Jake walked down the lonely street.
He kept staring at the nearby shops trying to find what he needed.
'It is getting late,' he thought to himself.
The teens were expected to return to the guesthouse before midnight, and currently, the day was edging towards the night.
Jake's eyes glinted as he spotted a particular shop that displayed books that contained techniques on its advertising stand. It also displayed different kinds of weapons on its stand.
"This might be my last stop," Jake sighed as walked towards the shop.
Throughout the evening, he had tried different shops but was not satisfied with what they had.
Entering the shop, he took a look at the books on the stands.
Nodding his head, he thought, 'Sure enough they are fake.'
Jake had suspected the books on the stand to be fake. The real books should be kept by the owner of the shop. The fakes on the stand were to show the customers what they sold.
They could not leave something as valuable as a cultivation technique out in the open.
Jake's thought process was interrupted by a welcoming voice, "Greetings customer."
Jake saw a man with neatly shaven beards, dressed in a very clean-looking suit. The man, with a lanky stature like Jake, walked up to Jake and smiled at him.
From his behavior, Jake could discern that he at least worked in the shop.
However, he needed confirmation, "Are you the owner of this shop?"
The man humbly smiled, "If you are referring to the one, who owns, manages, and finances the shop, that I am."
Listening, Jake's first thought, 'Why the long answer?'
Jake adjusted his strange expression as he said, "What is your name?"
"Thy name is Rhys Wood. You can address me as Mr.Woods."
Jake's face twitched as he questioned, "Can I call you just Rhys?"
"No, I go by Mr.Woods"
"Then, can I call you just Woods?" Jake eyed Mr.Woods suspiciously, wondering what was wrong with the strange man.
"No, I prefer Mr.Woods," the man said firmly.
Jake was about to retort when he realized time was not on his side. He took a deep breath and asked, "Hmmm, Mr.Woods, Where are the real items that you sell?"
Mr.Woods smiled deeply at the question. He had realized that he just got a "real" customer, as most that come to his shop don't even realize the difference between real or fake.
In truth, he had arranged fake techniques, in the guise of it being a sample, to sieve out the potentially good customers.
Mr.Woods eyed Jake from head to toe, checking him out, before nodding his head, as he thought of something, 'A good seedling.'
"I have only a few, but I promise they will be worth it," affirmed Mr.Woods.
Knowing he was at the right place, Jake got to business, "I am looking for a suitable technique."
Mr.Woods excused himself as he went into a room in the shop.
The next time he appeared, it was with a large golden chest that seemed too heavy for mortals to lift. Even Jake felt that he couldn't lift it, which made him wonder how the seemingly friendly Mr.Woods effortlessly carried it.
Nonetheless, Jake didn't ask him. If anything, he was here for a technique, just that, and only that. He didn't want to get mixed into another problem…..again.
*Thud!*
Mr.Woods dropped the heavy chest on the floor which made a rather loud sound.
He wrinkled his brows asked, "You are a young one about to begin his journey, right?"
"Yes," affirmed Jake.
Mr.Woods broadly grinned in excitement, "As expected, I have been getting some of your peers lately. Tell me, what are you?"
Jake choked on the air he was inhaling.
He cried in his mind, 'Of all the questions, why this one?!'
Instinctively, he stood on guard as he faced Mr.Wood, slowly asking, "What do you mean?"
Mr.Woods looked at him strangely, "What is your type?...your fighting style?....your ideal weapons?"
Mr.Woods kept talking like he was addressing the biggest fool in the world.
The way he acted almost made Jake believe that the question didn't have any hidden meaning. However, that did not mean Jake could put his guard down; there were still a lot of mysteries surrounding Mr.Woods.
Jake questioned, "Why do you ask?"
"The answers will help you find your ideal technique. A suitable technique brings out your absolute best. Think of it as an amplifier or multiplier," Mr.Woods revealed his rich experience.
Upon hearing that, Jake told him what he wanted, "I prefer a sword. My fighting style is versatile, but I tend to think before acting."
"Oh, an intellectual type, I see. What type of sword do you use?" hummed Mr.Woods.
"I go with either a thin longsword or a broad sword, as long as it's not a broadsword," quipped Jake.
The amount of time he has spent in this world was long enough for him to have already decided on his choice of weapon.
Back in his foster parents' kingdom, before his rebirth, Jake had opted not to use a weapon. He preferred fighting with his hand, as he believed true perfection could be observed in hand-to-hand combats.
However, Jake had to drop that notion. He wasn't foolish enough to think he would survive in this world without a weapon. Before his rebirth, he had a huge advantage over average humans, so it was safe for him to be adventurous. However, any mistake made in this world, no matter how little it is, would lead to death!
So, after making his decision, Jake had tested different types of swords on his hand, trying to find one that perfectly fit his perfect dainty hands. He had bought different low grades of swords with the money earned from hunting demon beasts in the Dark forest.
After a while, he found the type of sword that best suited him.
Mr.Woods quizzically looked at Jake, "thin longsword, isn't that rather feminine?"
He suspected something was wrong with his customers as most male teenagers would opt to wield a bigger weapon.
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"No, don't mind me."
Mr.Woods propped his hands on his chin as he digested the information Jake gave him.
In his mind, countless techniques flashed by, really fast, as he tried to decide on one suitable for Jake.
Two minutes after, Mr.Woods snapped his finger in delight, "Hmmm, I have just the technique for you. The Sword drawing technique!"
Jake felt hesitant at the mere mention of the name, "The sword drawing technique?"
"Yes, wait a minute," told Mr.Woods.
He pressed his right palm on the gold chest.
The chest shined brightly, releasing a gold light that enveloped Mr.Woods' right palm.
The gold light scanned Mr.Woods' palm multiple times before it opened in a steamy rage.
Jake was instantly interested in the object.
He pondered, 'Is that what I think it is?…..'
Months ago, in a pub that Jake frequented in Pinesun city, he heard a rumor that there were some objects, which were beyond the reach of the city, that were extremely complex to design. The value of the said object varied as they performed specific functions; so the value depended on the function.
What made the objects so invaluable was the ability to operate with Spirit Essence. In other words, it was compatible with Cultivators. Originally, the spatial ring was part of this auxiliary group of items. However, due to its immense popularity and cost, many people forget its actual value.
After the steam cleared from the chest, it revealed nothing, it was empty. Yet, Mr.Woods dipped his hand into the chest and brought out an old brown book.
This confirmed Jake's thought, 'It is a spatial chest. Probably the same mechanism with the spatial ring, but on a much larger scale. If the ring could hold space the average size of a room, the chest should hold tenfold of that.'
Jake glanced at the brown decrepit book. It looked so old that some parts were covered in cobwebs, and some papers were already half torn.
Jake narrowed his eyes at the sight of the book. He felt confused about it.
Noticing his expression, Mr.Woods gently smiled, "I know what you are thinking, "isn't it a basic technique?" It's not! Most renowned swordsmen have listed this technique as one of the most important sword techniques. It is a complex technique that only those with exceptional perception can study."
Even with Mr.Woods' detailed explanation, Jake was still in doubt.
"It seems we are fated, young one. Take it, I will give it to you for free," sighed Mr.Woods, after a long thought.
He realized that his dear customer would not be casually swayed, so he decided to give it out for free.
Taking a rapid turn, Jake sweetly smiled, "Hmm, then I wouldn't be humble. Do you have any notable swords?"
Since he had gotten the technique for free, Jake wouldn't want to go to the guest house without spending the money his sponsors gave him.
The competition was sure to be filled with wonderful weapons and his [Low Earth Rank] weapons would not be sufficient for such an event.
Mr.Woods dug his hand again into the chest. This time he brought out a pale black longsword and threw it at Jake.
"Take this. It's made from Brunium, light and sturdy metal, that is hard to break. Its true potential can only be unleashed by the strength of a cultivator."
Jake swung the blade, checking for its compatibility, "What its rank?"
"It is a [Low Earth Rank], but it might as well be a [Mid Rank] if you use it properly," informed Mr.Woods.
Jake agreed with him. Just by swinging the sword, Jake could feel the difference from his other swords.
Curious, Jake asked, "What is the rank of the technique?"
"Now, the technique is quite special. In that, the rank depends on the user. It relies on the insight of the user."
Jake understood, "That's why it is meant for the intellectual type. Yet, you don't ask for a price?"
Jake felt uncomfortable taking something without a price. He practices the law of Equivalent exchange, and normally he should pay for it, but he had already decided to buy the sword.
"It is meant for those who can use it. Plus, it's been in my chest for a very long time."
"If that's the case, then I won't complain," conceded Jake.
Realizing he had little time left, Jake finalized, "How much is the sword?"
"It is five gold coins, young man," replied Mr.Woods.
Jake took out a fifty gold coin from his pocket.
Earlier, Gavin gave each of them exactly five gold coins, as [Mid Earth Rank] items were worth five gold coins or less.
After paying for the sword, Jake proceeded to walk out of the shop.
"Take care, young man," shouted Mr.Woods.
Jake paused in his footstep. He sharply looked at Mr.Woods, "Will we meet again?"
His eyes tried to peer deeply into Mr.Woods, but it was blocked off. Till this moment, the man still remained a mystery to him.
Mr.Woods laughed, "Hahaha, what do you think?"
His answer earned Jake's stare for another second before the teenager kept walking till he left the shop.
Alone in the shop, Mr.Woods smiled, "What a sharp lad. It seems I won't be bored soon."