The Man Who Taught The Machine - A Rebirth LitRPG

Chapter 3: First Encounter

Before he saw any of the outside world, another blue screen popped up in front of him.

-Tutorial Quest Complete!-

   Enter

Shane touched the screen and was greeted with a new one, listing several rewards. His interest piqued as he browsed all the available options.

-Tutorial Quest Rewards-

You May Pick 2 of The Following:

(Uncommon) Sharp Novice Sword (Uncommon) Novice sandals of Speed5 Minor Healing Potions1 Random Minor-Level Feat Crystal & 1 Random Minor-Level Spell Scroll

Shane picked the sword alongside the feat and spell. The screen disappeared, showing the inventory screen waiting behind it with the sword crystal's icon. Feeling a little restless, Shane touched it. A tiny green crystal with a sword etched in its center appeared in his palm. A new screen then popped up.

-Alert!-

Consuming Minor Novice Blade Proficiency Gem Will Reward The Corresponding Feat

Continue? Enter/Cancel

Shane knew from previous gameplay testing that he would have to ingest the gem to gain the feat within it. "Gaagh, that's nasty," said Shane as he put the tiny stone on his tongue. The taste was somewhere between a mint and licking an anvil.

-Notice-

Feat Successfully Absorbed

Wanting to distract himself from his taste buds, Shane opened his inventory and picked out the new Shortsword he had just acquired. For all the games he had played as a swordsman, it was ironic this was the first time he actually held one.

-Sharp Novice ShortSword-
(Uncommon)

+15 Attack

Modifiers:
+5 Attack (Sharp Prefix)

A beginner's best friend

Use/Cancel

He pressed "Use," making the weapon info screen disappear, and the sword materialized in his hand a second later while also being shown in his right hand on the inventory screen.

As he stood in the open doorway of the cabin, Shane gave the sword a couple of practice swings and decidedly felt more sure of himself. This is what he craved. The blade also came with a sheath that was tied to his waist. Shane sheathed the sword and looked to the screen off to his right. There was a "Feats" and "Spells" tab with "Feats" already open.

Feats:

Minor Blade Proficiency
(Minor-Level Passive Feat)

Allows proper handling of Uncommon (and below) long swords, short swords, and daggers

"Ahhh, right, that's why the sword feels so light and natural." Shane had felt the heft of a real sword before from a specialty shop once, and the one he held now felt better in ways he couldn't quite quantify; it felt like he had trained extensively with it. The rest of his "Feats" page was empty besides the blade proficiency, which disappointed him given how many feats and spells the other classes were granted at early levels.

He pressed the "Spells" tab next to see what was there. A single spell scroll sat alone in the tab. Shane selected it, and a thick paper scroll appeared in his hands. Opening it revealed a few lines of intricate runes that seemed to stand out from the parchment. The runes began to glow a vibrant yellow, and after a few seconds, the entire scroll de-materialized. His "Spells" tab popped into focus, showing him a new slot-able spell.