Kopii came to after a long sleep, and even despite yesterday's words that he had said to himself, he did not understand how to quickly raise his level. He did not understand which direction to head. Maybe he should simply intensify his training? Or spend all his time in the dungeon? Well, alright, Kopii would do both. As he basically always did, only he would be more resolute, more purposeful, more confident in his actions. Kopii got out of bed, dressed, stretched. His gaze lingered on the sword. He wondered: is this truly his weapon, is he getting the desired effectiveness?
Kopii began swinging the sword without any technique, chaotically, as if it were something taken for granted, and if he changed his weapon, perhaps it would negatively affect his progress. The progress he dreamed of, the progress that should lead him to greatness and money. Kopii pondered this important question for a long time, but then it dawned on him: Naaza could teach him how to use a bow! It was a brilliant idea, after all, she was a level three archer. Kopii did not wait and went down to the first floor; he saw her, Naaza, as always, behind the counter, immersed in her thoughts.
— Good morning, Naaza! — he said with a smile, closing the distance and resolutely looking into her eyes.
— Morning, Kopii, — she answered, slightly opening her eyes from fatigue.
— I wanted to ask you a favor, do you mind?
— What kind of favor? — she asked, looking at Kopii with slight wariness and reluctance.
— Can you teach me how to use a bow? — he uttered, feeling the excitement growing inside him.
Naaza held her breath, digesting his request, and seemed to be deep in thought. — You use a sword.
— I've thought a lot about all the "pros" and "cons" of the sword. In truth, I just swing it in different directions without any technique. But if you teach me how to use a bow, then I will at least have basic technique and an understanding of how to use it properly... I will keep my distance from monsters all the time, and that way I won't even get wounded and won't use potions.
Naaza thought for a moment, going over Kopii's arguments in her mind. She knew that he was diligent, but she was concerned about his approach to swordsmanship, which indeed looked chaotic, like a spontaneous gust of wind. Perhaps the bow would really help him structure his skills and develop a more conscious approach to combat. In truth, she simply wanted to save money, because if he stayed at a distance all the time, potions wouldn't be as necessary.
— Alright, I agree, — Naaza finally said, surfacing from her thoughts.
Looking at Kopii's joyful face, a small smile appeared on her lips, which quickly vanished.
— Good, — answered Kopii, feeling a new fire of interest igniting within him.
Kopii wasted no time and went outside, where, as always, he did his run, filling his body with energy. After the run, he headed straight to the Tower of Babel, where the usual bustle reigned once again. He paid no particular attention to it and descended into the dungeon, striving for new challenges.
In the dungeon, Kopii was surrounded by the familiar dim corridors; the air was cool and damp. He moved cautiously, gripping his sword in his hands. Despite the doubts that had assailed him in the morning, now he felt their familiar weight and balance, which gave him confidence.
The first goblins appeared from around the corner almost immediately, as if conspiring to frighten him. Kopii automatically assumed a fighting stance, observing the approaching enemies. But even such a chaotic style was effective against low-level monsters, and he knew it. As long as there was strength and speed, no technique would be needed, and he understood that perfectly.
Kopii quickly dealt with the goblins and advanced further into the dungeon. He decided to descend a little lower than usual to meet stronger enemies. The time before his evening lessons with Naaza, which he had, needed to be used as productively as possible. Kopii decided to take a risk and descended to the third floor. He saw nothing new compared to the first and second floors, only the number of goblins and kobolds had increased. But Kopii remained resolute.
Soon Kopii encountered a pack of kobolds. They were more organized than the goblins and acted together, trying to surround him. Kopii felt his pulse quicken, as if alarm lights were igniting inside him.
He began using the surrounding walls to dodge attacks and break the kobolds' formation. Instinctively, he started to notice patterns in their movements, to predict their next steps. Perhaps, in his chaotic style, some logic was indeed emerging, which inspired hope.
After a brief but intense skirmish, Kopii defeated the kobolds. He felt fatigue, but also satisfaction at the same time. He had managed to survive and even improve his skills, albeit slightly, but it was significant.
«Is there any point in changing weapons?»
He asked himself the question, beginning to understand that this might, on the contrary, only weaken him, because if the bow was not for him, he also did not want to waste time in vain and learn nothing.
When the time came, Kopii left the dungeon and headed to the guild. He was full of determination to learn archery and bring something new and exciting into his fighting style. But doubts still did not leave his head. At first, he thought everything was right, but now he began to doubt.
In the evening, as agreed, Naaza waited for Kopii. They went outside and headed to a ruined district of Orario; it was the first time he had been here, and it was clear why, for there was nothing interesting here and it looked somehow gloomy. While he surveyed the district, Naaza had already begun to explain the basics of archery. Kopii listened attentively, trying to remember every word, every detail. He understood that this was his chance to become better, and he was not going to miss it. Naaza showed Kopii the correct stance, how to hold the bow and string, how to aim. At first, nothing worked out: the arrows flew every which way, the string painfully struck his fingers, and the bow seemed unruly and heavy, as if testing his strength. Which made him doubt even more in this regard.
Naaza patiently corrected his mistakes, explained again and again, until Kopii began to feel the bow as an extension of his hand, as something alive.
Gradually, the arrows began to land closer to the target, and his movements became smoother and more confident. Kopii began to understand that archery was not just about drawing the string and releasing an arrow. It was an art requiring concentration, patience and control, just as in battle. He recalled his thoughtless swings of the sword in the dungeon and understood that Naaza was right: he truly needed technique.
After several hours of training, Kopii felt how his muscles ached, and his fingers went numb from drawing the string. But he did not give up, continuing to train persistently, smoothly honing his skill until it grew dark. Naaza silently observed his efforts, seeing how he gradually progressed and became better.
And to tell the truth, she was surprised, even too much so; in her eyes, it should have taken several days to teach him the basics, but he mastered it in just a few hours. Almost perfectly hitting a target at 30 meters. This result was very good.
When they finished, Kopii felt exhausted but satisfied. He understood that this was only the beginning of a long journey, but he was full of determination to become a master of archery. He thanked Naaza for her help and promised to continue training every day, as if swearing an oath before himself. In his room, Kopii reflected on how his fighting style would change when he mastered the bow, and anticipated the new possibilities and tactics that would open up before him in the dungeon. That is, he could, like a rat, shoot from afar in the back and win.
«That's ideal.»
Kopii did not want to give up the sword, for he had always believed that the sword would be his additional weapon. And the bow would become his main one, but until that moment he still had to work hard and spend a lot of time on training.
Thus two weeks passed, as he incessantly trained with Naaza. His routine was quite simple: warm-up in the morning, then the dungeon, and in the evening training with Naaza. Of course, his progress in leveling up had fallen, but he saw nothing terrible in that.
— That is all, Kopii, I will no longer teach you, — said Naaza with a cold voice but with a smile on her face.
— What?! Why? — exclaimed Kopii, not believing his ears. Had he done something wrong? Had he offended her? What had he done? Kopii wondered, but the answer came to him on its own.
— I have nothing left to teach you, — answered Naaza softly. — Your talent is high, Kopii, and everything I could teach you, I have taught. And now you simply need experience, that is all. Only practice and practice and nothing but practice. For only real battle can teach you everything; I have only prepared you for it.
— I understand, — he uttered, realizing that he must overcome new obstacles.
— To which floor have you descended already? — she inquired, interrupting his thoughts.
— I've reached the fourth floor, — Kopii reported, proud of his achievement.
— That is a very good result for a beginner! To descend to the fourth floor alone is impressive. But it is dangerous. On the next floors, there will be more monsters. You need to find a party, Kopii, because alone you won't get far, but be careful with a party: many seek gain everywhere... And not everyone, but anyway, let's drop it. — She finished, and Kopii, unable to argue any further, followed Naaza.
Even from Naaza's praise, he felt nothing but doubt.
«Is she telling the truth or not?»
That was the question that tormented him, for she might simply be supporting him, that was all, but was it true that the 4th floor was a good result? After he had learned about the Sword Princess, he began to doubt more and more.
And before Kopii noticed, they had already reached the Blue Pharmacy.
...
Kopii tossed and turned in bed for a long time, pondering Naaza's words, which gave him no peace. On the one hand, the prospect of sharing the loot with someone did not excite him. He was used to relying only on himself and his own strength, including his swords. On the other hand, he understood that Naaza was right: sooner or later he would hit a ceiling fighting alone. The fourth floor was already noticeably harder than the previous ones, and he felt that he lacked the experience and knowledge to effectively confront the large number of goblins and kobolds that could appear at any time.
But what he disliked most about this idea was that his growth would slow down. But choosing between life and growth. As if the choice was obvious.