Author Note: Just a small one for now will try to get another chapter out later. Also should I add skills for slashing and dodging etc for extra description or leave it as is and not have any official skills?

In no time at all we had gathered about thirty people willing to come with us to learn fighting skills and the group were attracting some attention. Apparently there were another ten people who were a mix of students and teachers that wanted to learn but they were left behind for defense just in case. The odds of being attacked while gone was low as we wouldn't be gone long but not impossible. For that matter I was wondering why we hadn't been attacked yet as all these weak untrained humans would make nice monster food. In silence so as to not leak any of our purpose we set out to the library.

I had Annabeth and Yuki collect all the books related to combat and martial arts together so we knew what we had and how many. That way just incase someone was untrustworthy they wouldn't be able to sneak the books away for anyone else in the cafeteria. I must think of a way to hide these later so nobody can sneak back in the night while everyone is asleep and take advantage I thought to myself. I was not overly happy to let outsiders read the books as I only trusted myself and now the girls in my group but needs must. There were just too many variables and angles that can go wrong and I can't cover all of them.

"Ok everyone listen up. Tell Annabeth or Yuki which combat skill you want to learn and they will hand out the book. These books are not to taken from here and will be returned before we leave here regardless of whether you learn a skill or not in the allotted time. They will right your names down as well as the book you have taken. I would suggest avoiding learning modern day firearms as this is England and they are not as readily available as in other countries like America. This is for practical reasons as the noise will draw monsters over when compared to something like a bow or crossbow and for the sake of replenishing ammunition the latter two are better. If you manage to learn a combat based skill we can try to have you learn another. I want everyone to be versatile so one ranged skill, one unarmed skill and one melee/close ranged skill."

There were some grumblings at that but nobody spoke up to outright complain. I took my own advice and sat down with a book about swordsmanship and throwing weapons. I haven't a clue why I hadn't already learnt it as I had been trained in it for years. Maybe had to do with the crude, crappy weapons I was using as they were not able to bring out anything near my true potential with a sword.

Due to your vast experience with a sword and reading books about swordsmanship you have bypassed the beginner rank and gone straight to intermediate. The knowledge gained from books must be thoroughly practiced and integrated to advance at which point this skill will evolve

Skill Window

Skill NameIntermediate SwordsmanshipLevel5

This is a passive ability that can be used with swords and items that can be used in place of swords.

Damage with a sword goes up +20% and attack speed +5%

Ability

Skill NameSlashLevel1

By concentrating your strength in one powerful blow you are able to do more damage and knockback an enemy. Might not knockback enemy based on opponents size

+15% damage

Knockback

[table]

Ability

Skill NameDisarmLevel1

By aiming at an opponents weapon or weapon arm you are able to use your superior technique to disarm them.

[table]

Ability

Skill NameRiposteLevel1

After years of training you are able to find the exact moment to strike home with a swift sharp thrust

+15% damage

[table]

Ability

Skill NameParryLevel1

By using your skill you are able to parry and counter opponents blows

Ability

Skill NameFlurryLevel1

Utilizing your speed and technique you are able to land a flurry of blows and make your own combos on an opponent dealing massive damage

+50% damage

Wow so after unlocking the skill I got a lot of sub-skills as well I also received Throwing Weapons skill as well but it was nothing to write home about nor did I unlock and sub-skills yet. Yuki got the skill Archery while Annabeth got Staff mastery. Fran got Blunt Weapon and Shield Mastery and Vi got Sword and Shield Mastery. The girls had asked me to teach them magic if I could so we will try that later when we can sneak out alone.

After just over an hour and a half had gone I decided to call time and got all the books back. Everyone had managed to learn at least one skill some more then one. Easy to learn things when you don't have to properly take the words in and just wiz over them.

I had the girls lead the new recruits back and bring the second batch and did the same again after the allotted time I sent them back again. Now where to hide the goods... I looked around everywhere and thought about putting them in the wrong section or taking them out the room altogether and hiding them but that wouldn't work. What if the new guys found them while on patrol? My neck was a little stiff with the hours bent reading so I stretched it out and tilted my head back and saw that the ceiling was the panel type that can be easily removed and replaced. Perfect! Nobody would ever look up there.

After storing the books I went back to the cafeteria and helped prepare lunch. It tasted great but I suppose that might be because of Virginnia's cooking skill and my Gourmet Chef title. Afterwards we chose some of the members that had learned skills and assigned weapons to them so we could go out and grind monsters. The weapons and skills were mismatched as we only had clubs and blunt objects but nothing could be done about it. I will have to get the girls to go into the workshop and make something like bow and arrows or staves. While we are at it maybe we can use some of the Gremlins corpses for armour? Have to see what they look like.

As we were preparing to head out we heard the sounds of wolves howling and the patter of many rushing feet approaching. We were under attack.