Dagger & Musket (1)

'Magic spell detected.'

'Begin analyzing.'

'Analyze complete.'

===================

from mana import concentrate_mana, elemental

from arcane_physics import apply_force, calculate_vector

from movement import move_entity

class WindStep:

 def __init__(self, user):

 self.user = user

 self.speed_multiplier = 5.0

 self.duration = 0.4 

…

 daggers = self.user.get_weapons("dagger")

…

 vector = calculate_vector(self.user.position, target_position)

 force = apply_force(vector, multiplier=self.speed_multiplier)

 move_entity(self.user, force, duration=self.duration)

…

return True

==================

Martin skimmed the code for the spell.

'So the glowing daggers were just an activation sequence, no additional strength was put into the daggers even though they were glowing.

The spell basically only gave a short burst of speed to the caster, the other stuff was gimmicks.'

"What do you think? Do you want to learn how to do that? You will probably succeed in a week if you're fast or a month if you-"

The instructor's words were cut off as green light enveloped Martin's daggers.

Mana saturated his body, focusing on his legs.

Martin's body didn't turn into a blur due to his lacking base agility stat, but he still arrived at his target in the blink of an eye.

And due to his unfamiliarity with the skill, instead of arriving right next to the target, Martin crashed head-first into the rolled-up bamboo mats, knocking the target over.

The instructor froze in place, staring quietly at Martin.

'He messed up the timing and distance, but that is definitely…'

Martin nodded to himself, seemingly having a quick conversation with his mind before standing up once again, facing another target.

The daggers glowed once more, and Martin disappeared again from the spot where he was standing on.

This time, he reappeared right beside the target, his right hand slashing diagonally upward, cutting the bamboo mat the second his body stopped moving from the spell.

'I did it!!!'

=========

Wind step skill acquired.

One of the basic movement skills used to close the gap a dagger user will always find in a fight due to their fetish of choosing a weapon that has a reach barely longer than their own fist.

========

Dagger Mastery leveled up.

=======

Passive Skills:

+Silver Tongue Lvl. 1

+Dagger Mastery Lvl. 2

Active Skills:

+Wind Step Lvl. 1

Unique Skills:

+Magic IDE

+Elderly Resilience

============================

Martin saw his first active skill, then decided to give it a try, now without using his IDE.

With the skill added to his status, Martin only needed to think of activating the skill, then he disappeared once more, reappearing to cut yet another target.

'Yup, I think I got this down.' Martin patted himself on the back and thanked his magic IDE.

Then came the whispering voice of the instructor, "Are you pretending to be a student…?"

Martin instantly stood with his back straight, his lips curled up into an awkward smile.

'Curse me and my hope of going lowkey… Even an intern with a half-working brain knows learning a skill almost perfectly in their first try is anything but lowkey.'

"No, sir! That is my first time seeing the skill. I guess I'm just very compatible with daggers?"

The instructor raised his eyebrows skeptically at Martin, but remembering his student card that showed level 0 and no job history, somewhat convinced the instructor that Martin was telling the truth.

"If that's true, then I will make sure I drill as many dagger skills as I can while you're in this class. Just remember me when you are successful later."

Martin smiled wryly, nodding his head at the blatant attempt of the instructor to demand a return for his investment today.

The instructor then gave more attention to Martin as the two went back and forth polishing Martin's skills.

Martin improved significantly, but not enough for his dagger mastery, which was already level 2, to level up even further.

In the last few minutes before the end of the class, the instructor rounded everyone together in the middle of the field and asked,

"Who wants to participate in today's sparring session?"

One kid, who wielded a sword half the size of his own body, and probably had the thought, 'The bigger the sword, the stronger I am,' raised his hand.

"Sir, I want to spar against the old man!" His finger pointing at the only 'old man' in the group.

Which was none other than,

'Me?' Martin let out an audible sigh, his eyes lazily staring at the teenage boy who had his finger pointing at him.

'What's wrong with me and teenage boys in this world… Can they just leave me alone…?'

"What do you think, Martin? You up for a spar?"

As much as Martin wanted to refuse the offer, he was also curious about his current combat prowess.

And what was safer other than sparring a kid half your age?

"Sure. An old man like me could definitely learn a thing or two from a brave, talented young man like you." Martin gently smiled at the kid, who seemed a little flustered from Martin's sudden compliment.

'This is not cowardice. This is a clever risk profiling act.'

The instructor then told the two to switch to wooden weapons and face each other in the middle of the field.

The other kids surrounded Martin and the big sword kid, forming a circular arena for the two to spar.

"Remember, no active skills! Start whenever you want!" The instructor declared.

Martin held his daggers as the instructor had taught him before, while the kid stared at him.

'I thought he was an arrogant old man… Showing off to the instructor to hog him all to himself. But he wasn't that bad…' The kid thought as he raised his weapon.

"Here I come! Be careful, old man! You will break your wrist if you try to block the attack."

Martin kept his mouth shut, following the movement of the kid and the sword closely with his eyes.

When the attack came, Martin just took a step to the side, causing the kid to hit the ground instead.

The kid had his own passive skill mastery of the big sword, so he was able to recover quickly from missing his attack.

But Martin kept on dodging the kid's attacks one after another.

He used his dagger two or three times to deflect a blow that was too difficult to dodge, but other than that, Martin didn't send an attack on his own.

"Stop dodging, old man! You will never win a fight if you don't swing your weapon!" The kid shouted as he charged forward once more.

'Sure, sure, that is the advice of the century, who could've thought I needed to swing my weapon to attack my enemy…?'

Martin had gotten what he wanted from the kid, which was knowing the average skill of the teenagers in the world.

He had memorized the kid's quirks and attack patterns.

'And when I'm quite a distance away from him, then the attack he will be doing is…'

Just like the first charge the kid did, he raised his sword high, preparing to slash downward.

'There it is…'

Instead of sidestepping, Martin took a step diagonally forward and raised one of his daggers up.

The dagger hit the side of the huge blade, sending the blade off course and disrupting the kid's balance.

With one swift motion, Martin moved forward while swinging his other dagger.

With no defense and his slow, heavy blade still on the ground, the kid couldn't do a thing as the dagger went for his throat.

But of course, the dagger stopped a few centimeters away from the kid's neck.

"That's enough! Martin won!" The instructor's voice cut away the crowd's tense atmosphere.

Martin quickly withdrew his daggers and smiled at the kid,

"Thank you for holding back against a first timer like me. I would have had broken bones if you had used your full strength to hit me."

Seemingly flustered by Martin's words, the kid replied, "Huh? Oh! Y…Yes! I don't want to hurt an old man… You're welcome…"

Martin kept his gentle smile, shaking the little kid's hand as they parted ways. 'Oh…Little kids and their ego…There's no such thing in this world more feeble than that…'