Chapter 2

The untalented Swordsman

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Authors notes: Read at your own disgresion.

I decided to switch to a third person view and constantly using it from now on.

Updates should go out every 2 days maybe every day or 2 a day depends on the comments i get :)

Also i would much appreci(h)ate every comment good or bad , if it is constructive.

Thx again and love u all for reading my story.

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A smile that illuminated not only the day but also the night was what Craig momentarily saw.

Then a loud noise of brakes being pushed to the extremes and a loud thump. Red flowing liquid was all around him even on his face. Everything around him became black as he jolted up from his lying position inside of the capsule.

Craig put a hand to his forehead and tried to slow down his own pulse by breathing in slowly. Even though he tried it took him some incredible effort to calm himself before he realized he was back in the real world.

" ... Again ... " Was the only thing he brought out before heading towards his bedroom.

Currently it was only 2 pm but he felt tired since he spent a whole 16 hours inside of the game but what took away all his strength was the panic attack. After he arrived in his bedroom he went for the shower but before that he put 2 pills inside his mouth and swallowed them.

Craig instantly relaxed as he felt the pills rolling down his throat and proceeded to take a shower with the coldest water it could manage.

He spent one and a half hours getting drenched by the cold water and thought about various things before he realized it was almost time to meet Andulas , since the time progressed 4 times faster in the game.

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The sun started to illuminate the area in an orange light as he logged back in. As before , Grim was still impressed by all the new impressions he just experienced yesterday for the first time. While taking in every detail of his surroundings his stomache grumbled loudly.

-

You have entered a weakend state due to your low satiety level.

- 25% stats

" Oh yeah , you should eat every 8 hours or so in this game ... " Grim said to no one in particular.

He found a small bag that was attached to standard equipment and he opened it. Inside he found a few loafes of bread and a canteen of water.

Grim took a bread out and begun eating but soon got disturbed by a figure , seemingly , coming from no where.

" Hello , Grim , i hope you had a good rest. " A familiar elf talked to him.

Swallowing the huge chunk of bread Grim still had in his mouth was no small feat , but he spoke up directly while putting the rest back into the bag.

" Good morning , Andulas. It was certainly refreshing. " Grim returned the polite greeting.

Now that the sun illuminated the scenery Grim realized how expensive the elfs robe must have been. A flowing white silken robe that reached all the way down to his knees with golden embroidery on them with matching pants.

" I was almost certain that i would arrive here just to find not one soul around , it certainly seems you are different from the other chosen ones. " Andulas said.

" Excuse me Andulas but i still don't quite understand what makes me so different from them? "

A bright smile appeared on the elfs face as he started to speak.

" They treat others and mostly even eachother like they are air or just garbage at their feet. Nobody indulges in some good conversations and they seem like they have no second to waste. From what i have been told you are very different. "

Grim scratched the back of his head and had no idea what the elf was talking about.

" I see you dont understand , let me explain. They enter the training hall walz up to the weapons stand grab one and start beating the scarecrows there like there is no tommorrow. Not only is it rude to the instructor but even those that exchange a few words with him are very impolite. "

" Others enter the church and demand to see the head priest right away while others just throw garbage into the streets. "

Now Grim understood. They viewed this like a game where they were the lords and ladys and everyone had to bow at their feet. Certainly Grim didn't think this behaviour was appropriate but on the other hand he couldn't blame them since it is after all a game.

" But not only do you have a proper conduct but also saved a cat from a tree without any actual reward waiting for you. But now back to the topic why i called you here in the first place. "

" Are you still interested in listening to my story? " Andulas asked.

" Yes very much! " Grim said.

Another smile appeared on the elfs face as he started his story.

" The elfs , the oldest of the 5 races , high born and beautiful were created as a mirror image of Palanthalos , the god of Justice , Valour and Kindness. Once the elfs thaught all the other races how the gods wanted them to view life as Palanthalos has told them. But even though they elfs taught them everything they knew the other races soon turned their backs on the elfs and lived without them. A pain ran through the elfs as they got discarded like trash but they also knew the gods wouldn't want any blood shed between them for such pety reasons ... "

The story continued on for quite some time and Grim was listening to all of it with his interest clearly showing on his face. Everytime Andulas mentioned war Grims eyes would gleam and sparkle , at other times he spoke of diseases and Grim shrieked back in horror at the gruesome times the elfs had to endure.

Quite a while has passed and Andulas story came to a end when the sun had reached its peak.

" So , boy , that is the history of the race you are a part of. I wanted to tell you more storys but our time today has come to and end. If you wish to hear more i will be here in 2 days at morning. " Andulas said.

" Definetly , Andulas. It would be a pleasure to hear such amazing tales about the elfs. I will be here. " Grim said to Andulass back.

Grim opened his bag again and chewed on the dry bread and drank water from the canteen occasionally. He took a closer look at the bag and noticed that only 4 breads remained.

- That will last for 2 days i guess , Grim thought

He decided to explore the town some more and get a job along the way to replenish the food he needed to keep his body moving.

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Along the way he came across small little children playing with sticks or even some dolls. Shop owners were advertising their wares while shouting out loud , priest of Palanthalos gave out blessings or food to the poor.

Grim kept wandering around until finally he saw a house that had holes inside of its roof with a tree branch sticking out of it. Numerous elfs were standing on the roof and were discussing something.

" Hello can i offer my help? I have done something like this before. " Grim shouted towards them.

A female signaled him to come up so he used a ladder to climb up to the roof.

" Hello , once again , my name is Grim. " He introduced himself.

The female of the group stared at him and after a bit of time had passed she opened her mouth to speak.

" Greetings my name is Gwenfuin and this is my house. So you said you have done something similar before? " She asked with a disgruntled tone.

" Yes , do you have some saws? We need to cut of the smaller branches and limbs , so they dont get stuck when we try to pull it out. " Grim said.

All 4 of them went to work and the branches and limbs were cut down in 2 hours. After this the female and a male of their group stood inside of the house and pushed the tree while Grim and the other male pulled it out.

With a loud thumb it crashed into the ground after they hoisted it out. The group of 3 elfs were already celebrating but soon they started to repair the hole the branch had left inside of the roof. Smaller sticks and limbs built the foundation with thicker branches built the actual roof. After this was done the female poured tree sap over the patch and now it was waterproof as she told Grim.

" Very well then , i don't hope another one will find its way inside of your house. Goodbye. " Grim said with a bright smile and walked off.

He walked for about 10 minutes until he encountered a old elf lady , which confused Grim since even with 250 years of age Andulas still looked like a male in his early 20s.

" Hello mam , that bag looks heavy can i help you carry it? " Grim asked politely.

The old lady turned around and eyed him suspicious before she told him to get lost.

" But mam , im just offering my help if it is a hassle i will leave but my offer still stands. " He explained himself.

" I can't let a young adventurer take my bag , you lot always have little time and too much to do. " She told him with slight anger in her tone.

" Don't worry mam , are you going into the north district? " He still tried to persuade her.

" Yes that's where i live. "

Now Grim knew he had her , like the old ladys in the real world they didn't want to trouble the younger ones but Craig always knew what to do.

He skillfully walked past her and snatched the bag with grocerys out of her arms without her even noticing.

" My what a coincidence mam , i was just on my way to Badrics smith to look for work. That is close to your house , no? " He said with the brightest smile he had shown so far.

Even though he said this he wasn't particularly wanting a job there he just knew the layout of the streets and shops because he had studied the maps. The old lady looked confused but after a sigh she consented with him and the took the path to the northern district.

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Along the way Grim encouraged her to some mild chatter which the old lady quickly warmed up to. They talked some about recent events that happened in the world and she even mentioned the creation of the elfs once but Grim didn't stop her just smiled and listened to it again.

" I live here , boy. " The old lady said.

" Then here have your bag back. " Grim replied and handed her the bag.

With a big smile he turned around to leave but the old lady called him back.

" Boy , the smith will never accept a beginner especially not a chosen one as his apprentice. " She told him.

" I thought so. The chosen ones aren't really good people i heard. "

" But boy , i can write a letter to the smith . I think he would definetly hire you then and teach you his craft."

Grims eyes widened but soon a rather introverted smile appeared on his face.

" Thank you mam , but i will have to decline. I just sought a reason to accompy you to your house while carrying the bag. So once again good bye."

With this grim turned around and didn't look back once.

Soon he found a few kids and one of them dropped a precious item into the pond right behind them. Grim just took his boots off and retrieved it without saying a word. While walking leisurly along a road that was close to the outskirts of the village he found a fox with a bleeding calf.

He endured the bites that brought him to 25% health and carried the poor little thing to the pet shop that was close by. A bird with a broken wing was also brought to the pet shop. He found more and more people and animals that had some problem or another but he helped each and every one of them.

Even though he helped some elfs for quite a few hours never once did he say anything about payment and even declined payment twice.

Soon it turned dark and by now the whole town had heard of the elf that helped everyone with his golden/ brown hair that made him look like a Lion.

As the sun set he went to a nearby inn.

" Hello madam , i would like to earn a night to stay and a evening meal if your establishment needs some helping hands. " Grim said after walking to the shopkeeper.

She was a elf that seemed to be in her late 20s but Grim knew for some reason she was way older than that.

" Ahh the little Lion has wandered into my shop. Certainly you can bring out the food and drinks and clean up the tables. " The shopkeeper told him.

She handed him a apron and a small book meant for writing down the orders. He quickly began his work. He was accustomed to waiter jobs since he part timed on some events for it. Not that he needed the money , since his parents were in the lower upper class , but he sometimes just wanted to do things.

The customers were very happy at the excelent service they were catered with and the shopkeeper already had a plan to employ him for further nights. Soon though something unexpected happend.

A group of girls was enjoying a evening meal in the inn while laughing or giggling along with eachother. It was a happy scene that warmed the hearts of people that were around even though they were quite loud. But a particilar group of chosen ones or ' players ' came up to them.

" Hey beautiful ladys , can we join you? " The tallest one of the 5 man group initiated the talk.

Even from the counter Grim saw the girls displeased looks as they told them to go away and leave them alone. But the alcohol in this virtual game had the same effect on men as it had in the real world.

" C'mon were just here to have some fun , why can't we join you? " The male argued.

As natural as it can be when facing 5 tall males with a group of 3 girls they were intimiated but still didn't want them around. The males became more pushy and started touching the girls slightly to gain their trust but it had the opposite effect.

The Inn keeper was eyeing the situation carefully and didn't know how to act herself and as a response grim put down the drinks he held on a tablet and walked over to the ' struggling ' group of females.

Grim took the ' leaders ' head in his hand and slammed it forcefully on the table the girls were sitting on. Some blood from the guys nose was dripping on the table. His friends were stupified and didn't know how to react.

Grim on the other hand already took the closest one in a choke hold before speaking up.

" Dear guests you had enough to drink tonight. I think you should leave. "

He finished it with a dazzling smile that told them of the deep aggression that lay beyond this handsome face. They collected their unconscious leader and after they left he released the ' hostage ' he held.

" Excuse me , madams for their unslightly behaviour. " Grim told the group of girls and resumed his work diligently.

As he returned to the counter the inn keeper was eyeing him with suspicion but her expression turned into a pleased on in seconds.

" I hope you will wipe away the blood on their table mister hero. " She said jokingly.

Grim sighed and wiped the table while the girls giggled uncontrollably. The rest of the night went by without any further incidents.

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Grim woke up and thanked the inn keeper for the work he gave her , but as soon as he was about to leave she called out to him.

" You know Grim , you are polite , nice , decisive and a diligent worker. Why don't you work here everyday until you can leave the city? Naturally you can sleep here everyday and get food for free. " She told him.

He knew this was a generous offer and he was suprised to her this after he ... resolved the matter in a violent way yesterday.

" Yes mam , that would be very nice i gladly accept. " He agreed to the deal.

Now a wicked smile appeared on her face as she continiued speaking.

" My name is Tyra . But Grim you should go to the training center and learn some combat. Your hand to hand moves are definetly impressive but in this world filled with ferocious animals or monsters that won't bring you very far. "

He knew this was true so he accepted her advice and went to the training center.

" Hello my name is Grim and i would like to practice wielding a sword. " Grim adressed the Instructor in the training center.

The instructor viewed him suspiciously before answering.

" Over there on the wall , take one. Hit the scarecrows if you want i can give you advice. " He told him.

Grim bowed his head slightly and picked up a sword and went to a scarecrow. He began hitting the dummy and hit it some more. His first attempts were clumsy and unrefined at best.

After 2 hours of continously hitting the scarecrow his breath became ragged and he hit himself a few times with the wooden sword while trying to perform some slashes. Soon salvation came for him though.

" Boy , give it up. You will never be a master of the sword. " The Instructor told him.

He admitted it to himself he was not what you would call talented and if this wooden sword was a real one he would miss an eye or an arm already.

" I know , instructor. But what am i supposed to do? When i venture outside i need to fight animals and monsters. " Grim told him dejectedly.

Grim saw that the instructor was thinking about something as he furrowed his brows.

" Lets try this boy. Go over there and pick that spear up. "

He hurriedly went over placed the wooden sword back where it belonged and retrieved the spear from another weapon rack.

The Instructor adviced him how to use it but this weapon was longer and alot more dangerous to himself then the sword was.

Next up the instructor gave him daggers , short swords and a bow. Everything resulted in the same disastrous outcome Grim had experienced with the sword.

" Boy i see your body is well developed and you have certain small motions while swinging and thrusting. Did you do something like this before? " The Instructor asked.

" In the world where i come from i practice a certain martial art , sir. " He answered truthfully.

The instructor told him to show how he fought in this world where he came from with a little demonstration. He even went as far as to make weapons that suited the martial arts Grim practiced.

It took him an hour while Grim explained even the smallest details of the weight and the feel the weapons should have.

The results were a straight slim stick so a hand could easily hold it and the other one had almost the same apperance but with a extra holding part diagonally alligned 5 ' ( 5 inches) behind the tip.

" These are perfect sir. " Grim told him.

Grim swung the straight one in has hands a few times an instantly his body recognized the feel. As he stepped up to the scarecrow once again the instructor noticed Grims aura had changed and an immense fighting spirit washed over him.

He swung down relentlessly using the straight club to smash and batter at the opponents sides. The other one was used by Grim to stab and thrust at a high velocity.

A few hours went by without Grim noticing since he was in his element and only when the Instructor grabbed his shoulder did he notice that the sun was already setting.

" Thank you , sir , for all the work you have put up because of me. Can i repay it in any way? " Grim asked.

The instructor eyed him suspiciously once again before he opened his mouth now with a smile on his face.

" My name is Thalan , boy. Just come by tomorrow i have many things to teach my disciple. "

Grims eyes began to light up and as he left his good mood just got even more high spirited at the throng of customers that was waiting at the Inn he would call his home for a few weeks.