Rue had considered holding off on his skill choice; there might be a possibility of an upgrade once he got his new class soon – the skill choice would reflect his upgraded class. He still thinks that way, but it wouldn’t hurt to check if there's any skill that will help his current condition. He especially hated that the only reason they couldn’t proceed was because of him.
He glazed over the four… no, six blue tables filled with skill selection, and he selected one that contained a skill that seemed useful to him. Not only that, but he is very curious about this Golden Alchemist skill option, but at a glance, there's nothing there to help his current predicament. For now, he will focus on the general skill option.
(Skill Option)
Glacial Wraith Trail (Uncommon) (Passive) – The wraith of Ice serves to clean up after its master's trail. Following your movement, a wraith of Ice will appear and freeze your enemies with its ghastly embrace. It activates against those with Arcana far below your level.
This could be useful if Rue didn't want to bother with minor foes, but against a real opponent that will grant him experience? He doubted this skill would help much. It's a nice one to have, and he probably won't regret choosing it... But, it just doesn't satisfy him; besides, it isn't what he needs right now.
Downward Strike (Common) (Passive) – a downward strike that the warrior relied upon over and over again to break their enemy's defense.
Heck, this is more useful than most of his spells. He will use this every time he swings. And he could combine it with the future sword style he would get, assuming he gets one. But, still, what drew his attention to open this skill option first is not this skill – it’s the next one.
Balance of Ice (Uncommon) (Passive) – Balance is a warrior's most important basic to conquer. One couldn’t be too safe. Summon an ice structure shaped as you need in your greatest moment.
This skill is the perfect one for his current situation. And in the future, this will surely come in handy. But, if he were to weigh between this one and the Downward Strike… He much prefers to take the latter.
Rue rubbed his chin, now that he thought on them… The very first one is also a nice skill to have. He stifled a sigh and decided to just read the fourth one, before deciding
Thin Cold (Uncommon) (Passive) – Mana is as important as blood was to any creature for Mages; to lose it is to lose your ability to fight. Convert the surrounding cold into your spell, reducing the output of Mana that would’ve joined your spell.
Rue's eyes widen. “Interesting,” He muttered.
Without a shadow of doubt, this spell is terrible for Rue. If he had taken it, he might as well ruin his skill Synergy.
His passives. Cold Healing. Both of these spells he had taken to take care of his magic Vein problem. And he did not regret doing so, even with both – he still needed the help of Clerence and Flan, who both also healed his Magic Vein. If he had not had the passive, who knows what might have happened?
But now the problem is. Cold Healing straight-up goes against Thin Cold. Cold healing would absorb the surrounding cold to heal his body, but Thin Cold would redirect the cold into mana that would seep toward his spell.
What would happen if he took it? Would he dare?
Frost Pulse, his other passive, emitted cold within him, hence boosting Cold Healing. It would no doubt also react the same for Thin Cold. What would happen to his body then?
“Let’s not find out,” Rue decided. He was relieved he could easily cross one skill off the list. Well, he probably also wouldn’t take the very first one. That left two.
Rue looked around. Yuuki and Benedict had finished with their choice; it seems they were very fast at it. Tapping his finger up and down on the ground, he was still not sure.
Then Rue looks at the Lioness' health. At seven percent. He wanted to get this quest done with so they could hurry up and hunt down the last five goblins.
Perhaps deciding based on this is irresponsible on his part. Ultimately, he wanted to get moving on. Rue took Balance of Ice.
Name: Rue.
Level: 20
Race: Human.
Class: Frost Apprentice Lvl 20
Magic Vein (Stone): 6%
HP: 979/1398
Mana: 1425/1596
Strength: 74
Vitality: 72
Dexterity: 59
Arcana: 264
Mind: 167
Perception: 60
-Skill (4/15)-
- Fireball (Common)
- Time of Obsidian Ice (Rare)
- Frost Shrapnel (Uncommon)
- Sword of Frost (Uncommon)
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
-Skill (5/15)-
- Cold Resistance (Uncommon)
- Cold Healing (Uncommon)
- Icen Frost (Rare)
- Frost Pulse (Uncommon)
- Balance of Ice (Uncommon)
“I’m ready,” Rue called, standing up, dusting grass off himself. He found Yomi and Rita were already walking around the small ledge, both Hu goblins appeared to just walk casually if there was no river of death beneath them.
“Are you sure?” Benedict asked. He stretched his long arm and yawned. “None of us can catch you if you fall.”
“Couldn't you just freeze the entire river?” Yuuki recommended.
“What do you think I am?” Rue rolled his eyes.
He had expected the girl to let out a small laugh or at least a thin sliver of a smile. But she just stared at him with a pale expression.
She did not mean that as a joke.
Why would she even think he is capable of that? Then a thought came to Rue. Does she leave her party behind because she thought Rue would protect everyone?
Does that even make sense?
She did see him kill the robe Kobold who had been slaughtering her group by himself.
Maybe her thinking is not that off the mark?
“Come on, you two,” Benedict called. He casually walked on the ledge, and curiously, a shadow shifted near his feet. Or maybe Rue just needed sleep.
Yuuki went next; she balanced herself well and walked as fast as Benedict did.
Far below, Yomi and Rita had made it to the bottom. Rita jumped up and down like a child, urging them on, before Yomi grasped her dress and pointed deep inside.
Both Hugoblin stopped and stared intently. Both of them drew their swords and ran inside the cave.
“What was that?” Yuuki asked loudly over the deafening crash of the river. In front of her, Benedict stopped. He rested his back against the sheer cliff and closed his eyes intently.
“Rue!” The man shouted. “Yomi is not answering me! Try Rita”. With a quick step, Benedict ran through the ridge – he jumped and landed in front of the cave's jaw. Without any hesitation, the rogue rushed in.
Yuuki also picked up her pace, but not running like Benedict.
Rue tried to contact Rita, but no answer came. He cursed softly, finally decided to step onto the treacherous ledge. Instantly, the wind brushed him like a wave, almost making him lose his entire balance. But, with both hands pushed against the cliff, he continued, exposing his back to the wild wing and cruel river below.
Each drag of foot delivered a small lurch inside of him, and he heaved, panting heavily. Still far away.
He looked at Yuuki, who finally made it. She glanced at the cave, then at Rue, unsure whether to wait for him or not.
Rue was about to yell at her to just go in, but then he lost his balance. He deftly heard Yuuki shout as the wind was about to sweep his body away to another force of nature. Ice coalesced from the small ridge beneath him, forming an ice structure that blocked the wind from dropping him. Rue blinked, realizing he was against the ice. It cracked, and Rue instantly pushed against the cliff again. A chunk of ice fell below, eaten by the river.
“You all right?” Yuuki shouted. “Maybe you should climb back-“
Rue began running, but not five steps in, he lost his balance again. Suddenly, ice started to come to life, offering a foothold that jutted out from the ground. He stepped on it – cracking as he did, and jumped forward. Multiple icy footholds appeared, and Rue used all of them before finally leaping far toward Yuuki.
He landed with one knee bent, like he was about to propose to her. He let out a huge breath that had been building up since he started the descent. “That was-“
“Stupid,” She finished, offering him a hand.
Rue took it. “Yes, stupid.”
Inside, the cave was almost completely dark, with faint moonlight shimmering through the entrance. Rue had no way to conjure any kind of light except a fireball. Apparently, everyone in the group can see in the darkness, all except him. That is why Yuuki had waited for him rather than charging in. She taught Rue a trick he should’ve thought of.
In both of her hands are knives that glow with her mana; they glow pure white. Rue pushed his mana to his blue shield, and the glow banished some of the darkness surrounding them, completely overtook Yuuki’s light. He also drew his Dancer Sword. The needle-like sword is strange in his palm; they’re too small for one, to the point his finger and palm could almost touch each other.
His Golden Sword was with Rita, in her sash. That sword is too big for Rue to wield one-handed, and climbing down with it is just pure stupidity.
“Something is coming,” Yuuki said, her body tenses all of a sudden. “Enemy”
Rue stared at her, confused. Who else is here?
“You sure?”
“It's huge,” Yuuki gulped. “Two times your size, maybe?” She looked around, trying to zero in on something. “There’s fighting.”
A clash of steel clanged in the darkness. Rue saw the bright light emitted from the meeting of steel. Benedict was exchanging blows with a huge greenish creature.
Another clang..
And Rue could see them better because he had expected it.
“An orc?” Yuuki muttered. Then her eyes widened, and she held her knives up in a fighting stance. “One is coming here.”
From the darkness, a figure appeared. Bulky body spoke of strength, along with a muscle coil around its humanoid limb. Tusk extended to its chin, dripping with saliva. It towered twice the height of Rue himself with a huge cleaver held by two arms. Where Kobolds shine on their armor, this creature did not need armor; its sheer hulking strength of its body will undoubtedly make up for it.
(Hob Goblins' Brother. Third Brother Oozak Lvl 25)
(The Bearer of Frost has issued a quest for you.)
(Quest: Trial of Frost)
(Slay Goblins group that has been terrorizing this area. 96/100)
(Reward: Class upgrade from (Mage) to (Frost Apprentice) upon taking on the quest)
(Reward: Class upgrade from (Frost Apprentice) to (Frost Class Option) upon completion of the quest)
(Reward: Progression of The Permafrost)
(Tutorial Quest: Defeat the Goblins and Boar tribe.)
Goblins (96/100). Boars (50/50)
(Reward: Move to next phase of the Tutorial)
(Reward: Skill Option)
(Reward: Access to System Shop)
(Reward: Access to Kill Point System)
(Reward: 1000 Points)
(Special Reward: Chest of Beginning (Uncommon) - Will be granted to those who claim the most kills)
(Special Reward: 5000 Points - Will be granted to those who claim the most kills)
The Hobgoblin stared down at him and Yuuki. A cacophony of steel dances inside the darkness, flickering once like a star blinking – watching them. Oozak did not think much of Rue and Yuuki, as he looked bored.
Rue felt a fear, before it died down.
Suddenly, everything clicked for him. The HobGoblin Brothers must’ve been meant for the first tutorial phase bosses. Why else would the system hide their races along with the boar queen?
Rue smiled. Why? Because they had faced worse monsters already. And they came out on top. Gneliath and Salar had died a death because of collective effort. Rue did not take them by himself, but now… now he had a chance. To defeat the monster that the system had prepared.
“Yuuki, go help the others.” He stepped in front of her, hefting his shield up.
“What?”
“You’re a scout, use the darkness to your advantage. Pounce on any of them if you saw the chance,” Rue said, completely impressed by the reason he had just made up in the spot. But it does make sense. She shouldn’t tie herself to him, and besides, he worried about the others.
“All right,” Yuuki muttered. She stepped into the shadow, opposite of Oozak. “Good luck,” The girl muttered before engulfing herself in the vast blanket of the shadow.
Oozak let out a wail, and it spun its shoulder. Rue realized it's not a wail, but a sigh – it's probably annoyed Yuuki had gone.
The Hob Goblin lifted its cleaver recklessly. And Rue punished the move with a quick stab to its chest.
The Dancer Sword is so light, but in exchange, it does not have a good piercing capability; the sword caught in the Hob Goblin’s muscle.
Oozak brought down the cleaver, and Rue side-stepped, dodging completely with his shield in tow. The ground beside him, crushed downward with a slight sword-sized hole.
That was a swinging skill, for sure. One that he had skipped just earlier.
Oozak lifted its head, and it let out a gurgling grin at Rue.
He returned the grin, thankful for the Hob Goblin's existence for a moment.
“Human…”
“You can speak?”
“Not bad, Human… Me Oozak apologize for my rudeness earlier.”
“Apology accepted,” Rue shrugged. “Ready to take me seriously now?”
Oozak answered plenty with his attack.
