“Uhh, you are gonna look at the second reward, aren’t you?”
He had barely taken a step to go back to his leveling routine when Lan reminded him about his secondary reward. The last conversation had distracted him so badly that he had forgotten about it. With the reminder, he pulled up the screen once more and tapped on Uncommon Weapon Choice. A scrolling panel opened before him, containing everything from simple swords to bows to anti-material rifles.
He scratched his head for a moment before asking Lan a question. Why doesn’t everyone just pick one of the more powerful guns? What use is a sword when a bullet could take you out before you ever come close?
“Well, first off, what you can use your skills with matters more than the range and power of the weapon. And second, while they are strong and would probably allow a Level 1 to get an advantage over a Level 14, once you hit Level 15 and go through your first awakening, your body will be like an impenetrable fortress in the face of something so simple as a plain bullet. Unless the gun is also made for and wielded by another Level 15, it’s like throwing a paper plane at a skyscraper.”
Jay rubbed his chin at that. After everything else he had learned in the past few days, someone having the ability to shrug off a bullet from an anti-material rifle wasn’t that far out of the realm of possibilities. Still, he could see himself finding a nice knife or sword when he went back into town, but a non-antique firearm outside of police stations and other merc hideouts was unlikely. With that in mind, he scrolled back through the options before selecting one that called to him. It was an older model of revolver that he had only seen in antique shops, and it was quite good-looking. That wasn’t what called to him, though. Rather, a small line below the weapons description was what truly held his attention.
Enchanted:
Spirit Reload
Muted Shot
“What does that mean?” he muttered.
“It's pretty self-explanatory. It means you can reload the ammunition just by inputting a bit of Spirit. No need to lug around bags full of ammunition. The more you pour in, the stronger the bullet will be, so it will serve you well for quite a while. The second enchantment is a bit less straightforward, but it will keep your hearing intact, as it mutes the gunshot for the weapon’s wielder.”
So, would you get it?
“No. I’d get myself a nice crossbow or sword, as that fits my fighting style better.”
Jay raised a finger in protest, but Lan just continued talking, not giving him a chance to speak.
“I know you meant for you, but you really need to ask more direct questions--even if I can read your mind. Not everyone else will be able to. Yes, you should get it. Like I said, it will let you at least slightly close the gap between you and a Level 24, and with your situation. You're gonna need every gap-closer you can get your hands on.”
Jay chewed his lip, still considering protesting. He shook his head instead, and, with a sigh, selected the revolver. As he did, the weapon appeared slightly above the screen and fell neatly into his right hand. He hefted it a few times, letting the feedback of the cheap metallic hand have time to reach his brain. It felt somewhat comforting. He aimed the weapon at a nearby tree, staring down the iron sights.
As he did, a memory tried to force its way to the front of his mind, but he rejected it, pushing it down and away. He didn’t have time to reminisce on the past right now. Not with the coming catastrophes Lan had told him about. There was a good chance he would never get to see his folks again anyway. Never get to admit that he was wrong and still loved them despite everything. Never get closure. He wiped a single tear from his cheek as he slowly squeezed the trigger. The hammer of the revolver fell, and a single round went off, slamming into a nearby tree and creating a small indent in the bark.
**Skill level increased: Basic Weapon Knowledge - Firearms 0 - 6**
**Skill level increased: Basic Firearm Combat 0 - 1**
**Skill level increased: Firearm Mastery 0 - 1**
His eyes went wide. Holy shit. Eight levels gained in a single shot. He could barely understand it. Thankfully, he had someone who was already stepping in to clear up his confusion.
“Knowledge Skills work differently from other skills. Instead of slowly leveling as you use them more, they instead only level when you show a certain level of knowledge about a topic. This, however, is counteracted by the fact that to gain a knowledge skill. You have to either be taught it by someone who already has the skill, or gain it from a class. By the jump your firearms skill just took, I’m going to guess you have some prior experience. ”
Jay nodded once again, suppressing the memory that tried to well up.
“Any chance you are practiced with blade or shield usage as well?”
He shook his head.
Lan sighed. “Too bad. That could have been a good source of levels, right there. Well, anyway, I would recommend you choose one last skill to level and then head back to town. Being Level 6 should give you more than enough power to stave off most normal people. Although I guess a gunshot is still deadly to you. Hmm.”
Lan? Jay mentally prodded a few seconds later.
“One second… Ah, there it is.”
A small screen popped up in front of Jay.
**
Message Request Received
Sender: {C}
Recipient: Jay Anderson
Accept?
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Y/N
**
Shrugging, Jay selected Y, and a flood of information entered his mind. It showed a blank figure drawing energy out of his body and surrounding itself in the strange, shimmering substance.
“What is this?” he asked.
“The basic information packet for the skill Spirit Shield. It's a bit expensive if you have to keep it active in a fight, but it should keep you safe from most weapons around your level. At least it will stop the first attack and give you time to respond.”
Jay smirked and sent a quick thank you to Lan before throwing himself wholeheartedly into the guide. Seconds passed, then minutes, then almost an entire hour as nothing happened. Almost two hours into his stubborn attempt to learn the skill as quickly as he could, something finally clicked, and a small tendril of energy left his fingertip. It was invisible to his eyes, but reaching out with his other hand, he brushed up against the tendral felling a solid mass impeding his movement. It was a strange feeling but one that marked his success. He wanted to jump up and proclaim his first level of victory. However, as the notification came telling him he had gained a skill called Basic Spirit Control. An alarm began blaring in his head.
“Warning: Spirit level critical. You will fall unconscious in 1 minute.”
It repeated several times, slowly counting down as the timer fell. He opened the display to his Spirit and instantly saw the problem.
Spirit: 2/600
“Lan–” he tried to call out, but the action only made him more woozy, and the world faded to black.
**
“Jay. Jay! JAY, wake up, you fucking moron.”
“Huh, what?” Jay suddenly jolted awake and quickly looked around for the person calling out to him, but found himself alone in a forest.
He rubbed at his neck, finding it sore as he tried to remember what happened. He had been trying to learn that skill before.
“Oh.”
“Oh? Is ‘oh’ all you've got to say? How many times did I tell you this was going to happen, only to be ignored? You can’t just push your Spirit like that. You need to take breaks every once and a while.”
You told me that was going to happen? he asked mentally.
“Yes!”
He scratched at his chin. “I, uh… sorry, I didn’t hear it. Guess I got a little too caught up in trying to gain that skill,” he said with a slight chuckle.
“Didn’t hear me? You know I talk directly into your brain, yeah? So how the hell did you not hear me?!”
“I…” he paused for a moment, thinking it over. “How didn’t I hear you?”
“You're the one who should know!”
He furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed his chin. Was I that focused? I mean, I’ve always been able to get lost in a task like that, but a tap was normal enough to snap me out of it.
Not finding any answers he was fully satisfied with, he shrugged and asked a different question. Why is it such a big deal, anyway?
“You're kidding, right?”
No?
”Six hours, Jay. You have been asleep for six hours. You were already behind ‘cause of that little freakout yesterday, and now you have gone and lost another six hours!”
Jay scratched his head. He knew that wasn’t the best use of his time, but at the end of the day, he didn’t care. That skill was far more important to him than any spot on the leaderboard. Plus, he found learning Spirit Control surprisingly fun. It was like getting in touch with a part of himself he had never known.
Besides, even if he would miss out on a few better rewards, he wanted quality over quantity. He nodded as he finally came to a decision he had been mulling over this entire time. He didn’t just want to survive this game. He wanted to gain as much as he could from it, and the only way that was going to happen was if he got strong--unreasonably strong. So what if he fell behind for a few days? He would make all of it up and more once he was ready. Once no one could stand in his way.
After checking his Spirit and finding it a full 600/600, he sent a mental note to Lan. I don’t care if I miss out on a few rewards. Sure they might have been nice, but there is no reason I can’t just take them from others later. I’m going to focus on quality.
As Lan began to protest, he tuned her out, falling into himself once more.
——————————————————————
Lan sat brooding for several more hours as the human she had been assigned to continued stubbornly trying to brute force his way into learning Spirit Control. She sighed as the regret of giving him that information packet once again crossed her mind. If she had seen this coming, she would have never given it to him. That was a bit harsh on herself, though. How was she supposed to know the man was utterly talentless when it came to Spirit? She held her head in her hands. Well, it was too late now. Either the stubborn fool would figure it out, or she would have another chance to make him quit after he woke up from his Spirit Regeneration coma.
——————————————————————
Almost a full four hours later, Jay finally opened his eyes once more. The skill was still nowhere near compilation, but he had managed to at least coat parts of his body with Spirit. Now that he was out of that trance-like state, a flood of notifications finally hit him.
**Skill level increased: Basic Spirit Control 1 - 7**
**Skill level increased: Basic Spirit Empowerment 0 - 4**
**Skill level increased: Basic Spirit Armor 0 - 3**
“Are you fucking kidding me?!”
Jay winced as Lan’s screaming voice echoed in his mind.
“I give you a basic skill that should have only required a level or two in Spirit Control before pushing out Spirit from all parts of your body at once, and what do you do? Completely ignore the damn guide I give you and go on to create two harder-to-learn skills. How the hell did you even manage this?”
I um, well, I know the guide said to push it all out at once, but I tried and couldn’t actually do that. So I had to settle for creating the string of Spirit from the first portion and slowly wrapping it around parts of my body to achieve the same effect.
“What do you mean you couldn’t actually do that? It should be simple at your level of Spirit Control. I demand you try again, and I’ll tell you what your simple mind is getting wrong.”
Okay… ouch. Jay could understand where the woman was coming from, but he honestly just couldn’t do it. Whenever he tried, it was like there was a shield just below his skin that kept the energy from escaping. Not one to pass up such free advice, though, he once more tried to push his Spirit out.
Noises of discontent came from Lan, followed by confusion. “Ahh, I see.”
What is it? Jay asked.
“Sorry, but I honestly believe it would hurt your potential if I told you what was going wrong here. Spirit Armor is a much better skill for your purpose anyway, as it does not require upkeep. Also, once it is fully formed, you won’t have to put any Spirit into it unless it is damaged or destroyed,” Lan said calmly.
Jay furrowed his eyebrows at the response, but at least she had confirmed that he wasn’t crazy. With a shrug, he checked his Spirit and found it was nearly empty once more.
Hey, Lan, is there any way I can get Spirit back without sleeping?
“Sure, just eat something or sit and do nothing for a while. You could even work on acquiring a meditation skill, which would increase its regeneration rate when it’s used.”
Nodding, Jay walked over to the makeshift fire pit he had made that morning and once again pulled out his cooking supplies along with a can of chicken soup. He opened and poured it into a pot just big enough to hold the liquid. Starting another small fire, he held the pot carefully and slowly brought its contents to a boil. He then let it cool for a few moments before pouring some of it into a bowl and thoroughly enjoying the meal.
**Skill level increased: Cooking 2 - 3**
**Experience threshold reached: Level 6 - 7**
