Chapter 28 (1/2)

In addition to the 21 PP he had from earlier, he had also gained 2 more levels in Sweep and 1 in Entangling Roots as he repulsed most of the wolverines in the pre-dawn fight, putting him at 24 in total.

Monster Hunter III would take 6 PP, but when he went to the path screen, another option caught his eye. He had unlocked the Heavy Blow Path 0/20 at Lvl 20 of the skill, and there was a high chance of him receiving another skill if he completed it.

After a slight hesitation, he put 20 PP into it, finishing it instantly, netting him 2 Str and 10 Stamina, as well as the following notification.

Congratulations! You have completed the Heavy Blow Path! +1 stat(s) +20 Stamina. You have learned the skill Empower Lvl 1. You have learned the skill Calculated Blow Lvl 1.

Empower Lvl 1: Cost 30 Stamina. Infuse any physical movement with effort, very slightly increasing its speed and power. Effectiveness improves with skill level.

Calculated Blow Lvl 1: Passively begin to see weaknesses of creatures after fighting them. Their weaknesses become visible to you. Hitting those weaknesses slightly increases the damage dealt. Effectiveness improves with skill level.

Randidly was rather pleased with his previous decision. Not only had it net him a fair bit of strength and stamina, but it also gave him two skills. The passive would slowly add up, especially now while he was absolutely ripping through large groups of enemies. But Randidly was far more interested in the first skill, that would let him empower any moves.

He experimented with it for a few minutes, empowering strikes and leaps. Even the few attempts he did pushed it up to Lvl 3 of the skill. Although it was nowhere near enough to equal the extra strength that was added to an attack by heavy blow, it was just enough to give him an edge.

Randidly grinned. And combined with Haste…. The sudden shift in speed was enough to leave most enemies he would encounter dazed, he was willing to bet.

Randidly then used the remaining 6 PP he had to start and finish Monster Slayer III.

Congratulations! You have completed the Monster Hunter III Path! +3 stat(s) +3 to Health, Mana, and Stamina. Sometimes the path you walk is stained by the blood of those who would stand against you, but you must continue.

Having a sudden thought, Randidly turned back and regarded the Newbie Village. He had seen Decklan, Tera, and a few of the survivors going off together into the woods, but Donny had remained behind.

Donny had been rather… unpredictable thus far, and it worried Randidly. He wanted the village to prosper generally, but specifically he wanted them to grow so he could learn more information about classes and villages. As it currently was, Donny didn’t appear to appreciate either the gift that Randidly had given him, or the danger of the world, even now that he had a class.

It was time to change that.

Although it would be a hassle, taking Donny hunting was the smart long term play; the kid needed to survive. Honestly, with the gains he probably made last night and a few more levels today, his increase in health would be enough to sustain him, as long as he didn’t do anything stupid.

...as long as he didn’t do anything stupid…

Sighing, Randidly walked over towards Donny, who was standing with Chubbs.

“Ahaha…. Well-” Donny was saying, but then his eyes brightened as Randidly approached. “Ah! Here, let Randidly handle this. I’m just off hunting-”

Randidly grabbed him by his dirty t-shirt before he could skulk away. “Perfect, I was just thinking the same thing. Let’s hunt for a few hours.”

As Donny nodded uncertainly, Randidly turned to Chubbs. “What is it?”

“Oh, I got a class, and my first class ended up being Quartermaster. The stat gains are pretty small… but I got the skill Insight, that let’s me intuit things, based on the amount of information I have. So I was wondering if Boss Donny had any ideas on what-”

Randidly interrupted him. “Track down everyone with a class and interview them. Find out classes and stat gains. Also ask them about weird Skills they gained, and what skills level up the fastest. Then ask about Paths, and skills gained from those. Then ask about class specific paths. Then ask after habits of enemies. Then local flora and fauna that have changed since the system appeared. Understood? Good, I will speak to you later.”

Randidly pivoted on his heel and walked away, Donny trailing along behind him.

****

Donny stabbed his sword into the neck of another lizard, its struggles against the roots binding it, completely useless.

A small ding notified him he had leveled up again, and he brought up his status screen.

Donny Parke

Class: Knight

Level: 6

Health(/R per hour): 100/122 (22.25)

Mana(/R per hour): 25/25 (3)