The next morning, Donald woke up with a sharp pain in his left shoulder. The scratch from the Cave Crawler burned. He sat up quietly on the hard floor and took off his jacket. His shirt had a small red blood stain.
"You got hit," a voice said.
Donald looked up. Evelyn was awake, sitting on the bed. She was watching him.
"It’s just a scratch," Donald said. He quickly put his jacket back on. "I was slow."
Evelyn shook her head. "You are not slow. Your stats are higher than a normal person. But you fight like a street brawler. You swing your wrench wildly. That is how you get killed."
Donald didn’t argue. He knew she was right. He had power now, but he had no idea how to use it properly.
Evelyn slowly stood up. She walked to the center of the tiny room. "My skill usage is restricted, but my mind is not. I fought on the front lines for ten years. If you are going to risk your life to feed me, I am going to teach you how to not die."
Donald stood up. He felt a little nervous. "Okay. What do I do?"
"Stand in front of me," Evelyn commanded. "Hold your wrench like you are going to hit me."
Donald held his heavy steel wrench with both hands. He raised it up by his shoulder.
Evelyn sighed. "Your feet are too close together. If a monster pushes you, you will fall backward. Spread your legs. Put your left foot forward."
Donald did what she said.
"Good. Now, when you swing, do not just use your arms," Evelyn explained. She tapped his hip with her finger. "Power comes from the ground. It travels up your legs, into your hips, and out through your arms. When you strike, twist your hips. Try it."
Donald swung the wrench at the empty air. He twisted his hips like she told him. The heavy metal made a loud WHOOSH sound. It felt much faster and stronger than yesterday.
"Better," Evelyn nodded. "Next lesson. Your magic shield. The Aura of the Vanguard."
Donald was surprised. "You...uh..."
"I know my own skill, boy" Evelyn said with a small, sad smile. "That is my Vanguard aura. I don’t know how you copied it, but you are using it wrong. It is an F-Rank skill from my early years. It is fragile like glass. Do not use it to block a heavy hit straight on. Use it to slide attacks away. Angle your arm so the monster’s claw slips off the shield. It will save the shield’s durability."
Donald thought about yesterday. When he blocked the bug straight on, the shield broke in one hit. "Angle the shield. Slide the attack. Twist the hips. Mhm..I understand... I think."
"Good," Evelyn said. She sat back down on the bed. She looked very tired just from standing and talking. "Now go get breakfast. I am starving."
Donald smiled. He grabbed his wrench and left the apartment.
He walked back to the Scrap Tunnels. Today, he felt different. He was still scared of the dark, dirty tunnels, but he felt more prepared. He had a plan and a good teacher.
He walked deeper into the tunnels than yesterday. The air grew colder. His [Valuation Eye] glowed softly, scanning the dark corners.
Suddenly, he heard a loud scraping sound. It sounded like metal dragging on stone.
His [lesser mana perception] kicked in, he stopped and hid behind a rusty pipe. He peeked around the corner.
A new monster was eating a pile of garbage. It was a Razor-Tail Rat. It was the size of a large dog, covered in gray fur. Its tail was not like a normal rat tail at all, It was long, thick, and covered in sharp metal scales like a sword.
Donald used his [Valuation Eye].
Target: Razor-Tail Rat (E-Rank)
Weakness: The soft eyes and the base of the tail.
The rat smelled him. It turned around quickly. Its red eyes locked onto Donald. It hissed, showing long yellow teeth, and charged.
Donald stepped out into the open. He remembered Evelyn’s words. He spread his feet. Left foot forward.
The rat jumped, spinning its body in the air to whip its heavy, sharp tail right at Donald’s face.
Donald didn’t panic. He raised his left arm. "Aura of the Vanguard!"
The invisible shield wrapped around his arm. But this time, he didn’t hold his arm flat. He angled his forearm like a ramp.
CLANG!
The sharp metal tail hit the magic shield. Because Donald angled his arm, the heavy tail slid right off the shield and hit the ground. The shield didn’t break. It only flickered.
The rat was pulled off balance by its own missed attack. Its head was low to the ground.
Donald stepped forward. He planted his feet. He used his legs, twisted his hips, and swung the heavy wrench with all his new SSS+ Investor strength.
CRACK.
The wrench smashed directly into the rat’s skull. The monster dropped instantly. It didn’t even twitch.
Donald stood over the dead rat. He looked at his left arm. The shield was still active. He looked at the wrench in his right hand. The fight took exactly three seconds. Evelyn’s simple advice made him twice as deadly.
[Target Defeated. Experience Gained.]
He cut the glowing E-Rank core out of the rat’s chest. He hunted for another hour, easily killing three more Cave Crawlers using his new footwork and angled blocks.
He left the tunnels with four cores. He sold them at the market for two hundred credits. He bought fresh eggs, bread, and some clean bandages for his shoulder.
When he returned to the apartment, Evelyn was waiting. He handed her the food.
A golden box appeared in front of his eyes.
[Quest Update: ’The Road to Recovery’.]
[Progress: Day 2 of 3 Complete.]
Donald smiled. Just one more day, and he would get his System reward.