could say anything.” Carn said
Alicia rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "It's fine, I'm not mad about that. I'm more annoyed that they assumed we were dating without asking," she said, crossing her arms.
Carn felt embarrassed and ashamed. He didn't know what to say to make things better. "I'm sorry," he repeated.
Alicia softened a bit and shook her head. "It's not your fault. I just don't like when people assume things about me," she said. "But anyway, let's focus on your training. Maybe I can help you with some techniques, I have a couple of good rangers on my squad and I have seen them fight a lot."
Carn nodded eagerly, grateful for the change in topic. Alicia began to demonstrate some basic moves with her hands, showing him how to position his body and anticipate his opponent's movements. She even helped him formulate a routine to practice on his own when he got better.
As she talked about some basic theory, Carn found himself becoming more and more comfortable with Alicia. She was patient and kind, and he enjoyed talking to her about her experiences as a commander. He also found himself admiring her strength and intelligence, and he couldn't help but feel a little attracted to her.
But he pushed those thoughts aside, not wanting to ruin the relationship that they already had.
Later that night Carn fell asleep beside Alicia just like the night before and he entered God’s Paradise.
Walking to the training area he met up with Kiera and tried to put the advice Alicia had given him into practice, as a novice it was difficult but he found himself more steady and in a better position to counterattack. He even landed a few hits and surprised Kiera with his improvement.
"Looks like you're starting to get the hang of it," Kiera said with a grin. "Keep practicing and you'll be a great ranger in no time."
Carn felt a sense of pride at her words and he continued to train with renewed determination. He was determined to become a skilled ranger and to make Alicia proud.
Kiera informed him that for the next three days, they would do melee combat in the morning, archery practice at noon, and tracking practice at night. She promised tracking practice was easy in comparison to the other two and informed him that they might use more time on melee combat.
As the training session ended, Carn walked back to the main building and he heard a ding in his ear.
- You have completed Ranger Training Part 3 -
Strength and Agility have increased by 2 points
Pleased with this result and his rapid improvement due to Alicia’s help, Carn fell asleep and returned to Earth.