"Ahh!" A teenage boy screamed to the bottom of his lung. He sat on his bed and stared at his shaking hands while panting.
"Kray!" A middle-aged woman rushed inside the room with a face full of concern.
"Ms. Castle." He stared at her panting heavily as if out of breathe.
She sat at his side and hugged him tightly, carressing his head with gentleness.
"There. There. You are alright."
She could not stop frowning with concern as she remembered the time that she brought him to the hospital.
7 years agp, the mental doctor and Ms. Castle are having a discussion about Kray's condition.
"His trauma debuff could have been caused by the recent incident this boy experience. Well, having to see and kill your own family, I don't think anyone would still stay sane from that. It's a miracle that the kid is still feeling mentally alright." The Mental Doctor said as both of them looked at the child sitting on the hospital bed in the next room.
"He would still recieve nightmare attacks on that scene alone. It's best to have him stray away from adventuring profession or stray away with sharp objects in general but overall he will be alright." The doctor ended his analysis,
"What should I do if his trauma triggers?" She asked with worries,
"Best thing is to be with him if ever that happened." The doctor replied.
Still fearing what the doctor said every single day, she sighed in place. Before letting go of his shaking body.
"You're alright. You're alright." She said,
Kray looked at his debuff found on top of his HP/MP bar.
'Debuff - Trauma: A permanent debuff that triggers nightmare of the most traumatic incident. Also, fear of holding any weapon.'
He sighed.
"Am I going to live in constant fear?" He asked in dissapointment,
"It's not yet too late to change your mind. You can still choose another school. Alchemy is also fun. There is also becoming an engineer. You can start leveling your construction talent." She said,
"No. I want to become an adventurer." He said firmly yet sincerely,
"You still have a year to change your mind before graduating elementary, there's so many schools you can attend, okay? Do not force yourself."
As much as she wants to stop him from becoming an adventurer but she can't be too willful at him. She was never forceful. She never married nor she had a child so she doesn't know how to even raise one even after adobting Kray 8 years ago.
She continued living and serving the public even after she partake on killing the Demon Lord that tried to take over the entire world many many years ago together with the legendary party. She was already a legend, a pinnacle of human existence yet her heart is reserved in serving her people. No one in the whole world who have never heard of Sheila Castle, The legendary Fortress of Florence.
Yet, she knew that hindering Kray from doing what he wants will not help him grow, all she could do is guide him to the right path and maybe even get his trauma to be healed.
"I will. Thanks, Ms. Castle." He said,
"Well go back to sleep. You still need to be early tomorrow." She said,
"Yes, Ms. Castle." He replied with a smile,
"Good." She stood up and went to the door as she turned the light off and slowly closed the door.
"Good night." She said in the open.
He went back to bed and think of his dream. He wanted to avenge the death of his family and his townsfolk so much that's why he wants to become an adventure and looked for this guy called Will Thread, the man responsible with the recent terror attacks. He hid his intentions from Ms. Castle but knowing her, she must already knew his reasons, she just wouldn't open it.
It's not like the info about Will Thread is confidential even if Ms. Castle won't answer his questions about him. Well, Will Thread is one of the members of the legendary party. He was a puppeteer. He was also known in many titles such as the Lord of Puppets, Master Puppeteer and etc. His most recent title would be 'Pestilence' that is what the news called him on T.V. His biography is already written in books. Though, Will Threads achievement for humanity is great but the public is starting to think maybe, the Demon Lord possessed him and the Demon Lord is not entirely dead. Who knows. But members of the legendary party says otherwise. Even in the recent interview of Ms. Castle she says that they made sure that the soul of the Demon Lord is extinguish, yet, the public still doubts.
He will be choosing the life of adventurer but there is something wrong, he can't even hold a weapon, heck, he can't even hold a shield for crying out loud. He's in a dilemma on how to even enter an adventuring school next year when he graduates from elementary. He already knew the requirements which is a level 10 in any combat talent or support talent. He... He has no combat talent whatsoever. He also doesn't want to resort to support talents because you can't avenge your parents by healing or buffing Will Thread, he want him to suffer all the commulative pain that he has done.
He sighed.
'Tomorrow's problem is tomorrow's problem.' he thought and went back to sleep.
----
He was attentive in listening to the subject 'Basic System'. Basically, it is a subject in trying to navigate the system in the most basic way.
Everyone has a system, the moment you are born, you are born with the system. The system is the foundation of human life, rules and policy is made in the system. So knowing and understanding the basic functions of the system is a mandatory of every citizen. It's literally their most basic right.
He sighed in place and opened his status window
Level: 2
Name: Kray Box
Age: 13
Class: None
Race: Human
Title: None
Affinity: None
HP: 890/890
MP: 420/420
Strength: 20
Agility: 18
Stamina: 19
Intillegence: 14
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 16
Luck: 10
Stat Points: 0
He was always preparing to become an adventurer the day he was adopted by Ms. Castle so he has been doing workouts on his own in order to increase his strength, agility and stamina. You can increase your stat by doing something that will affect your stat even if you don't have any stat points. If you study, you will increase you intelligence, if you keep solving problems, you will increase your wisdom, if you become more talkative and influence people, you can increase your charisma also true to all other stat. The most unknown of all of them is Luck, you can't increase it in any other way other than stat points but investing your point on this stat is just going to make you a gambler.
The reason why construction workers have high strength because of the constant lifting of heavy objects.
He is happy with his stats, with his stats he can easily enter an adventurer school and pass the physical exam.
He open his talent tree and that is where he sighed so deeply. He only has Unarmed level 3. Most people of his age bracket would already have multiple talents leveled and their primary talent to have reached somewhere around level 12. Basically, you can literally become everything at once. You can become an archer while you are a mage, warrior, engineer, etc. But that would be a waste of time and would be impractical as you have to level every single talent that is why most people only stick to one talent tree and stay their in order to reach the maximum potential of a talent. As the saying goes 'A master of all is a master of none'. But as for Kray he is a master of none. Though other talents just levels up on their own just by doing the basic necessity of your everyday life but to be proficient in one especially if it is for your profession, you have to start young and start which suits you and your passion.
'What am I going to do with unarmed level 3?' He thought.
Every single or mostly everyone has level 1 or 2 on unarmed but not a single soul leveled it. Why? Because who would bring a fist to a sword fight? There is no one in history of Florence who leveled unarmed. Mostly everyone leveled it without even knowing because they have been in a fist fight once or twice. It's the most stupid talent ever, at most you can use it to punch someone hard but that's it. Not even anyone who have leveled it as far as 3 as far as records go. Only Kray who always bent his frustration to a tree near his home from his bullies and his friend's bullies.
A sudden chat window pops up his vision.
Chester: Kray! ToT
Kray: What is it this time?
Chester: Help me out here. Philip and the gang wants to beat us up after school again.
Chester: It's not my fault that the ladies love me.
Kray: Use your lyre.
Chester: What can my lyre do than to buy time? Can you call your mom and arrest them?
Kray: I can't bother Ms. Castle on petty things. People would think I am abusing her authority being the captain of Town of Tigwa and the hero of Florence.
Chester: Bet you can. What would happen to our petty ass? huhuhuhu.
"Mr. Note! Stop chatting and close your chat window!" The proffesor shouted,
"Ahh! Sorry Ma-Ma'am. I mean Si-Sir! " Chester stuttered.
The whole class laughed at Chester being scolded by the teacher.
After the bell rang, most elementary students would have already gone home and some stayed to play street games but for Chester and Kray, well, they are trying to sneak out of school as they know Philip and the gang wants them beaten up.
"Ahh. Such a hassle." Kray moan as the both of them tiptoed their way home,
"Ahh. Why would they continue bullying us. We haven't done shit." Chester whined,
"How would I know?" Kray said.
As they were about to move to a corner a shout came from behind having the both of them stood stiff.
"Well, well, well. It's Kray Box and Chester Note, sneaking around like rats." A bald kid approached slowly at them together with two other kids.
"Ha. ha. Rats."
"Yep. Rats." Exclaim the other kids,
"Look here. Philip, we are not looking for a fight. Okay?" Chester said raising both his palm to his chest gesturing them to forget this and back off as he put a step back.
The three kids held their sticks on their shoulders.
"No one can run from the Mace gang." Philip glared at them maliciously,
'Wow. They called themselves Mace Gang. Such an embarrassing name." Chester thought feeling embarrassed as he tried to hold his laughter,
"Grr. Are you mocking our mace gang!" Kid 1 exclaimed,
"No one gets away from our mace gang." Kid 2 exclaimed.
Kray placed himself in front of holding his fist upright.
"If it's a fight you want Philip, we wont back out." He affirmly said,
"Dude. We cant fight them. We always lost like always." Chester whisper,
"Just get your Lyre man and man up." Kray replied back.
Chester took his lyre out of his inventory and prepared to fight them. His lyre talent is decent at level 11 and he managed to learn a skill which is sleep, he can immobilize one person as long as he continue to play the lyre, of course the effectiveness will vary depending on the mental power of the selected target.
"What can your fist and your lyre do? Huh? Let's get them boys." Philip said as he charged at them.
Chester played his lyre and put one to sleep but of course, there are still two more going at them.
"let's get chester first!" Philip exclaimed,
Kray placed his body in front of Chester, putting a defensive stance. He has been recieving all the blows so far even before, it's also the reason why he got his unarmed to level 3 for the constant blow he keeps recieving at this so called Mace gang. Philip and the other kid smashed their sticks at Kray. Kray keeps receiving and receiving more blows but he held strong on his position and protected the playing Chester.
Smash. smash. smash. smash.
He just couldn't find an opening at all and he is losing more stamina and health constantly.
'shit. How am I going to fight back? How? How?' He keeps on questioning himself
Smash. Smash. Smash.
'Am I going to be an adventurer.'
Smash. Smash. Smash.
'Shit.' He closed his eyes when suddenly.
Ding
[Unarmed level up]
[Acquired new skill: Hardened Skin lvl 1]
His eyes widen in surprise. He learned a skill out of nowhere. Hardened Skin? He suddenly felt that the smashes of the sticks felt significantly light. He raises his head to the both of them and punch Philip back, taken aback to what happened he flew to the ground with eyes wide open. The other kid got surprised but before he could react a punch already went to his face. Boom, he fell to the ground. Philip got more angry at Kray so they both stood up again and gone back to smashing Kray harder, not long after, he fell down badly beaten and since the defense of Kray is gone, Chester can only defend with his lyre and got badly beaten as well.
Both fell to the ground as usual. a few moments after the so called Mace Gang left they slowly stood up.
"Wowzers. Aw. Aw. Aw. We stood against them longer now." Chester painstakingly smile,
"Yeah. Somehow." Kray said with a smirk.
He is a bit scared that he will get scolded again by Ms. Castle but today, he acquired something unexpected, he gained a skill under the unarmed talent.
'I gained a skill?' He grinned manaically,
"Dude, you alright? Are you becoming crazy or something?" Chester asked,
"Nothing, let's just go home." Kray replied.
Both gone their separate ways and said their good byes and after he got scolded crazy and got healed by Ms. Castle with her basic skill First Aid. He checked his skill window.
[Hardened Skin Lv. 1: Passive]
Requirement:
Unarmed Level 4
Stamina: 20
Recieving 100 blows without armor.
Description:
Increases physical defense by 10% as long as you are not equiping any heavy and light type armor.
'No heavy and light type armor? so I can' t even wear a light armor then is that what it is trying to say? Hmm. Is robe and cloak the thing I could wear?' he thought.
It was unintentional to keep leveling unarmed. What can he do? His trauma debuff hinders him from equiping any weapon of any kind and when the time comes that he will be healed from his trauma, it might already be too late. Is this the right path? He doesn't have any affiliation with magic as he has no talent for it. His family wasn't really something special either, they were just farmers at best and his father and mother weren't really well known, both having no title to speak of. I guess my lineage are at the strong side but that's about it.
Ms. Castle walked in the room with milk on one hand and coffee on the other. She placed the milk on the thinking Kray.
"What is on your mind? Don't think about returning the favor on your bullies. Seve justice if deemed necessary." She scowled,
"Ms. Castle... Has there anyone who leveled unarmed?"
"Hmm... None that I have known of." She answered,
'Should I invest in unarmed?' he thought,
"Well, if you invest in it. You will be the first." She said,
"The first huh?" He muttered.
He thought of it in all possible way, to be an adventurer, you have to reach any combat talent of level 10. Unarmed is a combat talent. And he only have a year at best to invest in it. Should he try to?
"Hmm..." Ms. Castle chuckled as if reminscing and stood up facing the window with her coffee on hand.
"You know what's great about being an adventurer?" She said as she turned to face Kray,
"Is the constant learning of the unknown. Hehe. No one wanted the shield because it is only defensive, no one really thought of using the shield to be used offensively and effective at that. You only need to experiment, learn things and try something new. That's how I did it. And so could you." She motivated.
After one final sip she exit the living room leaving a dazzled Kray. He stood up with an firm face and went to the tree that he constantly punched so far and punch it until there is no tomorrow.
Whatever is the outcome, he fixed his mind in leveling the unknown which is unarmed.
Ms. Castle seeing the determined face of Kray. Maybe it is time for her to give some pointers and help him out a bit in order to qualify for an adventurer school.
He continued punching and punching. Leveling up a talent is not an easy task. When a voice was raised having him to look at the direction of it.
"Do you want to become an adventurer?!" Ms. Castle exclaimed at him,
Taken a back, he hesitated a bit before replying.
"Yes!"
"Then let's make you an adventure!"
With a passionate face she revealed a scary grin. Feeling the scary aura that Ms. Castle gives off, the best that Kray can do is smirk in fear.