*
Deep in the confines of a popular dungeon.
A young traveling warrior has somehow swept his way to the deepest part on his own, and is currently facing off against the boss of the dungeon, the Kobold Chieftain. The Kobold is armed with a heavy two-handed mace, and swung it with reckless abandon, often sweeping aside parties with impunity. Its blows are often said to be impossible to block.
However, the warrior had seemed to easily avoid and parry the clumsy but vicious attacks, and has even managed to land several decisive blows on the boss unit, causing its hp to drop significantly.
Rumors of the dungeon hunt soon spread like wildfire to the other dungeon crawlers, and they wondered about the one who had managed such an impressive feat.
"Could he be that guy..."
"But he was poorly armed and ill-prepared!!"
"It is feasible if that warrior was at a high level, but I heard rumors that state otherwise..."
"Did he somehow find a way to break the game?"
"HAX!!"
Regardless of the rumors, several things were clear about the warrior, that he was at a really low level, was equipped with a quarter staff, and utilized a rather unusual skill set.
With great interest, some people who were near the deepest part of the dungeon began making their way to the deepest part of the dungeon, hoping to catch a glimpse of that promising individual.
**
Good grief. It's nothing too special right?
I was currently still in battle against the Chieftain.
Of course, I managed to notice several people standing there, watching with interest. It's rather distracting, you know?
I decided to act like I didn't see them and focused on fighting the boss monster, which is currently trying to take my head with a vertical swing.
Like I have done before, I stepped into the blow and used the spear shaft that I am currently equipped with to intercept the attack, catching the mace by the shaft and deflecting the attack slightly to narrowly avoid the attack.
The swing gone off angle, the Kobold Chieftain was again stuck in a recovery position, and is thus vulnerable. I took that chance to counterattack, using a combination sequence that I practiced back at the Warrior's Guild.
A horizontal smash aimed at the legs was followed up by bashing at the right side to further stagger the chieftain. Following this, I fired off several stabs at its abdomen, which had a low recovery time and thus let me narrowly dodge the return strike as the chieftain finally recovered.
So far, so good. I have been steadily wearing down the Chieftain for some time now, making sure that I didn't squander my stamina too quickly. Blows were aimed at the legs and sides to slow down movement and impede its ability to swing the mace effectively.
Yet, no matter how I did this, the HP bar of the Chieftain fell too slowly. I needed a decisive blow, and the openings presented so far were too narrow to exploit properly. As such, if it drags down to a war of attrition between my current level of stamina against his HP, the Chieftain's massive life force and boss-level defenses would surely prevail.
This is a case where my lack of attack skills had come to haunt me. An attack skill for warriors acts as an amplifier, drastically improving damage with additional bonuses. However, as a spear man, I had no such skills, and as such could only fall back on using my skill set to buff and increase the potency of my normal attacks. However, an attack skill would surely increase my damage at a far greater rate.
If I still had my knife to use as a rudimentary spear head, it would have been a different story, but unfortunately it was destroyed when I lost control under the influence of the skill Berserk Impulse fighting the Goblin War Party.
Hmmm... Perhaps if I can use Berserk Impulse, I would be able to ride on the extra power provided to beat the Chieftain. But the current requirements of the skill needed my current HP to be below about 10-11%, as well as the loss of player control.
At my current level, a successful blow from the Chieftain will one-shot me from that range, regardless of the extra power and HP regeneration that the skill gives. I couldn't risk losing my control at this juncture.
As such, you could well say that my current fighting style is defensive, even conservative in nature. That skill is and should be a finisher and a last resort in that situation.
Nevertheless, I wondered if there is a way to add considerable power to my blows without the use of that skill.
Thus far, Kite's teachings had let me improve the power of my attacks, using martial arts to target weak spots and deal critical damage. I shuffled through my memories of that short training period spent with my mentor, racking my brains for a path at victory...
Well, there was that Jump skill, but it would be really risky to use, and is not exactly a official skill... Well, if I don't have an attack skill, I may as well create one right?
Now, how do I go about doing this...
I decided to use the idea of martial arts, gathering life energy (ki) and channeling it somehow.
Normally, a player only needed to say the name of the skill in order to use it, and the respective mana cost will be paid automatically. However, using a skill and making a skill are two entirely different things. At least, from what I can tell.
No one even knows if making an attack skill is even possible, but it wouldn't hurt to try, right? I had the Spearman trait of the Nomadic Imprint, which will generate a new skill if I can meet the conditions. As far as I'm concerned, it was a really good cheat skill since I can create skills to address certain situations, the only weakness being low skill proficiency as a result.
As such, I decided to experiment.
"Channel and build up mana to the weapon to build up the momentum and power of attacks..."
It's a bit complicated to explain, but I took a reference from another RPG game that I used to play.
Using just normal attacks, I would channel mana to another separate pool (the Spear Shaft), building up the mana pool with each successive hit. As the combination sequence count builds up, that mana pool gets larger and larger, and the power of my attacks would increase.
In a way, I am making my own attack amplifier.
The only issue was that once I stop hitting, that mana pool diminishes quickly and that built up power disappears.
Nevertheless, it seems to be working. A larger amount of hp was struck off the Chieftain each time I fired off a sequence during an opening.
"Well, it's a start."
The chieftain seemed to be tiring, his blows becoming slower and easier to predict. By contrast, my attacks only got more powerful over the course of the battle. As such, my fighting spirit stat soon came into play, causing the Chieftain to weaken further and sealing the deal for me.
The Chieftain didn't give up however, attempting a final gambit by gathering mana and unleashing an attack skill known as Explosive Smasher. I responded in kind with a basic vertical smash, which was bolstered by the built up mana. The two weapons clashed, the impact exploding outwards in a wave.
The resulting explosion caused both weapons to rebound, the force of the blows forcing our arms up in a jarring position. An large opening had finally exposed itself.
Well, simply put, my weapon was lighter and I recovered first, bringing the spear shaft down again on the Chieftain's head. The rest of its HP disappeared and the Kobold Chieftain keeled over comically, vanishing in a grey flash and leaving behind the giant mace that it wielded.
[You have leveled once to level 26.]
Ignoring the crowds of people that had watched my fight with interest, I quickly picked up the dropped loot and somehow escaped from the dungeon.
***
It was another peaceful day today for him
The sea opens up, presenting an infinitely blue canvas that is constant churning and flowing.
He sat leisurely at the edge of the fishing boat, net currently hung below the boat. In his hand he held a long fishing rod with ease.
Ever since that dinner, he endeavored to go into the finer points of fishing, seeking out masters of the craft and trading different methods of fishing with them. Secrets and rumors swapped hands, enriching and improving the lives of many as they implemented them into their routine.
It was quiet except for the sound of the waves that moved about rhythmically, lulling him to sleep.
The boat resembled a cradle for him, and would probably be his grave as well. He was in his natural element, and felt completely as ease in its gentle and familiar embrace.
However, over the salty fresh air of the sea breeze, there was a faint smell in the air. Something... disturbing and foreign.
He ignored it and was slowly dozing off.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sounds of explosions could suddenly be heard over the tempestuous waves. It sounded distant, but it was there nonetheless.
He was jolted awake by the noise, and still under the influence of sleep, he drowsily sought out the source of that disturbance.
What he saw caused him to fully awake, eyes widening at the size.
In the distance, that sleepy village that he called home and worked so hard to improve was in flames.
****
"Yeah, tonight we eat!!"
I carefully counted the money that I had earned after selling the mace to an aspiring knight. I sincerely prayed for the safety of the monsters that he comes up against, having faced that weapon myself.
Not only that, the denizens of the dungeon had dropped some loot as well. I also gained an immense number of levels from the hunt, putting me at level 26 overall from level 11.
Overall, it has been a very lucrative experience for me, and I really looked forward to the next dungeon.
"This much money should be able to feed us for a long while, right..." I hefted my money pouch carefully with a calculative look on my face.
Even while I had earned a fair amount of money from the dungeon, I still had to consider all this... Oh, the troubles of having kids...
I wonder about that though. If I just choose to leave behind that meddlesome duo and strike it out on my own, I can easily afford a few upgrades on my equipment...
Food problems wouldn't be so large an issue anymore.
And I would be able to go back to leveling at a brisk pace.
"Kids are indeed troublesome..." I sighed.
I decided to settle a few things before I moved on, but for now I should probably wait for the two to return. As tempting as striking out solo sounds, well, it wouldn't be the same without that kid, you know? Thus far, most of my adventure had been defined and shaped by the people around me, that kid included.
So call me a sentimental fool, but that was what I feel about the whole issue.
"Alright, first things first... I have to get a stockpile of meat up..."
I made my way back to the forest, where I heard the sounds of marching, and a cadence being called out.
I wasn't all that curious about it. It was probably a troop of soldiers travelling. I continued moving down the road. That supply of meat isn't going to hunt itself, you know?
Considering that I'm a bit higher levelled now, I was considering hunting something new. I hear bear is the new white meat... Or should I set up a few traps and catch squirrels instead? No, it's not efficient, there's barely enough meat on those to feed a person... Most birds as well. Definitely try hunting bear. The meat would last us a very long time if I manage to hunt several...
I was deep in my thoughts as I moved quickly through the forest. As a result, I bumped against a tree, quite by accident. It didn't quite hurt as I thought I would be, though.
Wait... this tree feels all warm and fluffy. Could it be the result of moss? No, it's not moist enough... I guess another fault of mine was that I tend to think too much. I stopped my train of thought and came to a realization.
I looked up, and saw a bear. Speak of the devil.
"A-a-a Bear?!"
Panicking a little, I shuffled several steps backwards, fortunately avoiding a large paw as the bear brought it down in a vicious swipe. I held up the spear shaft, and took a stance.
"Indeed, talk about my lucky day..."
The bear stood on two legs, standing nearly 3 metres tall. It was covered from head to toe in black fur, with a white crest on its chest. It had short stocky hind legs, and its fore legs are naturally quite massive. Its jaws? Well... I had this to say:
"My, grandma, what big teeth you have." Me and my smart mouth.
Fortunately, the bear didn't seem to take too much offense. What a nice bear.
The nice bear sought to help me expedite my passage to the other side by swinging his paw at my face.
Unfortunately, I mistook his kind intentions as a hostile act and responded in kind, bashing his face in with my spear shaft. The nice bear with the good intentions took the hit really well, though, although that hit sent it reeling.
At that moment, though, our little altercation was sadly interrupted.
A knight entered the fray, spinning and twirling a spear. He was clad in ornate armor, and wore a full face helmet that obscured his features. But what was particularly eye catching was the flag that had been attached to the spear.
It was a bloody crimson, and had a insignia of a lion with a sword in its jaws. The volatile and frenetic spear movements caused the flag to billow out behind it in its wake, leaving a bloody blur that trailed behind the spear.
It was quite the sight.
The bear was naturally confounded by the flag, and stood there stunned. And then it turns out that the knight was a leader of a yakuza group.
"Protect the commander!!"
"Don't worry, commander, we got your back!!'
"Charge into the fray for the commander!!"
And then the poor nice bear was set upon by a hungry pack of soldiers, who joined in the fight as well, brandishing swords, axes and maces.
Needless to say, it was a one-sided massacre. For the soldiers. What? Did you expect me to say "the bear"?
It was a good thing that the kid was not here to see this. The bear, bleeding from many places, collapsed from the burden of its many wounds and vanished in a grey flash, leaving behind a pelt and some meat.
Sigh. That meat was supposed to be mine, you know?
I decided to move on, but was blocked.
The knight stood in the way, wielding his spear in an easy manner.
"Young warrior. You fight with bravery and courage."
I was just trying to get some food, you know? Rather than bravery and courage, it was more of a case for need.
"And you appeared to be skilled with the weapon. Are you a traveling pugilist?"
Woah, that knight was not all brawn and virtue after all. The voice sounded oddly muffled and high pitched behind the helmet.
"In fact, you must join us in our Crusade. Your sturdy arm and swift movements will be a valuable asset."
"No, that's too much effort. I'm going to have to decline."
I made to move off, only for the spear head to move menacingly, pointing at my throat.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in that matter."
The soldiers that followed him also moved forward in a threatening fashion.
So it turns out that the troop was just another gangster group after all. This is getting dangerous... For the soldiers, anyway. I have a different opinion regarding my abilities. No offense meant to the late, nice bear with the good intentions that eventually paved its way to Hell.
*****
He frantically paddled, but the boat didn't move an inch against the current. Reprimanding himself for panicking, he relaxed, took a deep breath and slowly moved the paddle with the current.
The boat steadily moved towards the island at a fast pace, powered by overly muscular arms wielding oars that moved as though it was an extension of his hands. The speed could rival that of a motorboat probably.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Discipline overriding his impatience, he prepared his mindset for battle.
******
I lashed out, spear shaft spinning around me in a horizontal swing. The spear shaft created an offensive ring about me as it sent several soldiers flying.
I needed to create an opening to escape them, but they moved forward in a rag-tag group, brandishing their weapons. If I tried to push through them, I will surely be cut to ribbons. Hence!
I took a stance, holding the spear shaft in a relaxed manner. The spear shaft was supported on my left shoulder, as though at ease.
Like the Balancer, The form had also appeared in the skill book. I had no idea what was the requirement, but it seems that portions of the skill book revealed itself as certain requirements are met over the course of the journey. The pages between those depicting both stances remained resolutely blank, anyways.
I still had no idea what to call the skill yet though, but here is the description:
4th Stance of the Empty Spear
One of several stances that was taught to initiates of the Nomadic Order of the Spear before they set off for their pilgrimage. Despite its relaxed and easygoing appearance, this stance devotes all manner to attack and speed for pole arms.
Beginner Level 1/5%: +15% STR, +15% AGI while in this stance. Certain movements become easier in this stance.
"Dang it, quit being cocky!!"
"That arrogant appearance, is he messing with us?"
"Get him!!"
The soldiers didn't take too kindly to that stance though, as charged as one group. Really, what is up with my adventure so far? It seems to involve angry packs bearing down on me.
Of course, humans tend to be more dangerous than wild animals. That was my view on the matter. Otherwise, how is it that humans are able to become the predominant species in this good earth?
Some mana had been built up by the earlier blows, adding power to my attacks. It was probably best to get this over with and make my escape. My spear shaft flew from my shoulder, moving downwards in a vertical arc.
The spear shaft crashed into a soldier and sent him flying. I didn't need to kill them, just aiming to incapacitate or knock out.
While I can easily gain a large experience from killing player characters, there were certain penalties incurred from doing so. For one, you gain the status of a murderer, causing your name to appear above you in red despite your privacy settings. Your fame and reputation will also drop, and shopkeepers will refuse to sell you products, opting to charge a premium for them. Moreover, you are likely to be treated with suspicion, even attacked, by the guards that roamed the cities.
In short, it isn't worth it. However, having this kind of situation forced on me meant that I had to respond with violence.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMEE RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!"
BAM.
Nevertheless, I took the effort to pull my punches. Still, soldiers were flying back as I swung my spear shaft one handed in a horizontal arc like a baseball bat, returning the shaft to my shoulder after each blow. I made a note to call that 4th stance the baseball stance. Okay, I was joking, but that was the situation I was currently in at the moment.
Soldiers flew off into the distance, landing in awkward positions. I couldn't resist embellishing the scene a little bit with many blatant references from anime and some of my childhood delusions.
"Explode, my Fiery Soul!! Fire, my Burning Passion!!"
Still, what is with those incredibly cheesy lines that sound like they should come from a hot-blooded shounen anime?!
For all my intention to make an escape, I was getting carried away with the battle.
[Your mind is clouded with the heat of battle. Agility increased by 8%, Movement Speed increased by 12%, your reflexes have become faster and your sense of pain is dulled.]
Case in point, this skill activates. Thanks, game, for agreeing with my assessment.
On reflection, this is getting ridiculous. Oh well, I will be able to escape easily if I knock out a couple of them anyway.
"Work as a group!! You guys can easily take him!! Approach in formation!!"
The knight yelled orders as he began his combat dance again, spinning and twirling the spear at my face. It was a confusing sequence that confounded the senses and played mind games. The trajectory was easily predicted by looking at the flag though, and I was able to easily dodge and avoid the blows while keeping up the pressure on the soldiers.
Still, for some reason, that dance seemed to have an effect on the soldiers, and a fierce aura began to emanate from their bodies.
Suddenly the behavior of the soldiers changed, attacking in waves and covering for one another. Those that were bearing shields approached first, shields clashed together like an impenetrable wall, with warriors equipped with spears behind them. The knight fell back to the rear, still performing the combat sequence.
Really... going so far for this one person here. You have to admire their grit and determination.
Fortunately, there are ways around this. Most of them require more people than one though.
A shield wall can be easily flanked and broken into by cavalry or light infantry equipped with spears. Alternative, siege artillery or battering rams can break holes in their cohesive formation. In that case, magic could also be used in that situation.
I had neither of this though, and so I could only face them head on.
Why do I always seem to end up in these kinds of problems? I wondered about this to myself as I began to build up a combination attack, channeling the mana to the tips of the spear shaft to further increase momentum and power.
It was a simple and repetitive sequence; a vertical swing which bounced off the shield wall into a spinning horizontal strike. With each blow, the attacks became stronger and stronger. I did not notice that several skills were generated in the process:
[New skill generated: Stored Power.]
[New skill generated: Stored Power Wave.]
[New Skill generated: Stored Power Blast.]
"What's with that guy?"
"It's getting really heated in here..."
"Keep it up, he will run out of energy before us!!"
"Protect the commander at all costs!!!"
The shield wall was forced into the defensive, my attacks phasing smoothly into one another and leaving no opening.
Eventually, that built up power reached a peak, and each of my blows were like a battering ram that jarred the wrists and wore down the defensive line. However, it was not enough to break through. I needed to finish things off with a bang somehow.
I quickly checked my message bar, and saw that message.
[Stored Power at maximum. Power Wave is currently available.]
Hmmm... That could work.
I smashed the spear shaft at the shield wall once more, creating a slight gap for a brief moment. When the weapon rebounded and reached the peak of the arc, I shouted out the skill name:
"Power Wave!!"
And brought the spear shaft down again in a vertical arc, where it struck the shield wall.
A powerful shockwave exploded from the point of impact, causing the platoon in front of me to scatter and break up. It caused a tremor for a few seconds, and caused the very ground to rupture and crack.
Why does this remind me of a certain show about Death Gods?
Fortunately, since my current skill proficiency was low, the heavy armor equipped by the soldiers meant that no one was killed by the blast. They were, however, left severely concussed for a short while, and I can easily make my escape.
And I would have done that too, if I hadn't stumbled myself. Using that new skill consumed a lot of my stamina. The additional stored power was gone, and my limbs felt like jelly.
The knight, who had been pestering me with his posse, was the first to recover, managing to get his footing. Stumbling over, the knight pointed his spear at my throat again.
"Even though it took a lot of effort, I have clearly bested you in battle. Now you will join our crusade."
I briefly considered my options, but could not find an out to my problem. I decided to just play alongside this clearly delusional knight for now.
"Right..."
"Good, then it's settled. Glad to make your acquaintance, young Spearman."
Wait, did he just mention my class? And also, did the soldiers under his command just vanish into thin air?!
The knight took off his helmet...
Erm.
I mean, her helmet. Flowing golden locks fell across the shoulders, framing a feminine face with blue almond-shaped eyes and full lips. Now that I could get a closer look at her, I found that the armor was clearly made for a woman, a form-fitting plate that obscured most of the bodily features, leaving much to my imagination.
She was attractive. Very attractive. Skimpy clothing is definitely overrated in that sense. Excuse me for being a closet pervert at this point.
She spoke again in a clear voice, which was no longer impeded by the helmet:
"My name is Combatante. Recall this, young spearman, that you have been bested by an aspiring Flagbearer on her path to the top."
So her class is that of a Flagbearer...
...
This is clearly ironic. Bested by another cannon fodder class.
*******
He made it back to the village, where it was under attack from pillagers.
All around him, he could only see different shades of red and black.
The bright red flame as it slowly devoured the inn and houses.
The shockingly red sunset as night slowly fell upon the carnage.
The scarlet blood of the friends he knew and cherished that was spilled by the blades of the pillagers striking down mercilessly, leaving none
alive. The blood slowly became darker and darker as the sun set upon a once prosperous fishing village.
He saw a few pillagers carefully looting the burnt houses and corpses. Taking, prying it from the lifeless hands and bodies. Laughing heartily as they enriched themselves upon the works of others.
At that point, something fragile within him had snapped.
Screaming in anguish, he grabbed his harpoon that had been laying by his side with one hand. With another, his father's trusty net. He never went anywhere without it, and now wasn't an exception.
Still screaming, he charged at the pillagers, catching them by surprise. Stabbing and smashing wildly with the harpoon, several thieves fell, their blood and guts spilling out. He caved in heads, gored abdomens, and made sure that blood for blood, his anguish was satisfied.
His screams soon fell silent, and was replaced by the screams of the pillagers as they sought to escape from the butcher wearing a mask behind them.
Their screams for mercy soon attracted the attention of the others. Shouting and laughing, they rushed as one group at the impudent bastard that dared challenge a group of many.
However, aside from the harpoon, the net on his other hand was far more deadly.
The net was tossed, and managed to entangle a large number of the pillagers. They struggled to break free from the net, but the net got everywhere, and their efforts only managed to get themselves further entrapped by the net.
To their horror, he was approaching, vindictive blood thirst pouring out from every pore of his orifice. To make things worse, the mask that he wore blocked out his facial features.
It would be understandable if he had a rictus full of wrath, but instead there was a small smile on his face. It was... unsettling.
It was probably the last thing that they saw.
*******
He slowly moved out of the remnants if his burnt village, dragging his net behind him.
Life was indeed merciless.
It devours upon itself, and spreads and proliferates, builds and creates upon itself.
At the same time, there was only so much they can create, so much that they can build.
Months and years spent building up and improving to move towards a better life, torn down in a scant few hours.
Destroying and killing life was all too easy... The massacre he had witnessed, even participated in, was proof of that.
He moved on, dragging the net. He soon reached the outskirts of the village.
It was left unmarked, safe for a few possessions that have been left behind by the villagers as they escaped from the death trap that was once known as home to them. He limped over and carefully picked up several of these items, examining them and devouring the item with his eyes as though he had come across a treasure.
It was pretty interesting to note how precious such petty and trivial items were in the wake of such devastation, he mused to himself as he carefully set aside these items for later.
At that point, he heard a mournful song without any musical accompaniment. It was muffled by the distance, but nevertheless, he could make out the lyrics which were sung in a clear voice:
"God on high,
Hear my prayer,
In my need,
You have always been there.
He is young,
He's afraid
Let him rest,
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home."*
It was sung in a tone full of grief, but at the same time, it was oddly comforting. It was like... that feeling of a home-cooked meal after a trying day at work, which appeared for a fleeting moment and left you wanting more.
Seeking that feeling, he moved in the direction of the song.
Memories of his happy but brief time at the village flashed through his mind as he staggered through the forest. He was starting to feel the full weight of his wounds as the rage was slowly ebbing away, the morphine of his anger no longer dulling the pain as well as it had done.
"He's like the son I might have known,
If God had granted me a son.
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone."*
On and on he moved, his body throbbing with the pain from the many wounds sustained in the battle. He dragged his feet, forcing them on step by step, teeth clenched as he endured, as he withstood the pain.
At the same time, he recalled the home he had left behind long ago on that fateful day, wrenched away forcefully by the whimsical forces of nature. The wounds hurt, but not as much as he was feeling at the moment.
He was making steady progress, nevertheless. The song became more audible as time went by.
"Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy
You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die
Let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home."*
In the distance within the dark woods, there was a bright light, even though it was clearly night. The song could be heard easily from there. He gritted his teeth, pushing out a final spurt of energy as he moved quickly towards that light, and the song that was clearly coming to a close.
He arrived at a clearing. It was brightly lit by the full moon, bathing the gently swaying plants and flowers in a soft, silvery light.
Clearly illuminated by that bright light, he could somehow make out a human figure...
He was soon overwhelmed by the pain and fatigue however, and keeled over, falling face first onto the verdant growth with a smile on his face.
*Lyrics from "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables