“Interesting” Bruce mumbled under his breath, completely engrossed in studying evaluation he received after Lucas finished his test. Speaking of Lucas, he was starting to get a little bit annoyed seeing as the Loremaster took about half an hour looking and not once did he share anything with Lucas, whose impatience continued to build during all that time and being close to the tipping point right about now.

“Gray head, talk to me? How did I do?” Lucas finally succumbed and asked.

Hearing Lucas voice startled Bruce from his thoughts and he remembered he wasn’t alone as he focused on Lucas, his face still portraying a faint expression of surprise.

“Yes, yes. I have to admit your results are exceptional, even if your style is unpolished and wasteful. How often do you allow yourself to be hit in a bid to create an opening?” Bruce asked in a thoroughly professional tone.

“Before today? Just in the city, I hoped to stop the destruction from heavy troops during our altercation” Lucas responded, not seeing point in holding back. He was still a bit skeptical about how much Bruce will be able to help him, but he was willing to give him a chance.

Bruce nodded and cast a quick glance at the results before returning his full focus to Lucas. Lucas took a deep breath before bracing for the chiding about recklessness he guessed he is about to come.

“I don’t want to pry too much, but how much skill points you have available?” Bruce asked.

“Just two” Lucas responded.

“Well, that gives a breathing room. You are already aware you can learn new skills by yourself, seeing as you have one already, earning a title with it.” Bruce said.

“Actually I have three now, four in total. One of my self – learned skill fused with another.” Lucas proudly interjected.

Bruce paused for a second, shocked by the revelation. He once again called Lucas’s results and after a minute of intense study, he correctly singled out the two skills Lucas told him about.

“Even better. We will use the rest of the day to learn two skills you are close to learning, and then we will raise your level. Ideally we will raise it by ten levels, but taking in consideration our circumstances, I think five is more realistic.”

Lucas was excited hearing this, especially the part about learning new skills as he currently was out of ideas for new ones. If the old Loremaster could deliver on his promise, this whole endeavor might prove successful.

“What comes after that?” Lucas asked, not really interested in answer, already fantasizing about new skills.

“After that, we will launch some crippling attacks against our enemy, hopefully recruiting a few more to our cause” Bruce said.

“There is no our cause. I will deal with Michael and then I’m off” Lucas responded, annoyed at the thought of being used in a political games.

Bruce looked shell shocked. He certainly hadn’t expected this kind of answer from Lucas.

“And where exactly are you going?” Bruce asked him, still reeling from shock.

“Somewhere where I can progress in peace” Lucas simply responded.

“And you really think any leader will just let you be? Even if you manage to find some measure of peace in short term, what happens when the reach from Camp Hearth change the law for the whole Earth?” Bruce argued.

“Then I will leave Earth. Multiverse is vast and there are many opportunities for a motivated person”

“Much stronger people had already done that. None of them returned, nor we heard anything from them. You are about to run from a fight on your level. What makes you think you are the chosen one?” Bruce retorted.

That question legitimately stunned Lucas, as truth usually had a habit of doing. He forced himself to confront that he indeed was talking about running away, reasons be damned.

“Let’s focus on the training for now. You think about everything else and we will talk later” Bruce saved him. Lucas nodded and he received his instructions from the old Loremaster. To Lucas’s massive surprise, his training consisted only from running and quick changes of direction. As Bruce explained, there was no guarantee as how the skill manifest, but there where tools to ensure you get the result you want.

“And remember, don’t invest mana until I give you the mark” Bruce reminded him once again.

Lucas started sprinting, changing his direction in regular intervals about every two hundred meters. He quickly fell into the grove, his movement going into autopilot, allowing him to turn his mind on the argument he had with Bruce. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, the fact that he was running away stayed with him.

“But I’m not running away from my conflict. I will hunt Michael down” he reasoned. But if that is true, why did he sacrifice himself to stop the carnage during the fight back in the settlement? It is true that he spent his whole life in Camp Hearth, raised in the orphanage there, but did he really considered it home?

“After what Michael did, what even is there to tether me to that place?” he asked himself. There were some fond memories of course, but the ugly truth was that he didn’t have anything back there. Except maybe the old Loremaster, who was usually target of his antics and for whom Lucas felt some kind of kinship, the one you felt towards the neighbour you see every day, but not really talk much to.

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“So, why do I feel like I’m running away?” Lucas continued struggling with his inner demons when he heard Bruce yelling to him to activate mana. He immediately coated himself in mana, as Bruce instructed him. He felt a dash of pleasant feelings followed by the wave of pressure. Struggling to remain in control, he ran and he ran, and then something snapped and he felt the floodgates open. A wave of knowledge entered his brain, followed by the notification that made him smile.

“Congratulations! You learned Battlerush”

Lucas allowed himself a moment to recuperate, before navigating to the skills submenu and delving into his new skill

Battlerush (Passive)

Every step of the duelist must be made to outplay his opponent with battle, and speed is essential in achieving that goal. This passive skill allows the user to increase his speed with every step during continuous movement, sharpening his reflexes to avoid anything that will stop his movement. Agility increase the acceleration by 0,2% per point.

Lucas only managed to whistle after reading the description, his new skill becoming the most powerful tool in his kit. It will allow him to zoom through the battlefield, and by being a passive it didn’t demand any kind of attention from him. Even outside of the battle, this thing had variety of uses, most of all decreasing any future travel time by so much that it made his head spin. While he was reading and analyzing all of this, Bruce reached him and seeing and feeling the energy Lucas extruded, he happily nodded.

“Do you mind to share?” Bruce asked and Lucas complied. Bruce did a quick read over, more proud by every line he read.

“This was better than expected. Passive skills are incredibly rare and out of reach for vast majority of people. To my knowledge, only the best crafters on Earth have a passive skill, so that would mean yours is the third to emerge. Even our best and brightest during Initiation hadn’t managed to develop one during their time on Earth” Bruce explained, making Lucas feel very excited for his massive achievement.

“Now, now, foolish young, don’t let it get into your head. We still have to learn another one, and I located a suitable ground for the leveling phase of our training.” Bruce chided him lightly and Lucas focused. He couldn’t wait to see what his second skill will entail, seeing as the first one was so good. Bruce instructions were a little more specific this time, and he even brought back apparitions to help with realizing what he imagined. On Lucas’s part, instruction included staying at the distance and trying to stab the apparition after spins and pirouettes, shaming Lucas once again as he remembered how much he failed doing that every time he tried.

“About time to correct that weakness” Lucas concluded as he took the stance and training begun. Lucas and apparition furiously clashed, Lucas forced into evading a few times and missing the majority of time he tried, always being a bit out of the balance. However, after some time, he managed to land a hit, and then a second one. Before he landed the third one, Bruce instructed him to activate his mana and he once again coated himself in it. Unlike the last time, his pleasant feeling continued as he landed hit after hit. After the one which landed perfectly on the back of the apparition head, Lucas saw the prompt. Waving to Bruce to stop the fight, he took a quick pause to catch his breath before opening the prompt.

“Congratulations! You learned Spin strike”

“Congratulations! You learned Bulwark of Balance”

Lucas was pleasantly surprised seeing two new skills and he quickly opened his skills menu, finding both of his new skills and started reading them, but not before sharing them with Bruce.

Spin strike (Uncommon)

Master of his movement and battlefield movement, true duelist is always able to find himself opening, no matter how much enemy hope to contain him. This skill allows the user to spin around his target and landing a hit immediately after finishing the spin. Agility increase the speed of the spin by 0,1% per point and Strength increase damage dealt by 0,5%.

Cost: 250 stamina

Bulwark of Balance (Epic)

An established duelist never loses his footing and he never allows an opening to his enemy. This skill prevents the user from losing his balance as a consequence of enemy attacks or the movement of the user. Duration of this skill is always equal to the half of the Agility of the user, measured in seconds.

Cost: 300 stamina, 150 mana

Astounded to get another epic skill, no matter how much it was an utility one in comparison to his ultimate damage skill, Lucas quickly returned to his full status screen, aiming to admire at his new gains.

Name: Lucas (surname N/A)

Class: Duelist level 35 (Skill points available: 2)

Attributes:

Strength: 37

Agility: 60

Constitution: 21

Intelligence: 30

Willpower: 25

Perception: 42

Charisma: 30

Luck: 30

Health: 735

Stamina: 3480

Mana: 750

Skills:

Eye for details

Duelist Grace

Dodge

Battle dance

Death of thousand cuts

Stinging cut

Punch parry

Mana Punch

Infused Piledriver

Guiding strike

Battlerush

Spin strike

Bulwark of balance

Equipment

Curated leather chest

Curated leather pants

Curated leather bracers

Ceramic – laced gorilla gloves

Curated leather greaves

Gladius of the Viridi

Quests

A dish best served cold…

Titles

Monster Slayer

Colossus Muncher

Home – schooled

Scenario dungeon diver I

“Good job today” Bruce told Lucas “I prepared some literature for the rest of the day” he continued, and Lucas frowned. Bruce just smiled before giving the explanation “This time you are going to like it. There are some class changes and even potential upgrades waiting you to reach the level 40. I prepared some introductory videos for you to preview and help you made your decision”

Of course, Lucas eagerly received the reading and vids he was supposed to read before tomorrow.