Chapter 24: Chapter 23 – Sifu

“In the dark of the night I was tossing and TURNING!” “Stop it!” “And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be!” “Nooooo” he was laying on his bed and singing merrily, his new roommate laid at his side covering her head with the blanket but he could see her peeking towards the TV, continuing to sing along with the character he watched as the guy separated into many pieces while it’s head continued to sing “Aaaahhhh!” Lily quickly hid her head back under cover but he just laughed, this was his favorite children’s movie.

 

“He wins you know?” he said to her when the music finished which earned him a rain of small little punches on his chest bellow covers “Ouch ouch ouch ouch! You win you win!” “Well this is certainly not what I expected to see” tall and slim old men walked into the room holding something long wrapped in cloth, his hair and beard were already starting to gray but his body was still very fit.

 

Getting up from his bed he hurried to get a chair ready before bowing towards the man his right hand making a fist while his left stayed open over it, this was one of the only men he actually respected “Greetings Sifu” his old master looked him over noting his bandages and dulled movements “Aren’t you in a sorry state boy” lowering his head in shame he said nothing, his master didn’t like explanations.

 

“You gave in to arrogance boy perhaps I shouldn’t have given you my approval” “I understand Sifu” coming closer his master laid a hand over his shoulder and smiled “Regardless I did give the approval and at least you survived to learn from it, I am glad” his Sifu was a master of the Pak Hok Pai or White Crane Style, born and trained in the United States he wasn’t of Asian descent but he was one of the strongest masters of the style.

 

Letting his master sit down on the chair he pushed the pause button on the TV controller he sat down on the bed and made Lily sit at his side, his master had never been one for too much formality outside of training but he was still a little stiff at a man who could kick his ass even without any special power “And who is this nice young lady” “This is Lily, one of my colleagues said it would be good for me to take care of her until I got better” “It would, perhaps you would learn some responsibility and not dive alone in unknown territory or use unknown items while there, I read your report” “Is that why you’re hurt uncle A?” “No, I already told you it was a 100 meters long dragon that tried to eat me.”

 

A punch hit his head so fast he didn’t have time to even react, it broke his skull in tiny little pieces “You know I don’t like lies Aaron” cold sweet dripped down his forehead as he understood it had only been his master’s bloodlust that had hit him “Apologies Sifu, it seems you have improved” “Yes, although I have yet to gain a level this so called <system> has still given me some benefits.”

 

Damn, the man was already monstrously strong before who knows how powerful he would become now that the <system> was giving him ability and skill’s bonuses “Truth be told I came here to cheer you up after such massive mistake but it seems you have actually managed to make a friend” “Oh no, I am just taking care of her” “I meant the one who left her with you” “Friend is… too strong a word for our relationship right now” his master just smiled.

 

They chatted a little about the way this new world was turning out and, when Lily left to go eat something in the cafeteria, he was able to open himself about meeting his father again and his mother’s disappearance, to talk about his life and ask for some guidance explaining his new class choices, his master had always been a good listener and occasional adviser “I never had a family you know, I almost envy yours when I see it, you know it was not really your father’s fault Aaron it is about time you start to forgive him” “I can’t” “Don’t worry, I don’t think you should simple wake up and be over it but it is time to stop scratching at the wound and let it heal as for your mother, all you can do is get stronger, strong enough to go look for her, dead or alive it will be the only way to get you closure”

 

And awkward silence hung between then as his master let him think over his words, anyone else and he would have dismissed them quickly but Caleb Reed had never betrayed his trust and this was the first time he ever mentioned such notion, as the silence started to get too long his master broke it “Now tell me about those classes of yours”

 

“Well, I can throw out the first three normal classes they just seem weak” “Don’t underestimate then I am certain they can became quite powerful in the right hands, but I agree they don’t fit well with your style” “Yeah as for <soldier>, just no, I considered <Mentalist> as it just screams mind reader but, do I really want to know what people are thinking? Most of them are evil bastards I don’t need to be in their heads to know that.

 

<Mind Warrior> sounds like more of what I already do, a fighter with telekinetic powers, it would probably be the stronger class in my case, it’s just… I don’t want to follow the path that bastard set for me, <Assassin> also seems powerful but it sounds like it relies too much on the element of surprise and I just saw what happens when you lose that to an unexpected occurrence.

 

Finally <Runic Fighter> and <Rune Carver> intrigues me the most, the rune I learned seemed to require more than most other skills so it is probably useful and could be a way to enhance firearms but I don’t know how powerful such class could be in a battle, runes just seems more like it would be something for production not fighting” pondering over the options a little his master asked “You truly want my input on this?” “Yeah, it just seems like Mind Warrior would be the way to go if I want to grow faster right?”

 

“Well it’s been my experience that there is no useless ability in this world Aaron it just depends on how well you use it, as I said before even the first three classes should be fairly powerful in the right hands, then again <Rune Carver> really do seems like too much of a production job for you” “so you think it’s weak?” “No, I think you would have no patience for it, also keep in mind that an unhappy man does not do his job well” Yes he could see it, if he choose <Mind warrior> he would always remember that bastard every time he used an ability or skill, he made his decision.

[Congratulations, you have became a <Runic Fighter>! As a <Runic Fighter> You learn the ability <Runic power> you will also earn one more point upon level up according to your class]

[RUNIC FIGHTER

Description: Although you have the ability to use runes you prefer to take a more direct approach to fighting, runes used by you are more powerful but in exchange you find it harder to learn new runes and making them takes more time]  

 

[RUNIC POWER (passive)

Status: Beginner               Level: 0

Description: Runic power permeate your body making any rune used directly by you more powerful   

Current bonus: N/A]

 

[Warning! Your current power is significantly higher than the great majority of your race, combined with your class being a rare one you have been designed an <elite> as an elite you receive -25% experience, skill and ability increase 10% faster]

A new wave of information appeared into his mind indicating a new path between his mana and his hearth, he gritted his teeth waiting for the pain but it never came, the mana never leaving its small cozy place inside his brain, it seems that, contrary to using a skill book, class advancement just gave him the blueprint and it was up to him to actually build the path, he looked at his own status once again.

[NAME: Aaron Ross (Elite)            RACE: Human(variant)

Class: Runic Fighter         Job: N/A

TITLES: Calamity child, Codename: Loki, Pioneer

STATUS: Greatly weakened

LEVEL: 5                             HEALTH: 100%

STAMINA: 78%                 MANA: 712/712

STR: 4(9)              SPD: 5(8)

END: 4(9)            DEX: 7(12)

WIS: 9                  INT: 11

ABILITIES:

You are reading story Welcome to the System at novel35.com

Telekinesis (string) – Beginner level 10

Multitask – Beginner level 5

Fire Resistance – Intermediary level 2

Shooting – Beginner level 1

Fear resistance – Beginner level 1

Divine Inspection – Beginner level 2

Giant Eater – MAX

Dagger mastery – beginner level 1

Runic Power – beginner level 0

SKILLS

Impact Rune – Beginner level 1

 Titan’s hand – Beginner level 3

Telekinetic shield – Beginner level 1]

 

Thankfully he had already regained a lot of his lost status but his recovery seemed to be slowing down, it looks like full recovery would take a lot of work, “Rune Warrior it is then?” “How do you know?” “Seriously? Inspect is not such a hard ability to acquire boy” smiling at the old man he decided to build the patch latter and test his new rune “By the way I think it’s a good choice.”

 

“Why are you really here Sifu?” “With all my students out on the field so I had some free time, plus I brought you a gift” he said pointing at the long object he had brought with him “Your Si Baak had a little tradition, he would forge a weapon with his own hands for every one of his students that was competent enough to become a Si Hing, it’s a little late for you since you but I decided to adopt his tradition”

 

His master got up from his chair and uncovered a jian a little over a meter long, its hilt and scabbard were made of simple black wood, the pommel was a small metallic ball from which a long red tassel hang, the hand guard was small, metallic and had a yin yang symbol carved upon it, getting up from his position he received the gift with reverence bowing his head.

 

He unsheathed the weapon revealing a thin blade about 80 centimeters long, just above the hand guard there was a strange symbol looking slightly like a Chinese letter, “It’s beautiful, what does this word mean?” “I have no idea, it formed upon the blade when I completed it, the sword is terribly inconvenient to handle but you prefer to use your powers anyway and it’s ideal for that” he wanted to hug the blade and caress it but managed to contain himself in front of his master, he inspected the blade.

[Flying Crane Sword        CLASS: S-

ATACK:

SLASH: 3              BLUNT: 2

PIERCE: 9            MAGIC: 0

ABILITIES:

+ 1 DEX                +1 SPD                 <piercing strike> skill

Description:

A sword masterfully crafted with modern techniques and tools by Caleb Reed for one he considers his disciple, it’s dimensions are unusual but its piercing power is so great it formed its own skill]

 

Sheathing the blade again he used his strings to pull it back out and moved it about in a practiced way following a set of movements, the sword flowed naturally from one move to the next as if it was piercing through the air with elegance “It’s perfect Sifu” “It better be, I spent a lot of time making it”

 

The door opened again and Lily walked in barely carrying four large cups in her arms he smiled, he had trained her well, sending three strings over he pulled three of the cups out of her arms making the girl released a sigh of relief since she could stop worrying about spilling them “Coffee?” “You know I prefer tea” “More for me then” happy he put two of the cups aside and started to drink the third.

 

Looking at his watch his master got up “It’s about time I let you finish that movie” “you’re going already?” “Your father wants me to get at least some levels before the end of the week so I will be going to the frontlines with Einherjar team 5” “we have frontlines now?” “You should look at your tablet more often boy.”

 

Bowing towards the old man once again he finally sheathed his new Jian and laid it bellow the TV with respect, the man bowed towards him, then Lily and left, turning towards his roommate he said “Do you like him” “He is nice” scratching his chin in thought he made a mental note to see if his master was accepting new students.

 

Lily startled him by jumping on the bed and reaching for the remote controller, he was faster putting it out of her reach “Nope, I am the master of the controller” “But I want to watch the movie!” pointing towards the TV he pressed the button and continued to watch the little albino bat suffering under his master’s hand.     

 

_______

Sifu – Master / Father

Si Baak – Master’s elder martial brother

Si Hing – Elder martial brother