It's been 2 weeks since Vessalius great journey or rather finding the training center and whacking the straw doll to death started. He whacked every inch of fiber into the straw dolls body including the head. He learned a skill called sword mastery a few days back and now he's turning it to beginner level 3. His stats are almost half of the image he saw in one of the threads in Royal Road he accesssed when he started playing the game. Vessalius stops because his hunger warning appeared. He took out his last Rye Bread and his canteen to eat. When he was about to eat his bread, he smelled an aromatic scent. He saw the training instructor taking a big bento box worth six stacks. As he spread the boxes, more aromas filled the air and came to his nostrils. He drooled upon the scent of it and the training instructor saw him looking at him, drooling. He cut off his drooling and his stare towards the instructor and shook his head as he ate his measly lunch. His last bread and canteen that is. When he finally finished, he continued to whack the straw doll and finally turning his sword mastery skill to level 3. He dropped on the floor sweating, he took his canteen out for a drink when suddenly...
Vessalius out of reflex, dodged an out of nowhere attack towards him. He looked at the huge sword on the spot he was just in earlier. And the one who is carrying that huge sword who made a small crack on the floor was the training instructor. The players who are also in the training center got shocked at the sudden attack towards the newbie.
"Umm instructor, what was that for?" asked Vessalius
"To see if you have the skills to learn the ways of the sword my boy. I see you everyday here in the training center, whacking the straw doll, every inch, every fiber of spots and I must say you have skills and talent. Judging from your reflex earlier, you sensed my attack coming towards you and you splendidly dodged that out of nowhere attack of mine." replied the instructor
'What the heck is this crazy instructor talking about. He wants to see my skills? But how the hell can I do that? I'm just a level 1 player while he on the other hand is a hunk of muscle NPC with a level of 280. So how is this gonna let me fight him on an equal ground.' Vessalius thought.
"Wahahahahaha. Boy, I can see that you are confused with my words but my eyes tell me that you have a talent. I should hmm...what's that term you adventurers use? Rough diamond? Yes a rough diamond, that's it."
Shige heard that phrase before. Most heroes and generals in the real world were diamonds. Take Hercules from Greek mythology as an example. He was a son of Zeus, king of the gods, and the son of a mortal woman named Alcmene. Since he's a god's son, Hercules has the strength of a god and since he is a son of mortal, he can bleed, be poisoned and be killed thus he was called a demigod. Despite his rough diamond flaw, he didn't flinch and continued on his quest which the world knows today as the 12 labors.
'So I'm a rough diamond he says. So it means, I have talent sleeping in me then. I guess playing this game has its otherworldly excitement and surprise.' Vessalius thought
"Boy after your month here ends, I want you to return here. I'll be personally teach you all I know about the way of the sword."
Vessalius train of thought froze. The players also in the training center froze as they heard those words. Clearly there is no such thing that has happened in Royal Road since it's release. An NPC training a player. Vessalius also knows that this is a one in a lifetime chance for him to get stronger before he goes out of the kingdom. Vessalius train of thought got cut when a messaged appeared in his view.
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*Ding*
A quest has appeared.
The training instructor, Lance, wants to train you himself in a program for a month to get you even stronger. You will be compensated with free food and lodgings as you are being trained for a month. You will be rewarded with 1 gold for completing the training.
Level of quest: E
Reward: 1 gold and a permanent plus 5 to all stats and a hidden title upon completion of the program.
Failure will be when you did not finish the instructors test at the end of each week.
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'Wow. This is the first time I got a quest on this game. Though it's the second lowest level in the quest difficulty, I'll be taking this quest like my life is on the line. Plus the reward can give me money. 1 gold. I wonder what I could buy on a money like that. I only have a few copper coins so I don't know. Maybe I could buy a cheap weapon with that kind of money. Oh yeah, I still have that big question marked weapon I got as a gift from the AI. I wonder what it is. Could be a sword, a spear, an axe or even a bow. I guess I'll spend my money on this gift the AI gave me. Since I don't have the tools needed to identify this myself, I need someone with great skill to identify this item.' Vessalius thought.
"Well lad, what's it gonna be? Do you accept?" said the instructor
"I accept your training with my all instructor. I'll be here after my 1 month of holding finishes which is in two weeks time.
You accepted the quest.
"Splendid answer lad and I'm sure you are still hungry, come with me and have some of my lunch. It's too many for me to eat anyway."
"Thank you very much for the food instructor. I accept it graciously."
The two walked over in a spot with the instructors lunch boxes still in display. The players are stunned on what happened earlier. Unable to decipher what the newbie did to make the instructor to get him trained. All he did was just to whacked the straw doll over and over. They didn't realize that the instructor himself is a man of training and despises those who they thought they could go out of the world already just because they are called adventurers. Training is for the weak. That is the mindset of some players but to the instructor, training is for the weak so that they could become strong and be prepared for the dangers outside the walls of the kingdom.
'I'm gonna be strong like no other player has gone strong before. I'll use this extra month to train super hard. Its like I've gone back in time when father taught me the ways of the sword. The weight and feeling of those who are said to wield it when the country was in turmoil. The Sengoku Era. Ah how I wish I could read more about those things.' thought Vessalius as he ate the instructors home made food.
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Vessalius finally finishes his training in the training center. The said two weeks has passed and now he prepares for the instructors personal teaching on the ways of the sword. During his last 2 weeks in the restriction, many players from other guilds decided to have him but he politely refused all their invitations. Because of his motivation and objective, he got a new stat called Fighting Spirit. The stat said it was like an aura of sorts. To him in his own term of understanding, it's like a killer instinct. He also got a new skill called Foresight. Vessalius doesn't need to know what foresight means. From what he read, foresight is like sixth sense. It will warn your body and brain that some unspeakable horror is gonna happen to you. The skill got developed because the instructor is always attacking him from somewhere when he's got his guard down and because of it, the skill is now in beginner level 3 and his sword mastery has leveled to beginner level 5 in the last 2 weeks. His skills would only improve in the coming days. As soon as he finishes his one month restriction rule, Lance, the training instructor, came up beside him.
"Well my boy, congratulations on completing your basic training program." said the instructor
"I'm honored to have you congratulate me instructor. To me, though I feel that I have grown stronger, my skills are in my own feelings are not yet developed. Meaning I'm not yet confident enough to go outside of the walls so I'm humbly happy that the instructor himself has given his time to train me in his knowledge about the sword." replied Vessalius
"You flatter me boy, we will start your training tomorrow. I already got most of your training program up but I need to do a couple of things to get ready for tomorrow. So I want you to rest your tired body because tomorrow, I'll make your bones break so be prepared for tomorrow."
"Yes instructor."
"Here is some coin Vessalius. Eat as much as you want with those coins. Rest properly today and come back here in the morning. We will start your training when you come. Is that clear Vessalius?"
Received 50 silver coins
"Yes instructor."
"Oh I almost forgot, I have one more thing to give to you." hands over a sword in his hands.
"Umm what is this sword instructor?"
"It is yours Vessalius. We instructors bestow upon it to adventurers who complete their basic training program."
"Oh I see. Thank you very much for the graduation gift instructor. I'll see you tomorrow sir."
"Yes lad, see you tomorrow."
Vessalius said his goodbye for the day and went out of the training center for the first time since 4 weeks ago. Thinking about it now, it was hard. Very hard. There was a time that he wanted to quit and just do some job errands around the town but he made a mind map in his head so he sticked to his objective. Now, a new branch path came out in his mind map two weeks ago when he was offered to be apprenticed. He now has an opportunity to get even stronger still. He went to the fountain section of the capital and replenished his canteen. He sat on the circle that's surrounding the fountain as he drink his canteen for a good days to come.
"Stat Window." murmured Vessalius
For the first time, his full stats came into view. He observed his stats one by one and just like the image he saw in one of the forums of Royal Road, he now completely replicated the stats he saw on the image the user posted. His profession is still none because he trained in the training center for a month so that's a given. Fighting spirit is still 0 because he hasn't fought a monster yet. Also the same in the leadership stat. He read in one of the basic guides in the forum about the leadership stat is how you command soldiers.
'Certainly, leadership is needed in order for efficient use of soldiers. As they say, wars are won by soldiers under the leadership of good commanders and generals. And what's the alignment for? I guess if I have done something good or bad will reflect in my alignment.' Vessalius thought
As he continued to observed his stats, his wisdom and intellect stat is still in its base number. A 10 point equal in both stats. He read another basic thread in the forum that the wisdom and intellect stat can also be increased just like in the training center. This was proven by many players when they posted their comments saying the thread is confirmed true. They said that the intellect stat not only increases mana pool and magical damage but other things too. They can also make you smart and think useful things while the wisdom stat can help you do decisions or judgmental thinking easier. Wisdom can also help you think up of formations for the soldiers, training regimens and other things. It's also an essential stat because the stat will help you learn a skill easier if your this stat is higher. Another branch has been opened in his mind map. The branch got connected in the personal training from the instruction. Because he made himself smart in the real world, he can think of this things like its just your everyday objectives. A grin pursed from his lips as he thought of making himself stay for another month after the personal training with the instructor is finished. He could not help why players didn't exploit this kinds of things. He guessed that they never realized it or just feigned ignorance or it was a waste of time or all of this. For him, it's a road to make yourself stronger. Better safe than sorry as I always say. Preparation can only get you so much but training last a lifetime. He decided to close his stat window after looking at his elemental resistance which is of course 0. Next he took out the sword that was given to him as a gift by the instructor. He sized the sword from hilt to blade. When he equipped it, he can feel that he got a bit stronger.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
'So this is one of those enchanted weapon thingies.' murmured to himself.
He decided to sheathe his sword for the time being as he did not need it yet. Then he looked at another item. The question marked item which the AI of the game gave him as a gift. As he saw the picture icon on the item, he could see a lot of weapons behind the question mark. When he took it out from his inventory, a ball of light appeared instead of a solid mass object. It shined brightly, blinding his eyes. It also blinded the nearby players in the vicinity thinking that it was a surprise attack from somewhere. Vessalius sensing the situation, he quickly hid the ball of light into his inventory and sighed a relief. As soon he did so, he realized that players including NPCs were looking towards him. The players quickly went to him due to curiosity.
"Hey can you tell me what that ball of light is?"
"What is that ball of light you have? Is that an item?
"Is that ball of light a pet? oh, is it a spirit pet?
"Can I see that ball of light please?
Speculations ran amok as more and more players were curious and interested in his item. He was completely surrounded. They were getting closer like a tide of zombies from his horror movie that he watched with the maids a few nights ago. He's got nowhere to go until he heard a sound like poof. Smoke came out of nowhere in his position. The players got in a panic while Vessalius himself where coughing his lungs out, perplexed as to what happened. He was pulled from his hands as he swiftly got dragged out of a situation which he thought he was a goner. When he was out of the smoke, he was finally able to breathe again and saw his arms being dragged by a hand. He could feel the soft feeling from the stranger. He thought of his rescuer as a female which in fact was a female. If you look at it on the front, you could tell that the one dragging the boy was a female because of the bumps in the persons chest but since he was at the back of the stranger, he could not tell yet plus the stranger was wearing a cloak on the head. They continued to move swiftly out of the encirclement of players without a moments rest looking for a path that looks like an exit.
A few minutes later, they got out from the swarm of players. They were in a bar and Vessalius was drinking his heart out in his canteen. Vessalius was still shaking in his boots. He thought he was a goner. If not for his savior, he would be in a desperate situation. He looked at his savior that is clad in cloak and as he thought, it was female as he saw the bumps on the persons chest. He looked away, his face red, and stared at the persons face. He could see the bottom half but the upper part were hard to see due to the cloak.
"Thank you for helping me kind stranger. Without your help, I would have been shredded by that sea of players." Vessalius thanked the stranger
"Please, it was no trouble at all." was the strangers reply.
"Please accept my thanks by treating you to lunch."
"No need. I helped you because I wanted to.
"Please accept, I will not be able to sleep properly if I cannot pay this debt.
"It's okay newbie. You don't need to-"
The strangers reply got cut short because her stomach growled from hunger. Vessalius could feel that she was embarassed because of it. He made a wry smile and made a suggestion.
"Ok let's make it this way. I'll treat you to lunch and let's call it even then? Deal?" asked Vessalius
"Deal." was the strangers reply.
Vessalius ordered some food that can be eaten by two people. He ordered grilled cod, a big bowl of salad, fish soup with potatoes and carrots and some orange juice. It cost him 25 silvers but he can earn this kind of money again when gets outside so no need to be stingy on food. As his mother always say, food is energy. They talked about a lot of things while waiting for the food. She told her stories to him while she was outside the walls. Vessalius on the other hand can't tell a story because he doesn't have one. All he can tell is how he endlessly hit the straw doll for a month and raised his stats diligently. He can also tell that he will be instructed by the instructor himself. They chatted happily together and didn't realize that the food finally arrived. They thanked the waiter and said their thanks for the food. They both chowed down the ordered food. To Vessalius, this was his first time eating a virtual food and it is just like a real food for him while to the stranger, she gobbled up the food since she was hungry. Vessalius was stunned. She never saw a hungry female before all his life. He gave some of his share to her because he's not a big eater. He was already full anyway. As they finished their lunch, Vessalius paid the 25 silver coins to the waiter and left the bar.
It was finally time to say goodbye to each other. The stranger needed to log out because she has some errands she needed to do in the real world. Vessalius made a sad face because he took a liking to the girl and maybe become his first friend in his first game. Before they parted ways, Vessalius offered his right hand.
"My name is Vessalius kind stranger. It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you also for helping me in my predicament a few hours earlier."
The stranger took his hand as a sign of good gesture and for the first time, she took off the cloak that is covering her face. Vessalius could finally see her face in full view. She had blue sapphire eyes, long black hair as the midnight sky and 2 sharp pointy ears. Judging from her facial features, she is of the elf kind but not just any elf kind. It is one of those high elf race that is more attuned to nature and magic than their elven cousins. Vessalius didn't flinch in her face because this was just a game.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Vessalius. I'm Chandra of the high elf race. Thank you for treating me to lunch. Can I call you Vess? It's much easier than your full name you see"
"It's no problem Ms. Chandra, please call me Vess." said to her with a smile.
"I must be going now Vess. Thank you again. Let us meet again sometime." and as soon as she said that, she was gone. Logged out of the game.
"I didn't even get to reply to her last words. Well, I'm sure I'll get to see her again somewhere anyway. Oh yeah, I still have 25 silver coins. Maybe I'll use this coins to identify this item which the AI gave me."
Vessalius left the entrance of the bar and went to the item shop, hoping that the weapon that the AI gave him could be identified. He also hoped in his heart that he could get to meet Chandra again somewhere in the future. Well as his father always say, time can only tell.
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Yeon Min Woo stood up in her bed. She was still surprised about what she discovered. Shocked if the situation could add it as well. She saw a friend which she thought could no longer be seen. She saw a splitting image of a friend in his teen days. It was a coincidental meeting. When she arrived at the capital of Rosenheim Kingdom, she saw some players encircling a newbie in the fountain. She couldn't see who this player is so she took the high ground by climbing in the nearby tree. To her astonishment, the player was a splitting image of his friend from Japan. He was getting anxious and scared at the encircling players. The name of the boy was Shige Oda. She became close to this boy due to her always visiting the library which was purely coincidental. It was also a coincidence that whenever she hid in the school library, Shige was also their reading a book. Because of it, they became close friends and when the time for her to go back to her country, Shige was there to say goodbye to her. It was not suppose to be her business because she is not sure if that is really her friend or not. Without thinking, she threw a small pellet to the crowd. It was a smoke pellet which she herself crafted. When the smoke got thicker, she moved her dexterous body and pulled the newbie out of the crowd and escaped in the nearby bar. She didn't know why she did that but it was already too late because the deed was already done. The newbie offered to pay his debt but she refused thinking she might be scamming him or something but the newbie didn't back down on his offer. When she was about to decline for the second time, her stomach growled. She pulled her cloak down further to hide her embarrassment. Though she could not see his face, she knew that he made a wry smile so finish the conversation, he offered her to be treated to a meal and since she was perfectly broke, she could not afford to say no to this good grace so she finally concede to his ever advancing offer.
They talked a lot to each other when they were waiting for the ordered food. He told her that he started playing the game 1 month ago and ever since then, he trained diligently and because of it, he's got the attention of one of the training instructors and decided to be trained himself personally. She was astonished. In all her months playing Royal Road, this was the first time that an NPC was gonna teach a newbie. This is probably the very first time since the creation of the game was made. When the food arrived, she chowed down the food with lightning speed. The newbie offered his share out of pity but she didn't declined and took his share and chowed that as well. They both said their thanks to the food and went out of the bar. And when it was finally time to depart, he offered his hand and introduced himself as Vessalius. Likewise, she took his hand and introduced herself as well. He didn't flinch when she took her hood off in her head. She logged out because she was gonna do some errands. That was her reason but in truth, she wanted to quickly look for a picture which she took together with him. That was the sole reason why she wanted to log out.
She went to one corner of her room and looked her shelf for a picture album. When she found the one she was looking for in the album, she saw a boy and a girl looking very happy. The picture was 8 years ago. The boy was the 10 year old Shige and the girl of course was the 16 year old Yeon Min Woo. She compared the picture of the boy from 8 years ago to the boy today. He has the same color of the eyes as he was. The color of deep darkness. His hair was very messy like it needs a comb and a scar on his left cheek when he saved her from a bad person. He got a knife injury due to his carelessness. He thought he already knocked the person out but it seems he was still conscious and retaliated thus leading to his injury on the cheek. The boy that he met has the same scar on his left cheek. With all enough evidence in her disposal, she could clearly say that the boy he met today and his friend from 8 years ago was one and the same. But she was still not sure. The thing that stopped her was that the boy was more interested in books rather than video games. As long as he could read a book to his hearts content, he was satisfied.
She cut off her train of thought and started to clean up her things. She took the album back to where she took it and decided to cook dinner. She decided to think of it again after dinner and went out of her room. Surprisingly enough, she was convinced that the boy she met in the game was her friend from 8 years ago but due to what people have called doubt, she was still not sure if her suspicions are true as she prepares the things she needed to cook for dinner.