19 Acquiring Funds

Alright, I just need to pull out my map to decide which town to venture to first. There are a few possible locations along the coast that would fit my needs. Aistown, Freedic, Windberg, and Satelle. Well, I think I can rule out Aistown and Freedic, they have a reputation as magnets for disaster. Satelle is a better choice, but I'd like to be closer to the sea. The only town that fits that description is Windberg. It's the largest fishing town, sporting a fleet of ship designed solely for catching vast quantities of seafood. The place also has a sizable population of non-Humans, ranging from Beastfolk to Vampires. I think I would still stick out since Dragons are a bit of a rarity.

I think the Adventurer's Coalition there is on the more welcoming side, at least according to rumors. Satelle is known to be very strict to newcomers, enforcing several regulations which lead to a higher percentage of failing grades. Most other Coalitions have pretty lax enlistment exams, so Satelle is where the hardcore adventuring types go. I'm not that type, I'd rather take one of the easier tests and get it over with. So Windberg it is, fresh sea air and good seafood in abundance. I wonder what kinds of fish there are in this world. I think I should be very happy with the local cuisine.

...

Whoops, I almost started daydreaming about food. First off, I should gather a few pelts to use when I get to Windberg. I'd rather not dig into my emergency funds right at the start. Which would I rather fight: Bears or Wolves? Bears would sell for more but wolves are higher in number. Hmm, it would be much quicker to hunt whatever I can find, but having a set prey would prevent over-hunting. I don't want to become like a Poacher, those bastards will kill everything just to make a profit.

I've decided, I'm hunting bears. They cause problems when they intrude upon populated areas, so occasional hunts curb their numbers. There are two kinds of bears to hunt in this forest: Axe-Boned and Quill-Backed. They are named like that because of their respective features, axe-like protrusions and porcupine quills. Both are extremely dangerous due to their high levels of aggression, attacking whatever they see. Axe-Boned Bears are a good source of revenue because their bodies are used for more than just food and hides. The bones of the arms are actually able to be used as axes, once properly shaped and sharpened.

I suppose I should hunt a few of each, but I'll focus on the bigger cash cow. I wonder if the Human colonies have the same types of currency as the Elves. It would make sense, all the Races, excluding Dragons, are in a fragile peace kept together by a treaty. The bonds of the Races would be more stable if there was just a universal currency. I hope that when technology advances further that they'll start to use paper bills instead of coins. Don't get me wrong, coins are a fine way of preventing counterfeits, but they are cumbersome.

Back to the hunt, I'm certain that this Forest is teeming with wildlife, which will make it hard to decipher what Auras belong to different animals. I'm going to assume that Bears would have a much darker color as compared to the more peaceful critters. The more aggressive or bloodthirsty a person or animal is the darker their Aura. I learned this over the years of observation with Aura Sight in Arves. People with a gentle disposition had Auras that were bright and flowed like water and people with hostile or untrustworthy natures had dark Auras that burned like fires or plumed like smoke.

I activate my personal spell and see thousands of Auras, each one emitting a different color. It was a beautiful sight, like fires glowing in the night. Lights of green, blue, yellow and red, subtly flickering, as if a breeze passed by. It's always breathtaking the first time I use Aura Sight in a populated area, like I'm seeing the true nature of everything. But I need to focus on my objective and find some damn bears.

...

Okay I think I have pinpointed a few possible candidates. There is a grouping of them to the north, but I can't be sure of which breed they are. It's not like it really matters, they'll both get me some starting funds. Besides, if I was really hurting for money I could just smith out some farming or kitchen tools. I'd rather keep my blacksmithing a secret until I open my own personal smithy, so I think hunting will do. Of course, I'd get paid even more if I were a licensed Hunter, but the Hunter Guild is in a pseudo competition with the Adventurer's Coalition, so you can't be both unless you're really dedicated to living a double life.

I'm just going to open a portal near the bears, and then take them out with my bow. Easy enough, as long as luck is on my side. Last time I did something like this, I think it didn't go well, at least that's what the vague memory is telling me. Maybe I wasn't a very good hunter in my first life. Anyways, it's time to earn a paycheck.

The first thing that happens when I walk through my portal is a sudden feeling of weightlessness. A sharp and intense pain is transmitted across my body. I look back at the culprit and discover a massive bear, standing on its hind legs, its paw brought across its chest. Apparently, one of the possible bears had moved right in front of my portal locations as I was distracted. Grasping my side, I feel a warm liquid flowing into my hand. Blood is leaking out, staining my clothes and the grass. I quickly move back, in an effort to put a little distance between us. The bear tries to finish me off before I can retreat but I'm much faster.

I bring out my bow from Alliaster, knocking a single black arrow and pulling back as far as I can. Releasing the string the arrow rockets towards my target, lodging itself fletching deep into the bear's head. The bear dies instantly, and its body tumbles forward, leaving behind a trail in the dirt. I exhale my held breath, wincing when the pain from my side returns. I pull out a bottle of Aura Water and drink it, pouring a little directly on my wound. The gaping cut begins to heal, albeit slowly, and if you looked close enough you would see the flesh and muscle stitch itself back together.

Dammit, I guess Lady Luck wasn't on my side. I'm like 30 minutes into my journey and I've already had to use one of my emergency items. It's fine, I can always make more of them, they aren't difficult to make. I should take this as a warning to more careful, this world is not a playground. Pay attention at all times, you never know what might happen. Let's just finish hunting these damn bears, I've lost too much time.

*30 Minutes*

Okay, so it turns out that out of the five, two were Axe-Boned and the rest were Quill-Backed. It should take me a while to harvest them. Maybe about three hours? I don't want to be too quick and possibly ruin the pelts. I might keep the meat for future meals, but that could also be used for cash.

*4 Hours*

Well, it took me a bit longer than I predicted, but the bear skins are pristine as a result. The axes are undamaged and I removed all the quills I could find. It's time to start heading towards Windberg, and I know just the horse to get me there. Spirit has been a bit jealous of all the attention Specter's getting. I understand that they aren't big fans of being in their unsummoned state, but I can't keep them out all the time. It is my fault for not keeping them in a stable of some kind, but I'd rather have them somewhere where danger can't reach them.

Finally summoning Spirit, she turns away as if to pout. It's understandable that she shows that level of emotion, she is as smart as a 20 year old Human after all. I begin to stroke her mane and neck, hoping to appease her jealousy. After a few seconds, she finally whinnies in delight. All right, off to Windberg, and my new career.