"Hungry, Tower?" Hunter's lips curled into an amused grin. "Got an appetite for anything besides knowledge?"
A scroll of text unfurled in his vision, each word etching itself with a certain gravitas.
Tower: Kind as your inquiry may be, I do not know the yearning for sustenance, thirst, or rest as you do.
Hunter's grin grew wider. "Count yourself lucky, because I've been dining on a big slice of humble pie lately."
Tower: Humble pie? I’m not familiar. Is it a culinary creation of your world?
"No, just a figure of speech, but let's just say I've had a harsh lesson in humility after a couple of defeats and my own overconfidence brought me crashing down."
The scroll twitched again in his vision.
Tower: Your clarification is understood. Have you reflected upon your actions to ensure you don't repeat the same errors?
Hunter nodded, his amusement fading into a grim determination. "Yeah, I have. My fighting's solid for a novice, and I'm quick on my feet. But going in almost buck-naked without armor or a decent weapon was asking for a thrashing. Plus, I could use some healing elixirs, especially for those times when my health takes a nosedive."
Tower: Your insights are valuable. Now, it is your task to decide how to apply them.
Hunter's eyes roamed the barren walls of the guild room, suppressing impatience like a nagging itch. He didn't have everything he needed, but bitching about it wouldn't change anything. He focused on what he did have, knowing a clear head would help him figure out how to get what he lacked. The right mindset was his most potent weapon.
The tower's instructions cut through his contemplation.
Tower: Please approach the rewards chest to collect your participation reward.
Hunter's heart skipped a beat as a plain wooden chest materialized next to the pillar where his cultivation medallion was nestled in place. He moved closer, each step stirring a bubble of anticipation within him. He knew he should temper his expectations after the damn broom reward, but hell, he was only human.
With a metallic clunk, Hunter unlatched the chest.
Hunter's gaze dropped to the single item nestled at the bottom. He took it in his hand, thumbing over its simple leather binding. The cover bore a mountain crest, a horse silhouetted against it, rearing up on hind legs in a defiant challenge. 'Wyld Stallyns Style' was inscribed beneath.
He squinted up, a question in his eyes. "Hey, Tower, is this some sort of cultivation manual?"
A scroll of text unfurled in his vision.
Tower: Correct. This is the Wyld Stallyns Style cultivation manual. It contains the fundamental techniques you'll need. There are two main components: first, the Earth Strider breathing technique, a method to draw chi into your body. Second, Stallyns River Run, a cleansing technique
Eager to delve into the ancient wisdom, Hunter cracked open the manual. His eyes roamed the pages, absorbing the essence of the Wyld Stallyns Style.
His eyes skimmed the opening lines of the introduction. “Wyld Stallyns Style harnesses Earth chi to bolster your strength and enhance agility. It mirrors the raw power and grace of the noble horse, particularly those untamed beasts that run wild and free.”
His mind whirred with questions
Before he read any further, he had a pressing question for Tower. “I’m familiar with breathing techniques, but my visualization of my core like the sun always felt like hard work. I only kept at it because I knew that one day, when I became a Refiner, it would be of benefit as chi in the air is rarely found, without some sort of elemental taint."
Tower: Yes, when you draw chi from the air, you access all types of chi that contain particles you must filter out. You are aware, no doubt, that your Earth affinity means that’s the element you can most readily use.
Hunter nodded. “The way I see it, my body likes Earth elements but rejects others like Fire and Water. When we were children, my mother told Jo and me that our core functions as an energy well, storing and pumping combined chi. Our energy channels serve as both transportation and filtration systems. So I get the importance of refining chi, cycling it through my channels back to my core, so my body can filter out the chi it can't readily absorb."
Tower: Your mother was a wise woman. That is a solid explanation of how your core and energy channels work. Without access to pills, it is important to cycle chi. Your body can only handle a limited amount of raw, unrefined chi. Excess chi must be expelled, as Refiner stage cores are not robust. Your core can only handle a certain amount of unrefined chi before it spills into your channels, potentially straining them or building up and creating blockages.
Hunter recognized the peril of reckless cultivation. Plenty of rich nobles force-fed their cores with pricey chi pills, pushing for breakthrough after breakthrough. Unaware that the fallout would hit their core and channels hard, upping the odds of chi deviation and bottlenecks at the Founder or Core Formation stages.
"My parents always emphasized building solid foundations. Slow and steady progress wins the race.”
Tower: Their wisdom serves you well. Now, I recommend taking time to familiarize yourself with the two techniques before you begin practicing.
Hunter glanced at his bleak surroundings. Back on Death Island, he didn't have much in terms of creature comforts, but at least he didn't have to sit on a cold stone floor to cultivate.
"Any chance I can use the tutorial room and manifest something to sit on while I practice?"
Tower: I suggest visiting the library, the entrance is hidden behind your pillar. There is some furniture left there the ogres didn't bother to plunder. They have no appreciation for reading or writing, let alone the brains to even try.
Hunter thanked the tower and headed towards the pillar, spotting the door he hadn't noticed before. Pushing it open led him to a well-stocked library, the spirit lamps casting a warm glow.
A quick scan told him the ogres had paid the library a visit. Only a few chairs remained upright. The rest were broken apart, their remains scattered across the entranceway. On the wall facing him was some uninspired graffiti. '
Huh, why was tower lying about them being able to read and write?
Tower: I forgot to mention, some of the furniture is broken beyond repair. Those awful ogres snapped off chair legs to use as toothpicks and torches.
Hunter arched his brow. How big were these ogres if they used chair legs for toothpicks? He'd never been so glad they'd moved on.
Pulling a cushion from one of the chairs, he placed it on the ground by the wall and settled into a familiar meditation pose. He glanced around, relieved to find no insects or leeches scuttling or worming their way toward him.
Hunter opened the book and began to read, absorbing the techniques with fervor.
An hour later, he had memorized and practiced the Earth Strider breathing technique. Mastering the visualization was going to take much longer. Hunter's thoughts drifted to his future practice, and he decided to ask Tower for some advice.
Tower: Nothing is set in stone, but with your Wyld Stallyns Style cultivation, martial and ranger skills you'll learn to combine ranged and close combat techniques. I will guide you, but you must learn to blend them to realize your full potential. The best way is through trial and error. Only then will you discover what works best for you.
Hunter rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "No room for a fear of failure, then. So, I've read them back to front. What's next?"
Tower: In the simplest terms, you practice cultivation and grow.
Thanks to mimicking his parents, Hunter was accustomed to breathwork, and he could visualize chi in his core when he focused intensely during his breathing exercises. Over time, this practice would improve the flow of chi through his channels.
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He'd always been told to visualize his core as a swirling ball of chi, like the sun, but now it was time for something different.
Learning his new breathwork, he realized how basic the sun visualization technique was. And it never felt like it fit him quite right. It took him a while to get the timing right with the Earth Strider technique—a deep inhalation followed by three short exhalations. With his eyes closed, he could see swirls and eddies of chi like a river network spreading out from his core.
Once he'd settled into the steady rhythmic breathing pattern of the Earth Strider technique, he moved on to the Stallions River Run visualization technique. Instead of the sun, he needed to visualize his ball of chi as a clump of wet clay formed into the shape of a stallion.
He imagined infusing the stallion with Earth chi, bringing it to life at the source of a wellspring in a mountain. His bird’s eye view allowed him to see the network of rivers flowing.
It took a while before his concentrated efforts and focus started to show results. Slowly, his core started to change shape, and little lines of chi started spreading out over his body. As the expanding network of rivers reached his brain, Hunter noticed a subtle shift within him, and he could feel energy flowing through all the river networks from the stallion's wellspring at the top of the mountain.
Maintaining this technique proved challenging, and he sensed his pool of available chi draining rapidly.
When his reservoir was almost empty, Hunter released the visualization, allowing his mind to clear. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, the result of the simple yet intense movement of chi through his body.
A grin split Hunter's face as he flicked his eyes open. The ache in his body felt like the good kind of burn after a hard workout, not the stabbing pain of an injury.
A new notification popped up in his vision, a reward for his efforts.
Refiner stage cultivation started, First Star level is primed for chi particle intake and refinement. Progress: 0%
It prompted him to check his full stats. The first thing that jumped out at him was +2 in mental. Though challenging to put into practice, the Wyld Stallyns Style felt more natural and potent than the Emperor’s Sun technique.
Visualizing a horse formed from wet clay and infusing it with his own energy, feeling the freedom as it charged down a mountain—it resonated with him.
With partially renewed stamina, Hunter pushed himself up from the cushion, stretching out his limbs and arching his back like a cat. He pulled out a piece of dried fish jerky from his inventory and gnawed on it, wishing he had more. It didn't completely restore his energy, but it lifted the brain fog and exhaustion like a mist being burnt away by the morning sun.
Tower: Please be aware that you may not experience such mental gains every time. Learning a new skill will always push your mental abilities until it becomes second nature.
That made sense to Hunter, even if it was a little disappointing. "Is there any rhyme or reason to the rewards I get when I successfully defeat a Tower Defender or Monster? Is there some logic, or is it more like spinning a wheel and letting luck decide?"
Tower: Please clarify. Do you wish to know if I control what you get for the rewards?
Hunter stowed his cultivation manual in his ring and stretched again, this time pacing the library, his gaze skimming over the books on the shelves. "Yes, it'll help me decide what I need to do next."
Tower: Yes, there are certain rules I must follow—tower rules. I'm not at liberty to tell you the nature of the rewards available in the Founder Gate, but I can provide information on the Refiner Gate.
Hunter crossed his arms. "That's fine with me. Tell me as much as you can about the rewards inside the Refiner Gate."
Tower: Divine gifts are received at this gate. You will have to wait for each level up to receive your next reward.
Hunter's brows shot up. Divine gifts, huh!
“What can you tell me about these divine gifts? Are they available each time I level up or each time I kill a Tower Defender or Monster?" As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he had a sneaking suspicion it was the former and not the latter.
Tower: I cannot tell you what the Divine gifts will be. But you will need to kill enough Tower Defenders and Monsters to summon the Refiner Gate boss for each level. A First Star Refiner Gate boss will earn you your first Divine reward. Once you've broken through to the Second Star Refiner and grind your way through that level, you'll fight another boss. Defeat the Second Star Refiner boss then you will receive your second Divine gift. You should have all your Divine gifts to face the final boss of the Refiner Gate. It goes without saying that you'll need them if you want to survive and break through to the next stage.
Hunter knew it would be a hell of a grind, but he was up for the challenge once he made the necessary preparations.
Since he didn't know what gifts he might receive, he couldn't rely on them being cultivation enhancers, weapons, or armor. Therefore, he needed to craft his own.
Another visit to the tutorial room was in order.
He'd need to craft some supplies before he ventured into the gate again, though. For starters, he needed some wood if he was going to make a tinkerer's table.
"Can I enter the Refiner Gate to forage for items? When I fought that Boomerang Bunny, we were surrounded by trees. Can I hack off a few branches to make a simple table?" He knew it wasn't the best idea, given his dagger, although uncommon, would still take time to chop enough branches off. But Tower's answer might provide useful information.
Tower: Only if the trees attack you and you kill them. Lootable items are left behind after defenders and monsters disappear.
Hunter snorted. "I'll take that as a no, then." He ran through the other options to find supplies. "Well, I'll either have to get what's outside the tower or salvage the broken chairs in the library and repurpose them."
Tower: Both options are viable and permissible.
A wolfish grin spread across Hunter's face, a thought tickling at the edge of his mind. Would he get a bonus reward or gain an increase in mental for repurposing broken items in the library?
If that was the case, Tower was keeping its stone lips sealed.
Only one way to find out if this wild idea of his would cough up a reward. He looked around the room, gathered as many broken pieces as he could, and threw them into his ring for use in the tutorial room.
Hunter rubbed his hands together and made his way to the door leading back to the guild room, eager to start each tutorial and get crafting.
Hunter surveyed the guild room, his gaze landing on each of the tutorial doors. He still needed to complete the Refiner Gate to obtain the Divine gifts, but to do that, he needed to level up. With a determined step, he entered the weapons training deck, where the familiar layout of stone walls greeted him.
Drawing his mithril knife, he decided it would be his best weapon for now, and he'd better get used to it. The stone floor began to move in front of him, vibrating beneath his feet as it rumbled.
“Tower, can you equip the dummy with a weapon this time?”
The entire stone floor shook, and the trapdoor halted, causing Hunter’s knees to buckle.
Tower: Weapon has been equipped.
Everything resumed, and Hunter readied himself as the helmet and chest plate armor rose. Winds swirled, picking up the straw to fill the dummy's body, and a long golden-tipped spear pointed directly at Hunter.
"Identify." Hunter commanded, activating his aura sense. A notification appeared in his visual scroll:
[Gilded Serpent Spear. Legendary Item. Laced with poison; one nick and you will be sick.]
"Okay, let's not get too carried away. I've only got a knife here."
The spear shifted slowly to follow his movements as he stepped to the side, studying the weapon.
“Tower?” He grew concerned as the weapon continued to track him. “Tower?”
With no response from the tower, Hunter had to strategize his optimum attack on the dummy. It seemed no matter which direction he moved, the spear followed him. After his experience with the poisonous boomerang thorn, he didn't want to repeat that painful death.
The spear whistled as it followed his rapid footwork. If he were going to have a chance at cutting the straw dummy, he’d have to strike quickly to avoid its range. He moved to the right, pivoted left, and then took a step back to the right, catching the dummy’s slower reaction. Hunter landed a quick slash through its knee, causing straw bits to fall to the ground.
The lopsided straw dummy pivoted, trying to raise its weapon in time, but Hunter took the advantage with his strategy having left it exposed. He landed a lightning-fast slash to its unarmored side, and it bent over, limiting its movement even further. He finished with a deep cut across the back of its neck.
He grinned, satisfied with the clang of metal armor and spear against the stone floor before it disappeared through the trapdoor.
The stone floor shifted on both sides of Hunter, and two more straw dummies appeared, neither holding weapons.
“Too easy.” Hunter spun around, lunging into one of the exposed straw legs. His back nudged from behind, and he turned, ducking as the straw dummy’s arms outstretched in front of it. He raised his arm, slicing through the straw with the knife.
The other straw dummy folded onto his back, and he kicked it off, flinging it against the wall, where it burst into a pile of straw. He swung his knife and sliced through the other straw dummy's neck. The maneuverability and weight of the mithril knife felt slower than his usual weapon, but it caused significant damage.
Tower: Good use of your strategy. I thought it best not to overwhelm you with weapons during the dual attack mode.
“Why can't I loot their weapons and armor?”
Tower: It is all a simulation. They are not real items that can be relocated out of the tutorial room. Only the lootable items are obtained from within the gates.
Hunter stowed his mithril knife in his storage ring. “That legendary spear seemed pretty lethal. What are my chances of finding one?”
Tower: Unlikely.
“You lack my confidence, Tower.”
Tower: You’re right, I am no Horse. Speaking of items, I can see your storage ring is limited in space. Would you like to store your items in the guild locker?
“No, I might need to access my items when I'm outside the tower.”
Tower: Once you create a spiritual connection, you can store them in the guild locker and access them freely outside my stone walls.
Hunter's eyes narrowed as he pondered this new information. He had always used his storage ring to keep his items, with the exception of those he left on his tinkerer table back on Death Island. The ring's capacity was about the size of a two foot by two foot broom closet, but it had served him well so far.
He rubbed the ruby stone on his storage ring and activated his aura sense. "Identify."
[House Filo Soul Ring. Uncommon item. Size: 12.5 cubic feet.]
Sadness washed over him as he realized the storage ring that he’d treasured since childhood, imagining it as extraordinary, had not been much more than a common item.
He shook the feeling, letting his hands drop to his side. Regardless of its tier, the ring served as a token from his father, given to him before the demon scourge in the Northern Valley.