Connor spoke with a few Workers around, and he got the jist of who's who around here. As he was crossing to the other end, heading towards the buildings facing Grog's house, a man approached him.
"Lost are ya?" He said. Connor recognized the man as Craig, a Fighter. "Don't you worry about it. I'll take care of you"
"Who are you?" Connor feigned ignorance as he asked.
"Craig.. And if you want a fortune in gold, i'm your man"
"Your job is to distribute wealth?"
"Exactly! I arrange little wagers. You give me your Gold, and you could double it!"
"What odds do you offer?" Connor asked.
"Ah! You're interested? Listen up. I'll explain. You give me a sum in Gold, if you win, i'll pay you back double"
"And if I lose?"
"There are no losers, only future repeat gamblers. I'll just keep your Gold warm until you want to try and win it back" The sound of a fortune did sound good, but gambling, and especially in a den of scammers and outlaws was not a very smart decision.
"And can I be sure you'll pay out if I win?" Connor asked.
"Oh, you're of little faith, I'm hurt!" Craig said, putting his hand on his chest. "If i wasn't honest, do you think i'd last two minutes around here?"
"Makes sense" Connor said. "What am I betting on?"
"Ah, We bet on anything here. Who'll be the next worker to get eaten by a swamp creature.. The next winner in the arena.. Anything!" Craig continued. "You can even bet on yourself.. That is if you want to go into the Arena!"
"People fight for Gold?" Connor asked, intrigued.
"Don't sound so surprised. People have fought for Gold since time began.. There's a small Arena in the west. That's where it happens. I would bet you're worth a gamble. Tough-looking fellow like you"
"Is there somewhere around here I can train for Combat?" Connor asked. There was no chance he was going to bet on someone else, and as for himself, even a worker could probably thrash him around, let alone a contestant.
"I wouldn't normally do this, but I'll train you if you like. Always good to know if you're worth betting on, in case you go into the Arena!"
"I want to improve my fighting Skills!" Connor said. Again, only wanting to see the prices and what would be available.
[Strength +1] 100GC
[Strength +5] 500GC
[Sword +1] 500GC
Craig pulled his Tablet out and showcased what he could teach him. Adding strength was not related to him but he owned the Tablet and if Connor wanted to use it he would still need to pay. Apparently these Tablets are not permanent, and after a few uses they will slowly start to lose their vigor, crumbling. Which was why you need to pay even when you just wish to increase a Stat.
Connor quickly rejected and left, heading towards the Arena. He wanted to case the place out . It was in a small clearing surrounded by metal fences.. Yes , metal. Connor kinda hoped he could find some weapons lying about, but nothing was around.. Except a campfire in the distance. He started walking towards it, looking around him carefully. He had left the boundaries of the camp which put his guard up. He approached the small fire and saw a man sleeping next to it. Empty bottles of rum were thrown about everywhere.
"This guy has probably passed out!" Connor said, nudging the man but getting no reaction… That was when his eyes landed on a wooden chest, most likely belonging to the man, hidden behind a small boulder..
"I am in a Bandit/Outlaws camp.. I should behave like them, no?" He muttered to himself, walking towards the chest. It appeared to be locked by a rusty and old padlock. Connor looked around him, finding a big rock that he used to bash it in. The lock quickly fell and the chest opened.
[245GC] [Large Healing Potion] [Hunting Knife] [Worker Clothes] and various amounts of plants.. Some Connor recognized and others he didn't.
Grabbing everything, Connor quickly left the area, heading towards Doug in the swamp. He found him in the same spot, drinking something while some meat was being cooked on the fire.
"You again.. Welcome!" He said.
"I have some stuff I wish to sell!" Connor said. He needed to get rid of the items slowly. He was planning on selling things separately here and there. He sold a few Mana and Health Plants to Doug with the Medium Healing Potion he had on him. He kept the Large one with a couple small Potions. Earning him 52GC easily.
"I'm gonna be ok right?" Connor thought. "This is survival of the fittest.. I will survive no matter what!" With 297GC Connor quickly went to Sam. He spoke with him and asked to learn something, in which the same list appeared on the Tablet.
[Dexterity +1] 100GC
[Dexterity +5] 500GC
[Bow +1] 500GC
[Sneak] 100GC
[Gut Animals] 200GC
"Teach me how to Gut Animals!" Connor said, handing him the 200GC.
"You got yourself some Gold quickly.." Sam looked at him oddly.
"I've been collecting Plants and killing a few giant Hedgehogs for meat. Rachel gave me a good sum and selling the Plants barely got me the amount I needed" Connor lied through his teeth, but he was calm after he saw Sam nodding his head.
"Alright! These are indeed 200GC.. Place your hand on the Tablet and I'll do the rest"
Connor did as instructed. He placed his open palm onto the Tablet and not long after felt a wave of energy leave his body. It felt like he lost something important, something he needed.
"What was that?" Connor asked.
"That's Soul Energy.. It always feels as uncomfortable, so get used to it!" Sam said.
Connor sighed. He remembered Doug saying something about the Tablet needing Soul Energy to function, and here he was. Right then, a load of information rushed into his head, this time it felt relaxing as he felt like he had been Gutting Animals for years.
"There you go" Sam said. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks!" Connor said excitedly. He now knew exactly what to do if he managed to get his hands on some Animal corpses. 'Only 97GC left.. Should I start saving some money or should I go buy the tools?' he thought.
Connor left the swamp area, heading back to where he first met Kam. Along the way he managed to haggle the Wing Shears to 80GC, allowing him to keep 17GC to himself. He had not been away for long and hopefully he could find some more starving creatures. And even if they did feed on the corpses at the beach, Connor knew that they wouldn't be at their best state that fast, it needed time. What he feared was if any healthy ones showed up. The creatures he faced were the weakest of their kind, which is why they were most likely pushed to the area with the least amount of prey, leading to their starvation. But if the healthy animals show up Connor won't have any choice but to leave.