The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 8: Are you ready? (Part 1)

Chapter 8: Are you ready?

3 months, 2 days after the fall:

"Where are we?" Aria asked as I pulled the small cart she sat on. Months of strenuous conditions had tired her and unlike myself, she barely had any benefits given by the system.

"We're close to the Adear Mountains," I replied. "On foot, we'll make it to Crysis in about another week."

She paused and looked at me, eyes downcast, "I'm sorry Ardy."

I stopped, "Please don't be. Please don't ever say that. You're my sister and I'll do my best to always keep you safe."

She laughed tiredly, "And this is why you don't have a girlfriend."

"Maybe," I smirked, "though you do know I've dated before, right?"

"Really?" her genuine surprise hurt.

"Yeah," I smiled. "She was an odd person. Half elf, half oni. Very rare. We met when I was travelling around Crysis but lost contact after everything happened. I hope she's okay."

"So do I," Aria smiled herself and I continued to push on.

*

"You think that's a leap! That's nothing more than a jump!" the old man's cane swept down on my head with a thump and I immediately say my health bar drop. On the plus side due to his berating my vitality had increased somewhat. "Think about the flow of energy in your body. Bend your legs. Push those muscles and fucking leap! Remember do it-."

"Like an arrow," I finished for him and received another cane wack for my efforts.

"Then get it right!" he grumbled.

You would think that the Leap skill wouldn't be a hard one to get but it became notorious among players for its harsh learning requirements to the point most people gave up. On the peak of the Adear Mountains, a place that already took no small effort to climb, was an old man and his hut. He would teach you the leap skill for a fee. The majority of skills that came with a cost prerequisite usually were learnt in a few hours if not faster. I was at my third day on the mountain and only had two weeks left till the tournament. I'd need to be in the Capital for the preliminary selections at least a week before as well.

I stood on a small wooden pillar 5cm in width, a single foot balanced on top. It had started relatively easy. Jumping from the ground, then from a platform but then the platform began to angle, to get smaller and at one point was on fire. I was now up to the last step of the skill challenge, to leap from one foot on a tiny, angled surface. I bent my legs, felt my muscles groan and recalled the experience. Not just what had been drummed into my head by the crazed old man, but what had been taught to me in the past, in the future that I wanted to prevent.

My body sprang up and I felt my body sore away. With a graceful thud I landed on the ground a rather far distance to where I started.

"Fucking finally," the old man clapped his hands. "You've done it."

A notification popped on my screen. Skill: Leap. Proficiency level: 5. Propel yourself using your leg power. Cooldown 30 seconds. I was alarmed, the proficiency level was already at 5. It was a level you would only see quite far into the game. The amount of control and power I'd get from the skill would be miles ahead. I looked at my instructor incredulously.

"What, are you dissatisfied?" he spat.

"No..., I'm just further ahead than I thought I'd be."