Riniya stepped into the ring and walk towards Rob, who had fallen on the ground after losing the third match. “What did you learn?”

Rob thought for a moment and answered, “Not to hesitate. The first round, I was far too defensive and died quickly. I barely used any strikes at all. In the second round, I was more aggressive but hesitated when striking. I would pull back to defense after avoiding strikes rather than capitalize on openings. Even though I couldn’t really hit him, I had more success when I stopped hesitating.”

She crouched down and spoke in a voice that would not carry, “Very good. Fighting is a balance. Learning when to attack and when to defend is key. It sounds obvious, but it is as simple as that. You did not win the third round, but you were able to strike your opponent first, which is important. In an actual fight, you could have crippled or maimed him with that strike. You stopped hesitating and took action.”

She offered Rob a hand and pulled him back to his feet. “Now I want you to do the same thing, but this time try to expect the block. You are still striking in single attacks with no idea where you are going next. To be an exceptional fighter, be it hand-to-hand or with a sword, you need to think several steps ahead of your opponent and plan for every outcome.”

Rob walked back towards his starting position and said, “I will do my best.”

As he turned toward Alok, Riniya yelled, “Begin!”

Alok moved swiftly across the ring, and this time Rob planned on meeting him about a third of the way across with a horizontal strike. Alok easily parried the blow, but Rob had prepared for it. At the moment his sword hit Alok’s, he twisted his grip from palm down to palm up and pushed the blade straight towards Alok in an improvised stab. It took Alok off guard and he stumbled back slightly, not wanting to run straight into the blade. Rob pushed his attack and struck Alok just below his chest in the ribs.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Rob stepped to the side, thinking Alok would try to circle or gain distance. His instincts were correct, and he was now at a better angle to follow through on another strike. He whipped the blade around over his head and came down at Alok with an overhand blow to the nearside shoulder. Alok tried to move out of the way, but this just opened up his back, and Rob raked the blade from shoulder to hip across Alok’s back.

Riniya yelled, “Break!”

Rob took a step back from Alok and walked back towards his starting position. It was the first time Rob had won a round, but he knew part of it was his opponent under-estimating his ability. Next time wouldn’t be as easy.

He looked over at Riniya, who gave him a sharp nod and then at Alok, who appeared to be concentrating with his eyes shut. Rob went over his actions and looked for improvements. He made a few guesses and made a plan of attack for the next round.

For the next few hours, Rob sparred with Alok and received instruction from Riniya to help him realize his mistakes. Eventually, the instructor called a halt to the practice.

“Alok, thank you for helping to teach Rob. If I’m not mistaken, you have watch soon.” Riniya said at the end of the practice.

Saluting with the practice sword, he said, “It was my pleasure sword-master.”

Rob stepped forward and said, “Thank you, Alok. I learned a lot from you.”

Alok glanced at Rob and said, “You showed improvement. It was my pleasure.”

He walked away, leaving Rob alone with Riniya. “Sword-master, what should I practice now?”

She started walking back towards the training ground building and said, “Follow me.”

Vulmon was still sitting in his spot watching various people fight or shot when he said, “Welcome back, Rob. I hope Riniya was able to help you learn a little.”

“Yes, she taught me a lot. Alok was also very helpful.”

He gave Riniya a questioning glance and asked, “You had him match up with Alok? I would have started with someone less skilled, but that is your call, I suppose.”

“I thought it best to have him work with someone with some proficiency.”

“How did he do?” The old elf asked.

Her straight back relaxed a bit, and she answered, “Better than expected.”

Vulmon smiled and said, “That is a testament to your instruction. Rob, what is it you would like to do now? You can continue to train with the sword or move onto something else?”

Rob thought about it for a little and said, “I would like to at least learn the basics of the bow. I know I’m specializing in melee fighting, but I think it would be unwise to overlook that.”

Vulmon rose from the bench and said, “Very good. You can find Riniya when you want to practice with the sword some more, but now, let’s go find Agis. Thank you for your help, Riniya. Rob has permission to train with you going forward if you are available.”

“Very good master. I will go back to my regular duties for now.”

Rob smiled at Riniya and said, “Thank you for your instruction.”

For a moment, she looked a little confused and then just nodded as she walked back towards the group of fighters near the practice ring. He saw Alok and a few other soldiers practicing movements and joking with one another as she arrived.

Rob turned his attention to Vulmon and asked, “So, is Agis the bow-master?”

The old elf laughed a little and said, “In a way. While most of our Elven diet is plant-based, we still need hunters. Be it for trade or materials. Agis is our best hunter.”

Rob was a little surprised. “Hunter? But wouldn’t it be best to train with the other soldiers?”

Vulmon stopped and turned to Rob. “Agis is the best archer in the city. He’s also not one to depend too much on specialty based skills. That means he can teach you the right way to shoot, even without the skills you would have gained as a bow specialist.”

Rob saw the logic and responded, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to question your judgment. I was confused.”

They continued to walk in silence for some time. That’s when Rob noticed three small yellow exclamation marks next to his health, mana, and stamina gauges. He focused on them, and a notification popped up in his view, almost causing him to stumble. He’d have to be careful about opening announcements when moving. Luckily the path was smooth, and all he needed to do was keep Vulmon directly in front of him to stay on the trail.

There were three notifications:

Congratulations, you’ve improved a skill!

Skill Learned: Short Sword Proficiency (One-Handed)

Level: 6 Beginner

You’re well on your way to not completely sucking at this!

Congratulations, you’ve learned a new skill!

Skill Learned: Battle Tactics

Level: 1 Beginner

You’ve figured out that it is sometimes better to think before fighting.

Congratulations, you’ve learned a new skill!

Skill Learned: Combination Attacks

Level: 1 Beginner

Who knew that swinging a sword more than once during a fight would pay off?

He was happy that he’d gained a few extra levels in Short Sword Proficiency. From the jump to level 6 beginner, he assumed there was more skill-based experience gained when sparring. He was curious about one thing, though, and he closed out the notifications. He then opened up his character stats and found the item he was looking for. His experience stat was still at zero. It looked like all of his practice didn’t gain him anything regarding his character leveling.

After another few minutes of walking, they came to a small shack that looked barely big enough for one person. Still, two children played in front of it and a woman sitting on a stool next to a fire. As they approached a fourth person appeared from the other side of the shack and changed his course to meet them.

“Good day, Agis.”

The man smiled and said, “Good day, Vulmon. What brings you out this way?”

They shook hands as they met, and Vulmon stepped to the side. “This is Rob. He has gained the king’s favor and been awarded the right to train. He has specialized in melee combat but is interested in improving his bow skills. Would you have the time to teach him that and other things he might find useful?”

The man thought for a moment and extended his hand, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Rob.” Finishing the introduction, he turned back to the old elf and said, “What is wrong with your bow-master? If all he wants is to learn how to use a bow, that would probably be the best use of his time.”

“You are right, my friend, but I figured you could teach him a few things that are not strictly military in nature. He is an adventurer and will need to provide for himself. Maybe though learning from you, he will benefit.”

“You flatter me, but I can see your point. Rob, what is it you want to learn from me?”

Rob thought for a minute and said, “I specialized in melee fighting because I didn’t want to be at a disadvantage when up close. I also have a curiosity for sword fighting. I know as a solo adventurer, I will need to be careful. I will need to use both a sword and a bow.” Rob paused for a moment, realizing why Vulmon had brought him here. “I will need to know how to hunt and provide for myself as well. I see hunting and the use of the bow as useful skills.”

Agis scanned Rob from head to toe and said, “For someone by themselves in the world, hunting and tracking can be one of the most valuable skills you will ever learn.”

“So, will you teach him?” Vulmon asked.

“Yes, I will teach him what I know. When can you train? I was about to head out and check some of my traps and hopefully find some game.”

Robert looked at his in-game and real-world clocks and said, “I have time now.”