Mastering The First Skill
Kun Ming Sect, the greatest martial arts school in the Northern Islands. Stepping through the entrance, Lucas was greeted by the sight of disciples practicing their skills on the training ground. There were at least a hundred identical NPCs moving in unison, repeating their coordinated moves.
The flags of the sect soared in the wind, resembling the lofty aspirations of the disciples and their master, Yuan Pi. This highly respected master in DOJ was well-versed in all aspects of the fists. Players who wanted to master strength or defense-related skills, like the Golden Shield, had to visit him to obtain a training mission before being 'imparted' the skill. These missions were often simple and only required one to follow the instructions.
Lucas approached Yuan Pi who was standing on the stage overlooking the training grounds.
"Young one, I see you are here to master the Golden Shield," Yuan Pi said solemnly. "This mission will determine if you're worthy of learning it."
[Mastering the Golden Shield skill has been added to your Missions List.]
Learning Blue-level skills was a piece of cake. He only needed to follow the prompts and find a scroll left behind by a great master and bring it back to Yuan Pi.
[Mastering the Golden Shield skill: Find the scroll left behind by a great master artist. 0 / 1 ]
Tapping on it, he was automatically transported to a cave where the scroll was hidden.
[A scroll was hidden in this cave hundreds of years ago by a legendary master. Only the destined ones will be able to find it. Many have tried but failed. Could you be the chosen one?]
"Right…there are so many chosen ones who have found the scroll before me." Lucas rolled his eyes. Whoever designed the dialogue should have been more creative. The scroll was hidden right behind an altar; there wasn't a need for the 'destined ones' to find it.
[You have received Hidden Scroll x 1.]
Returning to Kun Ming Sect, he passed the scroll to Yuan Pi who praised him for being worthy.
"Well done, young one! You have exhibited great talent. You have shown yourself worthy of learning the Golden Shield skill. Are you ready to begin your training?"
Selecting
"You have observed my techniques. Now, it's your time to show me what you've learned."
Lucas wasn't sure how this worked, he didn't memorize those moves. There was only one prompt he could press:
[Master the Golden Shield skill.]
Tapping on that only option on his screen, he felt his body being taken over as if someone had possessed him. He was repeating the same moves Yuan Pi displayed. He hadn't learned any fighting skills before but he was now moving like a trained martial artist.
"Ahh, so this is how it works! Whoa, why am I doing a somersault?" his body wasn't listening to him. After performing a few more moves, the system 'returned' his body to him.
[Congratulations on mastering the Golden Shield skill! It has now been added to your Skills List.]
"You seem like a promising young hero. May this skill become useful in your journey." Yuan Pi smiled. The scene dissolved and they were brought back to Kun Ming sect.
Checking his skills list, he saw the [Golden Shield] skill. Selecting it, a golden ring formed around him before disappearing after a few seconds. A buff status popped up:
[Golden Shield Defense 30s]
Different skills added different buffs. Being one of the basic skills, the Golden Shield didn't have any fantastic buffs besides enhancing defense for 30 seconds. Once the buff wears out, he'd need to cast it again. But selecting a skill and casting it from the list would be too time-consuming in battle. He wondered if there was another way to cast it.
The 30 seconds timer countdown to zero. When he thought the buff would disappear, a golden ring surrounded him again and the buff reset itself.
"Wait a minute, I didn't select it…" Lucas muttered. Could it be that he only needed to think about the skill in his mind to activate it?
He cleared his mind and waited for the buff to disappear. Seeing that it was gone, he concentrated on thinking about the skill and true enough, another golden ring appeared. Putting it to practice a few more times, he proved that by focusing on the skill he wanted to use, he could cast it without the hassle of launching it from the skills list.
Awesome. He was like some superhero who could perform magic using mental abilities. The only downside was that these so-called 'magic' required mana and had a cool down period.
Having cleared the available quests for the day, he opened the [Activities] list to see if there was anything he could join:
[PvP Championship]
[Treasure Hunt In the Secret Caves]
[3v3 Championship]
[Love Connection]
…and so on. Aside from dungeons and quests assigned by NPCs, there were activities like PvP Championships and seasonal events. Looking through what was available, Lucas sighed. He wouldn't last long enough in any player versus player battle and most activities required teaming up or having a CP. There was, however, a solo activity that he could join - [Taming of the Rogue].
[The villainous Black Mountain Rogue welcomes you to challenge him. Can you defeat him before the timer runs out?]
The Black Mountain Rogue was not possible to defeat. This particular activity was a test of how much damage a player can deal and awards would be given accordingly. He just needed to whack the NPC, exactly what he needed right now.
Accepting the prompt to enter the activity, he was transported to a mountainous region. A figure wielding a spear stood atop the peak of the highest mountain.
"You'll be my punching bag, Black Mountain Rogue!" he darted towards the NPC and engaged in battle.
He slashed the Black Mountain Rogue repeatedly, releasing his rage and anguish. One moment, he imagined the NPC to be his brother, and then Janson. It felt good to let out his anger. He will seek vengeance and bring them to justice one day.