BANG!
A perfect block.
[Fortify cooldown reduced.]
[Fortify is ready.]
"Fortify," Martin said.
The ninth strike came in fast, and he stepped into the thrust.
Wood met wood at the shield's center. A clean vibration ran up his left arm, and the in-game chime rang out.
Perfect.
That chime wasn't just a sound cue. It meant his angle was dead-on and the timing counted.
If he let even one hit through, the whole "perfect clear" would feel like a fluke.
Fortify erased the hit.
One more. Keep the Fortitude stacks clean.
He adjusted his grip by a finger's width and set his feet again, forcing his shield to stay centered.
No drifting. No flinching. Just the same clean contact, ten times.
He checked the durability.
Nearly intact.
[You have blocked all ten strikes of the wooden training dummy.]
[Secret reward obtained: A Steel Shield (Blue).]
A new item flashed in his inventory. He clicked it.
[A Steel Shield (Blue) (Durability: 120/120) (Lv. Requirement: 1) (+3 DEF) (+20 HP)]
Simple name. Simple design. Simple stats.
His head still throbbed from trying to read every twitch of the dummy's attacks, but he liked it anyway.
Blue beats green. Maybe that's the difference between common and uncommon. Color-coding helps.
He looked to the side and exhaled. "You won."
"Only because of my Flurry skill," she said.
The training grounds had emptied out while they stayed on the same quest for an hour. Everyone else had moved on to fight actual monsters. Only Martin and the twin-sword woman stayed.
"Flurry?"
"Three hits in rapid succession on the same target," she said. She flicked her wrist, like she could still feel the timing. "Like there's no pause between stabs, so I can stab again right away. I pushed it and added a fourth with my second blade. So while you had to wait for the dummy to swing, I got four attacks in. All crits, naturally."
Martin couldn't help it. "I used Threat to force them to attack me, but I can't make something hit me four times in a row. Well done."
She blinked. "Eh? Ah… thanks."
"I didn't expect competition on day one, but I needed it." Martin tucked the new shield away. "I'm off. I have to be up early tomorrow."
Rangar threw his head back with a sigh. "Ah, I wanted to see the next quest! But I get it. Your world's responsibilities matter more than ours. Rest well, Emperoar!"
"You too, Rangar. And don't pick up too much of our slang, or the adults won't take you seriously."
"Come on! I haven't learned much, and I definitely don't abuse those words!" Rangar shook his head, smiling anyway.
You do.
She spoke up again. "Don't be late tomorrow," she said. "I don't like winning by default."
"Will you be online at the same time tomorrow?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Then we'll keep going. I'm done for today too."
Rangar groaned. "You too, Chaosgraphy? What a bummer!"
"See you," Chaosgraphy said, and logged off.
Her avatar broke into particles and vanished.
Martin nodded once. "See you."
He logged off.
—
The headset unclasped with a soft click.
Martin rolled off his bed and sat on the edge. It was late, and the apartment was quiet.
He still wanted to talk to her.
He called his mother.
She answered immediately.
[Did you get the package? It says it was delivered!]
"Yeah. I got it… and I already played. It's fun." He smiled. "I really needed that. Thanks."
A short silence.
"You can always come home," she said at last. "You don't have to push yourself just to stay independent! And once you find a nice girl, you'll support each other. Tell me. Did you meet any nice girls?"
"I met a stubborn one like me. We competed."
"Ew… two of you? Will I survive?"
"We're set for tomorrow too."
"That's what I wanted to hear! Keep going, son!" Her tone sharpened. "Now. Food and sleep. What did you eat? Did you shower?"
The questions came fast. Martin regretted calling, but he answered, took the scolding, and ended the call with a promise of another package of food.
Free food, at least.
He pulled the blanket up and shut his eyes.
Strangely, he looked forward to tomorrow.
In the game, effort turned into progress.
In real life, effort turned into more work.
Work hit first. Morning clients, a short break, more clients, then the walk home like a beaten dog. A few meetings got canceled, so he made it back at the usual time.
He logged into Monster Hunter Academy Online.
Rangar and Chaosgraphy were already waiting. The training grounds were empty, like everyone else had decided to give them space.
"I've been waiting for you two," Rangar said. "You're like transfer students who need extra attention, so I've been assigned to you."
"Hi, Rangar." Martin nodded, then turned. "Evenin', Chaosgraphy."
"Evening, Emperoar."
Rangar clapped his hands. "Good. You've learned the basics. Most players form parties of five and hunt low-level monsters." He leaned in. "But I have a different path for you two."
Chaosgraphy didn't move. Martin didn't either.
"Dungeons," Rangar said. "Our academy's dungeons. Solo or with others." His grin widened. "But I believe you'll go in alone."
"Yeah," Martin said.
Chaosgraphy nodded.
"Each run is recorded on the academy scoreboard," Rangar continued. "Clear speed. Monsters killed. Damage taken. Everything." He lifted a finger. "Weekly rewards and income for high ranks in each bracket."
Chaosgraphy's voice stayed flat. "There's a catch."
"Of course." Rangar's eyes gleamed. "After the tutorial, most players reach level five. The first bracket is levels five through ten."
He lowered his voice.
"But there's a hidden bracket."
Chaosgraphy didn't blink.
"Level 1."
Rangar held up a finger. "Level one means you go in underleveled on purpose; most players don't have the nerve to handicap themselves."
He kept going, like he was reading a rulebook he enjoyed too much. "Run the dungeon at level one, and your run is recorded separately. Only other level-one runners can see your stats and results."
He smiled like he was offering a dare. "And the rewards are exclusive."
Silence.
Then Rangar leaned in, eyes bright.
"So, are you up for it?"
Level one… on purpose? If I can clear it like that, then the rewards are—