(The Hagling Skill Tree leveled up. You received 10 Experience points.)
In the end, I almost halved the original price for the products and learned something else I could do. I also could analyze my skills.
Haggling: Improves your skill in negotiating better prices and deals with merchants. Lv 02 (10/20)
It seemed that I could gain an experience point for each gold coin haggle. That was good to know; it meant that I could become quite strong, even as a merchant, since the skill trees also leveled up at the same pace as me. Even if there was a limit on how much it could level up, I could at least reach the same level.
"Thank you. I am looking for work. Do you have any idea where I can find it?"
"... At the inn, the innkeeper usually has some requests for games or other things the villagers ask. You don't look like the adventurous type, but you can make money more easily if you are willing to risk your neck in a dungeon. There is a town two days away that has one nearby… the only downside is… nothing, never mind."
"What is it? I am someone who wants to avoid trouble, too… if such a place is that troublesome, then I need to avoid it. I am a traveler, after all."
"Well, the thing is, that town is where the queen's mother was raised… they are exposing her executed body there. They are also paying a lot of coin for those who offer information about anyone who knew her at some level."
When I heard that, I froze, and then I felt a boiling anger inside me… it wasn't my anger, but the anger of the previous owner of that body. I didn't know what happened to him, but my new body reacted to those words…
I knew that a lot of crazy stuff happened in medieval times, but I didn't expect that I would live in such an area. In any case, trying to keep that anger in shock was quite difficult. My face kept trying to twitch in rage, but I fought back and then left the trader to take a deep breath outside.
'Calm down, hero. This body is mine now… it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I am not a superhero. I am just a human cast in a crazy situation. I must build my strength instead of picking fights I can't win.'
The boiling anger inside weakened, but my body was still hot thanks to it. At least that helped me feel less bothered by the cold… it was sunny, and the sky was blue, but it was still pretty cold.
Anyway, I headed toward the inn and found it empty. A brown-haired man in his thirties was nodding off on the balcony, waiting for clients. When I approached, my footsteps made noise on the loose wooden floor, and he got up.
"Welcome, young traveler. How can I help you today?"
"I have heard from the trader that you might have some work for me here."
"Hmm, if your bow has any real use, I can buy any rabbits you hunt. Five gold coins for each one of them you will have."
Hunting… that seemed difficult for someone inexperienced like me. Still, who knows when I would find another if I were denied that kind of job? It was also a good idea to stay on the innkeeper's good side to learn a bit more about the situation in that place… whatever it was called.
"All right, I will return soon with them. By the way, where can I find them in this area?"
"... There is a clearing with a pond West of here. Some foxes had been found there as well, so they might be looking for them too."
"Nothing for the foxes?"
"Three coins for their pelt."
"Understood."
It was time to test how much I could improve my Archery and how that would affect my current nonexistent shooting skills. In any case, I followed that guy's words and headed to the clearing he had mentioned. It was only half an hour away from the village, and I quickly found some foxes roaming around it.
"Yeah, I definitely won't find any rabbits there…"
Fox meat is consumed in some cultures and regions, and I knew that, though it is not as common as other types of game meat. In some places, it's considered a traditional or survival food. However, it's important to ensure that any wild game is properly prepared and cooked to avoid health risks.
To save money, I have to make some into emergency rations. Regardless, I looked for a random tree instead of heading there and then tested the bow. I fired the first arrow two meters away from the tree, and I hit it… for some reason, it didn't feel weird in my hands, so perhaps the other Leon Maxwell had used a bow at some point.
I increased the distance slowly until it became ten meters away, which became a bit challenging. I also checked the arrowheads during all the shots. Thanks to the bow's effect, they pierced the tree deeply, but they didn't suffer any real damage. After the tenth shot from that distance, I got some results.
(The Archery Skill Tree leveled up. You received 10 Experience points.)
I nodded in satisfaction, and then I felt a bit weird… the memories of each shot suddenly felt a lot more recent, and the bow felt a bit more comfortable in my hands as well. When I fired the same arrow a few more times, I started to hit the same spot more often… as expected, I became more skilled, and the results were practically automatic.
"Let's see… it looks like I need to be at the limit of my skill range to gain archery experience. I guess it makes sense. Let's train for a while longer, and then I will go for the hunt… or I can use some status points."
Dexterity definitely would help me use a bow with more skill. Still, I was curious if that also would increase the range limit for me to gain experience, so I decided to only do that if it was absolutely necessary.
In the end, I practiced until noon and managed to reach level five in the skill as well. That came with two level-ups and another benefit…
(The Archery Skill Tree leveled up. You received 40 Experience points.)
(You have leveled up and received five Status Points and one Rank-up Skill Point.)
(You have upgraded the Archery skill tree.)
Archery: Improves your skill in using bows and arrows.
Sharp Draw (Rank 1)
Bows do ten points more damage. (Requires Archery skill tree at Level 01)
Shooting Stance (Rank 1)
You can fire arrows 0.1 seconds faster. (Requires Archery skill tree at Level 05)
"Hoho, this is interesting… a skill that makes me fire faster. If I increase its rank, how much faster can I fire arrows? If the limit is rank ten, then I can probably fire one arrow every half a second."
By now, I could hit the three when it was twenty meters away, and while I was ten meters away, I would always hit the spot that I was aiming for. That should be pretty good…to hit targets that don't move. Unfortunately, it was time to be more practical with targets that do move.
With the bow in hand, I began to crawl toward the clearing so as not to scare the animals. Fortunately, the wind was blowing against me, so they wouldn't be able to sense the smell of my old clothes. They seriously needed to be washed, so I needed a new set, too.
(You have unlocked a new skill tree.)
Hunting: Improves your skill in tracking, hunting, and skinning wild animals.
Novice Hunting
Learn basic hunting moves and knowledge to track and hunt common animals. (Requires Hunting skill tree at Level 01)