25 Owing a Favor, Learning A Combat Art
As the day started a new, the bustle of Winfrey Village was ever so vivid, as newbies and Novice Digitizers hurried about to get a start on this day's activities. Some would form parties as they grouped up nearby corners before heading off into the unknown wilds, each with an air of adventure and eyes that shone with aspiring dreams.
Nero, having entered the village hurried and went to the potion store where he saw a stack of small to large bottles of different colored liquid was placed on shelves. There were different kinds of herbs stored in baskets, each emitting a pleasing medicinal aroma that wafted across the tip of his nose.
A simple looking woman sat in this store, she had two small eyes, and short hair, dressed in simple garments as she read a thick book.
Nero paid the lady no mind as he swept his eyes across potions on the shelves, knitting his brows as he focused on the small bottles.
[Simple Healing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Subtype: Rejuvenation Potions / Elixir Powder]
[Restore HP 50]
[Price: 3 Copper Coins]
'Darn, such a damn rip off, I can't even afford two, are you telling me that I need to pay almost everything I have to get a single bottle?' Nero cursed inwardly with a look of displeasure on his face.
Adult Nero chuckled in silence, not saying a word, but right when Nero was facing this dilemma; his day got even worse.
"What's with that look? Don't tell me that you can't even afford such a simple thing?" Elly said as she looked at him with mock in her eyes.
"What's it to you?" Nero asked rudely; he noticed that he had gotten a tail since he left the garden, and it was a tail that was quite stubborn.
Elly didn't like his manner, but she finally found a weakness she could exploit. Her eyes flashed in a sly light as she thought, 'Just you wait, you'll apologize even if your pride is as big as the sky.'
She looked at Nero and spoke in a tone of pity, "You really don't know how to speak to women, do you? It would help if you learned how to be more respectful, humph! To think I was considering giving you a hand. Hmm, maybe I'll just forget about it..."
Nero was trying to ignore her at first, but as he heard the final bits of her words, he couldn't help but twitch a little as he knew he had too little on hand, and venturing out into the unknown with his no potion and readiness was madness.
He knew full well that after struggling against what seemed like a standard slime was a mere test for beginners, who knows just how monstrous these creatures are in these lands?
Nero gritted his teeth and tried to swallow his pride this time, as he spoke, "I... I didn't mean it that way, and I do realize that I was a bit harsh. I'm only a bit on edge; if you wish to help me, I'd greatly appreciate it."
Elly wanted to tease him a bit more before asking him to apologize, but after hearing his polite manner of speech, she felt different. She didn't know why, but it left a bad taste in her mouth as if she was the one who did something bad.
She glared at Nero knowing that she couldn't take back her words at this time, with a snort she tossed a small bag of coins towards him and spoke while turning and leaving, "I really don't know how someone from the DU cannot have money or skills; you're acting like your some commoner or something. There, I helped you, so let's just say that from now on, you owe me one."
Nero was a bit surprised when he saw her action, he hurried to catch the bag from the air, but the moment he did so, he got two notifications.
Ding!
[You have received 25 Copper Coins!]
Ding!
[Elly has sent you a friend request, shall you accept it?]
'Wow! She really gave me that much; she's much better than I thought. Hmm, fine, since you were so nice to help me, I'll accept you as my second friend,' Nero thought as he pressed the button before his eyes.
He felt a bit strange, as he didn't know why he was beginning to find the word friend so different from the past, as if they weren't such bad things.
However, Nero didn't want to over ponder such matters, he cleared his thoughts to get back at the task on hand. He was about to take up a bundle of potions, but Adult Nero's voice sounded in his mind.
"I'd like to advise you that while you do need health potions, you are also going to need an attack skill. Otherwise, how will you be able to deal with stronger foes?"
Nero was a bit surprised by this, he questioned inwardly, 'Huh? But don't I have the amplified damage boost given by my [Foundation Weapon Control] skill?'
Adult Nero replied, "A foundation skill is still a foundation skill, true offensive power comes from active skills. I imparted on you the [Four Point Unity Steps] merely to increase your survivability. The rest is up to you to learn, as for what remains behind the door, only once you are deemed worthy will it impart on you a new set of knowledge."
Nero was disheartened by those words; he thought he would have been like those heroes in fiction that get everything on a silver plate. He sighed while cursing under his breath, "Cheapskate..."
"...." Adult Nero pretended he didn't hear anything; he felt that it was above him to argue with this child.
Nero thought for a bit reviewing some of the details he learned yesterday before bringing three potions to the store owner. After buying them for 9 Copper Coins, he was now left with 20 in his inventory.
Nero then left the inn and headed towards the Combat Temple, here was a small temple that had a monk-like man with a bald head and sharp looking eyes seated inside. He sat with a stack of manuals around him as a calming scent filled the room.
As this man saw Nero appear, he smiled and spoke, "Oh, a novice and already of such decent standing. Good, tell me, young one, what arts do you wish to learn?"
Nero took this chance to browse across a list that popped up before him, showing many different weapons styles.
[Spear Weapon Art]
[Sword Weapon Art]
[Ax Weapon Art]
[Chain Weapon Art]
[Halberd Weapon Art]
....
Nero thought for a moment before he spoke, "I'll go with a sword art for now,"
"Excellent, as you are a Good Villager, the prices you will be discounted to the standard of regular villagers with good standing, " The man said with a nod and waved his hand, causing a different list to appear before Nero's eyes, showing a few Low-Grade and even Middle-Grade Sword Skills.
[Spiral Sword Art - Middle Grade | Price: 2 Silver Coin]
[Stone Shatter Sword Art - Middle-Grade Price: 1 Silver Coin]
[Wind Cutter Sword Art - Middle Grade | Price: 50 Copper Coins]
[Cutting Leaf Sword Art - Low-Grade | Price: 25 Copper Coins]
[Flash Cut Sword Art - Low Grade] | Price: 20 Copper Coins
'So expensive, darn I really hate being poor in both worlds,' Nero's cursed, he didn't even bother looking at the details on the more expensive skills focusing on the very cheapest on the list.
[Flash Cut Sword Art - Low-Grade Combat Technique]
[Description - This is a sword style that allows the wielder to rely on the momentum of the sword as it leaves its sheath, furthering it with Magic Power as cut apart its foe in merely a flash.]
Nero, despite feeling dissatisfied really liked the idea behind the technique. He thought that it had a kind of resonance with his spirit as he couldn't help but think, 'A quick and concise kill... nothing overly flashy. It may be weak against frontal clashes, but it's perfect since I have an advantage in speed...'
Adult Nero hearing his thoughts, nodded as he knew he didn't need to explain anything; most things could be learned and understood by his younger self. He thought to himself, "It seems that even if guided in this life, he will still ultimately end up making the same choices I did in most areas..."
The monk seeing Nero's look was curious, he spoke, "Young one, I take it that you've made your choice?"
Nero finally regained his senses as he heard the monk; he smiled and spoke, "I would like to purchase the [Flash Cut Sword Art]"
The monk smiled and replied, "Great, that will be 20 Copper Coins!"
Nero handed over the copper coins with a bit of heaviness on his part; he gave each coin to the monk separately and had even held on to the final coined for a bit longer. The monk didn't like that, so he used a bit of power to pull the coin from his finger causing Nero to clench his teeth.
After putting away the coins, the monk cupped his hands and spoke, "It was my pleasure passing down knowledge to the young one."
Nero didn't even bother to say anything and left with manual as he cursed under his breath, "Yeah right, you darn greedy monk..."
After Nero left the area, he headed towards the village's direction, while quickly tapping on the skill to learn it.
Ding!
[You have learned the Low-Grade Combat Technique [Flash Cut Sword Art!]
Nero smiled at this and stared at the nearing Village Chief as he spoke in a voice only, he could hear, "Time for my first real quest."
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