After his quick bath, Kai decided to go out. He was hoping to find something that would greatly help him in the future.
Leaving the inn, Kai walked the busy streets. Most vendors he saw were selling armor or weapons, which made sense since this is a starting point for most adventurers.
Unfortunately, Kai still hadn't managed to find what he was looking for, even after spending a reasonable amount of time trying.
'This is something that would greatly help other new adventurers, so how come I haven't found it?'
At least to Kai, it was something that would help many new adventurers.
'Maybe it doesn't exist, or to the extent, I thought.'
Nonetheless, Kai continued his search; if it didn't exist, he would still be learning about it later that day. And if it did, he would learn even more about the topic.
Time passed, and soon Kai would have to go for his beginner course.
'Mmm, could this be it?'
Walking down one of the last streets before he had to go, Kai found a brick building with many windows. Inside, bookcases lined the walls.
Reading the sign above the door, Kai smiled. 'Regals Book Store.'
~Ding~
Entering the bookstore, a bell went off, similar to the bakery.
"Welcome! Welcome! Are you looking for any specific books, young man?"
A well-rounded man spoke from behind a table. He had thick round glasses; behind his glasses were green eyes full of knowledge and wisdom. His long green hair was well on its way to becoming gray. He wore green robes covering his whole body.
"Do you have any books on dungeons, monsters, evolutions, or classes?"
The middle-aged man smiled, "Of course, come follow me."
He beckoned Kai toward the corner of the store.
"Many adventurers come here seeking knowledge, though it's rare for one as young as yourself to come. It's always a welcomed surprise. "
Kai only nodded.
The both of them arrived at the back, only at the long lines of books; Kai wasn't sure where to start. Luckily he had the owner with him.
"There are many books here with what you desire. The rule is you may read as many as you want here and put them back. You can also buy or rent books if you wish to take them out of the store." The middle-aged man pointed toward a row of books in the middle of the self.
"I see. How much is it to rent a book?"
"It differs from the book, but these would be 15 copper a week. To buy them would be 50 copper per book."
Nodding, Kai thanked the man before looking at the books.
'Basics Of Dungeons, By Anton Welth'
'Evolution & Class Introduction, By Fae Monla'
'Monsters & Beast, By Anton Welth'
Picking up the three books, Kai went to a small table by a window. He didn't want to use any more money than he had to. If these books proved helpful, he would come back every day until he's read them all.
Kai wasn't a fan of reading but figured it had to be done, as he was too ignorant about the life of an adventurer. Fortunately, despite living in Nightmare City before they passed, his parents taught him how to read.
Kai decided to start with 'Basics Of Dungeons, By Anton Welth'.
"Time moves differently in dungeons; one hour in the real world is six hours in the dungeons."
'? Then how long was I in the dungeon for? This changes a lot.'
With the time flow, Kai could reach tier 3 with only a few months in the real world. In only four hours, someone could have been in a dungeon for an entire day.
"The dungeon level correlates to the monsters inside. Entering a level 1-20 dungeon, you would find monsters level 1-20."
'The first monster you find will most likely be the weakest, while the strongest will be the last boss.'
As he continued reading on, Kai didn't find much new information about dungeons.
"The more people who attack a boss, the more shared experience points there will be. If only two people attack a dungeon boss, the experience points would only be split by two. The rewards would also be split. This, however, does not apply to normal monsters; whoever gets the last hit will reap all the rewards."
'That's interesting. So while having more people would make dungeons easier, it will also hinder your progress by a reasonable amount. Parties should only be a last resort if you can't beat dungeons solo.'
"The higher the tier, the harder dungeons are between tier 2 and 3, monsters start to evolve into a beast. (More information at 'Monsters & Beast, By Anton Welth.')
'?'
'Did he plug himself in his own book? But what is the difference between a monster and a beast? Maybe I should read that one next.'
After finishing the first book, Kai checked the time.
{5:40}
Kai was about to grab the books and put them back when the owner said, "You can leave them there."
Nodding, Kai thanked him and left. Heading toward the guild, he noticed a few girls freaking out, saying things like.
"He's gone"
"Where'd my future husband go?"
"Where is he?"
Puzzled, Kai just continued his way into the guild.
With only a few minutes to spare, Kai sat down and waited. While waiting, he could overhear what some adventurers were talking about.
"Did you hear Vaira Starla hasn't come out of the dungeon yet?"
"How? Isn't he supposed to have guards with him? They should have been enough for whatever awaited them."
"No one knows what's taking so long; I've heard talk about a special quest. Whoever could bring Vaira back would be rewarded handsomely."
'Vaira Starla? That sounds familiar, mmm. Girls are freaking out, a person disappearing in dungeons. Vaira. Mmm, aha. It's Mr. Charmer. Weird guy, but why is it so important? Is he someone important?'
People dying in the dungeons was common; Kai knew that. So why is it such a big deal now? He knew it was a big deal when someone died, but not to where even adventurers talked about a special quest to bring him back.
"Beginners Course over here!"
Snapping him from his thoughts, Kai walked to the back of the guild.
And just like the other times, they waited a few minutes; Kai thought nothing of it. People make mistakes, so someone could easily be late.
A few minutes later, someone showed up late. He had black hair with yellow tips and yellow eyes full of fighting spirit.
'Ruvyn.'
'At least he's not discouraged after all that happened.'
"Let's head to the field; today will be a quick lesson as I have things to do. There are only two more days left. Each will be a combat practice. After the course is done, you have the option to sign up for a beginner dungeon dive. If you want to learn more, speak with a receptionist."
The dungeon dive didn't interest Kai in the slightest, and even if it did, it would most likely be a dungeon he couldn't enter.
After arriving on the field, the instructor got straight to explaining.
"As some of you know, once you reach level 20, you will undergo evolution and gain a class. Which evolution and class you get entirely relies on yourself. The system watches us; it knows our desires. Two main parts lead to your evolution options. First, what you do. If you act like a coward and are weak, your evolution will resemble that. Second, outside forces. Where you are, when you click, evolution will impact it. For example, if you are surrounded by fire, there's a high chance at least one of your evolutions will be related to fire. This only applies when you click on evolution, so you have the chance to go toward an environment that suits what you want."
'Wow. So because a wolf boss was near me, did I get the werewolf option? My extreme dislike for mushrooms gave me that option too? Outside forces must also apply to items, such as that muted antenna.'
"The first evolution is also the most tricky." The instructor continued.
"If you evolve into another race, it's considered a pseudo-race. Although the system doesn't say it, you won't gain everything from that race. For example, if you were to evolve into a dragon, you may gain physical strength but not magic power. Or you could get the hearing of a wolf, but not the nose. Of course, you can't evolve into a beast, but this is the best way to explain it. Only after your second evolution will you gain everything from that race and be considered a complete, real being of that race."
'Can't evolve into a beast? Or does he mean only at the first evolution? I'll have to choose wisely where I evolve, though. Did I only get the physical strength of a werewolf, or am I missing something?'
It would make sense why his hearing or sense of smell didn't increase.
"Classes are more straightforward. It's based on how you fight. If you fight from range, you will get classes that resemble that; of course, you may get one type that fights up close. If your fighting style is up close but desires to fight from afar, the system will know and may give you a class based on it. It all depends on how much you want it. You can't hide your desires from the system. The system helps us. It will choose whatever will help you and fits you the most."
'I guess I do desire strength; maybe that played a part in my evolution and class. But... why is this kid staring at me?'
During the entire lesson, Ruvyn had been fixated on Kai. Watching his movements as if trying to figure out something.
"That's it for now, any questions?"
Some kids asked a question, but they were important to Kai.
After a few minutes, everyone seemed satisfied as no more questions came.
"Alright, you're all dismissed, Kai, follow me."
'?'
'What did I do-'
'Is this about the Horse Inn?'