Luck (1)

Chapter 24: Luck (1)

Richard was a newbie helper who had seen a lot of people.

Although he had met players similar to Jake, not many were as sane as him. It could have been said that those people couldn't balance their flaws and advantages, which Jake seemed perfectly aware of.

For instance, Richard could tell that Jake's plan to reach The Unconquerable Mountain was absurd. Even the craziest players wouldn't go for it, as it took way too long to finish. Even if the incentive behind it was the strength and dexterity stat increase beyond what quests offered, it was not worth spending this much time on the tutorial island.

In fact, it would be better to clear the entire island through available routes instead, which nearly all diligent and serious players had done.

Jake, however, found as many uses for his plan to hone himself into the best archer. It worked pretty well so far.

If Jake's friends were asked about this balance, they would have pointed out that Jake had abstained from playing the game when it was released. This showed his awareness of his flaw and his measures to control it.

After so many experiences, Jake understood himself well.

That said, he couldn't tame the balance in question.

Staying in the corner of the wolf boss's nest, Richard witnessed Jake's twentieth attempt at killing the boss using only his soldier's stance.

The young adult's form was splendid, and even Richard had come to respect it from the bottom of his heart, but that alone was not enough against the wolf boss. Jake had to move, switch the angle, or at least try to somehow protect himself.

Yet, he didn't…

When Jake died again, Richard sighed and returned to the wooden cabin.

An hour later, Jake returned to the game world. He respawned on the same spot he had first arrived in the fantasy world and clenched his hands, his face twisting into a bestial countenance.

He was about to go for blood, but Richard stopped him.

"Why won't you try to stop him in any way?" Richard asked.

Jake glanced at him and shook his head, "Can't go for that. The arrow bones seem to work well, and I just need to find that perfect angle to kill him with consecutive and heavy five critical strikes."

During his Joker Battle, Jake hadn't used the bone arrows because he didn't feel he could make them right yet. 

His loss against the wolf boss prompted him to finish that project. He now could produce wooden arrows with bone arrowheads made from the wolf boss' bones, which he called arrow bones.

It was fine to use them, but nothing else in the soldier stance…

Richard was curious as to why Jake would think like that… "You refuse to make any traps yet are fine with the bone arrows… where's the logic?"

Jake explained, "An arrow and a bow make us archers. It's an irremovable part of my path… but traps and anything else can wait."

Jake no longer bothered with Richard. He went down the slope and entered the forest, then mercilessly made his way to the wolf boss while destroying the monster's kin with everything he had.

Richard sighed, "I can see his point of not using Odin. He doesn't want to rely on his summon in case Odin is unavailable. Traps are different as he can make them... so if he adds them to his soldier stance, it will still be only his strength. Where is the problem?"

It could have been said that Richard was going against his deepest wish.

After all, the more Jake stubbornly fought the boss, the more he would stay on the tutorial island.

The problem was that Jake hadn't really progressed. Other than perfecting his wooden and bone arrows, he had thrown his schedule to the bin and focused only on getting the boss in the soldier stance.

That unnatural diligence and stubbornness had now mixed into a fatal flaw.

Richard sincerely wanted the best for his friend, so he couldn't stand Jake wasting so much potential and time.

Sometime later, Jake respawned again.

"Archer," Richard called him sternly, "Sit down and listen to me."

A genuine anger and frustration could have been heard in Richard's voice, causing Jake to give in to the older man's request. 

They sat down on the log by the bonfire, and each looked at the dancing flames of the tongue.

Richard said, "What you are doing is just wrong."

"Joker succeeded, so—" Jake interjected, only to get a strong slap on the back.

Richard continued, "We've talked about it! Only Joker had a chance of winning against the wolf boss! Archer, what you are doing is now simply relying on luck! You don't innovate at all! It would have been great if you made more than bone arrows, but you're so stubborn you're hurting yourself and me! If you make traps, it will be part of your style. Soldiers use traps, too, in case you didn't know…"

"Joker didn't use any traps… just arrows and bows…" Jake whispered.

Richard glanced at him as though his friend was an idiot… "And Joker has acrobatics and fast movement, while soldier doesn't…"

At this point, Richard believe he'd seen through Jake's main problem. 

For some reason, the young man believed he had to accomplish the wolf boss' conquest in the same way in every stance. Which meant that if Joker used only a bow and arrows, Soldier had to do the same.

Only that difficult experience would enable Jake to become even stronger, or so he thought.

Richard said, "Oh, you can get foolish sometimes."

Jake only looked down.

Richard faintly smiled. He had already imagined Jake stubbornly attacking his enemies to squeeze as much experience from them as possible, but he had never imagined that this stubbornness could bite him like that.

As a newbie helper, he gently explained again, "It's all luck now. You're only relying on luck because the boss still has a similar level to you and stats. He can kill you in a few precise attacks and can get so easy to you since you just focus on the soldier's stance. I'll repeat it—luck. It's all luck! Can you control your luck, Archer?"

Jake thought for a while before standing up and saying, "Yeah."

Richard face palmed himself.

This man was more stubborn than he thought!