Novels2Search

6 - First Skill

Aiden sat down hard. Most of those words sounded foreign to him, yet as he read, an unexpected familiarity settled in.

"...It's a mythic artifact," Aiden muttered. "A mythical creature must have something mythic," he chuckled, still shocked but keeping it together.

The dragon wanted him to be a hero, and just when he thought he couldn't, it handed him a tool—an artifact that might make him one.

"... Maybe there's still hope for me," Aiden exhaled, a small smile on his face. "So, how do I use this?" He turned his gaze inward, the pages with the information still visible to his mind's eye. When he focused, the page outlining the quest popped forward.

Greetings, Aiden!

You stand at the precipice of a grand quest, one that calls for your courage and fortitude.

Quest: A Hero's Ascent

Height: 4.8 Ft (Current) ➡ 6.5 Ft (Required)

Weight: 40 Kg (Current) ➡ 120 Kg (Required)

Will you accept this noble undertaking and embark on a journey to transform your physical presence into that of a towering force?

Accept the Quest:

YES /\ NO

Reading the quest details once more, Aiden couldn't help but grin. "That's how it is, huh," he glanced around to ensure no one was watching him. They left him to cry on his failures, but Aiden wasn't having it. Things were on the brink of change; he would become a knight no matter what.

Taking a deep breath, heart pounding with excitement, Aiden declared, "Yes!"

* * *

They always said artifacts made the impossible possible. Even if you had no mana, it could give you some, letting you wield reality-altering powers. If you were weak, it could make you strong, turning you into a ranked augmenter in no time. Best of all, it could grant any wish, provided you stumbled upon an artifact with such abilities—since they came in all shapes and sizes, catering to various tasks and needs.

Or at least, that's what Aiden believed from the countless stories his mother had shared when he was just a little boy. As he accepted the quest, he thought, "This mythic artifact will change my life forever," not realizing that things weren't as they seemed on the surface.

"This isn't right," he whispered, a frown etching his face.

Quest: A Hero's Ascent

Brave Aiden, your journey begins with the first challenge—a trial to test your endurance and speed.

Objective: Cover 3 km distance / Time Limit: 18 Mins

Will you accept this challenge and prove your mettle by completing the first lap within the given time?

The challenge was crystal clear in his mind's eye. Yet, Aiden wasn't certain if the artifact was supposed to function that way. While he wasn't wrong to believe artifacts brought instant results, his experience turned out a lot different.

When nothing happened after accepting the quest, he figured it might kick in while he was asleep. So, he went to sleep with the blanket over his head, aiming to keep any potential changes hidden. Excitement kept him from sleeping right away, but he managed to get a few hours of rest.

Yet, there was no change. The ring also went dormant.

Aiden slapped it a few times, but the results were the same—no response. A bit annoyed and disappointed, he joined the run as soon as the horn sounded, and that's when the challenge presented itself.

"I can't," he shook his head in firm disagreement. "One lap in under half an hour? Nope." For a guy who always finished last, taking the longest time of all, it was utterly impossible.

However, the challenge didn't disappear. After trying to say 'No' several times with no change, Aiden gave up. The horn sounded, and the run was on, along with the timer ticking backward.

Ignoring it, Aiden jogged, all alone this time. "Sam, that bastard," he snickered, glaring at the knight training area where Sam, alongside another dozen new faces, could be seen doing a different kind of drill among the knights.

Aiden didn't harbor hate or grudges towards Sam, however. The man was chosen because of his height and bulk—qualities suitable for a knight even if he couldn't use mana. In contrast, Aiden was small; even the smallest armor wouldn't fit him. He also understood the commander's reasoning, not wanting innocent blood on his hands. Yet, that understanding didn't ease the pain of not being chosen.

"Damn it!" Aiden gritted his teeth, picking up his pace. "Why is nothing working..." Before he could finish, a sound, reminiscent of a bell ringing, echoed in his ears. At that moment, the challenge page popped up.

Objective: Cover 3 km distance / Time Limit: 18 Mins

Distance Covered: 1.8 km / Time Remaining: 2 Mins

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Reading it, he scoffed. "What did you expect?" The red timer struck him as odd, but well, there was no point in fretting over it. Asking him to do something he couldn’t do was the quest’s fault, not his.

Soon, the timer hit zero, and the challenge details changed.

The challenge has not been overcome. Appropriate penalty is now imposed.

Penalty: Lava Ground

Until the initial challenge is triumphed over, you shall tread upon a perilous Lava Ground. Navigate wisely to avoid the fiery consequences.

“Really?” Aiden scowled. But as soon as the burning sensation seared through his feet, even through his boots, he realized the penalty was indeed real.

The heat only intensified as time passed, and for Aiden alone; the others maintained their usual jogging pace. Screaming under his breath, "Hot, hot, hot," he sprang forward, pushing through the crowd to complete the challenge.

It was the fastest he had ever run, catching the attention of everyone present along the edges of the field. Guards reached for their weapon, thinking Aiden was about to desert, but they dropped them once they saw him turn where he was supposed to, rushing to finish the lap.

Watching Aiden, even the rest of the crowd also picked up their pace, assuming something or someone was chasing after them. When they realized there was nothing, and lowered their speed, Aiden had finished his lap.

Immediately, the heat vanished, and Aiden stopped, resting his hands on his thighs, breath coming in ragged rasps.

"The hell was..." he couldn't finish, again, as a string of words popped up in front of his face. Just like last night, he understood what the words said, even though he was certain he hadn’t read any of them in his life.

New Skill Gained: Basic Running

Due to the effect of the Ring of Power, you start this Skill at level 3.

However, unlike the last night, these words weren’t just visible in his mind's eye but were literally floating right over his nose.

With a jolt of fear, Aiden glanced around to see if anyone else noticed the alert. Not everyone around him could read, but this was hard to miss.

The message moved smoothly along with his field of vision.

The rest of the people ran past him, most scowling and rolling their eyes at the sight of him. One who passed right beside him cursed, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Running all of a sudden!"

He said nothing about the words floating in the air. None of the others mentioned it either.

Only I can see it, Aiden exhaled a deep breath, nodding to himself.

"Oi," shouted a guard from behind. "Get moving!"

Even though Aiden was out of breath, he complied. As he did, he dismissed the message with a mental flick so instinctive that he didn’t have to think much about it.

He resumed jogging but frowned after just a few steps. Something about his posture felt off.

His gaze was directed down most of the time, straining his neck. His legs seemed to be trying to take strides that were too long, instead of the needed short ones. And his back was often hunched when it should be upright.

Aiden adjusted his posture, correcting the mistakes he had just noticed. Despite being tired, he managed a few more laps quite easily afterward.

When the run was finally over, he received another message.

New Skill Level: Basic Running Level - 3 → 4

"So, that’s how it really works," Aiden nodded to himself, brows furrowing. This quest, and its challenges, granted him skills and the Ring, rapid level-ups—a ladder he had to climb to improve in the skill.

"But how does running make me a knight? I need to gain muscle and height, not lose it." He asked as if expecting another page to pop up and provide an answer, but it never did.

So, with a roll of his eyes, Aiden headed towards the mess tent, where they provided bread. This time, he wasn’t alone, as he was joined by a guy similar in size, belonging to the same village. This guy was called...

“Jake,” said the man with a big smile, extending a hand. “Still remember me, right?”

“Yeah,” Aiden only stared, not accepting his hand. “How could I forget the jerk who wanted to be friends only to kick me into the lake and accuse me of peeping at girls?”

Jake retracted his hand, wiping the smile off his face. “... That was a long time ago,” he forced a chuckle.

“Thirty years ago, right?” Aiden sneered. “Anyway, what the fuck do you want? Let’s be friends again to use me as your meat-shield? Or steal equipment from the guards and blame it on me. Or the best of all, want me to take your place, so you can run away. Which one is it, Jake?”

“None of it. I would never do any of that,” Jake shook his hands and head in a placating gesture, sounding honest. “I regret doing those foolish things, Aiden. Trust me, I am a changed man!”

“Trusting you is like trusting a drunkard with ale,” Aiden grumbled. “Even then the drunkard might leave the ale out of shame, but you won’t. You are shameless.” And he began to walk away. However, Jake persisted, asking for forgiveness and to be friends again, pointing out that they were the only people in their tent of the same age, height, and weight, and so on, that Aiden paid no mind to.

Having finished chewing the bread, Aiden hoped for another challenge as the horn for formation practice sounded, but none appeared.

What skill would I get by marching anyway? he scoffed, falling into formation with the rest. Jake persisted in pestering him, staying directly behind.

The same routine of going forward and backward, charging or stopping, all at distinct sounds of the horn, was practiced once more. Aiden, bored and annoyed out of his mind, followed the drill instructor without missing a beat, earning an unexpected nod from the man.

He looked satisfied, and Aiden a bit unnerved.

I don’t want to lead this group to death, Aiden could be anything but the foreman, a role the instructor might assign to him, just as he had done with the other groups. Three nods would seal the deal, and Aiden had already secured one.

“Have to act like a moron now,” he figured, but before he could execute, the final horn sounded. "Well, tomorrow it is then."

Tailed by Jake, Aiden made his way to the bank of the river, and there the challenge presented itself.

Dear Aiden, A new challenge awaits you:

Objective: Capture 3 Fish / Time Limit: 30 Mins

Will you embrace this challenge, showcasing your skill and tenacity in securing the required fish within the allocated time?

[The challenge begins as soon as you step into the water. Failing will incur appropriate penalties.]

Aiden stared at the challenge that appeared in his mind’s eye. He then ran a hand down his face. “How does fishing make me a knight?” he spoke aloud, teeth clenched in anger at these useless challenges.

“You want to become a knight?” Jake asked, catching onto his words.

“...Yeah,” Aiden snorted.

“And you want to catch fish?”

Aiden responded with a nod, and Jake paused, deep in thought. Then his brows shot up.

“You want to catch fish, so you can eat the meat and gain muscle to become a knight, right?” the man detailed.

Why didn’t I think of that? Aiden furrowed his brows, impressed by Jake’s reasoning. The challenge was to catch and eat the fish. “So, you still have some brain left in that tiny head?” he taunted, while looking around for a large enough stick to make a makeshift weapon.

“I have always been smart,” Jake adjusted his hair, wearing a smug grin. “Smarter than you even.”

“If you want to be friends, stop being an arsehole first,” Aiden retorted with a glare.

“Sorry,” Jake lowered his head, lacking genuine remorse, not that Aiden cared.

“Anyway, find some sticks. Let’s go fishing,” Aiden said on a whim. When Jake went to look for sticks without complaint, he had a revelation. “I think I found myself some free labor.”