Chapter 22: The End of Days

Thadius was looking at what used to be a 20ft(6m) wall. After learning his master's last skill, he was tasked to carve out the rock face with it to improve speed and precision. He had finally succeeded.

He proudly climbed the staircase that he had been forming for the last 6 months, using the natural hand holds every few feet for safety. Then he stopped at the top to look at the emerald ocean.

He stood in the same spot he had first stood almost four years ago. If anyone had told him what he'd find up the mountain, he would have gone sooner.

'And now it's done' he thought as he watched the grass dance in the winter wind. Even in the cold, the scene was as beautiful as ever.

He continued along the ledge, lost in thought. His feet carried him to the entrance of his master's compound in minutes, and a gruff voice called out to him inside.

"You've come just in time Thadius, I was about to come for you."

Corban said from his favorite seat on the middle of the training hall.

Yuna was off to the side sweating and gasping for breath. Corban had been giving her extra lessons since he was off doing his training for the final technique. When her eyes met his, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"I take that something good happened?"

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"Yuna has just mastered Dragon's Grip. Give her a test run would you? I want to be sure..."

Yuna took her stance in the hand-to-hand form of the Dragon's Path sword style. It was a style created as a last result. Corban believed that a swordmaster without a sword should still be just as deadly. What resulted was a martial art based on crippling grabs and bone breaking strikes.

Thadius settled into the Dragon's Tail form as he removed his sword from his hip. The deadliest part of the single-handed Dragon's Tail form, was that it easily incorporated moves from the Dragon's Grip form.

Yuna released her Aura and Thadius did the same. They were at the point where they couldn't give each other any room to breath. A split second of indecision would lead to a bruise our a smack to the back of the head.

"Begin!"

Yuna 'Vanished' from sight. When she mastered 'Hide Presence', it had fused with 'Hide' allowing her to turn invisible.

Thadius spread out his Aura to fill the room. He found Yuna quickly as she tried to circle behind him.

He reached out to grab her, only to find his arm grabbed in return. He dropped to the ground immediately, intending to slam her into the ground.

[-5hp]

Yuna lashed out with a strike at his bent knee and triggered a reflex to throw off his timing. This gave her ample time to roll to the ground and reassess her approach.

They circled the training hall, never taking their eyes off the opponent.

Yuna rushed in again, but Thadius was ready. He sent a spin kick to her abdomen that broke her invisibility and launched her to the wall. She kicked out to reposition herself to use the wall as a springboard.

She leaped right at Thadius as he swung down to catch her mid flight. She twisted to catch the blade between her hands, using it as a pivot for her momentum. She flipped over Thadius' head and launched into his back. From there she could snap his neck.....if she was fast enough.

"Stop, I've seen enough." Corban called from his perch.

Thadius and Yuna went to stand in from of their master. He looked down at both of them with pride.

"Kneel."

They obeyed. They were always humbled in the presence of their master.

"I can finally say that I have nothing left to teach you. Both of you have absorbed my techniques and have withstood the training that no one else but myself has completed. I'm proud of you. From this moment forth, you can call yourselves swordsmen.

[YOUNG DRAGON

After almost four years of training, Corban has nothing left to teach you. You have succeeded in learning everything from him. Your class, 'Disciple of the Iron Dragon' has advanced to 'Sword Scholar'

+1000 Fighting Spirit

+500 Intelligence]

[Sword's Path

As a Sword Scholar, your body overflows with Fighting Spirit. The Mana stat had been deleted. Skills that use mana cannot be used. Sword Skills that use mana, will adapted to use Fighting Aura instead at only 10% of the original cost. ]

[Burden of the Strong

- No experience from lower level enemies

+50% EXP from higher level enemies

+100% EXP and from solo boss kills ]

[Sword Insight

Sword skills can be learned through observation, regardless of class. All swords can be identified. Sword level restrictions are ignored. ]

[innate Sword Talent

Points added to Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence are doubled.]

"Show stats."

[

No Title

CLASS Sword Scholar

NAME Thadius RACE Human

FAME: 0 LV. 1

HEALTH 15700/15695

STAMINA 20540/20540

VITALITY 1570 STRENGTH 3052

DEXTERITY 2042 WISDOM 912

INTELLECT 1598 LEADERSHIP 0

CHARM 67 FAITH 677

FIGHTING SPIRIT 5077 ENDURANCE 147

MAGIC RESISTANCE

ICE 99% FIRE 0% EARTH 0% DARK -10%

WIND 0% LIGHTNING 0% HOLY 15% WATER 0%

+Weapon mastery skills gain x10 EXP

]

Thadius was absolutely dumbfounded. The a penalties were harsh, but the benefits more than made up for it.

"You can learn any sword skill?" he whispered in surprise.

"Don't dwell on it too much. I've survived all these years without learning any foreign sword skills, So you probably won't need them."

"Y-yeah." His master had denied the possibilities, but Thadius was already thinking about the various sword skills he'd heard about.

"Now, I don't have any children, and the number of people who would actually want to live here are few. But I want the both of you to think of this place as yours, and everything in it will go to Thadius for safe keeping."

Corban looked at Yuna as he said it, she offered up no argument. She wasn't the type to argue over possessions.

"Good. Take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow will be the start of the rest of your lives. Your first stop will be the blacksmith in Yune. Give him this, and he'll know what to do." Corban handed Thadius a letter. He was about to remove it from the envelop.

"Don't read it!"

"Oh..."

Corban just shook his head. "Then after that you should head to the Capital. There's a mage there named Beth, she's the one who helped me create the training armor. You find her, and she sort you out. Now off with you!" Corban dismissed them as he went back into his office. Yuna followed him, talking quietly about her new 'Sword Maiden' class.

Thadius went into his room. At long last, he would be leaving the mountain. He layed down and logged out to tell Curtis the good news.

---

Brandon looked around to find Curtis watching a movie on the flat screen.

"Anything good on?" he called to his nurse.

"Not since you almost gave to the Goddess." He chuckled as he turned around in his chair.

"Hey now.."

Curtis raised his hands in defense. "I was going to change the channel if anything went down, so you don't have to worry about peepping Tom's. But seriously, a Goddess? Spill..."

"Even if I described it, you wouldn't understand."

"Damn. I might have to find me a Goddess to worship then. How goes the training? It's been almost a year out here."

"I'm a Sword Scholar now." Thadius smiled as he went over his unique class.

"Shit! Any sword skill?"

"That's my understanding. If I observe them using it, I'll be able to perform it. Though I'm not sure how magical sword skills are going to work."

"That mana penalty is bad news. You're set up for a mage beat down in the near future..."

"Come again?"

"You have nothing in your arsenal that defends against magic, or helps you at attacking enemies from a distance. The first serious mage you come across is going to eat you alive."

"I'll just chase them down. I have the speed."

"Okay. Just you wait. You say that now, but the versatile weapon that is magic, isn't something you just 'chase down'."

"Noted."

"Now do you want a bite to eat while you're here? The chefs just finished cooking, and is been a while since you've had a decent meal."

"Sure."

Curtis and Brandon chatted some more over a warm meal. But after it was done, Brandon logged back in. He was excited, about what tomorrow would bring.

"Happy travels!" Curtis said as he turned on the machine.

"We may run into each other now that I'm free."

"I doubt that. We're on opposite sides of the spectrum."

Brandon didn't get a chance to question him further as a white light flashed.