Play Your Cards Right if You Want to Survive (3)

The next day, training continued.

After three days of training, the schedule was more or less set. In the morning, we did basic exercises like running, push-ups, and sit-ups. Jenna followed the exercises I did. I didn't bother to stop her.

After basic exercises, weapon training began.

The so-called weapon training consisted of me swinging a wooden sword while Jenna shot arrows at a scarecrow. However, we didn't slack off.

By swinging the sword, I gradually felt the basics of techniques like distributing strength and maintaining proper posture. This was evident from the skills that appeared in the status window, like basic swordsmanship and shieldsmanship.

Of course, it was still far from the level of a formally trained knight.

It would be different if we had an expert instructor. Even sparring would help get a feel for it. But I was alone. Jenna had firmly chosen the bow as her main weapon, so I couldn't ask her for sparring.

The other three didn't come to the training ground.

Occasionally, I saw them muttering to themselves in a corner of the plaza, talking about finding an exit or escaping.

Of course, there was no exit.

Two more days passed like that.

Jenna and I stood facing each other on either side of the training ground.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"It's fine."

I tapped the shield with my wooden sword. Jenna was holding her bow.

We both knew we needed more practical training.

It was hard to fight sword against sword, but there was another way.

"You might get hurt."

"As long as we don't die."

There had been a few times when I swung the sword too hard and hurt my wrist.

The injured wrist soon recovered. This waiting room itself seemed to have a healing effect. As long as we didn't get killed like Molmont, we would naturally heal.

This was one of the training methods I devised last night.

"Shoot!"

"Don't blame me!"

Jenna shot an arrow.

It hit the right shoulder. I moved my left arm.

Thunk!

With a dull sound, the arrow stuck in the shield. I pulled out the arrow and threw it back to Jenna. Since it was a practice arrow, it came out easily.

"Again."

The shooting continued.

For Jenna, it was practice shooting at a living target.

For me, it was shield training to block incoming arrows.

I added one more condition: to attack the scarecrow beside me while blocking arrows with the shield. It was training to attack and defend simultaneously.

I also varied the attack locations.

First the head. Next the chest. Then the legs.

What I was doing now was similar to drawing a circle with my right hand while drawing a square with my left. It required splitting my concentration in two.

A sharp pain shot through my calf, and I fell to my knees.

Though the arrow hadn't pierced me, it had grazed my skin, tearing a chunk of flesh.

"Are you okay?"

"I told you not to worry."

As I knelt for a moment, new flesh grew over the wound. I stood up and shook my right leg. It was fine. I could move.

"You think of another method. Enemies won't stand still like me, and they will attack you. Are you going to just stand and shoot?"

In response to my words, Jenna added a new training method.

Shooting while walking.

It was moving target practice.

As our focus waned, the frequency of arrow hits increased. There were times I nearly died. Though the wounds healed, the pain remained.

'Do we really need to go this far?'

Negative thoughts began to creep up.

I didn't stop. The pain was good. It was proof I was alive.

It wasn't enough yet. I will climb the tower. I will survive.

And then...

['Han(★)'s 'Basic Swordsmanship' has leveled up to Lv.2!] ['Han(★)'s 'Basic Shieldsmanship' has leveled up to Lv.2!] ['Han(★)' has acquired the 'Pain Resistance' skill!]

'As expected.'

I had acquired pain resistance, considered an essential passive for warrior classes.

Raising pain resistance to level 10 could evolve it into Combat Continuance. It's an A-rank skill that maintains a hero's combat power up to the brink of death.

What's left is...

'Composure.'

It's a sub-skill of combat logic.

Raising Composure to level 10 will grant me Combat Logic. And if I raise Combat Logic to level 10, I can acquire the ultimate skill, Enlightened Mind which prevents any mental status ailments.

Though pursuing the opposite skills like Frenzy, Combat Madness, and Berserk could be an option, my strength lies in my extensive knowledge of Pick Me Up. Losing rationality in exchange for combat power would be detrimental to me.

Remaining unexcited and calmly observing the battle situation is crucial. I failed to do this in the tutorial and the first battle. If this continues, I will inevitably follow the Berserk skill tree, as Calmness and Frenzy cannot coexist.

"Remember this."

There are definite synergies among the thousands of skills in Pick Me Up. I know how to combine skills to create synergy. A few more days passed.

Amkena hasn't logged in for a while. He seems busy. I didn't consider the possibility that he had quit. Even if he had, there were other options. It would turn out as I expected.

I struck the scarecrow with a wooden sword. I blocked arrows with a shield. Cutting and blocking should not be seen as two actions but should be combined into one.

An arrow flew toward me. I no longer needed to see it through. I raised my shield to the spot where the arrow would arrive and then thrust my sword at the scarecrow's neck.

Yes, the sword and shield are one. I perceived the sword and shield as "one weapon."

[Ding!] [Skill Awakening!] [The hero 'Han(★)' has combined 'Basic Swordsmanship' and 'Basic Shieldsmanship' to create a new skill.] ['Han(★)' has acquired 'Basic Sword and Shield Technique (Lv.3)'!]

A refreshing sensation coursed through my body. I felt an odd sense of unity as if the sword and shield had become parts of my body.

"That's enough for today."

I lowered my shield. The wooden shield was bristling with dozens of arrows.

It wasn't just me whose skills had improved. Jenna had gradually added conditions to her shooting—shooting while walking, running, and double shooting. Her Basic Archery had also reached level 4.

Jenna put her bow into the weapon case and said, "But it seems like the Master isn't coming back. What if they don't return? Do we have to stay here forever?"

I chuckled. "If they don't come back in a month..."

"If they don't?"

"Well, you'll see."

I returned the sword and shield to their place.

[Welcome to Pick Me Up!]

Speak of the devil.

[Loading complete.] [TOUCH! (Select)]

They finally arrived.

"Good. I've been itching to do more than just train."

"You seem to be adapting better than I am."

"I am quite resilient."

During a break, I learned that Jenna had lived alone in a remote forest. Her father, who returned home about once a month, had died in a battle with monsters a year ago.

As we stepped into the square, Isel was dragging three people out of the lodging.

"Come on, I told you to come out! The Master will arrive soon. Why don't you listen? Do you want to get punished?"

I looked up at the ceiling. Technically, the waiting room had no ceiling. Instead, a whitish-gray sky loomed above. This sky would light up in rainbow colors when the Master arrived, providing information beyond just messages.

"I don't want to fight again! No, I refuse!"

"I'll give you money. I have money at home! I'm sick of just eating potatoes!"

"Oh, this is driving me crazy!"

Isel finally snapped, delivering a fiery straight punch with her small hand.

"Oof!"

"Fine, I'll write a report then! Get over here! Don't want to? Today, you're all dead!"

[Loading...]

Shortly after, the three stood in the square, each with blood smeared under their noses.

[Open, Rift of Time and Space!] [Tips/ Make uncooperative heroes run laps. It increases responsiveness.]

Isel was serious.

The Rift of Time and Space and the armory opened. After equipping our shields and bows, we stepped into the rift, and the mirror began to shine.

[Climb the tower, save the world!] [Main Dungeon: Current Climb - 2nd Floor]

The light receded.

[Floor 3]

[Mission Type - Exterminate]

[Objective - Annihilate the enemy!]

[Goblins Lv.5 x 4]

Field type: Plain.

The enemies were four goblins this time.

"Keerree!"

Three of them were armed with swords and shields. One in the back held a crossbow instead of a sling.

The sword-and-shield goblins approached from the right, left, and center. The crossbow goblin was loading a bolt.

'Their equipment and tactics have improved.'

It was a natural change with the higher floor.

The goblin finished loading the crossbow and aimed at me.

Before it could pull the trigger—

Thwap!

An arrow from behind pierced the goblin's forehead.

"Krrrk!"

The goblin fell exaggeratedly and died.

"See, I told you I'm useful too."

I dashed forward. Before the enemies could team up, I attacked. The first goblin. It crouched and raised its shield, but there was a gap. I twisted my shoulder and thrust my sword.

The second goblin. It charged with its shield up. I collided and knocked it away with my shield. I had the advantage in height, weight, and strength. I slashed its neck through the gap.

The last goblin.

It retreated in fear. I approached slowly.

An arrow pierced the goblin's shin. It was hard to block shots to the lower body with a shield. I stabbed my sword into its heart.

[Stage Clear!] ['Jenna(★)' leveled up!] [Rewards - 7,000G, Leather (C) x 1, Iron Ore (C) x 1] [MVP - 'Jenna(★)']

The MVP of the battle receives bonus experience.

This time, Jenna was the MVP. It seemed the points for killing the crossbow goblin were high.

'Are they still unwilling to fight?'

The three only looked at us anxiously.

Well, I didn't care. I didn't want to share experience points with those kinds of people. If you don't contribute to the battle, you don't get any experience points.

We returned through the rift.

"Already?"

"This one was a bit boring."

It wasn't that the enemies were boring; it was that we had gotten stronger.

I could feel it. The training wasn't in vain. My movements with the sword and shield had become smoother, and there were no gaps in my actions.

"Are we done? Then we..."

Toby's face hardened as he tried to leave.

The door to the square was still closed.

The mirror to the left shone.

[Select floor, re-challenge Floor 1?] [Yes (Select) / No]

"It's not over yet."

Jena grabbed her bow with a determined look.

"They're making us run laps."

Apparently, influenced by Isel's tip. Re-challenging a cleared floor yields reduced experience and rewards, but Amkena seemed to prioritize safety over progressing another floor.

[Floor 1]

[Mission Type - Exterminate]

[Objective - Annihilate the enemy!]

[Goblins Lv.2 x 3]

"Kerrtrick!"

Thwap!

One goblin was immediately killed with an arrow through its head.

Jenna quickly nocked a second arrow and drew the bowstring. The arrow pierced the chest of a goblin staring blankly at its comrade's corpse.

Jenna drew the bowstring a third time.

[Stage Clear!] [Rewards - 100G] [MVP - 'Jenna(★)']

"Heh."

The mirror shone again.

[Floor 1]

[Mission Type - Exterminate]

[Objective - Annihilate the enemy!]

[Goblins Lv.4 x 2]

As soon as the location changed, I charged forward.

An arrow whooshed through the air behind me. I deflected the incoming arrow with my shield.

"What are you doing!"

"Shut up!"

You dare try to take all the experience points?

I ruthlessly slaughtered the two goblins.

[Stage Clear!] [Rewards - 1,000G] [MVP - 'Han(★)']

After two more battles, we returned to the square.

"Are we done now?"

"I don't know."

Jenna snapped her head away in response to another party member's question.

During the five consecutive battles, they did nothing. Seeing us overwhelm the monsters, they even had the leisure to chat among themselves.

Jenna pouted and said, "This is really frustrating. How long do we have to clean up after them?"

"This is the end."

"What do you mean? They don't seem to be planning on changing at all."

"The Master doesn't seem to have the resources to keep feeding these parasites."

[Master, beginning synthesis.] [Drag and drop the hero you wish to use as material for synthesis. The hero used as material will disappear.]

The synthesis chamber's door opened.