As Ephraim scanned the shop, his eyes settled on an old woman seated at the counter. Her hair was mostly white, streaked with a few strands of black, and she wore a deep purple robe that added an air of mystique.
Despite her frail appearance, there was something about her that suggested hidden strength, as if she could summon more power than him if the need arose.
Sensing his gaze, the old woman met his eyes and gave a slight nod. "Is there something you need from my humble shop?" she asked, her voice steady and warm.
Ephraim returned the nod respectfully, not wanting to come off as impolite. "Yes, I have a few questions," he began, before explaining what had brought him there.
"I'd like to ask if these have any use for you or if there's something I can do with them." Ephraim placed the loot from the venomous snake on the counter.
The old woman's eyes sharpened as she examined the items, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Did you take down this creature yourself?"
"These are from a Venomfang—a venomous snake known for being weak but deadly enough to kill even veteran adventurers if they aren't careful."
"I got lucky," Ephraim admitted. There was no point in hiding the truth.
She nodded thoughtfully before offering, "I could use these ingredients to make one to three potions that grant minor poison resistance…"
"If I succeed in making three, I'll give you one for free and keep the other two as payment. What do you think?" She raised three fingers to emphasize the deal.
As an Asian, how could he agree without at least trying to negotiate the price?
Ephraim paused for a moment, weighing his options, before speaking up. "How about this—you give me one more potion, something different from the poison resistance potion? Or perhaps something else that could be useful to me?"
The old woman's eyes twinkled with amusement at his attempt to haggle. Instead of taking offense, she let out a hearty laugh. "It's been a while since someone tried to haggle with me. Very well, I'll throw in a healing potion and a skill book that might be of use to you."
Hearing the addition of the two items, Ephraim hesitated. "That's too generous. I can't accept them," he said, his voice steady despite the temptation.
Though he wanted those items badly, the thought of being indebted to someone didn't sit well with him.
If he could buy or trade for them with what he had now, he'd consider it, but he doubted whether his current possessions were valuable enough to exchange for such useful items.
"You don't need to worry about that," the old woman said, her smile warm as she folded her hands. "You're heading outside the walls, aren't you? I'm giving these to you so you can come back alive—and return to buy more of my products. Consider this an investment of mine so I could have one more loyal customer."
She paused and added, "Maybe you'll even find new ingredients you could sell to me. Besides, the poison resistance potion is valuable enough to trade for these two items. They aren't of much use to me anyway."
He met her eyes with genuine curiosity. "How should I address you, ma'am?"
"Just call me Granny; that's what everyone calls me," she said, a gentle smile crinkling her eyes.
Ephraim hesitated for a moment, letting his empathy skill sweep over her presence. There was no trace of malice or ill intent, only sincerity.
While he knew that the strength difference between them might limit what he could sense, he decided to trust the skill.
Pride had no place when survival was on the line, and he had already resolved to repay her kindness.
"Alright, Granny. I'll take the items you offered, thank you. I'll make sure to repay you when I return." He bowed slightly, a gesture of respect.
With their agreement settled, she accepted the snake's poison sac and other materials from him. In return, she handed him the healing potion and the skill book, her expression warm yet measured.
"You can look at those while I prepare the minor poison resistance potion. Just don't disturb me—I need full concentration or the success rate drops," she said, disappearing into the back of the shop where shelves of herbs and bubbling vials waited.
Ephraim nodded, acknowledging her warning, and settled into a chair meant for visitors. He carefully placed the healing potion in his bag, then turned his attention to the skill book.
He hoped the system would allow him to learn the skill instantly. The thought of having to study the entire book just to acquire it seemed inconvenient and time-consuming.
[Identify skill book detected… Do you wish to learn it?]
He heaved a sigh of relief. The notification didn't surprise him; he had half-expected it when he heard there was something called a skill book.
Without hesitation, Ephraim answered in his mind: Yes.
As soon as he did, a surge of warmth and light—visible only to him—flooded his eyes and mind, filling him with the knowledge of how to use the skill.
The sensation lasted only a few seconds, but when it faded, everything returned to normal. Almost immediately, another notification popped up.
[Identify skill learned!]
Ephraim glanced at his status page, and sure enough, a new skill had been added to his list, joining his Original Sin.
His updated stats now looked like this:
[Name: Ephraim]
[Level: 3]
[Class: None]
[Race: Human]
[Title: None]
Exp: 12% / 100%
HP: 100
MP: None
Mental State: 88% (Stable)
Strength: 4
Agility: 8 (+2)
Intelligence: 4
Endurance: 3
Luck: 3
Skills: Original Sin (Incomplete), Identify Lv.1
Identify – Helps you identify things you are looking at.
'So it basically works like the appraisal skill most isekai characters get at the beginning...'
Ephraim decided to test his new skill. He focused his mind and muttered the word "Identify." Instantly, the table's information appeared before him.
[Table – Made from oakwood. Can be dismantled easily by removing the nail holding the foot of the table farthest from him.]
A smile tugged at his lips. 'There's even information on how to dismantle it?'
Ephraim decided to test the skill on other objects, his grin widening with each new discovery. 'This could really help me later. I can identify things to sell in town and spot what's useless when I head outside.'
'It'll make herb gathering easier too, giving me instructions on how to pick them properly...'
He hadn't expected the skill to offer more than basic identification. 'Isn't this better than appraisal?!'
Then his eyes landed on the Lv.1 next to the skill and he quickly inferred that the skill could level up, maybe with more use.
While Ephraim was excited about the new skill, Granny emerged from the back of the shop and noticed the grin on his face. She gave him a weird look but decided not to comment on it.
"Here's your minor poison resistance potion," she said, handing him the vial she'd prepared.
"It might not completely resist the poison from the Venomfang, but it'll stop you from dying. You might faint or get a fever, though."
"I'll make mine when you leave, so you don't have to wait."
Ephraim took the potion from her, realizing she was hinting that he should leave. He stood up, giving her a polite nod. "Thank you, Granny. I'll be on my way now. See you later."
Granny nodded, offering a gentle reminder. "Drink the potion before you sleep. It'll work more effectively while you rest."
Ephraim responded with a thumbs-up before heading toward the inn, though his mind was elsewhere.