Tutorial.7

I thanked once again for my enhanced senses and told the group what I had heard. Everyone was relieved, and after just five more minutes, we made our way to the top of a hill and spotted a small river running just below. It was tiny, only a few meters wide, and the depth didn't go beyond our ankles, but a source of fresh water is a source of fresh water.

Quickly, we found a clearing a little further down the river, and everyone settled on the grass. For the first time since the start of this tutorial, we finally relaxed – everyone resting, except for me, who was sitting with my quiver in hand.

I conjured more arrows along the way, but I began to feel a headache. A symptom of low mana, it seemed, as my mana had dropped to 11/120. My stamina still looked good, at 116/140. The maximum had increased by 10 due to the point in endurance I received from leveling up in my class. Looking at my stats, I was reminded once again of my 4 unallocated free points.

The biggest challenge in the previous fight had been my ability to deal damage. Against small targets, my arrows dealt higher damage, and I could aim for vital points. But, like the boar, large creatures were simply too big to be affected by small arrows.

There were weak points, like when I hit the eye, but the other weak points were usually protected. I needed my entire quiver of arrows to take down a large pig, and that was with help. But I wasn't sure if boosting some stats in strength or agility would somehow enable me to deal serious damage. There was simply too much fur, skin, flesh, and muscle to get through before hitting any organs.

Saving the points also seemed like a waste. After thinking for a while, I decided to put 1 point into strength, 1 into agility, and 2 into perception, just following my class distribution. Looking at my stats, not much had changed, except for the points from a single level-up and the free points.

Stats:

Strength: 15

Agility: 16

Endurance: 14

Vitality: 13

Mana: 11

Wisdom: 12

Intelligence: 12

Perception: 22

Willpower: 10

Free Points: 0

Looking around, I realized I wasn't the only one checking their menu screens. The conversation started soon after, everyone happy to finally have some minimum level of safety. No one spoke to me, which was fine, as I was just content to listen.

Everyone had managed to gain a single level in their race and class with the boar's death, it seemed, with Xavier even getting two in his class. He had already gained a level in his class from the first fight with the badgers, but his contribution against the boar seemed to yield a lot.

After relaxing for about 20 minutes, the peace was broken when Lucas stood up, asking the group not to waste what was left of the daylight. Dividing up tasks, we started gathering firewood, checking the perimeter, and collecting materials to maybe make some basic tools. Evan had the idea of grabbing some of the vines lying around and maybe making an improvised rope. The vines were very thin, but quite strong, and could be woven together.

The perimeter check fell to me, and I ended up killing two more badgers that were lurking in the bushes outside the clearing. They were only level two, didn't give any levels, and only 4 PC. Not having enough mana to recharge all my arrows, Wyatt gave me some of his arrows to fill my quiver. After that, he started using his own mana to conjure more, effectively acting as a mobile arrow factory.

This also gave me the chance to ask Wyatt for tips related to archery and combat in general. Although even I was surprised by my own level of combat competence, I was more than confident and willing to offer advice on how to handle a bow. I had tried to become a professional when I was younger, though I didn't exactly go around bragging about it, mainly because I had to give up that dream due to an injury, leaving a small mental scar.

I showed the proper forms, advised on how to aim, the right movements when drawing arrows from the quiver, nocking them correctly, drawing the bow, and finally releasing the arrow, all in one fluid motion. Wyatt, by my side, tried to keep up with the movements while asking a question here and there.

Around us, everyone was busy trying to make at least a functional camp, and Henrry volunteered to try skinning and preparing the two badgers I had killed, which were lurking around the edges of the clearing. His goal was to make them suitable for cooking.

Wyatt and I were left alone with our own shenanigans, spending hours practicing with the bows. As I thought about all my knowledge on how to use a bow while teaching Wyatt, I was pleasantly surprised when the system suddenly gave me a notification.

Skill Improved: [Basic Fatal Shot (Lower)] – A Fatal Shot's best friend is the bow in your hand and the arrow in your enemy's heart. Unlocks basic proficiency with bows, crossbows, and adds a tiny bonus to agility and strength effects when using a ranged weapon.

[Advanced Archery (Common)] – A Fatal Shot's best friend is the bow in your hand and the arrow in your enemy's heart. Demonstrates enhanced proficiency with a bow, making the weapon even more familiar to you. Adds a smaller bonus to the effect of agility and strength when using a ranged weapon.

The bonus effect on the stats shifted from tiny to small, though I still had no idea how significant the effect would be. My bow didn't feel any more familiar than before, perhaps because I already felt very comfortable with it.

Wyatt, although he hadn't received any skill improvement, still showed significant progress in his abilities. While it was certainly getting darker, there was still plenty of sunlight left in the day, and preparations for dinner were far from ready.

I still had a few things I wanted to test. I looked at Wyatt while thinking about what to do, then had a brilliant idea.

"AH! For God's sake, that hurts!" I growled after being hit by yet another arrow.

"Alexander, are you sure about this?" Wyatt asked, genuinely wondering if I was really a masochist. I had been shooting padded arrows, with blunt arrowheads wrapped in cloth, at myself for almost three hours. The cloth came from my own jacket, which I had been wearing under my cloak the entire time.

"Yeah, just give me a second," I said as I prepared once more. I had wrapped the torn sleeve of my jacket around my eyes, acting as a blindfold.

"Are you sure this is doing anything? Well, I guess it's good practice for me, but..." Wyatt said, murmuring the last part. My plan was pretty straightforward. I would have Wyatt shoot arrows at me while blindfolded, and I would try to react to them without relying on sight.

Although I had some doubts about the validity of my own plan to begin with, I had made progress throughout the training session. At first, I would only flinch milliseconds before the arrows hit me, but now I could at least react and attempt to dodge the arrows before they struck me.

"Keep shooting the arrows, I can feel them!" I said, still suffering but also very optimistic.

I had been wondering about my strange senses ever since I arrived at this tutorial. Somehow, I "knew" the large boar was moving through the bushes before I even saw or heard the beast. In fact, saying I knew might have been a bit too strong a word. I just had a vague sense that a great danger was approaching.

In combat, I really didn't think much for myself, I just went with the flow. I still had full control over my body, of course, but sometimes it felt like my brain couldn't keep up with what my body was doing. My instincts. I just did what felt most natural in the moment. And the results spoke for themselves.

That's how I got the idea for this kind of practice. I wanted to train my senses and understand exactly what was happening to me and why it seemed like I had a new sixth sense. I suspected it had something to do with Fatal Shot or maybe was related to my perception stat, but Wyatt didn't have the same experiences I did.

With the large boar, I felt it coming toward me as soon as I started climbing the tree. My logical mind then took over, concluding that the boar would hit the tree, which allowed me to strengthen my grip and avoid falling.

At the start of the impromptu practice session, Wyatt had thrown small twigs and cloth-wrapped stones at me. I barely felt anything before they hit me. I could even sense that something was coming toward me, but not the speed or where it would hit. And it was already too late to react.

After much frustration and reflection, I asked if Wyatt could throw a stone that wasn't wrapped in cloth. This time, I felt it vividly before it hit me, and even more so when it actually struck me.

I ended up with a nice blue bruise from that. Wyatt apologized profusely afterward, and I reassured him, convincing him to go back to the cloth-wrapped arrows. They still hurt like crazy, but at least they didn't cause any real damage. Well, I had lost a few health points, but it was almost imperceptible, and they were regenerating quite quickly.

Throughout the session, I felt the improvement more and more, and I realized I was getting a little closer to being able to grab something. I had a much clearer sense that something was about to hit me than when I first started. It still wasn't enough of a sensation to react properly, though.

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