Storm Trial (1)

Noah finished the last set of movements of Winter Style in the gravity chamber.

"Finished for today," lying on the ground heavily breathing he said to himself, "I'm at the edge now, I'll soon be able to reach 'high proficiency of Winter Style."

After it was decided that he wasn't going to run dungeons with the Rose Foxes Noah started training in Winter Style longer in the morning. While the rest of the day was for dungeons. He was back to doing B Class ones, but not as intensely as before. Now that the three top guilds as well as smaller groups like the Rose Foxes were doing B Class dungeons it was harder to find open dungeons. He would do the dungeons further out and lesser-known. Doing one or two a day.

As for dealing with Chris Jhonson, he wasn't going to rush it. The plan needed to be well thought out. The best time to strike would be when the Bou Gala happened in a month. So he was preparing for that slowly on the side.

Noah sat up and walked out of the chamber. He had changed into training clothes and taken off his Silver Deer mask. The gravity chamber wasn't that popular so he didn't have to worry about being seen.

Outside the Gravity Chamber, he wore a normal face mask. The Titan's Training Ground had now become crowded. Everyone across the world would come to the three capital cities to train. This crowd of people was probably nothing compared to the one in EverlastingLight.

EverlatingLight became the best city to start in with Moonlight set in it as well as the Floating Holy Library exclusive to it.

"Since I'm here I might as well give the Secret Hall a try," He had been delaying it for some time. Information on the Secret Hall was available online. Entering it, you would be put to a test for the mastery skill you had learned, if you passed you would be given a reward.

The rewards were enhancers. On passing with an average grade you would get an iron enhancer. With a good grade, you would get a bronze one enhancer. There were higher grades such as very good, excellent and perfect, but no one had gotten to them yet.

This made it unpopular, Its difficulty was too high and its cost doubled in every attempt. It was basically 50 gold for an Iron or bronze rank enhancer when you could buy silver enhancers from the auction house for around 10 gold.

The reason people still tried was the possibility of getting a diamond enhancer if they got a high enough grade. Noah still hadn't added any enhancers to the D Class Firearm Mastery waiting to get the best he could. He had thought the A Class dungeon would drop it, but he only got gold enhancers from it. No choice left he decided to try the Secret Hall.

He walked to the back of the Titan's Training Ground. Up the steps, Noah entered the large open gate into the building. In the darkness heard a ding!

[Do you wish to attempt the test of the Secret Hall for 50 gold?]

"Yes"

Another screen appeared.

[Choose Mastery:

-Sword Mastery

-Firearm Mastery]

He saw both his mastery skills, but sword mastery was greyed out. He still clicked it.

[This skill does not meet the requirement.]

He had read that Mastery skills that didn't have space for enhancers couldn't be used. The trial would directly add the skill instead of giving you a book. Noah then chose Firearm Mastery.

[Welcome to the Storm Trial!

The Titans have graced the humans by giving them access to their sacred test. In it you shall be tested and graded, on completion, you will be rewarded with one of the enhancers created by the Titans.

Rewards for the Firearm Mastery-

Perfect- ???

Excellent- Bullet Storm (Gold)

Very Good- Bullet Storm (Silver)

Good- Bullet Strom (Bronze)

Average- Bullet Storm (Iron)

Failure- None

The trial will start soon...

Good Luck!]

The world turned white.

....

Whoosh!

Bang! Bang!

BOOM! BOOM!

Swish!

Noah's sight filled with a raging dark ocean, the setting to a war. Black clouds as far as the eye could see. He was on one of the hundreds of wooden ships surrounding a giant made of lightning. On each, men stood holding guns and cannons shooting all types of attacks at the natural disaster of a monster.

[Manifestation of Storm]

??? Class

The glowing blue titan stood in the ocean with its torso above the water and its head in the clouds. A lightning spear the size of a skyscraper formed in its hand. It then threw it towards ships attacking it with cannons.

BOOM!

Thunder came after! Noah instinctively moved back but was too slow, arcs of lightning came out from the attack all the way to his ship striking his arm, the rest scorching the wooden deck.

"AHHH!" He heard a shout from his left as a man fell to the ground convulsing because of the lightning. His body then stopped as he died.

Noah had been expecting the attack but he had gotten distracted by the Manifestation of Storm. An unknown Class monster, it was his first time seeing one. He didn't know its level either. Its large size was intimidating but it didn't have the dangerous aura like the Devil Incarnate.

"You! What are you doing?! Continue shooting!" A voice shouted from behind. His voice was loud but was drowned out by the crashing of waves, bangs of guns and the constant thunder roaring. It was pure chaos as ships were destroyed by waves of water or lightning strike from the heavens.

Noah pulled up his arms which held a rifle he wasn't familiar with.

[Mass Produced Rifle]

A simple rifle that shoots basic mana bullets. Made for the use of soldiers in war.

His entire equipment had changed to the same as all the other soldiers on the ship. He shot with the rifle, the bullets hit and did nothing.

'Status Page'

_____

Lv.25

Name: Foot Soldier

Age: 18

Race: Human

Attributes-

[Strength 100] [Agility 100] [Physique 100)] [Intelligence 100] [Willpower 100] [Sense 100] [Mana 100]

Awakened Talents-

Guardian of Love (C++ Class)

Blessed Mind (A+ Class)

Truth Seeker (E Class)

Spatial Sense (A Class)

Genius Martial Combat Body (D+ Class)

Traits-

[Ambidextrous] [Insomnia] [Explorer]

Skills-

<Lv.14 Firearm Mastery (D Class) ~ (6/9)>

[Lv.5 Overdrive (D Class)]

[Lv.5 Air Bubble Shield (D Class)]

[Lv.5 Lightning Resistence (E Class)]

_____

[Lv.5 Overdrive]

Boost the performance of a machine by 50% for five minutes.

cooldown: 5 minutes

[Lv.5 Air Bubble Shield]

Form a strong bubble shield that is good at blocking water attacks.

Cast time: 10 seconds

cooldown: 10 minutes

[Lv.5 Lightning Resistence]

A passive skill derived from the high ranking Lightning Cloak skill for mass production. Increases resistance to lightning by 25%.

His level had changed, his attributes were all a hundred and he had new skills. His Awakened talents, traits and the Mastery skill he was testing had remained the same. This was something that all people who entered the trial faced. Everyone would be given the same equipment and skills.

He had bought a guide for the Firearm Mastery trial on earth so he knew most of what would happen. Till now everything he had seen was exactly what it said.

Noah moved back slowly as he shot. The other man shooting with him saw this, "Where are you going?!"

Seeing that he was caught Noah ran, "the rifles aren't doing anything, I'll use the canon instead."

"You-"

Noah couldn't hear the rest as he ran into the ship and down the stairs. Through Spatial Sense, he knew that only he and that man were left alive on board.

In the hull of the ship, he found large storage boxes filled with various items. He opened his inventory, it had 15 spaces with three takes by health potions, mana potions and a diary. He filled one square with a crate of magic crystals, another with a large sniper-like gun and the last with a small wooden boat.

With these he ran back up, the other man was still shooting. Noah went up the stairs on the deck that led to a canon. He sat down and dropped the crate full of crystals next to himself.

[D Class Firearm Mastery has met the condition. You may use the Magic Crystal Canon.]

This was something he had learned in the guide. The person who wrote hadn't been able to use it since they didn't have D Class Firearm Mastery but they had mentioned it.

Overdrive! The canon had a red glow cover it as its performance increased. Loading a crystal in, Noah aimed and shot.

BANG!

He loaded another, shooting again. Blasts resounded as he hit.

"Stop! You'll attract its attention and kill us!" The man shouted seeing Noah attack.

Noah continued shooting. He wanted to see as far as he could go. He believed the man since only a few ships were actually shooting with canons and those were the strong metallic ones that could take the hits. All others only had soldiers attacking with rifles.

The Manifestation of Storm looked in their direction. Feeling the danger Noah immediately aborted. He put all the strength he could muster into his legs and shot back off the ship.

Crackling lightning came down turning his vision white midair. The ship exploded as he fell into the cold water.

BOOSH! BOOM!

bloop!

Bubbles floated up as his body sank. He quickly swam back up knowing the water was dangerous to stay in. Grabbing a piece of wood he stayed afloat. He opened his inventory and took out the boat he had taken.

Hump! He pulled himself up and fell in with a thud. He hadn't gotten hit but he was still in the blast zone, his ears were running from how loud the attack was. He took out a healing potion and chugged it.

He pushed his wet hair back, stopping them from covering his face as he lay on the boat. He then took out the gun he had taken.

[Mini Mana Railgun]

A strong weapon that does a high amount of damage. Has significant recoil and requires high skill to use.

20/20 chances left before needing to be recharged.

Overdrive! Noah activated again, he started shooting. As he did this he used the rest of his mana to control its movements.

Purple lasers flashed out, along the way they bent and hit directly at the crystal on the Manifestation of Storm's chest. It was difficult to aim in rough waters, so he had to use bullet rebounds to make sure they hit.

His mana drained as he tried to keep the boat from overturning, he took out a mana potion and drank it, then continued.

The Manifestation of Storm roared out. The raining clouds thundered, as the giant smashed its hands into the water. Tall waves formed around it, rising dozens of meters upwards. They then fell swallowing all the ships around.

Noah couldn't control the boat as it was sucked up the wave, "Air Bubble Shield." Noah cast as he braced for impact.

Whoosh!

The water fell on as he was pushed off the boat. He was moving with speed in the water but remained uninjured. He just had no control over himself. It was a while later that he slowed enough. The Air Bubble Shield brought him up and popped.

"I'm too far out now," Noah was now under a peaceful blue sky, the stormy clouds were far in the distance, he didn't know how long it would take him to go back.

"I guess I'll start swimming," just as he did sharks surrounded him, circling around him in the blue water.

"The guide did warn of other monsters," Noah took out the rifle he had put away. Overdrive, Rapid Shots, bullets came out from his out rifle like it was a machine gun. Their paths bent as they hit all the sharks surrounding him. One injured shark got too close and bite his arm. Noah brought the rifle to its head, Bang!

"I need to get this Overdrive skill, it works amazing with guns and machines," Noah took out another healing potion. The trial had given quite a few. Continuing his swim Noah saw a ship collecting people who had washed out till here.

It came in his direction, he grabbed the rope they lowered and pulled himself up. On its deck, tens of other soldiers stood.

"We've reached full capacity, let's charge back into battle!" The captain shouted. The ship blasted in the direction of the Manifestation of Storm.

The thunder struck their ears again. The Manifestation of Storm raised its hands sending winds out. Water started rising from the ocean, spinning, eventually turning to thick water sprouts wreaking havoc among the human navy.

"Ready the Harpoons!" The captain of the ship shouted. People went and loaded a harpoon in the canon of the ship.

"Shoot!" With his command, all the other ships did the same. Hundreds of harpoons connected to ropes hit the Manifestation of Strom restricting its movement.

"Activate the sealing ray!" The captain shouted again.

Purple energy climbed up the ropes connected to the harpoons and stopped the giant from moving.

Noah then saw a battleship have a canon come out of it. Energy collected as it shot a thick beam of energy straight through the crystal of the Manifestation of Storm.

The world turned black.

[Well done human, you have completed the Trial!

You have completed task: Survive till the end

Grade: Very Good

Do you wish to proceed to the reward or try again for 100 gold? (Once the reward is taken you will not be able to enter the trial again)]

Noah looked at the screen in the darkness and thought. The information he had gotten from the guide was reliable. It was just that after using the canon he had gone through a whole other path. In the end, the task he completed was the same, but the person who wrote the guide got a good grade.

If he accepted he would get the Silver enhancer Bullet Storm.

"Try Again," He had done restricting himself with the guide as a reference, now he wanted to do it the way he would have done it.