Vol. 1 Chapter 4 - First Week on Ragnar’s Farm

A.D. 866 Kingdom of Northumbria, Ragnar's Farm

/pov MC/

As we are finishing up our sparring.. I notice a horse 'trotting' down the path of Ragnar's Farm.. heading towards us.. "Hey you three.. doing some fighting are ye..? Haha.. sounds like fun.." Ragnar the 'fearless' says as he pulls up on a 'healthy' looking horse..

"Yep.. beautiful day for getting a good sweat worked up.. I'd say so myself.." I told Ragnar..

"Yes m'lord.. beautiful day indeed m'lord.. we already milk'd the cows.. and took care of all the cattle and sheep in the barn.. made sure they were water'd.. and well-fed.. made sure all the stalls were clean.. all before starting our training.. ofcourse m'lord" I continued to say..

He pauses for a second as he looks at me with a confused.. full of thought.. face.. as if wondering why I spoke with such eloquence all of the sudden.. then he must have shook it off.. because he opened his mouth and said "Well.. that sounds.. well that sounds pretty darn good.. you kids keep up the good work.. taking you three prisoner might have been the best 'spoils' of battle I've ever 'took'.. haha.." finishing laughing.. whilst continuing to walk his horse to its stall..

After he had left.. Uhtred turned to me to ask "Aethred.. when'd you learn to talk like that.. you sounded really wise.. like the 'seers' they talk about in the stories.." like I knew he would..

"At night when everyone sleeps.. when it looks like Im sleeping as well.. Im not actually sleeping.. Im communicating with the 'old gods'.. they come to me every night when I lay day to rest.. they bring me news of lands far far away.. lands completely different than this land.. they tell me old stories.. containing 'ancient' knowledge once lost to 'mankind'.. they show me scenes of great destruction and battles of great consequences and importance.. these are all signs.. the gods want me to fight for them.. fight for glory in their name.. thats why they speak to me brother.." I spun a little story for them.. if anybody asks.. I recieved that story from the three sisters.. the 'norn's' who control the strings symbolizing everyone's fates.. and thats my story and I'm sticking to it godsdamnit..

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/'Basic' Archery - xp +90 (100/100xp)/

*ding lvl up*

/'Basic' Archery - lvl 2 (0/200xp)/

As I fire my last arrow at the grassy straw filled dummy target.. I get another system message.. informing me of my level up to the second level of 'Basic' Archery.. and once again I feel the current begin from my 'heart'.. to flow to the rest of my body 'carry'd' alongside my blood.. as it flows through my veins spreading..

Spreading all over.. to my muscles, tendons, skin, bones, even

'strengthening' my major organs.. liver, spleen, heart, lungs, stomach.. even down in my pelvic area.. I could feel my blood and semen undergoing a 'transformation'.. almost 'optimizing' my genetic 'code'.. or the genetic 'make-up'.. However you would like to call it.. of me and my future 'potential' 'off-spring'..

Again the memories or 'virtual-experiences' of archers training their craft.. honing it.. day.. and night.. are recieved by the 'nerve-network'.. in my cranium.. turning me from 'decent' with a bow.. to a component archer.. competent enough to be able to land 'bullseye's'.. from up to 30 paces away.. and I'll only get more accurate..

I'll be able to fire my arrows 'quicker'.. I'll become a better archer day by day.. until Im the best.. and then on to till I'm better than the best.. anywho.. I might work on my throwing-weapon skills for the rest of the 'training-time' I have left for today..

So I put the bow and arrows up that I borrowed to practice with.. walked over to about 15 paces away from the target dummy.. pulled my short-handled hatchet out of the cloth belt.. that was keeping it held 'snug' at my side.. and all in one fluid.. smooth motion.. I threw my hatchet.. it flipped over and over .. carrying across the open 'space' between me and the dummy.. to finally land firmly.. square in the middle of the target..

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/'Basic' Thowing - xp +1 (11/100xp)/

I make sure I would recieve my experience for throwing my weapon.. then I continue to practice my 'throwing'.. not stopping until I've hit level two of 'Basic' Throwing.. which was eighty-nine throws later.. at one experience point per throw.. it took me almost forty minutes straight.. walking back and forth.. retrieving my hatchet.. returning to my spot.. repeating my actions over and over again.. until getting that system message I was waiting for..

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/'Basic' Throwing - xp + 90 (100/100xp)/

*ding lvl up*

/'Basic' Throwing - lvl 2 (0/200xp)/

My body was 'strengthened' once again.. I can tell the level up improvents are getting less noticeable.. each level up.. the first 'strengthening' made me feel twice as strong.. the second level up.. was not near as big an improvement.. the third was even less of an/Status Panel/

Name: Aethred

Age: 10

Status: Healthy

Height: 5'

Weight: 90.0lbs

/Attribute Panel/

Physique: 1.2

Strength: 0.8

Dexterity: 1.1

Spirituality: 1.3

/Combat Skill Panel/

'Basic' Boxing : lvl 1 (10/100xp)

'Basic' Axe-Play : lvl 1 (10/100xp)

'Basic' Sword-Play : lvl 1 (10/100xp)

'Basic' Spear-Play : lvl 2 (0/200xp)

'Basic' Archery : lvl 2 (0/200xp)

'Basic' Horse-Riding : lvl 1 (10/100xp)

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Ok.. sweet.. so I grew an inch taller.. and twenty pounds heavier.. all in one week working on the farm.. I had reached level two of 'Basic' Beast Taming.. this level up didn't 'enhance' my body.. nope.. Beast Taming did 'enhance' my spirituality stat though.. it went up by two tenths.. from one point one.. to one point three.. also It clearly 'enhanced' my thinking.. my reaction speed.. my hand-eye co-ordination.. even my balance..

I even started to have 'feelings' of being able to 'communicate' with the animals on the farm.. I could almost 'feel' what they were saying to me in their heads.. amazing experience feeling everything you see is brighter.. every color you see looks more vibrant before..

If I really 'focus'd'.. I could almost see the wings of the nearby flies.. as their wings 'buzzed'.. flapping at a hundreds times per second.. amazing..