Skills to pay the bills

John walked out of the smithy with a shortbow, a full quiver and a shortsword. The last one Fred had insisted he took with him as well. To quote the dwarf: “If an enemy comes too close, it’s easier to stab them in the eye with a sword than to try to stab them with an arrow.”

As for armor, he would either need to craft it himself or bring Fred the materials and have it crafted for him.

Arnold was undoing the straps for the quiver when John shook his head. “Don’t bother,” he told the older man. He swiped around in his inventory, then equipped the quiver to his offhand slot and the bow to his main weapon slot, the quiver appearing on his back and the bow quickly placing itself on his other shoulder.

“I can see that you don’t even have to put on your own clothes, John, interesting gift,” Arnold said with an approving whistle. “Though, if you are going to use those arrows in your quiver, might I suggest placing it on your waist? Makes it easier to draw arrows and makes it so that you don’t just drop them all on the ground when you bend over”

John realized that the man had a point. “Ehm, you know… My powers don’t really give me a choice with my weapon placement.” However, just as he said that, the quiver moved to his hip. “Guess they do,” he shrugged. “Gaia, don’t you have something better to do than prove me wrong?” John asked loudly at the sky; Arnold backed off in case their new protege would get smited right then and there.

“No”

Came a simple answer in popup form. “Seriously, the snark is real with her,” John sighed once again. He was amazed at how much he was sighing already. “Guess we should just get on with the training,” he spoke to Arnold.

“Why? Did she reply?” the older man asked surprise clear in his voice.

“Jup, she simply said, and I quote: No. In other words, a bored goddess gave me powers and is now watching my every move and providing live commentary.”

“Right, and this whole complaining thing is getting boring! Get on with it!”
John rubbed his forehead. The sounds of multiple people yelling “Get on with it” echoing through his head. “If you ever meet Gaia, Arnold, she seems to like late 20th century British comedy.”

Arnold looked completely flabbergasted. “John, just… how?” he had to ask.

“So, many, puns!” John groaned before Arnold took the hint and led him back to the training fields. Now with a suitable set of weapons, he was confident he would be able to gain some new skills.

“So, John, do you know the basics of archery?” Arnold asked as they approached one of the targets, stopping at a line marked in the sand from where the Hunters would shoot. As John took position, Arnold gave him tips. “First, you take the bow into your off hand. You will want to use your main hand to draw back the string.”

John straightened his back, holding up the bow in his left hand, and then he drew the string, his muscles straining slightly to pull back the tense string as far as he could.

“Aim down the shaft of your arrow, point it where you want it to go, adjust a little for the arch, and then, when you breathe out, you let go.”

Twang

The bow was released; however, to John’s embarrassment, he had forgotten to load an arrow, the bow vibrating heavily as the string settled back in its original position.

John blushed heavily, looking at Arnold to see the man’s reaction.

“That’s a good form for a beginner, but how about actually trying to hit the target with something else than air, hm?” a female voice came from behind the two.

John felt his embarrassment rising another level as he realized Cynthia had seen his huge flop. “Ehm, yeah, I was just...” he mumbled, Arnold’s voice interrupting him.

“Cyn, no teasing the new boy; we had you do the same thing the first time!”

“Yes, dad, but come on, he looks so funny with his head all red, drawing an empty bow in his school uniform,” Cynthia giggled loudly as she took up her own bow. “By the way, mom asked to see you in her tent, something about your tent pole or something.” As Arnold was about to object, Cynthia added, “I can teach him basic archery stuff, dad. I have been hunting since I was twelve.”

Arnold looked at the two, then nodded with a smile. “Have fun, you two. When you’re done, come and get me so we can send him off together.” With those words, Arnold left. Almost running as he made his way into the direction of the tents.

“Now, load your arrow, and try again,” Cynthia instructed.

John coming down from his embarrassment nodded, taking an arrow from his quiver, held the little slit at the back onto the bowstring and pulled back. Aiming at the bullseye, he let loose.

The arrow flew for a second, then struck the target in the outermost ring. John saw a pop up appear in front of him.

“How was that?” John asked as he looked at Cynthia only to find her looking at him intently. “Can I… help you?” he asked as he backed away, not used to a girl so blatantly looking at him with anything else than disgust.

“Yeah, you can! Explain how your posture changed after shooting your first arrow; your feet took the correct beginner’s position, heck, your fingers are even gripping the string in the right way!” Cynthia demanded to know.

“Well, I just earned the skill Common Bow Mastery. I got a 5 percent damage increase and… apparently I know how to use a bow now?” John scratched the back of his head as he explained. In his head the correct ways to handle a bow had indeed been imprinted.

“Well, that’s a good thing, I suppose…” Cynthia said as she thought. “So, have you, you know, tried creating any new skills except for the obvious bow skill so far today?” she asked as she kept staring at him.

“Uhm… no, I was too busy with school, you know?” John said softly, a blush rising to his face as Cynthia’s eyes kept following him.

“So. Just to be sure. You got video game powers, and instead of experimenting with them, you decided to study? What the hell is wrong with you!?” Cynthia shouted at him, starting to giggle loudly soon after. Seeing John’s face turn from awkward to a look of total disbelief.

“Oh my god…”

"Dess!"

“Goddess, have it your way, Gaia,” John dismissed the popup. “You are right! Instead of trying to live the dream, I went and tried to do schoolwork,” John mumbled to himself. A lively smile formed on his lips as he suddenly got a crazed look on his face, focusing on his hand, feeling mana condense after a few seconds. “I should have been trying to get new skills instead of trying to draw a goddamn deer in some bushes.” John’s spirit rose. Throwing the condensed mana at the target, missing it completely by hitting the ground leaving a small pothole as dust flew up into the air.

John cringed, checking his mana supply to see it was empty. “Did that earn you a skill?” Cynthia asked still giggling.

“No… it drained my mana and gave me… nothing. I’m an idiot,” he sighed, looking rather trodden down, nothing like the crazed gamer from a few moments ago. Then a popup appeared.

“Realize the one eternal truth.”
For admitting freely that you are an idiot, I will take pity on you.
Trying to create new skills will not consume any mana for the next twenty minutes.”
20:00

John did not know whether he should thank Gaia or curse her, but one thing was certain: she was not all snark and no heart.

“Welp, Gaia decided to pity me…” John admitted as he explained what happened. This, however, send Cynthia into an even bigger laughing fit. “Oh please, stop. Too much. If you can hear me, Gaia… I freaking love you,” the girl said as she held her stomach.

John felt his cheek color red once more as he tried to focus, thinking about a use for his 19 remaining minutes of unlimited training mana.

19 minutes later

A dusty John was proudly smiling at the three new skills in his skillbook.