Balrow was the one to get me out of my flow, putting a hand on my shoulder to get my attention.
I look at him, just as the stone I took out fall on the ground "Yes?"
What's wrong already? My question is a bit forced considering that I'm more than eager to continue my practice. Really want to figure out how to take something out while moving, can you imagine?
Just spearing something before jumping away randomly and throw them a dozen of stones while you jump, that would be fucking badass!
"It's been two hours" has it?
Huh, I roll my shoulder, my body feel hot, warm, in a good way, I feel like I could take all of these goblins alone now, don't know why I wasn't sure before, but with the door positioning, I clearly could have won alone.
I know why though. Stress.
Training always does wonders to help my thoughts.
"I see"
Not expressing my shock at the amount of time that passed, I look around and all of the others seems to be ready too, I clap my hands loudly and speak up.
"Alright everyone!"
Ah, my voice sounds normal now, since I took care of Twitc-
Twitc...
A feeling rise up my throat. Same as usual. The one that spit poison.
Twitchy. I said TWITCHY!
It's helpful sometimes.
Since I took care of TWITCHY!
And then those goblins my voice sounded a bit weak, too weak for my taste, I didn't even said guys, I said everyone this time, that's guys and girls, or everyone, no stuttering anymore.
"We're going to explore the next room soon"
I watch as pretty much everyone start to come join balrow and I
"I hope you all prepared yourself, we don't know what will happen when we enter, whether it's another wave of those green little fuckers, or a breakdancing dog, we need to be ready!"
Casually calm the atmosphere by talking about breakdancing dogs, that was smooth, alright I'm getting back in the groove, training was a great fucking idea.
"If anyone need to do something else before starting, do it now."
I look around, balrow is ready, like always, his shield already strapped to his forearm, one sleeve ripped apart and taking care of the bleeding on my side.
Matthew seems unbothered by his injured shoulder as he don't voice any need to prepare more. leaning a slight bit on his longsword that's digging in the ground.
Jenna looks like she's ready to commit a mass genocide for a reason?
And Annie nod a ridiculous amount of time...I stop for a second and raise an eyebrow, pointing Annie "is that, yes, I need more time? Or yes I'm ready?"
She stop nodding and now start to gesture no so hard I wouldn't be surprised if she's getting dizzy.
Her hands come up to do a big X sign as she let a shower of words out.
"nononononono, I mean yes, I mean no, I mean I'm ready, not I need more time, ALSO!"
She suddenly shout and grab the dagger that comes out from in front of her
"TADA! No talking!"
Jenna smile and clap at her for a while like indulging a kid some bragging, meanwhile malfoy look at the scene and scowl a bit before whispering something under his breath, Ha! He didn't managed to do it did he!? While balrow at this new information, is just....being balrow.
Curious to see if my theory was right I ask "how did you managed to do it?" And she just straight up comfirm my theory "Well, I did it again and again and again, but it didn't work" suddenly she lift one of her hand up "BUT! I did it so much I remembered the feeeeeling, of the inventory"
Jenna let a small "ah" as if she got it, and nod, balrow nod too, while malfoy look a bit interested, Annie nod at everyone while she say. "yes yes, so I felt it, and then"
She raise her hands up, building suspense "I tried really hard to focus on the feeling and....." she keep the silence going "it didn't work."
Malfoy frown, Jenna say a little "what" barely audible her features showing showing her incomprehension, while balrow just, I want to say he's just being balrow again but that would be repeating myself.
"BUT" Second time she scream, the same word too.
"it did improved my skill, I could put things in while only thinking inventory"
Malfoy can't hide his interest now, he want to do it too.
"But the taking out was out of the picture"
She shakes her head like a defeated puppy...no not like Twitchy, I bite my lip and Jenna take me out of my thoughts by saying "but you just took it out"
Looks like that's what she waited for as she jump up again, not litterally, and with a single finger raised say "I did! The secret was to really think about needing the weapon, or the whatever you want out, out, like think really hard about NEEEEDING the thing, and boum, it comes"
So I was right.
As discussions continue in front of me, I confirm that my theory was right, the taking out, and taking in, is part of the same inventory system, they however require different trigger to appear.
The triggers are similar, as the inventory is a single system, however the simple and obvious difference is that to take out something you want to need it.
And what she didn't get is that to take in something you need to be aware of the inventory.
Really aware, like for example by screaming inventory mentally so hard your thoughts are only flooded by the thought of said inventory so much that litterally everything that touch you and is not already holded by one person directly come in your inventory, bullets included.
This make some sense.
Commanding the inventory out loud work well since that's just straight up vocal consent, and when you get used to the feelings of the inventory, and of need, you probably can use it more intuitively like I can.
Considering my soup of emotions, and Annie insistance on NEEEEEDING, emotions does play a role on mastering the inventory.
Now, the questions is, why am I better at taking things in, than out, I wanted my wallet out after all?Didn't I?
Well, for sure I did, but only at the start, that's probably why I'm good with taking things out, but after a while I just straight up just panicked and starting thinking about everything and anything to open the inventory.
I was focused on the inventory in itself, so my inventory activated, and like I saw with my training, when I activate it, it doesn't take something out, it takes something in.
So my wallet stayed safe like a bitch, and my inventory was just like, bro what are you doin? I'm ready, USE ME FUCKER!
Well whatever, that work better for me in the end, Twitchy wouldn't have stopped with a wallet, he needed to prove something.
I stop tuning out and look at the open door, and then sigh loudly "everyone ready?" Jenna and balrow nod, while malfoy say "yes." and Annie "Yes!" see the difference?
I turn toward the open door and say "let's go in"
I walk toward it as a voice start behind me, Annie "And you-" I think about needing my spear, and barely thinking about it, my hand moving like lighting grab my spear out of thin air, as I keep walking, not breaking my stride, my hand twist and the bottom of the spear come rejoin my stride, supporting me like a walking stick "-r weapon...? Never mind"
That was cool wasn't it? I practiced this.
Everyone follow behind me, balrow is just behind me in first, he however advance the speed of his steps a little bit until he's just beside me, at my left side, where my free arm hang, he look at me and without expressing much with words, he say everything with a look and a good thump of his fist against his shield.
The sound resonate in the room, I rememeber our discussion, he wanted to be in the frontline too, and then....goblins.
You know what? That punch was fire. Trust is a big word but he can go on the front line.
Old or not.
I nod at him, he nod back. I feel like this is the entierity of our conversation, and he keep walking, forward, at my left side.
At my right side however comes a new challenge, blond in the head, blue in the eyes, with the non cutting part of his sword resting against his unarmed shoulder. Malfoy, he shall forever be malfoy in my head, come join my right side this time, taking his natural position.
He always was ready to fight at the frontline with me after all.
Lots of empty talk considering we only fought once but whatever.
When we first gone completly commando for nothing he was here, and he did tried to ambush again with me before the door almost crushed him too, he just keep going forward not sparing me a glance as he walk at my right side.
Wait does the malfoy in the wizardy shit have blue eyes?
Ehhh whatever.
Just behind Annie, litterally behind me, Annie is here, her dagger resting inside her sleeve, she doesn't do much but look between the holes me and malfoy makes to see forward, one of her hand is squeezed hard however, it seems like the last fight impacted her quite a bit.
And Jenna is, just, straight up unrecognizable now. She walk behind Balrow, as the archer, if she manage to shoot something.
Her bow is ready an arrow already in, her jaw is clenched hard as she stare forward, the fuck happened to her?
Looks like the last fight impacted her the most, I'm not counting myself in, I kept my composure marvellously, yes, yes, I know, I'm awesome.
In any case, arrow fired or not, what's sure is that all of us are ready, relatively ready, to get into that room.
We step in.