Alley’s beginners bow of training.

Damage

8

13

Attack speed

1.6

1.6

Durability

12

12

Steady hand

Cooldown

60s

Duration

20s

Energy

15e

“Steady hand is an ability all hunters rely on, despite the name’s suggestion it doesn’t steady the hand but the mind, a cool refreshing feeling washes over the person using it.”

“Hold it like this. See?”

“Like this?”

“No, your stance is all wrong. Here I’ll adjust it for you.”

Suddenly a long leng struck between Rak’s feet and widened is stance, at the same time a pair of hands began to meticulously adjust Rak’s hands, waist, back, chest and the hand even managed to reach his face.

“Does my face have to be adjusted as well?”

“Now pull.”

“Can you backup a bit?”

“How can I adjust your stance if I do that? Just pull. Why do the pretty ones always talk so much?”

With the greatest of sighs Rak prepared to pull the bow’s string when Alley’s hands once again began to move about.

“Why did you move so much! Don’t relax your stance like that.”

Just his exhalation seemed to have ruined Alley’s meticulous work. His stance just a slightly off, and few would notice the difference but her eyes saw countless flaws and this required another session of ‘adjusting’.

“There. Now don’t move, pull.”

“How can I pull if I can’t move.”

“Pull!”

Alley is a rather talkative person and lively too. It is fortunate that her voice isn’t too loud even when being assertive as her lips are just by Rak’s ears.

“Good, slowly. Ease it up. Now hold it.”

All the while Rak drew the arrow he felt it took far more effort than expected. However, once again Alley’s hands began to move down to his stomach.

“From here, feel the pressure here? That’s where you hold your power.”

Rak felt his body prepare to shake and soon he’d give in. It seems this bow’s strength requirements are a bit too much for him.

“Activate |Steady hand| now. Hold the stance.”

Concentrating on the ability, suddenly Rak began feeling like he just drank the most pristine, ice chilled water. Once it spread to his mind it ran through his hand and chest stopping at his stomach.

“Do I shoot?”

“No. Hold the stance.”

The second passed slowly but Rak felt like he had been standing there for tens of minutes.

“Okay release.”

Hands exhausted and his left fingers numb, Rak felt his feet buckle but he didn’t fall. Right behind is a prepared Alley.

“Good job. That was okay. Take a minute to rest and we’ll do this again.”

At this moment Rak doesn't have any complaints, he doesn't have the capacity right now to feel indignant, all he can to do is close his eyes and sit still. Not only is his body exhausted, he is unable to hold a single thought. This experience can be described as profound, especially to a person like Rak.

It is the monks, the dedicated meditators that can understand it better and they would be stupefied how easily Rak entered this rare state. One could consider it a wild coincident but it is very much intended, this is one of Chaos theory’s purposes. To better humanity’s mind in certain ways. To be exact, to make people more intelligent. Only it is uncertain what side effects may follow.

“Okay we it’s no use to to practice your stance. Hunters are a lot like assassins, they don’t fight a lot, instead they focus on a single powerful strike.”

After snapping out of his reverie he felt a deep longing to return to that previous void-esque mindset. He is also nimble enough to understand that this state of mind isn't easily achieved. By this point Rak has recollected his thoughts and is intently listening.

“A single strike?”

“A Single strike. It is true that there are times where even a calculated strike will fail and you need to practice to survive such situations, but that is hunters not novices like you.”

Alley’s trail of thoughts is not considered wrong. Any hunter should aim for a single traike to strike down their prey. Just like an assassin should aim for a single hit to take down their opponent by surprise, in this way hunters and assassins are alike.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

Knowing that he has yet again to experience the tormentous feeling of holding the bow back, Rak was enthusiastic rather than reluctant. From Alley’s perspective, Rak held certain talent for hunting. But what she didn’t know was that the only thing holding Rak back is his personality, mainly due to his upbringing.

Rak can be considered a ‘genius’, only his personality is a severe anchor, preventing him from soaring into greatness. This can be seen from that tasks that Raks sets himself in and those he lands himself in, everyone of which go smoothly. Even Arlina Medin would agree that Rak’s performance is admirable.

“Good.”

Unlike before, Alley only has to make slight adjustments before Rak once again lapses backwards exhausted, only this time that void-esque experience doesn’t arrive.

“What’s going on?”

Seeing Rak’s frustration from his expression, Alley couldn’t help herself from explaining. After all she isn’t like those tongue tied men who treasured every word. It was actually because of her rather loose tongue that she didn’t have much popularity despite her excellent looks.

“Ah. Little Abstinence.”

“Little?”

No matter how Rak looked at it, He was taller than this women. Sure she was probably stronger than him by a large margin, but was still taller and he held the unreasonable pride of a man.

“You can’t expect to gain enlightenment anytime you concentrate.”

Alley began shaking her head and closed her eyes. When they finally peered open she looked at Rak with great benevolence and the great care of an elder.

“There is too much to learn in this life. How could you possible see through it with a glimpse.”

When she finished she looked slightly up and closed one eye while the other was just slightly open, she was watched for Rak’s reactions. When she saw the frustration she let out an exaggerated sigh but it was hard for her to hide her smile.

“It’s simple too hard. Aie. I guess if I gave it my all I could lead you in the right direction.”

Alley’s eyesight never left Rak and when she saw Rak was about to respond she immediately continued.

“Aie! Even then.”

Again Alley paused just long enough for Rak to begin talking but she wouldn’t let him talk and she began again.

“Even then, It would still be up to you. You lucky you know?”

“Lucky?”

As the words left Rak he regretted them, he felt like he walked into a trap.

“Ah! Lucky indeed. Where else would you meet someone willing to give away the guidance like this? Url? George? Forget it!”

Rak wanted to let out a sigh and he wanted to respond but he was no dummy, he was now seeing some clues. From his perspective, this Alley was a bit of a bragger.

“You don’t have to ask. I’ll make sure you become a fine hunter. Abstinence, what level are you?”

“Ten.”

“Ten. Huh.”

“Ye, Ten.”

“Ten,”

At this point Rak was feeling annoyed, Alley’s expression was one of disdain. It was hidden disdain but an seasoned ‘noble’ like Rak could detect it a mere glance.

“What? Is ten bad? It’s not like I’ve been trying to level.”

“Oh? Then it makes sense. So what have you been doing.”

“I started my own business. I got my own brewery in Alp down. Its near up north of town, near the Horseshoe Inn.”

“A brewery.”

Alley’s word dragged out and faded slowly. It was clear that she wasn’t impressed and in infact her disdain became more apparent. For the first time in Chaos theory Rak was furios.

“That’s right! A brewery! I already made ten gold from casual deals with nearby taverns.”

“Ten gold!?”

“That’s only the beginning. Who knows, maybe it’ll be hundred gold soon?”

At this point Rak gave Alley a casual but calculated look. He wanted her to know that ten gold was nothing much to him, yet what he saw alarmed him more than anything. Her eyes seemed to shoot out fire, he felt as his clothes were stripped and his heart began beating faster.

“Ohohohoho. Isn’t this good.”

Just as Rak was feeling a sense of danger a beautiful woman managed to snaked around his body, her unnatural grasp left him unable to move without a violent struggle.

“Uh, miss Alley, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Youl. You are. Uh. You’re holding me?”

In truth Rak didn’t know what to make of this situation, Alley had somehow manage to snake around him and wrap him in her arms. Even slight movement proved to be difficult.

“I’m jus training you. Actually we should go back to the house and massage you, you seem a bit tender.”

“No, I think I’m okay.”

“Trust me, I’m a good trainer.”

“But I want to learn to hunt.”

“Just relax, we are just going over the basics. Besides you told Url you’d be coming here, right?”

“I didn’t Url kinda-.”

Just as Rak was going to explain that Url left him hanging he saw a shift in Alley’s expression.

“Oh? He just rushed you off like that? Well no worries. Even if no one knows your here, I’ll take care of you.”

From Rak’s perspective it seemed like a threat, but no matter how ‘subtly’ he tried to struggle eventually he was dragged to Alley’s private housing. It wasn’t until the doors closed that he regained his ‘freedom’.

“Want something to drink? Actually I got something that’ll loosen you up. You look a bit stiff.”

The more Rak experienced the more he frowned. Anyone would see Rak was annoyed and frankly, angry, but Alley saw a golden sheep and her eyes gleamed.

“Have a seat, relax. You can also stretch.”

“Stretch?”

“Whatever you want. I’ll get the drinks”

At this point Rak was feeling genuine fear. He realized he was once again being prayed upon. His eyes flickered for a moment. This house was at least five times bigger than his little hovel, but it was nothing spectacular. He tried to make subtle steps backwards towards the exit of the house.

Just as she exited the ‘living room’ a rather ravenous Alley appeared. She found the time to change clothes and they stunned Rak into silence. Alley pretended nothing had changed and grabbed Rak’s hand.

“Here try this. It’s cook’s wine”

The mere arome of the wine made Rak swallow but the more he felt like he wanted the wine, the more he felt apprehensive. But even then, he recklessly gave it a good whiff and took a small sip.

“Good wine!”

“I’m glad you enjoy it.”

As Rak swallowed the wine he received a notification but his current state made him miss it.

“Have you see the latest Jelorost quest?”

After giving a rather awkward cough Rak asked.

“What is a Jelorost quest”

“You don’t know what a Jelorost quest is? I’ll put it on.”

Suddenly a screen shot out into the room and covered the entire room. It looked like a private movie screening. A group of six people, three men and three women were talking and planning their next steps.

“This is the Jelorost group. They are one of pioneers in the endless mountain range. They have discovered over sixty recipes. All beneficial to humanity. And they share them for free!”

There was no hiding Alley’s reverence. She watch the screen but still stole a few glances at Rak, who was entirely enthralled in the visual experience. He was so distracted he didn’t notice Alley’s hands slithering about, weaving Rak into a position where it looked like it was him embracing her, rather than her embarrassing him. She even managed to pull out a rosy shine on her cheeks as if she was embarrassed.

“Where is this?”

“It’s about three cities away from Inte or Kante. So about Six to ten days of continuous travel.”

In Chaos theory, traveling is in a primitive stage and while is improving, most used the distance between known measurements. While everyone understands what a meter, kilometer and so on is, it doesn’t bring much understanding to how much time something will take to travel. At least not the layman. So saying its a village’s distance is a perfectly common.

“Abstinence. Why don’t you sit down? You can even lay down if you want.”

The offer seemed pleasant but Alley’s eyes betrayed her and Rak had seen these eyes before, not only in Arlina Medin but also the tall giant woman accompanied by the vagrant Hormby.

“I don’t know. Actually I was thinking about heading back. I still have some things to deal with actually.”

Even though he said these things he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Worst of all, Alley’s appearance was actually attracting him and he almost felt reluctant to leave.