… please choose a skill related to innovative warfare

“Okay, let’s think long and hard about this,” Jack said.

“What’s innovative warfare even?” Brian said.

“I have no idea. But when we ask for shit, let’s be very, very specific. We don’t want a repeat of what happened when you got that shield skill. Do not be vague,” Jack said.

“Okay, okay. But, what do we pick?” Brian said.

They brainstormed for a long while. And they came up with nothing.

“Lemme just pick some shit and you can pick a skill based on what it gives me, okay?” Brian said.

Jack nodded.

“Oh dear super system, please give me a skill which lets me one shot monsters and hispanics!”

Nothing.

“Well, what now?” Brian said.

“What even is innovative warfare? Okay, it’s rewarding us for using this spear system and guns. We are obviously too low level on our own to be able to survive in this area. So maybe it wants us to pick a skill related to this? Building shit? Okay. Oh great system, please give me a building skill?”

Nothing.

“Please give me a skill which lets me auto sharpen these spears!”

Nothing.

Why would I waste a skill point on something I can myself? Idiot.

“Okay, your turn,” Jack said.

“Super system, please give me a skill which makes it easier to do innovative warfare,” Brian said, and shrugged.

Enemy Pattern Recognition: Rank 1

“Oh shit! This is something we can actually use!” Jack said. “Wait, should I ask for the same skill?”

“No, nono. Get something else. If two have it it’s useless. This isn’t like mana. I don’t know what it does but maybe we don’t all need to have it. Get something new. Like you said, imagination is a weapon. Or something like that. Get new shit,” Brian said.

“Okay, oh great super system, please give me a skill which gives me an advantage in warfare!” Jack said, overly dramatic.

Enemy Weakness Identification: Rank 1

“Oh! This is actually useful!” Jack said.

“Yo, try it out on me,” Brian said.

“Okay okay. Enemy Weakness Identification,” Jack said, while pointing at Brian.

Nothing happened.

They experimented with more things. And nothing happened.

They then experimented with Brian’s skill. And nothing happened.

“Back to useless,” Brian said, and sighed.

…

They grinded more until it was night time, then they went back to the Balloon Monster zone and took shifts sleeping.

The next day they kept making more spear circles in a straight line into the new zone while slowly killing more and more big wolves.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Hey, let’s say we keep getting skills and get this magic and become super rich. What do you wanna spend the money on?” Jack said.

“I dunno. I guess hookers and… real estate? I wanna own some rental properties. I don’t really wanna do anything extreme. Like be in front of a camera. Showing off my magic like a clown. What do you wanna do?” Brian said.

“I want hookers too. Super pretty ones. Let’s go to a girl’s bar after we kill all the hispanics,” Jack said.

“Maybe the hispanics own all the girl’s bars in Greentown,” Brian said and laughed. “But seriously, what do you wanna do when we’re super rich?”

“I dunno man… just chill. Have fun. Become immortal. I’d like that. You think this system has an immortality skill?” Jack said.

“Prolly,” Brian said.

They kept grinding. The frequency of wolves was increasing the farther inland they got.

“We good on bullets?” Jack said.

“Yeah, yeah. Plenty left,” Brian said.

“Okay, but just to be safe, don’t shoot unless you really need to. I wanna try killing them with this spear only,” Jack said.

“Okay, fine with me.”

They kept grinding for many more hours.

“Hey, I know what I want. I want a fucking shower,” Jack said. They both laughed.

“Me too. That motel shower made me remember how much I missed showers,” Brian said, “Oh shit! This one has a skill crystal!”

“My turn!” Jack said.

Jack crushed the bigger skill crystal, and yellow energy flowed into his hand.

Poetry: Rank 2

A warm sensation washed over his head.

“That’s super gay,” Brian said.

“Fuck off. Wait until I get all the bitches like I’m Shakespear,” Jack said.

“Shakespear was gay,” Brian said.

“Fuck off.”

Every word I say has a kind of rhythm to it now. Mhm… Roses are red, violets are blue… Words sound more beautiful. The words feel like movements in my head. What the hell… This’ll take some time to get used to.

They kept grinding more and more. It was getting darker and darker.

While a big wolf was running towards them and they were standing inside the spear circle, Jack was focusing completely on it as always. Then something clicked in his head.

Its sense of smell dominates its sense of vision. We could easily trick it by masking our scent or spitting and peeing and pooping around where we are.

This insight felt completely foreign. Like a stranger was whispering into his ears.

He lost focus and the big wolf slipped past his 4 meter long spear and stopped at the defensive line of spears.

“Get behind me!” Brian yelled and showed him aside and started shooting at the wolf. It died.

Jack explained what happened.

“That makes sense. Maybe these new skills are like… you have to look at these monsters for many times before something is revealed. Or maybe the higher rank it is the less times you have to look? I dunno. But I feel like… I understand them more. Before, the way the wolves moved seemed kind of random. But now I can intuitively understand it in a way. I think my skill is working too,” Brian said.

“Cool shit,” Jack said.

It got darker and they decided to head back to the Balloon Monster zone and sleep. On the way back, they received a notification.

Challenge: Defeat a monster from a new zone

///////

Jack:

Knife Fighting: Rank 1

Knife Fighting: Rank 2

Python (programming language): Rank 1

Mana generation: Rank 1

Sand to Glass Conversion Mana Blueprint: Rank 1

Healing Mana Blueprint: Rank 1

Origami: Rank 1

Enhanced Bodily Recovery: Rank 1

Speed Counting: Rank 1

Enemy Weakness Identification: Rank 1

Poetry: Rank 2

Brian:

Shield Defending: Rank 1

Marksmanship (pistol): Rank 1

Right Arm Increased Strength: Rank 1

Mana manipulation: Rank 1

Mana Sense: Rank 1

Enhanced Propriosense in Toes: Rank 1

Enhanced Bodily Recovery: Rank 1

Flame Shield Dispel: Rank 1

Cryptography: Rank 1

Enemy Pattern Recognition: Rank 1

Lucas:

Insect Movement Control: Rank 1

Enlarged Penis: Rank 1

Mana sense: Rank 1

Mana Manipulation: Rank 1

Surfing: Rank 1

Arithmetic: Rank 1