Chapter 40: This Hero and His Skill!
We had walked for hours. The landscape had subtly shifted from plains to lightly forested. The path was clear, but around us there were a few trees. The sun had finally begun to set over the horizon. Tael and Kany both seem to have started a silent competition to see who could complain the most.
"Erana! My feet hurt!"
"Kenji! How much farther?"
Questions like this had plagued us for the past hour. I'm reaching my limit and it appears as if the typically collected Erana is also reaching hers.
"I think it's about time that we set up camp, Kenji-san. What do you think?"
"Camp?" x2
Like dogs at the dinner bell, Kany and Tael had changed their attitudes from unhappy to obedient.
"Y-Yeah… I think camp is a good idea now. Let me find a spot that works."
"Heh, Onii-san it seems like you don't know about Erana's skills!"
"Erana has skills? Is this from being a druid?"
"No, Kenji-san. Let me show you. Status."
Suddenly, a green triangular prism appeared in front of Erana. This was her status screen and inside her attributes and details were listed.
Erana. Level 3.
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 26
Constitution: 33
Mana: 80
Magic Power: 24
Luck: 23
Experience: 366
"This is cool and all, but why should I trust you with building camp?"
"Ah, sorry. Here." Erana swiped her hand from right to left and revealed her mundane classes.
Camper Tier 3
+You can sleep outside easily.
+You can easily find good spots to camp.
+You can tell if it will rain while you are camping.
Forager Tier 3
+You find edible items easier while foraging.
+You can instantly identify if something that has been foraged is poisonous.
+You can easily identify medicinal herbs.
Hunter Tier 1
+You can track animals easier.
"Wow. That's a lot of tier 3's, unlike someone…"
Tael instinctively looked away in response to my statement.
"Right? Onii-san, just leave it to Erana! Jun store clown, you stick with Erana while Onii-san and I go gather firewood. We'll meet up later."
"Come with me, Tael-san. We'll set up camp nearby! This will be fun!"
As we began to split up, I put my hand on Tael's shoulder and simply said "Don't get kidnapped again please." Tael only replied with a nervous smile and a weak "Of course!"
Kany and I had parted with Tael and Erana. The two of us had begun to gather firewood together.
"So why did you pick me to help you get the firewood anyway?"
"Because you have the highest strength stat and I didn't want to have to carry the wood and the two bit magician at the same time."
"I-I see…" I felt that I could leave the conversation at that, but something else was nagging at me.
"Do you hate Tael or something?"
"He likes to argue. It's fun to mess with him. Why are you jealous, Onii-san? I didn't think you were like that!"
"I-It's not like that at all!"
"Are you sure? I hope you're not worried about your precious 'virgin brother' that much."
I can feel my face burning. Fortunately, the amber color of the sky is hiding the rose tint of my face.
"Hahaha! You're so easy to mess with! This is just like when I robbed you!"
"Don't remind me please."
We continued gathering firewood for a few minutes before I heard a familiar noise.
"Giri giri…"
"Oh God damn it. Not again."
"I know that noise…"
"Giri giri…"
Kany and I both drew our weapons and took defensive stances. As I held my sword and got into a stance, I could feel myself unconsciously adjusting myself. For some reason, I knew that this new way of standing was superior to my prior pose.
"Be optimistic, Onii-san! I needed to teach you how to use skills anyways!"
"Well you better start before they show up! I doubt they're going to just watch as you explain it to me!"
"Calm down… Okay, I want to you to focus on your weapon. Consider it a muscle, or a bone."
"I am the bone of my sword?"
"Yeah, like that."
"I was… Yeah, alright whatever. I did that to myself."
I focused myself onto my broadsword. If this is anything like casting a spell, then I should already have a feel for it.
"Alright, what now?"
"Now you want to envision the power behind your movement. Think of how you swing a sword and what comes into doing that."
How I swing a sword? Well typically I take a step and move my arm. Sometimes I put my bodyweight behind it but I never think about it too much. How does this work, exactly?
From the treeline, a lone goblin emerged. It was wielding a shoddy shortsword that had obviously fallen into disrepair.
"Gee…"
Something about this goblin looks familiar. I can't really tell the difference between goblins, but I get the feeling that I've seen it before…
"Since it's alone this will be perfect practice! Listen up, Onii-san: You are not allowed to attack the goblin with anything other than a skill! Dodge its attacks! As a level 3 warrior it should be child's play!"
While I appreciate the confidence, I still don't feel very different from how I was 4 days ago. Have I really changed that much?
"Raaah!" The goblin charged us. Kany jumped away and I was left to deal with the goblin.
As I was taken by surprise, I had planned to sidestep the goblin, but something about the goblins movements told me that sidestepping would not be the optimal strategy.
I held my sword directly in front of where the goblin was charging towards. Thanks to my higher range, the goblin was forced to stop in its tracks or else it would skewer itself.
"Greeh…" The goblin held its sword tightly as we began to walk around each other in a circle. I can't put my finger on it, but I've seen this goblin before!
"Remember: Your sword is like a muscle or a bone! It's a part of you! You just gotta flex it!"
"How do I 'flex' a sword? That doesn't make sense to-"
The goblin charged me once again. This time, I jumped a clear meter away from it in a standing position. The goblin appears to be getting increasingly frustrated at me. I, meanwhile, am impressed by my sudden increase in my ability to evade.
"Stop thinking about it! It comes naturally! This ain't some sparkly magic show, it's your skills! It's all you! Just try it!"
Just try it… Easier said than done. How do I flex a sword? Is it like flexing a bicep?
I took a horse stance and readied my sword. I took deep, long breaths as I steadied myself. I vowed that this third charge from the goblin would be its last.
"Foooo…" I exhaled. I am this sword... and this sword is me. I am an extension of the sword, like a bone or a muscle, it is a part of me…
"Graaaah!" The goblin charged.
I could see the goblin coming towards me as everything slowed down. I could see the leaves falling from the trees, the movement of the wind, and the drool dripping out of the goblin's mouth as it charged at me. I could see everything in front of me, but I needed to do more than see.
What would a skill even be for a warrior? Surely it would be something that shouts out "warrior" right? The power to destroy? The power to defend?
I remembered my previous battles with goblins. I recalled how I would depend on trickery, or exploiting a weakness to defeat them, but I know that won't work. If tricks won't work, what will?
I thought for what felt like a moment and then I recalled a certain fight with another goblin. A fight which was only won because of my brute strength, and that's when I got my answer.
A powerful strike. A strike that can cut through anything. That is what a heroic warrior would wield.
I grasped my broadsword with both hands as time began to move at its normal pace once again. The blade of my sword began to glow a dark red as I could feel myself pouring my energy into it.
"Strike!" I yelled out.
Near instantaneously, my sword was brought down. The power of this attack was absolute. I severed the goblin, and its shortsword, in half. The ground was painted red as I finally remembered where I saw this goblin before.
"Hey! You're that goblin that brought the hobgoblin to attack us!"
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