[F01 | SP] Honor and Courage <<Katana Skill Acquisition>>

[Ebbon 0]

How long had it actually been?

Haru knew that it had been several days at least, maybe even weeks. He knew he couldn’t stay at the [name] Inn forever. He knew that his money would eventually run out. But how do you pick yourself up and go out into a world designed to keep you prisoner and kill you, just to fight towards your inevitable death?

The player ran his hands over his face, groaning at the thought of leaving his room just to get eaten by a wolf or stepped on by some giant monster. He knew that if he was careful that he could survive. If he found others to group up with he would… No. Not yet. He wasn’t ready. He couldn’t bring himself to talk to anyone just yet.

Haru rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. He had barely gotten out of bed lately, let alone left his room in the days he had spent here. It may be mid day, but for now he would sleep until he could drag himself out of bed.

----

Ebbon | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4

Spoiler

Ebbon,
Level: 1
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 20/20
EN: 20/20

Stats:
Damage: 4

Equipped Gear:
Weapon:
Armor:
Misc:

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Curved Sword R1

Active Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Addons:

Active Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Ebbon

[Ebbon 0]

This routine went on for several days. Waking up, lying in bed, sleeping, waking up again, sitting up, letting the gravity of being trapped weigh down, going back to sleep. Ebbon left his room only to turn back around as soon as the door shut behind him. If he couldn’t order room service he would have been forced to leave to eat and drink.

The man sat now on the edge of his bed, staring down at his feet. His eyes were hollow, nearly lifeless. He stood on autopilot, navigating to the door and reaching for the handle, his hand stopping just short. It shook there, as if an invisible force field was stopping it from moving any farther.

Haru clenched his fist, shutting his eyes in frustration. He finally lurched forward, wrapping his hand around the nob and throwing the door open. He stepped out into the hall panting as if he ran a marathon. Turning his head he looked down the hall, his body seemed to move on its own as he made his way to the front of the Inn. Before he knew it Haru was standing outside the building, the sunlight hitting his face for the first time in weeks.

[Ebbon 0]

He had forgotten the warmth, however fake it may be in this game. A small smile spread on his face. He was here and he was alive. That was what mattered, that was what he had to look forward to. Despite everything he was still himself and he was safe in the Town of Beginnings.

Ebbon walked around the town for the first time since he logged into the game. He was surprised to see the large amount of people and NPCs walking the streets the same as him. Well, the same might have been pushing it. NPCs walked their scripted paths, seeming more lifelike than any game he had played before. Players milled about either shopping, conversing, or on route to their destinations. It was a living breathing world, one that Haru had been hiding from for far too long.

Stopping at a message board Ebbon read the various messages posted on it. There were system posted quests, asking for assistance with various tasks and such. There were player requests for party roles and crafting materials, and of course guild flyers inviting people to join for various reasons.

[Ebbon 0]

A smile touched Haru’s lips. He was pleased that there were still your normal game aspects to this place. It was as if he had a weighted blanket wrapped around him, comfort and familiarity spreading through him.

Near one of the posts of the board something caught his eye. A bonsai plant, potted in a deep and square pot. Seemingly just a regular decoration there was something off about it. There was a small branch out of place, poking out of the perfectly maintained fluid shape of the tree. Ebbon crouched down and eyed the small branch, it seemed as if it was a bit brighter than the rest of the plant.

Reaching out he plucked the loose piece out of the tree and inspected it. It was ordinary, nothing special at all. His brow furrowed with confusion just before the tiny branch shattered into sparkling polygons and disappeared. A window chimed and opened in front of Ebbon, causing him to fall on his rear in surprise.

 

<<Katana Skill Acquisition>>

 

Katana skill? Haru remembered initially that he had chosen curved swords as his main weapon in the beginning. There had been a rumor that doing so would lead you to the path of being able to use katanas, and who wouldn’t want to be a samurai after all?

[Ebbon 0]

Ebbon reached out and pressed the blue circle accepting the quest, feeling excited once again as he did so. His map quickly opened and showed him a pulsing dot in the direction of his next destination, however he didn’t have the map data to show him how to get there. He sighed and stood up, reflexively brushing himself off in the process.

He looked up once again to see if maybe there would be an advertisement for people offering to escort new players around when he saw at the very top something even better. A posting as a reminder that any new players could purchase a guide book with basic map data at any of the town shops for free. The dark haired man turned and made off for the nearest shop he could find, he needed to see how much danger he was going to potentially find himself in.

[Ebbon 0]

It took very little time to find a vendor of anything. A few feet onto the main street and a turn to the right brought a long row of vendor NPCs and stalls into view. While stopping at the first one Haru found a player listed guide for zero Col. He bought it in an instant and stepped off to the side to check it out. Opening his inventory it didn't take him long to find it, he had next to nothing after all. He tapped the item with a book icon and he got a notification asking if he wanted to accept the map data and notes provided.

The dark haired man couldn't have pressed the accept button fast enough. With that a progress bar appeared and quickly filled from zero to one hundred percent in a matter of seconds. Opening his map once more Ebbon now saw the entire first floor filled out. He smiled wide and traced a route from his current location to the dot marked by his quest. If he stayed on the main roads he could avoid any mob hate and make it to the destination without any issue. Pumping his fist in victory he set off for the exit to town for the first time.

For it's size it was hard to consider the Town of Beginnings to be anything but a city, but City of Beginnings didn't have the same ring. It took Haru quite a while to finally make his way to the city walls, but once he did he stopped just short of crossing the threshold. This was a big step, both figuratively and metaphorically, for him. Looking to the sides of the exit there were two guards, one on each side, though one seemed to be preoccupied with a player at the moment. Despite not moving aside from a yawn every so often, he seemed to have a few things balanced on him as if he was a living table. Standing next to him was a player in dark clothing with a cowl over their head. He was drinking a cup of some sort of beverage with talking to a short blonde woman dressed in blue and what looked like a green haired elven woman. All three of the players seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the two women giving the taller individual a hard time.

"Honestly Freyd, I don't know how you get away with putting so much on poor Marv. Once of these days Cardinal is going to update his code and he's going to knock you on your ass." The blonde stood with her hands on her hips chastising him.

The hooded man, Freyd Ebbon assumed, let out a laugh, "It wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened. Plus Marv loves me, don't you Marv?" The NPC just yawned covering his mouth and looked back at the fixed point in the distance he always seemed to be looking at. "See?"

Ebbon stifled a laugh and looked back out onto the cobbled road leading out of the town. If these other people could be so happy and laugh with one another, then surly he could step outside and onto the path to his destination. Taking a deep breath he took one step. Then another. After a few minutes he was already several feet away from the town limits, his pace a slow but steady walk. He had done it. He smiled to himself once again.

----

Vanity tag: @Freyd @Elora @Katoka

[Ebbon 0]

When he left town it had been just past mid day, now as he approached a mountain labeled as Titan's Peak the sun was beginning to low in the sky. It was odd really, the day and night cycle relies upon the sun and the moon but with Aincrad being a giant gloating castle in the sky you would think that the floors would be cast in shadow for most of the day. Still the sun was peaking through the first and second floor, casting an orange glow on the mountain before Haru.

After a quick look around and fidgeting with his beginner armor, that really provided no protection whatsoever, the man stepped off the main road and onto the side path that led to the base of the mountain. With his map open in front of him Ebbon check to make sure he was still walking towards his quest marker. Satisfied with his trajectory her closed the map and sighed, checking for any mobs in the area. Being out this far from town without a weapon made him nervous, but he was vigilant in his watch. If push came to shove he could run or maybe throw a rock at something.

"Nah, that would be stupid," he thought, "Throwing rocks won't really do much damage wise. Right?"

[Ebbon 0]

The trail leading up the mountain was not as treacherous as Haru initially imagined. Despite it looking like a normal rocky mountain face, the inclines and different paths leading up were surprisingly uniform, almost staircase-like. It would make sense after all, this was actually a game and this mountain was created to be climbed. At least this face was at least. As he climbed higher he could feel the temperature begin to change, it would have been subtle for most people, however he wasn't most people.

Haru had always gotten cold very easy. Even the mildest of temperature drops would lead to him wearing gloves or a scarf even. The few degrees drop that was taking place now made him wish she had either of those things with him. He would instead have to resort to placing his hands under his armpits and hoping that he wouldn't have to stay here long. Had he know what was to come, that hope wouldn't have even crossed his mind.

After twenty or so minutes Ebbon began to see his breath for the first time. He knew at this point that his nose would be turning pink, along with his cheeks. He also knew that he would much rather be enjoying some nice warm soup in front of a fireplace right now instead of being stuck outside, on a mountain nearly in the middle of nowhere, and without a way to defend himself. Why had he bothered coming out this far with no weapon. With no real armor. Hell he wasn't even sure if he had his health potions with him (he did, he checked two seconds after that thought crossed his mind).

What he needed right now, was a break. Judging by the look of the precipice he had just finished climbing, he had found just the spot.

[Ebbon 0]

A small waterfall poured steadily into a small pond in front of Haru. There were a few small bushes and various rocks surrounding the area, but for the most part it was empty of much else. Letting out a sigh of relief, the man sat down on a fairly flat rock that overlooked the pond before him. A wash of calm spread over him as he gazed into the water, various fish catching his gaze. The amber light of the setting sun added even more to the ambiance, letting Ebbon release the tension in his shoulders for the first time in what seemed like forever.

The trip here had been stressful, especially since Haru didn't purchase a weapon or armor. He knew from the information he read in the guide book he bought, that as soon as he unlocked the katana skill he would lose any ranks he had in Curved Swords. Therefore there wasn't really any reason he should waste what little money he had currently on getting a weapon that he would have to turn around and just sell. The downside being, he had left the safety of the Town of Beginnings and ventured out into the middle of the first floor with nothing but a few starter health potions.

Haru shook his head and put his hands on his face. Was he and idiot? He could be killed out here. There were mobs, PKers, and god only knows what else out there waiting to kill him. He sighed and looked up at he waterfall, the water constantly hitting the surface of the pond and sending a fine mist into the air. Something dark behind the waterfall however seemed to catch his eye. As the light of the sun began to fade he noticed a large shape forming in the darkness. At first a jolt of anxiety shot through Ebbon but then he noticed that it wasn't something hostile. It was an opening. The mouth of a hidden cave.

"Son of a bitch."

[Ebbon 0]

The opening to the cave was honestly very well hidden. It was positioned in such a way that unless you knew what you were looking for, you wouldn't really find it. It took the right amount of light during the right time of day to make it really stand out. Ebbon found this out as the last dregs of light from the setting sun seemed to make the shadows of the caves opening just slightly more visible through the water the fell in front of it. But only for a very short amount of time of course. The dark haired man stood up, confused as to why the large shadow he had seen was now gone. He hurried around the edge of the pond, making sure to keep an eye on his footing, and began to hug the rack wall in front of him as he edged behind the waterfall.

After a brief amount of cold water splashed over him he managed to emerge in a very small cave opening. Haru stood for a moment, taking in the sight before he stepped inside. The cave did a small serpentine at the beginning before it straightened out into a hallway leading to the exit not far away. The hallway was lined with various patches of glowing lichen, clinging to the various cracks and alcoves and flourishing on the moist walls they grew on. These mushrooms thankfully lit the way enough that he had very little trouble traversing the rocky path.

At the exit there were vines and bits of foliage that partially covered the doorway. They were easily push aside to reveal the an almost perfectly round area that was exposed to the elements, a literal oasis in the mountain. It was surrounded on all sides by tall walls made of the same stone as the rest of the mountain. Filling the nearly bowl shaped area there was beautiful green grass, various trees (but not so many as to call it a literal forest), a large angular rock jutting from the middle of the area, and a river that seemed to flow through the area being fed by another waterfall in the distance. It was a fairly spacious area that could be lived in very comfortably and be a safe haven for anyone that stayed there.

Ebbon's eyes were drawn to a single large tree that grew from what looked like that giant rock in the center of the oasis. Despite the rest of the trees in the area being green, this one's leaves seemed to be vibrant orange red as if it was Fall. The cautious player followed the worn path as it followed the small river, not being surprised to find a small wooden bridge that crossed over it. He was surprised however as he rounded the large rock and tree to find a building in the back. A Japanese style dojo nestled comfortably out of view and safely in this concealed mountain.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" the voice of an older man said lovingly. The sudden breaking of silence caused the dark haired man to jump, stumbling back and reaching for anything nearby to use as a weapon. He stopped as she got a better look at the man standing near where he had just been. He was about the same height as Haru, but he was much older. His hair was grey and pulled back into a top knot. He wore simple Japanese style clothes in a rich and dark navy that suited him. His eyes were a lighter shade of sky blue and were surrounded lovingly with various wrinkles and lines. He let out a warm chuckle that set Haru at ease. This man wasn't a threat to him, especially with the NPC cursor above his head.

[Ebbon 0]

The sound of tea being poured into a mug called Ebbon back from the thoughts he had been lost in. It wasn't long ago that after the old samurai now pouring him tea had scared him nearly senseless. It had taken a few moments then for him to recover, not long after he was led into the dojo where he was now sitting. Picking up the tea he smiled as he took in the scent, feeling a warm familiarity spread through him that set his troubled mind at ease. He took a sip and it nearly made him cry. It tasted almost like the tea he would drink with his family at home.

After taking another sip, this one much deeper, he looked to the samurai near him. He seemed to be enjoying his drink much in the same way. The two of them both sat in silence as they finished their drinks, not saying a word to one another as the day ended and the darkness of the approaching evening set. Once they were both done, the samurai stood and motioned for Haru to follow. He led the man to a side room where they began to light candles together, pushing back the darkness with soft warm light. As they both lit the candles with their matches Haru wondered if they really had to go about it in this way. He was certain that most objects in Aincrad that produced light were able to be turned on by simply tapping them with a finger to access it's menu.

He tested this theory, tapping a candle before him and watching as a menu did indeed open indicating that it could be turned on. He could even turn on all the lights in the area with one option, but before he could tap the button he was stopped by the samurai. Ebbon turned around as the man had grabbed his shoulder, turning him around and shaking his head. "The shortest path is not always the wisest course to take." He let go of his shoulder and went back to lighting his candles. Haru was slightly confused by the response but he figured that there was some reason he was supposed to be following the man's orders. With a soft sigh he went back to his task.

It took a long time, but once they were done the samurai led Ebbon back to the entrance area of the dojo. Now that he had been around the entire area while lighting the candles he had a better idea of the layout. The main entrance doubled as a sort of pseudo living room as well. There was a small foyer and an open area with a short table and cushions for sitting. If you continued straight through the next door there was a larger area, the main training room of the dojo. Off to the right and the left of the entrance room there were two small bedrooms, one that was empty and the other that had a few small odds and ends. Haru didn't get a good look at that room but he was certain that it belonged to the samurai since he was stopped before he could enter it.

Haru was surprised when he had arrived back in the entrance room, there was hot food siting the table that had not been there before. He turned to the samurai and found him smiling. "Before you ask I know not where it comes from, merely that it arrives three times a day at the same time every day." And with that they both sat and ate their dinner. After they were finished the plates and such left over vanished without a trace and the man stood, "You may rest here for the evening if you wish. There is a free room and you will be safe here. In the morning we will wake to breakfast and then your training will begin."

With that the samurai left to his own room the retire for the evening leaving Haru to go to bed at his leisure. He took that time to investigate the room that he was allowed to use and to mull over the guide he had purchased earlier that day in town.

[Ebbon 0]

The following morning Ebbon was woken just before the sun had risen by the old Samurai. He simply shook his shoulder enough to wake him and then left the room. Dragging himself from the futon he had pulled from the small closet that previous night, Haru sleepily exited the room and made his way to the entrance area. There he enjoyed breakfast and tea in silence with the old man, the silence only being broken by various sounds of eating and drinking. Once they were finished the old man left the house and motioned for the player to follow, leading him to a fairly open space near the stream and large tree on the rock.

Haru was feeling much more awake after the food and tea, he took in the sights of the clearing much easier with how alert he now felt. He saw what seemed to be a bench constructed from various bits of stone, a rack with what looked like several bokken under a wooden lean-to, and long handled ladle on a stand near the stream. The old Samurai made his way over to the bokken rack and picked up two of the training swords, testing their weight and how they felt while swinging them before approaching Ebbon. He tossed on of them to the young man, which he nearly fumbled, and then motioned for him to stand hear him.

Ebbon did as he was instructed and positioned himself next to the NPC, standing far enough away so that they would have room to swing their swords. The man nodded and assumed a starting position, "Before you master the blade, you must first master the forms." he shifted himself to another stance, "Your weapon is an extension of yourself." he once more moved fluidly into another stance, "You must remember to honor your enemies and have the courage to face them." Haru watched the man in front of him as he recited the samurai code with each new form he took. Once he was finished he bowed and turned to the man next to him, "I will show you these forms once more and then you will repeat them to the best of your ability until you have mastered them. Is that understood?"

"I--yes Sensei!" Ebbon managed to yell as he bowed. This time he kept a watchful eye, making not of the the placement of feet and bokken with each movement.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Ebbon

[Ebbon 0]

His teacher was not soft on him. Ebbon didn't expect this quest to be easy, but he also didn't expect it to be this hard, or this time consuming. Most of the day had been spent attempting to maintain the proper forms and stances that the older man had demonstrated to him. Whenever he had done them wrong, he received a whack from his teacher's bokken. Mostly notably in the spots where he needed to adjust his form. The legs, the arms, the back, the hands. He had welts and red marks on most of his body by this point. Come lunch time the Samurai had brought food items and more tea, making sure to have Haru drink water from the stream first to replenish himself.

After the brief break they went right back to it, stopping only to drink water and catch any breath needed. Come the end of the day though Ebbon was exhausted, he was certain he wouldn't be able to master this. He had come out to take this quest under the impression that he would speak to a few NPCs and then just unlock the skill. He was woefully unprepared for what was actually in store for him. However by the time the sun was beginning to set and the sky was a burning orange much like the previous day when he arrived, his teacher walked around him in a circle assessing his forms as he moved. Haru  waited for the inevitable smack that he expected, but he did not recieve it. Instead he only saw him nodding, reaching out instead with his hands for very small adjustments to a few of his forms.

"Good. We will stop for the day and eat. Tomorrow we will move on to the next step." the older man said giving him a smile, "You have done well."

And that was the first time in a very long time that Ebbon had felt any sort of pride in himself.

[Ebbon 0]

The evening and next morning were very similar to the first when Ebbon arrived. Dinner, cleaning up as well as a bath in the tub around the back, sleep, and breakfast the next morning. Getting up was more difficult than he thought it was going to be. He was actually sore, which he didn't think he was going to be in a virtual world. "You had to code this into the game Kayaba?" he thought to himself as he attempted to stretch while following his teacher. The two made their way towards the back of the sanctuary, stopping at the waterfall that fed the stream. 

"Now you will be learning methods to calm your mind." his teacher gestured to a rock that was oddly shaped but perfect for sitting on. Taking the hint, Haru stepped out onto a few rocks that led to the one in the middle of the fall and sat down crisscross. He assumed a the pose his sensei took on the shore and attempted to clear his mind. This task was easier said than done however. The water beating down on his back was cold and unrelenting in it's force. The sound was nearly deafening as the roar of water smashing into water filled his ears.

However as he tried to make sense of all of his senses being bombarded with the assault of the water, they all seemed to blend together in his mind as he focused on his breathing. Each thing being set aside and dissolving into nothing with each exhale. Before he realized it, he had reached a point of absolute zen. It felt as though only a few moments had passed before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Opening his eyes he looked up at his teacher, and the now setting sun.

He blinked in confusion, stepping out of the water and back onto land. "Wait, it was just morning a few minutes ago was it not?"

His teacher smiled, "Come, it is time to eat. You have meditated long enough child."

[Ebbon 0]

And so Haru began to settle into his routine. Now, on top of the eating, cleaning, sleeping, bathing, he would during the day swing his practice sword as well as meditate under the waterfall for a few hours at a time. It felt like this had become engrained in his soul as the days past. On the morning of day four his master simply motioned for him to follow him, taking a path they had not walked before to a new area. Ebbon, feeling thrown off off his routine, remained quiet as the two trekked through a few trees and into an open area.

There on the ground rested what looked like a crude set of weights. A long bamboo pole with two large fastened to either side dug into the ground as if it weighted more than it seemed. The old man gestured to the item, "You will balance this on your shoulders, I will instruct you want to do afterwards."

Ebbon took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before he stepped forward. Crouching down he hefted the crude weights onto his shoulders and lifted with his legs into a standing position. His master approached and circled him, tapping his arms or legs in various places so that he could adjust them. Once he was satistied he nodded and turned to leave.

"W-Where are you going?!"

"To have some tea, I will return shortly."

Haru let out a sigh and held his position, feeling his legs slowly begin to shake.

[Ebbon 0]

It was several hours before the old man returned. It had felt like an eternity, so long that Ebbon felt as though he was going to spend the entire day, and maybe even night, there holding up those rocks. When the old samurai emerged from the trees he simple stared at the young man for several minutes as he strained to remain upright. With a nod he finally spoke, "You may drop them now."

With a grunt Haru dropped the rocks and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Whoever coded the exhaustion and body strain in the game was utterly cruel. After a few minutes his master simple turned around and began to walk away, "When you manage to regain control of you legs you may return to the house and rest. We will continue with you training tomorrow." With that the old man left and the player remained face down in the dirt for roughly 20 more minutes. Once he was able to move without it causing any pain, he managed to roll over and sit up on his rear and stare off into the distance.

"When this is over, I'm going to have a talk with someone. I don't know who it will be, but we're going to have a nice long conversation. Just the two of us."

[Ebbon 0]

It took nearly an hour for Haru to make his way beck to the house. Thankfully his master had done all the chores he had been accustom to preforming himself by the time he had gotten there so all he had to do was eat and then crawl into bed. By the next morning the player could barely move, his muscles so sore that all he could really do was lie still and stare at the ceiling. After a period of time the old man knocked and entered the room with a tea tray in his hands. He smiled as he saw the unmoving man and knelt down near him, pouring tea into a cup. "This will help child. Here." he brought the cup to his lips to let him sip.

A small notification appeared in the corner of Ebbon's vision. He hadn't noticed initially the debuff icon that had appeared there, now it began to blink a few times before it completely vanished. The man finished his drink and then slowly sat up. The soreness was still there but it was much more mild than before. He grinned and looked to his master, "Thank you so much. This was exactly what I needed."

The old samurai laughed, "Of course it was, I know what I'm doing after all."

[Ebbon 0]

For the next few days Haru spent his time between various forms of training. Swinging his wooden sword, meditating, holding weights, etc. His routine was once again set, and he was focused to the point of not realizing the time passing. Most players would have either given up, or sped through this process to get it done an over with. Haru was not one of these people.

Once the fourth day had been reached, his master stopped him after breakfast and asked him to wait. Ebbon did as he was told and waited, taking time to help the older man clean up afterwards. He was then lead out of the house and out in front where there was a large clearing. The man turned and tossed a wooden sword to Haru who caught it, taking a fighting stance he smiled, "Now we will fight. If you can land a single hit on me then your training will be complete."

Haru looked at his master, dumbfounded by the request. "You want me to... Hit you?"

"Yes," he replied, "Do not fret, I am not as fragile as you may think." and with that the old man lunged at Ebbon.

[Ebbon 0]

There was a loud crack as Haru instinctively brought his bokken up to deflect the incoming attack. He however, was not fast enough to stop the swing that followed it, taking a full swipe to the gut that sent him sliding across the dirt. He let out a cough and a gasp as he attempted to steady himself. His master did not give him much time. More blows followed in rapid fire as the player did his best to dodge and parry as many has he could, which was not many.

The old man was keeping Ebbon on the defensive, not giving him enough time to even try to retaliate. It wasn't long before he felt something pull his own foot out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. "You were off balance, remember your training." there was a dull thump and pain in the top of his head as his master struck him. "Again."

And so this went for several hours. The young man slowly taking strides and making his own attacks here and there. His master reminding him with hits to various parts of the body that he was forgetting parts of what he learned. In one final moment Ebbon felt as though time slowed down, for just a moment. He saw an opening that he hadn't witnessed until that very moment. He shifted his stance, and tightened his grip. Swinging his weapon with all his strength. A faint whine rings out as his weapon charges with a sword art that he didn't realize he had activated, striking his master's hand and sending his bokken sailing out of his hand and onto the ground.

The two men stood there, frozen as they stared at the fallen weapon. The old samurai collected himself first as he smiled and shifted into a bow. "I have nothing more to teach you."

With that a window opened up in front of Haru, congratulating him on completing his quest and granting his reward of unlocking the use of Katanas. Before he could celebrate however his master quickly snatched up his fallen weapon and turned towards the path leading out of the sanctuary. "Stay back."

"What?" was all he managed to ask before Ebbon saw the forms of three large wolves approaching from the distance.

[Ebbon 0]

"Wait, what are you going to do with a wooden--" Ebbon didn't get to finish his sentence before the old man drew a blade from what he thought was just a simple bokken. "Oh. Yeah that'll do it."

The wolves approached, growling and snarling. Their fur patchy and matted, their eyes glowing with malice. Where patches of fur had fallen out there were odd crystal growths protruding from their flesh. Ebbon grimaced at the odd creatures, concerned by the painful looking formations on their bodies. The old samurai took no time to wait, he simply stuck the first creature and leapt back. The wolf froze before it's head fell from it's body and the animal burst into pixels and light.

The old man made short work of the other two monsters as they turned their aggression onto him. One leapt into the air at him but was sliced in two, falling away to either side of the man. The other lunged at his side but had it's legs removed in an almost surgical precision, the diseased canine joining it's companions in showers of light and pixels. The old man returned his weapon to it's sheath before returning to Haru, "You should return to the safety of town before it gets too late. The arrival of these creatures does not bode well."

Ebbon nodded and thanked his master, bowing to him before quickly following the path out of the place he had called home for nearly 2 weeks. On the way through the cave that lead to the waterfall the player stopped, noticing something odd stuck in the wall. There was a dagger, stabbed into the stone holding what looked like a piece of cut meat. Cocking his head to the side he tapped the dagger to bring up the game's menu, the Dagger was player made, and was named Dullahan's Will.

"Did someone... Lead those things up here on purpose?" Haru looked around, making sure there wasn't anyone around hiding. A chill ran down his spine, something deep down told him to heed his master's words and get back to the Town of Beginning's as quickly as possible.

----

Thread Closing:

Ebbon receives:

642 EXP (Word Count [6,429/10*1] )
400 col (1 page)
Quest Rewards

Katana Skill Unlocked
 

Edited April 10 by Ebbon