The next morning he pretended to wake up when he heard Syd and Karoff move around the camp. 

"Morning slept well?" Karoff said when he noticed Jared wake up.

"Great," he deadpanned," slept like a king in the clouds."He folded the blankets and handed it to Karoff." I should be going now, thanks for all the help and not shooting me."

Karoff grinned and said," No Problem but be careful on your way to Town, these parts are relative monster and bandit free but nothing is certain."

" I,ll be careful thanks," Jared said and called out to Syd, "Thanks to you too, and see you again." But he got only a short nod in return. He shook his head, smiled, and turned East.

Just as he was couple meters away from the camp, Karoff called out to him."You aren't a researcher or even a scholar, right." Jared stopped mid jog almost falling and turned around.

He was panicked first but when he saw the look of amusement on Karoff's face and the wide-eyed look Syd threw the bearded adventurer, he grinned and shouted, "Pretty much!" turned around and sprinted in the direction of town.

After an hour of full-on Sprinting, he was still giddy with runners high from running for so long without any exhaustion, he heard a Ping noise and saw the familiar symbol in the corner of his eyes blinking. Focusing on the Symbol opened a window.

Congratulation on Obtaining the Title: Long-Runner

Long-Runner

Awarded for Running with the best of your Abilities for 1 hour.

Grants the "Minor Stamina Reduction" Skill.

"Nice, but why didn't I get the title earlier," Jared thought for a second but then shook his head," maybe I didn't give it my all, anyway let's look what the skill does."

Minor Stamina Reduction

Reduce the Stamina consumption of all Skills and Actions.

"Wow so much information." he deadpanned. On the way, he appraised everything he could. But most things just gave him a name and in what climate they grew which, shocker was always the same with the exceptions of grows everywhere. The only interesting one he saw was.

Restoria

A Herb with healing and antiseptic properties grows in cold and moist climates.

It was 2 hands tall with green leaves and bright red stems. He picked all that he could find as careful as possible roots and all. Maybe they were worth something. He then pulled an old shirt out of his Inventory to make himself a makeshift bag and put the herbs inside together with his old clock, if there was an entree fee for the town he could maybe barter, and Jared was not yet ready to reveal his Skill.

And finally, after so much time he found the first genuine sign of human civilization, a dirt road. Not just any dirt road nonono they put work into that one probably even cleared some trees and stumps, Okay maybe he was hyping up a simple road too much but dammit he was teary-eyed.

He changed his course and headed north. Why North and not South, simple. Having read about a hundred, which way on the road/river you need to go scenario. Jared was prepared, he purposefully didn't run just east but a tiny bit southeast. So when he hit the road he just needed to run north to hit the town.

Now not only did he have a road to follow but he could Sprint at full speed all the way to town without risking a headache trying to not run into a tree. And that's what he did.

He didn't meet anyone on the way, and just as he crested a small, Jared started to hear a cacophony of all kinds of sounds.

The voices of animals and humans got louder and louder the closer he got. And as reached the top he stopped dead in his tracks.

But not because, the small sea of people that apparently sat up a temporary tent city, hawking their wares, unpacking or packing wagons or tending to horses. Not even because of the small herd's animals lazily standing around or trying to escape, there were cows, pigs, ducks and cats?.

No on second look that wasn't a herd but a community. They had miniature tents and were wearing tiny clothes even boots, and was that tent there building itself because two of the cats were glaring?

But all that paled in comparison to the GIGANTIC draw bridge spanning an enormous river. Two huge towers on either side of entrance and exit looking like they were carved out of a single piece of white stone, four massive pure black chains holding each side up, a single chain link the size of 2 people standing on top of each other.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The River was full of ships of every form and size, from small schooner to what looked like a warship straight out of a pirate movie.

But the weirdest ones were what Jared could only call mutated sail tanker. The form and almost size of an oil tanker cobbled together with mostly wood and some parts metal, 8 giant sails, and two smaller ones back and front. And if his Script Sniffer was correct as he moved closer to the bridge, covered in written word or enchantments probably.

Still gawking around like a tourist, Jared heard someone talking to him." First time in Velluneno traveler?" the voice said and Jared looked around but didn't find anyone.

At that moment he noticed something at the edge of his view. And saw an orange and white cat dressed in linen pants and a white button-up shirt, sitting on the open back of one of the wagons close to the bridge entrance. He was waving to get his attention.

Chiran lvl 71

Master Alchemist

Jared couldn't help but stare, the cat seems to notice and snickered," Hehe never seen a Famoris."A bit slow on the uptake Jared dumbly asked, "Ah what?"

"Famoris my kind never seen one?" The cat, no Famoris asked again.

Still, a little overwhelmed he answered, "Eh, no talking cats weren't common around my hometown." That seemed to annoy the Famoris and he said somewhat heated," Hey, we aren't cats, how would you feel if I called you a monkey!"

Flustered Jared waved his arms in denial and trying to apologize, "Ah Sorry, sorry I didn't want to insult you, I'm just a little overwhelmed." He stopped when he noticed the Famoris trying to hold in his laughter.

"Hahaha, sorry kid just messing with you, though I would stop with the cat comments in front of the others, not a good first impression to make, I'm Chiran by the way."And the Chiran held out something that Jared recognized as a fist-bump.

Somewhat unsure he bumped fist with the Famoris and said," Ah it's OK I'm Jared and back to the beginning yeah it's my first time in Velluneno."Trying to get back on to less embarrassing topics.

"That bridge is huge," Jared remarked. "Jup and pretty old too, it's the only bridge to cross Kings Road."Chiran noticing his confused look said." Kings Road is the name of the River and that bridge is the only one crossing it ."

Surprised Jared asked," Only one bridge for the hole river how does anyone else get across?."

"With Ferries, the Bridge is old and was build before they invented Ferries that could cross the fast currents of the river without drifting away." Chiran Explained," and that river is the most important trade route of the kingdom, can't have bridges block trade."

"Why not build copies or similar bridges?" Jared inquired. Chiran looked at him like he was dumb." Do you how much it cost to build something like that bridge?" he asked rhetorically. "Even this was built as more of a symbol of the partnership between the two kingdoms on either side of the river."

" Oh, Wait on the other side of that bridge is another kingdom?" Jared asked worried, he didn't know if you need some kind of papers to cross into another Kingdom but he wasn't sure if he could risk it.

Chiran looked at him like he was a weirdo," No it's the same Kingdom, the Bridge worked pretty good as the symbol for partnership as the 2 kingdoms became one about 400 years ago." He answered him.

" Though if want to believe some historians from other kingdoms, that had more to do with convoluted marriage contracts and assassinations," he whispered.

He first panicked not knowing something so common knowledge but on second thought, Jared maybe found a way to answer one of the most important questions he had, so he opened his bullshit drawer and scratched the back of his in embarrassment.

"Hehe sorry I come from a pretty out there village and needed to take care of my grandma," then Jared injected as much sadness as he could into his voice, he even managed to wet his eyes."She died 2 months ago and on her death bed she said I should go out there and find a place in the world that I loved as much as she loved me."

As the finisher for the performance, he pretended to wipe his eyes only to poke one lightly to make himself tear up." I don't even have a class yet." Ping.

This was the point of his performance, now he had a believable excuse to be classless and on top of that a pitiful image. And if having a class was something you got at birth or a similar scenario he could just deny everything should Chiran tell someone about it. 

At first, Chiran got a pitiful look but when Jared started crying, he got flustered up until the point where he told him he didn't have a class. Wide-eyed he exclaimed," Wait you don't have a class, how old are you, or better how did you get here alone without a class."

It looked like Chiran believed his act. Toning down the sadness he lied," I'm 18 years old and I don't know what you mean I just followed the road." taking on a confused expression.

Chiran gawked at him, shook his head, and murmured to himself, "Talk about dumb luck."So you're 2 years behind not the worst, you should go to one of the temples and get one. First class and rank ups are free but choose a class that can make you some money or at least a decent one." 

He looked at Jared and sighed," How much do you know about class levels and skills?"

Answering he said," Hehe not much my grandma probably told me some of it when I was younger but her memory wasn't quite there in her later years."

Sighed again Chiran said," Okay let me give you a short crash course. Everybody can get a Class in one of the Temple when he reaches 16 years of age, that goes for everybody from the sentient races no matter the lifespan. When you go to a temple to get or change your class you can only choose between a certain few."

He cleared his throat and continued, "The classes you can choose from depends on what you have done in life, they can be influenced by Titles and General Skills but that is not always the case."

That should be everything short term if you have more questions you can ask in the temple they love talking about it even just to try to convert you to their particular God."

Jared bowed lightly to the Famoris and said," Thank you very much for your help." 

" Eh get of it, couldn't let a wet kitten, like you drown now could I", Chiran grumbled embarrassed.