Chapter Four
“Dude! You can’t be there. The core servers were region locked to only accept EU, North American and Oceania IP’s. There is a Russian Beta running for this fall’s release. Then next winter they add the South American expansion with their Incan, Mayan and Aztec stuff. But, here, this is the point, ‘Apply now to the Chinese Beta starting soon! Only verified Chinese IP’s may apply.’ Like I said, you can’t be there. The Alpha was closed down, the Beta hasn’t started, and you have a non-Chinese account!” Dan was fairly screaming by the end. Whether he was angry, or jealous, or both, I couldn’t quite tell. I was just glad none of the others were up.
“Well, I guess I could just start walking, I’d be there in a couple weeks I guess?”
“Not even that! The expansion lands are locked behind a barrier. The best you can do is get a peek into the new areas, but nothing gets in or out. There is a portal gate here in Dumeril that leads to Yangsan, except it is closed down for maintenance.” Daniel laughed, “Now this Sifu guy? Is he any good as a trainer?”
“Good? No, not really. He’s only got a three digit level and five digit HP.”
“Damn!” Daniel made an exaggerated whistling noise and we both laughed. “Later dude! Just avoid the GM’s and become king of the Beta, remember though they wipe prior to release.”
I was still thinking of the wipe when sleep took me.
=-=-=-=-
*GONG*
“Arise, arise!” from a chorus of voices.
“The sun comes soon. Arise, arise!” came a single voice
I hadn’t even fully logged in as I heard the cantor and chorus shuffle down the corridor a bit and then repeat their call of the time.
I wiped myself down with the provided bowl and washcloth. I quickly dressed in the tunic and pants provided, dropping all my old clothes into a basket there.
Bohai entered without a knock,
“Ah, good! You are ready. Master says we are to work on your conditioning before breakfast.”
“What does the Master…”
“No!” Bohai interrupted me, “He Is Master to me. To you he is Sifu!” Then he dashed off, leaving me to chase in his dust.
The conditioning turned out to be chores. Winch pails of water from the well. Carry the pails to dump into various barrels and pots. Then get more water. Then stirring pots with a wooden ladle that after the fifth pot felt more like a tree-trunk than a meter-long spoon. Washing plates that went out to feed not just the Monks, but a seemingly endless stream of the destitute and homeless. Last came the dozen orphans resident at the school. Finally, I was handed a tray and sagged into a seat to eat. The day had barely started and I was already exhausted, every muscle ached, my fur half-cooked out of my skin by the steam and splatters.
A tray landed across from me, looking up I saw the Mast… no, Sifu. I started to stand.
“No, no…” Gesturing me back down. “Sit and eat. I was worried that I may have made a mistake accepting you as a personal student. Your effort this morning has shown me otherwise.”
I cleaned the last trace of porridge from the bowl, and he gestured me to stand. I went to pick up the trays.
“No, let others handle those for now.”
He led me into a scriptorium where four Monks were hard at work. One copying a map, another a page of a huge book, the other two working on scrolls.
Two hours I struggled to copy the marks on the scrolls, my penmanship horrible. In Real-Life I didn’t even own a pen or pencil, everything was done on keyboard and screen, even my signature was just a biometric imprint. At the end, I felt I was getting better, but the frown on his face was more devastating than if he had made a comment.
Two hours before lunch was spent with Sifu showing me and explaining charts of the energy flows in a body. The centers and confluences, and what use each point had.
“Come, it is lunch.” Was all he said after I muffed almost all the answers as he quizzed me.
Then three hours of his teaching me to walk, turn and fall. What wasn’t bruised by the end felt broken.
Then came three hours of following the motions as we stepped through the phases of combat in slow motion.
The real torture started after supper. Three hours of meditation and attempting to focus on images he suggested. Every time my mind drifted, or I started to fall asleep, he would tap me with a finger that seemed charged with a lightning bolt. By the end of this relaxing meditation, I was more tired than ever.
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*ding*
You have completed – The Way of the Leaping Fox 1
You have had the merest taste of what it is to be a student of the Leaping Fox Wushu.
Skills have updated!
Hand-to-Hand, has become Martial Punch, Martial Kick, Martial Grapple. No more random flailing about with your fists like a common street brawler, now you can at least attempt to look good while flailing about.
You have learned the skill, Balance. Once you learn how to walk again, you will find yourself stable on your feet and likely to land safely even from great heights.
You have learned the skill, Toughness. Your muscles, your bones, and your very skin are becoming resistant to damage.
*ding*
You are offered the quest – The Way of the Leaping Fox 2
You may leave the school and be just another failed apprentice, or stay and continue learning the Way of the Leaping Fox.
Type – Class, Chain, Story, Unique
Difficulty – Moderate
Rewards – You will learn more of the basics of the Leaping Fox and improved relations with the Leaping Fox school. Worsened relations with competing schools.
Failure – Abandon the Quest. Dismissal from the Leaping Fox school. Barred from the Leaping Fox path.
Time Limit – none
Accept Y/N
Not quite sure why I wouldn’t flee to something easier, I selected Yes.
Barely having the energy to review the days notices.
Learned – Chi Manipulation L1
Learned – Meditation L1
Learned – Literacy: Chinese L1
Learned – Penmanship: Chinese L1
Learned – Balance L1
Learned – Toughness L1
Improved – Strength +2 to 12
Improved – Constitution +1 to 10
=-=-=-=-
Once it was deemed I could walk, stand, and fall without embarrassing myself I joined the combat practices.
Some days the afternoon practices were turned into entering the town and finding tasks to aid the town. This was the first time I had seen a purpose behind the Step-n-fetch and the Bring-me-a quests beyond Faction and Experience grinding. I was seeing how the town related and functioned as a whole.
=-=-=-=-
I stopped by Merchant Gwon’s first.
“Good day Merchant. How is the day treating you?”
“Ah! Terribly! It is time to prepare for evening meals and my order has yet to arrive from the warehouse!”
Smiling as I saw the lead-in to a step-n-fetch quest.
“Maybe I can go and check on your order for you?”
“Oh, would you? Please check with Guard Xiao at Warehouse #7.”
*ding*
Quest Received – Missing Supplies
Without the proper ingredients Mechant Gwon cannot prepare this evenings meal. Having eaten his food, you know what a crime that would be. Check with Guard Xiao and find out why the supplies haven’t been delivered.
Type – Escort
Difficulty – Easy
Rewards – EXP, Merchant Favor
Time Limit – Until Dinner Bell
It was a quick walk to the docks and the warehouses. Seeing a frazzled looking guard in a leather helm and armor, holding a short halberd like weapon.
“Guard Xiao?”
“Whoa, whoa! Stay away now, it’s not safe around here!”
“Why isn’t it safe? Is that why Merchant Gwon hasn’t received his supplies?” I asked.
“He’ll just have to wait, we had to call the City Guard, but they’re busy with a drunk Ogre Magi.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
Looking me over,
“You look strong enough to kill a few rats? And if you see the package for Merchant Gwon you can grab it as you go by?”
“A few rats? Sure!” This should be easy.
*ding*
Quest Received – Rats in the hole!
Clear the rats from the warehouse and find the supplies for Merchant Gwon.
Type – Kill
Difficulty – Moderate
Rewards – EXP, Town Favor
Time Limit – none
Just a few rats he said… The bastard didn’t tell me they were the size of terriers and came three at a time. Turning on semi-verbose notifications, I wanted to see how this Leaping Fox worked.
Sewer Rat
L2 Sewer Rat
15/15
Your Martial Kick hits for 6
Sewer Rat Misses you
Sewer Rat Bites for 4, but you Dodge
Sewer Rat Bites for 7! Critical!
Ugh, that hurt! Damn pain filters hardly seemed to do anything. Time to try a one-two punch thing.
Your Martial Punch hits for 4-1
Your Martial Punch hits for 2-1
You have Learned Martial Dual Wield (fists)
Sewer Rat Misses you
Sewer Rat Bites for 3
Sewer Rat Bites for 4
Ah, Dual wielding seems to have a damage penalty.
Your Martial Punch hits for 7-1, Critical! (1 overkill)
The Sewer Rat dies!
Your Martial Punch hits for 3-1, (2 overkill)
Your skill Martial Punch has increased, +1
Sewer Rat Misses you
Sewer Rat Bites for 3
Argh! This fighting without a weapon sucked!
Your Martial Punch hits for 3-1
Your Martial Punch hits for 3-1
Sewer Rat Bites for 3, but you Dodge
Sewer Rat Bites for 4
This huge warehouse to search for Gwon’s supplies, all these rats, joy… And this was only the first three, I could see at least nine more rats in three groups about the room.
Your Martial Punch hits for 8-1, Critical! Rat is stunned!
Attacking a stunned opponent, automatic Critical!
Your Martial Punch hits for 7-1, Critical! (2 overkill)
Sewer Rat dies!
Sewer Rat Bites for 4
One left. I was covered in cuts and bites. I was panting in near exhaustion as my Stamina bar was nearing the bottom. This was hard!
The last rat fell, leaving me near the end of my health and stamina. Using a couple bandages, I sat like Master, err, Sifu had shown me and began meditating.
About a half hour later all the simple wounds had closed and I headed to the next three rats.
Creeping up slowly and doing my best to get close, I jumped out of a shadow and aimed to knock out one rat with the first punch.
Critical Strike from surprise x2 at an Aimed Location x3
Your Martial Punch hits for 24, Critical! (9 overkill)
Sewer Rat Dies
Sewer Rat Bites, but you Dodge
Sewer Rat is taken by surprise and fails to act
Okay, maybe this doesn’t totally suck after all.
=-=-=-=-
What felt like a week later, covered in a hundred scabbed over wounds and with my clothes in tatters, I staggered into Merchant Gwon’s and placed the heavy package on his counter.
“About time! I nearly had the Closed sign placed out front. Please, as much as I appreciate the errand, you'll drive away my customers. Why do you smell like a sewer anyway? Go take a bath.”
“Funny thing about the sewers…” I muttered under my breath, and that is the true depth of an Easy quest.
I arrived back at the school just in time to receive a bowl of rice with a bland boiled fish on top. Ugh, why didn’t I beg Merchant Gwon’s mercy?