A few weeks later, Geralt came back with Triss.
“How is she?” Geralt asks Vesemir after coming back
“How should I say…She’s a natural gifted or a monster”
Triss and Geralt look at each other.
“Can you explain in more specific?”
“Hmm…It started when I taught her first of swordsmanship, at first I was impressed how she easily learned the set of skills then…but soon her skill became incredibly efficient like she’s been doing it for years.”
“One time, I make them both spar each other, and to my surprise, Illyah never drop down her fight against Ciri as if she was playing with her, we know how talented Ciri in the sword.”
“Another one is when she somehow memorizes any book she reads fast, I tried testing her memory and amaze how she remembers every tiny detail on the book.”
“So? How can she become a monster?” Triss ask confusingly
“Woman, she was barely here for a month and she was like she been training here for years. That’s a monster I tell you”
“Hey, I can do it too you know? I can memorize all the books here by a blink of an eye. Of course not your sword thing, that’s your stuff” she said proudly
But Triss grin and start pacing around the room.
“If she’s too good, it will be waste for her to be a witcher then. By her gift, she can be a powerful mage.” Just thinking of it makes her excited.
“You should try to convince her then.”
Triss stop and narrow her eyes.
“Right…how should I convince that little one...”
-
Outside on the training grounds.
Joan's eyes were currently blindfold with a white cloth to block her view; this was her way to train her senses without relying on her eyesight. She was holding two wooden swords while standing silently.
At her front was Ciri had the same blindfold as her, she was holding a wooden sword in her right hand.
They both slowly approach each other, slowly step by step, she heard the winds howls and the flying dust around her. Suddenly they both stop on their footstep, their distance to each other was exactly 1 meter apart without looking, they felt the presence of each other.
Suddenly Joan rushes and raises her two swords, with a slash downward.
Ciri can felt the wind coming at her, instead of evading it, she holds the sword with two hands and raises her sword to parry it.
“Thack!”
They both push, not giving an inch, then Joan withdraws her swords.
Ciri feeling the pressure from the sword vanish steps back.
Joan crosses her swords and bent her two legs, then she rushes to Ciri again using the pressure on her feet to increase her speed while holding the sword like a scissor.
Ciri readies her stance while narrowing her eyes. When the attack was almost upon her, she bends her body backward making the wooden swords pass above her. After that she stood up straight then attack with a thrust, Joan feeling the coming of the wooden sword on her face move her head slightly to the right, making the thrust attack miss. but the attack didn’t end there, she felt Ciri approach her.
“Interesting…” she murmurs
Ciri gave a downward strike again, she sidesteps to the right letting the wooden sword fall at her side, then she gave a left sword thrust. Ciri moves her head, making the attack miss, then she drops her wooden sword on the ground and rushes to her with a bare fist.
Joan gawk but grin, she drops the wooden sword too and starts to fight with Ciri with a bare fist.
She warded Ciris assault like a fly, then she drops to the ground and does a sweeping kick, Ciri shout as she felt herself fall in the ground. She breathes deeply and removed her blindfold. Ciri blinks her eyes to the sudden blinded by the light.
She sits up and about to say anything but gawk when she saw Triss, Geralt, and Vesemir watching the whole fiasco.
“Hehe my lost” she sticks her tongue and stood up. She looks at Illyah with a complex look.
Geralt just shake his head and look at Illyah
“So you have been working hard.”
Joan smiles slightly and removes her blindfold.
“Thanks to sir Vesemir's teachings, I learned a lot.” Then she bows her head in respect
“Hmm, don't belittle your self, it was your hard work that won you.” Vesemir nods but she can see the proud emotion in his eyes.
“I say very impressive swordplay; how did you learn it?” Triss asks curiously
Earlier, when they come here, they saw the two girls confronting each other. While they were fighting, she analyzes the difference in their style;
Ciri style can be said similar to Geralt, her every move has his shadow on it. Direct and accurate.
But Illyah was she’s different, it’s like she was not fighting a duel instead she was performing.
If she didn’t know this girl was fighting, she will think she was performing a dance routine. But alas, Ciri’s brute method destroys Illyah’s beautiful performance making her don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She was becoming more of Geralt, sooner or later she will become like him, someone crude no elegance at all. Thinking of this, she narrows her eyes at Ciri.
Ciri suddenly felt cold.
Joan tilt her head a bit before answering.
“I thought of integrating the movement of the butterfly in the sword style.”
Everyone gawk when they heard that.
“Why a butterfly?”
“Because it’s beautiful.” She shrugged her shoulder
Joan almost cringed with the sound of her excuses. She wishes her face didn’t twitch as she lied to them directly.
> “Ding”
>
> “You have learned the [Deception(F)] skill – Due to your nature of lying, it became a habit of yours. Thanks to your repeated actions, the system recognizes it as your skill. Any lies you emit will be believable by 10% chance”
“…”
She silently looks at the blue screen and promises to herself that she will think of a way to break this bitch.
“Butterfly? Really?” Ciri looks doubtful
She just smiles, not saying anything.
“Okay, enough of that. Ciri comes with me, its time to see your progress this month." Geralt beckon his hand at her
“Um,” then she looks at Illyah.
“I won’t lose to you again next time” then she approaches Geralt
“You little girl, follow me”
Triss opens a portal and held her hand.
Joan hesitated, but in the end, she grits her teeth and touch Triss hand and led her to the portal.
When they arrived at the other side of the portal, they arrived at some kind of laboratory.
“Don’t touch anything”
Triss exit the room with the door on the left side corner.
Joan follow her and look around curiously.
They were in the hallway with a magenta color carpet spread below. She looks at the dirt she has been leaving behind and shrugged. Hey it’s not like there was a sign here saying “don’t leave dirt on the carpet” or “Please remove your shoes before you enter”
Triss opens the thick double wooden door and enters inside when she enters she almost gawk when she sees a large library inside full of books.
Triss just look at this and smile.
“You like it here?”
She nods, but still confuse why they were here and where is this place anyway?
Triss approach a bench and sit.
“Do you know the foundation of becoming a sorcerer was gaining knowledge?”
She shakes her head
“Vesemir has told me your interest in some books?”
"Yes, I was interested in learning alchemy.".
She nod.
“Excellent, now before you say “I want to be witcher” that kind of stuff, I want you to give me a chance to show you how wonderful being a sorcerer is”
She hesitated but nod in the end.
Stolen story; please report.
“So we have a deal?”
“But I still want to learn sword!”
Triss just rolls her eyes
“What’s with you guys and your swords?” She sighs and stood up
“With magic, a wave of your hand can destroy an army. And if you're strong enough like me, you can make a city vanish on the map. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“But what if you can’t use magic?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if you are in a situation you can’t use magic then? How will you fight?”
“That’s…”
Triss put a hand to her chin and ponder
“Hmm, you make an excellent point. Fine, you will study along with Ciri. But both of you will learn magic’s from me.”
She nod
“Good, let me show you around. This will be your new study room starting today.”
-
That day, she began her study under Triss. But she didn’t teach her anything but let her read all the books in the library. If she didn’t understand anything, she can always ask her.
Then she began studying all the books related to potion and alchemy.
Sometimes, she watches Triss mix potions as she explains its effect and how it is made. She was taking down notes (Saving them in her memory bank, it’s much more convenient) of every lesson she learned.
She continues her training under Geralt or Vesemir, polishing her techniques.
As she improved, Ciri burn-in competitiveness and due to her effort, her progress in magic and combat has been remarkable.
With the two girls competing with each other, they became friends unknowingly. Geralt watch with a smile as Ciri enjoys her training along with Illyah, treating her another part of the family.
-
2 years later…
“Illyah!”
Illyah opens her eyes in meditation and turns her head. Ciri, now 14 years old was waving her hand like lunatic
Unlike two years ago, she started to growth figures, because two years earlier, Ciri finally experiences the first cycle, which means it was the beginning of her development as a lady. She was now 5'6 tall unlike her 5'4 it was quite an improvement. Her naivety in the face was still there, but a little mature.
“What?”
“Geralt was calling us!"
“Oh,” she stood up and pat her pants.
Joan was now nine years of age, her hair reach was past the shoulders and tied in a ponytail style, it’s been two years since she came here from the small village.
In these two years, she focuses on improving her skill ranks to D and her effort were not in vain.
> Title: [Alchemy apprentice]
>
> Joan Asahi
>
> Phy-20 +9
>
> Spd-10 (seal) + 3
>
> Wis-20 + 7
>
> Luck-5
>
> Points: 20,000
>
> Golden points: 0
>
> Skills:
>
> [Active:]
>
> [Observe (E-D)] - After observing your surroundings, you have learned to observe details around you.
>
> [Bio-Electric energy (D)] – Using the potential of energy, you learn to control the electricity deep inside you. Bio-Electric energy 15% control.
>
> [Bio-Electric shock (E-D)] – Using a tiny shred of your electricity, you can stun anyone by 3 seconds within 2 meters.
>
> (New) [Bio-electro body enhancement (E-D)] – By coating the energy on your body, you have learned to enhance your physical speed by four times.
>
> [Bio-electro enchantment (E)]- By applying electric energy to your weapon, it increases its speed and lethality.
>
> (New) [Bio- Electro Brain enhancement (E-D)] By using electric energy, you managed to increase the speed of your brain making you ponder and think fast. You can think four times the speed.
>
> (New) [Bio-Electro radar (F-D)] – by using this skill, you're able to sense the energy around you. Skill radius, 50 meters.
>
> (New) [Bio-Healing (F)] – By controlling your energy, you manage a feat that difficult to accomplish. You can now heal someone by transforming your energy to repair someone's damaged tissue.
>
> [True shot (F)] –Using this skill, you can find the perfect route in your target. When throwing weapons, this skill will show 2 target routes.
>
> [Telepathic (E-D)] – By using your mind, you can connect to anyone as long as they have thoughts. 10-meter range.
>
> (New) [Telepathic defense wall (D)] – Using your telepathy as a medium, you have built a wall inside your head to defend your mind against the invasion of privacy.
>
> (New) [Flame controller (D)] – Using an unconventional way, you transform your energy into the fire. You can now control fire more convenient. Decrease 30% energy consumption when using this skill.
>
> [Passive:]
>
> [Martial arts technique (D)] - After practicing kung fu set of movements, you have learned the proper way how to wield your fist and feet as a weapon. Additional +3 phy + 3 agi
>
> [Meditation (E)]- You have learned the skill of meditating, this skill will help you contemplate the meaning of life. Additional +4 wis
>
> (New) [Endurance (E-D)] - After enduring torture, you have learned to preserve even in hardship. Additional +6 phy.
>
> (New) [Weapon mastery (E-D)] Due to your expertise in any weapon you use, you can master them faster.
>
> (New) [Cellular regeneration (F-D)] After you break the average human limit, you have gained the ability to regenerate your cells automatically.
>
> (New)[Deception(F)]– Due to your nature of lying, it became a habit of yours. Thanks to your repeated actions, the system recognizes it as your skill. Any lies you emit will be believable by 10% chance”
>
> (New) [Poison resistant [D]- by repeating of poisoning yourself, you have somehow gained the ability to resist any kind of poison. A decrease of 30% toxicity every potion you take.
>
> [Electricity Resistance (E)] – After repeated attempts of electrocuting yourself, your body somehow miraculously survives and learns to adapt to electricity. 10 % decrease in electrical damage
>
> Profession:
>
> Alchemy: After learning under Triss, you have learned the art of potion giving you the title of [Alchemy apprentice] +1 wis
>
> Cooking: You have learned the way of the basic cooking, due to your enthusiast in passion for cooking, you have gained the title [Cooking assistant] + 1 agi
First, let’s talk about the profession;
The profession is those side jobs you typically you saw and read in RPG games. They are professions that support the main protagonist in their adventures. For example, Alchemy and cooking;
Alchemy is the art of brewing potions, it requires intense concentration, extensive knowledge, and of course, magic energy.
To create a potion, you need a recipe of course. Do you think it’s easy to create one? Try it mate and let’s see what effect of your created potion might do on you. If you’re lucky, you might survive, might.”
That’s right folks, potions recipe are the heritage of mages, sorcerer, and witches. With their experience and knowledge, they created a recipe for the repeated dangerous process of experiments. Lucky you that they have already made one, you can just steal or "borrow" if that what you prefer to call it.
Alchemist job was not a game where you just put ingredients and click on the screen of your computer and “Boom”! you have created a potion!”.
Many have been sacrificed to create just one recipe, every recipe has been made by sweat and blood, because of that, the secrets of potions are strictly guarded and kept. If you're in luck and find a dark cavern, and suddenly found a bunch of recipes? Congrats mate, your one hell of a destiny child.
Cooking: is the simple process of creating food.
In the real world, cooking can be easy as long as you practice.
But in R.P.G games, cooking was not just cooking an ordinary egg.
With many people lack food, they became desperate and began to hunt these monsters and created food from their meat and bones.
Now, not all the monsters are edible. Some are just plain gross and poisonous. It will be nice to have poison resistance if you’re up for an exotic adventure.
Cooking food was just not a job, it was a necessity if you’re in the middle of the woods and hungry. Killing monsters is the only way to survive.
Didn’t I mention all the animals in this world contain magic? Surprise? Well, you should not be, how is it possible for an egg to give a vitality just eating it?
The human was not the only one that evolves due to source, animals, and monsters too. They adapted fast and transform into monsters we hunt. Some animals didn’t transform and stay the same, but their quality of meat increase.
That’s why cooking is important to adventurers, without it, you better pray you to have a stale bread to last you until your next town.
Now for my skills;
For two years, I never stop training myself even it doesn’t increase the rank skills. I got the feeling It already reaches the bottleneck just like the stats, I just need to find a way to unlock them. Not just to rely on golden points.
I mention that I was studying Alchemy right? Well, since I began to study it, it was unavoidable to test the samples of the potion, lucky me.
Triss, that cruel bitch, and my lovely instructor try testing me with her newly created potions.
Since I am on my path to witcher, it's inevitable to transform my body into a mutant. Just thinking of becoming a hulk by accident keep me awake at night, thankfully I didn’t transform or any part of my body.
Since then, I have become her test pieces, I also improving my skills while at it.
Using [Cellular regeneration], I automatically healed inside from the damage caused by potions. Some of them were very toxic that can kill a human in a heartbeat. I use the skill to full potential to repair the damage by the toxic inside me. Thanks for your caring Triss.
Thanks to that time, I rank up my skills in [Endurance] making my body tougher than iron and gained a new passive ability called [Poison resistant]. The [Poison resistant] helps me lessen the toxic that invade my system. Thanks to these two, I managed to survive the torture of drinking potions and last longer than expected. Even Triss was surprised that I was still alive.
If you want to kill me, there’s a dagger over there, you can just put it in-
“Ouch!” Bitch did slice my chest without my permission and investigate my body. she slowly watches as the knife wound slowly close until the wound disappears.
“Your body was healing naturally” as if surprised in her finding, she then looks at me curiously.
“Maybe your more suited than the witcher I suppose.”
“…”
After that, when I see Triss, I tried to hide somewhere she can’t see me, it lasts more than a minute before she found me hiding behind a bookcase and drag me to her laboratory for another experiment.
In the end, she promises to teach me how to mix proper potions in exchange for me being her assistant. With a reluctant nod, I accept my torture willingly.
Sometimes she teaches mo how to create fire making me leaned the skill [Flame controller], by using my energy, I converted them to flames. How? since I don't know how to use called source in this world, I create my own method of fire. But how? simple, since I can't feel the flame, I tried integrating a fire source inside my body. Truth to be told it was torture. I felt my body was on 45% degree celsius every single second, I felt my will wavering and just ending my life, but I persist. Every day, I try to force it making it my own, thanks to my endurance and cell regeneration, I succeeded. Sadly Triss looks at me with a strange view.
About my fighting skills;
Since Ciri was getting pressured by me, she doubles her effort in learning a sword which makes Geralt gratified. Daddy must be so proud.
We've been fighting for two years, and she can say that Ciri was the natural-born fighter.
Unlike Ciri, She, with the help of the system, can improve her skills without a problem, she just needs effort and time to upgrade those skills, but Ciri was different.
She was smart and cunning in the fighting. She learned from experience and came back with new vigor.
Although she wins because of her cheat, soon Ciri caught up with her. Her win became lesser and they became tie, if she doesn’t use magic, she can’t beat her now easily anymore.
That’s why when fighting her, she was using her active skills;
During training for two years, she never removed her blindfold during the training. Using the [Bio-Electro radar], she familiarizes herself as she senses the electromagnetic waves around her. When she looks at Ciri for the first time, she almost runs when she saw Ciri was overflowing in energy that it almost burst like a damn.
That’s when she knew Ciri’s power was unstable as a bomb that can go off anytime. Thankfully Triss was teaching her sorcery to control the energy inside her temporarily.
When she looks below her, she can see various colors mixing, they are called source which use by mages and sorcerer to use magic elements. Since the foggy mountain is near, earth and wind source is very strong here.
As Ciri became stronger, she has no choice but to rely on her skills [Bio-electro body Enhancement] for speed.
With rank up body enhancement, her attack became faster than ever, of course, the drawback is she can no longer use it as she wants to. It consumes her whole energy just activating this skill. This can only be used when she was in a dire state.
The [Bio- Electro Brain Enhancement] as she calls it was an enhancement for her brain, it improves her thinking speed by many times helping her on her research. But as her brain was constantly in use, her brain became fried. Not only it consumes energy, but it also causes her massive headache that lasts long for 1 minute. It doesn’t consume much, but she can’t use it when in a fight because the headache is like cracking her head open. Not recommended for users to acquire it base on personal experience.
She also upgraded her [Bio-Electric shock] – it was a surprise attack she uses when she was almost beaten by Ciri making it look vigilant but sadly the skills only work once.
People adapted to circumstances after they experience it. That’s why when she uses it again, it didn’t work on her anymore and she was beaten to a pulp as a payback. Although it was useful for a surprise attack, it never works on the same enemies, higher physical strength, lightning resistance, or people who adapted quickly.
The [Telepathic] skill on the other hand can never be used to fight against an enemy. Although it can use to communicate in long distances, it can never do damage like those she sees in movies.
She suddenly got an idea of how to create telepathy that can damage enemies' minds, but she will need “Volunteers” for that.
Her last and latest skill is [Telepathic defense wall], thanks for her Triss daily invasion on her mind, she learned to control and create a barrier to cut off any energy trying to invade her mind.
At first, she wasn’t successful; because it easily tears as paper as long as Triss wants to enter, no one can stop her.
With repeated practice she ranks it up to D grade, making Triss a little annoy, so she destroys her mind barrier and invades her mind by forcing herself…hey at least she tried right?
Although there were other skills she can create, but there are still skill she needs to attend and perfect.
There were still skills she needs to improve, and she can only do it in true battles.