One Fist, At Sufficient Velocity (Crosspost from SB)

[Fullyautomagic]

Please allow me to use to next 20 posts to bring this thread up to speed.

This is being posted to both SB and SV, but please only vote on one site.

Original Thread: Fist of the Space Battler! (Dragon Ball Quest)

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity

A DBZ Inspired Quest

Character Creation​

You're currently studying under the guidance of a master of martial arts, deep within the mountains of Eastern Tieffa. This is because of a rather convoluted series of events that you had been forced to go through over the past few weeks. The situation is much more complex, but here's a little summary that will hopefully explain things: [1]

[ ] You are an orphan, and have been living on the streets of Tieffa City for most of your short life. Things have been slowly getting worse and worse over the years as the war intensifies, and you've noticed that some of your fellow street urchins have been getting conscripted en masse and tossed into the grinder that is fighting against Siimaria. You wished to avoid this fate, and ended up fleeing into the mountains. Things went a bit sideways and you were eventually found by your master, nearly dead from dehydration. He took you in, nursed you back to health, and decided he'd take you on as an apprentice. (+Speed, +Durability)

[ ] You've always wanted to become a hero, to rise above your enemies and protect those you love and your people! Unfortunately, you've always been weaker than those the same age as you, to the point where you're unsure the government would even take you on as a soldier. To remedy this, you decided to seek out one of the hermits of Eastern Tieffa and convince them to teach you! Shockingly, you didn't get lost and managed to actually find one! At first he was unsure, but he saw something inside you that convinced him you were a worthy student. (+Ki Control, +Skill)

[ ] As a second child of minor nobility, you weren't exactly considered important by your family, and you were mostly tossed by the wayside in favor of your older sibling. Well, you decided you didn't need your family! As a member of nobility you could become a Knight, all you had to do was become strong enough to qualify! (+Ki Output, +Strength)

"[2], get over here! Breakfast is ready!" called your master.

[ ] Boy
[ ] Girl

Your master was… an odd fellow. He was neither a Tieffa, nor a Siimarian. Instead, he was some strange being that looked similar, but rather than the Red, Purple, Gold, or Silver skin you knew both Tieffa and Siimarians had, he had a light-pink tone to his skin. He didn't even have horns!

Nonetheless, you knew he was strong, and that by training under him you could be strong too!

-=-=-=-=-
A/N: If you wish to toss in an option for the name in your post as well, you may do so now.​

 

[Fullyautomagic]

Name: Macco Béchamel
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Race: Tieffa
-Battle Power: 22
--Ki Capacity: 54.5
--Ki Output (+): 4.9
--Ki Control: 2.5
--Strength (+): 22.32
--Speed: 18.86
---Reaction: 9.43
--Durability: 14.15
---HP: 141/141
---Stamina: 70.75
--Skill: 6.8

Attribute Points: 4.5

Abilities: (Reserve Mastery: .4)

Spoiler: Yanhuo! (Mastery: 2.5/2.5)

--Ki Control Requirement: 2.5
--Ki Needed: 5
--Effect: Dazzle (1 Turn), 3 Damage per Turn (1d4 Turns)

Spoiler: Ki Rejuvenation (Mastery: 2.5/2.5)

--Ki Control Requirement: 2.5
--Ki Needed: 5
--Effect: Gain 7.5 Stamina

Spoiler: Ki Enhancement: Strength

--Ki Control Requirement (Mastery): 5
--Ki Cost: 10
--Effect: Strength is increased by 15 (7.5 with current Ki Control) for 3 turns

Spoiler: Wild Weapon Whirlwind I

Accuracy Bonus: 13.6 (2.00*Skill (Max: 30))
Evasion Bonus: 13.2 (.70*Speed (Max: 30))
Weapon Blow:
-Stamina Cost: 8
-Speed Rating: 8
-Damage/Max Damage: 19 (Weapon Quality * Strength)
--Max Damage: 50
Parry:
-Stamina Cost: 6
-Reaction Rating: 6
-Damage Reduction: 7.075 (.50 * Durability)
--Max Damage Reduction: 12.75 (15 * Weapon Quality)

Equipment:
-10,135 Denars
-Running Shoes: +5% to Speed Training Results
-1x Grade II Ration Pill
-1x Flame Ant Spear (Weapon Quality: .85, +20% Damage to Armored Enemies)
-2x High Quality Carapaces
-1x Flame Ant Pearl
-1x Frost Fang Pelt
-2x Frost Fang Claws

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ-Inspired Quest
Character Creation part 2

​

Despite not being much cared for by his parents, the child wasn't quite used to the labor his master, Cohen, was making him go through. He was still a member of nobility after all, and used to having servants dress him, bathe him, and prepare every meal! Yet, he was gladdened by the fact that his master was letting him be so independent. In fact, he even let him explore the surrounding mountainside without any supervision whatsoever!

As the spare of the family, he'd almost never been allowed to go outside, but under his new master he could do as he pleased ...as long as he returned home in time for training.

And what training it was. He'd never experienced such frustration and exhaustion as he had in the past few weeks, being pushed to the point where he almost felt like giving up entirely. But he knew he couldn't do that, not when he'd run away from home in an effort to make something of himself! Instead, he focused his frustrations towards getting to a point where the issues plaguing him would no longer be a bother.

He'd been having a particularly hard time with [1], and decided that it'd be his primary focus for the next few weeks.

-[ ] his swiftness (Bonus to next Training Action for Speed)
-[ ] his ki control (Bonus to next Training Action for Ki Control)
-[ ] his stamina (Bonus to next Training Action for Ki Capacity)
-[ ] his ability to take a hit (Bonus to next Training Action for Durability)
-[ ] his sparring skills (Bonus to next Training Action for Skill)

Cohen had been sitting down in front of the temple when the child returned with the buckets of water he'd sent him to retrieve, and gave a smile as the boy handed them off to him. "You're getting stronger, much strong. In fact, I've begun to question whether you want to keep on improving your physical attributes.

The child blinked at that, and said, "What do you mean? Of course I wanna keep getting stronger!"

The old master chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair, much to said boy's chagrin, "That much is quite clear, but what I meant to ask is whether that's something you wish to continue focusing on. You'll keep improving of course, but I've been watching you closely. I know you're very excited to learn some flashier techniques... but you don't have the foundations to master even the most basic ones."

The child frowned at that and said, "But I thought stuff like ki blasts and making yourself stronger were easy to learn?"

Cohen nodded his agreement, but clarified further, "Those are indeed simple... for adults or children that have been trained from birth to do so. While you are quite talented, you've been pampered most of your life. Rather than heading directly into it, you need to complete a few preliminary exercises and study the mechanics of ki itself."

Seeing the boy's disappointment, he let out a small sigh and lead him inside, easily carrying the buckets and setting them next to a pot by the fireplace, "Tell me, do you know what Battle Power is?"

Unlike most noble children, Cohen's new student wasn't very much into the radio serials or magazines that displayed the exploits of heroes and proclaimed the supremacy of Battle Power in combat, instead having only ready vague descriptions from historical texts or other books that assumed you already knew what it was, "Um, that's how strong you are, right?"

Cohen gave him a surprised stare, "I suppose... that is technically correct, but Battle Power is much more complex than that. It is a combination of several factors, including your physical might, the harm you're able the endure, the swiftness with which you can move, and how deep your reserves of ki are."

The old master walked over to one of the cabinets lining the temple wall and pulled out what looked like a strange green-tinted monocle. He tapped the side of the strange device and gave the boy a quick lookover, "Hmm, you have a Battle Power of about 10. An average adult would have a rating of 25, which is around the point you can begin mastering some of the more basic ki abilities."

The child thought that over for a bit and gave an annoyed pout, "Does this mean I'm gonna have to wait until I'm an adult to do anything cool?"

Cohen laughed at that and said, "Oh no, my young student. There's a reason I've been making you do all these menial tasks, they have helped to increase your physical aptitude and in turn worked to increase your Battle Power. Though so far I've only been testing you to make sure you can handle the more intense training. If you think the past few weeks have been tiring, they are nothing compared to what you will soon face."

The boy gave him a shaky grin and said, "I'll get through it or my name isn't [2]!"

-[ ] Bavetto
-[ ] Cappelino
-[ ] Macco
-[ ] Rotello
-[ ] Shirataki
-[ ] Udon

Cohen grinned at that and said, "Then tell me, what do you wish to train in first?"

(Pick three Training Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ Inspired Quest
Character Creation Part 3

​

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan what I'm good at
-[x] his ki control (Bonus to next Training Action for Ki Control)
-[x] Macco
-[x] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[X] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[x] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)

At first, Macco was unsure about the training Cohen was putting him through. Sure, he understood why it made sense to do physical labor if you wanted to improve your body, but he had no idea what the use of meditation was! Yeah, he'd read about how it was good for clearing one's mind... but why did he have to clear his mind to learn martial arts?

Well, it turned out Cohen actually had a very good reason for having him meditate, and that reason what to give Macco a bit of an idea of what exactly ki was and where it came from. Once he understood the origins of it within himself, he could start experimenting with his inner energies, stretching it further to affect distant objects or compressing it into a more powerful form. Of course, these terms were relative, but at least all this let him know what he needed to do if he wanted to start improving.

An interesting side effect of his practice with manipulating ki was his burgeoning ability to sense it outside of himself, particularly that of his sensei. Cohen was... powerful, there were simply no other words for the might he felt radiating from the elderly man.

Rather than intimidate him, it only motivated Macco further, him knowing that he could catch up to his master if he put all his effort into training. And oh, try he did. In fact, he did much better than he'd ever dreamed of!

(Ki Control Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.25 = 10 * 1.25 Crit! x2 Multiplier = Total Progress: 25, +2.5 Ki Control)

Sitting in the river was excellent for practicing ki control, because in addition to feeling out his internal flow, he could also use the physical sensation of the river warping around him as an example for how he should be using his ki. Rather than trying to force it through obstructions, he let it fill the area and go through cracks how it wanted to, corroding the blocks and eventually allow it to flow more freely.

-0-0-Valley Town-0-0-​

(Strength Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.2 = 8 *1.2 = Total Progress: 9.6, +.96 Strengthl)
(Ki Capacity Training Roll: 1d10 = 2 = Total Progress: 2, +2 Ki Capacity)

Macco spoke to Cohen about earning a bit of money to help upgrade the dojo a bit, and while Cohen wasn't too comfortable with it, he did accept that Macco was used to a much higher standard of living, and thus he recommended he try carving some ice from the mountain tops as he practiced his meditations and then take that ice down to a nearby valley to sell to some townsfolk.

"...do you really think they'll buy ice?" Macco asked, giving his master a doubtful stare.

Cohen nodded and only caused Macco to press further, "But... they live here! Why would they buy ice from me if they could just climb up and grab some themselves!"

Cohen gave a snort and said, "They have tried, but there are several beasts that live among these mountaintops, powerful ones that could slay a fully-grown man with a single swipe."

Macco blinked and asked, "Then why haven't I seen any? I mean, I've been up here for a few weeks already. You'd think that if there were monsters, they'd have already tried going after me."

His master smiled back and said, "Ah, but those same monsters know that you are my student. Over the past few decades they've learned well that attacking myself or anything associated with me will result in a swift destruction."

Macco shuddered at his master's words and simply nodded, "Alright then, I'll try bringing some down to sell. Is there anything you want me to pick up in town?"

Cohen smiled once more and brought out a list of spices and herbs that he said had been running low.

Macco gave him a small salute and charged out to face the mountains of Tieffa!

...somehow he didn't do quite well. He was rather distracted during his meditations, and while he did feel they benefited him, he also felt that he could've done much better.

Regardless, he quickly got to work gathering together the purest ice he could find and slapping it onto a sleigh Cohen had laying around. Once that was done with, he marched down along the mountainside, humming to himself as he made his way past obstacles and over hidden holes without a care in the world.

He gave the world a wide grin upon reaching the village, happy to finally be back in at least some form of civilization. After asking around a bit, he was eventually informed that the local tavern would be more than willing to take the ice off his hands.

He went over and spoke for a while with the owner, eventually negotiating a price that everyone was happy with. The tavern owner had a block of ice he could use to provide cool drinks, and Macco had enough cash to purchase the goods requested by Cohen, and even enough to grab something for himself!

[ ] A golden bandana! (+5% to Strength and Durability Training Results)
[ ] A nice pair of running shoes! (+5% to Speed and Skill Training Results)
[ ] A pack of trading cards! (Possible interactions with Locals/Cohen)

He came home to a pleased Cohen and went to his room to open up his own purchase. Once he made sure everything was as it should be, he pulled out his journal and began planning his next week.

(Pick Three Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)
-[ ] Visit Town and trying speaking to some locals

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ Inspired Quest
Getting Down to Business I


​

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan Martial Artist V.2
-[X] A nice pair of running shoes! (+5% to Speed and Skill Training Results)
-[X] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[X] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[X] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)

Spoiler: Training Roll Results

Strength Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.2 = 8 * 1.2 = Total Progress: 9.6, +.96 Strength
Speed Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.05 = 6 * 1.05 = Total Progress: 6.3, +.63 Speed
Skill Training Roll: 1d10 = 5 = Total Progress: 5, +.5 Skill

Macco walked around the room with an awed look on his face, the pair of shoes he'd just bought making him feel as though he were marching barefoot across a cloud. He was quite shocked by this fact, since as a noble child he'd supposedly had access to the best tailors around. Of course, there was the fact that his parents treated him more as a particularly fancy decoration than a living child, so it was quite possible that while the clothes he'd gotten were expensive, they weren't necessarily the most comfortable. This pair of footwear however, was something he'd bought for himself and for the explicit purpose of having something comfy to lounge around in.

He made all this very clear to Cohen, who gave a light chuckle as he continued preparing the meal he had been in the middle of cooking when Macco excitedly barged in. While he did show external joy, on the inside he was saddened, realizing he was listening to the words of a child who'd never gotten the opportunity to be one before he ran off into the mountains.

"Having proper clothing for oneself is indeed very important," Cohen said with an uncharacteristically serious nod, "It allows one to train without fear of doing harm to oneself, and some forms of clothing even allow you to improve the results of your training! If you ever do find a nice set of clothes, or even an object that you feel will help you in the future, don't be afraid to get it!"

"That was a wise purchase, my young apprentice." Cohen said proudly. "The tiniest amount of discomfort or inflexibility in one's clothing can lead to otherwise avoidable errors in battle, as well as prevent one from benefiting as much from training. In fact, some types of clothing can even improve the results of training, so if you ever find any nice sets of clothes or an interesting trinket, don't be afraid to grab it!"

Macco happily nodded in response and went to grab himself a seat at the table, patiently waiting for one of the exotic meal Cohen had been pulling from his cookbook for the past few days. Though the meals were quite delicious, moreso than anything he'd eaten before, he was more grateful for their energy-replenishing properties.

"...Master, when will I start learning how to fight?" Macco asked curiously.

Cohen mulled that question over for a bit as he began serving up a bowl of curry with rice for himself and his student, "That is a complex question, young Macco. An evaluation of your prior skills would be required to attain a proper answer. In addition, if you do not have the proper discipline or coordination, it would be irresponsible to start showing you how to perform any complex movements. Of course, even if you aren't very skills, I could start you off from the basics with postures and katas."

That provoked a grin from Macco, who he quickly began digging into his meal, "So, when do you wanna test me?"

"I suppose that we could schedule an evaluation for the end of the week. Make sure to rest properly the entire day before, I want you refreshed and able to show me your full potential." Cohen answered, leaning over to ruffle Macco's hair.

Macco gave him a pout, and once he finished his meal he went out for a jog, eventually returning to the temple to sleep for a good eight hours, as his master told him a Tieffa his age should.

-0-0-0-0-0-​

While it had been a bit monotonous at first, Macco quickly came to appreciate the art of ice mining, and even began to experiment with carving little ice sculptures during his rest periods. He'd always been an artistic child, but his parents weren't very willing to humor his hobbies and refused to allow him to even consider such a career. Though it wasn't necessarily true, it was a stereotype among the Tieffa nobility of the East that a child who focused on art would grow to be lazy and unfocused.

Fortunately for him, Macco was able to let his creativity flow freely in the mountains. He didn't have to worry about his parents slamming open the door of his room and seeing him scribbling away on a scrap of paper instead of studying stewardship from dusty old texts, and he definitely didn't have to worry about his father tossing away works he'd spent days or even weeks working on.

...he looked down at the small sculpture in his hands as it burst in steam, having been subconsciously filled to the brim with ki as he though back on the life he once had.

He let out a sigh and began digging into the side of the cliff with his ice pick, trying to get one of the icicles to snap off so he could have something to snack on as he took his cargo down to Valley Town.

With every blow and even the gentlest of scrapes, the cliffside shook dangerously, and further above clumps of snow began to slowly descend. It started off as a few snowballs, but eventually a veritable tidal wave of ice and show thundered down the mountain towards an unaware Macco.

He let out a giggle as he finally got the icicle free, "Ah~! A nice icestick to cool down after work is great! Though it'd be better if I had some sugar or fruit juice to add to it."

He blinked slowly as a chunk of snow smacked him in the face, and let out a shrill shriek of fright manly roar of concern and the bit of mountain he was standing on suddenly began sliding. Of course, he'd later see that course of events as a stroke of good fortune, especially since a torrent of slushy ice slammed through the spot he'd previously been standing on, sending his sled tumbling down the mountainside.

"...my ice!" He suddenly shouted, desperately dashing around in an effort to catch each of the cubes he'd painstakingly carved for sale, trying to get enough that he'd at least be able to replace the sled, should it be lost.

After a few desperate minutes, he was battered and bruised, but had managed to recover most of his product. Even more fortuitously, he'd been able to recover his sled! He decided to head into to and stay at an inn for the night after dropping the ice off at the tavern and receiving his payment. Usually he'd be more concerned with letting Cohen know where he was, but for tonight he just wanted to lie down and sleep.

TOWN ACTIONS (Pick Three)

[ ] Ask around about recent news. Maybe something new had happened in the front against Siimaria? It paid to be informed if he was going to eventually become a knight.
[ ] Meet some of the local children. Cohen was great, but having someone his own age to talk to would be great for Macco's wellbeing.
[ ] Try looking around for odd-jobs. While delivering ice was fun, as he recently learned it was also very dangerous.
[ ] Visit the town elder. Maybe he or she could tell you a bit about the area you'd found yourself in, or even tell you a story or two about local myths.
[ ] Meet with the apothecary. While he wasn't too hurt by the avalanche, he did realize he would need to be prepared if he was ever stuck anywhere and needed to get away without dying in the process.

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ Inspired Quest
A Night on the Town

​

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Ask around about recent news. Maybe something new had happened in the front against Siimaria? It paid to be informed if he was going to eventually become a knight.

[X] Meet some of the local children. Cohen was great, but having someone his own age to talk to would be great for Macco's wellbeing.

[X] Meet with the apothecary. While he wasn't too hurt by the avalanche, he did realize he would need to be prepared if he was ever stuck anywhere and needed to get away without dying in the process.

A tavern would normally be a place for adults alone to enter and enjoy alcoholic beverages and good company. Over the years however, it had quickly grown into a place for the whole family, as Valley Town wasn't really big enough to have other restaurants nearby, and the locals didn't want to have to travel dozens of miles away just to avoid cooking dinner. As such, there were no objections when Macco came in through the front door and went over to speak with the barkeep.

"Hey there, kiddo. You look a bit beat up, did something happen on the way down from the mountain?" Asked the barkeep, a hint of concern painting his voice as the child sat down across from him with a groan.

Macco gave him a pained smile and said, "Nah, just slipped on a bit of ice. I've got a few bruises now, but I think I'm gonna be okay.".

The barkeep stared at him for a while longer and said, "You know, we've got an apothecary here in town if you wanna get something for those bruises. She's a bit... odd, but she really knows her stuff! She can instantly heal broken bones and figure out whatever disease you've got."

Macco gave a blink of surprise from his position on the barstool and leaned forward curiously, "Do you know what types of medicine she has? Are they just for when you're sick, or does she have stuff for when you're hurt too?"

The man nodded and brought out a small box from under the table, "Grabbed a few ration pills from her in case any barfight gets out of hand. Anyways, you wanna grab a meal, kiddo? It's on the house."

Macco gave him a grateful smile and ordered a bowl of noodles. While he was waiting for said bowl of noodles to arrive, a group of men and women clad in rather shoddy armor came in and sat down near him.

One of them leaned over to ruffle his hair and said, "Oy, who's kid is this Sacchett? I haven't seen 'im around here before. Is he another one of Tortel's little cousins?"

Sacchett took pity on Macco and walked over with an exasperated look on his face, seemingly used to the woman's behavior, "Leave the kid alone, Anneli. He's not one of Tortel's cousins, he's actually been studying under old Cohen up in the mountains."

She gave a blink and that and turned to give Macco another look, "He's... not what I expected. I thought he'd be a bit older than that, cute kid though."

Macco gave an annoyed pout and said, "I'm not just a kid! I'm training with Cohen so I can be a knight when I'm older!"

Anneli frowned upon hearing that, "I'm not so sure you should be working towards a career as a knight, especially with how the war's been going so far."

He didn't know how to feel about that, and as such he asked her to explain what she meant, "What do you mean? What's wrong with being a Knight?"

She gave the young boy a sad smile and asked for his age, causing her to wince as he told her he was a mere eight years old, "Let's just say... the average career length of a knight isn't as long as it used to be."

"Are they retiring sooner?" Macco asked with a frown. "I don't see what that has to do with me."

"Ah, no. It's just that many new recruits are no longer with us." She clarified carefully.

"Are they defecting to Siimaria?" Macco asked with wide eyes, shocked both at the idea of knights betraying their people, and even more shocked at the idea that Siimarians would accept them.

Another one of the men who came in with Anneli butted in and said, "Most of 'em are dying, kid. In the Northern front they're experiencing about twenty percent casualties, and about fifty percent among new recruits."

"Mezzel, he's just a kid!" Sacchett said as he came over with Macco's bowl.

"Yeah, that's exactly why I'm letting him know what he's gonna be getting into. Knights don't go and fight dragons and save princesses, they go into the meat-grinder that is war against Siimaria, and if they somehow manage to survive without being crippled they have to deal with the trauma of many of their comrades not making it." Mezzel said solemnly.

Anneli's eyes darted between Macco and Mezzel with worry, "Well, isn't the tide beginning to turn a bit? I mean, even if he became a squire now, they wouldn't let him into combat until he was at least sixteen. In eight years the war will probably be over!"

Mezzel looked at Anneli, and then to Macco's nervous face and gave a sigh, "Yeah, you're probably right. And this war is a particularly nasty one, I think only a few dozen knights died in the last one against Siimaria? Way more die from natural cause than from combat."

Macco nodded and began eating quietly, listening as the group started chatting about recent events, like a Martial Arts tournament being planned for when the war was over. Apparently it was to be held in the neutral country of Laria, and while they did wish for people from both Tieffa and Siimaria to participate, they knew it'd probably result in people from both nations butting heads and lead to massive amounts of property damage.

Besides that, apparently there was a lot of friction going on between some of the noble houses, as many of them were deciding to not provide the crown with access to family techniques they could use to train the knights further and lead to the war ending sooner. Of course, it would also result in many of the main houses losing their most important advantages, which they obviously couldn't allow.

Once Macco finished his meal, he decided to head over to the Apothecary and possibly pick up some healing balm, or even a ration pill. A ration pill would be very useful, as it would both heal himself and replenish his energy in case of any emergency. Of course, there was the downside that he'd be out of commission for a day or two after coming down from the effect.

As he walked down the main road, he realized that he forgot to ask where the apothecary was, and was about to head back to the tavern when he noticed a bunch of kids playing with a pack of cards. He ran over and waited for a lull in the game to ask his question, "Excuse me, do any of you know where the Apothecary is?"

The group of children went silent, and they gave him a suspicious look, "Why do you want to talk to the witch?"

Macco blinked. "Witch?"

"Yeah! She's a witch! She even has black hair and everything!" One of the boys shouted.

"My mom said to avoid her, or she might curse me!" A girl piped in.

Macco gave the kids an odd look, but internally accepted the fact that while he may know about magic-users from their dealings with his family, children living in a rural village would probably know nothing about them.

Among the Tieffa, there were those who had the ability to channel the powers of the natural world, and to use them to their advantage. Many times these powers were used to hurt, causing the organs of their enemies to rot as fungi grew within them, or their bones turning as brittle as twigs. However, these were relatively rare compared to those who instead decided to simply sell medicines or create artifacts that could increase the battle power of their user.

"Well, if she's the one who sells medicine, then yeah, I'm searching for the witch." Macco replied.

"But what if she tries cursing you?" Asked a smaller girl with worry in her voice.

Macco smiled down at the little(r) one and patted her head, "Don't worry, witches actually don't curse people that often. I guess you could compare them to warriors. Sure, some of them become bandits and rob merchants on the road or raid villages, but for the most part they just want to defend themselves and those they care for."

One of the boys continued staring at Macco for a while, and eventually gave a sigh, "I can see you won't listen to reason. In that case, I'll be coming along with you. Kids don't visit from out of town often, and I'd rather you not get cursed and cause everyone else to be too scared to come. Anyways, the name's Rotelle."

"Macco." Macco replied, shaking Rotelle's hand.

The boy lead him through the village, guiding Macco between buildings and in one case jumping over a fence and dashing across a yard. Eventually, they reached a small hut near the woods, with green smoke rising from the chimney.

"Now, I'm gonna be waiting outside. If she tries doing anything, you just yell for help and I'll run in!" Rotelle said seriously.

Macco gave him an amused nod and walked in confidently, only to have a frog almost immediately smack into his face.

"Oh. Sorry about that." A monotone voice said as he felt the amphibian get peeled off his face.

He saw a small girl with lavender skin and raven-black hair carry the frog over to a pot in the fireplace and toss it in, causing a plume of blue smoke to rise, though it eventually turned back into an emerald color.

"What do you need." She asked in the same voice as before, giving him a bored stare.

"Oh! Um, I just wanted you to look at some bruises, and maybe buy a ration pill or two from you?" Macco replied, walking over to where the girl was standing.

"How did you injure yourself." She asked, pulling out a wand with a tin-foil star taped to the end.

"I was grabbing some ice to sell in town when I suddenly slipped and a bunch of ice fell down everywhere! I dodged most of it, but by the time I was at the bottom my arms and back were a bit banged up." Macco answered.

"And your face." She added, waving the wand in a circle around him.

"...so. What's the diagnosis?" Macco asked after a minute or two of uncomfortable silence.

"You'll be fine, you just need to rest for a day or two."

Macco nodded and walked over to look at the pot, "How much are the pills?"

She walked over near him and began sprinkling some salt into the pot, causing pink sparks to rise, "They vary in price. But I do give a discount if you provide some of the ingredients."

Macco nodded and said, "How about a pill that can heal a bone in... an hour?"

"I can make one that heals it in an instant." She replied. "Things are different for children, we heal much faster than adults. For you, it'd take a few seconds at most to take effect. That one would cost you about 220 denars."

Macco nodded, knowing he had about 190 denars saved up. Another trip to the mountain could grab him more than enough to purchase a pill, "And how much are they if I get ingredients for you?"

"About 100 denars." She replied.

If he decided to grab the ingredients himself and went on another ice acquiring trip, he could buy about three of the pills with no issue. It'd also be pretty tedious, and probably distract quite a bit from his training.

[ ] Macco decided to wait until the next time he sold ice to purchase medicine.
[ ] Macco decided the savings were worth it, and made plans to head into the forest for ingredients.

Once his dealings with the girl were done he began heading out, but before he left he turned to ask her a question, "What's your name?"

"Stelle." She replied.

"That's a good name." Macco said with a smile and headed back out.

He spoke to Rotelle for a few minutes, and confirmed he ate nothing given to him by Stelle and headed back to the inn. Once there, he pulled out a notebook from his coat, and made plans for next week's training.

(Pick Three Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ Inspired Quest
Getting Down to Business II


​

Spoiler: Winning Plan

[X] Macco decided the savings were worth it, and made plans to head into the forest for ingredients.
-[X] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[X] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[X] Run everywhere (Speed)

Spoiler: Training Roll Results

Strength Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.2 = 7 * 1.2 = Total Progress: 8.4, +.84 Strength
Durability Training Roll: 1d10 = 3 = Total Progress: 3, +.3 Durability
Speed Training Roll: 1d10 * 1.05 = 10 * 1.05 Crit! x2 Multiplier = Total Progress: 21, +2.1 Speed

As it turns out, going out to gather ice in the mountains and then not returning for the entire night or giving any indication that one was still alive and uninjured can cause one's master to worry quite a bit, as Macco quickly learned when he stepped in through the front door that morning.

"Would you care to explain where you've been?" Cohen asked, sipping from his cup of tea as he waited for a response from his student.

Macco coughed nervously and said, "Um, I-I just decided to stay the night in town. I was picking up ice when I slipped out of nowhere, I got a bit beat up so I thought it'd be better to stay at an inn and maybe see a doctor..."

Cohen nodded at that, and though internally he wished to berate his student for not letting him know he was fine, he did accept that Macco did the right thing in heading towards safety in town rather than trying to trek through the mountains while injured and exhausted.

"Well, I suppose this is a good wake-up call. I've been taking your training rather casually, and I see that you need to know at least some techniques if you're going to be heading out all the time instead of staying here in the temple." Cohen said seriously, stroking his beard.

(Pick One Skill Path. Don't worry, you'll be learning the others as well, this is just deciding which you go for first.)

[ ] Yanhuo: (Will Devote 1 Training Action every Week towards Yanhuo, may give stat bonuses depending on roll.)

Cohen leaned back in his chair and pulled out a small book from his pocket, "Now, if we want to specifically avoid situations like yesterday, I'd recommend you learn a flashy technique, one that immediately lets anyone around know where you are. My recommendation would be the Yanhuo, it essentially grabs a bunch of your ki, flings it into the air, and starts burning it. Now, with you reserves it would last.... maybe a second or two, but it'd be enough to let me know where you are!

[ ] Iarainn: (Will Devote 1 Training Action every Week towards Iarainn, may give stat bonuses depending on roll.)

"This technique is more useful when you know the trouble is coming, but if you have even the least amount of warning you should be able to ensure you don't get severely injured in some random accident or by any obvious attacks. The Comhlactians made this technique centuries ago, and while it may not be that popular among the wider universe, for those who aren't that strong it's a great defensive ability. It is called the Iarainn!" Cohen said with a light smile.

[ ] Recovery Coma: (Will Devote 1 Training Action every Week towards Recovery Coma, may give stat bonuses depending on roll.)

Cohen watched Macco seriously for a good while, and eventually let out a sigh, "Now, this technique, while very useful, is not one to be relied upon. It allows you to heal from even the gravest of injuries, but the thing about it is that it needs you to be gravely injured in the first place to be of any use. If you've just had a tough fight, and are unable to return somewhere you can be properly healed in, you can find a safe location and go into a Recovery Coma. It may last days, or even weeks, but it's very effective at ensuring you don't die from any unexpectedly-damaging wounds. Another advantage is its ability to remove even crippling wounds, though you can expect to be out for a while if you use it for that."

-0-0-0-​

After deciding on the technique he'd be teaching Macco, Cohen decided to head off into the mountains to start preparing a training area for them. While Macco probably wouldn't do anything too destructive, it'd be best to err on the side of caution. Once done with preparations, rather than immediately going into the technique itself, he began lecturing Macco on the theory behind it and telling him what sort of sensations he should grasp for when attempting the technique.

Besides the beginnings of theory with the technique, Macco continued his speed training by trying to do everything as fast as possible and even got into a few spars with Cohen. They... didn't really go all that well, though it was mostly because Cohen was focusing on showing him how to block and redirect blows rather than showing him how to fight back. His arms may have ended up a bit bruised, but at the end of the day he felt much more confident in his ability to do combat should it be required.

Besides the training with Cohen, Macco decided to continue grabbing ice from the mountain, but rather than heading directly there, he made a quick stop at the forest to begin looking for the ingredients that Stelle had requested.

Spoiler: ROLL: Gather Ingredients:

1d100 = 56, 1x Ration Pill Discount

Macco searched through the forest with great vigor, eager to gain access to a source of medicine that would help him out in case of any emergencies. Though, in this situation vigor wasn't quite enough, as he found only enough to gain a single Ration Pill Discount. He didn't lose faith though, as he knew that coming by the forest to search for medicinal herbs was a simple enough task to do each time he went to gather more ice... in fact, he could probably ask Cohen for an axe and start gathering firewood! He knew that while the villagers could do it themselves... they'd probably rather just buy already prepared wood.

As such he began confidently jogging up the mountain path, only to come to a screeching halt as he encountered a sudden obstacle. Said obstacle was an snow wolf... though it appeared to be a juvenile, probably one that decided to break off from the rest of its pack in order to became a leader in its own right. At this moment it appeared to be rather hungry though, and was eyeing the small Tieffa child that was Macco with a hungry glare.

ENEMY ENCOUNTERED: STARVING JUVENILE SNOW WOLF
BATTLE POWER: 4-8

Macco backed away a few steps in fright, but remembered the lessons he'd been taught in his youth and decided to give a glare of his own in return. Unfortunately, this only caused the wolf to decide to attack preemptively and chomp at his shoulder.

4 DAMAGE

'Huh, it didn't hurt that much.' Macco remarked to himself internally. 'I guess it really is hungry, a quick whack or two will probably scare it off!'

Macco reeled back his fist and punched it directly on the snout!

4 DAMAGE

The wolf yelped from surprise, but not much else. It growled angrily and leapt forward once more, only to end up hanging from Macco's arm and leaving its belly exposed.

4 DAMAGE

"Oh yeah? Well how about some of this?!" Macco yelled as he began pummeling its stomach and chest with all his might.

4 DAMAGE

4 DAMAGE

4 DAMAGE

The wolf gave one finally chomp before leaping off and running away, though its final attack did leave Macco feeling quite sore, and left his arm a bit bloodied.

6 DAMAGE


VICTORY?: .2 Attribute Points gained! (Every Attribute point received allows you to select one of your Attributes or Skills and give them a small increase in power.)

After that, everything went well and Macco was able to gather some ice and head home to bandage himself up a bit for the next day's training.

(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)
-[ ] Harvest wood from the Forest (Attribute Points) (This first encounter was an easy one, so you didn't earn much. However, there's also a possibility you will be injured in combat and outright lose. This is the high-risk high-reward option)

(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Ask Cohen about future techniques you may be able to learn.
--[ ] Write-in (If you have any techniques you're interested in, write them here. Cohen will tell you the prerequisites for obtaining something similar and any techniques you'd have to learn first.)
-[ ] Visit Stelle to buy a Ration Pill
-[ ] Hang out a bit with Rotelle, he seemed like a nice enough kid, and possibly someone you could convince to join you in future training!

 

[Fullyautomagic]

One Fist at Sufficient Velocity
A DBZ Inspired Quest
Yanhuo!

​

Spoiler: Winning Plan

[X]Plan: Fundamentals, Fangs and Friendship
-[X] Yanhuo: (Will Devote 1 Training Action every Week towards Yanhuo, may give stat bonuses depending on roll.)
--[X] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
--[X] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)
--[X] Ask Cohen about future techniques you may be able to learn.
---[X]Wolf Fang Fist
--[X] Hang out a bit with Rotelle, he seemed like a nice enough kid, and possibly someone you could convince to join you in future training!

Spoiler: Training Roll Results

Yanhuo Training Roll: 1d10 = 9 = Total Progress: 9, +.9 Yanhuo Mastery (.9/2.5)
Durability Training Roll: 1d10 = 4 = Total Progress: , +.4 Durability
Skill Training Roll: 1d10 = 8 = Total Progress: , +.8 Skill

"Haah!" Macco shouted as he blocked a blow from Cohen and struck at his master's wrist. The impact was near negligible to someone of Cohen's physicality, but it was just enough to redirect his next attack into the air next to Macco rather than directly into his rib-cage. Taking advantage of the opening, Macco dashed forward and swung his elbow towards his target, only to gasp in shock as he felt Cohen's foot bury itself into his stomach and send him flying a few meters away.

As Macco took deep breaths and tried to keep himself from throwing up, Cohen walked over next to him and sat down, dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. "You need to stop thinking of combat in terms of just wild flailing and telegraphed punches, a true master of martial arts can attack with every part of his body, not just those he can ball up in a fist."

Macco groaned and lifted himself slowly to his feet, "Yeah, I can see that. But don't you think you're being a bit rough? I mean, you're obviously way stronger than I am. How can I learn if all I'm doing is basically punching a steel wall?"

Cohen laughed and stood up as well, "Actually, I've been keeping myself to around your level of strength. I've been avoiding and redirecting your blows solely through skill."

Macco stared at him with wide eyes, "But.. really?!"

His master walked over and ruffled his hair with another laugh, handing him a clean handkerchief to wipe himself off as well, "Indeed, my young student. A thousand blows to a boulder may accomplish nothing, but a single strike with a pickaxe will break it in half."

"Though I suppose the metaphor breaks down a bit when you're dealing with our level of strength." He muttered to himself.

Macco rolled his eyes, wiped off the sweat that had gathered on his brow during their spar, and walked over to grab a glass of water from the temple, "So, do you think I'll be able to try out the Yanhuo any time soon?"

Cohen gave a pensive 'hmmm' and stared off into the distance where they'd been going over the basics of the technique. "I think you'll probably be able to give it a shot soon, though I'd rather you at least have another week of practice before we do so."

Macco nodded and gave Cohen an excited grin, "Heh, soon I'll be at the level where the knights will have no choice but to accept me!"

Instead of the encouragement he expected, his master seemed to go into deep thought, "If you truly wish to become a knight, you'll need to increase your strength at least twice-over before your first growth spurt. Their standards are quite high, and though you are of noble birth... sometimes connections are required if you truly wish to succeed."

He stared at the outer wall of the temple for a while before entering where Macco was, "While technically the only requirements are noble birth and a Battle Power of between 30 and 40, often their standing among the noble families is taken into account. Your family is... not exactly at the top of the totem pole. Though, they haven't made enemies to the point where anyone would actively make an attempt at blocking you."

"Well, I'm glad I'm unimportant enough to not be worth bothering with." Macco muttered to himself, taking a sip of his water.

Cohen placed a hand on his shoulder and looked Macco in the eyes, "Sometimes you must appear as though you have no power, if you want to get the opportunity to make use of it."

"Regardless, you will have my support in whatever path you decide to pursue." Cohen added with a smile.

Macco smiled back at him, "Thank you."

-0-0-0-

Later, in Town...​

"So yeah, pretty soon I should be learning how to use ki abilities!" Macco said with a grin as he walked down the road with Rotelle. He'd been trying to steer his friend towards the idea of training under Cohen as well, in order to have a friend around his level to practice and talk shop with. Unfortunately, he hadn't made much progress with his friend.

"Really now?" Rotelle said with a raised eyebrow, "Do you have enough ki to actually do anything? I though those types of techniques were fairly energy-intensive…" He grabbed a stone from the ground and tossed it into the center of a circle, smacking away the one Macco had previously placed.

Macco gave a pout as he realized Rotelle took the lead, and began aiming to retake the center, "Well, it's not like he's teaching me any powerful ki abilities, he's mostly been focusing on some practical stuff and making sure I have a 'good foundation for learning future techniques'. You should come by one of these days, it'd be fun to have you around!"

Rotelle rolled his eyes and gave Macco an annoyed stare, "I know you haven't been around for all that long, but there's a reason you almost never see people around Cohen's temple. The mountains are absolutely infested with monsters, and the only reasons you haven't been injured yet is that they know Cohen would destroy them if they tried any funny business."

Macco gave a 'whoop' of victory as he knocked Rotelle's stone away from the center and regained the lead, "Well, I could just come into town and walk you there myself. That way you could come over and not worry about getting hurt!"

Rotelle gave Macco an exasperated grin and said, "You really don't give up do you?" As he spoke, he tossed the final stone of the game secured victory for himself.

Macco pouted at the results but quickly got over it and smiled back at Rotelle, "Nope! You can expect me to keep annoying you until you agree to come and visit!"

The boy gave a sigh and said, "Well, have you even asked Cohen if he'll let you bring someone over to visit? I'm pretty sure martial-arts masters have lots of requirements that need to be met before they accept someone as a student."

Macco thought about that for a few seconds, and reluctantly nodded his agreement, "Yeah, I'll probably need to ask him before bringing you over. He's a nice guy though, I'm sure he'll let you come and train with us!"


Rotelle rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, I'll ask my mom if she'll let me go over... actually, she'll probably insist on it. She doesn't much like fighting, but she does want me to take over the family business, and blacksmithing needs a lot of muscle!"

Macco grinned victoriously and said, "Well, it's about time for me to be heading back. I'll ask Cohen as soon as I get home!"

Rotelle just waved him off with a smile and started walking home as well.

-0-0-0-

Back at the Temple!​

"So... what would it take to learn some fancy move like from the stories!" Macco asked Cohen as he ate dinner from across the table. "I remember one where the main character gathered up all his energy in his palms and blew open a vault door with a single double-palm strike!"

"Don't talk while you're eating." Cohen scolded him. "As for your question... I think you should table that idea for a bit in the future. Something like that would be an advanced technique, requiring high levels of both Ki Control and Skill in martial arts. Why, you haven't even begun learning a style yet! We've stuck mostly to the basics... though, if you reach a level above a standard fighting style, and master a powerful strike from the more basic style, you could likely imitate the attack." (You need to get to Skill 5, unlock a Basic Style, master a Powerful Strike, get to Skill 10, unlock an Intermediate Style, and then get to work on an attack similar to Wolf Fang Fist).

"Also... can a friend come over and train too?" Macco asked nervously.

"...possibly." Cohen said. "If I can see potential in them to do well, I will allow it."

Macco smiled happily

"Of course, I'll have to ramp up your training for this coming week. We don't want you to start lagging while I catch your friend up." Cohen added with a grin.

Macco was no longer smiling happily.

(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)
-[ ] Harvest wood from the Forest (Attribute Points) (Easy - Medium Quests)

(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Ask Cohen about future techniques you may be able to learn.
--[ ] Write-in (If you have any techniques you're interested in, write them here. Cohen will tell you the prerequisites for obtaining something similar and any techniques you'd have to learn first.)
-[ ] Ask Cohen about previous students of his.
-[ ] Visit Stelle, either to talk or help out at her shop.
-[ ] Ask Rotelle if he can come over to train a bit!
-[ ] Talk with some people in the tavern, maybe you could encounter the guards again! You could even try asking around for any tasks you can do to earn a bit more money! (Easy Quests)

 

[Fullyautomagic]

Fist of the Space Battler
A DBZ Inspired Quest
Sting Like a Flame-Ant
​

Spoiler: Winning Plan: Plan Pickaxe

[X] Plan Pickaxe
-[X] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill) ×2
-[X] Ask Rotelle if he can come over to train a bit!
-[X] Maybe talk with some people in the tavern like the guards. You could even try asking around for any tasks you can do to earn a bit more money! (Easy Quests

Spoiler: Training Roll Results

Yanhuo Training Roll: 1d10 = 6 = Total Progress: 6, +.6 Yanhuo Mastery (1.5/2.5)
Skill Training Roll: 1d10 = 10 Crit! x2 Multiplier = Total Progress: 20, +2 Skill
Skill Training Roll: 1d10 = 4 = Total Progress: 4, +.4 Skill

"...I'm gonna be honest, I don't see what this has to do with martial arts." Macco said quietly, trying to remain balanced with a bucket full of fish on top of his head.

Cohen looked over from where he was reading a book he'd picked up in town, and gave Macco a wry grin, "Honestly speaking? ...I just wanted to how far I could go in making you do strange tasks before you start wondering if they're at all relevant."

Macco let out a squawk and pulled the bucket off his head, "Wait, really?! I though you were gonna say something like 'you must have perfect balance' if I wanna do any cool moves.

His master nodded and said, "While balance is very important... there are many more practical ways of improving it. Moving around on only one foot for example, or carrying an egg on a spoon, or skating on ice. A bucket of fish on your head is a quite silly thing to do. Though at least it allows us to have a fresh dinner for when your friend comes over."

Macco smiled excitedly at that and walked over to sit next to Cohen, "So what sort of test are you gonna give 'im? Is it just a few questions, or are you gonna do some sort of spirit-sight thing where you figure what's in his heart?"

"...while I'm certain there are those able to perform such an action, I am not one of them." Cohen said in an amused tone.

"Well, what sort of test are you gonna do then?"

"That will be between me and your friend. I'd like to request that you make no attempts to sneak a peek at what we speak about." Cohen said seriously, leveling an even stare at Macco.

Macco nodded his head quickly in response, "Understood! I'll just jog around the temple while you guys finish up inside."

Cohen smiled and said, "You're much more obedient than my past students, which is quite surprising considering you're of noble descent."

Macco just shrugged, "Well, part of being a noble is listening to whatever your parents or 'liege lord' tell you to do. Especially as a second child."

Cohen clapped his legs and suddenly stood up, "Well, I'm going to be preparing things inside. You can have the rest of the day off, I want you to be nice and refreshed so you're able to help out your friend with whatever problems they face."

He received a salute from Macco and gave a chuckle, walking back into the temple to grab some notes he'd recently put away.

Macco on the other hand... was very bored. Shockingly enough, he'd gotten very used to training in the time he'd spent with Cohen, with the only real leisure being the meals Cohen made for him every day. Well, that and the conversations he had with Rotelle! Still, Rotelle was attending school at the moment... maybe he could go visit the tavern?

Making his decision, Macco leapt to his feet like his master before him and started jogged towards town, intending to head for the tavern. While there wasn't really anything for sale there that interested him, there were plenty of interesting people! Like the Anneli and the town guard, Sacchett the barkeep, Rotelle's mother, and many more!

After a timeskip's worth of jogging, Macco arrived at the tavern and strode inside to encounter a group of people standing around, muttering loudly and a few of them even arguing. Curious to see what was going on, Macco walked over to a nearby table and stood on one of the chairs.

"Listen, they aren't that dangerous, the main problem is the tunnels they're traveling around inside of! They're way to small for any of us to fit into, and by the time we'd dig to their location they'd have made a dozen more side-tunnels to escape through!" Mezzel said with an exasperated tone, staring down the elderly man in farming clothes sitting across from him.

"Oh, it's fine and dandy to say they're not dangerous for you! But while your in the prime of your life and covering head to toe in armor, some of us aren't as fortunate. Nobody at the edge of town has been letting their kids go out, dogs have already gone missing, and crops are being ruined! We have to get rid of the Flame-Ants if we don't want the damn town to collapse!" The old farmer shouted back.

Anneli sighed and said, "Listen, we'd help if we could! But this isn't the sort of thing we can easily deal with. Now, while we aren't able to help out on our own, we can call some specialists from out of town and get their help in getting rid of 'em."

"Oh? And how long would it take for these 'specialists' to arrive?" The farmer asked.

Anneli smiled and said, "They can get here in two to three weeks!"

"Hmmm, that's a good response time. Or, at least it would be if they hadn't already gone through a fifth of my fields in only a week of being here. There'll be practically nothing left by the time they arrive!" He said, frustration evident in his voice.

Mezzel frowned and said, "Listen, we're gonna do some patrols, but this is the best we can do. Now, we're gonna head out to do just that."

The crowd dispersed after a few minutes, and the old man was left sitting there alone grumbling to himself, "I bet Anneli could fit in that hole behind old Mafald's barn. She'd just need to climb in there and find the cavern the queen's living inside of. Kill a Flame-Ant Queen and the hive collapses right away, hell, back in my day they'd send us kids in there to fight them on our own! Sure, a few of us came back with less limbs than we entered with, but dismemberment builds character!"

While Macco was unsure about the dismemberment part... he consider the idea of heading in himself and trying to kill the Queen! Flame-ants weren't really all that dangerous, at least, relatively speaking. While a regular child would probably have a very hard time against them, Macco was certain that he'd be able to handle a few... maybe even more if he enlisted help from Rotelle!

He grinned excitedly and spent the next few hours waiting for school to end so he could go grab Rotelle, and when the time arrived he nearly slammed his friend to the floor with the sheer excitement he approached him with.

"I know a way for us to become heroes!" Macco said with a confident smile.

"...I already regret getting up this morning." Rotelle replied in deadpan.

After a few minutes of back-and-forth arguing, they eventually came to a compromise on what they'd do. If Macco could master at least one style of combat before two weeks were up, Rotelle would accompany him into the tunnels. Of course, Rotelle expected Macco to train the both of them up to a point where they wouldn't end up as nothing but ant-food.

(To be able to enter this dungeon, you must increase Skill to 5 within two weeks.)

Before heading off to Cohen's, they dropped by Rotelle's home to pick up a change of clothes, and while there a small girl approached Macco, "Hey, aren't you the one who went to go see the witch?"

Macco chuckled at the girl's suspicious glare and said, "I am indeed! And I even managed not to get cursed."

She simply glared further and said, "You were lucky, if my big sister hadn't been there to protect you, you'd be a frog right now!"

...Macco was quite glad he hadn't referred to his friend by her gender in the time they'd known each other, "She's a pretty reliable person, I'm glad to have become her friend!"

He heard Rotelle laugh behind him and say, "I suppose we're friends in the same way a barnacle and a ship are."

Macco gave an amused snort at that, "You wound me, truly."

Rotelle rolled her eyes and said, "Well, lead the way mountain-boy."

"Got it, City-Girl." Macco replied with a smirk.

Rotelle laughed at that and said, "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy sparring with you."

Macco smiled and said, "Me too."

-0-0-0-

Cohen's Temple​

Macco did as he said and jogged outside the building while Cohen spoke to Rotelle on the inside, ensuring that Macco hadn't forced her to come over and that she was truly interested in participating in the training they'd been doing.

"Well, I'm not really much of a fighter, but I do wanna be a blacksmith when I'm older. If I wanna work with tougher metals, I'm gonna have to be really strong!" Rotelle said, answering Cohen's question on her motivation for coming.

"Well, I'm glad you've come here with a purpose other than hanging out with Macco. Will you still want to participate in the other lessons" He asked.

"...do you know how to use weapons? If you do, I think that'd be a very useful experience to have. As a future blacksmith, that is." Rotelle answered.

Cohen smiled and said, "While weapons have ceased to be useful to me a long time ago, I do have quite a bit of experience with them. If you wish, I can teach you all about many different kinds of blades, polearms, and even some kinds of armor."

Rotelle grinned and said, "Then yeah, I definitely wanna be here for all the lessons."

Cohen smiled and said, "Well, then we better get started!"

Macco had to carry Rotelle home on his back.

(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Meditate in the Mountain-Tops (Ki Capacity)
-[ ] Try to explode a stick with only your hand (Ki Output)
-[ ] Train Ki flow in the Rivers (Ki Control)
-[ ] Start gathering ice from the mountains and selling it in a nearby village (Strength)
-[ ] Run everywhere (Speed)
-[ ] Practice defense with Cohen (Durability)
-[ ] Practice offense with Cohen (Skill)


(Pick Two Actions)

-[ ] Ask Cohen about future techniques you may be able to learn.
--[ ] Write-in (If you have any techniques you're interested in, write them here. Cohen will tell you the prerequisites for obtaining something similar and any techniques you'd have to learn first.)
-[ ] Ask Cohen about previous students of his.
-[ ] Visit Stelle, either to talk or help out at her shop (or buy supplies).