*Chimes*
A voice murmurs, "Status."
William glances at his stats and says, "Just one more level to go."
Name: William Shaffold
Level: 9
Class: Exploit Engineer
Job: Breaker
Talent: Exploitation
Equipment: Basic leather armor, long sword.
Tutorial Status: Active
-----------------------
STR: 25(+3)
AGI: 23
END: 30
INT: 38
WIS: 43
DEX: 23
LUK: 32
Skills: Reconnaissance, Vulnerability Scanner, Social Engineering, Exploit.
William was already near the clearing, having just returned from his hunt. Despite his exhaustion, he went straight to the merchant Paul Mercier, he needed some items to trade.
---
"Welcome, customer!" Paul said, spotting William. "How can I help you today? Have you finally gotten your hands on some creds, perhaps?"
William, exhausted and weary, asked, "What kind of skill books do you have?"
Paul's face lit up with a wide smile as he clasped his hands together, excited to serve his VIP for the day. "Here, take a look. I've got some unique skill mixes in there too."
A window popped up in front of William, similar to his own but with a different color—it was a skill only a merchant could have.
[ Skill books
1. Shadow Claw (Unique) = 45 creds
2. Holy Chains (Unique) = 40 creds
3. Killer instinct (uncommon) = 12 creds
4. Night vision (uncommon) = 12 creds
5. Shield Bash (common) = 5 creds
6. Slash (common) = 5 creds
]
Knowing now what to buy, he offered Paul the various items he had gotten from hunting goblins. Among them were some skill books, but they were useless to him as he needed ranged skills or utility skills.
Simultaneously, he asked to check the weapons and armors the merchant had, but unfortunately, none caught his attention. It was obvious that most people wouldn't sell good armor or weapons.
After selling the loot, he earned 24 creds, adding to the 7 creds he already had, making a total of 31 creds. However, it still wasn't enough to purchase a unique skill.
"If you're still searching for a skill book, I recommend Killer Instinct. It's a detection skill that's both passive for defense and active for offense. Staying alert is crucial in the wilderness."
Lost in thought, William asked, "Show me the marks you mentioned earlier."
Paul switched the interface to a different view. The window no longer displayed skills; instead, it showcased a variety of Marks.
[Mark:
Mark of Death: Passively increases healing and vitality. = 80 creds
Mark of Holy: Increases holy-related spell damage. If the attack is not holy, an aura of holiness is added to it. = 65 creds
Mark of Vitality: Greatly increases vitality. = 35 creds
Mark of Strong: Increases damage when facing a stronger opponent. = 30 creds
Mark of Strength: Increases strength. = 5 creds
Mark of Speed: Increases agility. = 5 creds
Mark of Tough: Increases endurance. = 5 creds
]
"Didn't you tell me marks are 5 creds? This one is 80 creds! Who's even going to have that much?" William exclaimed in astonishment.
Paul smiled warmly and softly spoke to William.
"Dear customer, these are special marks that enhance or add new abilities to the user. There are mundane ones too, listed at the bottom. They are 5 creds as they only increase stats."
There was indeed something special about the marks. Curious, William asked, "How many marks can one equip?"
Paul paused for a moment before replying, "Sir, that depends on the customer's body. I believe a larger body would have more space to allow for more marks."
"These can be removed, right?" William asked.
Paul shook his head, "No, sir. These are permanent. I don't know of any skill or class that has the ability to remove them."
William really wanted to boost his stats, especially after seeing Jonathan's, which were soaring past hundreds. However, installing a permanent mark would prevent him from upgrading to a better one if he ever found it. So, for now, he decided to hold off.
"I would like to buy Killer Instinct, Night Vision, and Slash," William said after much thought. He knew he needed creds to buy some food too, but for now, he was content eating berries from the forest.
Paul clasped his hands together. "Good choice, Customer."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Let me give you a bonus on your first purchase, Customer." He pulled out a dark obsidian sword, its blade broken, but the hilt and scabbard were perfectly intact. "Here, a memento for your first purchase. It might look like junk, but Dear Customer, fret not. It holds value if you can restore it, and I assure you, it will be worth your while."
After completing his purchase, a dead-tired William trudged towards his hut. He wanted to examine the sword with his reconnaissance but had already used too much mana today. He needed rest to recover it and decided it would be best to do so tomorrow.
"There is always tomorrow," William sighed to himself as he walked towards his hut.
---
The next morning,
Jonathan and his team had already left for the hunt. They had postponed it by a day because a new member was joining them. To William's surprise, he learned it was Elisa—she had decided to join Jonathan's hunt.
"She revealed her class to Jonathan? That's quite unlike her. Then again, I don't really know her in the first place," William thought, surprised. He had assumed Elisa was the type to keep her secrets hidden.
Pushing the thought aside, he turned his attention to himself today. He acquired three skill books—not exactly what he wanted, but their utility was too valuable to ignore. He examined the descriptions of each skill book.
Killer Instinct:
Passive: Detect and evaluate danger.
Active: Identify weak points in a target.
Night Vision:
Ability to see in complete darkness, with a range of 15-30 meters.
Slash:
A sword strike that enhances the bleed effect and increases damage of slashing attacks by 2%.
"Impressive, both utility skills will let me use the vulnerability scanner without compromising my safety. But this slash—I really wanted a ranged attack. Looks like I'll have to learn bow and arrow. I wonder if there are pistols in this world."