Coming back

The sun has risen in the east as it always does. As he woke up, he didn't forget to drink first on the brook and packed himself with edible mushrooms. The day was still bright enough to see even with the crimson clouds covering the sky.

As he finished preparing for the journey, he felt like his tales in that forest of trials had to be told to anybody he met. Especially the fox hole that saved his life many times from the monsters roaming at night.

"Well, I hope to get home soon. More time here in this forest will only hasten my path to the grave. Though more crystals to harvest. Especially picking on the weak monsters. No use fighting a difficult enemy with your life on the line always."

His rucksack made from his robes that were folded in quarters then tied with a rope on the mouth was held on his back. Full of brown mushrooms and edible insects wriggling about inside. He can feel their movements inside his pouch which was made for holding stolen coins in the past.

He stared at the sun's direction covered by dark clouds then faced north where the direction of the village was. He inhaled a mouthful of air before taking his first steps forward.

His anxiety was growing up inside his head as he remembered villagers were throwing rotten tomatoes at him when he was cast out in the village to die.

Others even shouted and wished for his death in the forest of trials and that was what he felt like he didn't want to go back to.

Still, he faced the sad reality that he was just a thief stealing bread just to eat with his rumbling stomach. His parents' faces weren't remembered, and his earliest memories of his childhood were begging for food in the streets.

No matter what the consequences, he didn't regret anything he has done ever since.

Facing forward, he threads the undergrowth of many outgrown roots on the forest floor. Other roots were big enough that he needed to climb them up. A few leaps and little maneuvers on the forest floor made him feel comfortable doing it.

It seemed he felt like he was good at doing such things. Still, he was careful of what possible dangers were ahead.

He was carefully sneaking when he spotted several demon wolves gnawing the flesh of the deer. One wolf stared in his direction and Troan saw bits of flesh were left hanging in its mouth.

With smooth and hasty movement, he slid behind the tree and then started to avoid them.

'Not gonna lie but I have to hurry towards the village. I have little time, though maybe I can reap some stat crystal on them. Though their number is too much for me. I can handle four but ten are more than I can chew. Not even with my dagger, No.'

Encompassing them with careful steps on the leaves. Not wanting to step on a crisp branch of a tree.

It was then, that he averted a possible danger. While he traveled far for a mile, the sun has lost its past brilliance. But Troan knew that it was at its peak above the clouds. Following the placement of the mosses on the dead trees, the direction of the north was obvious in his eyes.

Upon seeing a welcoming fallen timber, he sat at it comfortably. He was mildly exhausted from all the walking and navigating in the forest. To think of it, he was feeling a sense of it being natural within him.

He knew but didn't know why or what was the reason. All he knew was his instinct and told him much information about what he would do.

While resting, he opened his coin pouch for his snack. And to tell the truth, he didn't like eating bugs as his regular diet. It felt like stolen food was better than it.

Stirring the contents inside, he picked a beetle's maggot. Nutritious and was best cooked on stir-fry with some salty and spicy seasonings.

He gulped a handful of saliva as he stared at it wriggling on his fingers. In just a second, he put it inside his mouth and chewed it. He wished he had spicy pepper with him at the moment. And salt was as pricey as gold so all he could do was eat it while daydreaming.

Just as he stared at the trees, he saw four claw marks on them. Other trees were chipped on their barks. Troan was watching them all the time but felt alerted after a late realization.

'Demon Bears!'

Troan then stared hastily left and right. Packing his food pouch and then carrying his rucksack on his back. With hasty steps, he saw a silhouette of a man sitting, leaning his back on the tree in the corner of his eyes.

With it being said, he jolted and nearly chuckled. He was about to talk to the person but he was not moving. He was in the attire of a Ranger. Leather armor with two scabbards on his back. Troan approached him but as he lifted his hood, it was a skull that he saw.

The man already has passed away. The time he passed away was so long ago that he was already a skeleton. As Troan watched his leather armor, it was torn with four claw marks and he also saw that his ribcage was shattered by the impact of the bear's claws. Plus, his foot was embedded with a bear trap.

"To my surprise, a full-grown Ranger can kill a Demon bear. But thanks to the bear trap, he perished a shameful death. A Ranger is an agility class the same as the Rogue and they boast of their nimbleness compared to other classes.

"The passed-away skeleton also has its femur snapped into two. Now the cause of death has been clearer and the one who killed it was just lucky. Thanks to his bad luck, he met a terrible death." Troan smirked.

In his memories, a demon bear boasts of its Stat crystal especially the +3 Strength and +3 Endurance stats that it offers. Also, it gives Health crystal as a bonus that gives +10 health points. It will be a good reap if he kills one. Troan buried the passed-away skeleton. But for his belongings, well Troan used it.

"The dead don't need such things right? I'm gonna dig in and let it put to good use, mister skeleton or whoever you are kind sir. As repayment, I will let your body be buried and grant a decent rest."

Well, he has looted "Leather armor" and a "Short sword". A "Whetstone" for sharpening weapons and a "Flintstone" for starting fires.

The other pair of his "Sword" for dual-wielding was missing somewhere and can't be found. Plus his "Backpack" was bigger. It will be better for carrying items than his makeshift rucksack.

And his "Ranger uniform" was well suited to Troan. It fits perfectly. Just the minus of bow and arrow but he looks like a Ranger now.

Troan then saw he had an "Insignia of a balancing scale" that he saw on his neck. For Troan, it was a merchant's pendant.

"Oh! It will fetch a good price when sold!"

It was very valuable for merchants especially to the owner as they can't trade without those family insignia.

To Troan's surprise, the man he found was a little bit wealthy. A "Compass and map" with "12 gold coins" on the coin pouch. Thinking that he was wandering alone in such a place was confusing on Troan's part.

"Maybe he was fleeing from his pursuers to the point of being alone. He died a terrible death and his insignia or valuables were left as it was. It meant that his pursuers didn't find him till this moment."

Troan then thanked the dead for giving him such valuables. Especially when he found several skill books. It was a normal-looking book with just a thin layer of pages.

It states that it was a Ranger skill book and it says that it will be a good idea to sell it. They will fetch a high price, especially to the ones who wanted to be a Ranger.

But Troan felt sour at the thought of selling it. It was more valuable in his current situation than a measly profit. As he looked at their first pages, it was written for beginner Rangers.

"It was a Skillbook: Hide, Skillbook: Dual wield mastery, and Skillbook: Power draw mastery!"

To his surprise, he has found a treasure in such a dangerous place like what he was currently in. And it was a mix of survival, dual wielder, and, bow and crossbow skills.

As he read several contents, he needed a Ranger imprint on his soul to use the skills. Troan's expression was distorted. He knew that it has the qualifications to wield the skill. And he didn't have the Ranger class currently.

The Rangers were each given a "Ranger Skillbook Binder". The same process with the other classes as an issue, full book of skills for compilation. It was where all the skillbooks were put inside into one book. The three skillbooks were settled inside such a thing. A hardcover book with the crest of the Rangers in it.

Closing the book shut, he thought that he would need the seal for it to be his. To boot, you can learn the skill book with the help of the owner or the one who gave you the spellbook.

With their seal on the book stamped on it and then dropping your blood to the seal, you will now own the book as well as its skill. Now with the seal unavailable and not having an elemental affinity for it, then it will only be a sellable loot. For now, maybe, it depends if he will use it for the betterment of his future.

As far as Troan remembered, as the classes have skill books, they need to keep the skill books with them all the time so the skill book grows and more skills meant more skill books the owner has. It only meant that the Ranger has only 3 skills with him as he has 3 skill books in his inventory.

Making the skills his own will be a lot harder than normal as he needs to tamper with the seal and have a Ranger class imprint on his soul.

He put it inside his new backpack and went forth on his travels, with the use of the map and the compass, his travel was easier than before. He felt like he was in a dream as he felt so happy at his loot. It felt like he found a treasure!

Moving on towards his direction, it felt heavier with all the belongings he was carrying. He felt heavier than before and Troan felt like he needed to adjust himself to the weight.

Moving closer and closer to the village, he felt wearier and wearier as time went by. He rested for a bit while he leaned on a tree and ate as well.

In just several minutes, he felt alarmed. The sun's radiance in the forest was getting dimmer. And it was alarmingly fast. Watching the map he has, Troan knew that he was still halfway there till he arrived at the designated place.

He then stood up and then went on his way. This time he was hastier on his steps just hoping that he will arrive sooner than later.

"Sunset is on its way, I must hurry!"

Alas, night came and his troubled mind became more troubled. It was the time when the monsters hunted in the forest and he was just a mile away from the village. He can see the fires were burning from where he stood and felt like running for it.

Still, he was careful not to alert any more enemies. It was not what he wished for in this current state where his stamina has almost depleted.

Still, the fires burning reflected their radiance on his eyes, and he felt at ease. At last, he will come home.