Evolution Is A Choice

"You're stuck at level 1 unless you use that Evolution skill of yours, but... using that skill means giving up on getting the skills you should get when you level up."

"But that means I won't be able to earn any skills if I use it now!"

Classes were a part of Tentetsuki, although troops were already had their classes set as they were released, their meta-classes can be changed with weapons and skills, but giving a troop a weapon that doesn't match their fighting style will only reduce their efficiency.

It was important for me to at least change my commoner class into a combat class.

"Well, there is another way you can learn skills."

"How?!"

I asked, but Ron stepped in as if he knew what Nara was supposed to say.

Nara only took a step back and dusted away her clothes. She was distancing herself rather suspiciously as I saw Ron smiling at me.

"You get to learn them physically. Yey!"

It was creepy and sinister. I've been through enough hell each day and now I think I just piled more than enough hardships in my life.

"To think that this is the first time I'll be teaching someone directly."

Ron's voice somehow softened. Looking down at his wooden sword which was worn out, just like his aging body. Unlike his grimace earlier, it was like his stiffness disappeared and became moved by his own words.

"It's been a long time since Ron had taught someone."

Nara dusted away at her clothes and apron, turning to her tent and pulling out what seems to be a sword.

"What?"

I asked as she threw the sword at me. Why was she giving me a dangerous weapon?

"Yeah. Leave the basics to me, you'll get it in a jiffy."

The way he said it reminded me of my friend, Chihiro, but it also reminded me of the events that came after.

"I'll beat you up until your body remembers how to avoid them."

"..."

That was exactly what happened before, only that I failed multiple times and instead got multiple apologies from Chihiro after he thought that I would 'dodge and block' his punches when he strikes like a goddamn boxer.

But this time, I won't let it happen again.

I'll dodge and strike back...!

△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼

...Which was a terrible idea.

"..."

It had already been another week since I started taking sword AND physical training from Ron and some magic with Kyori who is currently busy doing magic regarding the barrier that had made the settlement hard to be spotted by unwanted people.

Ron had all the time in the world to torture me, and he was having fun doing so.

Even though it was torture for a guy like me who had never done vigorous exercise before, seeing my body become toned just to fit a swordsman made me proud.

It was my effort finally paying off, but Ron would say, "Appearances don't matter, skills and experience will. In this world of ours, looks can be very deceiving," or something along those lines.

I think that sentiment would go both ways in our world, but it would make sense that this world would have such a saying have a deeper meaning than the other.

"You broke your wrist... again."

Nara said as she began to heal my dislocated joint that had felt like a needle and a stone being hammered together to fix it.

This was the fifth time that I had broken my wrist after missing a few strikes, hitting the ground instead. It felt like my strikes were getting stronger but my body couldn't keep up.

Maybe I was just imagining things.

It was embarrassing to be side-stepped by a professional but I had no choice but to go through it all even when Nara manages to free her time and watch.

In the past three days, I've also learned that some people don't have the system panel that almost everyone has.

I had thought that Nara and the others were NPCs incapable of combat but after seeing their status which was average, and a tad higher than mine, it was disheartening.

But I realized that those without a system were the real NPCs, although there were still capable of combat and magic, but not as powerful as those blessed with the system.

Nara was a Lv 12. Blacksmith, Ron was a Lv. 50 Swordsman, Kyori was a Lv. 72 Elementalist.

They all had higher levels than me. Even Nara who had actually just started leveling up after inheriting the class from working in the smiths.

I was jealous, but I just have to keep grinding myself.

Killing monsters were easy in comparison, but it was useless as I couldn't get experience to level from them.

"Don't push yourself too much. I know that you want to acquire skills before you use the Evolution skill but..."

"It's fine, Nara. I don't care about levels and stuff like that anymore. I'll I need is the experience and movement to memorize to perform those skills."

That was a lie. I was a sore loser. I couldn't handle being level one any longer, but why would I say that to a girl that I began to like?

Nara would only frown at me and tap my shoulder, asking me again to slow down and train at my own pace.

"You've been taking a good hit or two. Maybe it's time for you to finally hit back."

As we continue our training for today, Ron began to differ from the usual 'try-to-dodge-this' training. It was more on me trying to get a hit on him instead.

I was done being hit back and so, maybe this will be finally the time where I can prove myself.

"The first strike I'll be teaching you is this. Look closely."

He didn't have to tell me that. I was already watching him closely from the start.

"Unlike the guys who rely on the system to cast their skills... I rely on real skill, even with this easy skill."

As he prepares his wooden sword, it felt like the air had suddenly stopped around him.

There was a leaf that fell right in front of him, and at that moment, when the leaf had reached the tip of the sword, he thrusted the blade forward.

"Pierce."

He nonchalantly thrust the sword, however. That wind that had vanished suddenly came rushing in as the leaf in front of him was completely blown away.

Before it could even fly away to the distance, I looked at it closely.

When it had reached the level of the sun, its rays went through it.

There was a medium hole in that leaf.

"——."

I looked at Ron with excitement. That was awesome. I can't wait to be able to do that myself.

However, how is that even possible? He was using a wooden sword, and even though he thrusted slowly, that pressure to cleanly cut a hole in the leaf just doesn't match.

"How in the world?"

"It's not just about physical skill. If you have a system, you have magic constantly flowing in your body. That is what makes us different from the others who don't."

"I know about magic constantly flowing but do you know how little that narrows it down?"

Maybe it was rude of me to speak to my teacher like that but I'm just too eager to learn it now.

"It's called Ki. You would need to control your magic and envelope your whole body with it before you can use it to cover a foreign object, that is also called Aura Fortification."

These were words that weren't in the game. This was seriously something that I have no idea how it works, but those words are rather familiar in another franchise.

"So that's why the magic training is required as well. You need to learn both at the same time to be able to learn this skill. Unlike those with the fully functional system, they can just meet certain requirements and earn it."

Ron elaborates further while trying to rub it in my face that my system was dysfunctional and useless.

Although he brags about not using his system often, he still uses it. The irony of this guy is unfathomable.

"So it's like a prerequisite for learning a skill?"

"Something like that, yes."

He answered with a nod, making me realize something.

This was a mastery skill tree system that wasn't in the game but exists here. Was this a part of the code that hasn't been released yet?

No, I can't always compare it with the game that I played.

This is real and as real as it is, everything will not follow something like a game that exists to entertain someone.

This means now, that for me to learn certain skills of a certain class, I'll have to follow a certain prerequisite of passives and non-active skills to unlock and learn the higher tier ones.

"Although, you still need to learn it the hard way."

Ron snaps me back to reality with a flick of a finger, before proceeding to finish off with homework.

"For now Ichiro, you should go and focus on your magic training. You already know how to at least take a hit or two, properly."

He somehow deliberately says that phrase like it has something to do with magic.

He's just the only guy here who is having fun hitting me over and over again with a wooden sword.

Magic would be more fun to learn. I'm sure it will be more on visualizing and concentrating.

It'll be a piece of cake...

...Or so I thought again.

"Well, get ready to catch this pure mana blast."

Kyori said before aiming her large staff at me.