Dokeshi March: Chapter 20 (Patreon)

Chapter 20

They didn’t stop running until late into the night.  The two of them had split up, come back together, moved onto rooftops when possible, doubled back a few times, and even set up a fake campsite inside an old bakery.  Smoke from a blocked oven chimney would hopefully make it harder for them to follow.

Suki had eventually found a recently abandoned blacksmith shop for them to hide in.  They were within sight of the casino that led to the high-roller labyrinth of rooms it would be necessary to work through.  Once they had laid eyes on the place, it had become apparent why no one could just hop over the casino walls into the next area.

“He isn’t just tapping the power of the barriers to power his system.  Dokeshi March is using them to create his own miniature barriers!”  Suki was pacing back and forth, clenching and unclenching her fists.  “It’s no wonder why the barriers in February were acting so wrong.  How many deaths of innocent people can we lay at that monster’s feet!”  Her gauntlets flickered in and out of existence, and her voice dropped to a whisper.  “Just so he could segregate his people based on how well they gambled in his stupid casinos.  He killed dozens, maybe hundreds, just so he could keep the poor away from him…”

“It won’t matter much longer.”  Grant once again felt a wave of determination wash over him.  “Dokeshi March will pay for his crimes.”

“And will you cut his head off too?”  Suki spun to face him, her gauntlets doing more than just flickering.  “Killing him is your answer to this, too?”

<I’m just a sword spirit, but I wouldn’t answer that.>  Grant closed his mouth.  Sarge was probably right.  <Smart decision.>

“Give me your dirty laundry.”  Grant held his arms out.  “I saw a full rain barrel out back by the forge.”

“What?”  The rapid change of subject caused Suki’s gauntlets to fade back into gloves.  “Give you my laundry?”

“Remember?  We made a deal.  I do your dirty laundry for the rest of the month.”  Grant pointedly looked at her stained clothing.  “We might not get another chance for a while, so I will scrub clothes while you whip up something to eat.”

“Um… okay.”  Suki seemed to realize just how close she had been to losing control, and it clearly bothered her.  This environment would be hard for anyone to stomach, and she was used to making sure things like what was happening in District March never happened in the first place.  “But I’m washing my own underclothes.”

“No argument from me.”  Grant gave a shrug.  He didn’t see what the big deal was.  Everyone wore underclothes.  Well, some of the larger people in District January didn’t because there weren’t any sizes big enough to fit their bulk, but most managed.  “Just means less I have to do.”

Suki blushed while picking out her more private pieces of clothing, but quickly passed over the surprisingly large pile to Grant to wash.  He couldn’t help but wonder how she had fit all of it inside the tiny pack she carried.  Women were truly mysterious.

<Kid, you have no idea.>

After setting up a line from the corner of the main building to the forge to hang wet clothes on, Grant unwrapped a small package that contained a brick of lye soap and started scrubbing the stained shirts and pants in the rain barrel.  There were a depressingly large number of blood stains, mostly on his stuff.  While his hands worked methodically under the starlight, he pulled up his stat sheet to look over what had changed.

Name: Grant Monday

Rank: Lord of The Month (January, February)

Class: Foundation Cultivator

Cultivation Achievement Level: 19

Cultivation Stage: Late Summer

Inherent Abilities: Swirling Seasons Cultivation

Health: 403/421

Mana: 22/22

Physical: 247

Mental: 87

Armor Proficiency: 131

Weapon Proficiency: 166

Late Spring Medium Ornate Banded Mail armor. Full set: Head, Torso, Legs.

Total Physical Damage Decrease per set item (Includes Cultivation bonus): 58

Total Magical Damage Decrease per set item (Includes Cultivation bonus): 58

February Twenty Nine (Considered as a Late Spring Medium weapon due to Weapon/Armor synergy)

Total Damage increase: 70. (Base weapon increase: 14. Weapon Cultivation increase: 56.)

Critical hit maximum damage: 107

Weapon Inherent abilities:

1) Weapon Absorption: This sword has the ability to absorb another Wielded Weapon’s power, taking its ability into itself. Restriction: Only one weapon per Monthly series.

2) Weapon/Armor Synergy: When the Wielder is equipped with armor, this sword increases in potency and gains power. Increase is capped at the Welder's cultivation stage, or average armor stage, whichever is lower. February 29 is currently considered a Mid Spring Light’ sword. Current maximum damage is: 71 (56 from weapon cultivation, 14 from base weapon weapon stage damage, rounded up.) Damage type is ‘piercing’, ‘slashing’, or ‘blunt’ depending on how February 29 is used.

3) Time is Space: you now have access to any of the powers of February Twenty Nine, no matter where the Weapon is. You may also call your Weapon to you so long as you touch upon a place in the world where it once was while bound to you. Cost: 25% of mana pool.

4) Locked

Weapon Absorbed abilities:

1) Sword Grandmastery: Imbue your weapon with a Sword Spirit that creates a model that allows for enhanced physical, mental, and weapon cultivation. Restriction: the training plan must be followed, else the ability locks for 24 hours. There is only one warning given per day.

2) Live by the Sword: Pause and meditate on the failures of your combat ability, healing up to 40% of all damage taken within the last 10 minutes, over one full minute. This ability will increase with physical cultivation.

3) Double Tap (New): After four consecutive hits on the same target, the fifth attack will be perfectly duplicated by an intangible copy of the Wielded Weapon.  Damage is unblockable by all forms and types of armor, and is randomized between slashing, piercing, and blunt types.  Certain spell effects can potentially mitigate damage.

Skills:

Plant Insight(1/5) Skill tier 1: It is 10% easier to spot plants with medicinal effects within a ten-yard radius.

Kenjutsu (2/10) Skill tier 1: All damage dealt when wielding a sword is increased by 10%.

Skill tier 2: your sword will never betray you. When a sword is wielded by you, the blade will always land exactly where you intend.

Iaijutsu (1/5) Skill tier 1: When prepared to attack, sword instantly leaves a sheath and slashes or penetrates target, increasing on-hit damage by 10%.

Reflective Skin (1/10) Knowing your enemy is half the battle, and you’ve found a way to make it harder for other people to understand you! As this skill is self-created, it will increase significantly faster than other skills.

Lightning attunement (1/10) Skill tier 1: Increases damage of all lightning-attuned spells by 10%.

[New Skill about pain increase]

Spells:

Elemental Spell: Thundering Step

Prerequisites: 65 Mind. Two feet. Metal weapon.

Active Mode: Create a static field in a five foot radius around you that damages others when they move through the area. Does not move from the point it was set. Lasts five seconds.

Mana cost: 10 per use.

Damage(Self): 0% Mental cultivation.

Damage(Other): 100% Mental cultivation per second.

Training Mode: Increase movement speed by 50% while out of combat. Combat is defined as not dealing or taking damage from an opponent for five seconds.

Mana cost: 10% per second. Mana regen halted while active.

“Wow.”  Grant was especially happy to see the new absorbed ability.  It wouldn’t be useful in a group fight, but in a one-on-one duel, it had the potential to be devastating.  “The new ability is great, and I got an increase to the percentage I can heal.”

<Not to mention the jump in damage you can deal out, the increase in mana that will allow you to use your spell twice in rapid succession, and your jump in health that came with growing into the Late Summer stage of cultivation.>  Sarge was clearly happy to see Grant’s growth.  <If you keep this up, you just might have a chance to pull this off.>  Grant started to grin.  <Also, you rubbed a hole through Suki’s nice shirt with that rough bar of soap.>

“Ah!”  Grant dropped the soap into the barrel, and had to practically take a bath to fish it back out.  He hadn’t actually worn all the way through the fabric, but it was close.  He hoped Suki didn’t notice.

<Oh, for sure, she definitely won’t notice.  I think you’ll be just fine.>  Grant gave a sigh of relief at Sarge’s confirmation.  <Remind me to talk to you about how sarcasm works sometime.>

Ignoring the sword spirit, Grant finished up the laundry and hung it on the line to dry.  It drooped low enough that a casual passerby wouldn’t notice, and the breeze blowing through the small yard should be enough to get the clothes dry enough by sunrise.

“I made stew again.”  The quiet voice of Suki standing behind Grant made him jump a little.  He had been so caught up in the simple and familiar task that he hadn’t heard her approach.  “I hope that’s okay with you.”  He gave her a nod of agreement and they both went inside.

It was awkward between the two of them, so Grant used the silence to pick through the fruits and vegetables from the crate he had won at the casino.  A few items had been bruised by the explosion on the bridge, but overall the food looked pretty good.  He was surprised to find a lack of poison or powder on them from the casino manager.

<The weasel probably thought he would be getting the food right back, so he didn’t want to mess it up.>  Grant agreed with Sarge’s thought.  It did make sense.  <Make sure not to overeat.  You might have a lot of running to do tomorrow, and being too full will slow you down.>

“Don’t worry, I’ve learned that lesson.”  Grant fished out two apples, and tossed the red one to Suki.  He kept the green one for himself.  The tartness would compliment the stew well, and he didn’t think Suki would even notice the difference.  She actually liked drinking blended grass, for Regent December’s sake.  “For dessert.”

She gave him a silent nod in thanks, and they ate their stew quietly.  Since Suki hadn’t used any of the fresh ingredients he had worked so hard to get, it was the same as they had eaten several times before.  Grant honestly didn’t mind very much.  Anything was better than another granola bar.

“Do you mind taking first watch?”  Suki grabbed his bowl and stretched.  “I’m pretty beat.”  It really had been an exhausting day, and she had done more running than Grant had when they were losing their pursuers.

“That’s fine.  I can practice some sword forms in the yard.”  Grant stood, flexing his sore arm.  “Just be sure to bar the front door.  I can’t see it from out back.”

She didn’t answer, but he took her silence as agreement.  He took a few extra minutes to unpack his own bedroll near the former display counter in the front before heading out back.  Grant decided it would be better to work through their disagreement after they had both had some rest.

“Okay, Sarge.  Let’s do this.  Time to train.”  A veritable storm of orange debris flew at him, and all he did was smile.  This was how he made sure his enemies wouldn’t stop him.  Nothing would stand in his way.