Chapter 172: Shopping Done Right

Chapter 172: Shopping Done Right

Chapter 172 - Shopping Done Right

Found anything to your liking, young man? The owner of the shop rubbed his hands with a salesmans smile. Here at Salsburys, we only acquire the very best goods for our clients. Each blade is a unique piece enchanted by a master runesmith.

You and every other store in the upper city. Do you also sell Excalibur, or is that not good enough for your shelves?

Really? Kai gave his verybest performance as an impressionable kid. Mouth opened in wonder at the shining knives and short swords on the ebony counter. It was undoubtedly the worst collection of tacky weapons he had ever seen, not an easy feat. He had become something of a connoisseur of ornamental junk since returning from the trip two weeks earlier.

He picked a dagger with a curved handle inlaid with silver filigree, purple amethysts and polished quartzes. It was a marvel how someone could fit so much useless clutter on a single weapon.

A dagger was supposed to be fast and flexible to strike in close quarters. This thing was the exact opposite: unbalanced, cumbersome and unwieldy.

The merchant slickened his receding hairline, showing a golden tooth. I could tell you had a good eye, young man. Thats an excellent choice! One of the finest daggers that has graced my establishment. You see, he tapped on the chain of runes that lined the gleaming steel. With these enchantments, the blade will never lose its edge or rust. You cut a dragons scales and not

Kai tuned out the nonsense pitch. Mana Echo needed time to copy the enchantment, so he was forced to play along, but he didn't need to listen. Judging by the inefficient linkage between the runes and the sloppy composition, the blade had been crafted by an apprenticeand not a very skilled one at that.

Every weapon shop he visited was the same story. As soon as the owner saw his jiggling bag of coins and young age, they tried to saddle him with a piece of flashy garbage. And every time he had to perform his wide-eyed acting.

At least its good training for Improvisation.

I think I might like this one best Playing the indecisive, Kai moved through the entire display and made an echo of each enchantment. None of them were particularly interesting, but the more runes he collected, the more ideas he would have to create his own designs.

Inscribing a weapon presented a different set of challenges than what Kai was used to. The enchantment had to be reliable, able to endure some punishment without breaking. No one wanted to have their sword fizzle out while they fought for their life. Which was why most runic chains were short and stable.

The skill of the runesmith lay in the precision of the runic inscription and in the efficiency of the integration with the material. With Mana Echo at level 47, he could copy and store them without worrying the skill would reach its limit.

Kai pursed his lips. Do you have anything else? I dont think any of these is the one.

Of course, of course. The man suspiciously glanced at the window before pulling an ornate red leather box from the shelf behind him. He leaned on the counter and whispered. Why dont you take a look at this?

Kai noted the man must have eaten onions for lunch, a bit of wasted brain space he wouldnt be getting back. The velvet interior revealed a double-edged blade encrusted in cheap gemstones.

Unless this one boils water and does my laundry, Ill pass.

It's a Tyranese knife, the man explained, offering him the blade with both hands.

It might have piqued his interest two weeks agoif he was drunk and blind. Now Kai knew Tyran was just an independent city-state famous for exporting cheap weapons, and not some mystical dwarven foundry. Like any other, Tyranese blades could be priceless pieces or crap.

Its a must-have for every young man on the mainland. The salesman continued to speak too close for comfort. It must be the Moons grace that I got my hands on one. Im only willing to part with it because I see the seed of a great warrior in you.

Well, the other guy said I could be the second coming of Quert, the Broken Blade. Maybe I should go back to him.

Oh, Kai hung his head low. Then its not for me, I want to be a baker.

The merchant faltered, his eyebrows formed curious wiggles as his brain failed to compute. a baker?

Yes, I want to open the greatest bakery in the Merian Republic. He nodded emphatically with total seriousness. The blade is a gift for my father.

I see. He collected himself with another oily smile, crouching behind the counter. In that case, Ive just received something that would make the perfect gift. Trust me, your father will be the envy of the city. Where did I put it Here.

Nothing too flashy, if possible, Kai recommended. My dad doesn't like showy blades, says it alerts his targets before he guts them.

Targets? The man hit his head in his hurry to stand up, biting down a curse.

I mean awakened beasts, hes a hunter, Kai said with an innocent smile. What else could I be talking about, mister?

He balanced the blade on one finger before making it disappear in one of his pockets or sleeves. Same as every other knife Kai had bought in the last two weeks.

Guess I can take a break.

I didnt. he collected the papers and stood up. Why do you even need another one, werent the last five enough?

You can never have enough knives, Flynn said like it was obvious. Id like a serrated one for my next present.

Im done visiting shops for now. Kai was about to gather another stack of paper from the floor when he noticed a blinking notification. Go play with your toys downstairs. He shooed his friend out of the door.

*Ding*

Gifted Novice has reached lv50, requisite for the first milestone met, congratulations!

Nothing like some good news to cheer his mood. He had been looking forward to his first profession skill upgrade. Gifted Novice was a strange skill to train. Anything that made him gain XP with Mana Child worked, but nothing could make it jump a level or progress faster.

Slow and constant. Its effects were equally hard to test.

Gifted Novice (lv42>50) When passion meets diligence, true talent is born. A Mana Child is naturally gifted at developing knowledge and skills of the arcane.

It made him better at anything in the domain of mana and magic. With such a wide-ranging ability, it wasnt surprising the effects were subtle. He was progressing faster in his mana skills, though it was impossible to tell what was due to the skill and what to the bonus attributes in Mind and Spirit.

An upgrade cant hurt.

Gifted Novice (lv50)

As you reach the first milestone, you are presented with two choices to continue your journey. This choice might influence the future of your profession:

Improve your comprehension and memory when learning new disciplines. The bonus doesnt apply when using a skill over lv30.Improve your comprehension and memory when delving deeper into known disciplines. The bonus only applies when using a skill over lv30.

Huh thats refreshing.

The Guide went straight to the point without the ambiguous wording it often used for general skills. He only had two options, though there might not be a third considering they covered everything.

Get better at learning new or old disciplines.

The choice was easy, another welcome change. He already had his hands full with Alchemy, Runes and spellcraft without branching into new areas. Doubling down on his specialties was better in every way.

Confident in his choice, Kai reread the options out of habit.

You sneaky bastard! Do new disciplines also include those I have no skill for?

It simply said he couldnt use a skill over level 30, not that he needed one in the first place. Like that, the options were much more balanced. The benefits of improving his strong suits were obvious, but new disciplines included a myriad more areas that his fourteen skills couldnt cover.

Ultimately it didnt change his decision, he was already enough of a generalist as it was, but it made him feel the sting of giving up on a useful ability.

Damned Guide! You couldnt give up the last laugh, could you?

*Ding*

You chose to improve your comprehension and memory of known disciplines. Gifted Novice (lv50) can now reach lv75.

Perhaps now I should be able to tell the difference.

Before procrastination could get a hold of him, Kai picked a clean notebook and noted down his skill levels with the last time he had leveled them. While the Guide had no mercy, it never lied. Hed track his progress to see the effects of the skill.

His eyes fell on the pile of runes. He was going to get plenty of time to test it. Maybe it wouldnt hurt to consult with a runesmith to analyze the fangs.

Work smarter, not harder.