Fifth day with the Clarksons. Jason and Sammy are sent out with a wheelbarrow and list. There task is to purchase seeds, other stuff for planting, and a little something here and there.
As they made it through downtown, Jason took note of his surroundings:
Tailor Shop.
Shoe Maker.
Carpenter Shop.
Diner.
Inn.
Food stalls.
Weapon Shop!
Armor Shop!
Herbalist Shop.
Clinic.
Adventurer's Guild!!!
The Adventurers Guild was situated near the center of town, next to the Mayor's office which was at the center. It was the largest building in town and was made with brick unlike most other buildings that were made of wood.
As the duo where making their way past the majestic structure, a familiar face exited it's doors. Both parties eyes met, then with a quirk of the brow, the newcomer made his way to the two.
'He's not swaying his hips or anything, so why does he look so seductive while walking?!' Jason thought to himself briefly.
"Sammy, Jason, a good morning to you both." He spoke.
"Morning, Sam." They both said in unison unintentionally, which made then look to each other in shock for a moment before both snickering at their antics.
The elf raised a bemused eyebrow at that. Bro's eyebrows got personalities at this point. He's always raising them somehow special.
"I trust you are settling into town quite alright. As always, feel free to seek me out if you need assistance." Offered Sam.
"Thank you. We're settling in great and have no issues. We'll keep your offer in mind." Politely replied his namesake.
With a nod of understanding, the Bow Elf turned his attention to Jason before speaking. "How goes things, lad?"
'Why the hell did that sound so affectionate? It felt like your friend's stoic mom who you had a crush on ask you how your day was. Concentrate, Jason!'
"Things are going awesome! I've got food, clothes, a warm bed, and a paying job; in no small thanks to you. So good infact, I'm thinking of signing up to the Adventurers Guild in a couple days."
Sam gave a very very mild look of amusement while raising a skeptical brow. "Hooo?, it's been barely a week and you're already planning to jump ship?, where's your sense of loyalty, lad." After a short pause, he continued. "No matter, it's all good regardless. I shall be off, then. Do carry on."
And with that, Sam turned and walked off; Jason staring at his behind as he did. 'I am straight. I'm straight. STRAI... Ow!' Jason rubbed his sore side after being elbowed by Sammy.
"You're leaving?" The young blond asked somewhat curtly.
"Not right away, I don't have enough saved up to do so. What? You all wanted to adopt me or something?"
"Hahaha! Who'd want to adopt you? You're too old for that."
"Yeah yeah... C'mon. Let's go and get this errand over with." And with that the two continued on their way and eventually completed their task and returned home.
The day went on as usual, and as dinner passed, Jason made his way to the Study once again. To his dismay, no book was worth eating; the rest were novels or something like that. "Guess I'll have to check out that book store sometime."
With that, he returned to his room and decided to use his free time to practice the Domestic Magic Katas he memorized: would like to be proficient with them before he learned Ki control so as to give himself a running start.
[Ding]
[Muscle Memory]
Always straight to the point, eh? If this system was a chick, she'd make the perfect wife. "Status"
---
NAME: Jason
HP: 100%
White Ki: 100%
Red Ki: 100%
ABILITY: [Giga Mind]
SKILLS
[Videographic Memory]
[Parallel Thought]
[Muscle Memory]
---
"If memory serves me right, if you repeat complex actions enough times, your body will remember it and you end up performing it with greater ease. Does this mean I can master actions on my first try?"
To test this out, Jason performed the longest kata, and realized that he can perfectly perform it at speeds so fast, his hands were a blur.
"Well, if it wasn't official before, it's official now, I'm broken AF. Heck! I'm a sweatshop owner's wet dream."
Having no reason to practice anymore, he decided to exercise instead. Pushups till his arms failed, Situps till his abs burned, and Squats till his legs buckled.
He wanted to test his healing out. He has a slow passive healing that kicks up whenever he does stressful activities. It increases quite a bit for two hours after eating, and by alot that one time Alexis have him a healing tonic.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
And as luck would have it, the notifications returned a couple sets into his pushups. He remembers the notifications last for about 2 hours after every meal before they stop coming. It had been 30 minutes between the end of dinner and the beginning of exercising, so he had 90 minutes left.
Jason's wished to test if the healing effects of food would help him fully recover from an intense workout. If this were the case, he would be able to train his STATS at an unprecedented rate.
After finishing his session, he toweled himself off, opened the window to let the fall breeze cool him off, then discarded himself on the bed; exhausted. 60 Minutes left. However he wouldn't find out the results of his effort till morning as he fell asleep before he knew it.
Zzzzzzzzz.
World: 11 days.
Clarksons: 6 days
Sixth day with the Clarksons. Jason woke up felling mildly sore all over. Not enough to hamper his work, and besides, such soreness wouldn't survive the healing of breakfast. "Success."
Jason felt giddy throughout the day. How couldn't he? Tomorrow was his day off, and he'd receive training on Ki control. Hopefully that didn't take all day, as he wished to register with the Guild as well as check the local book store for something useful. If he happened to have free time left over, he'd check out other places that caught his fancy.
Dinner, Exercise, Sleep.
Zzzzzzzz.
World: 12 days.
Clarksons: 7 days
Seventh day with the Clarksons. After breakfast, Samantha took Jason to the back porch where they both sat crosslegged and facing each other.
The training consisted of 3 parts:
Entering into a Meditative State.
Sensing one's ki.
Manipulating said Ki.
As he was instructed, Jason closes his eyes and purged all thought from his mind. He remained in this state for a few minutes till he began sensing something. As if he was developing a 6th sense.
He became keenly aware of his body. He could feel his heartbeat pounding away in his chest; then over time, he began sensing his blood flowing through his arteries and veins. He didn't think on it, but just sat there and let himself feel the sensation; becoming familiar with it.
An unspecified amount of time passed as he continued to take it all in. Then he began to sense more: something ethereal flowing through the lining of his circulatory system as would blood within. This was Ki; no doubt about it.
He followed the flow of the otherworldly 'substance?' back to it's source: his heart. Within lied his Life Core: A sphere resembling a pearl. It was red and white with a pattern that reminded him of that Ying-yang symbol. It was quite a 'sight'.
Soon after, Jason felt a tap on his shoulder. That was a signal agreed upon by him and Samantha. Immediately, he opened his eyes and his senses transitioned back to normal. He took a deep breath as he adjusted to the change.
"Woah! That was awesome. How long was I out?" Exclaimed Jason.
Samantha smirked at his antics before replying "Before I answer, how far did you get?" After hearing his answer, she continued. "That much in 6 hours is about the normal pace, no issues there."
"Wait... 6 hours?! I was out for that long? Why didn't you wake me earlier?"
"Relax. I'm just doing this by the book. This was how I was trained. Besides, you still have plenty of time to handle your business, no?"
Jason couldn't argue with that, so he just shrugged in response.
"Good. Now come on, and let's talk over Lunch." With that, Jason got up and followed her inside.
As the family ate, Samantha explained to Jason that he had to meditate frequently inorder to grow accustomed to sensing his Ki, and that beyond a certain point he begin developing the ability to Manipulate Ki.
"The best way I can explain it is that it's like a child getting the ability to walk. The baby needs time for it's body's development, same as one needing Meditation Time for their senses to develop." Began Samantha as Jason nodded in understanding.
"Once a certain amount of development is reached, the baby can walk on instinct; Same as Ki manipulation. However instinct only goes so far. Babies are clumsy and fall often, so they'll need a lot of practice to walk and run property."
"I see."
"But that's only the basics. Let's say walking is basic Ki Control, then Running is Domestic Spells, and Dancing is akin to Offensive Spells and others of that level. There are other kinds of complex footwork out there, but what I'm trying to hammer home is the similarities in the levels of practice required."
"Everyone can walk and run, but not everyone can dance." Jason thought out loud.
"Exactly. I, for one, can run on level ground as well as most rough terrain, but my dancing skills are sloppy so I'm just a very competent housewife." Samantha said as she pause to sip a drink before continuing.
"Most people get by with just Walking and Running, though. They'll do that to the best of their abilities: Covering long distances, Jumping, Sprinting, etc. So just pick a path and go all in."
Jason clasps his hands in mock reverence. "Thank you for your guidance, teacher. I'll be sure to etch your words into my very soul."
He receives a couple eye rolls and giggles for his antics as lunch winds down. After their meal, Jason makes his way to his room to prepare for his outing, but is intercepted by Sammy.
"Hey Jason, you're heading into town, right?"
"Yeah. Just have to run a couple personal errands."
"Cool. Do you mind if I join you? I've got nothing planned for today, and bored out of my mind at home."
"Meh... Sure. Why not? You go get ready and we'll head out together."
"Awesome! I'll be done in a bit." Said Sammy as he darted to his room.
Minutes later, Jason is standing by the front door of the Clarkson home, as Sammy emerges; no longer in his usual Farmboy outfit, Sammy wears a casual v-neck t-shirt with jeans.
"Alright! Let's head out, little man." Said Jason as he walked off.
"Who you calling 'little man'?!" Responded Sammy in mock rage as he followed.
The walk towards downtown was filled with banter as the two had grow quite friendly with each other over the past week. As they made it to the Adventurers Guild, they both quieted down and entered with purpose.
Just like how Jason imagined, there was a lounge area with a handful of people chilling, papers on the sidewall which most likely where quests, and a receptionist-looking individual behind a counter in the back.
They both made their way to the receptionist who gave them a professional smile. "Hello, and Welcome to the guild. How may I help you?"
"Hello. I'll like to register, please."
"Me too."
Hearing that, Jason looked to Sammy in confusion as the fellow only smirked back. The receptionist on the other hand carried on with business. "Very well, please wait here while I get the forms."
As she left, Jason couldn't help but ask. "I didn't know you wanted to be an adventurer."
Sammy shrugged before answering. "It's no big deal. Everyone is at some point. Alot of folks do it part time, or alternate between years of their regular job, then years of adventuring. Heck, I'd bet over 90% of the folks in town are registered adventurers."
"I see. That makes sense. But why are you signing up now, of all times?"
"Why not? I just turned 16 which is the legal age of registration; 14 if you're an orphan. And besides the adventurers tag serves as identification that's accepted anywhere. There's certain things I wouldn't be able to do without that, like say, renting a book."
Jason's eyes widened in realization after hearing the last part. "Thanks, buddy. You just saved me a hassle."
Sammy blinked in confusion, but before he could respond, the receptionist returned with the forms. They both filled them out with no issue, before handing them back.
"Alright! We'll handle the paperwork and have your tags made in say, an hour and a half to two. Would you like to wait, or handle business elsewhere then return?"
"We'll be back in 2 hours. Got other stuff to do."
"Very well, do carry on." With that, the duo turned their attention to the Quest wall to check out what was posted.
They found most of the Quests to be:
Hazard Beast Culling, Pest Extermination, Odd Jobs, Wild Herb foraging, Escort/Security etc.
After browsing till they were satisfied, they both made their way outside the building.
"So, where to now?" Inquired Sammy.
"I want to try as many shops as I possibly can today: see what they got going on."
"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, big guy."
First off was an Apothecary shop. It had potted plants all around the outside, and inside was a glass counter reminiscent of a jewelry store, but instead of jewels, various pills and potions were displayed. Jason took a quick scan of the contents and their prices before making his way to the store owner.
After introductions and pleasantries, Jason asked if they were looking for an apprentice, to which the owner laughed it off. Jason wasn't deterred however, but would decide who to lobby after checking the other shops.
The duo dropped by the Carpenters Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Armor & Weapons Shop, The local tailor, a clothing store, a nearby diner, a couple inns, and a good chunk of town before the 2 hours was up and the duo made their way back to the Guild where they received their Tags and a copy of the Guild Rulebook.
With today's adventure almost over, they make their way to the last stop before heading back home: the book shop.
A decent sized 2 storey building similar to those japanese home busineses where the business was on the ground floor and the owner lived in the floor above. Unsurprising, as most buildings in downtown were like that.
Jason and Sammy entered the building and immediately made contact with the owner behind the counter located right next to the door.
He had neck length blonde hair with red tips which hugged his delicate features. He wore a simple form fitting turtleneck sweater over his lithe upper physique. He didn't have curves unlike Alexis, but was quite delicate looking all things considered. He also didn't look any older than Jason.
Jason was sure it was a guy because of his barely visible Adam's Apple. Bro had to squint to catch it.
Looking up from the book he was reading, the shop owner gave them a professional smile before gesturing them to the shelves further within.
'Not much of a talker, huh. Best brace myself just in case his voice turns out to be deadly.' Jason thought as he responded with a nod before walking past with Sammy by his side.
They began browsing shelves looking for books of interest.
"Hmm... they're not pricey, but I'll blow my week's pay if I get too much. Gotta ration, then." Jason considered.
"You'll save a lot more if you just lease them, you know." Replied Sammy.
"Great idea. Let's do that."
After they were done browsing, they both took their respective collections to the counter for leasing.
'This is the moment of truth!'
"ID please."
'Woah! This was different! Not like Alexis's honey words. It was a like a regular guy's voice if you squinted your ears hard enough. Quite exotic. It was hard to explain beyond the fact that I liked hearing it.'
The transaction carried on as normal, and as the duo made to leave, a tender "Have a nice day.~" sent a jolt down Jason's spine through his ears. All he could manage was to return a wave over his shoulder without turning around.
"Well, that was fun. Maybe we should do this again next time." Sammy remarked.
"Heh! Why are you making it sound like a date? Screw it. I enjoyed our time together too. Next time will be extra special; believe it."
"Dude! Gross. Don't say it like that."
"Hahaha!!!" They both laughed as they made their way back home. After separating from Sammy, Jason went to his room to begin 'eating' his books.
Tatter Town, Dakota Dukedom.
World: 13 days.
Clarksons: 8 days