Leon dreamt of a white and formless space, one which stretched on for as far as his eye could see. He travelled forwards, waiting for some stimulus to present itself- for some change to take place.
His expectations were only met after what felt like days of travel through the void, in the distance he saw a man's silhouette. Black and featureless though this silhouette's body was, it still had identifiable characteristics. He was clad in fine crimson robes, wielding a hammer in his hands and a sword on his hip. Leon couldn't fully read the man's body language or his facial expression but what he could tell the was that silhouette man was experiencing shock.
Leon spoke first. The silence he'd endured on his travels had grown grating, he was eager to break it.
"Are you me?"
When the silhouette replied, its voice was garbled and distorted. Barely audible through the anomalous interference it was subject to. Beneath the obstructions, Leon heard the voice of an older man speak, a man who sounded tired and resigned.
"Not quite. We are alike in some ways, in others we couldn't be more different. Come, sit- humour an old man for a spell."
As the silhouette's spoke a small table rose from the formless pale void, alongside a pair of plush cushions. Lowering himself onto the ground, Leon suddenly realised Wavecutter had been with him the entire time, the unadorned scabbard lightly tapping against the ground as he sat down.
The old man silhouette noticed it as well- pointing to the blade, he remarked upon it.
"That is an ancient blade young man- tell me have you learned of its origins?"
Leon answered as calmly as possible even as his instincts began to panic- as they had sat down, an formless pressure had begun radiating in waves from the unknowable entity before him. It was ironic, that he would experience the same effect from this man that he had inflicted on others, the violent aura of a predator.
"There was a vague reference to a nameless smith in the blade's description, but I can't say I've learned the whole story yet- hard to learn the origins of anything really, when your one link to the outside world is under some contract or oath to not reveal too much."
The old am nodded, his aura abruptly vanishing.
"Indeed, a Tutorial is a most improper place to conduct scholarly pursuits. Still, we are beyond its grasp, in the realm of our own minds and I believe the story of that blade will be of interest to you."
The old man took a breath, his tone growing heavier as he continued speaking.
"In the first days, of the very first Tutorial to ever take place- a weak and pitiful man stumbled into a Scenario Dungeon unlike any other. The System was far more liberal with life changing boons in the early days- he emerged anew, carving a bloody swathe through the challenges laid before him, his skill rivalled only by his own arrogance. The System, realising it had created a truly remarkable warrior, removed him from the Tutorial and loosed him upon all creation- soon his legend spread far and wide, his name replaced with a title, an epithet or a slur depending on who spoke it. They called him 'Swordfiend'. A name of two halves- 'Sword', for his skill with a blade, 'Fiend' for his selfish and ruthless nature.
The old man paused, drinking from the a cup of tea that had materialised on the table, before he continued his tale.
"Now, the Swordfiend's power was matched only by his hedonism. Women, liquor and exquisite blades were his indulgences of choice, leading to the man spending millennia luxuriating in his pocket dimension, followed by decades of flurried activity when his riches ran low. Worlds burned in his wake, wars were decided by him singlehandedly and many a child grew up fearing him as the bogeyman. Until the day one of his own children plunged a knife into his heart while he slept- his firstborn, a man grown in his own right who could tolerate his father no longer. This patricidal son took up the mantle of Swordfiend, establishing a great and mighty clan, dedicated to serving the Myriad Worlds as the greatest mercenaries money could buy."
Leon chose this moment to interject.
"Things went wrong I'm assuming?"
If the old man was irritated at the interruption he didn't show it.
"Indeed- things did go wrong. Horribly, disastrously so. That, is a story for another time however. The new Swordfiend's clan prospered under him and before long he was welcoming his own progeny to the world. Triplets, three boys. The eldest distinguished himself at an early age as a leader of men, wading into battle in full plate, wielding an impossibly large greatsword. Soon he had acquired his own title- the Raging Dragon Swordfiend, the leader of the brothers. The youngest pursued an unorthodox style of swordsmanship, one of slowly building momentum before unleashing it in a frenzy, combining his prodigious talent for swordsmanship with greater mastery of mana than his brothers. He too, earned his title in battle- the Shifting Tides Swordfiend, the strongest of the brothers."
The story so far had been merely interesting to Leon- now it had reached out and demanded his attention.
"So the Shifting Tides Style manual I found today..."
"Was his, yes. Your attempt at performing High Tide was admirable for one so weak. Regardless, we return to the last of the brothers, the middle child. He showed great talent for swordsmanship, yet the man held no true passion for his blade. Instead, he pursued the art of forging, smithing failure after failure in his vain quest to create a truly perfect blade. In time, long after his brothers had established themselves as powerhouses, he succeeded in forging a weapon that he deemed acceptable, christening his blade with the name Starscourge. He then set an entire planet's sky ablaze with a single swing from the armament. From this deed came his title; the Burning Heavens Swordfiend, the black sheep, both amongst the three brothers and the clan at large."
The old man unbuckled his blade from his waist, placing his still sheathed sword upon the table, then continuing his tale as though he'd not paused at all.
"Wavecutter was the first 'success' he ever produced, it went on to accompany his younger brother for a few years until he outgrew it- though the Shifting Tides Swordfiend kept it, as a sentimental reminder of his brother's affection. It was lost to me when my brother was slain. Can you imagine my shock when my apprentice showed me a young man taking part in the latest Tutorial, wielding my brother's blade and using that incomplete style of his?"
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Leon barely registered the revelation, his eyes locked on the description of the old man's blade.
"Starscourge- One of the twelve Sha Masterwork Blades. A sabre forged from dead world's core, capable of destroying stars with its full power. Used in slaying some truly mighty beings, this blade has only grown stronger from bathing in the blood of titans, dragons and extraplanar horrors. Bears a standardised Self Repair enchantment alongside a one of a kind enchantment designed by the smith- Flame Consort, a enchantment that reduces the mana cost of any fire spells or skills to zero at the cost of being unable to use any other spells or skills while the blade is drawn. The cost of this enchantment prevented the smith from adding any others to the blade.
Requirements- 900,000 Power, Insight of Fire's Explosiveness, possession of the skill 'Blazing Blade Sword Style', mastery of at least one additional fire attribute spell or skill."
The old man had a knack for disregarding Leon, continuing on, oblivious to Leon's distracted state.
"I recognised more than just the blade or the style- but before we continue young man, can you tell me about your grandfather?"
Snapping out of the trance he'd been under thanks to the Starscourge, Leon hurried to supply an answer. Anyone strong enough to beat down his new instincts was worth buttering up.
"Never met my grandparents on my mum's side, she had a falling out with them when she married dad. My grandfather on my dad's side was around though, happy to help out and look after me while my parents were busy. He used to tell me stories, of great warriors and daring swordsmen standing against all odds. I can only remember some of his tales, but he's the reason I picked up a sword to begin with."
The white void shifted, warping and twisting. The old man's silhouette sighed as he turned his head to observe the changes.
"It seems we are out of time young man- when next we meet it will be in person."
With those words the dream shattered. Bolting upright, Leon heard the sound of Zerasos' tender wakeup calls.
"Up and at 'em kid let's go, let's go! Daylight's a wasting out there and you've an infestation of velociraptors to take out. You humans always sleep like the goddamned dead, c'mon- up!
Swinging his legs out of bed, Leon beheld an irate Zerasos, scarfing down a plate of pancakes from across the room.
"Morning kid- we got ten minutes for you to armour up and review step 2 of my incredible plan to maximise your gains- you dress yourself, I'll go over the details."
Strapping on his armour was far quicker this time, Zerasos chattering away the whole time.
"Alright, these little dino pricks come with equipped with a sneaky little skill. They know where the closest human is at all times and their tiny reptile brains are telling them that they really want all you humans dead. Upside, all you gotta do is stand still and they'll come charging at ya. Downside there's a lot of them, like a couple thousand spread across the woods. Should take you half a day or so for their numbers to thin out, give or take an hour or two depending on if the other humans pitch in or die screaming.
With Wavecutter belted to his waist and Bladeless on his back, Leon felt ready to take on an army. Pushing his unanswered questions to the back of his mind was becoming a habit at this point. Once he'd cleared the velociraptors he knew he'd have some time before the next challenge presented itself. He'd pump Zerasos for all the info the devil could give.
Zerasos offered his final words of encouragement to Leon.
"Alright, remember- they're small. You're tall. Don't come back here 'till they all fall!"
Stepping past the threshold of the house, Leon was met with a pack of velociraptors. There were at least ten of them snuffling through the remains of the campfire and another five or so that had been running through the trees stopped to face Leon as he emerged.
Their tiny maws opened in unison, squeaking roars bursting forth, the bravest among them leading the charge towards their quarry. While these velociraptors enjoyed greater freedoms compared to their dungeon bound brethren, they unfortunately stuck to the same attack method as their counterparts.
Bladeless whistled as it pierced forth, Leon forced to place both hands on the hilt to thrust the colossal weapon forwards, the bladed tip obliterating the first wave of raptors. Those unlucky enough to survive the thrust were left gasping for air as the blade's force impacted against their fragile bodies, shattering bone and deforming flesh.
Mana flooded Leon's system, the warm rush perking him up, shaking off the last vestiges of drowsiness. All ten raptors met their end due to Bladeless and while the killing power of such a blade couldn't be underestimated there were costs to using it.
Despite meeting the requirements to wield the blade, Leon could still feel a strain on his muscles from using the weapon. Perhaps the requirements were only the minimum requirements? He realised there was still a ways to go before he could swing the blade without restraint.
"Sorry big guy- you're too massive, thick and heavy for my weak muscles to handle right now. It's like I'm swinging around a raw slab of iron, rather than a sword. I'll keep you on my back until a few hundred of them come running out at me- then I'll put you back to work."
Re-holstering the edgeless blade, Leon turned his sights on the small pack of five he'd seen in the trees. They were rapidly gaining ground, leaping over small roots as they aimed themselves at him. He met their charge with one of his own, Wavecutter returning to its sheathe moments later, having drank its fill of their blood.
The five dead raptors gave Leon enough mana to push him over the edge.
"Level up! You are now a Level 5 Swordsman! +2 Power, +2 Speed, +2 Constitution +5 Intelligence, +5 Wisdom."
Leon resisted the level up pain spasms- they were either getting less painful or he was getting used to them- and wondered why he'd gained points in the two magic stats. It seemed wasteful at first glance but then he did need mana to properly use the Shifting Tides Style, a little bonus to his magical ability wouldn't hurt too much. Now if only he could figure out how to use mana...
"These geckos aren't challenging enough- I need more, maybe if I gather them all up in a wave they'll feel like enough of a threat for me to get serious? I mean quantity is a quality all of its own, it's worth a shot."
So began Leon's folly. He left Bladeless at the house and began running as fast as he could through the woods, wind whipping through his hair. He truly felt the effect of his stats as he ran, everything was easier, his body moved effortlessly across the uneven ground, a growing train of velociraptors on his tail.
Ten became twenty, twenty became fifty, fifty became a hundred. The tide of raptors had grown to the point where Leon was sure that if he stopped he'd be devoured by the roiling mass of lizards. Glancing back Leon witnessed one poor raptor stumble and fall, the crowd stomping their fallen brother as they continued their dogged pursuit of the suicidal swordsman.
Beginning to circle back around, Leon continued gathering more velociraptors as he ran, his loud calls drawing more and more of them towards him.
"Here gecko, gecko, gecko- it's feeding time!"
Arriving at his little cottage with two hundred geckos on his ass, Leon ran straight for Bladeless, standing tall with his blade at his side as the horde closed in. A single missed raptor would be enough to claw him to death- it was a razor thin margin for error. Leon belatedly realised the horde had grown a little beyond his estimates.
"Y'know I may have bitten off more than I can chew."
Drawing on every last ounce of strength, Leon's horizontal swings began low to the ground, tearing up soil as the blade lifted off, reaping tens of raptors with each swing before hitting the dirt again. Leon made no effort to keep the blade clean and pristine, trusting in the self-repair enchantment to keep the blade structurally sound. Each swing taxed his muscles, causing him to bite down on his lip in frustration, the fresh pain there serving as a distraction from his screaming body.
Ten swings. That was all it took to reduce roughly two hundred raptors to little more than tenderised meat, Leon left standing in a field of gore.
"You have slain 207 Level 3 Velociraptors!"
"Level up! You are now a Level 6 Swordsman! +2 Power, +2 Speed, +2 Constitution."
"Level up! You are now a Level 7 Swordsman! +2 Power, +2 Speed, +2 Constitution."
"Quest Complete- Pile 'Em Up
Reward-Common Skill- Sword Affinity!"
Beholding the carnage he had caused, Leon burst into joyous laughter. The level up pains couldn't ruin his good mood. This scene was proof of his strength, the ease with which had destroyed the raptors a validation of his struggles in the dungeons.
"Fuck, that was awesome- wonder if there enough velociraptors close enough to do it again..."