Chapter 4: The Martial Skill
December 7th, 2022. I, Miles, am walking to the summit of a mountain on floor 2 with my best friend Silvio. I can see an amazing view of the second floor from this high up. Rei and Haru are at the base of the mountain hunting windwasps for EXP. We followed the Floor Clearing Party up until the field boss, then we split up to explore a bit. I stopped to take in the view when my friend spoke.
Silvio - "This is the place right? Where that quest is?"
Miles - "Yea, there should be hut." The reason why we are climbing a ridiculous mountain is for my friend Silvio. Three days ago, during the first boss battle. We were right outside the boss doors, fighting mobs trying to force our way through. I was careless and my friend had to step in and save me. He used a skill called straight jab, and the weird part was, he shouldn't have been able to do that. He's tried countless times to do it again but had no luck. I met a player named Argo, she told us that the move he used is a Martial Skill. After I payed her, she told us where we could get the extra skill. Up until now, Silvio has been using his unarmed skill, which is pretty weak. I then hear his voice as if he read my mind.
Silvio - "The Martial Skills are strong, and can be useful for gauntlet and claw type weapons. At least that's what it says in the info broker directory. Are you going to try for the skill too Miles?"
Miles - "N-no. I'm not comfortable getting that close to the monsters." It's true, it takes everything I have just to hit them with my dagger skills.
Silvio - "aw come on! You can't stick with the Throwing Sword skill set, because the only skill in the set is the single shot!"
Miles - "You're wrong, as you level the Sword Throw skill up you get more moves. I have the Spread Shot and the Multi-Shot skills."
Side Note - the Spread Shot is when you hold three throwable blades in your fingers, and you throw them horizontally. The Multi-Shot is when you throw as many throwable blades as you want at an incredible speed. Problem with that is you need lots of blades.
I looked down at my Steel Kunai. I had Gato smith me a couple of Steel Kunai, that I keep on my belt. I know eventually I will need a better weapon, but for now this is the most useful. It's good for throwing, and dagger skills. I see a small hut at the top. Next to the hut was an NPC. The old man gave Silvio the quest and painted the whiskers on his face. Basically, he has to break a boulder in half with his palms, to get the skill and to remove the paint. The NPC led us to the boulder, bowed, and left back to the shed.
Miles - "...well...do your thing Silvio."
He replied with a chuckle and a slight nod, then got in a stance in front of the boulder. With all his strength he hit the boulder with his palms. "Aaaah!"
[thuuum] the boulder vibrated, but did not break. Silvio started rubbing his hand.
Silvio - "ah, I'm lucky that the system has a pain absorber, otherwise this would hurt like hell."
Miles - "So...you can't break it?"
Silvio - "I'm gonna keep trying, the old man said I could use any part of my body, even my head. It might take a while so wait for me over there."
Miles picked a spot on the grass and laid on the floor with his hands behind his head. "Yea I was already planning on doing that."
Meanwhile, Rei and Haru were at the base of the mountain. Rei watched the windwasp carefully for its next move. Then It straightened its body and opened its mandibles.
Rei - "Its a bite attack!" She moved in front of Haru to block the attack. [chiiin] the metallic noise rang out as the windwasp staggered back. "Switch!"
Haru then dragged the heavy two handed axe and lifted it above his head. He then let out a roar that does not sound like an 8 year old kid. "Raaah!"
Rei - "I think that's all for now, but they like to ambush so stay on guard."
Haru - "aye aye! Hey, Rei senpai can I ask a favor?"
Rei - "yeah what's up?"
Haru - "my brother's birthday is 3 days from now on the tenth. I wanted to do something nice for him...I need your help."
Rei - "ah, I see. Heehee, of course I'll help. I love planning parties!" Haru then beamed a smile and ran to hug her. The hard armor was pressed up against his cheek.
Haru - "Thank you!"
Rei - "For starters, we should go back to the town of beginnings and get Momo and Gato. Momo can bake a cake, and Gato can make him new birthday gear. I'll send Miles a message to keep him from being suspicious." (She pulled down the menu, and started typing.) "aaaaand, done. This is going to be great!"
Haru - "i can tell!"
Miles, who was lying on the grass with his eyes closed, was listening to the sounds of his friend trying to break a boulder in half.
Ever since that floor one boss battle, I feel that someone is watching me. No matter how many times I check though I see nobody. Maybe it's paranoia. [Ding]
Miles checked the message that has been sent to him.
Miles - "eh?"
Silvio - "Is that from Rei?"
Miles - "Yeah, she said she is going back to the town of beginnings with Haru to pick up her bandana, ya'know, the one that has the guild logo on it. Yeah she usually wears it on her head. I was wondering why she wasn't wearing it. Well, that just gives us more time to break this rock, right?"
Silvio - "Listen, about that. I've been hitting this rock nonstop for hours and I feel no progress. There is something I'm missing, like a prerequisite or something."
Just then, a loud booming noise was echoed throughout the mountains. Miles opened his one eye and looked in that direction. Silvio stood still and waited. Then one giant hoof stomped out from the forest behind them, followed by the rest of the giant monster. It stood about 13 feet tall. Miles quickly stood up, and lifted his head to look at the beast. His face was strained as he tried to speak.
Miles - "uh, I-its a...a..."
Silvio - "A trembling cow!"
As if responding to his shout, the cow began to charge towards Miles at blinding speed.
Miles - (he's too fast! I can't pull out my Kunai in time!) before he could even think that, Silvio jumped onto the cow and grabbed its small horns, using its momentum to trip it. The cow fell over and slid a couple of feet. Just barely hitting Miles. Silvio then looked back at Miles while keeping his posture.
Silvio - "Miles...I want you...to let me handle this."
Miles - "are you insane!? Look at the size! It's about as big as a field boss, no a mid-boss! You're unarmed! And you don't have any Martial skills, even if you did, there is still no guarantee that both of us together can defeat it!"
Silvio - "I know it's stupid...but it's not like we can run away, Taurus mobs are persistent. Plus, this EXP might be what I need to destroy this boulder!"
The cow began to stand back up. Miles gave a look of restraint, then he gave up.
Miles - "Fine...but I'll be ready to interfere if anything goes wrong." Silvio nods, then jumps onto the cows back before it can recover. He punched the horns, which made the cow angry. The cow flung Silvio towards the ground. Silvio hit the ground with lots of force. "Guah!" His HP bar depleted a little, as he stood up. The cow had already begun charging towards him. Silvio clenched his teeth. "Come on then!"
[Donk]
The cows head connected with Silvio's, and he was pushed back a couple of feet. But he managed to stop the cows movement. His HP bar was now below half. The cow moved back and Silvio had a red bruise on his forehead. He held his head in pain.
Silvio - "aaaah! That hurt! I feels like he busted my head in half!" -! (Wait...bust the rock?...The old man NPC told me I'm allowed to use my head. But the gesture he used was one you use when you tell someone to think. The rock is near impossible to be broken by humans, which means he never believed my strength could break this rock. This cow however...) "Yo Miles! I need your help!"
Miles - "w-what's wrong!?"
Silvio - "See, this cow is faster than me...but he's not faster than you. It's gonna charge at me again, I'm gonna stand in front of the boulder, when he is about to hit me, I want you to tackle me out of the way!"
Miles - "B-but, won't you fail the quest!?"
Before Silvio could answer, the cow charged towards him. Miles acted quickly and started sprinting. "Aaaah!"
[shove]
[crack!]
Miles - "can I kill it now?" Silvio nodded.
Miles ran toward the cow and dug his dagger into its abdomen, and cut it in half.
The old man, which was surprisingly watching from atop a boulder walked towards Silvio and gave him the Martial Skill. Miles opened his menu and gave Silvio the drops.
Miles - "Here, you did most of the work anyway."
Silvio - "whoa, look at all that col. Tremble cow milk?" -!
Miles - "Looks like we are done here. Message Rei, tell her that the labyrinth was found today. I got a message from Kirito earlier saying so."
Silvio - "Yeah yeah, I hear you."
Meanwhile
Rei, Haru, Momo, and Gato were leaving the town of beginnings with their equipment and everything.
Haru - (sigh) "we are leaving after we just got here...not even a potty break." He continued to wine to Gato who looks very uninterested. Rei was leading when she received a message.
Rei - "..."
Momo - "what's the matter dear?"
Rei - "Silvio and Miles have finished the quest. Apparently the floor 2 Labyrinth has been found."
Momo - "oh, that's wonderful! Things are progressing quickly."
Gato - "At least it didn't take another month like this floor."
Rei - "There's something else. He says he remembered that Miles has an upcoming birthday and wants you to bake a cake with this." (She gives the item to Momo.)
Momo - "Tremble Cow Milk! I can make an even tastier cake than I was planning to!"
Haru - "Hey Gato, can you melt down an item and use the ingot to improve another weapon?"
Gato - "I can only improve weapons using ingots from melted weapons or other materials. I'm not at the level where I can create new weapons from scratch materials yet."
Haru - "That's good enough." Haru then beamed a smile.
End of Chapter 4
