Path of Spirit (Disgardium Book #6): LitRPG Series, Dan Sugralinov [the reader ebook .TXT] 📗

meditating and traveling the astral plane. There must have been a reason for spending so many years there. “Meditation?”

“Meditation, mantras…” The old man sighed. “But there is nothing better than duels, apprentice. Duels with strong opponents, naturally. But when there is nobody stronger than you left… Then you meditate. That said, it wouldn’t hurt you to learn meditation and a few mantras. Your spent resources will recover fairly quickly, but in a fast-paced battle, it is easy to spend all your spirit and find yourself in difficult circumstances.”

Supreme Grand Master Oyama invites you to learn the skill of meditation.

 

Cost: 1 training point.

 

I accepted right away.

Meditation level 1

 

By meditating, you speed up your spirit restoration by 10%. Long hours of meditation lead to strengthening your spirit.

 

Perfect your skill by practicing as often as you can!

 

Supreme Grand Master Oyama invites you to learn mantras — sacred spells used in combat to recover and strengthen yourself or weaken your opponent.

 

Attention! You cannot use a single mantra more than once per battle. Mantras cannot be used more than once per minute. You can have no more than one mantra per rank of Unarmed Combat.

 

Restoration Mantra restores your spirit by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Curse Mantra lowers enemy damage by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Healing Mantra restores your health by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Retribution Mantra returns 30% of damage you take to the enemy for 3 seconds.

 

Judgment Mantra increases your damage by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Speed Mantra speeds up your attacks by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Dodge Mantra increases your dodge chance by 30% for 3 seconds.

 

Cost: 1 training point per mantra.

 

Oyama began to tell me about the combat mantras, partially repeating the descriptions. I was lost in thought. The damage, attack speed, curse and dodge mantras interested me least of all, but the others… I definitely had to take the one that restored spirit. Healing would surely come in handy too. The retribution mantra could make an imba combo with Reflection. My internal hamster Percy emitted a careful whine to remind me that my training points weren’t unlimited, and who knew what moves Oyama might offer next. The hamster had reason for concern, but I’d still have twenty-two points left after buying three mantras — that should be enough. After all, I’d reached my current level practically with just one move.

“I choose the mantras of restoration, healing and retribution.”

Oyama didn’t comment on my choice. My training points went down and the mantras were added to my list of Unarmed Combat moves. They weren’t activated by button, but by pronouncing words, mentally or aloud.

“Many masters of Unarmed Combat choose a protector beast,” my teacher continued in a mentoring tone, reminding me of Mr. Kovac. “The spirit of said beast inhabits the body, combining with the spirit of the master himself.”

Supreme Grand Master Oyama invites you to choose a protector beast.

 

Attention! You cannot change your protector beast.

 

Mongoose: increases your dodge chance by 50%.

 

Monkey: allows you to create a spirit copy. Costs 100 spirit per second.

 

Bear: doubles your armor stat.

 

Dragon: your attacks deal instant bonus fire damage (+1% for each point of spirit spent on the move).

 

Tiger: triples your attack speed in the first 3 seconds of battle.

 

Snake: your attacks deal extra poison damage over time (+1% for each point of spirit spent on the move).

 

Owl: doubles your spirit restoration rate.

 

Cost: 5 training points.

 

“Choose wisely,” Oyama said, repeating Sagda’s words. “The spirits of the ancestors who send us protectors are fair, so each beast bestows equally valuable powers. But the wrong choice will force you to change your style of combat.”

“Your beast is the monkey?” I asked, remembering how Oyama had left a copy of himself to fight me while he ate.

“Trying to astound me with your powers of observation, apprentice?” Oyama laughed. “Make your choice without looking across at others. Do not hurry. Think…”

I would have gladly skipped this step and gone to the list of moves first, then chosen a beast later, but NPC logic couldn’t be changed. I suspected that Oyama would offer different moves depending on which beast protector I chose. So there was nothing to do but choose. In school, we were told about a certain English Franciscan monk who formulated the principle known as Occam’s Razor. One could simplify choices by casting off the unnecessary. Following this principle, I discounted the mongoose and bear — they were more suited to tanks. The next to leave the list was the tiger — it seemed more important to explosive damage dealers, to kill the target before it knew what hit it. The dragon and snake could potentially strengthen my damage, but not with my supply of spirit. The only ones left were the monkey and the owl.

The ability to create a copy — and a full one, not an illusion like Hinterleaf, — was alluring, but it ate so much spirit that there would be none left for combat moves. The owl… The wise bird simply doubled spirit restoration. My battle skills had no cooldown anymore, they were limited only by my spirit reserves, which meant I’d be able to do twice as much damage with the owl as my protector.

“I choose the owl!”

Oyama closed his eyes for a second. I heard hooting behind me, the flapping of wings. Ghostly talons landed on my shoulder, but when I turned my head, I saw nothing.

Your beast protector is: the owl!

 

This nocturnal bird and symbol of wisdom will aid you in battle. After all, owls are excellent hunters and silent killers.

 

Doubles your spirit restoration speed.

 

“Interesting choice…” Oyama said thoughtfully. “A long time ago when I, as a green