Joe sighed and stood, before stepping into his forms, quietly moving through the room. He was much more cautious about waking the other three, realizing they needed their sleep, and when the sun had risen over the horizon, he slipped from the room and found another location to finish off his forms so as not to bother them before going back upstairs to find them still asleep.
Glad to have let them sleep, Joe resolved to do so again in the future and just rested, opening his book to write down information and study so more, going over his new strange titles... They're not really titles though, are they? Just… what would they be called? Joe sighed before he shrugged at let it go, only happy to learn more and begin figuring out how it would affect him.
He was interested in the ones that gave stat boosts, but realized he'd already been on planet almost two hundred days, which ant the boosts were long gone. Although, that might explain why it was so easy for to take out the triple core sli back at the village after being there only a couple weeks whereas the double core sli in the dungeon just a week ago really gave a run for my money. Man… the way these stats change and fluctuate really play havoc with my equilibrium and training!
Joe shook his head and discarded his frustration before returning to his studies. He lost himself in ti then ca to, surprised by the movent of Garnedell and Zilnek standing and lining up. Oh, right, ti to do forms with them, I guess?
Joe looked to Kilniara's room but Garnedell quickly called out, "She is coming. We already called her."
"Cool. Then, start in ready stance, and let's go over so of the basic stances until… oh, hey. She's here, cool. Alright. Line up Kilniara. Ready form and begin first form."
All three readied, then after a bit of fumbling, started the first form. Oooh… ha! They're used to copying when I wake up. They haven't started without before. Gotta fix that!
The next twenty or thirty minutes passed in quiet peace punctuated with heavy breaths of exertion as he walked around them and offered them minor instruction, although Zilnek and Kilniara were improving remarkably fast, which is… crazy!
After their forms, Joe called out to Kilniara, "Hey, can I look at your status again, really quick?"
Kilniara ca over readily enough, pulling it up for him and he quickly flipped over to her blessings and titles page with her help, smiling when he saw the new title. Huh… I should check out Garnedell's as well! Joe then asked her to press on her new title.
Sapient:
You are sapient, capable of intelligent thought, tool making, speech, and environntal manipulation to your own benefit.
ntal stats multiplied by two.
Fleet Footed:
As an Acokzau, you have an increased ability to control and use your body in incredible ways at the cost to defensive capabilities and strength.
Dexterity stat multiplied by five.
Agility stat multiplied by five.
Strength stat divided by two.
Cannot use any defensive jobs.
Cannot wear heavy armor.
Unlocked Agile Ranged Swordsman
Joe's eye's rose at seeing the Acokzau's racial bonuses. Pretty amazing bonuses, although the hit to strength, loss of jobs, and no heavy armor… hmm… I wonder how many jobs are lost in exchange for the one new job? It better be a pretty amazing job, but given the incredible bonus to dexterity and agility, it makes sense to not go with a defensive build. Still, losing all the bonus stats just from having leveled those jobs … all lost.
Joe schooled his face but nodded and called over Zilnek and Garnedell, but saw nothing new. Zilnek had the sa bonuses as Kilniara from his race. Garnedell had the base human bonus of the Jack of all Trades, identical to his own.
Joe didn't make any comnts, simply observing it and noting it in his notebook before heading out.
"OK. Let's head down to breakfast."
The other three followed behind, although they seed to be a bit subdued and Joe glanced back at them, wondering what was bothering them. He almost opened his mouth to ask but figured he could ask at breakfast and pushed through.
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They made it to the table, ordering their als quickly. Joe almost opened the conversation but then noticed that all three were being a bit cagey, looking at one another before glancing downwards. Joe, seeing their attitude, decided to let the silence continue, hoping that they would have the courage to speak up, and allowed them the ti to screw up their courage.
It turned out that Garnedell was the first able to do so, "Joe. May I ask… why you were looking at our status?"
Joe smiled brightly, "Garnedell! Thanks, man! I really appreciate it!"
Garnedell seed taken aback, and both Zilnek and Kilniara both looked up in surprise, against stealing furtive glances with one another before Garnedell spoke up once again, "I did nothing. Why are you giving thanks?"
Joe smiled, "I do not know why you were worried or afraid, but you were sohow afraid of or what I would do. You found the courage to ask and the trust to believe that I would not harm you when you chose to ask. Thank you."
All three's eyes rounded at that and Garnedell grinned brightly. Joe smiled back and also saw the relief co over Zilnek and Kilniara's face. Joe waited a mont for the conversation to catch up for Zilnek then continued.
"I just found so new information that showed up in my status. I wanted to know if it happened for you as well. It was just information that explained the differences between base humans and other types of sapients… or… it just told what a base human can do and what an Acokzau can do. I don't know about other species because, well, I haven't been able to read their status, so… but. Do mind explaining to why or how I made you afraid?"
The other three glanced between each other, all three seeming to dance around who would lead. Garnedell seed to struggle a bit before looking at Kilniara and sohow requesting her help, although Joe wasn't able to catch the subtle cue that Kilniara seed to catch. She sat up and turned to face him before speaking with a bit of false bravado, although the subtle tremor in her voice revealed the underlying fear. Joe smiled encouragingly, hoping to ease that fear.
"We were… um.. it was… well… you wanted to see our status and we didn't know what you were looking at and many master's often look at their apprentices' statuses to check things and to see if they've improved and to make sure that they are not stagnating or sohow failing to accomplish their growt…"
Joe raised a hand and cut off Kilniara as her nervousness seed to directly translate into verbal speed, her reply becoming a rapid fire verbal diarrhea.
"It's ok. Relax. Relax."
All three cald at this and Joe continued, "So, I guess you were worried that I was making sure that you were still leveling up and if you didn't… what would happen?"
At this, the three seed to look ashad before Garnedell spoke, "A master might release them from apprenticeship."
Joe smiled and shook his head, "I'm not releasing you. The only thing that might make release you is if you lie, cheat, steal, or betray . Well, maybe if you are overly lazy as well, but you are none of these things. You are all working hard, and I'm happy. You won't lose this apprenticeship. Relax, OK?
"And Zilnek! You apologized! I've forgiven you! You are a good apprentice. Show that you are, and I'm happy. You have no need to fear!" Joe added, realizing that one of the things that he'd listed was sothing Zilnek had actually done, but his remorse seed genuine and Joe was willing to give him a second chance.
The atmosphere seed to explode from the table, a palpable wave of relief wafting across the table and Joe laughed, "You guys get worried too easily. Relax! I'm not giving up on you. Just work hard and I'll teach you, OK?"
All three nodded excitedly and offered thanks which Joe rejected, as he didn't see anything he needed to be thanked for. The camaraderie returned and soon the other three were jabbering away once again, as was their wont, and Joe dug into his al instead, listening to the conversation this ti as they began to speak on so master's and apprentices. Joe felt he could glean so details, but mostly seed to hear so pretty extre examples of, what amounted to, so abusive or even evil relationships. Joe sighed and shook his head with that, realizing that with this as a standard, he would have to work hard to calm their fears.
In any case, Joe ended the al and called them all to head out, leading them by the carpenter and weapon smith before heading to the dungeon. He made sure to pick up so traditional wooden staves and the thinner but heavier tal staves as well, two wooden staves for the siblings and three tal ones for each of the new trainees. Ti to learn pain, my little friends. Joe hid his malicious grin but, even then, couldn't hide the subtle smirk as he rembered his own struggle with learning the staff. Seems easy to grasp, but they don't know just how heavy it is. Heh!
Joe led them through into the dungeon, managing to sneak past the Dungeon Guardian captain once more before heading to their corner. Hmm… they already know about , so… maybe I'll take out the goblin king again? A couple more rings might be useful…
Joe started the day again as normal, with Garnedell taking one of the siblings and Joe taking the other, with the two bouncing back and forth between the two until lunch arrived. They stopped for lunch and enjoyed a al then took an uncharacteristic short break where Joe taught a bit of information about the first form for the staff before starting them once again in their training. He took about twenty minutes offering guidance, corrections, and so hints before leaving them to their training and dove into his own, rapidly grinding through goblin after goblin, stopping after every five or ten to go back and offer more training before returning once again. After a good hour or so of training, the three begin to tire, and Joe called them to a halt, giving them a ten minute rest before driving back into their training.
This ti, the only last about forty minutes and Joe joined them for an early afternoon break before returning to their morning regi, pairing the siblings with him and Garnedell as they fought goblins one by one.
During this whole ti, Joe kept an eye out for the goblin king, but never saw him appear and gave up for the day, spending the rest of the afternoon with the other three and ending late in the evening.
Sure is a boring day! Joe sighed to himself, but didn't allow any distraction as he was with Zilnek at the ti. Finally, Joe decided to call it the end of the day and called everyone back to the corner where he packed up their bags. While they were doing so, Zilnek excitedly let everyone know he'd made it to level eight soti in mid afternoon and all three congratulated him before heading back out the door for ho.
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