Soul of Blades - Chapter 8: Four Options (Patreon)

Lost in the black expanse, he floated. A kendo practitioner reborn in a world not his own, a vast void Alex had felt only once before; a void reminiscent of his reincarnation. The dark emptiness stretched out, endless.

A system message appeared, distorted. Its holographic characters glitching, flickering.

Then, abruptly, the holographic chaos settled. Four notifications blinked into focus, their presence grounding him, anchoring him to the ephemeral reality of the dungeon.

[System Message: Choose two of 4 Skills]

[F-grade Skill 1: Bladed Palm (Duration: 1 min): User's palms become as sharp as blades, allowing precision strikes and deep wounds, capable of severing vital points.]

[F-grade Skill 2: Phoenix Leap (Cooldown: 1 sec): Enables user to perform a powerful leap, evading or engaging enemies with the agility of a Phoenix, easily overcoming obstacles.]

[F-grade Skill 3: Galefoot Technique (Duration: 1 min): footwork becomes as swift and graceful as a gust of wind, allowing the user to traverse difficult terrains or engage opponents with unmatched agility and precision.]

[F-grade Skill 4: Phoenix Fist (Duration: 10 sec): unarmed strikes become infused with the fiery essence of the phoenix, burning opponents upon impact and leaving them in a state of constant pain.]

Galefoot Technique promised swift movement. The thought of evading attacks with the grace of a gust of wind sparked hope. But the fleeting nature of this skill worried him. One minute of speed, and then? He could be stranded amidst hungry beasts.

Phoenix Fist painted an image of his fists engulfed in fire, a terrifying sight for any enemy. Ten seconds of burning brilliance, though, seemed too brief. A cooldown period of unknown length? Or maybe it didn't have a cooldown? That was a gamble he wasn't willing to take.

"Bladed Palm," he mused. A single-minute of razor-edged destruction. a deadly weapon, turning his hands into lethal instruments. The idea of transforming his palms into blades appealed to his kendo instincts, the thrill of the strike, the satisfaction of a clean cut. Alex could imagine it, the metallic tang of blood on his hands.

Phoenix Leap, however, promised a different kind of power – a fluidity of motion, evasive and offensive in equal measure. An explosive movement, agile as a Phoenix in flight. That must have been how the wolfmen- the Canids had leapt off nothing but air. A skill to escape or engage, a shield and a sword in one. He thought of the leap he had taken over the red grass, of the rush and the thrill, and the mental image of himself soaring above and around his adversaries in a blur of blades, utilising terrain to his advantage. It filled him with anticipation.

And yet… the system had glitched.

The flickering system message troubled him. He wondered whether the glitch was a result of the skill crystal. Are these notifications even reliable? He thought. The strange sight was both surreal and deeply concerning, it felt like his lifeline to understanding this world was fraying. But either way what choice did he really have?

It was do, or die.

"Phoenix Leap, and Bladed Palm" he decided aloud. The utility, the freedom it offered was too enticing to pass. A three-in-one skill: offensive, defensive, mobility. He could already see himself in mid-air, the world slowing down as he soared. And with each upgrade, he imagined, the cooldown would decrease or even disappear completely.

Instantly, the system reacted.

[Grade F Skill: Phoenix Leap (active) selected!]

Then, the holographic panel turned blood-red. A jumbled mess of glyphs across it, a confusing mess of symbols that made no sense. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the crimson message.

[Grade S Skill: ̷̸̵̴̶̷̸̟̮̙͚̪̟͇͕̲̳̱̺̥̮̔͂̀͒ͅ ̶̵̴̶̷̶̯͇̲̳̱̼̲̈́̈͛͋͐͋͂ͅ ̷̷̶̴̵̶̷̸̴̶̷̵̢̳̮̲̳̱͉̗̣̲̳̱̏̄̑͐͛͝͠A̷̶̵̴̲̳̱l̸̢͉̗̣̑͐͛à̸̺̥̮͒ͅΩ̴̵̶̷̲̳̱ ̶̶̯͇̼̲̈́̈͛͋͐͋͂ͅ ̷̷̶̴̵̶̷̴̶̷̵̳̮̲̳̱̲̳̱̏̄͝͠g̵̶̷̴̲̳̱e̸̪̟͇͕͂e̶̷̵̴̲̳̱E̵̴̶̷̶̵̴̶̷̷̸̸̢̲̳̱̼̲̲̳̱̟̮̙͚͉̗̣̺̥̮͋͐͋͂̔̑͐͛̀͒ͅͅ ̶̷̶̴̵̶̷̯͇̲̳̱̈́̈͛ ̷̸̴̶̷̵̳̮̪̟͇͕̲̳̱̏̄͂͝͠M̷̶̵̴̲̳̱m̸̵̴̶̷̸̷̸̴̶̷̵̢͉̗̣̲̳̱̪̟͇͕̟̮̙͚̺̥̮̲̳̱̑͐͛͂̔̀͒ͅ ̶̯͇̈́̈͛ ̷̸̶̢̳̮͉̗̣̼̲̏̄̑͐͛͋͐͋͂͝͠ͅO̷̟̮̙͚̔o̶̼̲͋͐͋͂ͅᾯ̴̵̶̷̵̴̶̷̷̸̸̸̢̲̳̱̲̳̱̟̮̙͚̪̟͇͕͉̗̣̺̥̮̑͐͛̀͒ ̶̯͇̈́̈͛ ̷̶͎̠̠̖̼̲̿́͋͐͋͂ͅ ̷̳̮̏̄͝͠ ̷̶̴̵̶̷̵̴̶̷̴̶̷̵̲̳̱̲̳̱̲̳̱ (passive) selected!]

His heart jumped, his non-existent body convulsed. Pain, white-hot and blinding, lashed through him. The void rejected him, sending him spiralling back to reality. He was back, crumpled on the jungle floor, the moist earth cooling his heated skin.

Alex blinked, the glitching system messages still seared into his vision. His choice, his action, had turned into an unexpected consequence. He had chosen the Phoenix Leap, but the system had granted him something else. Something unknown.

Back amidst the carnage of his last battle, he took a moment, steadying his breath, his mind churning. What had happened? What had the system given him? Questions spiralled, demanding answers. And in the quiet of the jungle, for once, Alex felt he knew what to do.

“Status” he muttered.

A holographic screen sprung to life before him once again, the reassuring hum of the system interface cutting through the silence.

[Gained Legendary Feat: "Pinnacle" First to acquire skill in inductee world - all stats + 2]

[Pinnacle > Pinnacle I: First to receive higher grade skill - All stats + 2. All stats +1%.]

[Pinnacle I > Pinnacle IV: First to receive skill 5 grades higher - All stats + 10. All stats +5%.]

[Name: Alex Ironwood

Level: 6

Race: Human - Rank F

Primary Class: Locked

Sub-class: Locked

Strength: 54 (37)

Dexterity: 45 (31)

Endurance: 48 (33)

Intelligence: 54 (37)

Wisdom: 26 (18)

Feats: First Encounter, Pioneer, Pinnacle IV,

Skills: Phoenix Leap, A̷̶̵̴̲̳̱l̸̢͉̗̣̑͐͛à̸̶̵̴̶̷̶̺̥̮̯͇̲̳̱̼̲͒̈́̈͛͋͐͋͂ͅͅ ̷̷̶̴̵̶̷̸̴̶̷̵̢̳̮̲̳̱͉̗̣̲̳̱̏̄̑͐͛͝͠Ω̴̵̶̷̲̳̱ ̶̶̯͇̼̲̈́̈͛͋͐͋͂ͅ ̷̷̶̴̵̶̷̴̶̷̵̳̮̲̳̱̲̳̱̏̄͝͠g̵̶̷̴̲̳̱e̸̪̟͇͕͂e̶̷̵̴̲̳̱E̵̴̶̷̶̵̴̶̷̷̸̸̢̲̳̱̼̲̲̳̱̟̮̙͚͉̗̣̺̥̮͋͐͋͂̔̑͐͛̀͒ͅͅ ̶̷̶̴̵̶̷̯͇̲̳̱̈́̈͛ ̷̸̴̶̷̵̳̮̪̟͇͕̲̳̱̏̄͂͝͠M̷̶̵̴̲̳̱m̸̵̴̶̷̸̷̸̴̶̷̵̢͉̗̣̲̳̱̪̟͇͕̟̮̙͚̺̥̮̲̳̱̑͐͛͂̔̀͒ͅ ̶̯͇̈́̈͛ ̷̸̶̢̳̮͉̗̣̼̲̏̄̑͐͛͋͐͋͂͝͠ͅO̷̟̮̙͚̔o̶̼̲͋͐͋͂ͅᾯ̴̵̶̷̵̴̶̷̷̸̸̸̢̲̳̱̲̳̱̟̮̙͚̪̟͇͕͉̗̣̺̥̮̑͐͛̀͒ ̶̯͇̈́̈͛ ̷̶͎̠̠̖̼̲̿́͋͐͋͂ͅ ̷̳̮̏̄͝͠ ̷̶̴̵̶̷̵̴̶̷̴̶̷̵̲̳̱̲̳̱̲̳̱ ,

Dao:

Unassigned stat points: 0]

He’d gained 71 stats in a short time, just from his feats and feat bonuses alone. That was almost 14 extra levels worth of stats gained from his new feats alone, it was unbelievable. He’d need to figure out a way to get more feats, as many as possible.

It put him on equal ground with someone at level 35, in terms of stats alone. As long as they had no magical skills of their own, he would in theory be able battle them on equal terms. A 45% increase in his base stats. It was an insane bonus, and one he planned to take advantage of.

He tore his attention away from his newfound strength, and focused on more immediate concerns; his system. His eyes darted over his status, scanning for any anomalies. The same jumbled mess of symbols from before greeted him under 'Skills', causing a spike of agitation.

Rising to his feet, he surveyed the surrounding jungle. The distant calls of unknown creatures cut through the stillness - predators, drawn to the scent of blood. The thought sparked a bitter smile. The scent of spilled blood would probably act as a lure, calling every predator lurking in range within the dense jungle. An invitation to a feast.

“Great, more food for Plantie,” he mumbled.

Plantie? He pondered on that. He would have to come up with a more befitting name for his green, or was it red? Saviour. Maybe…Ramus, Latin for branch. It seemed apt for a plant that used such deadly buried vines.

Nah, Plantie is a much better name, he decided.

His lips twitched into a smile as he officially dubbed the carnivorous plant that had saved his life, 'Plantie.'

The strange glitch in the system, his lifeline, had distracted him from something that had made him restless with excitement since he got here. Something he would've thought impossible a few hours ago. He had skills now. Magic.

And he couldn't wait to test it out.

Steeling his nerves and excitement, Alex crouched low, his muscles coiling like taut springs. He felt the raw power of his stats humming, the mana infusing his very being, a thrilling vibration that strummed along his nerves. With a thought, he released it, catapulting himself into the air. The sensation was extraordinary, akin to breaking free from invisible shackles, a sudden liberation that resonated in his very bones.

His feet left the ground, his body shooting upwards with a force that left a small crater in the soft soil where he stood. The world blurred around him as he soared, the wind whistling in his ears. His hair brushed against the rough foliage of the jungle canopy, a sharp contrast to the whisper-soft touch of the air against his skin. For a moment, he was lost in the exhilaration of freedom, his heart pounding with wild abandon.

Phoenix leap he thought.

Energy erupted from his heart, swirling around his legs like an ethereal cyclone. He felt solid ground beneath his feet, an invisible platform in the sky.

With a swift thought, the energy propelled him ahead at speed, his body whizzing through the humid air like a comet. The wind lashed his face, carrying the distinct scent of the wild. His feet met the earth again in a shower of dirt, his body sliding across the jungle floor. A thrill surged through him as the earth sprayed around him in a divot.

He dusted himself off and straightened, looking back at the distance he had covered. An amazing leap. It had felt like he‘d instantly gained a new set of instincts, as if he’d known how to do that his whole life. possibilities unfolded before him, did he have to jump to activate it? Could he stand still and let the mana propel him in any direction? what if he inverted the panel, and used it to create A telekinetic blast? Alex reactivated the skill, and instantly his thoughts and instincts reverted to the set forms and moves of the skill, it was as if he had no choice but to perform it within the systems parameters. That was unacceptable. He exerted his will, concentrating until a migraine almost formed, and succeeded in altering just the speed at which the panel formed- only slightly- increasing it. It was a limited success In fighting his new instincts, and one he’d need to work on to truly adapt to the skill.

But why was it so difficult? Wasn’t the mana his own? Why couldn’t he do what he wanted with it, and experiment? Had the system altered his brain? Injecting him with new instincts, and new limitations? That was… concerning.

A mild concern grew but was momentarily dismissed as his eyes flicked to the red glow of the jumbled system panel.

The glitched skill.

It was 'Grade S', that had to be incredible, right? What was it? Could he risk activating it?

It was too tempting not to try. Despite the risk, it could be something that could help him escape the dungeon. Activate, he thought.

Nothing happened.

Trigger skill, trigger glitch, skill activate. Still nothing. He peered at his status, trying to discern the the jumbled letters and twisted symbols that made up the skills name “Algoemo” he muttered, reading the name. Still nothing happened. He peered closer, “Agemo?”, his mana remained static, lifeless. The skill would not work.

Great, a useless skill. Bladed palm would’ve been so much better, what a waste.

With a sigh, Alex looked down at the remaining crystal. Uncertainty twirled in his mind like an insidious snake. A buggy system. A faulty skill. Was it worth the risk? What if this one was a dud too? Or even had negative effects? He couldn’t be sure, and decided to save his final skill crystal and inspect it later, when he was in a safer and more secure environment. If something went wrong here, he’d be a sitting duck for any roaming predator. He would find a location and secure it, and then inspect his final skill crystal. On the bright side though, I pretty much just did something impossible. His mind turned to his one working skill, and despite his concerns over his other glitched and useless skill, the thrill of his leap was intoxicating.

Skills. Power. If this was just a taste, then he needed more, he’d just have to figure out how to use a skill crystal without it malfunctioning.

The rush he’d felt still suffused him. It was kind of addictive.

He thought of the possibilities the working skill allowed him. With the bronze sword he held and phoenix leap, a multiple-strike kendo combination would be childsplay. He could attack from all sides. His grandfather had called it the dou tsuki dou.

His hand clenched around the sword he’d acquired. Raising the sword, he caught a glimpse of his reflection and realised he didn’t recognise the person staring back at him. It wasn’t exactly a stranger in the reflection, but someone he hadn't seen in a very long time.

Is that really me? It looks like me but... much younger. God, I look like I'm barely out of college.

Alex's hands, absent of their age-worn lines, held the sword with surprising steadiness, and his eyes widened as he scrutinized his reflection in the bronze sword. He was younger, much younger. About 20, maybe even 25 years younger. If he had to guess his new age, it would be in the very early twenties. Maybe twenty-one?

He adjusted the sword's angle for a better view. No crow's feet, no gray stubble. I'd say I'm what, early twenties? Maybe 21? 22? Is this for real?

That would explain why all of the aches and pains he had grown accustomed to over the last two decades had disappeared entirely. The sword felt lighter than it should, but then, everything felt different—better. He'd felt invigorated since arriving here—reborn even—but he'd attributed that to being just an effect of his stats, but he had been wrong. It was so much more.

It was a second chance, in more ways than one.

He needed to find and defeat the guardians, all of them. And locate the base of the wolf tribe. His strength had increased, more than he could have imagined, with his victory over the Wolfmen, and the feats he had achieved. He could achieve more. But first, he needed to rest.

He glanced back at the clock in his quest panel. Not even two hours. It felt much longer, with his life rewritten, his body reforged, and his world upended. Alex needed to do some reconnaissance, and build a base. The survivor feat would halve his need for sustenance, was mana a form of sustenance? It had to be… what if the higher tiers of the feat halved his cooldowns, or extended his skill lengths. He needed that feat and all it had to offer. He would have to live here for a week.

Alex’s gaze trailed off towards the distance, finding its mark on the imposing mountain. A climb that’d wind him but reward him, offering a chance to size up the island that had become his survival ring. He could make out spots that might make good hideouts, streams that held the promise of fresh water and, if luck was on his side, maybe a decent meal that didn't involve wrestling with an oversized wolf. Somewhere to bunk down that wasn't swarming with giant creepy crawlies.

He rolled his shoulders, letting the tension bleed out, and his boots crunched on the wild undergrowth as he made that first decisive step.

One boot-laden foot in front of the other, the call of the wild replaced by the crunch of dried leaves beneath his boots. His heart beating gently in his chest, keeping pace with each step. Alive. He was really alive. Surviving, even. What would his friends, his sister, and his grandfather think if they could see him now? They would probably nod approvingly or say something ridiculously inappropriate. He gave a half-hearted chuckle at the thought, his breath misting in the cool jungle air.

Alex ventured deeper, the jungle floor crunching under his feet, deeper into the jungle amidst the howls and cries of monsters...and vanished in its depths.