I went to the old man Owen and said, "Mister Owen, I will take this axe."
He looked at it, sizing it up, and spoke, "Are you sure that's what you want? It's just an old axe. It's not even one of my creations; it's just something I acquired a long time ago. It's been sitting here for almost a decade."
Really? But its effects are great. Is it cursed or something? No, from what I heard from the description, it doesn't appear cursed. Well, whatever, I'll just take it for now.
"Yes, this is what I want," I responded to him.
"Well, it's up to you then. From the looks of it, there seem to be some bite marks on the handle. Give it to me. I will add some leather to make it more comfortable for you to wield. I might also sharpen the blade," he told me with a shrug.
"Thank you. While I'm at it, I also wanted to look at some armor."
"Sure, just wait until I finish with the axe"
After saying that, he took the axe away. After some time, he returned and handed me the axe, saying, "I've added a sheath and an axe carrier sling as a bonus. As for the armor, what kind are you looking for?"
"What are my options?" I asked curiously.
"Well, there are three types of armor. Light armor offers the least protection but grants excellent speed, preferred by adventurers focused on agility. "
"On the other hand, heavy armor provides excellent protection but sacrifices speed, favored by those who prioritize defense and health."
"Meanwhile, medium armor offers a balance between defense and speed, and because of that it's preferred by adventurers who want to use their stamina efficiently", he gave me a brief explanation.
Hmm… what to do? Heavy armor sounds like the best option at first, but as he said, I won't be able to escape in emergencies. On the other hand, light armor would let me flee easily but leave me vulnerable to attacks. For now, let's go with the medium armor; it offers a bit of both.
For now, let's take the medium armor because it provides a bit of both.
"I think I'll go with medium armor. Can you remind me of the options?" I inquired.
"Certainly. We have chain shirts, hide armor, half-plate armor, and scale mail."
"Chain Shirt offers moderate protection with interlocking metal rings, providing flexibility and sound dampening. It's suitable for those aiming for a balance between protection and mobility."
"Hide Armor Consisting of thick furs and pelts, it provides basic protection and is suitable for cold environments. It's a lighter option compared to metal armors, offering more mobility."
"Half Plate Armor Made of shaped metal plates, it covers most of the body but lacks full leg protection. It's a heavier option, offering solid defense, but with some mobility limitations."
"Scale Mail, constructed from leather with overlapping metal pieces, resembles dragon scales. It offers good protection while maintaining more flexibility than plate armor. It's a versatile choice for a balance between protection and mobility."
Hmm... Although both hide armor and half-plate armor are in the medium armor category, hide armor prioritizes agility, while half-plate armor focuses on defense. Therefore, I have to choose between the chain shirt and scale mail. Personally, I prefer the aesthetics of the scale armor more.
"I will go with the Scale armor", I told the old man
"Alright, let me fetch it for you. Would you like to wear it right away?" he asked.
"Yes, I will wear it now."
He procured the Scale armor, and I equipped it. It looked good, and I genuinely felt like I had stepped into a fantasy world.
"It's not bad, By the way, now that you have a weapon, do you possess any weapon-based skills?"
"Weapon-based skills? What exactly are those?" I asked, puzzled.
"What? You're not familiar with weapon-based skills?" he asked incredulously.
*sighs*
Exasperated, he sighed and said, "I forgot you were summoned just yesterday. Wait here; I'll be back."
He went to an old bookshelf, rummaging through its contents, and returned with a few books.
"Here these are some of the basic axe-based skills, usually you find these kinds of things in the Training grounds but smithies sometimes carry these as well"
I took a look at them; they were books bound in leather. There were three of them: one had a green cover, one was brown, and the last one was red.
"What are these?" I inquired with curiosity.
"Well these are skill books to be specific these are skill books for Axe Mastery, Axe Throw, and Cleaving Strike, Skills books are something that allows people to learn a skill instantly just by opening them, If you want more advanced once you have to go to the Training grounds", he gave me a brief explanation
"Do you have more of these?"
"Did you not understand what I just explained? These are all I have for axe users," he responded with a hint of irritation.
"No, I'm not specifically looking for axe-related skills. I just want to explore other skill books."
"What? Well whatever do what you want, you see that old shelf where I got these books from? Go take a look there if something catches your eye just let me know"
"Thank You", I thanked him and went to have a look.
After rummaging through these for a few minutes nothing caught my eye, ooh… what's this?'Precision Projection' This sounds good let's take this
"Mister Owen, I've found what I was looking for."
"This is for rangers, are you sure about this?" he queried.
"Yes, I'd like to take it."
"Very well. How about the three books I suggested?"
"I'll take those too."
"All right, that's one Scale Mail and four skill books. That totals around 3500 coins."
"3500 coins? That's expensive can't you give me a discount?", It's around half the money I own
"Discount? I already discounted them. Ordinarily, these skill books cost about 600 coins each, and the Scale Mail is priced at 1800 coins. Yet, I offered you the books for 500 coins each and the Scale Mail for around 1500 coins. Moreover, I even gave you the axe for free!" His tone revealed his annoyance.
*sighs*
I sighed and said, "Alright, 3500 coins will do"
I gave him 3500 coins and he looked at me with dubious eyes and asked, "Didn't you say that you got summoned yesterday? Then how do you have this much coin?"
"Well, let's just say that some kind people gave it to me"
"Hmm… well whatever, what are you planning to do now?" he inquired.
"I received a quest this morning to gather herbs from the nearby forest," I showed him the quest.
"Isn't this the Renewmint, I heard this is one of the Key ingredients in making health restorative potions so they are always in demand. There are a few more herbs that have the same effect but they are all bitter and no one actually likes them, unlike Renewmint which people say tastes good and refreshing"
"By nearby forest do you mean the Verdant Grove? I heard that it's not that dangerous there but sometimes Oni show up there so be careful"
"I see, thank you for your information. I will make sure to be careful out there"
"Before you leave why don't you learn the skills you just bought?", he remained me.
"Yes, I will do that now"
I took the books and opened one of them, then the familiar screen popped up, Do you want to learn these skills?
"Yes"
As I accepted, the books vanished, and the screen reappeared: "Congratulations on learning the following skills."
Axe Mastery (C) (Passive)
Your proficiency with axes grants you a natural edge in combat, enhancing the effectiveness of your axe attacks.
Effect: Increase your overall damage output when wielding an axe by 30%.
Proficiency: 0%
Cleaving Strike (C) (Active)
Unleash a sweeping attack with your axe, cutting through enemies in your path. Effective against groups of foes.
Effect: Perform a powerful swing that hits multiple enemies in a wide arc.
Energy: 100 Peruse
Proficiency: 0%
Axe Throw (C) (Active)
Harness your precision and strength to send your axe hurtling through the air like a deadly projectile. Best used with throwing axes.
Effect: Hurl your axe at a distant target, dealing damage based on your strength and accuracy.
Energy: 100 Peruse
Proficiency: 0%
Precision Projection (C) (Passive)
Precision Projection is a passive ability that elevates the user's accuracy with all projectile weapons. It allows projectiles to home in on targets slightly, increasing the chance of hitting even agile or distant foes.
Effect: This ability boosts the accuracy of all projectile weapons the user wields. Projectiles like arrows, throwing knives, throwing axes, javelins, and magic projectiles exhibit slight tracking behavior, making it easier to connect with moving or evasive targets. This capability offers a significant advantage in battles demanding precise aim and timing.
Proficiency: 0%
NOTE: As a hero bonus all the Skills have ranked up from E to C
A hero bonus, just like yesterday. Does that mean every skill I learn starts from rank C? That's convenient; it means less grinding for me.
Well now that I am fully equipped let the Quest begin.