by J. J. Thorn
I held the sword firmly in both hands and held it upwards towards the sky. I had at least played with sticks with Elise and had an idea of how I would attack the bush. This was just a bigger, tougher, bush.
I brought my sword to the right of my body and using my body's rotation, I hit the Armadon on it's left side.
My sword bounced off and left no mark at all.
The Armadon was still undisturbed.
I pivoted my foot and attempted to strike between the scales with the point of the sword. Once again, the strike had no effect.
I started to hack at the Armadon with the iron sword, repeatedly with no effect.
After my 8th strike, I had finally caught the attention of the Armadon. Like a flea, it used it's previously hidden tail to swat my body. The impact hit my leather chest piece, but this didn't stop my body from flying to the ground a meter away.
After striking me, the tail returned to its previous position on the Armadon under its body. By the looks of it, the tail was its main way to move its body since its feet were so stubby.
"Lesson 3 - try to avoid getting hit, when possible. When that isn't possible, try to make sure you can handle the hit. How are you feeling?"
"I feel like I just got stomped on by a charging horse..."
"Good, good. That means there's probably no internal damage. Maybe a broken rib or two."
"Maybe a broken rib or two? What if it has been my head hit or what if I did have internal damage?!" I professed to my loving Uncle.
"Oh, don't worry about that. That is why I chose a well-documented monster two ranks lower than myself. I'm fast enough that I would have stopped the tail before it hit your head and if something really did injure you too much I could run us back to town within 15 minutes. You are as safe as you will ever be when fighting a monster right now."
The words of encouragement didn't help to make my chest feel any better.
"So, how are your arms?"
"My arms feel extremely tired from constantly hitting the Armadon."
"Well yes, I would think so. You're using completely new muscles in your body and you're effectively hitting a wall. Your body isn't used to the motions and you're not strong enough to handle it."
"Yeah, I couldn't even dent any of the scales."
"Ok, perfect, I think that's enough lessons for today. We have a lot to do before we head back to town."
"But the Armadon is still standing and it's nowhere near night-time."
"Yes, that's right. Here, pass me your iron sword please."
Once I passed the sword over to my Uncle, it was as though the sword itself gained a new life. It danced in his hands, as though two friends were seeing each other for the first time.
My uncle held the sword in his right hand and began to say a couple of words under his breath - probably for my benefit.
"Sharpen"
The edge of the blade gained a gleam that was not there before. The blade I held and the blade he was holding were nowhere near the same weapon.
He then began walking towards the Armadon. There was a level of pressure coming off of him. The pressure was coming from the sword, and also from Tom himself.
Once he reached the Armadon, the beast finally turned its head to face its new challenger. It started by taking out its tail and trying to swat Tom as it did me. Like a skilled dancer, he avoided the tail with a step to the left and deftly brought the blade down on the outstretched appendage. There was no resistance and the tail came flying off.
Blood began to pool at the feet of the beast, as it realized that its greatest offensive tool was lost. In an attempt to save its own life, it finally turned its whole body towards Tom. The Armadon then used it's head to try and take a bite out of his closest leg. The Armadon's head snapped forward much quicker than its body had, but once again it meant nothing at all.
Tom brought the iron sword down in one deft motion and the Armadon's head rolled to the ground before the rest of its body collapsed as well.
Now, dead and lying in its own blood, the Armadon was a threat no more, but Tom was not finished.
Tom then raised the sword above his head and quicker than I could see with my eyes, he cut the Armadon's body from top to bottom.
Tom flicked the sword to get rid of the blood and began walking back to my position.
At that moment, I knew that Uncle Tom held a level of power that I wanted... But for some reason, all my body could recognize was the fear that I currently felt.
Walking towards me, Tom held the hilt of the sword in my direction and waited for me to grab it.
After doing so, he helped me up and gave me a moment to sheath the sword on my waist.
It was only now that I realized Uncle Tom was breathing a little heavier than before.
"But how, when I couldn't even mark the beast."
"This was the most important lesson for today. To start, you saw me use my second rank ability 'Sharpen'. This allows me to sharpen any sword I'm holding to incredible levels."
"That was only Rank 2?!"
"Yes, but that's not all. As you progress through your Ranks, your body becomes more. It gains additional strength and speed unlike that of a regular human. Even at Rank 2, you'll be able to surpass the speed of any regular human. From my understanding, this is because of the internal energies we have in our bodies. From what you told me this morning, Wally explained that a bit to you last night."
"But I haven't felt any faster or stronger."
"Yes, at the first rank, the internal energy within you is only just beginning. At my Rank 3, I've gained a level of ability you won't see for quite some time. And even then, this was not enough to split the Armadon in half. As you learn to understand and feel your internal energies, you will be able to use it to enhance yourself. Even for me, I cannot use it too often in a day, but when you do, you are able to use the energies explosively. You will exhaust yourself more quickly, but it can be worthwhile."
"That's amazing!"
"Yes, it is. So now, please check your current rank progress."
"Current Progress"
Affinity : Weight
Rank 1 – View Weight – 25%
"Holy shit, it went up to 25% from 16%!"
"Yes, this is because you used it in a new way before the fight. You weren’t able to damage it, but you still used it in a completely different way. I receive nothing, since the beast is 2 ranks below me, but if you had been able to slay the beast yourself, you might have seen even more growth. To a point, there are always checks and balances in this world."
"But then why don't I just keep fighting monsters! Doesn't that mean I can jump up to Rank 2 very quickly that way?"
"Your progression can be helped along by killing monsters, but as you reach the higher percentages in your Rank this will do nothing for you. You are intended to learn and use your Skills. If you don't try new things or experiment with your abilities, you will never progress. In fact, most of the Kingdom's soldiers are Rank 2 or 3. Those who do the same things constantly, or have no passion for their affinity, will see no growth. And remember, fighting monsters is dangerous. If I had not been here, you could have died to this beast or another."
There goes that idea, but that doesn't mean I can't keep progressing! I may not be able to hunt more monsters before Prep School, but I will make sure to train myself and my skills as much as possible!
"Good, it looks like you understand. I trust that you will make your parents proud and not kill yourself before going to Prep School."
"I understand Uncle. Thank you so much for all you've shown me today. I have a lot to consider and a lot of work to do."
"Yes, and that work begins now. You've had a few minutes to rest, your arms should feel a bit better now. The Armadon's skin is extremely tough, but its insides are not. Inside its body, you'll notice it is very easy to pop off its scales using a knife and some patience. Go to the Armadon's body and begin descaling it. Those scales can be sold to a merchant or used at a smithy to incre
ase the strength of armor. They are versatile and very strong among lower-ranked people."
With that, he sat down to catch his breath and handed me a knife he had.
I spent the next two hours removing scales from the Armadon until both bags were full.
I took the opportunity to check the weight of each bag using 'View Weight' and was happy to find it only took about 17 seconds.
40 pounds!
Each bag was durable enough to hold the weight and with them full we began walking back towards the road.
The trip took much longer than our initial hike because I now had an additional 40 pounds on my body.
The weight of the pack was probably the amount I had lost since I started exercising. In spite of the added stress walking back, this thought made me very happy.
We got back to Huag with no further incidents, where Uncle Tom was able to sell one bag to a traveling merchant for 25 silver. Upon showing Glori one of the scales, she confirmed our successful hunt and gave us our bounty, another 25 silver.
Uncle Tom allowed me to keep half of today's earnings for myself, and I left the Guild with more money than I had ever had in my life.
We made an agreement to give the scales to my father, who would be able to use them for some sort of armor.
Uncle Tom said goodbye at the South Gate and I wished him safe travels going to the Northern Dungeon. Despite spending the majority of the day together, we spent no time discussing the Dungeon or his upcoming travels.
By the time I got home, my back was sore and so were my feet. My mind was racing with all the information I had learned about monsters and guilds and Ranks.
I couldn't believe this was only my second day as a Dungeoneer.
I walked into the house and my parents were thrilled to see that I was alive and well. I left out the fact that my rib was still bruised or broken, as I knew that would just cause them additional worry. If necessary, I would use some of the funds I made to hire a healer, but that could wait a few days.
I spent some time going through some of what happened on our trip, but my parents could tell I was exhausted. Even Elise cut me some slack and simply listened as I spoke.
It was late, and shortly after arriving home, I was once again in my bed.
I had been able to wash off the majority of the Armadon's blood, but as I started to fall asleep none of that mattered anymore. My second day had been a success and I now had new goals to achieve.
I was leaving for the Prep School in a month and I had a lot left to do.
Chapter 7
Interlude - Merchants
In the northwest corner of Huag, nobles and wealthy families lived in houses overlooking the forest to the west. The real estate in the area was very expensive, but the area was still bustling with people.
If any of the nobles had looked westward, they might have seen two men venturing by themselves into the outskirts of the woods.
Instead, on the third floor of his family's home, Zane Teller was once again lamenting his most recent misfortune in bed.
Any other young man who had recently earned an affinity from the Goddess would have been excited, but Zane's affinity had only caused distress within his family.
"Young master Zane" One of the Family servants entered his room and began to address him from the door. Zane's head did not leave his pillow.
The servant tried again.
"Young master Zane, your father wishes to see you in the Sunroom on the main floor. He told me that he would like you to come immediately." While the tone was slight and respectful, the last few words came out as a plea, rather than a statement.
Zane could remain obstinate at this moment, but he had seen far too many times how his family would treat the servants when they disobeyed an order. Even if, like in this case, the order pitted them against two family members.
Zane hated calling the people in their estate ‘Servants’, but based on how they were procured, there was really no other way to describe them.
Zane was many things, but he was not cruel. As long as his servants treated him and his family with respect, he tried to give them the same level of respect, or better.
The same could not be said of his father. A man who had built himself up from nothing, he then went on to grow a mercantile business throughout all of Terna and beyond.
To his father, things were more important than people, and people were just another commodity to be sold.
From Huag to the Southern Isles, his father had his hand in the trade of all types of goods. Armor and weapons were some of the most profitable, due to their constant need, but his greatest ambition was to sell orbs and Dungeon cores. He boasted every time he got his hands on another orb. Each one netting him a small fortune to increase his own personal wealth.
He used this wealth to trample on people and merchants alike. As he grew more wealthy, his insatiable appetite did not cease.
In this conquest to grow his trading empire, he sired 4 children. Three of these children were currently running merchant enterprises within key locations in the Kingdom and abroad. Each had gained an affinity similar to their father. That is until the fourth child's turn came to gain an affinity from the Goddess.
For years, Zane Teller, son of Stewart Teller, had gained the envy of all his siblings. Stewart had found Zane’s mother in one of the southern isles where it was said the most beautiful women in the world lived. With his level of wealth, it had been easy enough to convince her to come with him.
Of course, the number of coins her father received probably also helped.
Her hair was a brilliant yellow, with an amber hue only found in the brightest gemstones. When Zane was born, Stewart spoke of his empire's golden age and began calling Zane the golden child.
For years, Zane was revered by his father, his employees, servants, nobles, and the like. His father was adamant that Zane would take over his business as he neared his later years of life.
Zane had always listened attentively and respectfully to his father's wishes. Despite having his own aspirations and goals, he knew his father and understood that the needs of the family trumped his own.
It was for this reason that he had no fear when going into the Head Priests chamber just a day ago.
Zane's whole life had been choreographed from the moment he was born. He would learn everything he could about the Kingdom, his father's allies and enemies, and would then go on to take over the business.
The Goddess did not agree with this path.
In the back chamber of the Church, Zane had begged the Priest to let him try again. He pleaded with the Mayor, who had received countless 'donations' from his father over the years. He even started to use his father's name.
No words could shake the Priest's will. He said the Goddess' choice was steadfast, and there was no taking it back. He said that he should be grateful for the gift he had received since most would never see the same generosity.
Zane went into the room as an exuberant boy and left the room a broken man.
His life was over.
While walking home, he tried to reassure himself. His father would understand. His father would find a way to make it work. His father would... would...
He continued to think of all the things his father would do.
When he finally reached the family estate, his father was there with open arms. A feast had been prepared, and two of his siblings had ridden in as a surprise.
The main foyer of their estate had been turned into an event hall, with room for people to walk around and talk in the middle, with several long family-style tables placed around the room. The ‘Sun’ room, because it was large like the Sun and brought warmth to the rest of the house.
Upon walking into the room, Zane once again tried to believe that his father would make it all OK.
"Zane, we were told you would be arriving soon! This is amazing news, the party can truly start now that you have arrived!" Stewart yelled over the heads of all guests at the party, making sur
e everyone knew Zane had arrived at the party.
Stewart had allies throughout the city, so there was no way Zane would have been able to sneak in unnoticed.
Stewart's face had the largest smile on his face, and you could tell he had started to partake in the expensive wine being passed around the room.
"Come here boy, come sit beside me at the table, we will now begin the feast. Or should I refer to you as a man now, since you've received an affinity." He began to laugh. Not a laugh of derision of mocking, but a hearty and joyous laugh. To Stewart, this was the day he had waited 16 years for!
Everyone in the room partook in the laugh as they made their way to their seats.
Zane's face became paler, as he heard his father's words, but he made sure to smile for all to see. How could he not have known his father would find out his affinity? He was left wondering if his father also held influence with those in the Church?!
Still, Zane said nothing. He started to walk towards his father. People made way for Zane as he walked towards the table. The occasional person would congratulate him while passing, but Zane ignored everyone in his path, smiling and nodding.
As he reached the table, he nodded to his siblings and sat to the left of his father. Stewart's latest wife sat to his right.
Stewart stood up and made another proclamation to the gathered crowd.
"Today. Today, my Son Zane gained his Affinity from the Goddess! This is yet another gift given from the Goddess to the Teller family. Some of you know him as the Golden Teller, but all of you will know that he has always been intelligent and driven. And just like his father, he will continue to grow our family's legacy for the next 50 years. Just like I have the last 50 years!" He paused and allowed the crowd to clap. This party was as much a Teller family celebration as it was an advertisement. The patriarch of the Teller family was using the opportunity to tell the whole city that the Teller family was not going anywhere.
Remain their ally, or you will become their enemy.
"Zane! Why don't you tell everyone what affinity you received."
