Chapter 3

"Good job finishing on your first try," the guard said when I finally found him. "As promised, I'll escort you to a skill trainer. Follow me."

He lead me into an uneven tunnel hidden under the shadows of a flat, mushroom shaped coral. At first glance, the hole reminded me of a snake-hole for a man-sized serpent. I never would have gone inside if the guard hadn't led the way. I turned off my anklets and followed him in head-first, navigating the narrow passage like an eel with my legs trailing behind me.

Just as I started to feel claustrophobic, the tunnel ended at a domed room decorated in blue pearls and teal vines of seaweed. The only light source came from chandeliers overflowing with luminescent moss and the faintly glowing fish feeding on it. It wasn't bright, but the light was more than enough for my keen eyes to see clearly.

In the center of the room, sitting at a table made of desiccated reef, an elderly merman sat atop an oversized bubble of air. At first glance, I thought he had an actual fish tail, until he shifted his legs and his tail parted to show it was merely a long skirt covered in scales. However, as I watched, the gap in the skirt closed again and I was back to wondering if I was mistaken—maybe it actually was a tail.

"Welcome," the elderly man said, gesturing gracefully for me to sit on the bubble opposite of him. The guard next to me gave a courteous bow before turning and leaving out the same tunnel we used to enter. Left with no other options, I took a seat on the bubble across from my new instructor.

The bubbled gave beneath me like a plush cushion, but didn't pop like I feared. It actually felt rather solid, as if I was sitting atop a yoga ball.

My new instructor was attractive, even if he had gray hair. So far, I'd yet to see an unattractive merman or mermaid and this one was the most regal one so far. His smooth face had an ageless quality to it. His bare chest was fit and firm, clothed only in a series of long necklaces. His long gray hair was adorned with strings of pearls to keep it tamed in the ever-fluctuating micro-currents. Girls would probably idolize him.

"You're far more quiet than all the other spawnlings I've met today," the elder commented as I waited for him to make the first move.

"I prefer to save my words for when they'll count," I replied.

"A suitable habit for a novice Sage." His approval was blatant in his voice, but his expression remained placid. "In your opinion, what is the essence of a Sage?"

"Self-reliance," I answered. "A Sage walks their own path, needing neither approval or aid from others to survive."

"That's one way to look at it. In the Olden Ways, it's said a Sage is a man who seeks truth in all things. Self-reliance is indeed important when seeking the pinnacle of truth. Too much outside interference can cloud a Sage's judgment. But what is truth? The truth each Sage finds is something crafted piece by piece during the journey they make as they travel the world. This truth, once discovered, will create a unique song. It is not a song you must sing, but a song of the ocean created by every step taken."

The old merman's word's aligned with what I'd read in the Sage's Footprints, although the land-based Sage in the story created whispers on the wind instead of a song of the ocean.

"Please guide me," I asked when the elderly merman waited for me to respond.

"The guidance I can provide a Sage is limited. A Sage is unique in how they may learn from anyone, however this comes at a cost. You are forbidden from learning more than one skill from each Master you encounter. This is because a Sage must never seek truth from a solitary source. If you were to try, you would no longer be a Sage, but a student. However, since you are only a young spawnling, I am permitted to provide you three skills to create a foundation for your mind, body, and spirit. This is a one-time-only gift."

A vendor menu appeared, offering me three skills.

[Novice Weapon Proficiency: Spear

Use any spear weapon starting with 5% proficiency

Cost: 0]

[Novice Aetheric Cultivation

Opens basic channel for magic – 1 Node

Cost: 0]

[Novice Spirit Linguist

Learn language through spiritual contact

Cost: 0]

The skills weren't much different than Sages on other maps received. The only difference was I started with a spear instead of something else. The other two skills were identical.

The Aether Cultivation skill unlocked my MP gauge so I could cast magic. One node meant I could only memorize one spell. I'd have to find a different Master to upgrade it and gain more nodes. The important thing was it'd been unlocked.

According to the forums, magic in this game acted differently than typical computer games. While there was still potions available to recover magic in a crisis, magic didn't naturally regenerate during periods of rest. Players had to meditate—cultivate—to accumulate it. And the accumulation rate could only be improved through regular cultivation until a player reached a point where they could gather magic as easily as breathing.

As for the last skill the elderly merman gave me, Spirit Linguist was a Sage's bread and butter. Other players had to pay to learn languages used in other regions, but I'd be able to instantly learn for free by talking to natives or studying unfamiliar text. Language barriers simply didn't exist for Sages, making it much easier for us to travel the world. For that reason alone, most player merchants in the game chose Sage over a typical combat class.

[Quest Complete: Novice Skill Training

Reward: Training Spear x1]

"If you'd like instruction on how to use your skills, the passage to your left will take you to the Guidance Hall. If you feel confident in your ability, you can take the passage to your right. It will take you to the center of the Cerulean Lagoon."

I wasn't experienced with full immersion games, so I chose the Guidance Hall.

The Guidance Hall was another domed room with dozens of smaller classrooms connected to it. Each classroom held two to five instructors depending on how popular it was. It didn't take me long to find the class for spearmen. Most of the players inside were Warriors learning how to activate various skills they received from the elder trainer.

I took the spear from my inventory and equipped it, then tried my hand at stabbing one of the practice dummies lining the walls. My poor handling quickly attracted an instructor to my side who explained the proper way to stand and thrust. His guidance was so detailed, I had to wonder how Sheynan went a whole year without learning how to shoot a bow.

Then again, it was Sheynan. Knowing him, he probably skipped the tutorial and spent a long time pointlessly wandering around.

A sudden increase in my damage output caught my attention. I searched my combat log to see what had happened.

[Spear Thrust – 52% completion rate resulting in .2% armor penetration]

It was just like I'd read on the forums. While learning a skill from a trainer, they provided combat assistance, making it easier to reach a higher completion rate so the skill would register.

"That last thrust was well done," my spear instructor praised. "With practice, you'll definitely improve."

[You've learned Spear Thrust from Instructor Joyster.]

Another panel appeared in front of me, explaining the combat learning program. By selecting a skill I'd learned from an NPC, I'd enter an autopilot state where my body completed the skill at a 100% completion rate. This would provide me first-hand experience with the correct way to use the skill. Of course, there were restrictions. I couldn't use the combat learning program in actual combat and it was necessary to have a training dummy within range.

"I wish I could teach you more," the instructor sighed. "It's a shame you chose the Sage class. It's not too late to switch to the Warrior class. Are you interested?"

The details for a class-change quest appeared in front of me, but I waved it off as soon as I read I'd have to give up the Sage class.

"No, thank you. The skill you taught me is enough for now." I said my goodbyes to him and started to leave when I realized—there was more than one instructor in the room. Could a different one teach me a different skill?

They could! After a quick chat with each of the other instructors, I learned four more spear skills—spear slash, spear bash, pole kick, and impale.

Learning the five spear skills made me feel a lot more confident about surviving as a Sage. I now had the same amount of attacks as a newbie Warrior, albeit none of the defensive skills.