I let out a satisfied sigh as I soaked myself up to my chest. 

"Fucking bucket and cold water... What the fuck..."

I murmur to myself while I looked at the bucket with my soap and towel floating near me. The feeling of pouring cold water over myself was still fresh in my memory. Earlier, I had to wash myself off with nothing more than a bucket while sitting in a room full of naked guys.

It wasn't a new experience for me since I'm used to showering in the school's shower room after swimming practice, but then again, those people were around my age. The people here looked like they were at least two decades older than me.

There were even a few old guys in here with me as well as some adventurers relaxing in the large bath. A few of them were even drinking some booze while they sat in the water.

"Maybe I should've had a drink with me as well."

The more I thought about it, the more I pictured myself as an old man. 

"On second thought, maybe it's alright."

"Have a nice night!"

The cute girl closed the door behind me while I took a look around the room.

Bed, check. Pillows and sheets, check! 

The bed's pretty stiff but it's fine. It kinda reminds me of my futon at home, but more creaky and not on the floor. I unbuckled my cloak and tossed it beside the bed. The damn thing got pretty fucking dirty and sticky thanks to the Goblins.

I placed the armor and the sword on top of the table along with my bag of dirty clothes. The clothes I bought are still pretty damn simple, a shirt and some loose pants to be precise, but it's pretty easy to move around now. More loose and more air down under.

The chestplate has some scratches here and there, but nothing too major. Still, I'm gonna get those look at tomorrow to make sure nothing bad happens to it.

"Jesus, I'm almost out of money."

I murmured to myself while I sat on top of the bed.

Apparently, this place is one of the best inns in town since they offer a free breakfast and have nice rooms compared to other inns. The fee for one night is quite high, but looking at how wide and clean this room is, I think it's safe to say the money is worth it. Besides, I heard from one of the guys in the baths that this place has thicker walls compared to other buildings.

Well, looking at the room and the door, it looks to be the case. It's quiet and private, perfect for letting out some steam after a long day.

I was about to take off my pants when something fell out of my pocket. 

"Oh, my Adventurer Plate..."

I picked it up from the floor and took a look at it.

"I wonder if I leveled up from that fight?"

Arthur McKinley 16 Male December 19, 2003 Level 15 Stats   Job Skills Bonuses Strength 15 Fighter  Empowered Strike Gift of Tongues Vitality 10 Class Extended Thrust Blessing of Illyria Dexterity 10 Swordsman  Block/Parry Experience Boost Agility 11 N/A  Sweep   Intelligence 15    Dash/Sweeping Dash   Luck 28   19 Skill Points Available  

It seems that my stats increased as well as my levels. From what I remember, I think I started at level 10? I think that's the case.

What intrigued me more is what's written at the back. I wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't felt the weird etch marks at the back. 

It was a list of all the possible skills I could learn. The light coming off of the characters pulsated while I ran my fingers over them. 

"This really is a fantasy world."

The first set of skills looked pretty normal and standard to me, plus they didn't cost that much in terms of skill points. I focused on picking out the ones that sounded interesting and powerful.

"Let's see... [Empowered Stab], [Crippling Slash], [Second Strike]. 6 points in total, I think it's worth it."

The front part of my Adventurer's Plate glowed brightly and seconds later, the three skills have been added to the list of skills I could use.

A content smile formed on my face at the thought of using these new skills tomorrow. I was about to pick up another skill when I noticed the other available skills at the back.

"This can't be right..."

I murmur to myself as I took a closer look at the strange set of skills.

[Snipe], [Fireball], [Ice Shards], and a bunch of other skills and abilities that I know for a fact aren't part of the Swordsman class. I continued to stare at the list, confused and bewildered on why these abilities are available for me. What caught my eye the most the last Skill in the list. It was a name that made me shiver at the sound of it.

It was the skill that killed me.

"[Wither]... 10 points?!"

I let out a groan as I pondered on whether or not I should go ahead and pick this skill. "Fuck it, I guess."

Without hesitation, I unlocked the skill and watched as the number of skill points I had were drained away.

"Since I already spent this much, why not spend some more?"

I said to myself as I spent the last of my skill points on the skills [Snipe], [Fireball], [Freeze], [Heal], [Sense Presence] and [Detect Enemy]. Now I was sitting at 0 skill points and my skill list looked so messy and confusing now.

"Okay, so I'm basically a Swordsman that can use a bow, some magic, and detect enemies. Oh my fucking god, this is a mess."

It was a far cry from the character I usually go for in my games. In fact, I'm not even sure if this is gonan work.

"Better ask Zel about it tomorrow. Or Rupert."

I said to myself before placing the plate down near the bed. Immediately, I went through my bag to find something I bought earlier.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Rupert stared at me while I looked through the quests in my hands. He had this dumbfounded expression while I stood there, pondering if I should go on a solo quest today where I scare off some birds for a poor farmer.

"W-Why... Why on- Why did you do this?!"

He finally broke the silence with his screams while he pointed at my skill list.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"W-What?! Of course! You're a Swordsman, aren't you?! Why are you learning skills that's not fit for your class?! And where did you even learn these skills?!"

Rupert sighed before rubbing his temples. 

"It's not that there's something wrong with learning this skills, it's just inefficient and ineffective."

"Ahhh, so it's that kind of problem. Well, what are the problems then?"

"Well, first off... The amount of Skill Points needed to learn Skills outside of your Class is increased. There are also certain bonuses given by each Job that enhances the Skills in a certain way. For example, the [Snipe] skill you learned will allow you to increase your accuracy. If an Archer uses that skill, the accuracy bonus becomes greater thanks to their bonus."

"So what happens if I use it then?"

"Well, nothing really. [Snipe] would just have a relatively lower chance of hitting the target. But since you have high Luck and your Dexterity stat is pretty average, I think it will work out. I think."

"Thanks for the advice."

"Well, it is my job to assist adventurers! Anyways, do you still have anything you want to ask?"

"Y-Yeah, about Skills... How do they work?"

Rupert let out a sigh before pulling out some forms and bounties from underneath his desk. 

"I'm guessing you have a lot of questions, so I'll be working on some of the paperwork I need to do while I answer you. Is that okay with you?"

I nodded in agreement as Rupert began to stamp and sign the documents.

"The Guild Master would've surely answered your answer better than I ever could, but I'll try. Skills are basically gifts from the Gods, in a way...."

Even Rupert was starting to look confused at what he's saying.

"W-Well, the simplified version of it is that Skills are abilities to help them with their path in life."

"Ah... That's a pretty stupid-"

Rupert glared at me for a moment before glancing around him.

"Shh! If there were Priests around, they would've burned you with Holy Flame!"

"What? Come on, it's not that bad... Is it?"

Rupert let out a brief sigh before scratching the back of his head.

"You really aren't from around here. Well, the Church of Illyria treats the Skills given to all Humans as a blessing from their Goddess. To say such things could be considered heresy."

While Rupert continued to explain, I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Illyria going through each and every person in this world to give them specific skills.

I'm pretty fucking sure she's not that responsible. I'm pretty sure she's lazing about in front of her computer while she watches some kdrama or anime.

"Anyway, back to the topic. Skills are divided into two groups. The Combat Skills and the Artisinal or Livelihood Skills."

This sounds interesting.

"Combat Skills are, well, used for combat. The only ways to learn them is by either acquiring them through leveling up or by learning them from other people."

"Okay, that one I already know... This Artisinal Skills, how do they work?"

He raised an eyebrow at me while I waited for his answer.

"I'm not sure either. But from what I know, you just have to do something related to the skill like crafting, smithing, and even cooking. The Skills in this group also have a unique mechanic to them that I'm not sure of, sorry."

"That's okay. So, basically, people in shops like blacksmiths, barkeeps, and even innkeepers have Artisinal Skills, right?"

"Of course."

Ah, so I could ask Freir about that later. 

"A-Anyways, Skills are more complicated than that. I believe that if you wish to learn more about Skills, you'd have to wait for the Guild Master and ask him your questions."

To be honest, I just wanted to know if know ifit was normal for people to have Skills from other Classes or Jobs. Well, it doesn't matter now, I got my answer as well as some useful information.

"Alright, I'll think about meeting this guy. For now, I'd like to take this quest."

"Oh, okay... Wait, a... A farming quest?"

Rupert's eyes widened in surprise as he blinked a few times to confirm if what he's really holding is a quest asking for help hauling vegetables and crops to the town.

"I... I thought you were the kind of person to take quests that's all about killing Goblins or Giant Frogs or something like that. I never thought that-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be off now."

I let out a sigh as I walked out of the building. Still, just how does that damn receptionist see me?

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Sacks of grain and vegetables filled the small cart and I let out an audible groan while I hauled the last sack of potatoes over my shoulder and into the old, wooden cart. Beads of sweat ran down my face while I rested by the cart, catching my breath as I did so. 

"Thanks for the help again, Arthur."

The old man that worked the farm patted my back with his feeble hands. 

"No problem. This is going to be delivered into the city, right?"

The old man nodded, albeit slowly and weakly. 

"Yes, but I'll take it from here."

The old man slowly sauntered towards the side of his horse, stroking its side gently before taking hold of the lead. 

I took one last look at his small hut that sat in the middle of the large field before following after them. The man whistled a quaint tune as the three of us walked along the dirt rode that lead to the gates. The horse trotted along slowly while the old man struggled to keep up with his horse's pace.

"Man, it's hard being a farmer at my age."

The old man chuckled while he looked at his wrinkled hands.

"Don't you have anyone to help you with the work?"

"Well, my son usually helps me with during the harvest and the planting seasons, but his work in the capital stopped him from visiting."

His eyes were filled with a lonely yet glad expression as he stroked his horse's side.

"At least I have Nemia here with me to keep me company."

I couldn't help but tear up a little at this old man's words.

"Oh! That reminds me! If it's not too much to ask, can you take some of the tomatoes and deliver them to the guild? I promised one of the cooks there to share some with her."

"Oh, sure. What's her name?"

The old man thought about it for a moment with a frustrated look.

"I think it's Huerin? No, that can't be right... Ah! It's Ehlri! Small Elf girl, green hair."

The old man smiled proudly with a 'harumph' while nodding to himself.

"Seems that my memory still works even at this age."

"Good for you then."

The man nodded at my words.

We continued to walk for a while, him constantly whistling that tune while I kept an eye out for any monsters lurking in the green plains on either side of us. The only sounds around us besides his whistling was the sound of the old wheels creaking as they rolled along the uneven path and the occasional snort or neigh from Nemia.

"No need to be so tense. The Giant Frogs and the Slimes that usually roam this parts are hibernating during this time of the year."

"Why is that?"

"Too hot for the two of them."

"Oh, so where do they hibernate then?"

The man smiled and pointed at the wide empty plains.

"Underground. Sometimes, if you're unlucky, a slime would pop out from under your feet and eat you."

The thought of that sent a chill along my spine.

"Ahaha, don't worry. That won't happen unless you step out onto the plains. The roads are usually clear of monsters thanks to you folks. Anyway, it seems we're near."

I looked ahead of us and saw the outline of Lorren. Its walls encircled the town itself and I could see the large gate that serves as the entrance into the small town. 

"For a small town, this place is pretty fortified."

"Lorren's actually a peaceful place. The monsters here are low level ones and most adventurers here usually leave after reaching level 20. But the monster's aren't the reason why they built that wall."

The old man stroke his chin as he looked at the walls with his grey and sunken eyes.

"The adventurers here are all low level and the nearest garrison is at least a two day's march from here. The wall was recently built, actually, after a foreigner commisioned it for the town."

That must be some rich foreigner then.

The walls were at least 30 meters high and even now there are still parts being upgraded. I'm pretty sure that's a pretty expensve project for anyone, no matter how wealthy they are.

"Foreigner... hmm..."

For some reason, I kept dwelling on that word while we approached the town with our goods.

----------------------------------------

I dropped off the old man at the marketplace. He gave me the sack of tomatoes he wanted  me to deliver to the guild as well as some potatoes for the trouble. It was a nice and quick quest to be hinest, one that I might do again if I have the oppurtunity.

But what am I gonna do with this potatoes he gave me? Fries?

"Better think about it before I get there."

The two bags I'm carrying aren't that heavy, but the rough material chaffed my hand a little so it felt a little uncomfortable.

Besides the Dwarves and Elves, the place looked and felt just like a regular city back on Earth. I would occasionaly receive some glances and brief stares thrown at my direction, but nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes, a clerk or a shopkeep would call out to me to try and sell me their goods but other than that, people just passed me by or didn't pay much attention to me.

I still felt out of place, but at least I'm doing well.

The large establishment stuck out like a sore thumb in the middle of the Medieval buildings around it. I casually pushed open the door and looked around the place. A few glances and sharp looks were thrown my way, but I didn't pay any mind to it.

Adventurers must be cautious. It's natural they should be perceptive in their surroundings.

"Yo, is Rupert around?"

I casually asked as I approached one of the available receptionist.

"N-No, his shift just ended so he's probably sleeping in the breakroom."

The female receptionist answerd softly as she kept glancing at the sacks I'm holding behind me.

"Oh... Well, I just finished one of the quests and I was told to deliver these tomatoes here."

I carefully placed the sack of tomatoes on the desk, careful not to crush those at the bottom so that I won't make a mess. Thankfully, nothing leaked on top of the table.

"Tomatoes? To- Oh! The delivery quest of that farmer! This must be the gift for one of the cooks, right?"

"Yeah. The Elf girl, he told me. Oh, can I also request for these potatoes to be cooked?"

"Of course! In a stew or should we boil them?"

"Well... I want them fried."

The receptionist stared at me strangely while I scratched the back of my head. 

"I beg your pardon?"

I let out a groan as I grabbed the sack of potatoes.

"Just show me the way to the kitchen."