Chapter 53: Curved Blade [Master]!
2014-11-28
Author: Floating Tower
Soren kicked out the nearby campfire. He then began to allocate his specialization points and weapon points. Warriors gain an additional weapon point before advancing, while thieves must wait until profession level 6 to obtain their first one, with the next weapon point at profession level 12. The function of weapon points is similar to specializations, but they can only be applied to weapon specializations, so there are some techniques involved in allocation.
Soren was already very familiar with the way to enhance a thief’s strength!
However, he had another idea, as he had a legendary specialization that was in a sealed state. Although in a sealed state, it did not change its nature as a passive skill. Universal Skillful Hand was a gifted ability trained by legendary thieves, allowing mastery level weapon specialization whenever using any weapon in combat.
The weapon specialization mastered by melee professionists is incrementally developed.
For instance, the most basic and fundamental specialization abilities allow them to proficiently use various types of weapons. If they want to further upgrade, they can advance to specialized weapon mastery.
However, if you want to enhance even further, you cannot learn all weapon types; you must choose one weapon you are best with and elevate it to a higher specialization level. Among all professionists, only pure warriors can directly master specializations after advancement.
Other melee professionists must choose one type of weapon for specialization level training.
For instance, the curved blade that Soren chose!
“Curved Blade: As you engage in more combat, your use of the curved blade becomes more adept; among a hundred people who use curved blades in battle, you can be among the top! You are skilled in combat with the curved blade, and even many Underdark Drow do not match your proficiency with this weapon. You know how to maximize its damage and hit your enemies with ease…”
Continuing to specialize reaches Master level; pure warriors can achieve this and then choose to advance to ‘Sword Saint’ and ‘Weapon Master’, directly obtaining Master level specialization in a single weapon. However, other professionists cannot do the same as they do not train with various weapons like warriors; they must choose a single type for enhancement, like Soren’s later advancement in ‘Curved Blade’. The highest multi-weapon specialization is Master level, which only pure warriors can achieve.
Other professionists simply do not have the time or energy, as mastering weapons necessitates gradually training all single types of martial weapons to Master level, merging into a specialization. Normally, no one would be foolish enough to waste too much time on this, especially since that time could be better spent enhancing other abilities.
Typically,
some pure warriors attain specializations at level 1, master them at level 3, obtain more specializations at level 6, and finally advance at level 9. Eventually, by level 12, they would enhance other abilities, relying on advancing to ‘Sword Saint’ and ‘Weapon Master’ to gain Master level specialization in a single weapon type.
However,
this cost of advancement means a complete abandonment of training in other specializations like shield blocking, weapon parrying, and armor mastery. For these warriors, wearing full armor impacts their mobility in battle; if they do not advance to Sword Saint, they can at most fight in medium armor. Once equipped with heavy or full armor, their combat power significantly decreases.
This was the kind of violent warrior many liked at the time!
After Master level comes legendary weapon specialization; if you are a Sword Saint or Weapon Master, you can typically master your first legendary weapon specialization around profession level 15. However, the cost of specializing in one ability means that a Sword Saint cannot wear armor in combat, and a Weapon Master does not have the shield blocking abilities that other warriors have trained.
………………
The specialization Soren had, although in a sealed state, still made him possess this ability but unable to use it. In other words, Soren should have the effects of and, but this ability could not be actively used.
Not being able to be actively used does not mean this ability is nonexistent, nor does it mean it cannot serve as a prerequisite for specialized weapons.
Thus, when Soren held his breath to check the progression specialization of his weapon mastery, his heartbeat began to pick up slightly.
He saw it!
He saw the ‘Curved Blade’ weapon specialization in his data, which, although in a sealed state, still met the prerequisites for advancing to master the specialization weapon.
“Advance Curved Blade!”
Soren excitedly chose the ‘Curved Blade’ specialization. Then, other weapon specializations began to disappear, and the advanced specialization of ‘Curved Blade’ emerged.
Advancing a single weapon to Master level specialization is not as complicated as advancing multiple weapon types to Master level; it does not require any additional prerequisites. As long as he has the prerequisites of weapon mastery, weapon proficiency, and weapon specialization, he can directly attain Master level in a single variety of weapon specialization.
As a result, Soren mastered the ‘Curved Blade’ specialization even faster than a warrior.
“Curved Blade: You are a master of the curved blade; it is as agile as your arm. Among a thousand combatants using curved blades, your ability ranks at the very top! You are an expert in combat with the curved blade; if you wish, many would be willing to learn from you, and you could even establish a martial arts academy for knife techniques in the city…”
He truly obtained the Master level curved blade specialization!
A trace of excitement appeared on Soren’s face as he slowly gripped the curved blade. He didn’t expect to gain his first Master level profession specialization at level 6.
Clang!
Soren kicked a piece of wood and instantly drew his blade. The curved blade sliced through the air with a gleam, faster than before. He could even feel the blade cutting through the air, and when he struck the wood, no power was wasted. The weapon felt as if it was a part of his body; he knew how to unleash its strength at a focused point.
Thud.
The wood dropped to the ground as Soren swiftly struck twice, horizontally and vertically, splitting the wood into four pieces.
“Indeed, a Master level specialization is extraordinary!”
Soren slowly sheathed his blade. Although he seemed to have swiftly struck twice, only someone who has genuinely attempted to wield a weapon can understand the immense requirements of force, speed, and precision involved.
Let’s use a simple example.
Professional boxers generally possess the ability to throw 7-10 punches in a second. It is said that during his explosive state, Mike Tyson can reach 12 punches in a second, but if he ensures their force, he can only throw a maximum of 3 punches in a second. This does not take into account hitting the mark, which means that Tyson’s power is similar to that of a level 6 monk, and the attributes and raw attack speed of both are not significantly different, although the monk may have slightly higher perception while Tyson has a bit more power.
Many masters of external martial arts can reach this level.
Using a weapon is definitely not as fast as throwing punches; there is a difference of about 1 point in base attack speed. If Soren used a Master level unarmed combat technique, under guarantee conditions of strength, his punch speed could exceed four times in one second. This means that except for strength not reaching the standards of heavyweight champion Tyson, he surpasses him in all other attributes.
At the time, many people liked to create character cards of historical figures, of course, leaving data for those with comprehensive records.
Among them, a famous one is ‘Bruce Lee’, who ultimately was classified as equivalent to ‘Level 7 Monk/Level 1 Master of Fist’, converting the power of the inch punch into Inch Power specialization. Not calculating the Qi energy cultivated by monks, the attack speeds and attributes are not far apart, and the explosive power during combat should be similar.
“Bruce Lee.”
“Challenge Level 5, Level 7 Monk/Level 1 Master of Fist, dangerous target.”
“Attribute estimates: Strength 17, Agility 18, Constitution 16, Intelligence 11, Perception 16, Charisma 15.”
“Special Abilities: Unarmed Combat, Inch Power, Nunchaku, Powerful Whip Kick, Powerful Side Kick, Spinning Kick, Intuitive Evasion, Agile Movement.”
“Challenge Difficulty: b-.”
This character was among the few close to Tier 3, but due to the inherent limitations of human potential on Earth, attributes were significantly reduced; their life points are at most around 20, lacking the vitality and recovery abilities of many organisms in this world. Generally, a level 5 warrior could rampage among ordinary people, since there is only one Bruce Lee among billions on Earth, and world-class boxers are also a rarity of one in hundreds of millions.
As for Tier 3 and above professionists, they truly enter the realm of superhumans, with no comparison possible.
A Tier 3 barbarian, when berserk, garners a strength that is truly terrifying!
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