Chapter 41: Chapter 41

As Gil opened the door he opened the system message.

[Dodge learnt]

[Dodge lvl 1

Avoid an incoming object coming at the user, the higher the level the less movement required to dodge]

Gil didnt have time to think about this before a new message popped up.

[Dodge and reflex are able to evolve into a new skill, please select {Yes, No}]

"Will this remove both skills" Gil thought "Reflex is already useful and dodge will grow to be even better"

[Evolving will not remove either skill if status point is sacrificed]

Gil checked his stats to see the number of free points he had.

[User name: Gil

Race: Human

Age: 15

health: 500/500

Status:

Strength: 83. Agility: 81.

Stamina: 86. Mana: 200/200

Intelligence 87

Level: 19

Free status points: 14

Ability (Can expand)

Skills (Can expand)]

"Sure seems like im not using them" Gil said, he had thought of using them but wanted to wait until it was harder to earn the points then to waste them now.

[Dodge and reflex evolving]

[Completion 11%...…29%...…45%...….67%...…86%....100%]

[Counter attack learnt]

[Counter attack lvl 1

An attack made in response to an opponents attack]

Again Gil heard the system chime again.

[Swordsmanship, close combat and counter attack combining to [Fighting style]]

[Fighting style unlocked]

[Fighting style lvl 1

The user can select skill and abilities to make there own fighting style, once these have been made then the user can name them and they will deal additional damage compared to then before]

[Please select from available skills and abilities]

[+5 status points for all stats for unlocking a job specific skill]

Gil stared at the [Fighting style] screen for several minutes before opening the select section.

[Available skills to add to Fighting style

1. Water slash

2. Fire orb

3. Magma spear

Description of each style available]

Gil opened the description in order they appeared.

[Water slash

A high power blade of water on the edge of the blade, drawing in the users power and the water mana in the air. It can be fired as a slash or a beam at will, the higher the level the stronger the water can become. Will open the path of water style]

[Fire orb

The same number of orbs as the users level can be summoned and controlled at will, with a mixture of the users mana and flame mana in the air. As the users flame powers increase then the characteristics of the flame orbs can increase as will. Will open the path of fire style]

[Magma spear

The current mana spear will consume less mana and will increase in power. Will open the for both flame and earth style]

Gil wasnt sure which option to select as each seemed like it would be useful.

"I guess the skills can be turned into a fighting style the more i use them" Gil thought as he used magma spear and flame orb more then other but wasnt sure why he had the option for a water style "Guess its because i have the powerful water slash"

"I think its either skills i have used a lot, or a powerful skill" Gil surmised. "I think this will open the most paths" Gil thought

[Please name the "Water slash" style:____________]

Gil thought for a minute and picked the only name he could think of about water.

[Rain drop added to Fighting style]

After seeing that Gil went to sleep and got ready to test his new style in the morning hoping it was raining. Waking up and looking out the window it wasnt raining like Gil wanted, so he headed to the lake. Upon arriving there was a morning fog on the top of the lake, stepping in to it Gil unsheathed his sword and activated his new fighting style.

As soon as it was activated all the mist around him rushed to the edge of the sword clearing the mist in a 5 meter radius of him. The edge of the sword now had a slight water trail round it. Gil swung the sword down and the water came of into the mist splitting it and cutting deep into the ground.

"Guess thats an improvement" Gil said performing it a few more times before heading to Tash's dorm to resume there morning runs before meeting Jem and Tim.

"Today you will be spend half the day training and the other half looking into to the Soul Screamer as a large swarm has emerged from the gate in district 2. You need to look at a map of the continent, and map the path you think they will cover and the stops they will make" Sarah said as the last student arrived.

"Jem, can I train with you if you know close combat" Gil said as soon as Sarah finished.

"Sure, you two okay training together" Jem said looking at Tim and Tash.

"Yeah there's some point I want to ask Tim about" Tash said prompting them to head in different direction.

"What do you want to know" Jem asked Gil

"I just want to improve my hand to hand combat as it's not at a good level" Gil answered

"Alright, so hand to hand combat isnt just throwing punches at someone's head or chest, you need to have good foot work, knowing how to dodge and how to adapt" Jem throwing some punches into the air. "Well start sparing and ill call out areas for you to work on"

"Alright just hold the power" Gil Joked.

The two started trading blows with Jem calling out areas for Gil to keep an eye on.

"Bend your knees a bit more"

"Keep your hands raised and elbows tucked in"

"Watch for feints"

Through the training Gils close combat kept increase due to the large power gap between him and Jem. After 45 minutes both of them stopped for a rest and Gil checked any messages seeing as they where all for close combat increase he grabbed some water before resuming.

As the lesson neared it's end Jem was calling less and less areas for Gil.

"Good you seem to have a nice foundation, just a bit rusty. You should now look at the style of fighting you want to practice" Jem said wiping sweat from her head.

"What do you practice" Gil asked.

"Danedi, before the gates opened it was one that would work on agility and not strength. Instead of picking one that would work well on strength I opted for one where it was missing strength as I could make it up" Jem said. "I hope to make my own techniques that incorporate Danedi and strength" Jem answered walking to Tim and Tash.

"Do you want to join us for lunch" Tash asked Jem and Tim "Where going to meet some other students"

"Yea" Tim answered

The group made there way to the food hall where they meet up with Jade, will and Hope.

"Where Ruby" Gil called sitting next to Jade.

"Why, you miss her Si" Jade teased

"Was hoping she would pay for food again" Gil replied

"Its fine ill treat you" Jade answered

"I was only joking, Im fine with the free meal. This is Jem and Tim there mine and Tash's new team members" Gil introduced. Slowly they all started to introduce themselves and order food, all but Gil opted for a paid meal even though Jade kept offering to buy Gil one.

"What do you have to do for the rest of the day" Will asked

"We have to research the Soul Screamer and work out where it will go" Tim answered

"Are you lot going to the library to do that" Jem asked Gil and Tash

"Im going to bring some books to my room, Si you doing the same" Tash answered

"Yeah, i think it will be noisy there" Gil agreed

"Good thinking, i might bring some in here if im able" Jem added

The group finished the lunch and headed to the library parting ways with Jade. When the entered the library they saw that nearly all the table on the first floor where full and noise. At the reception to check out books there was someone handing out scrolls of paper for the first years to use, heading to the reception Gil and Tash grabbed there equipment,

"I think im going to check the second floor, if you see anything useful here grab two" Gil said walking up the stairs. After looking for 10 minutes Gil had 6 books 3 for him and 3 for Tash, walking back down he saw Tash with only 2.

"All i could get" Tash said handing him one and Gil handing her 3.

The two headed back to there rooms with other students trying to go up after watching Gil being able and where complaining when the couldnt. Saying by Gil entered his room and put down his books and opened the scroll.

It was a map of the continent with a red mark indicating the gate. This was the first time Gil had seen a map of the continent. It was an oval sort of shape. In east was a large forest and open plains, there was a large grey circle close the to forest with building in indicating one kingdom. Moving to the North it looked like large mountain all around a smaller kingdom. Moving to the west which has the gate marked in was a mixture of open land, fields and forest, looking closer Gil worked out the kingdom there was the place he was in. The South most kingdom was built with one side on the sea. Through the lands there where smaller towns and rivers as well. Looking at the larges it was between the south and west kingdom, it was the royal capital which had the most paths leading in and out. Looking at the map as a whole there was sever areas that looked broken and destroyed which Gil know was because of the gates. There was also a large section in the middle that looked like it would have been perfect for the capital but was left empty, making a note to look into it later Gil started his work.

The Soul Screamer was a monster the ranging from 50cm up to 2 meters tall. The monster had long feet that lead to sharp talons at the heel of the large feet was another sharp retractable claw. It had razer sharp nails on its hands and large sharp bones growing through the elbows into knives. Along the head it had a large bone wrapped around its head leaving open spaces for its eyes and mouth. Its mouth had the option to unhandled and expand to twice its size and as such had several rows of teeth. The smaller Soul Screamer walked on all fours until the bone helmet and daggers started to form before learning to walk on two feet. Due to the bone coving the majority of the face all other apart from eyes are bad, so it relies on its eyes and feeling changes in the air.

"Seems like a typical death class monster" Gil thought looking at the image. "What do they eat and how often do they need water" was the next thing he thought flipping through the book.

"The Soul Screamer needs to drink 15 litter ever 3 days, this can be achieved through water or blood. If water is consumed then the period between needing do drink can be extended, one has been observed to have lasted 10 days before not being able to go on" Gil found this on the book, flicking back to the map Gil circled around the gate the distance they would be able to travel in 4 days.

"This would be the starting area if they hadnt drank anything when they came through the gate" Gil said. Looking at the areas that had water Gil looked back to the book to see what food they eat.

"The land the Soul Screamer come from has lots of wild life, when explorers ventured into the gates they have seen creatures that resemble cows. Showing several animals to the Soul Screamer it seemed to favour the cow more then others" Gil looked back at the map and found 3 areas that have cows in them.

"Alright thats a start" Gil now made lines from the gate to water and then water to food removing ones that would double back or where to far out of the way compared to others. until he was left with 2 options going in separate directions. Flipping through the book Tash gave him it only described more about the other world and other beings. Looking at the other books Gil found the habitat that it like.

"Unlike most would assume it likes to live in the light rather then the dark due to it having better eyes and had hearing" Gil removed on of the lines as it would send it through a forest the majority of the way where little light would come through.

"Something doesnt feel right" Gil thought "all students could narrow it down to two and randomly pick the correct one, surely the school would assign this for work" Gil spent the next several hours before finding several points that may be linked together.

"One book says about a lot of empty nests and another says there are not that many birds in there that fly" Gil flicked through the books again to find the right pages. "If i added all phases together then there are a lot of empty nest, not a lot of birds and with the stalker evolving to walk on two legs it make to easier to climb trees. If this is right then it may prefer birds over cows" Gil though pondering the idea "The cows can help when there young, with the calcium making there bones stronger hence why they pick it over other animals and if there are few birds then maybe these books dont make this connection or i have the wrong ones"

Gil decided to risk his theory and re work his map on the assumption that it would go for birds rather then cows. Looking for paths that go past trees and possible cows Gil found a path leading up a mountain, hoping his gamble would pay of Gil went to sleep after finishing other bits of work.