Learning How to Fight the Hard Way

I strolled out of the city gates with my new sword in my hands.

I looked at its stats again.

[Old Iron Sword - ATK 5]

[Item description: This sword was crafted by a skilled blacksmith out of ordinary iron. It is a sturdy and reliable blade that has served its owner well in many battles but now is old and worn out.]

It's nothing fancy, but it's my sword!

But then I stopped and looked at it again.

So how do you use this thing? I had never held a real sword in my hands before. Now that I think about it, I should have stayed back at the adventurers guild and trained with the instructors for a bit.

Although I'm not interested in the classes they offer, they also train you to use different weapons. The guild apparently started doing this to prevent excessive deaths among young adventurers.

I'm used to fighting in games, but the avatars already know how to fight. All you need to do is click a button, but this...

Yeah, I should probably head back. But if I go back now, I won't get to see how it looks outside.

I think I will go just for a bit to get a peek and then go right back. Yeah, that should be fine!

I gathered my courage and continued forward.

There were huge walls enclosing the whole city, made of yellowish rock and at least thirty meters high. In front of them was a big expanse of grassy plains as far as the eye could see. Right through them led the main road full of people.

Merchants with big wagons loaded with goods are protected by groups of adventurers rushing to the city to make it before night. There were also many players strolling along the way or heading to the plains. I could see the outline of a forest in the distance.

I joined the crowd and proceeded forward. I still had at least four hours before the gates closed for the night. I wanted to make the most of it and explore as much as I could.

I walked across the grassy plains, and the farther I got from the city, the fewer people were around. But I could still see an occasional player in the distance. I walked up a slight hill, and from there I could see something.

A pig.

A lone pig was snooping around with his nose in the ground not far from here.

Should I try to fight it?

It is just a pig; it shouldn't be too difficult, right?

I cautiously came closer. It didn't notice me yet. I got closer and closer until I was standing right next to its back. I gripped the sword tightly and slashed at the pig with all my strength.

The sword connected to the pig's skin and made a deep gash.

The pig squeaked loudly and jumped up. I quickly stepped back. The pig turned around, and two small eyes pointed straight at me.

I think it's mad now.

Before I could figure out how to fight it, it was already charging straight at me. I jumped out of its way at the last moment and rolled on the ground. I quickly got up just to see the pig turning around again. Its tusks were pointing at me menacingly. This is a lot harder than I thought!

It charged at me again, but this time I managed to point my sword at it. It was also bleeding from his wound all this time, which made its second charge a little bit slower, which also helped me a lot.

I jumped out of the way again, but this time I slashed my sword down its neck. Another strike. But the skin is so tough!

This went on for some time. My lack of experience prevented me from making a decisive strike. But still, the wounds slowly accumulated until the pig lost too much blood and fell into the grass, gasping heavily.

I cautiously approached, making sure to stay away from its tusks, and pierced it with the sword. The pig let out one last squeak and then became silent while its legs still twitched slightly.

[Congratulations! You have slain a Wild Boar level 2, Exp. +2]

I gasped for air. My stamina was all but gone.

I did it!

But all I get is a measly 2 exp? Does this mean I have to kill 50 pigs just to get to level 2?

The corpse shimmered with white light and then disappeared, leaving behind a tusk and a big piece of meat.

I was happy to kill my first monster, but then I froze.

I'm so dumb! I forgot to buy a bag or something. How do I take all this meat back without an inventory?

I need to stop thinking about this like any other game. Since it's not. I will have to leave the meat behind and only take the tusk. But never mind, I have learned my lesson, and next time I will be prepared.

Full of resolve, I headed back to the city. But as I returned to the main road, I saw them.

Three goblins stood before me. They appeared out of nowhere. They also blocked my way back to the city, so I had no choice but to fight them if I wanted to return.

They had big grins on their ugly faces and their beady eyes fixed on me.

There's no other option but to fight. I cursed silently at my stupid decision to leave the city without proper preparation. But now there is nothing left but to fight. I either win or die; there's nothing more to it. I gripped my sword tightly and then ran straight at them...

***

I lay in the bloody grass. Three dead goblins lay beside me. I was totally exhausted. My body was battered, and I had several cuts, but thanks to my armor, nothing serious. They even made the pain feel too real. I wonder what else players could do here...

I really need to learn how to fight with a sword. If someone observed this fight, they would laugh their asses off. The goblins didn't know how to control their crude weapons either, but what they lacked in skill they supplemented with pure savagery.

I, on the other hand, just waved my sword around like a stick. Luckily, it somehow worked. But only because the goblins were half my size and I had a much larger reach. My stamina recovered a little bit, and I finally had time to look at the notifications.

[Congratulations! You have slain a Goblin Scout level 1, Exp. +1]

[Congratulations! You have slain a Goblin Scout level 2, Exp. +2]

[Congratulations! You have slain a Goblin Scout level 1, Exp. +1]

They must have thought I would be an easy pick. Well, look who is laughing now? Before I left, I needed to gather proof of kill for the Adventurers Guild. I didn't forget about my quest. Although, if I knew how hard it would be, I would never pick it up. I'm sure there are plenty of dead players cursing the difficulty on the forums right now.

I used the sword to cut off their ears and stuff them inside my pocket. Ugh, gross! What must an adventurer do to earn dinner...

When I returned to the adventurer's guild, it was already getting dark outside.

I turned in my quest and was given 15 copper coins for it. The tusk was also sold for another 3 coppers.

In total, my little afternoon stroll earned 18 copper coins.

There were 100 copper coins for 1 silver coin and 100 silver coins for 1 gold coin.

Now that I look at it, isn't the price of everything too high and the income too low? How are players supposed to make money if they don't want to risk their lives constantly?

I was too tired to think about it right now, so I went to look for an inn to spend the night at.

Technically, you can log off wherever you want, with the exception of being in combat or a dungeon, but if you don't log off while lying in bed in a safe zone, you won't recover your health and stamina, and you also need to sleep once every few days or you will get nasty debuffs and eventually, you will die.

I found an inn recommended to me by the guild clerk. It is supposed to cater to adventurers and offers fair prices.

I stepped through the inn door, exhausted and covered in sweat and dirt. The scent of roasted meats and ale wafted through the air, making my stomach rumble with hunger.

It was clear that this inn was a place for adventurers—the walls were adorned with weapons and armor, and the patrons were a rough bunch, swapping stories of their latest battles and boasting of their prowess.

As I approached the bar, the innkeeper looked up and nodded greetings. "What can I get you?" he asked, wiping down a mug with a rag.

"Food and a single room," I replied, my voice hoarse.

The innkeeper nodded and said, "That will be 12 coppers."

I handed him the coins; I was too exhausted to bother about the price. The innkeeper set to work, disappearing into the kitchen to fetch a plate of steaming food. I took a seat at the bar and looked around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the inn.

Adventurers of all shapes and sizes sat at nearby tables, nursing drinks and laughing raucously. I could feel the adrenaline from the fight slowly leaving my body.

The innkeeper returned with a heaping plate of roasted meats and vegetables and a tankard of ale. I eagerly dug in, savoring the rich flavors and feeling the warmth of the food spread through my body. It was just what I needed after the grueling battle I had just faced.

After eating, I went upstairs to my room. The bed was comfortable, and the linens were clean. I jumped straight into bed with relief.

I clicked the button to log off and let my consciousness drift off.