Chapter 148: Instructor
On the top deck of the sailing cruise, under the gentle caress of a breezy wind and the radiant warmth of the sun, one hundred players were seen moving in unison, practicing their swordsmanship.
Alan stood at the bow of the ship, expertly demonstrating the sword techniques, his voice echoing as he guided the players. "Strike, swing, slash!" he called out. "Now, block!! Parry! Dodge!"
The players, most of them soldiers, followed his instructions with unwavering focus and determination. It was clear that they were taking their training seriously, with their movements growing more precise and synchronized by the minute.
As the training session continued, hundreds of other players began to gather around, curious about the spectacle unfolding before them. Their comments ranged from bemusement to admiration:
"What is this!? A dancing show!"
"Is this like tai chi with a sword?"
Despite the amused or puzzled looks from onlookers, the one hundred players continued their training diligently. After an hour, some of them began to receive notifications into their game link:
"Mister Alan, I got it!!"
"Me too!"
These one hundred players were members of the military units who had responded to Captain Farell's skepticism during the earlier meeting. While Alan had access to well-crafted swords, the captain believed that many soldiers did not have extra survival points or rank rewards to invest in acquiring sword skills.
As a solution, Alan asks for all the soldiers, one without prior experience or skill in swordsmanship to come join him for sword training.
The prospect of a science teacher instructing soldiers in swordsmanship was unconventional, to say the least. However, with Captain Carter's explicit order, none of the soldiers dared to refuse the opportunity.
Once the soldiers had gathered on the deck, Vicky and several members of the crafting team arrived, carrying one hundred swords and shields. These items were simply common items created by the crafting team by salvaging unused cruise ship furniture.
Over the course of an hour, Alan led the soldiers through basic sword training. Despite initial doubts, to everyone's shock, all one hundred players received the [Sword Weapon (Basic)] skill in their stats.
This remarkable result was a testament to Alan's [Sword Instructor] title, which had the unique effect of imparting basic sword skills to players after just one hour of practice. It was a quick and practical way to provide them with a fundamental level of swordsmanship.
As the training session concluded, the excited group of soldiers, now equipped with their [Sword Weapon (Basic)] skill, listened attentively to Alan's announcement.
"Come this afternoon for your novice class," Alan exclaimed, his voice carrying across the deck. "Please register with my colleague here."
Vicky, with her striking appearance, and a few other members of the crafting team were assisting with the registration process. The advanced class registration cost 500 survival points and included one [common] sword and shield. This was an exceptional offer since obtaining the (basic) sword skill in the skill shop alone required 500 survival points, not to mention the additional 500 survival points and one F-rank reward needed to advance to the novice level. Considering that the sword and shield alone were worth at least 500 survival points, it was no surprise that most soldiers with the points to spare eagerly registered for the training.
"Alright, now the next batch, step right up!" Alan continued, setting the wheels in motion for another round of training. This initiative was a part of Alan's plan to contribute to the army while simultaneously generating additional survival points for himself and his crafting team. The combo deal involving common items was a smart way to achieve this, especially given that the stock of [uncommon] items was quite limited, and Alan had no immediate plans to make them available to just anyone.
"Take your positions!" Alan commanded, preparing for the next group of eager learners to start their training session.
By noon, Alan had successfully trained over 400 military soldiers, and about half of them decided to register and pay for the advanced class. This number should cover most of the military personnel who interested in gaining proficiency with a sword and had no prior experience.
The impressive display of training had not gone unnoticed by the non-military players on the cruise ship. Rumors had started to spread among them, and they, too, hoped to benefit from Alan's expertise. When asked about this, Alan addressed the eager crowd.
"I will open more batches this afternoon," he announced, "For 500 survival points, you will receive training in the basic and novice classes, as well as these fine items. Register now."
Alan then let his team handle the orders and transactions while he headed toward the workshop. There, he found Shamus, Gus, and Marie, along with two dozen other members of his crafting team, hard at work crafting more items.
"Good job, everyone! Orders are coming in; let's keep up the momentum!" Alan encouraged his team, inspiring them to work diligently to meet the demand.
Alan made his way to the head of the crafting room, where all the components for the uncommon items were prepared. With the help of his crafting team, Alan only needed to perform the finishing touches.
He operated a hammer to finalized the sword blades, and used various cuts of prepared leather to construct the sword's grip to fit comfortably in the player's hand, up until the notifications of successful craft of [uncommon] item came out.
It took him more than three hours to complete 50 sets of the uncommon items.
"We need more manpower and more materials, Alan," Shamus commented, sweat trickling down his face.
"Don't worry; more are on the way," Alan reassured him. Additional common materials were expected from the military, more recruits were currently being signed up by Bill, and, of course, the influx of survival points from the orders would help finance their expansion.
Without time for a break, Alan returned to the top deck where hundreds of players had gathered for his more advance class.