Generalised skills were notoriously difficult to level because they covered too many aspects at once.
To understand why, Swordsmanship Skills served as a good example. Suppose levelling up from level 8 to 9 required 30,000 experience points. The problem lay in how that experience was distributed.
If there were 15 different types of swords in the world, the experience would be divided equally among them, 2,000 points per sword type. If it took three days of practice to gain 2,000 experience points with a single sword type, then training with all swords evenly would take 45 days to level up.
But if a person trained with only one type of sword, the problem worsened. After the first 2,000 experience points in three days, a penalty would apply, making further gains slower. The next 2,000 points might take 3.6 days, then 3.9 days, then 4.2 days, and so on. By the time they reached the required 30,000 points, it would take 56.25 days. An increase of 11.25 days just because they weren’t practising with all sword types.
And that was assuming only 15 sword types. At higher levels, the penalty would escalate even further. The solution? Modify the experience calculation algorithm.
Such a modified skill would work differently, only focusing on a single type of weapon when calculating experience. The moment weapons were changed, the focus of the skill would shift to that weapon and experience calculation only take that weapon in mind.
This approach would allow Peter to gain experience at the same speed as a specialised skill while still having the freedom to switch to a different weapon when needed.
The mana consumption would be slightly higher since the skill would constantly check the type of weapon being used, create and close database connections, and perform similar operations.
The Weapons Mastery skill in the System was passive. It consumed a lot less mana because it kept all weapon-related database links permanently open. The skill Peter intended to develop, however, would end up being semi-active. Whenever he switched weapons, it would consume a small amount of mana.
Of course, creating new connections would take time, but that wouldn’t be an issue, considering it would happen in nanoseconds or even less.
It’s decided then, he mused, opening his IDE skill.
He started writing a TO-DO list: Weapons Mastery, Inspect, Spirit of Fortitude(Passive Resistance), Eternal Ward(Passive Protection), Undying Vitality(Passive Recovery), and a summoning skill (because familiars were cool, and there was less chance of betrayal if the contract was made properly).
Phew, I specifically avoided choosing any Epic Skill because I didn’t want to spend a decade working on just six skills.
Hopefully, I’ll be done with these before I get my first class. I’ll think about a magical skill once I’m finished with these, Peter thought, feeling terrified about all the work he needed to do.
Frankly, he wasn’t sure which route to take. There were multiple magic systems: Spirit-based magic, Runic magic, Intent-based magic, Manipulation Skill-based magic, and Spell Skill-based magic, to name a few.
There was no need to rush a decision. It wasn’t laziness; he simply had time.
If I’m not wrong, I have a long life ahead of me. I can take my time choosing the right path after reading an introductory book on each type of magic.
Just because the village didn’t have such books didn’t mean they didn’t exist elsewhere.
That evening, Peter played with his friends, had dinner, and slept peacefully. Tomorrow, he would start working.
…
A new day marked a new beginning.
Joseph made sure to wake him at six in the morning, instructing him to freshen up and meet outside.
One thing Peter appreciated in this world was the sewage system. Often used by people, slimes were a weak but incredibly useful monster, keeping the sewers clean. Likely an evolved magical microorganism.
They loved decomposing. They were considered true friends of humanity due to this particular behaviour. Peter wondered if they could decompose plastic. A notoriously non-degradable substance from his past life.
Once ready, he stepped outside in search of his father. Cold air filled with tiny droplets of water as morning fog hit his face, making him shiver a bit.
He found Joseph standing in only his pants, revealing his toned, muscular body in the garden.
"Where are the swords?" he asked, scanning the area and finding it empty.
Joseph crossed his arms. "You're too small for those just yet. First, we focus on the basics. Stuff like stamina, will, breathing technique, footwork, flexibility, and balance."
Before Peter could fully process that, Joseph continued, "Come on, let's see how long you can keep up. Run with me."
Without waiting for a response, he took off. Looking at his receding figure for a few seconds, Peter hurried to catch up, doing his best to match the pace.
"Keep your back straight. Don’t lean forward," Joseph instructed. "Arms parallel to your body."
"Good, but don't be so stiff. Staying fluid is very important," he added, increasing the pace a bit more once Peter caught up to him.
They ran along the village perimeter. Keeping up was tough. Even though Joseph wasn’t running at full speed, Peter’s shorter legs made the effort a struggle.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The pace fluctuated between running and jogging, just enough to allow some recovery without actually stopping. Despite the exhausting effort, Joseph continued correcting his posture and guiding him through a better breathing technique.
His blood ran hot, his legs burned with lactic acid, but his lungs held up surprisingly well. The breathing technique helped more than expected, deep inhales, deep exhales. The rhythm of life. Accept the good, give the bad.
By the time they finally completed the full lap around the village and returned home, Peter almost couldn’t believe it. Feeling sore all over his tiny body, his lanky legs protested the most.
The moment they arrived, he collapsed onto the soft and wet grass outside the house, arms spread wide like an angel. Joseph stood nearby, looming over him with a satisfied smile. Not a shred of sweat on his body.
Peter wanted to protest. He had higher physical stats. He was cheating.
“Great work for a first day. Most kids give up halfway.” He nodded at him with a proud look on his face. “Rest for now, but stay outside.” And with that, he took off again, running at a much faster pace.
By the time he was on his third lap, Peter had managed to sit up, watching him in awe. He kept going, lap after lap, before finally stopping beside Peter.
Peter couldn’t hold back the question. “How can you run for so long?”
He shrugged. “Better stats, years of practice, and pure will.”
“Can I see your status?” It was kind of funny that Peter had never asked his parents about their stats before. Joseph exhaled through his nose, then gave Peter a stern look. “Fine. But rest time’s over after that, we’ll start flexibility training.”
Peter nodded quickly before he could change his mind.



Status


Name:
Joseph
Race:
Human


Class:
Blade Dancer Lv. 84, Villager Lv.3
Level:
87


Title:
None
Age:
38


Health:
990
Mana:
520


Stats...


Constitution:
99
Spirit:
52


Strength:
60
Agility:
82


Intelligence:
24
Perception:
12


Skills:
Mana Sense Lv.36, Swordsmanship {one-handed sword} Lv.68, Battle Trance lv.24, Shadow Step Lv.52, Iron Will Lv.32



 
“Only Battle Trance and Iron Will are Uncommon rank. The rest are Common rank skills,” Joseph elaborated, after telling him his status.
“Battle Trance enhances focus and dulls pain. Shadow Step is a stealth skill. Iron Will provides resistance against mental attacks and fear.” All of them were only common-grade, but they were good at what they did.
“I wish I had more, but when you have limited options, you have to focus on minimising weaknesses while building an effective skill set,” he explained, when Peter continued to give him a curious look.
“I get it.” That was exactly what Peter was trying to do, using generalised skills to stay adaptable.
After that, they moved on to stretching, exercises that felt a lot like yoga. They spent about fifty minutes on flexibility training before Joseph spoke again.
“Alright, today we’ll focus on meditation and mana circulation.”
They sat facing each other and spent the next thirty minutes meditating. It was a boring and gruelling exercise. Even more than the flexibility training they did, just before.
Joseph told him to empty his mind, to observe any thoughts that surfaced, then slowly let them go. He guided Peter through using Mana Sense to examine the mana circulating within him.
Sensing it was easy, thanks to the sheer amount Peter had. The real challenge was controlling it. He had too much. Any attempt at circulation failed. Peter half-expected a system prompt, something to inform him that he had unlocked a skill, but nothing came.
Training wrapped up around nine. Joseph went first for a cold bath while Peter had breakfast, then they switched. By the time Peter stepped out, Joseph was already off to work.
That left Peter with Mariah, who gave him an hour to rest before his academic lessons. She needed to take care of some housing chores in the meantime.
He spent time lying in bed, working on IDE as he gave his physical body some much-needed rest. It was going to hurt next day. No doubt about it.
When Mariah was done with her work, he followed her upstairs to the second floor, where she handed him a quill and a small glass bottle of ink. The next three hours were spent learning to read and write in the common language.
The process involved him trying to repeatedly writing down the language while Mariah guided him, pointing out any mistakes that he made. She was a patient and kind teacher.
Literacy rates in this world were surprisingly high, largely because people were motivated to unlock and improve their Intelligence stat. Unlike Perception or Luck, Intelligence was one of the few stats that could be increased through sheer effort.
For now, they focused solely on mastering the language rather than delving into other subjects.
When lunchtime arrived, Mariah left him to practice what he had learned while she prepared the afternoon meal. They ate together, then resumed studying in the afternoon.
By evening, he was free to do whatever he wanted. Not long after, Monica and her group came by, inviting him to play. He agreed and spent the next few hours with them.
It might have seemed odd for Peter to play with kids, but he genuinely enjoyed it. For now, it was his only real source of entertainment, and they were his only friends. Besides Rose.
Adults kept to themselves, never seeing him as more than a particularly smart child. Humans were social creatures. Going too long without companionship would only lead to mental stress. Isolating himself in his room all the time would only make his parents worry.
They played until night, only stopping when their stomachs started to grumble in protest. Once everyone headed home, he did the same, having dinner with his mother. His father wouldn’t return until late at night after finishing his shift.
After dinner, he went to bed, but he didn’t sleep just yet. There was a lot more to do. For the next four hours, he worked on his IDE before finally calling it a night.
…
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into a month. A whole month of following the same routine.
Peter made steady progress in everything. His morning training remained mostly unchanged, though he could now run two laps instead of one. Mana circulation was still difficult, but he was improving, so there was little cause for concern.
In the meantime, he unlocked a Running skill but chose not to accept it.
His study sessions also saw progress. He had mastered the common language and could now read it fluently, much to his mother’s delight. His handwriting, however, was another story.
Writing with a quill was anything but easy. Progress was slow, and his letters looked like squashed insects. Mariah, unimpressed, insisted they keep practising until his handwriting was as elegant as hers.
On the bright side, he finally unlocked Intelligence in the last week.
Once that happened, Mariah expanded their lessons. She introduced a book on herbs and animals she had tucked away and began teaching him about nobility, currency, and geography. It was all incredibly useful. Equally entertaining.
They also tackled mathematics. Compared to this world’s standards, Peter was already proficient, but the subject remained his least favourite.