Embark
Dawn. The sun nearly rises up as the sunlight can be seen on the horizon to the east. The birds are singing in the woods. The roosters are crowing from afar.
The morning dew covered the leaves of the grasses, trees, and plants in the mountain. The sound of flowing pristine fresh water on the stream and unpolluted crisp air that relaxes and cleanses the mind and soul. A perfect morning to start the day.
Eirwyn woke up. He stood up and unhooked and folded the mosquito net.
He fixed his bed and tidied up his room. He swept the wooden plank floor with the broom.
He came out from his room and swept the floor. Their home was small and it was not hard to maintain the cleanliness unless the roof was leaking from the rain.
Eirwyn heard the sound of chopping a wood with an axe from the outside.
'Tok! Tok! Thok!'
Terrell chopped the trunk of the fallen coconut tree with his halberd.
The scene was whimsical. Someone had actually used a polearm to collect firewood.
Eirwyn was wonder-struck. He placed the broom to the side as he walked to Terrell and approached him.
"Hey! What are you doing? You can just use logging axe instead." Eirwyn was wondering about the strange behavior of Terrell.
"I'm training! I raising my halberd mastery points." Terrell responded Eirwyn while he continued to chop the trunk.
"Huh?"
Terrell activated his Anima and showed a window to Eirwyn.
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You had gained 1 halberd weapon mastery point.
You had gained 1 halberd weapon mastery point.
You had gained 1 halberd weapon mastery...
You had gained 1 halberd weapon...
You had gained 1 halberd...
You had gained...
You had...
You...
...
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Eirwyn gasped and shocked. He never knew they can raise weapon master points this way.
Terrell didn't stop. He still chops the trunk to get coconut lumber and firewood while training. Hitting two birds in one stone.
"Terrell, nice idea! Well done!" Eirwyn praised Terrell. He ran and quickly climbed up the short ladder.
He entered the nipa hut. His footsteps were quite loud and resounding the wooden floor.
He returned to his room and picked up his sword hidden inside an old wooden cabinet. He wrapped the sword with an old rag before he slept yesterday.
He went out and he ran with scissors, but this time its a sword. Terrell kept chopping the fallen tree.
Eirwyn went to the other end of the fallen tree, so he wouldn't interrupt Terrell.
Eirwyn removed the rag from his sword. He tightly gripped the hilt with his right hand and brandished a sword.
'Fwhoop!'
He formed a ready stance. His left arm placed forward while the elbow was bent. His right arm was holding the sword upright. His left foot was placed forward.
He withdrew his right arm upward and placed the sword on the back of his right shoulder.
Eirwyn stepped his right foot forward then pulled his sword downwards swiftly. The angle of his swing was slanted towards to his left leg.
'Thwack!'
Eirwyn hit the trunk with his sword. No weapon mastery points this time.
Eirwyn stepped his right foot backward. He placed his right arm on the back of his left shoulder. His left foot was raised slightly from the ground.
He pulled and swung his sword downward. His left foot stepped forward.
'Thwong!'
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You had gained 1 sword mastery point.
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"Woah! Hahaha! Now I get it!" Eirwyn was delighted. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Did you see that Terrell?" Eirwyn looked towards Terrell.
Terrell already stopped. His body was covered with sweat.
He activated his Anima, it glowed with faint grey light. He opened the 'Inventory'.
'Cling!'
He placed his halberd inside the window. It slowly vanished into particles.
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ー〔 Inventory 〕ー
〖 Coin Purse 〗
Gold – 0
Silver – 0
Copper – 97
[ Withdraw ] [ Deposit ]
〖 Item List 〗 — 1/50
• Wren's Schöningen
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"We have classes right? We don't have time to train for now." Terrell reminded Eirwyn as he closed the window.
"I just even started yet. Haist. Okay then." Eirwyn grumbled.
Eirwyn activated his Anima. Faint blue light glowed from the patterns. He also opened 'Inventory' and placed his sword inside the window.
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ー〔 Inventory 〕ー
〖 Coin Purse 〗
Gold – 0
Silver – 17
Copper – 27
[ Withdraw ] [ Deposit ]
〖 Item List 〗 — 1/50
• Wren's Sæbø
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They walked towards their home. To prepare for breakfast.
A shed attached just right beside their house was their kitchen where they cook and store dry firewood.
Cauldron, wok, wooden ladle, and clay cooking pots were neatly arranged. There are no plates and utensils. They only use their bare hands and banana leaves. Of course, they wash it with water from the stream.
Terrell kindled the firewood at the brazier. While Eirwyn cooked the rice on the cauldron and the pot containing pork meat marinated with soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper. The meat was spared from yesterday.
Smoke rises up in the air.
After they ate they breakfast, took a bath and wore their uniforms, they left the mountains and headed to the town.
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The at the center of the town of Inayauan, there was a jeepney terminal with jeepneys bounded to different parts of Lucero City. The terminal was just roofed with rusty galvanized iron sheets with wooden frames for support and bamboo benches attached on the wooden frame.
The long and technicolored jeepneys with vis-à-vis seating and kitsch decorations lined up on the dirt road.
Terrell and Eirwyn rarely ride the jeep because they don't have enough money to pay for the fare on daily basis.
But this time, it was different.
"Woo, at least we won't walk anymore at long distances." Terrell smiled.
"Wait a second." Eirwyn activated his Anima. The circuit patterns on Anima glowed with faint blue light. He opened the 'Inventory' and selected 'Withdraw'.
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ー〔 Withdraw 〕ー
Please input the amount of currency.
〖 Gold 〗0
〔 0 〕 [ △ ] [ ▽ ]
〖 Silver 〗 17
〔 0 〕 [ △ ] [ ▽ ]
〖 Copper 〗 27
〔 0 〕 [ △ ] [ ▽ ]
[ OK ] [ Cancel ]
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Eirwyn input 6 on copper and select 'OK'.
'Blip!'
'Cling!'
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Convert it into real currency?
[ Yes ] [ No ]
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Eirwyn selected 'Yes'. Six 10 peso coins appeared from light particles on his hand.
The terminal was crowded with commuters, Terrell and Eirwyn fell in line at the queue of the terminal's cashier booth and paid the 60 pesos fare. They embarked on the jeepney after 5 minutes. They seated on the back beside the open rear door.
They were bounded towards the downtown of Lucero City.