I didn't dream the rest of the night much to my relief. Even with my mind reeling from the information brief and the strange dream I slept oddly well last night. I awoke to sharp rapping on my door.
"Kien, wake up; breakfast is ready when you get down," Mrs. Johnson spoke with a slight note of hurry in her voice. I quickly dressed, grabbed my baseball bat, and left my room. As I passed through the first floor I saw Mr Smith sitting up and giving instructions to Mr. Brown. I went out the lawn to where a slowly growing pile of materials that weren't completely ruined, including a very small number of wood salvaged, no doubt from houses like my own that were made of Old Growth Wood.
Today was a hearty meal of Eggs, Oats, and a single piece of bacon. At that moment it was the best food I had ever eaten. No matter how good the food was, no one really tried to savor it. As we all quickly began to move to our tasks. I walked to my area where they lined up the tools they needed me to clean up along with soap, towels, Mineral oil, sandpaper, and a concoction labeled by a sticky note 'Rust Remover' along with a ball of steel wool.
I began by cleaning the better-off tools, some in perfect condition minus dirt, ash, soot, and some minor scratches. For the tools with wooden handles, I rubbed the sandpaper to rid them of any splinters. Then I began on the tools caked in Rust forgotten by humanity and wrecked by water and time. Dipping the rust-covered sections in the concoction and watching the chemical reaction, I scratched off the remaining rust with steel wool.
As I prepared tools, people came and grabbed the ready ones. Every now and then someone would drop off a tool that had been found while scavenging materials. It was about mid-day when I had finished removing Rust from the tools.
Lunch was again sandwiches, but this time, instead of peanut butter and jelly, it was roast beef along with this time cold lemonade, no doubt from that cupboard the Old Man Mentioned. For many years to come, I would call it the best cup of lemonade I ever had.
After my break for lunch, I made my way back to my area. In which I began to sharpen the shovels and resharpen the knives of the Scouting Party. It had taken me the better part of an hour to finish. After I had finished the last sharpening, I received a notification from the System.
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[Quest Update]
You have completed your class-specific part of the shared Quest [Fortify The Manor], and your skill [Arms Maintenance] will receive a single level. If you help beyond this point you can still gain rewards based on your contribution.
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[Skill Leveled Up]
-Arms Maintenance Lvl:3
Grants Basic skills in Maintaining basic Gear. The Cornerstone skill for any true warrior, you can level this skill by routinely cleaning and doing any minor repairs on your gear and others. The Skill has leveled up Twice, once due to you maintaining a basic weapon and a substantial amount of other Clothes as befitting of a Squire. The Second time because you received a Quest Reward. You are now better at maintaining cloth gear and any you maintain regains color. Also, any tools or weapons you remove rust from are less likely to regain rust, and any knives you sharpen lose their edge much slower.
...
My skill had leveled up again, and according to the System, my 'portion' of the Quest was completed, though I could still gain rewards from continuing to contribute. Sitting up, I stretched. My forearms were sore from all the scrubbing, but I was motivated by the extra rewards. Looking over where Mr. Smith, wrapped up in bandages, sitting on a porch, directing the group on the construction.
Looking, I saw they had begun to clear the lots adjacent to the Manor, and from the meeting, they were moving metal fences, which were mainly intact, and planting them all around the property then they were going to reinforce the gate with other materials like bricks, wood, and cars. I walked up to Mr.Smith and asked him where I should go to be the most useful.
"I want you to go and replace Mr. Brown so he can rejoin the Scouting Party; here, let me give you the skill." Mr. Smith laid his good hand on my right shoulder.
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[Alert!]
A foreign skill [Foreman's Imbuement] is trying to activate. It will temporarily grant you the skill [Construction Expertise] at Lvl: 1 this skill will not Level up.
Accept: [Y/N]
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Selecting Yes, I felt knowledge fill my head as my skill did, but it was more esoteric in nature, like a vague understanding than actual knowledge or skill. I heard Mr. Brown yell out from the spot where he was working.
"Ya got warn a man before you do that trippy as hell. One second, you know something; next, you have no idea," shaking his head, clearly confused. Mr Smith responded sounding sheepish.
"Sorry, first time using the skill, my bad, I will keep it in mind; also, can I rejoin the Scouting Party?" Mr. Brown gave him a thumbs-up before walking off into the area of the Scouting Party.
"Alright, Kien go where Mr. Brown left off from." Mr. Smith said turning towards me. Nodding I walked off to the part where Mr. Brown was pouring concrete into holes with the metal poles of the fences. Like I was in a daze I let the Skill guide me along my tasks, and yet a whisper in the back of my mind poked at the false knowledge of the [Foreman's Imbuement] skill.
It was slow going as we had to clear the wreckage of the houses, which was done by wheelbarrows and the majority of the workforce; then we had to scoop out the Ash, making sure to wear bandanas over a mouth in case the Ash was stirred up. Then we had a few post whole diggers digging up holes for the fences. Then we moved the salvaged fences into the holes. Then we poured liquid cement into the holes securing the fences. The afternoon passed, and we were all caked in ash, soot, and dirt. Dinner was Mac and cheese with bits of meat mixed. It was filling, and a God sends from the long day of Labor.
Then, I had a meeting on the third floor; the Scouting Party had been tracking the Goblin's movements and estimated we had three days until they reached our area. Supplies were doing good. We had estimated we had about two weeks' worth of food, and we would have more, but the cupboard Welton had could only hold so much of the perishables. Soon we dispersed, and I returned to my room, beginning my new daily routine of maintenance on the [Louisville Slugger (Copy)] and the growing collection of knives.
The [Flameborn Jacket], on the other, even after I freed it from ash and dirt, required me to cut out the burnt holes in the inner lining and stitch them back together. Even after an hour, their holes were numerous, sighing. I decided to call it a night.
...
I looked around and saw a green forest with great towering pines. It surrounded the nearby terrain; I could make out many types of life all around me, from bugs to ferns, trees, and even the rustle of animals. The tranquility was interrupted by a clash of steel; my eyes darted to where I heard it come from and saw two men in heavyset Knight armor like that of the 15th and 16th centuries. Their armor was clearly built for actual combat rather than ornate art pieces like you would see in the museum. These were masterworks of utility.
The Knight closest to me fought with a two-handed war hammer I saw as he tried to get closer to the other Knight. He wielded a long spear clearly built for a Calvary charge rather than one-on-one combat. He tried to keep his distance striking at the joints of the other Knights armor.
The battle rang out for a few minutes until the Knight with Warhammer struck out and managed to finally hit the Spear-wielding Knight. From then on, it was not but 30 seconds later that the Knight breathed his final breath. Panting, the remaining Knight turned around, and a feeling of fear bloomed in my chance, a sickly thing that spread its vines and was rooted deep inside.
A flash of bright white filled my vision, and as I blinked away the blotches in my vision I felt a weight in my hands and on my body.
As my vision cleared, I saw that I was now in the exact place of the Spear-Wielding Knight, and marching towards me with a cold look in his eyes was the Warhammer-Wielding Knight.
He moved with a fluidity that shocked me, and as a knee-jerk reaction, I stepped back and tried to maintain distance between myself and the Knight. I struck forward Trying to strike the joint between his right arm and his torso. Unfortunately, my strike was an inch, and the force rebounded on me. Not having a shred of mercy, the Knight Raised his Hammer above his hand and brought it down upon my head,d, breaking my helmet.
Another Flash of light and I was back where I was, but this time, I got the privilege of watching my blunder, and boo,m, my head getting remolded. Wincing, I watched as Knight turned back towards me.
"Again," he spoke. His voice was deep and menacing as if the night itself had a voice. The Flash of Light followed, and once again, I was in armor and Wielding a Spear.
This time, I lasted longer by about 30 seconds, and that was only because I refused to strike the Knight's Armor. It was a bit uncomfortable to watch yourself self die brutally.
This time, I tried to strike the same spot as before, and this time, I was Prepared for a rebound and stepped back. It was a short back and forth, barely lasting a minute, and as it drew out, I realized even with the brutality, he was going easy on me.
Ten more times that's how long it took before I finally woke up. It was my second to last fight that I was the most proud of.
-----The 11th Attempt.
I struck his right knee with the butt of my spear before ducking I felt a breeze across my neck from the missed Hit. Taking the opportunity, I slashed the inside of his elbow with the tip of my spear full force. It drew only a little bit of blood. Shocked that I pulled it off I quickly backed up as the Knight struck out viciously.
His anger bashed a nearby tree to smithereens, which was comforting a little bit as the now-confirmed superhuman Knight continued his onslaught.
Stepping back I slammed my spear as hard as possible into the side of his Helm. Yet he didn't care. Swinging his Hammer up, he broke the Spear in half as I tried to pull it back. It was not 10 seconds later I was watching the fight. After it ended he turned to me.
"Good Scion one more Time," he said, and I was back fighting him, though I didn't last as long that time.
---
When I woke up, I felt refreshed, and as I was rubbing sleep out of my eyes, I heard a Familiar Rapping sound on the front door.
"Get ready, Kien. We got a full day ahead," she said before I could hear her walking off. I had a system notification to read first though.
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[You have gained a Skill]
By reaching a skill level beyond two at level one whilst being a combat oriented class you where rewarded with a skill. As this is not a Inherent Class skill it posseses a Rarity and will level up slower than your class skill.
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-Flow of Combat lvl:1
Uncommon Rank One Skill
You have a slightly advanced understanding of the flow of combat and you can better understand where enemies and allies are and your current main combatants actions as they happen.
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