Chapter 11: Hero Quest II

Chapter 11: Hero Quest II "Let’s see..." I muttered to myself as I filtered the results by price and practicality, selecting skills that could support my mixed class build—since I could wield both magic and melee, versatility would be my main advantage. After quickly purchasing a few abilities like "Mana Shield" for defense, "Whirlwind Slash" for offense, and a couple of basic elemental spells, I moved on to the next part of my plan. Equipment. Without it, I wouldn’t stand a chance against the field bosses in the Black Forest. I secured the best gear available and then decided to check the miscellaneous list, hoping to find something rare or unknown that could be useful later. Unfortunately, after browsing and cross-referencing the items, I came up empty-handed. Nothing stood out, at least nothing I could exploit that others hadn’t already figured out. Closing the tab, I equipped the Magic Swordsman set I had just purchased. The set consisted of full-body armor, a crown, and a cape. As I donned the armor, it gleamed brightly and fit perfectly—it was rare gear, after all, being sold by the White Phoenix guild. Though not officially recognized in the game yet, the group was already becoming infamous for monopolizing the dungeon where this set dropped. Now, fully armored, I could feel the weight of envious gazes from other players around me. Some admired my gear with wide eyes, while others muttered under their breath, clearly irritated. I even heard someone whisper, "Freakin’ rich brat," but I couldn’t care less. Their jealousy meant nothing to me. Magic Swordsman Set (3/3 Equipped) – Rarity: Rare [Set Bonus Effects] 2/3 Equipped: +20% Physical Defense, +15% Magic Defense 3/3 Equipped: Grants Sword Amplification (+35% damage with swords) and Magic Amplification (+25% magic spell damage) [Item 1] – Magic Swordsman Armor Type: Heavy Armor (Full-body) Rarity: Rare Defense: 450 Magic Resistance: 300 Durability: 750/750 Special Effects: Physical Defense +10% Magic Resistance +5% Reduces all incoming damage by 5% Grants Minor Fire Resistance (+10% resistance to fire damage) [Item 2] – Magic Swordsman Crown Type: Headgear Rarity: Rare Defense: 120 Magic Resistance: 200 Durability: 300/300 Special Effects: Mana Regeneration +5% Focus of the Mind: Increases spell casting speed by 10% Grants Night Vision (Allows clear sight in dark areas) [Item 3] – Magic Swordsman Cape Type: Accessory Rarity: Rare Defense: 100 Magic Resistance : 100 Durability: 200/200 Special Effects: Movement Speed +10%Evasion +5% Grants Wind Cloak (Occasionally dodges one physical or magical attack completely) ] [Skill Notifications] [Fireball learned] Casts a powerful ball of fire, dealing magic damage with a small area of effect. Damage scales with Intelligence. Mana Cost: 50 Cooldown: 5 seconds [Water Blade learned] Summon a blade of water to slash enemies. Effective against fire-based enemies. Damage scales with Intelligence and Dexterity. Mana Cost: 40 Cooldown: 7 seconds [Swift Cut learned] A quick melee strike, dealing physical damage. Scales with Strength and Agility. Stamina Cost : 30 Cooldown: 3 seconds [Vertical Slash learned] Perform a heavy overhead strike with a sword, dealing increased physical damage. High chance to break weaker shields. Stamina Cost: 60 Cooldown: 10 seconds [Magic Missile learned] Launch multiple magic projectiles that seek out enemies. Damage scales with Intelligence. Mana Cost: 70 Cooldown: 8 seconds ] After learning the skills, I lamented the fact that I didn’t manage to get any tamer skills. Tamer is a hidden class, not something easily obtainable like a basic job. Even if someone unlocked it, they wouldn’t sell its skills in the auction, so I wasn’t able to get one. Now, with my newly learned skills and Magic Swordsman set equipped, I decided it was time to train. I needed to get a good feel for how these abilities worked in real combat, and how to make the most of my gear. ______________ Heading out to a nearby training ground, I began testing my skills. First, I summoned Fireball, feeling the heat as the ball of flame formed in my hand. With a quick motion, I threw it at the nearest training dummy, watching it explode into a burst of flames. Next, I swung my sword, testing out Swift Cut and Vertical Slash. Each move felt sharp and precise, the blade cutting through the air faster than I could with my previous equipment. The Water Blade skill followed, materializing a shimmering blade of water in my hand, slicing clean through another target with ease. Finally, I tested Magic Missile, releasing multiple projectiles that homed in on the dummies from a distance. The energy surged as they struck, each one hitting its mark. The precision and versatility of these abilities would be essential for the battles ahead. I continued practicing my skills until I completely exhausted myself. Feeling drained, I sat down to rest and pulled out some food and water from my inventory. In Final Life, maintaining satiety is crucial. Players need to keep their hunger and thirst levels up, or their health will start to drop, and they’ll enter an exhausted state. This can prove fatal during battles, as it greatly weakens combat performance. Most players complained about this feature, finding it tedious and unnecessary. However, the game managers were adamant about keeping it, saying it added more realism and strategy to survival. As I ate, I could feel my energy gradually returning. The game’s system measured everything—hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and even the environment’s impact on your stamina. After finishing my meal, I stretched out, ready to take on the next challenge. The challenge I’m referring to is the Training Center Challenge. Here, you can set records in various skills and earn rewards based on your performance. Afterward, there’s the Rookie Trial in the beginner villages, which grants a random skill based on how you performed during the trial. For example, if you rely heavily on magic, you might receive a mana-related skill. If you focused on swordsmanship, you’d likely get a weapon-based skill. I’m here to grab as many freebies as I can. My goal is to conquer the Training Center challenges and set records in swordsmanship, spearmanship, and archery. These are skills I’ve already honed in real life, so I’m confident I’ll excel. Magic, on the other hand, is an entirely new concept. Since there’s no magic in the real world, I’ll try the magic challenge, but I’m not expecting to break any records there. First up: Swordsmanship. Time to sharpen my skills and set the bar high for other players!