Play Dead: 15% -> 15.1% mastery, 1 aptitude
Hu groaned in pain from where his chest had been sliced open. The cut was dangerously close to his heart, but that was all. The ultra-hard bones of his ribcage absorbed most of the impact. He may have survived regardless, but the difference was all in the recovery time. He estimated the wound would scar over inside a week without lasting damage, provided he cleaned and cared for it properly.
Easing himself up into a sitting position, Hu took note of the surroundings. It was the second time today he had woken up in an alley, but this one he recognized. His eyes spotted a trail of blood snaking back to the mercantile street.
Someone had dragged him here. He brought a hand to his chest, which had been bandaged haphazardly, with fabric that couldn’t be called clean. His eyes searched around for the one responsible before meeting a pair of glowing eyes, like those of a cat, peering at him through the darkness.
Hu struggled up to his feet. He steadied himself against the alley wall and began limping forward. A nameless alley that could be the entrance to the netherworld and a cabbage salesman appeared in his mind.
The owner of that catlike gaze followed him, maintaining a constant distance of six-paces.
Hu spoke without turning his head, “Don’t expect anything from me, Little Thief. I just lost my last silver.”
Something flew at him. He caught the object, wincing from the pain the motion caused him. It was a familiar silver coin, now bent and splashed with blood on one side. He turned it over in his hand once before tucking it away in his tunic. He continued forward, a smile playing at his lips.
The stray approached to within a distance of four-paces. The two walked in silence.
.
A few days later. The late summer air clung to the inhabitants of Jeongye like a lover.
Little Thief was curled up on the edge of a third-floor window sill, toying with a spider. No one knew exactly how he managed to get up there.
Cabbage-freak Ji sat in his usual spot at the mouth of the alley along with his cabbages, waving a fan that somehow looked older than he was.
As for Hu, he was reclining in the shade of the alley, flicking a silver coin up and down. It was barely noon and he was already exhausted. He had spent all morning trying to persuade Old Ji to move further into the alley, where it was cooler. The old man responded that doing so would reduce the visibility of his shop, which was ridiculous because Hu had known him for a week, and not once had he seen someone buy a cabbage.
“There’s a festival tonight. A birthday banquet for… eh, I forget. Someone important. Anyways, I have to make a delivery to one of my long-time customers.” Cabbage-freak said.
Hu looked over, “You sell cabbages?”
“I do,” the old man said proudly, before asking with mock concern: “Ghost Hu, are you daft?”
The distinctive clink of metal sounded as Hu flicked the silver coin high enough to clear the roofline, “I know you grow them; I didn’t know you sold any.”
“Well, I do. To very special customers,” Ji said defensively, squinting his eyes to look for the silver coin somewhere in the sky, “Alas, the customer is on the other side of the city,” He said, observing Hu’s expression, “My bones are old and my joints are so creaky… If only I knew a couple freeloaders with nothing better to do…”
“Enough!” A flash of silver and the coin was back in Hu’s pocket. He sat up and looked over at Little Thief, “Come with?”
The boy’s ears perked up. He batted the spider away and nimbly leaped down from the window sill.
That was a ‘Yes’
.
Hu led the way with a large sack of cabbages slung over one shoulder. Little Thief trailed along behind him, four paces back. The younger boy’s eyes reflected constant wariness of the surroundings and it was only when his eyes settled on the raggedy form of Hu’s back that they relaxed.
At some point the duo was absorbed into a small group moving in the direction of the festivities. It quickly grew into a crowd and a palpable excitement flowed through the expanding mass. The surroundings changed. The houses were bigger, with large gates, sprawling courtyards, and ornate furnishings.
Hu noticed the way Little Thief’s lips downturned as the crowd grew so he grabbed the little stray and stepped out from the crowd, “I know a shortcut” he said. They slipped into the shadows and trespassed through an empty, but well-maintained courtyard. This brought them to a thick concrete wall, about four-meters meters tall and sanded down to remove any footholds. Hu frowned at the sight, “This wasn’t here last time.”
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He shook his head and took a step back; they would need to find another way or return to the main street and rejoin the crowd. But at that moment, a shadow flew past him. He looked up. Little Thief was already at the top of the wall. Hu’s good eye bulged wide, “You little spider monkey, how’d you do that?”
Little Thief looked down at him curiously. In response to the question, he leaped back down and demonstrated his uncanny ability to scale any vertical surface. Rather than climbing, it was like art. His hands and feet lingered only briefly at any spot and his body just shot up the wall.
“Let me have a go,” Hu was impressed. He tossed the cabbages down and attempted to replicate Little Thief’s motions. He got… about two feet off the ground before tumbling down head-over-heels. Due to [Iron Bones 2], the impact didn’t even jostle him, but he still lay there for a moment, replaying Little Thief’s movements in his head. He shook himself off and tried again. Same result. Again.
Little Thief had appeared by his side at some point. The boy was staring at Hu’s crippled left foot.
“You think I can’t do it,” Hu said.
Little Thief shook his head ‘No’. He approached the wall and proceeded to climb it, but this time the movement of his left leg was different. It was awkward, but by increasing the burden on the right leg, Little Thief made it up the wall without really using his left. It took almost twice as long and it lacked any of the earlier elegance, but it worked.
Hu’s good eye lit up. He didn’t need encouragement. He just threw himself at the wall.
And up he went. Unlike Little Thief, he couldn’t make it all the way up in one fluid motion, but fortunately the roofing of a connected building terminated around ¾ of the way up the wall, giving him something to hook onto and propel himself the rest of the way. It took him almost half a minute to get to the top of the wall, but he did.
Acquired: Alley Cat Climbing Art (4% mastery, -3 aptitude)
Mastery cap exceeded. Gained (1) status point. Remaining status points: 1
Note: Status points can be used to increase trait level OR skill aptitude
Hu was breathing hard as he turned his gaze inwards. He recognized the string of messages, as he had seen them twice before. The first time was when the mysterious blue boxes first appeared in his mind several weeks ago. Back then he experimentally spent a point on [Coin Flicking] aptitude. Later, when he was about to be beaten by Lead-Foot Cheng, he spent his second point on the [Iron Bones] trait.
He spent the point.
Coin Flicking: 34.6% mastery, 2 -> 3 aptitude
Hu understood that aptitude affected the speed at which he gained mastery in a skill. As someone with a crippled foot, his aptitude for movement arts like Little Thief’s [Alley Cat Climbing Art] was naturally abysmal. He believed that point gain was tied to mastery, so by increasing his aptitude for [Coin Flicking], which was unaffected by his foot, he would gain mastery, and points, fastest.
Hu brought a closed fist to Little Thief’s shoulder, “Thanks,”
Little Thief formed a rare smile, amber eyes behind dirty bangs regaining some shine.
The two boys remained at the top of the wall for a moment, enjoying the view. In the distance they saw the main street, still flowing with people. The late-afternoon sunlight painted the roof shingles red. A pleasant summer breeze rustled a nearby oak where a nest of baby birds chirped happily.
As they were about to descend to the other side of the wall, Hu remembered something and brought a palm to his forehead, “The cabbages!” He looked down to the foot of the wall where he had left the bag, wondering if he could complete the climb with a load on his back.
…
Alley Cat Climbing Art: 4% -> 4.01% mastery, -3 aptitude
.
“We’ve arrived.” Hu glanced up at the tall doors of the Red Wind Pavilion. What were the odds that Ji’s cabbage delivery was to the owner of this place? After the hospitality he received last time, he had reason to be cautious, so he had Little Thief wait at a safe distance.
Hu limped up to the entrance, which was guarded. It was Lead-Foot Cheng, which made the side of his head ache. A plan formed in his mind.
Right when he was about to speak, Lead-foot Cheng’s gaze fell on him.
“G-Ghost!” Cheng cried out and fell back on his rump, face white.
Hu smirked and flexed his facial muscles, pulling his face taught and causing his burns scars to wriggle grotesquely, “We meet again, Bastard Cheng!” He let his voice hang in the air.
Cheng moaned fearfully, “M-Mercy, ghost…”
Hu gestured at the bag of cabbages slung over his shoulder, “I have collected the heads of everyone who wronged me in life. As you can see, the bag that the underworld King gave me is already full to bursting,” Hu’s eyes formed into crescents, “Do you know how to placate a ghost?”
Cheng trembled on the ground, “G-Gold…?” Seeing that the ghost didn’t disagree, he pulled two bursting coin pouches from the folds of his tunic and threw them at Hu’s feet, “Please, spare me!”
Hu peered down at Cheng’s quivering prostrate form, “How much did you make in tips after beating me to death?”
“I-It’s all there. I promise!”
Hu snapped his fingers. Little Thief bounced over and swiped the coin pouches before darting to a comfortable spot in his shadow.
Cheng, terrified out of his senses, asked: “Surely, I killed one beggar. Who—”
Hu waved his free hand in a dismissive gesture, “He’s my netherworld assistant, assigned to me to aid in my judgment of the wicked.”
Hu shot Little Thief a discreet glance that asked ‘how much?’
The boy smiled, revealing two dimples, ‘a lot’
“Bastard Cheng, considering your sincerity, I’ll show mercy. See you in the next life.” Hu said with an air of finality as he and Little Thief strode over the threshold leading into the Red-Wind Pavilion.
Bastard Cheng remained prostrate, cold-sweat soaking his guard outfit.