With no time to finish my thought process on whether it would be worth it to get this new technique, I decided to hit yes! Since I'm already up the creek without the paddle I might as well bet it all!
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[Vault: 0 Gold, Hoard: 190 Gold]
I felt new knowledge filled my head regarding the Snake Movement Technique. Snake movement was a movement skill, It allowed the user to move like a snake for a short period of time, vastly increasing your agility. This was a great life-saving measure. With this ability, I shouldn't have any issues heading out of my carriage now.
I needed to go find a way to make money immediately! Miya's poor chastity was on the line.
Luckily the old Daquan wasn't completely useless. He truly wanted to be a powerful mage one day. The closest profession in the mortal world to a mage was a potion master. Potion masters mixed rare ingredients to create powerful concoctions. The greatest potion masters were mages, but to begin learning potion making you didn't have to be a mage.
Although he had ignored his father's teaching of Champion techniques, in his quest to be a powerful mage he had spent much time learning potion-making. His father had spent a lot of money to get him an elementary potion set and a book on potions. Daquan had studied all the herbs, grasses, and plant life that made up powerful potions.
I now remembered how Daquan got molly whopped. He had went out looking for herbs with a group of children in the caravan. Daquan wasn't a fighter, but foolishly grouped with a bunch of the other youths to look for herbs on a caravan stop near a forest. I don't know how he could be so stupid after growing up in a magical world.
Somehow old Daquan had this idea in his head that mages were refined and sophisticated, being above normal society. He thought that everything could be solved with words when dealing with others who were journeying to become Mage Apprentices, as they were above savage fighting. They were journeying to be dignified Mage Apprentices after all.
Before the group set out Colton Sharpe had been unanimously named leader of the adventuring group of youths since he was a preliminary Champion. Although he wasn't a real Champion, preliminary Champions were still stronger than the average adult.
During the travels Daquan had gotten cozy with Vicki Roberts, she was a cute teenage girl who the leader of the group Colton Sharpe obviously had a crush on. The leader Colton Sharpe would keep giving Daquan strange looks along the journey through the forest. Old Daquan was a shut-in and got a resounding score of 0 for EQ (Emotional Intelligence). This was his first strike.
Since Daquan was good at identifying herbs he identified the rare plant, Bristly Blueberry, while with the group. A batch of Bristly Blueberries could be sold for 200 gold. Again old Daquan had 0 EQ, even if the plant was valuable he should have waited until they got back to sell it before telling the group of youths what it was worth. This was his second strike.
A simple 'I think that herbs valuable, let's get it' would have sufficed. Poor old Daquan wasn't that bright, he went on and on speaking about how valuable the herb was. Describing all its usages and the average price it could sell for. I think he was trying to build more points with Vicki impressing her with his great knowledge.
The Bristly Blueberry bush happened to be guarded by a Pine Fox, a Rank 1 magical beast. Rank 1 magical beasts were a little bit stronger than the average adult, from my understanding.
The other youths grouped up together and killed the Pine Fox, while Daquan just stood by the side contributing nothing to the hard-fought battle. Again this is strike three for his low EQ, he really was an idiot.
Even if you can't fight throw a few punches, my dude. Make it look like you were a part of the group, you gotta at least look like you was with them in the trenches. Nah, old Daquan wasn't that bright. This was his third strike.
Now his fourth strike for low EQ became his literal downfall, and the reason he got molly whopped.
When it was time to distribute the Bristly Blueberry the foolish Daquan said he wanted half the plant for identifying it. He said without him the group wouldn't have known the herb was valuable in the first place so they should give him the majority of it.
A big argument ensued where somehow Daquan thought the mouth was stronger than the fist. If you can't square up you keep your mouth shut. Old Daquan didn't know how to square up so someone shut his mouth for him. Daquan was knocked out cold by Colton Sharpe, saying he wouldn't get anything for refusing to contribute to the battle with the Pine Fox.
Colton already had a bone to pick with poor foolish Daquan for talking to the girl he liked and the stupid kid just added fuel to the fire. Hell even I think he deserved to get molly whopped. If you can't square up you don't go running your mouth, my dude.
Colton was vicious not holding his punch back at all. Old Daquan died to a brain hemorrhage or something when he got hit across the head by a preliminary Champion's punch. He was basically a vegetable laying there barely breathing.
Luckily the group of youths wasn't entirely barbaric, they didn't want to be responsible for the death of another person on the caravan. They were youths, after all, so they took pity on him and brought him back to the caravan instead of leaving him out in the forest to die.
The group said he encountered an accident in the forest while fighting the Pine Fox. Although that wasn't the truth no one was willing to refute the story and risk offending Colton Sharpe.
I now knew the dynamics of how old Daquan ended up in such a pitiful state. I have to avoid that Colton fellow, if he's that vicious to attack with the intent to kill over a simple argument he might still have nefarious intentions for me. Grouping with other youths again was out of the question for me.
Uncle Ruckus said it best, "Don't trust them, new dudes."
I grabbed my hunting knife and exited my carriage for the first time to enter this brand new world!