Eol groaned as Tael called an end to the class two hours later. He checked his Accumulation stat with a grim expression.
-Accumulation: 5/100
A long sigh escaped him as he studied the expressions of the others. Nobody else seemed to have grasped what World Energy was at that time. 'Still, to think it would be this slow. Apart from the first point I gained when I understood World Energy, I only gained two points for every hour! That likely means that using Accumulation away from this fountain will only net me a single point every hour since Tael said the process is sped up here!'
A deep crease appeared on Eol's forehead as he listened to the others begging Tael for some pointers. 'I think it's safe to assume I'll gain a single stat point once it reaches one hundred. But that'll take fifty hours of using Accumulation around the fountain. Or another ninety-five hours away from it!'
'Besides, there's no telling if the amount of Accumulation needed for a stat point will go up with each one earned.' He knew he could ask Tael about that particular point, but he had a feeling she wouldn't tell him.
"Ok, everyone. That's it for today. Feel free to have a look around town or use the facilities back at the office building to train." Tael paused as she glanced in Eol's direction. "Eol, Rokuko, I'll introduce you guys to the Merchants Guild now. Tomorrow I'll introduce some of you to the Explorers Guild, and then those interested in the Mercenaries Guild will be the day after."
"Oh, come on! Why do we have to go last?" A dwarf, who Eol never bothered to remember his name spoke up.
"Because," Tael began as she glared at the dwarf. "At your level of understanding skills and such, they won't care. Two more days will be sufficient for you guys to be able to make an impression on them."
Well, when Tael put it like that, how could they argue? Eol chuckled to himself as Rokuko joined him. "So, you're interested in becoming a merchant?"
"Uh, yes." Rokuko stammered as she avoided his gaze. "I was surprised you were interested in it too. With your progress in skills and now Accumulation, I thought you'd be interested in the Mercenaries Guild."
"Hm, well, I can't say you're wrong," Eol chuckled as he scratched his cheek. "Everything in this world so far interests me. But I loved making things in games. Combat just can't compare to the joy of making something useful or unexpected."
Eol chuckled before he realized something. 'Wait, why do I feel so comfortable telling her this? Is it because she's trying to pursue something similar?'
Tael cleared her throat loudly. "Alright, let's get moving!" She said as she silently appeared next to the duo. "Stay close and remember the way. I don't want either of you getting lost."
Several minutes and a few twists and turns through the streets later, the three of them stood outside the doors to the Merchants Guild building. A wooden sign hung out the front depicting a set of scales and coins. Eol casually studied the building itself, noting it was entirely made of stone bricks painted white with golden-colored wood for the doors and windows.
'Well, at least it looks the part.' Eol smirked as Tael ushered them inside. The first thing that caught Eol's eye was a massive mural on the wall behind the reception counter. It depicted a group of adventurers wielding swords and spears fighting off a horde of monsters with glowing circles floating above them.
"That's a painting of the guild members' recent accomplishment in defending the town," Tael explained as they stared at the artwork.
"They fought against monsters?" Rokuko asked in surprise.
"Of course not," Tael chuckled while covering her mouth. "The achievement was overcharging the Mercenaries Guild for the equipment they sold them to fend off a monster invasion."
Eol's eyes widened as he stifled a chuckle of his own. 'Seem like I'm in the right place. They took advantage of the situation to increase their profits. I like the members of the Guild already!'
Tael cleared her throat again, but this time she seemed more serious. "Alright, now let's go meet some people!"
She led them down another hallway and into an open room filled with tables and chairs where several merchants were sitting and talking about whatever business they had going on. Some looked up and saw Eol and company enter. One man stood from his table and walked towards them with a friendly smile. He wore blue robes, a black sash around his waist, and a pair of glasses hanging by a gold chain from his neck.
"Welcome! What brings you here today? If you're interested in becoming a merchant yourself, we can help you set it all up." The man said as he extended a hand toward Tael.
"I'm actually looking to introduce these two to the Merchants Guild," Tael replied as she shook the man's hand. "This is Eol, and Rokuko."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the man bowed to both of them before turning back to Tael. "And in what capacity are you introducing them to us?"
"I'm the relocation officer for Ghaena Island. These two are pioneers who are interested in the merchant trades." Tael replied with her trademark smile. "I hope we're not interrupting any business deals or anything."
The man raised an eyebrow at that. "We welcome anyone with an interest in our Guild. You should consider joining us if you'd like to start your own business. Although, if you're pioneers you probably haven't learned any talents yet. So, are you requesting the trials for these two?"
"That's right," Tael replied. "Eol here especially is showing a rare talent for skill creation and Accumulation. While Rokuko has a high starting Will stat and has already decided to pursue the enchanting and alchemy trades."
"Hoho, is that right? Ah, let me introduce myself. I'm Marcus. A human, as you can see. It's nice to see some pioneers taking an interest in the industry. Well, we can do the trials now, if that's acceptable?"
"Please, if you would."
"Very well. Faena, Polly! Would you escort young Rokuko here to another hall and perform the trials for your trades?"
A bright young gnome hopped off his seat, followed by a lizard-kin woman. They briefly introduced themselves to Rokuko before ushering her out of one of the many doors.
"And what about you? What trades would you like to take the trials for?" Marcus asked as he peered at Eol.
"All of them," Eol replied with a grin full of confidence, startling Marcus.
Tael sighed and shrugged when Marcus looked at her to see if Eol was serious. He quickly cleared his throat before speaking to Eol again. "I think you're underestimating the time and dedication needed to master a single trade. Usually, studying one or two is the norm. Won't you reconsider?"
Eol smirked back at him. "I'll pass on that. There's no need for me to commit to just one or two."
"Hm... Haha!" Marcus laughed heartily as he rubbed the back of his head while looking up at Eol. "Alright then, I guess we can start with seeing if you have the talent to develop an appraisal skill."
Marcus took Eol into another room filled with tables and chairs where several people were sitting and talking about their business and personal lives. Several had their heads buried in various books on top of their desks. Others were simply sitting in silence, reading through papers. The only thing they all seemed to share in common was the black sashes around their waists which denoted them as members of the Merchants Guild.
One man stood from his chair and walked over to greet them. He wore a dark brown robe, a pair of glasses hanging by a golden chain from his neck, and a stern expression on his face. His hair was short and a matching shade of brown, but he sported a beard that went down to his chest.
"Welcome! What can I do for you today, Marcus?"
"Ah, Kevan. Just who I was looking for." Marcus beamed as he shook the man's hand. "Eol here has come to the Guild for his trials. I was hoping you'd do the honors to see if he can learn an appraisal skill."
Kevan glanced at Eol before turning back to Marcus with a frown. "I don't recall approving any appraisal trials for today."
"Ah, it's a bit of a rush, Kevan. Eol is a pioneer, so he has a limited time to do this through the relocation office. You know how it is."
Kevan's eyebrows shot up as he nodded in understanding. "I see how it is. It's not a problem, then. Please, follow me, Eol."
Kevan led Eol and Marcus to his desk. He pointed to the empty seat opposite him for Eol to sit down as he pulled a spare chair over for Marcus on his side.
"Appraisal is an honorable trade to pursue. Many merchants rely on us to figure out the value of their goods and to make sure they don't get ripped off. Therefore, your status as an appraiser will be highly valued wherever you go." Kevan paused as he pulled a small golden ring and a silver bracelet from his drawer. The bracelet had a purple gem embedded in it that caught Eol's attention.
"Now, you'll have to create an appraisal skill. It's likely only your second or third day here. Have you created any skills yet?"
"Yes," Eol replied with a curt nod.
"Excellent, it's a shame you've come here so soon. If you had more time, you could've grasped World Energy to make this easier."
"Oh, I grasped World Energy today," Eol replied with a smirk.
Kevan sighed at Eol's response as he fixed him with a disapproving gaze. "Sure you did. Anyway, keep this in mind for when you actually do grasp it. When creating an appraisal skill, you have to imagine seeing the value of the item in a way you can understand. When you grasp World Energy, you should try to incorporate seeing the item's shade of World Energy into the skill you create. It will give you a better idea of an item's worth compared to another of the same rating."
"Shade of World Energy?" Eol asked as he raised his eyebrows.
"Mm, it's a measure of an item's worth or the strength of another. For instance, a one-star rating item with have a shade ranging from the darkest black to a greyish tone. The lighter the tone is, the closer the item or person is to achieving the next rating. Which would be two stars or shades of red. Now, I want you to create an appraisal skill, and identify which of these two items is more valuable."
Eol hummed to himself as he remembered the aura around Tael when he grasped World Energy. 'That was greyish, so she must be close to being compared to a two-star rating. I wonder what the stat values are for those changes? Well, at least creating an appraisal skill shouldn't be hard. I just have to imagine the skill displaying an item's values like an item's stats in a game. Ah, can't forget to make it show me the item's aura too, like what happened with Tael.'
Eol stared at the items on the desk while imagining the item information screens in video games. He forced it to focus on his eyes while thinking about World Energy and wanting to know what color aura each item had. He felt something warm moving in his body toward his eyes.
-Infusion Skill: World Vision
-Progress: 10/50
A smirk appeared on Eol's face at the notification. 'Seems like this won't take too long.' He chuckled before focusing on the same mental image he had built while continuing to try and get the skill to activate.