Chapter 23 – Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Chapter 23
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Date: Day 23 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The dawn was almost breaking. The three moons had already begun to fade. Making the surrounding darkness the deepest it would be all night.
It wasn't the gentle warmth of the dual suns that woke them. It was the blaring sound of howling. Something huge. Something close. And the scratching of claws against their Ward Stones barrier.
Hyoren scrambled to his feet.
Adrenaline pumped into his blood. He could hear his own rapid heartbeat. The training from the past month took over. The grogginess of sleep vanished instantly. His mind switched to survival mode.
"What in the world?"
He stood up. His survival training ensured he could be fully awake in an instant. He grabbed his steel-tipped spear. Turned to see Elise.
She was already awake. Bow in her hand. But something was wrong.
"Look, Hyoren..."
Her voice trembled. A sound he hadn't expected from the veteran ranger.
"Green Wolf. It’s all alone... But attacking us!"
She pointed a shaking finger toward the barrier.
Outside, a massive beast was throwing itself against the barrier. Its claws scratched across the surface. Again and again.
The creature was large. Its shoulders easily reached Hyoren's chest. Its fur was a dull green. Perfect camouflage for the sea of grass that surrounded them. Its eyes were yellow slits—filled with fury.
"This is weird. So weird, Hyoren."
Elise lowered her bow slightly. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. She was looking at the monster. But her mind was somewhere else. Far away. Lost in thought.
"Snap yourself, Elise!" Hyoren's voice was sharp.
"We are under attack!"
He couldn't wait for her. Couldn't afford to hesitate. He left the shaking Elise. Rushed toward the barrier's edge.
He knew they couldn't wait. Didn't know if the barrier would last. Elise had said the barrier would keep them safe from anything around here. But he didn't want to risk it. He had to fight the enemy.
He stopped at the edge of the dome.
The wolf sensed his movement. Turned its massive head toward him. Opened its jaw. Revealing rows of sharp fangs. Its growl was low.
"No other choice."
Hyoren leaped outside the barrier. He prepared himself to fight the wolf alone.
The wolf lunged. Ready to bite.
Hyoren swung his spear. The flat part of the tip slammed into its head. Knocking the beast sideways. Canceling the lunge.
He pivoted. Reversed his grip. Slammed his spear butt into its hind leg.
The wolf yelped. The spear's end made its mark. Striking bone. Sending pain through its leg.
But it recovered quickly. Turned. Ready to lunge again.
"Much faster than a Goblin Warrior..." Hyoren analyzed.
"But its power is weaker."
The wolf lunged again.
Instead of parrying, Hyoren sidestepped. Evaded. Let the beast pass by him.
But as he tried to analyze the movement pattern of the wolf—thwack then shoosh—an arrow flew.
The wolf howled. An arrow stuck through its hind leg. Pinning it to the ground.
The wolf growled. Tried to break free. But one of its legs was useless.
Hyoren didn't waste the chance.
"Piercing Thrust!"
The spear tip instantly lodged into the wolf's throat. Piercing through. The wolf shuddered once. Its eyes went dim. It collapsed.
Hyoren made sure the wolf had died. Watched for any movement. Before hurrying back to Elise.
Her shoulders were still shaking. Her face pale. Her eyes distant. He grabbed her shoulders.
"Elise! Snap out of it! What happened to you!"
His shout finally jolted her awake.
"I... I... I'm sorry, Hyoren…" she stammered.
"I didn't help earlier."
His voice was firm asking her.
"That's not important, Elise. Please, what's wrong with you?"
He led Elise back inside their barrier. Let her sit on a dead log. In front of the dying campfire.
He put more dry branches on the fire. Restarted the flames. Gave her a waterskin so she could drink.
Then he sat in front of her. Waiting patiently for Elise to calm down.
The fire crackled to life. Casting a warm glow on her pale face. She took a long draught of water. Her hands trembling slightly as she held the skin.
The silence stretched between them.
After a few minutes, a few streaks of morning rays started to appear. The sky lightened. The darkness receded.
Her complexion started to become better. Some color returned to her cheeks. She finally spoke.
"Sorry, Hyoren… Sorry..."
She looked at the ground.
"But that green wolf acted outside its habit. And the anomaly of goblins yesterday. It made me scared."
She shook her head.
"Scared because the knowledge of every monster routine and habit I know... is being destroyed… Again."
"Relax, Elise. Relax."
Elise took a deep breath. She closed her eyes.
"Okay. I'm okay now."
She opened her eyes again.
"Green wolf is rarely attacking alone. Sure, lone wolves exist. But they usually act alone when they got evicted from their packs. And lone wolves will never attack humans unless provoked."
She gestured toward the barrier.
"And the barrier should make it scared. Should drive it away."
Her voice trembled.
"That green wolf was alone. But actively attacking us. That is different from the green wolves I know."
She looked at him. Her eyes searching for something. Understanding. Comfort.
It wasn't the danger that scared her. It was the anomaly. The unknown. The collapse of everything she thought she knew.
"Elise, take a deep breath."
He held her gaze.
"There is a phrase from my father which might help you. He always instilled it in me."
He spoke slowly.
"He always said, in war, nothing is absolute. Throw your textbook and theory. Everything can go fucked up beyond reasoning."
He paused.
"So every soldier needs to do this. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome."
He held up his hand. Counting the words.
"There is nothing in this world that is predictable. There will always be surprises. Some deviation will exist. So you need to adapt. Then improvise how to deal with it. And finally, overcome it with your solution."
He leaned forward.
"Your mind seems already shaken because of the goblins. Both when you got caught and the anomaly on the edge of the forest. And this green wolf just added to your distress."
He waited for her to respond. His eyes locked on Elise's emerald eyes. He waited.
And finally, he saw a flicker in them. A spark returned. The fear didn't vanish. But it was no longer making her tremble.
She took another deep breath. Her shaking shoulders started to settle. She exhaled.
"Thank you, Hyoren. For reminding me. And for waking me up."
She let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"What a veteran ranger, needing to be slapped by her student. Haha..."
She shook her head. But her voice was steadier now.
"Okay. No more wallowing."
She stood up.
"Hyoren, let's dissect the green wolf."
Hyoren finally smiled. Relieved. They walked to the carcass. The massive wolf lay still in the grass. Blood pooling beneath its throat.
As Hyoren reached the body, he felt something. The absorption of essence. He focused inward. Six experience points. He filed the information away. They would need to process the body quickly.
Elise and Hyoren dragged the carcass to the nearby river. The water flowed clear. Perfect for cleaning the body.
They started dissecting.
"Green wolves have many useful parts."
Elise explained as she worked with her experienced hands.
Hyoren listened while cutting.
"The meat is edible. The pelt is strong but light. It's a favorite leather for many scout and archer gear."
She paused to make a precise cut.
"And of course, the magic stone. It's bigger than goblins."
She looked at him.
"One green wolf fetches quite some money if we sell it at the adventurer guild."
They worked in silence for a while. Separating the useful parts from the rest.
After they were done, Hyoren felt something again. The sign of a new skill entering his consciousness.
Knowledge etched into his brain. How to cut properly. Where to separate. How to preserve the valuable parts. The best angles. The most efficient movements.
"Dissection Skill. I actually got it."
Elise looked at him. Smiling.
"That's not surprising. You've already dissected a lot of carcasses. Harvested many magic stones from goblins. You would eventually get it, sooner or later."
He carefully wrapped the meat. Packed the pelts. The magic stone went into his satchel.
After that, they returned to their camp.
"Let's depart quickly. Thanks to you, Hyoren, I've snapped out of it. But this forest and grassland still give me chills."
Hyoren didn't argue. He packed their camp. Dismantled the makeshift bed. Doused the campfire with sand. Elise retrieved all four square Ward Stones.
"Let's go."
They started the journey again.
The sea of trees was behind them now. The Forest of No Return. The place where Hyoren had spent thirty nine days. The place where he had learned to survive.
Ahead lay the Green Grasslands. A sea of green that stretched to the horizon under the rising suns. The wind rippled through the grass like waves on an ocean.
***
The dual suns of Kresneger started to rise.
The now smaller Sol crested the horizon first. Painting the vast expanse of the Green Grasslands in hues of gold. Luna followed close behind. Its silver light mingling with the gold.
The morning's shock had left Elise.
She wasn't panicked anymore. But the easy grace she usually had was replaced by tension. Her movements were tight. She was scanning the horizon constantly. Her eyes flicking left and right.
“Elise, let’s eat first. We can eat this smoked meat while eating.”
He took preserved meat from his bag. Offered it to Elise.
He realized they had been moving for an hour on empty stomachs. The adrenaline of the fight had faded. Leaving a hollow hunger in its wake. The morning had been chaotic. The wolf attack. The dissection. The hurried departure. They hadn't had time to eat.
"Maybe you're right. We need fuel to continue."
Both ate in silence while traversing the grassland.
Their boots stepped on grass. Crushed the blades beneath their feet. The grass looked short from a distance. But up close, it reached their waists in places.
Elise navigated them through the land. Following animal trails. Finding paths where the grass was shorter. Avoiding the densest thickets. Her eyes constantly scanning the surrounding.
Hyoren caught up with her. Reached her side.
He tried to distract Elise from her distress. Tried to get her mind off the anxiety that plagued her.
"Hey, Elise..." He spoke between bites.
"Just now I got a new skill. The Dissection Skill."
He chewed. Swallowed.
"I have a question. In the forest, I did experiments and logged my findings. To gain a skill, I needed to repeat training for exactly 24 hours before I got a new skill."
He looked at her.
"Can anyone get any skill if they train? Like Magic?"
Elise slowed her stride. Swallowing her meat. Then after drinking from her waterskin, she faced him.
Hyoren could see tension leaving her shoulders. Her face still had traces of anxiety. But Hyoren's question lit a spark in her eyes.
"To answer your question, yes. It's an established fact. To gain a new skill, we need to train with focus for around 20 to 30 hours."
She gestured vaguely.
"Scholars of old already recorded the minute details. But I don't really remember the exact time. For us, normal people, we just don't bother."
Elise finally let out a laugh.
It was a refreshing sound. Cutting through the tension that had hung over them since the wolf attack. It was the sound of the yesterday’s Elise.
"Maybe the convenience of magic tools made us become like that."
She smiled, small but that was a progress.
"We can track our progress via our Guild card. So counting it manually, or even knowing the exact time, is in the back of our minds."
"That makes sense. And normal, Elise."
He took another bite of meat.
"I just like to solve puzzles. And it helped me stave off my anxiety and loneliness in the forest."
He paused.
"And to level up, we need twice the number of hours, right?"
Elise swept the grass in front of them, before continuing walking.
"Yes. The required time to train is usually twice the time we need to gain the skills."
She held up a finger.
"But Hyoren, there's something you need to know about skills."
"What is it?"
"Unlike levels, which are strict... The number of experience points we get is the same. Every goblin will give us three points. But the process of learning skill is more... fair."
"Fair?" Hyoren tilted his head.
"What do you mean, Elise? I thought a system that rewards us with skill after relentless training for 24 hours is very fair."
Elise found another small trail, and decided to use the winding path for easy walk while she talked.
"That's true. But it didn't reward finesse. It didn't reward courage."
Hyoren frowned.
"Finesse? Courage? Please explain, Elise."
Hyoren tilted his head.
"Firstly, you will gain higher proficiency when you train well. You can cut the amount of time required to get a skill and level it up if you know how to."
She gestured with her hand.
"For example, your Spear Mastery skill. The proper stance of holding a spear. How to thrust your spear without making your wrist hurt."
She looked at him.
"And this is why getting a teacher or mentor to teach you will accelerate your progress."
Hyoren nodded
"Yes. That's actually fair. It's the same in my world. We can learn anything alone. But having a teacher who guides us will make us learn faster."
Elise continued her journey. The grass swayed around them. The wind rustled through the blades. Hyoren followed her.
"You work hard, and you will be rewarded. Geniuses who know the how-to with intuition can learn faster. For normal people, they can seek mentors or join schools to accelerate their progress."
Hyoren processed the new information.
"So that's why you say the system rewards finesse. What about courage?"
Elise jumped over small stream of river, which fed into river they followed.
"The skill encourages people to strive through hardships."
Hyoren's eyes widened.
"Hardships? Ah, you mean we can learn skills faster through actual combat?"
"Yes. Especially combat with high stakes. When someone fights a stronger enemy or a life-or-death battle, they sometimes awaken new skills. Or their old skills level up in record speed."
She shook her head.
"But this method is, of course, discouraged by many."
Hyoren nodded repeatedly. Understanding the implication.
"Ahhh yes... .That makes a lot of sense. You gamble with your life. You might die. But if you win, you come back with a reward."
He paused.
"But the danger doesn't seem worth the risk. We only live once."
Elise chuckled in front of him.
"Fufu. That's right, Hyoren. No one sane enough keeps knocking on death's door just to level up their skill faster."
She glanced back at him.
"But Hyoren, this is also true for non-combat skills. For craftsmen, this actually encourages them to better themselves by challenging themselves with better materials or better schematics."
"Right… For craftsmen, if they want their skill to grow, they can't just keep hammering the same iron. Well, they can. But by working with better metal—even if it risks losing the material—they will improve their skill faster."
He paused.
"Oh, right, Elise. You mentioned people usually track their progress with their card. How does that actually work?"
Elise slowed down a bit.
She rummaged through her bag. Then pulled out her Guild card. Handed it to Hyoren.
“The guild card is convenient Hyoren. Most adventurer are brawn before brain, so this helps a lot of people.”
She then tapped one of her skills. The Bow Mastery glow a bit, then new details appeared.
Bow Mastery lvl 4 : Proficiency 83%.
Active Skill : Charged Arrow, Double Shot.
“Oooh, so this is how you track your skill. So convenient. No wonder no one bother to keep tracking, the tools already did it for them.”
Hyoren handed back the card to her, his face was awed.
"Yes."
Elise took the card. Put it back in her bag.
"Scholars of old already did centuries of research to finally make these magic tools. So the masses can track their progress without frying their brains."
Elise increased her pace again. Hyoren caught up and reached her side. Chin in his hand. Thinking.
"Elise… You said before that elemental magic may be unlocked after we reach Level 3 of Magic Manipulation."
He looked at her.
"Are there other skills which require prerequisites?"
Elise looked to her side—to Hyoren—without breaking her stride.
"Yes. There are plenty of those."
She held up her hand. Counting.
"For example, my Magic Arrow skill. The skill to enchant a weapon with magic. It comes from Level 2 of Magic Manipulation."
She paused.
"For others..."
She started tapping her own chin. Trying to remember.
"Dual Wielding? If I recall correctly, you need any close-ranged weapon skill at Level 3 and Dexterity over 10? Or it was 15?."
She shook her head.
"There are a lot of others. You can check the Guild library yourself later."
They continued walking. The grass swayed around them. The wind blew gently.
The tension in Elise's shoulders was still there. But her stride started to feel more relaxed. And she scanned the surrounding less and less. Relying on her twitching pointed ears to detect danger instead.