I could understand Serana's curiosity, magic was fascinating in its own way, I suppose, but it just didn't capture my interest the way it did for others. I wasn't awed by it, nor did I feel the need to dive headfirst into its mysteries. My focus was more practical. I wanted to be able to do a little bit of everything, enough to survive in whatever situation I found myself in. Whether it was wielding a sword, drawing a bow, or casting a basic spell, it was all the same to me.
Using a sword or a bow was fine, but I wasn't about to devote myself fully to either one, at least not yet. I'd keep things simple, dabbling here and there until I found something that felt right, something that I might actually have a talent for. Until then, I wasn't going to get too caught up in one path. Survival was the priority, and that meant being adaptable, not getting lost in the allure of any single skill or discipline.
In any case, I soon found the trader that Diran mentioned and the place was open for people to enter and see the stuff being sold there. There was the trader at the corner of the room to receive the visitors, but when he looked at me, he didn't show much interest since I looked poor.
The trader was a man in his forties who was on the chubby side. He was blackhaired and had a mustance, but his hair and his mustache as well were starting to look more grey. After looking around for a bit, I found some crystals that on the small side… I didn't know what they could do, but they glowed as if they had some energy inside.
I also found a large collection of weapons and gear, only a handful of them looked enchanted, though. Still, I put them aside to focus on the books and skill books. The ordinary books had titles, while the skill books only hand emblems and different covers of different colors. Some were red, green, blue, purple, and black.
'I wonder if with my power, I can learn anything by reading books.'
It could be worth the hassle depending on their prices, but I had to ask the trader first. In any case, I grabbed an ordinary book that the title: Basics of Swordsmanship. The other was a skill book with the image of a water ball on its cover.
"How much these costs?"
"... Fifty gold coins and three hundred gold coins."
Surprisingly, the ordinary book wasn't that expensive, since it could be resold, it made sense. Still, the book was a bit thick, but it should have some images inside. Wait, wouldn't that make it harder to make copies of it?
In any case, I didn't have much MP to use many spells, so I wondered for a moment if I should buy other skill books. In the end, I paid five hundred more gold coins to also buy a skill book that had the cover of a stream of water. It was hard to imagine that being useful for fighting, but it would help with daily necessities. I left the trader with the books in my hands.
"Maybe I should learn how to make skill books… they are too damn expensive."
"You need some skills on runecrafting too to be able to make them. Those emblems are basically runes on the cover. Without them, the knowledge isn't engraved on the books."
"Is that so?"
Serana was lazing around at the top of my head as usual, but she was useful in situations like that. Regardless, I hurried back to the hideout much to her displeasure. I needed to rest since I wanted to find some work at night as well, after all. I also wanted to study the books, so I couldn't waste time wandering around.
Over the next few days, my routine became a blend of studying and working. I took on various odd jobs for the thieves guild, nothing too dangerous, just tasks that needed to be done quietly and efficiently. It was a way to earn some extra gold while keeping a low profile, but more importantly, it allowed me to observe and learn from the guild's operations. Doing a job like that per day, and soon enough, I would increase my rank to get more decent jobs.
In the evenings, I studied over the books I had purchased. The first spell I learned was Water Ball. The concept seemed simple enough, gathering and compressing water into a sphere and then hurling it as a projectile. After a few attempts, I managed to conjure a decent-sized water ball. It wasn't powerful, but it was a start. Shortly after, I learned Water Stream, a continuous flow of water that could be controlled with precision. It wasn't particularly effective in combat, but I could see its potential for utility purposes, like cleaning or putting out small fires.
Each time I cast these spells, I felt a slight shift in my understanding of elemental forces, and sure enough, I gained a level in Elemental Magic each time. However, no new skill trees appeared, just a quiet acknowledgment that I had taken a small step forward in mastering the elements.
The Basics of Swordsmanship book was more physically demanding. It covered fundamental techniques that, at first glance, seemed almost too basic: how to hold a sword, how to stand, how to distribute my weight to maintain balance and generate power. But as I practiced, I realized just how much these basics mattered. My movements became more fluid, and I felt more in control of the weapon. The book didn't just teach me how to swing a sword; it taught me how to think about combat, how to move with purpose. When I tried these techniques in practice, I noticed the skill tree gaining experience too..
These small victories were encouraging, but I didn't let them go to my head. I was still dabbling in multiple disciplines, and while that made me versatile, it also meant I wasn't excelling in any one area. Yet, for now, that was fine. I was laying the groundwork, building a foundation that I could rely on in any situation. Adaptability was my strength, and as long as I continued to improve, even incrementally, I knew I would be ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
(The Elemental Magic Skill Tree leveled up. You received 30 Experience points.)
(The Elemental Magic Skill Tree leveled up. You received 40 Experience points.)
(You have upgraded the Elemental Magic skill tree.)
Augmented Flames
Fire spells do twenty points more damage. (Requires Elemental Magic skill tree at Level 05)
Still, it didn't look like things would remain quiet for me… I had planned to do nothing dangerous until my rank in the guild increased, and with my skills, I healed those that needed healing and cleaned the place with water, gaining a bit more money here and there. I even gained more than five hundred gold coins thanks to the stuff I got from the guards. Still, that was the calm before another storm.
I realized that when Diran showed up at the hideout a bit more tense than usual… I didn't notice that, since he was a professional thief, but Serana noticed and that meant something when she showed interest.
"What is wrong?"
Diran looked around and confirmed that no one else heard that… there were only two thieves around and they were busy doing their own thing.
"Come here."