Liam felt his consciousness slowly return as a wonderful smell entered his nose. As he opened his eyes he blinked them to try and make the blurriness his vision was seeing go away. After four blinks he was able to see a beautiful night sky full of stars. Leaves and branches swayed a bit as a gentle breeze allowed them to dance about.
The slight rumble in his stomach told him the enticing aroma was making him hungry. His body ached all over as he tried to move his arms and legs. He slowly positioned his arms to help him get into a sitting position. A sharp pain ran along the bottom of his stomach and down his arms letting him understand that he was right in his assessment before that he did overdo it with his body.
Liam scrunched his brows as he tried to remember what had happened.
“I see you’re waking up,” a deep calm voice greeted. “Don’t push yourself too hard trying to get up. You’ve over worked yourself and are covered in wounds.”
Liam looked confused before realizing his shirt was off and he had a bandage wrapped around his stomach and arms.
What the hell? Liam thought as he stared at the items. As he looked at them he realized he wasn’t laying down on the ground, but rather on a cot fit to his size. He then looked at Naro who sat down next to him giving him a serious yet concerned expression. Liam felt his throat was dry, but still asked with a slight hoarse voice, “How long was I out for?”
“Drink this,” Naro said as he reached for a cup and then poured what smelled like hot green tea.
Liam repositioned himself to fully sit up as he slowly and cautiously moved his legs over the cot. The pain wasn’t as bad as when he was hospitalized back in the Tutorial Area, but he still felt a bit sore.
After Naro handed him the cup, Liam gave the man a nod of appreciation and slowly sipped the warm liquid. He could feel the warmth spread throughout his body, easing the soreness and achiness his body was feeling. It didn’t take it all away, but it was soothing them like a nice warm massage loosening the tension in his muscles.
“Thank you,” Liam said as he felt his voice return to normal.
Naro shook his head. “No need to thank me. Good tea can sooth an overworked body.”
Liam took another sip, appreciating the effects it was doing on his body as well as the wonderful taste.
“You gave me quite the scare when you suddenly appeared in front of me looking the way you did. Adding to the fact you suddenly passed out…,” Naro started cautiously and worriedly. “What happened?”
Liam stared at the ground trying to organize his thoughts. He wasn’t entirely sure what he should tell the man. He felt nothing but appreciation and respect towards the bear of a man. During these past couple of days this guy did nothing but help him without asking for anything but helping him cook and eat with him. Back on Earth this would be suspicious, but here in this world…Liam wasn’t sure if it was a natural thing or not.
As he thought about what he should say, a notification suddenly appeared helping him with his choice.
“You can trust him. – Eri.”
Liam raised a brow as he stared at the text. He then sent his thoughts to her asking, Are you sure?
“Yes. This man was worried and took excellent care for you when you passed out. I watched him and saw the concern he has for you is genuine. You can tell him everything that had happened…Minus your abilities. Leave those out. – Eri.”
Liam wasn’t sure how to feel about this. Hearing his Matron goddess, who told him never to reveal too much, telling him he can trust this man was odd. However, at this point he knew that she had a better read on people than he did, so he trusted her judgment of the man. If he was being honest, he was glad that she trusted him. It told him that his judgement of people wasn’t completely gone.
Liam let out a long sigh as he mentally closed the notification and then told Naro everything that happened that day. He started with having lunch and the events at the Adventurers Association, the ambush in the Goblin Forest Dungeon, his fight with the Zombified Hobgoblin and its minions, what happened at the Cat’s Paw-ldron, the bit at the inn, and ended with him arriving here.
The only thing he left out was his and Eri’s assumption that Larix was a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices. If he voiced that then he would have had to explain why he thinks that which would mean he would have to reveal more about his secrets. He trusted the man, but he didn’t know how much he could trust him with.
Naro waited patiently as he listened to Liam. His facial expressions never changed as he recounted the day’s events. After Liam was done, Naro gave Liam a sympathetic look as he said, “It sounds like to me you had one hell of a day.”
Liam let out a half scoff. “You can say that.”
“Still though…,” Naro started as he looked at the fire and started thinking. “That’s a lot to have happen in just a couple of days. Its one thing to run into your old friends and they act that way…it’s another to be ambushed and have to fight a monster that should never have made an appearance. The appearance of a demon-kin using Illusion magic to disguise themselves as a Beast-kin doesn’t bow well, but that’s a completely different topic as to why he was doing this.”
Liam slowly nodded. “Is this normal? I feel like it’s too much all at once.”
Naro eyed Liam. He looked him up and down and took him in. He could see the young man slowly grip his cup of tea as his face looked pained. With as gentle of a voice as he could he said, “It’s not normal. Nowhere near it. I haven’t met anyone who…” Naro stopped suddenly as memories flashed by him.
Liam glanced at him when he noticed the sudden pause. However, before he could ask, Naro continued, “I haven’t met anyone recently who has gone through so much so soon. They usually are when they are deep into the craziness of the world when they get stronger and higher in levels.”
Liam caught the sudden change in wordage. Curiosity grew within him as he wanted to know why he changed his sentence but decided not to pry. If this man wanted to tell him he would have…maybe.
“The real question though isn’t if this is normal,” Naro started back up. “The real question is how are you holding up? Having to go through all that plus your friends…How does it all make you feel?”
Liam stared at the man as he took the question to heart. Annoyed? Of course. Irritated? Very much so. He would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him at all. He organized his thoughts on the matter and tried to come up with a proper answer.
He took in a deep breath and shakily let it out as he responded, “When it comes to the monster fight…I’m not sure how I feel? Shocked, surprised, scared? Happy to make it out alive? I really don’t know at this moment. As for how Farry and Abby reacted? I can understand their response. The last couple of years back on my home world weren’t the best. Things went to hell and the way people treated others as well as family and friends…let’s just say I can understand that the man did what he had to in order to protect his family.”
Naro watched Liam. He noticed the forced smile that formed on his face as he finished his last sentence. He could see hurt and understanding hiding behind the young man’s eyes. Naro then noticed a shift happen in Liam’s demeanor. He could see his hands then start to tighten on the mug as a scowl suddenly formed as he growled, “However, the way my friends looked as if they were writing off my potential to join them in fighting stung to all hell. Also, the way they basically stated, even if they didn’t say it themselves, that an asshole like that fucking elf had more value than me pisses me off.”
Naro could hear the venom drip from Liam’s words.
“Then to be ambushed and attacked so abruptly by those guys,” Liam continued. His scowl turned into a snarl. “I couldn’t do anything to defend myself nor protect Cindy. Leaving out the fact they were so much more powerful than I…I know that its ridiculous to think I could stand up against them, but I still cant help how powerless I felt as I got my ass handed to me and the look on Cindy’s face when that man stuck that dagger into her and then threw her like a ragdoll!”
Liam gripped his right hand into a fist and punched down onto the cot as hard as he could. He regretted it as pain ran up his arm, but he bit down and continued, “That one sided beatdown felt like it was salt in the wound! That what my friends were saying about me being powerless in a fight just because my starting class is considered a non-combat one was proved! Like the amount of effort, I’m putting forth into making a battle style unique to me is all for naught!”
“Hey, hey,” Naro said as he turned his body to face Liam. “I understand your frustration, but you need to calm yourself.”
“Why?” Liam asked as he turned his head to look at Naro. “Why do I need to calm myself? I’m pissed! I’m pissed that no matter what I do, problems arise! Those thugs hired by God knows who, threatened and hurt those who I was starting to think of as friends, who in turn had to cut ties with me to protect themselves! And let’s not start with those who were my friends at one point! They acted like no matter what happened I would always be a part of their fucking team, but the moment that they found out that I was a stupid Crafter I was instantly cast aside. Not to add that jack ass of an Elf had the audacity to try and lower my worth to a mere manufacturer to take care of their equipment for them…”
“Liam, stop!” Naro roared loudly.
Liam stopped his tirade as he huffed and panted. He looked at the huge man expecting to see a frustrated look upon his facial features. Instead, he noticed a sad and understanding expression. This made Liam feel his frustration start to wane.
He didn’t know where this outburst came from. He knew he was frustrated with everything that had happened today, but he didn’t realize how angry he was about it all. How angry he was at his old friends.
Naro studied Liam. He watched as the hateful and scary look that was starting to cloud his eyes was starting to calm down as he breathed heavily. Naro was surprised when the anger and sudden outburst came forth. He could feel the young man had some turmoil brewing inside of him, but he didn’t realize how close the fuse was to igniting.
Thankfully, he was able to blow out the lit fuse before it could start to lessen. However, he could still see that the fuse was still in danger of being lit again. He needed to calm him down enough that he didn’t relight it.
“When I say you need to calm yourself down I am not telling you that your feelings on the matter are wrong,” Naro started up. “You have every right to be angry. However, you can’t let that anger control your motives, to cloud your judgement on the situation. You were ambushed by people who were sent to make you become someone’s puppet. You had a life and death situation with a monster that was created for some unknown reason. You had friends basically change their opinion of your capabilities and agreed with the insult that the self-righteous Elf made. However, you can’t let the anger of all of that lead you to conclusions or you will miss the important things.”
Liam stared at the man. Everything that the bear of a man stated was true. He was mad at it all. He wanted to just let his anger take over and just do something. However, Naro was right. He couldn’t let his anger take hold of him. He wasn’t sure how he had let it start to in the first place. One minute he was talking calmly and the next… he had just let it all out. That brief moment when he was talking calmly though, it had felt like something was whispering in his ear that he should allow all that was pent up to release.
“You’re…right,” Liam finally said as he looked ashamed.
“It’s okay to be angry at the things that make you mad, but you need to understand this,” Naro said calmly. “Anger is always more harmful than the insult that caused it.”
Liam looked to the ground as he let out a sigh, feeling his body relax the tension that had built up.
Naro smiled as he watched Liam. He was glad he was getting through to the man. He didn’t want to see him go down a path that could end up harming him. Whether he allowed that anger to cloud him or resign to a fate that he didn’t want. Neither of those two outcomes were good for him. He knew what needed to be said to help him understand that he wasn’t without hope and that the words those people said weren’t true.
“Like I was saying earlier, you can’t let anger lead you to conclusions or you will miss the important things,” Naro started as he grew a warm playful smile. “Like the fact that getting the Crafter class does not mean you’re not fit to be a combatant. There are ways to get a combatant class regardless of the starting class you start with.”
Liam raised a brow as he tilted his head a bit to the side. “What do you mean? I was told that your starting class is what defines you. Is that not true?”
Naro let out a hardy laugh. “Who in Usar’s mighty den said those outdated beliefs? Was it that Elf?”
Liam shook his head. “No. It was the teenaged boy who was trying to join their group called Gimmel?”
Naro gave Liam a shocked expression. “Are you serious?”
Confused, Liam asked, “Do you know the boy?”
Naro let out another laugh as he said, “No, but the name is common in a certain region I know. Look, there are people who believe that rubbish. However, that isn’t true at all. There are plenty of ways to evolve a class than to just follow a simple path carved out. I mean there are people who had the Crafter class as a starter class, and they accepted what they believed was their fate and just focused on nothing but crafting. But that’s not the case for those who believed they could do more. Like myself for example.”
Naro noticed the look of interest that filled Liam. Good. Go back to that curious young lad I met a couple days ago. It’s your curious nature that will lead you to a path you and others wouldn’t ever expect.
“What’s that look for boy? Are you curious as to what your Uncle Naro’s class is?” Naro teased.
“Yes!” Liam swiftly replied, no hesitation whatsoever.
Naro smiled mischievously before saying, “I’ll tell you another time.”
“What!” Liam complained looking disappointed. Before he could say anything else, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach. His cheeks flushed as he looked embarrassed.
Naro let out a loud chuckle as he slapped his knee. “It sounds like you’re starving. I’m sure after all that you’ve been through today you must be hungry. Just lay down for a bit and I’ll whip up a nice feast.”
Liam reached a hand out as he said, “Are you sure? I can hel…”
“Nope,” Naro replied, cutting him off as he stood up. “I’ll handle it, you just relax.”
Liam stared at the man. After taking a second, he let out a sigh and said with a slight smile, “Fine. Let me know if you do need some help though.”
“Sure, sure,” Naro waved as he walked over to the outdoor kitchen he had up.
Liam laid back down on the cot and stared up at the sky. The smile that was just on his face slipped as he allowed his thoughts to wander. Naro was right. He shouldn’t let anger take hold of him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get angry. Anger could be used as fuel to help him focus on what he wanted to do. Get stronger.
A sudden thought popped up at that. He had notifications he needed to check out from earlier.
“Congratulations! Gathering Craft – Lumberjack has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 1%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill – Lumberjack Efficiency has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 1%!”
“Congratulations! Gathering Craft – Mining has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 24%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill – Mining Strike Accuracy has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 24%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Production Craft Ability – Light and Burn has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 14%!”
“Congratulations! Construction Craft has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 2%!”
“Congratulations! Construction Craft Skill – Destruction Points has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 2%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity Ability – Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Lunar) Ability – Lunar Exposure has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! Area revealed has increased from 10ft to 20ft. + 10% chance to cause Blind Debuff for 5 minutes.”
“Congratulations! You have received a new Focus Point Utility (Lunar) Ability! Lunar Reflector!”
“Lunar Reflector – Creates a small Lunar orb that floats around caster. Uses a charge to reflect magical attacks. Has 3 charges of use before winking out of existence. Costs – 15 MP. Target – Self. Spell Type – Chant.”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) Ability – Shadow Step has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 64%! User can now Blink to a target’s shadow within 12ft instead of 6ft.”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Shadow Control Ability – Shadow Swarm has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%!”
“Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) Ability – Blanket of Darkness has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! Damage output has increased. Spell duration has increased to 45 seconds.”
“Congratulations! You have received a new Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) ability! Shade’s Corruption!”
“Shade’s Corruption – Cause a puff of Shade Smoke to erupt from a target’s shadow making them breath it in. Shade Smoke will cause damage every 5 seconds for 2 minutes. 5% chance to cause a Confusion Debuff that will make the target hear whispers. Whispers will distract the target. Confusion Debuff lasts until spell disappears. Costs – 10 MP. Target – Single. Spell Type – Chant.”
Liam’s eyes widened as he read each notification. He might not be able to raise his sub-stats right now, but what he was able to raise was still amazing. He was able to not only raise a couple abilities and focus points he hadn’t worked on before, but he also was able to get a few he usually used to a new threshold and gained two new abilities to add to his fighting capabilities.
The Lunar Reflector ability looked like it could be helpful in a pinch. How much damage it could reflect would need to be tested out, but it was definitely something he would need to level as much as he could as fast as he could.
The same could be said about that new Shadow Affliction spell. To be able to cause confusion on a target could not only help him kill a target easier and quicker, but if it was used on a stronger target…that would definitely save him in a pinch.
Speaking of Affliction spells. Liam thought as he looked at the notifications about his Lunar abilities. He still needed to unlock an Affliction ability from his Lunar Focus Point. The last time he tried it said he didn’t have sufficient knowledge. He would need to see if that was still the case.
As great as all this was he still felt like it would have been great to see his stats grow. He couldn’t wait for his Stat Shatter Debuff to finally disappear.
Almost like something or someone was reading his thoughts, the last notification appeared.
“Stat Shatter has decreased from Level 2 to Level 1. Stats partially sealed have gone from 50% to 25%. Time for Stat Shatter to completely disappear: 2 days 23 hours 31 minutes 54 seconds.”
