Seed Of Speed

When Diego woke up, he found himself back in his tent, laying on his bedroll. Surprisingly, he only felt a little stiff and no pain as he sat up. His armor had been removed and his clothes changed. Underneath, his body was bandaged, and he could smell an herbal paste wafting up.

(How long have I been out?) Diego asked silently.

::Fifteen hours. You certainly live to impress, young man::

(I'm just happy that I lived in the first place. You wouldn't know Rainshower's condition by chance?)

::Hehe, interested in the girl, huh? While no, I don't know her present condition, I can tell you that she collapsed from overtaxing her mana reserves. She'll need a few days of rest and no magic for at least a week, but she'll be fine::

(I remember some alerts going off at the end, but I can't remember them. Can you replay any of them I got during or after the fight?)

::[One Strike, Ten Thrusts] skill learned. 25 mastery points awarded::

::[Speed Sight] skill learned. 100 mastery points awarded::

::Stone Golem killed! 100 experience points awarded, 10 mastery point awarded, 3 skill point awarded to [Ten Strikes, One Thrust], 1 skill point awarded to [One Strike, Ten Thrusts]::

Diego's mouth hung open for a moment as he looked at the three alerts as the rewards dwarfed everything he had seen before. It took him a full minute before he snapped out of his dazed and asked Katalina to explain.

(I don't understand… Why did I get so much for everything?)

::You were awarded twenty-five points for [One Strike, Ten Thrusts] because you were able to create it under your own efforts and therefore rewarded more. [Speed Sight] is a specialty skill of the Seed of Speed and since you were able to unlock it on your own, the System rewarded you generously. Defeating the Stone Golem was also an impressive feat, only made possible by creating [One Strike, Ten Thrusts], so again, the System awarded you fairly::

(Alright! Show me my Skill Page!)

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Unused Skill Points: 2

[Scarlet-Gold Skin] - Level Maxed

- Protection skill that uses Solar Energy to create a second, metallic skin greatly increasing caster's defense while also increasing strength, speed and endurance to a lesser amount

- 3 SE per minute

[Serpent's Strike] – Level 5 – 3/25

- Spear attack that uses Solar Energy to flex and bend the shaft of the spear to strike at odd angles

- 43 SE

[Unyielding Thrust] – Level 5 – 0/25

- Spear attack that uses Solar Energy to strengthen the caster's muscles to increase attack power at the cost of agility

- 78 SE

[Ten Strikes, One Thrust] – Level 3 – 3/30

- Spear attack that uses Solar Energy to increase the caster's speed to the extreme, allowing three separate strikes to hit at the same time

- 100 SE

[Spinning Shield] – Level 4 – 1/12

- Spear defense that uses Solar Energy to increase the centrifugal force to deflect incoming minor attacks (Able to deflect attacks weaker than caster's strength)

- 1 SE per second

[Scarlet-Gold Body Slam] – Level 1 – 1/3

- Requires the [Scarlet-Gold Skin] to be active, Martial skill that focus the force of the caster entire body into one point

- Warning: If defense is stronger than the caster's, caster will receive damage

- 30 SE

[One Strike, Ten Thrusts] – Level 3 – 1/30

- Unique speed-based spear attack allowing three strikes to overlap and strike out with a combined force

- Can not exceed [Ten Strikes, One Thrust]

- 150 SE

[Speed Sight] – Level 1 – 1/10000

- Specialty skill of the 'Seed of Speed' that allows user's perception of time to shift in vision only

- Skill points can not be invested into this skill

- Warning: Prolonged usage of the skill will result in brain damage until host reaches the Fiend Body Stage

- 1 SP (Seed Power) per second

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(What the hell?!? Ten thousand points to advance the [Speed Sight]?!? And I can't use skill points?!?)

::Stop your complaining. [Speed Sight] is just like your Bard abilities; it requires your own understanding of the power since I have no records to help you. Although the requirements are steep, it is much easier to train than your other skills as the knowledge comes directly from you. You just need to practice the ability::

(Okay.) Diego replied as he calmed down. (Why it [One Strike, Ten Thrusts] already at level three?)

::Because the level is based off of the number of thrusts it is able to overlap which is why it can't exceed [Ten Strikes, One Thrust]. You can't overlay more spears than you can create::

(That makes sense. Show me my Mastery Page!) Diego thought with glee at the extra hundred and twenty-five points he had earned.

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Unassigned Mastery Points: 149

{Spear-craft} - Level 2 (Advanced) - 10/100

- Proficiency with spear and spear techniques

{Music Memory} – Level Maxed

- Upon mastery, allows perfect recollection of any known song

{Essence of Speed} – Level 0 – 0/100

- Proficiency harnessing the power of the Seed of Speed, increasing host's overall speed

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(Okay, the {Essence of Speed} was unlocked because of learning [Speed Sight], right?)

::Correct::

(But I don't see any restriction on this like the skill.)

::That is because it is an ability derived from the Seed of Speed, so I have no records to help increase your understanding of it, and {Essence of Speed} is the representation of your compatibility between you and the Seed which is the number one function of the System::

(Oh… well then, invest a hundred points into {Essence of Speed} and let's see what this does.)

The level changed before his eyes but felt nothing. Before he could complain to Katalina, she had anticipated his concern.

::You received a five percent boost to your speed, but it's not something you can simply 'feel'. You will need to meditate and find the Seed within you. Once you do, you will be able to sense its energy and, in time, you will learn to how to harness that energy, increasing your speed by more than you can imagine::

(Alright… sorry.) He apologized, scratching the back of his head.

::It's fine, just remember patience. Don't forget to check your Status Page as you now have enough experience points to level your Body Cultivation::

(Thanks, advance me to stage five and show me the page.)

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Host: Diego Alavos

Body: Ishu Telryn

Position: Heir to the Patriarch of the Telryn Clan

Profession: Soul Singer (Bard)

Cultivation: Scarlet-Gold Sun Body, 5th stage, Mortal Body - 0/500

Magic: None

Solar Energy = 800/800

Mana = 512/512

Skill points: 2

Mastery points: 49

Experience points: 16

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Diego grinned as he saw that his Solar Energy had doubled. His biggest weakness was his pitiful reserves of Solar Energy, so this gave him hope for the future. He dismissed the window and debated on meditating as to try and find the Seed, but knew Toba would be concerned for his well-being, so he stood up.

The sun had risen not more than an hour ago, but the campsite was mostly deserted aside from the tents. Most people would be in the Void Passage mining, especially with everything Diego's team had discovered, but there would still be a few warriors watching the area. Toba, as Captain, would not spare himself from guard duty, but that also made him easy to find.

On top of one of the dunes overlooking the entire campgrounds of the three allies, a wagon had been pulled up and turned so that the end was sticking in the ground. It seemed ridiculous to Diego as it only gave Toba two more meters up, but no one questioned him, so he did not either.

"Young lord!" Toba exclaimed with surprise as he jumped off his perch and land in front of Diego. "You shouldn't be up! You were heavily injured!"

"I'm fine, Captain Toba. My body has already healed, see? I even advanced," Diego said, releasing a burst of his energy.

"You reached the fifth stage already?!?" Toba said, shocked yet again.

"Danger and fortune often strike together," Diego replied.

"It's good you have recovered then, young lord," Toba said with a bow. "But may I please request that the you take this time to rest and consolidate your foundation after this advance."

Diego chuckled, "Relax, uncle. I don't plan on returning to the pocket world unless they left the shards of that golem's heart."

"Each of the warriors filled their sacks, but I was told that a small portion remained. I haven't sent anyone after what's left incase there is something else since we do not have you or Shaman Rainshower to fight another one of those things."

"That's probably for the best, we don't need to be greedy."

"My thoughts exactly," Toba replied.

"How is Shaman Rainshower?"

"She awoke during the night and says she is fine, but weak. She asked about you as well, young lord," Toba said with a knowing smile.

(Goddamn, is everyone in my business?)

::Neither of you have made a point of keeping it a private matter with how you flirt. You are just too dense to realize it::

Diego hung his head in shame, unable to refute her words as it was not the first time he had been told as much. He could tell she liked and caught a few playful teases, but for every one that he had caught, he had missed five.

"I'm going to take Smoke for a ride, not too far, I promise. I just want to practice some things and I should be away from camp, understand?"

"Yes, young lord, then I would suggest that direction. You can be out of sight, but can quickly enter my view if something arises," Toba suggested, pointing to a dune not too far away.

"I don't mind you watching me, but I need to be a bit farther away. How about that dune? I'll sit on the top so that I can watch ahead while you watch my back?" Diego replied, pointing to a dune of his own.

"As you wish, young lord," Toba said with another bow.