Chapter VI

Alex groaned as the morning's sunlight shone down on his face through the window. “Ugh...” He slowly rolled to the edge of his bed and sat up. Yawning, he mumbled, “Morning already?” He got up and walked over to his room's window. Looking out and down at the street, he could see that there was already a lot of bustling activity. “Geez, it's morning yet it's so busy...” Turning away from the window, he thought, 'Must be because of that tournament in Autumnwell.'

He walked over to his dresser and looked for some clothes. As Alex was getting dressed, he was thinking, 'With dad losing his arm, I hope he can keep working as a physician. I know it'll be hard, but I hope he doesn't have any mental issues from it...' He shook his head, dispelling any more negative thoughts from creeping in. 'One day, I'll be able to support my family on my own. This way dad and mom wont have to work again.' As he concluded his thoughts, he had just finished getting dressed.

He walked over to the mirror in his room and checked himself over. Nodding his head, he thought, 'Alright! Today I get a weapon and start to learn how to defend myself! I can't wait!' As he was about to leave his room, he glanced at the Qi bar in his vision. 'Awesome! My Qi is full now. So a full night's rest and it's restored...Well, then again I've only got ten Qi.' Shrugging, he exited his room and headed downstairs.

He went straight to the kitchen. His mother was currently preparing breakfast. Since he didn't see his father, he curiously asked, “Hey mom, where's dad? Is he still asleep?” Laylah turned around and gave him a gentle smile as she said, “Yeah, I figured it would be better to let him rest for a while longer.” Alex nodded. “Here, I just finished making breakfast.” As she said this, she brought over a plate of eggs and some bread, setting it in front of Alex. “Thanks mom.” After thanking her, Alex began to eat. As he was eating, Laylah sat at the table and watched him.

After about ten minutes, he was done eating. Looking up from his plate, he noticed his mother staring at him. “So mom. When are we going to go get a sword?” She remained silent in thought for a moment before she said, “In a little bit. I'll go write a note for your father, then we can leave.” Alex smiled and nodded. Laylah went over to a drawer to grab a pencil and paper. She sat back down and began to write. As she did this, Alex cleared the table of his mess.

By the time he was done cleaning up, Laylah said, “Alright honey. Let me go put this in the bedroom and then we can leave.” Alex eagerly smiled and nodded. A few minutes went by before they both left the house. Walking down the street, Alex asked, “Where are we going to get a sword at?” Laylah giggled. “Where else? The blacksmith, silly.” Alex wryly smiled as he responded, “Is there another one? Or are we going to the one with that perverted old man?” Laylah slightly furrowed her brow and raised an eyebrow as she asked in an odd tone, “What perverted old man?”

Alex mischievously said, “Some old guy was at the blacksmith yesterday. He had a scar on his right eye and wanted to check out my body...” Laylah was taken aback. “W-what!? Are you sure you didn't misunderstand?” Alex hurriedly shook his head. “No! He said it as plain as day! He sounded really perverted when he asked to take a look at me...” Laylah narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow after she heard that. “Let's go! I'll go have a talk with this man.” Alex smirked as they both walked towards the blacksmith located in the market district.

** ** ** **

A quarter of an hour later, Alex and his mother arrived at the blacksmith that he had visited last night. After they walked into the shop, Alex glanced around. After a moment, he spotted the same middle-aged man wearing a leather apron that was here yesterday. “That's him mom!” Alex impishly shouted out as he pointed. Laylah glared at the man her son had pointed to. When Alex had called out, it drew the attention of the customers who were already within the shop. Laylah, with Alex in tow, stomped over towards the counter that the man was behind.

Once there, they were standing side by side as she slammed her hand on the counter. “Hey!” The man had been polishing some armor with his back turned to the counter. The moment he heard the noise, he turned around. Surprise was evident on his face when he saw Alex. “Just what the hell do you think you're doing asking to see my son's body!? Huh!?” Laylah fumed as she glared at the man. Startled and wide-eyed, the man frantically said, “W-whoa, whoa, whoa! Lady, calm down! It's not like that! I swear!” She didn't calm down at all, instead she started to get angrier. “Don't tell me to calm down! You think I'll just stand by while you attempt to molest my son!? Huh!?” As she was yelling she pointed at him, while a green colored Qi started to exude from her arm.

The blacksmith looked between Alex and Laylah with a dumbfounded face. His mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Witnessing this, Alex began to chuckle. The man pointed towards Alex and in an accusing tone said, “Lady! I swear to the gods that I didn't try to molest your son! That brat is just messing with you!” His answer annoyed Laylah further. She seemed like she was about to become violent.

Right at this moment, Alex called out, “Mom! It's okay! I think he's sorry.” She turned to look at her son, her anger visibly fading. “Eh? I thought he tried to do dirty things to you? How is that okay?” As she said this, she furrowed her brow at her son. Alex wryly smiled and scratched his cheek. “Well...umm...” The man interrupted in an annoyed tone, “Lady! He's just messing with you. He came here last night asking if I had any weapons that suited him and I asked to inspect his Qi Veins. That's all that happened.”

Laylah frowned and glared at Alex. “Is that true?” She asked in a reprimanding tone. Awkwardly smiling and chuckling, he replied, “Y-yea...I just wanted to get him in trouble...” A loud whack sounded out in the shop. “Oww! That hurt mom!” Alex said as he rubbed the back of his head. “Hmph! What are you doing huh!? You don't falsely accuse people like that...seriously.” She huffed as she crossed her arms. The man laughed as he watched this. “Serves you right brat...Trying to molest you? Unbelievable.” Alex smiled wryly as he apologized, “Sorry mister. Sorry mom.” Shaking her head, Laylah rubbed Alex's head and gently said, “It's alright, just don't do it again.”

After consoling him, she turned towards the man. “Sorry about that. He can be a little troublesome at times.” The man shook his head as he smirked, “Don't worry about it. Kids will be kids...” He looked at Alex and continued, “So did you come here only to cause trouble or are you buying something this time kid?” Alex grinned. “Hehe, this time mister, I'm here to buy a sword!” Slightly nodding his head, the man spoke, “A sword huh...alright. Miss, what exactly are you looking for?” Laylah and the man talked for a little bit, before he went into a backroom. As he did so, Alex was thinking to himself, 'Alright...so that was a failure. Guess deception didn't work too well with that. Or maybe it wasn't high enough level to work? I don't know. I'll need to experiment more.'

By the time he was done with his thoughts, the man returned. “Alright, so these are the ones I think will be suitable for him...” As he was speaking, he laid out five swords on the counter. When he saw the swords, Alex's eyes sparkled for a moment. The man saw this and chuckled. “Haha, brat. Take your pick, try each one out. Give it a few practice swings.” Alex looked to his mother. She nodded signalling her approval. Alex smiled as he looked at the five swords that were in their scabbards. 'Alright, let's see what happens.' He thought as he looked at the one farthest on the left. 'Identify.'

*Ting*

Copper Short-Sword – a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from copper.Quality – StandardAttack – 6Defense - 0Durability – 10/10Special Properties – None

'Wow, an attack of six. That's better then my current attack rating of one...Huh, durability? That wasn't there on my clothes...Wonder why. Oh! Maybe leveling up Identify had something to do with it?' Alex smiled as he picked up the copper short-sword. “So uhh, miss?” “Laylah. That's my son Alex.” Laylah answered the man's inquiry. Nodding, the man said, “My name's Telor. This here, is my shop.” “Nice to meet you.” She replied. Alex stopped what he was doing and also replied the same as his mother.

Alex then withdrew the sword from its sheath and did two practice swings with it, before returning it to where he took it from on the counter. 'Hmm, what about these other four?' He looked at the swords next to the copper one and identified them all.

Bronze Short-Sword – a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from bronze.Quality – StandardAttack – 8Defense - 0Durability – 20/20Special Properties – None

Iron Short-Sword – a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from iron.Quality – StandardAttack – 10Defense - 0Durability – 40/40Special Properties – None

Black Iron Short-Sword – a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from black iron.Quality – Standard Attack – 12Defense - 0Durability – 50/50Special Properties – None

Steel Short-Sword – a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.Quality – StandardAttack – 14Defense - 0Durability – 60/60Special Properties – None

As soon as he finished identifying them, two chimes rang out along with the appearance of a couple status windows.

*Ting*

Level up: Identify (Level 4 Beginner [5/25xp])

*Ting*

You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)

After he read the pop up, he smiled. 'Great. It leveled up...But now I'm out of Qi again.' He looked at the five swords and picked up the steel one. He gave it a few practice swings and then put it back. 'Huh, they all feel the same to me. Maybe it's because I've never really used a sword before...' Once more he picked up the copper short-sword and started to swing it.

As he was doing this, Telor continued on to say, “So these five swords are all short-swords since I don't think your kid could handle a long-sword yet.” Laylah nodded in understanding. “Yeah, maybe in a few years, but not now.” Watching Alex, Telor kept talking, “So these five are each slightly different. The one he's currently swinging is made from copper.” He motioned towards the four that were still on the counter. “Then from the left to right, there's bronze, iron, black iron, and steel. As you can probably guess, the copper one's the cheapest, then-” “-The price doesn't matter.” Laylah cut Telor off. She wanted to buy the best she could for her son. She wouldn't have him running around with a cheap weapon that may break at a critical juncture.

Telor smiled when he heard that price wasn't a problem. These were his favorite types of customers. “Alright then, I'd recommend the steel short-sword. It's the sharpest and sturdiest one.” Laylah glanced at him, then picked up the steel shortsword. She gave it a few swings. As she did so, it was clear to the anyone that she had some experience with a blade. “Not bad. It's well-balanced...We'll take this one.”

When Alex heard his mother's decision, he came back over and placed the copper sword on the counter. Telor grinned as he said, “Good choice. I smithed that one myself. So I can say without a doubt that it's well-made.” Laylah ignored his boasting as she asked, “So how much?” Telor brought his hand to his chin as if he was in deep thought. After a moment, he said, “Well, you should know that steel isn't exactly widely available here in our town. The steel I have, had to be imported over from the city of-”

Laylah cut off his sales pitch. She sounded annoyed as she asked, “How much?” Wryly smiling, Telor replied, “Eight gold.” Alex widened his eyes as he uttered, “Holy crap!” Laylah frowned and said, “That's a bit much, don't you think?” Telor furrowed his brow as he retorted, “Nonsense. As I was saying, that steel was imported from the city of-” “-Mister. Can't you just lower the price a bit?” Alex cut him off as he asked innocently. “Oi! Brat! This here is fine steel! Besides my store, where else are you gonna find steel weapons in this town? Huh?” Alex glowered and looked down. After a moment of silence, he looked back up and tried to persuade Telor, “Mister Telor. I'm going to become a cultivator. I need this weapon. But I don't think it's worth as much money as you say it is...Can't you lower the price?”

Telor laughed heartily. “Nonsense brat! Either buy it or get out.” Alex's expression turned solemn as he continued to say, “Mister Telor, I wonder what my friends from the Gallant Eagle Sect will say, if I told them you were trying to extort my mother and I...” At the mention of the Gallant Eagle Sect, Telor broke out into a cold sweat. Looking towards his mother, he said, “Mom, this place isn't an honest establishment. Let's go elsewhere.”

Completely taken aback, Laylah mumbled, “Uh, okay. Sure.” They both turned around and started to leave when Telor's wary voice sounded out. “H-hold on!...Maybe, I can lower the price a little...okay?” A sly grin flashed past Alex's face before he turned around. When he did so, his face was solemn once more. “Yes, mister Telor? What did you have in mind?”

With a pained expression spread on his face, Telor said, “Seven gold, okay? How's that sound?” Alex raised an eyebrow, as he criticized the price, “I don't know Mister Telor...That's still awfully steep...” Telor's pained expression intensified as he said in a reluctant tone, “Five gold fifty silver. That's as low as I can go. After all, I still need to make a profit off of this.” Alex glanced around at the people who were within the shop observing the exchange. Nodding and smiling, Alex cheerfully replied, “Deal! Five gold fifty silver it is. Thanks Mister Telor.” Alex glanced upwards towards his mother. Noticing his gaze, Laylah pulled out some money from her pocket and traded it to Telor for the steel sword. They then walked out of the shop. The moment they exited, Alex heard multiple chimes as some status windows appeared.

*Ting*

You have gained 1 Charisma (+1 CHA)

*Ting*

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Haggle – Beginner]

'A new skill? Sweet...Haggle huh? Definitely from negotiating that price...I wonder what other skills there are...' While he thought this, he and Laylah had already started to head back to their house. “When we get home, we'll move all the furniture out of the way in the living room...Then I can start to teach you how to use that sword.” Laylah said as she smiled at Alex while they were walking. Excitement could be seen in his eyes as he replied with a grin, “I'm looking forward to it!”

** ** ** **

It took them a little over a quarter of an hour to get back home. Once they were there, they started to move the furniture in the living room out of the way. As they did so, Alex curiously asked, “Mom, that sword was expensive...Are you sure it's okay?” Laylah giggled and said in a kind tone, “Honey, it's alright. Your father and I have been saving money over the years. We've managed to build up a small sum for moments like these.” As she finished speaking she had a warm smile on her face. They slightly chatted as they moved the furniture to the sides of the room.

When they were finally done, they both moved to the center of the room. Looking at Alex, Laylah said, “Alright, so before I begin to teach you anything, there's some things that I need to explain to you.” Alex nodded and earnestly listened. “First of all, everything I know, I learned from the Rainwater Sword School whom I was with for six years. They have many different sword styles that all revolve around the concept of being as flexible as water. Thus, they are all fairly adaptable to the situation you face." She paused and took a breath before she continued.

"These sword styles are all capable of allowing you to be as fluid as a river and as unyielding as rapids...Although they have many different styles, almost all of them were beyond my reach. As such, I was only able to learn the most basic style. However, although it's basic, this one sword style forms the foundation of every style that school has. So even if someone wanted to only learn one of their advanced styles, they would still need to master this single one first.”

She paused there and was looking at Alex, letting everything sink in. After a moment she continued, “Now then, first of all, the style I am about to teach you is called The Raindrop Sword. It is extremely flexible. It allows you to defend and then immediately counter-attack. However, it doesn't only rely on counters. It is also completely capable of being used for attacks as well...Hand me your sword.” After Alex passed her the sword, she demonstrated The Raindrop Sword Style. As she moved with the blade, it was as if she had become rain blowing about in a gentle wind. When she changed directions, it was as if the wind had intensified. She slashed through the air in three quick motions. As she did so, it was as if she had become the rain within a torrential storm.

Alex stared at her in awe. “A-amazing...” He uttered in astonishment. She stopped and sheathed the blade. Turning towards Alex she smiled and said, “Alright honey. I just showed you The Raindrop Sword's first form. With this form, everything that comes within your blade's reach can be defended against. It's almost like having complete control over the area in your immediate vicinity.” Tilting his head, Alex curiously asked, “First form? What's that?”

Giving a slightly wry smile, Laylah answered, “Sword styles usually have different forms. These forms are made up of stances that you take with the sword. Usually the first stance will move or connect to the next, then the next and so on. This is one of the most basic sword styles and only has one form. More advanced styles can have anywhere from three or more forms...This style however, only has three stances and thus, one form. But, this form is very unique in that all of its stances flow into each other. You can start with any of the three stances and move into the others.” She paused there.

After taking a breath, she continued to speak, “These three stances each serve a different purpose. The first one is for defending. The second is for counter-attacking. While the third is for attacking directly. If you can master all three stances Alex, you will be able to become like a river's current. If you face an enemy, they will get caught up in the river and try to swim against it. But in the end they will be swept away by the current.”

As she was speaking, it was easy for Alex to tell that she was very proud of this sword style. “No matter what enemy you face, this sword style can be used. If you face an opponent who is similar to a boulder, then given enough time, you could emerge victorious. Just like water in that if you give it enough time, it can even erode and penetrate through mountains.” Alex's eyes were glistening as he listened.

When Laylah finished speaking, Alex ardently said, “Mom! I want to learn it! I want to learn The Raindrop Sword Style!” When she heard this, Laylah giggled and triumphantly smiled. “Excellent The most important thing is that you're willing to learn!...However, before I can even begin to teach you it, you'll first need to learn the way to properly handle a sword.” After she finished speaking, she began to show Alex how to hold, swing and move with a sword correctly. This went on for almost the entire day.

It was late afternoon when they stopped. Alex was profusely sweating but had a burning determination in his eyes. Laylah had him practice with the steel short-sword while it was sheathed in its scabbard. There wasn't anything else for him to practice with and she believed it would be better for him to get used to the sword's weight this way. Alex was currently holding the sword by the hilt with two hands as he just completed a proper swing. “Alright honey. You've been at it all day, why don't you stop here?” Laylah's tender voice sounded out.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Alex replied, “But mom, I can keep going...” Giggling, she responded, “Honey, it's not good if you overwork your body. Every now and then, you need a rest.” Alex slightly pouted. “Aw, fine. If you say so mom.” Laylah chuckled as she said in a gentle tone, “Why don't you go get washed up. I'll make dinner and get your father.” Alex nodded and then left the living room, taking his sword with him. After he had left, Laylah shook her head while she mumbled, “Really, he's been glued to that sword all day...”

** ** ** **

Alex was currently in the bathroom and had just entered the bath tub. His sword was resting against the wall by the door. He had just sat down and was about to recline, when multiple chimes rang out along with the appearance of numerous status windows.

*Ting*

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Sword Mastery – Beginner]

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Sword Style – The Raindrop Sword – Beginner]

You have gained 1 Agility (+1 AGI)

You have gained 3 Stamina (+3 STA)

You have gained 2 Dexterity (+2 DEX)

You have gained 1 Strength (+1 STR)

You have gained 1 Willpower (+1 WILL)

After reading the status windows, Alex was at a loss for words. He reclined in the bath tub and dunked his head under the water. After a moment he came back up and let out a long breath. '...Whoa, what is this?...Unreal...As soon as those status windows popped up saying I learned Sword Mastery and The Raindrop Sword Style, it was as if all sorts of information flooded my mind. Just...what was that?...I feel like I know a lot more about the sword style now.'

After he thought to there, he dismissed the status windows and got out of the bath. He picked up his sword and started to swing it again. He executed the first stance that he had learned from his mother earlier in the day. 'Whoa! It feels different than it did earlier! Now I feel like I'm in more control or something...' He stopped swinging the sword and held it at his side while he thought. 'Amazing...The Raindrop Sword Style...' The moment the name of the sword style floated past in his mind, his body instantly started to move.

He lifted the sword in front of him and grasped it with both hands. He then adopted the pose for the first stance of the style. His feet were shoulder-width apart, with his left foot a little bit in front of his body. His hands were slightly separated from each other on the hilt of the sword as he was holding it. He seemed as if he was ready to defend against any attack. Afterwards, he completely stopped moving and held that position. 'Just what was that!?' He urgently thought as he lowered his arms. 'It was like my body moved on its own until it was in the proper pose for the first stance...Really, just what the hell was that?' He stood there naked for a few moments and continued to ponder what had happened.

Finally, he came to a realization, 'Was it...That had to be it...The Raindrop Sword Style.' The moment he thought the name of the style, his body immediately moved to the position for the first stance. He laughed gleefully, “Hahahaha. Yes, I knew it!” He put the sword back down against the wall and then hopped back into the tub. As he laid in the tub, he had a wide grin on his face. 'So that was it! If I call out the name of the skill by itself, my body will get into the proper pose for it...Help.' As soon as he thought it, a large blue vertical rectangle appeared. In it was all of the various commands he could choose to execute. However, there was one in the list, that he hadn't seen before.

Open Settings – will display the settings.

'What is that? That wasn't there when I checked the other day...Well only one way to find out what it does. Open Settings.' Just as he thought it, another blue rectangle popped into existence.

*Ting*

SettingsSkill/Ability Activation: Verbal and Mental?????????????????????

As he read the settings, Alex adopted a very perplexed look. 'Skill Activation? What's that?...Help Skill Activation.' Another status window appeared in his vision.

*Ting*

Skill/Ability Activation: Is the ability to activate a specific skill with a verbal or mental command. Doing so will make your body perform said skill or ability. Will only activate if there is intent.

Alex widened his eyes, as he exclaimed, “Incredible!” He dismissed all of the windows and thought, 'So that's what happened. I accidentally activated the skill.' He chuckled to himself as he noticed the mistake he made. 'I can't believe I did that...Oh well, at least now I know.' He then proceeded to finish cleaning himself in the bath before getting dressed and taking his sword with him as he went downstairs towards the kitchen.

** ** ** **

As he arrived in the kitchen, his mother was just setting plates onto the table. When she noticed him come in, she smiled and she asked, “You're still carrying that sword with you?” Alex grinned and nodded. “Yep. I'm gonna keep it with me for a while until I'm used to it.” Laylah chuckled and shook her head. “Alright then honey. Why don't you go get your father. Dinner is about to be ready.” “Alright mom.” He replied as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

When he reached his parent's bedroom door, he knocked. Hearing his father call out, he entered. “Hey dad. Dinner's going to be ready.” As he informed his father, he inspected his condition. Kaesan's face had some color in it, but he looked slightly pale. Smiling, Alex said, “Hey dad. I talked to mom last night about becoming a cultivator. Long story short, she said I could become one if I meet her conditions.” He lifted up the sword and showed it to Kaesan as he spoke the latter part. Kaesan smiled. But when he did so Alex was able to see some sadness within. “Dad, how are you feeling?” He inquired as he moved towards the bed.

Kaesan gave a shallow smile as he responded, “Better...The wound is still sore as hell, but it's getting better. Thanks to all the medicines I'm taking, it'll probably be completely healed in about a month...Heh, the perks of being a physician...” He shook his head before asking, “So your mother bought you a sword huh? You gonna show it to me?” Alex was surprised but quickly nodded. He pulled the sword from the sheath, showing it to his father. “Steel, huh?” Alex nodded and replied in a jubilant tone, “Yea, mom picked it out. Originally it was going to cost eight gold, but I managed to talk the blacksmith down to five gold and fifty silver.”

Kaesan smirked as he said, “My son the negotiator huh? Not bad.” Kaesan got up out of bed and patted Alex on the shoulder. “Alright son, let's go eat dinner.” Alex followed his father to the kitchen. Once they were there, they sat down and began to eat. While they ate, Alex told his father about what Laylah was teaching him. After they finished dinner, Alex bid his parents goodnight and went upstairs to his room.

** ** ** **

Alex was lying in bed staring at his ceiling while he was deep in thought. He had just checked his skills and noticed something disturbing. 'I can't believe I'm only now noticing this...Those skills I learned after spending most of the day practicing with the sword...I didn't gain any experience for them...I really don't like that I have to be idle to receive most of these status windows. It's really not convenient...' After finishing his thoughts, he let out a despondent sigh. Right as he did so, a chime rang out as a status window appeared.

*Ting*

Would you like to change the settings for update messages? Y/N

After he read it, Alex's face contorted as he cursed, “Are you fucking kidding me!?” He shook his head out of fury. 'What the hell. It couldn't give me this message sooner? Ugh!' He laid there and stared at the status window for quite some time. Finally, in a demoralized tone he said, “Yes.” The message disappeared as a new one appeared.

*Ting*

Please select an option:Instant Message NotificationsDelayed Message NotificationsIdle Message Notifications

After considering his choices, he let out a sigh. “Instant Message Notifications.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the status window disappeared. As soon as it did, a new one appeared informing him that his selection was successful. Furrowing his brows, he shook his head. 'At least that should take care of it...Maybe now it'll let me learn things right then and there, instead of hours later...' Shaking his head again, he mumbled, “I seriously can't believe it though...Ugh, whatever. I'm going to bed.”

He rolled over onto his side. He was about to close his eyes when he suddenly remembered something. 'Ahh, right. I almost forgot. Open Status Window...' As the window appeared, a strange thought occurred to him. 'Huh, I wonder why the screen with my status and all of the other messages are called status windows...Wouldn't that get confusing?...Well then again, for my status I need to call out the word open before hand...Eh, whatever.' Once he finished thinking, he thoroughly inspected his status.

*Ting*

Name: Alexander HartlowAge: 12Level: 0XP: 20/100Health: 10/10Qi: 7/10Energy: 18/150Satiety: 96/100Titles:

NoneStats:

Distributable Points: 0Constitution: 1Intelligence: 6Vitality: 1Wisdom: 5Stamina: 6Endurance: 1Strength: 6Charisma: 9Agility: 3Dexterity: 3Willpower: 6Bloodlust: 2Luck: 50?????????????????????Attack: 1Defense: 0Element Resistance: NoneAdditional Information:Race: HumanGender: MaleElement Affinity: All ElementsAlignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared

After he checked out his status, he couldn't help but mutter, “Holy crap. I've improved a lot.” He smiled as he begun to think. 'My energy has increased pretty significantly...You know, it's weird. Before I was blessed by the gods, there was no way I could've been so calm and haggled with that blacksmith. The results of my intelligence, wisdom and charisma increasing is seriously scary. I wonder what it will be like if I can get my strength up to a really high number...I feel a little stronger then I did before I received this blessing, but it doesn't feel like it's that much...Attack is still one?...Huh, I wonder.' While he was still looking at his status window, he picked up his sword that he was keeping next to his bed, leaning on the end table. The moment he had it in his hand, his attack rating jumped up to sixteen.

'Holy crap! It increased! Sixteen! Wow...' He clutched the sword to his chest as he lay there in bed. He was looking at it intently. 'Hmmm, I know. I still have those two abilities to try...Open Ability Window.' A chime rang out with the appearance of a status window.

*Ting*

Abilities:

Qi Enhancement Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently.

Genesis Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – allows the user to create any item that they can imagine so long as they have enough Qi.

The Empyreal Body (Passive) – you possess a body that came from the very heavens themselves. All 64 Qi Vein Entrances are open. Allows for unimaginable potential growth. Grants affinity with all Qi elements.

'Alright, so they're both at zero xp...Hmm, before I do this though...Open skills window.'

Skills:

Deception Level 3 [0/20xp] Beginner (Passive) – the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others.

Identify Level 4 [5/25xp] Beginner – allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item.

Emit Killing Intent Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – allows you to give off or transmit killing intent. Capable of frightening others. May affect their mental state, impacting their combat performance.

Negotiation Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – your ability to achieve better terms, rewards, results, etc, for yourself when attempting to reach an agreement with another individual or group. At higher levels, your attempts will succeed more often.

Haggle Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – your ability to talk or argue with someone in order to get them to lower a price.

Sword Mastery Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – your overall expertise with the sword. Increasing this will improve your attack and defense rating while wielding a sword.

Current bonus rating: +1 Attack

Sword Style – The Raindrop Sword – Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner – your overall mastery and skill with the sword style – The Raindrop Sword.

Okay, Identify is at five xp...Identify.' As he thought the latter part, he was gazing at his sword. A status window appeared with the swords information.

Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.Quality - StandardAttack - 14Defense - 0Durability - 60/60Special Properties - None

'Alright. Hmm? My Qi didn't go down and I didn't gain experience?... ...The only reason that could be is that I already identified this sword at the blacksmith's shop earlier...' He shook his head, dismissing his skills window and continued to think. 'Alright. Here goes nothing.' He keenly stared at his sword. 'Qi Enhancement!' As soon as he thought it, a blue status window appeared asking him a question.

Qi Enhancement:

How much Qi would you like to infuse?

Maximum amount: 10.

For a moment, Alex stared at it and thought. 'Hmm. Should I just do all ten? Might as well.' He muttered, “Ten.” Right as he did so, a blue vapor seeped out of his body and traveled to the sword, completely eveloping it. Then it seemed to be absorbed into the sword, leaving no trace behind. Staring at it in confusion, he thought, 'Huh? So nothing happened? That's w-' Before he could think anymore, a sudden jolt of pain sprung up from the depths of his body. “Ugh!” He groaned.

As fast as it came, it vanished, leaving only a trace amount of soreness. 'What the hell was that!?' He immediately looked to his health bar. 'Shit! I lost three health!? What happened...' As he was trying to figure out a solution, he abruptly sighed. 'Crap. I'm an idiot. I only had seven Qi...I was so excited to test Qi Enhancement that I failed to realize it....Now I have zero and seven health...So in order to use it, it took all of my remaining Qi and even some of my health?...That hurts...' Two chimes rang out and a couple of status windows popped into existence.

*Ting*

You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)

*Ting*

You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)

“Hahaha...” He laughed somewhat when he saw the messages. “Guess I was right...” Sighing to himself, he thought, 'Alright, so let's not make that mistake again...' After figuring out what happened, he glanced at the status window that was still open. Checking his ability he smiled.

Qi Enhancement Level 1 [7/10xp] Beginner – allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently.

After checking out his ability, he jubilantly thought, 'Alright! Seven experience. So the amount of Qi I put in grants me experience in an equal amount...But it seems converting health like it did, won't reward me any experience...Alright, I can work with that.' He dismissed his ability window and once more looked to the status window that held the steel short-sword's information. As he did so, a chime rang out with the appearance of a new status window.

Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.Quality - StandardAttack - 14+1Defense - 0Durability - 60/60Special Properties - Attack +1

*Ting*

You have learned the Qi Enhancement effect of +1 Attack.

When he saw the results of his pain, he grinned. 'Great! So I could use this to increase it's base abilities...Haha, awesome!' After smiling and rejoicing for a few minutes, he finally dismissed all of the windows. 'Alright, time for bed. Not much more I could do anyway.' He rolled over to his other side and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he had entered the realm of dreams.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **