Du Pont was in pretty terrible shape.
Ever since buying the extra lessons last night, he had fought that unreasonable mirror image for an entire night. The longest he had lasted was forty-five seconds. In the end, he did not even know when he had fallen asleep. This morning, he had hastily grabbed a bite to eat and come to class, only to fall asleep from exhaustion.
"Looks like Du Pont is quite interested in combat class." The instructor on the platform glanced over, turned around, and casually said, "But don't worry. If you run into thugs and hooligans while traveling for work in the future, Magic Missile will still be much easier to deal with them. If you don't want to dirty your hands, just call the guards. Fighting those people with weapons is the stupidest thing you could do. If you like hand-to-hand combat that much, why not become a warrior? Their tuition is much cheaper than a mage's."
At the instructor's words, the apprentices burst into laughter. Du Pont rubbed his eyes and could not be bothered with these classmates who did not know a damn thing. He was too lazy to argue with them.
Friendship between classmates could be precious, but most of it was not worth a single copper. In two years at most, everyone would be having a farewell meal and going their separate ways. Socializing with these ordinary people was simply a waste of time.
Still, he needed to stay awake and make up for his sleep at noon. Sleeping through spell class was unpleasant enough, and he would also miss out on valuable Experience Points.
Affected by his condition, Du Pont only gained forty Experience Points across the two classes. Fortunately, a nap at noon finally left him somewhat refreshed, and after making up his lessons that afternoon, he had gained a total of one hundred Experience Points today.
After copying two scrolls, Du Pont entered meditation once more to face that mirror image that seemed like a god.
Gaining proficiency was not difficult. After last night's practice, he had reached proficiency with daggers, canes, wooden clubs, and spears. Weapons such as the Spiked Mace, longspear, and ranged weapons still required more practice.
He only needed to strike the mirror image five times without taking damage, but that was all he could manage. Defeating his opponent was not merely a matter of basic attributes; his stamina and technique were far too inferior.
If he could defeat the mirror image with a single weapon, he would gain weapon mastery. However, Du Pont had tried several times and fallen far short, so he had focused his energy on proficiency instead.
Being able to handle a weapon without injuring himself was what really mattered.
However, he ran into no small amount of trouble with military weapons.
There were countless varieties of military weapons—blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, picks, hammers, flails—and each was harder to use than the last. As for two-handed weapons, the requirement of hitting the enemy five times without being attacked gave him a headache.
The objective seemed simple, but the mirror image had nearly mastered every weapon. Not only was Du Pont behind in experience, he also had to keep taking beatings. The ways he had died today were enough to fill a book titled One Hundred Ways to Die.
Fortunately, people improved quickly between life and death. Amid dodges and blocks, he had already completed light armor proficiency, and he had figured out how to clear shield training as well.
That was to defend without attacking. He would use his shield to block as many of the opponent's shield strikes as possible, parry the opponent's weapon with his own, then coordinate his footwork to transition between offense and defense. With a few more attempts, he would definitely succeed.
Yet Du Pont did not do that. Instead, he gave up the shield and began training with different weapons.
Although he had been getting beaten up in every mirror-image battle, every defeat let him see new techniques, especially his opponent's footwork.
Combat class barely explained such things, yet after being hacked at all night, Du Pont had discovered that it was the most important technique.
This was especially true for polearms. As long as he learned to move forward or backward in rhythm with his opponent while using the Short Spear or longspear, completing the proficiency task was almost effortless.
Compared to those, two-handed swords were much more difficult. Great axes and warhammers gave him no clue at all. His Strength and Dexterity simply could not handle those weapons. Once his offense failed to suppress the opponent, his openings became enormous, and the mirror image would take a single step forward and stab him to death.
"He gets crippled, I die. These two-handed heavy weapons are way too stupid." Du Pont was utterly confused. "Is actual combat like this too?"
Two-handed heavy weapons are generally used by martial professionals with high Strength, and they also require a certain foundation in Dexterity. If the user's physical attributes do not meet the requirements, it is recommended to train with simple or elven weapons first.
Like I want to learn how to die? Aren't Barbarians and warriors both required to meet these basic conditions?
Du Pont put down the military weapons and chose simple weapons instead.
Since his attributes were inadequate, stubbornly forcing it would be too much of a waste of time. If he could not manage it, he would save some money and spend one hundred gold to buy it.
"Purchase Athletics and Nature Knowledge."
The moment he spoke, an exaggerated thousand-meter obstacle course appeared before him. Many of its features were things he had only seen at the military training grounds during boot camp: trenches, low walls, rope ladders, jumping platforms—everything was there.
Pass all obstacles within six minutes.
Just as Du Pont's scalp began to tingle, countless flowers, grass, and trees appeared around the obstacle course.
Identify one hundred common plants and thirty animals of Faerûn, and remember their primary characteristics.
This seemed easier than running laps, didn't it?
You have 23 days remaining before your repayment deadline. You have gained proficiency in simple weapons, light armor, shields, Athletics, and Nature Knowledge. To gain the Barbarian multiclass, you still lack one specialization: military weapon proficiency. Current Experience Points: 2766/2000 Your malnutrition has changed from moderate to mild. Constitution -1. Your current Constitution is 15.
"You haven't come by for several days. I thought you weren't planning to come practice anymore." Judy watched Du Pont efficiently kill three livestock animals. "What, slacking off?"
"The pressure from classes has been too much these past few days, and I also secretly exercised, so I haven't been getting enough sleep. You could say I've been exhausted in body and mind. I only got a good night's sleep yesterday." Having gained another thirty Experience Points, Du Pont was in a good mood. "I'll come again tomorrow. I'll also cook some braised food while I'm here, but I won't have time. Just save me a pig's trotter and some intestines and stomach for lunch."
"No problem." Judy pointed at the butcher in the slaughterhouse. "Boulderstone still hasn't come back?"
"Who knows?" Du Pont shrugged. "Maybe there's something in the forest behind the mountain that he cares about deeply."
Judy seemed thoughtful at those words, while Du Pont went to deal with the offal. After quite a while, the halfling said, "Lavoisier was quite pleased with the pig trotters last time. There are twelve in the cold storage. Let's make them all this time."
"Sure, but he still won't eat the other parts?"
"Just save him the best portions. Whether he eats them is his own business. As a chef, you must never make too much of one dish, or it becomes tiresome. The parts used in this dish are destined to make it difficult for it to become the main course of a ritual feast, but it works well enough as a small side dish in private." Then he asked curiously, "Do you know any other new dishes? They just need to be novel and not taste bad. Every month, I have to arrange a new menu for him, and none of it can repeat for three months. It's such a pain."
"Wait until Saturday. I'll have more time then." Du Pont pointed at the pig's head. "Also, you can serve different parts separately. Pig ears today, pig tongue tomorrow. Hot braised food today, cold dressed food tomorrow. Wouldn't those all count as new dishes?"
".You really do have more clever tricks than anyone."
The two laughed heartily, and Du Pont's figure was noticed by several people who knew him.
"Conner, isn't that the kid who plays with mud? How did he get mixed up with the chef here?"
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