Title: High Ranked (Local rank: 427,975)

Combat Rating: [Basic Bronze-Grade]

Name: Travis Montes

Mana: 300/300

Internal Energy: 3,700/3,700

Innate Ability: Claws

God's gift: Mercenary Recruitment

"500 for each pill, I don't know if that's good or not. But I skipped Iron-grade all together. Mira how does internal energy affect combat rating?"

"Those without access to a martial technique will often be below the bronze-grade unless they have a powerful innate ability, the minimum requirements for Intermediate Bronze is at 5,000 points while the minimum requirement for Elite-Bronze is at 10,000."

"How much do you have then?"

"12,400 sir."

She was a veteran for a long time, Mira looks to be in her late 20s or early 30s. She was someone that was well versed with combat having years of experience under her belt. 'So the pills are necessary if I really want to hasten my growth, she's been fighting for god knows how many years yet her internal energy count can only get so high.'

"We have a few things we need to finish today." Travis stated right as he finished cleaning up. While not the most academically inclined person, Travis was still someone that prided himself on his planning. After all, he handled the finances of his home and lived like an adult from the ripe age of 12. "The supplies we have right now can last the two of us about a month, if we ration it well then we can stretch that time. With the gift the gods gave me, it's inevitable to get more companions in the future."

"Which is why we need more." He finished his explanation while he practiced swinging the sword a few times. "Did you clear out this area last night?"

She nodded, Mira was back to kneeling at this point.

"Then your mission for today is to bring supplies from the store we visited last night, I'll hole up here and practice the techniques I just learned from that book."

A few factors made the warehouse ideal for Travis.

First was the location, he assumes that the dumpsite is one of the last places for the otherworlders to check. Second was the large space that the warehouse provided, the gang members that used to stay in this area had dozens of members. He knew that there would be more than enough space for the companions that would join him in the future. The last factor involves his own preferences, he wanted an area that others were unlikely to run to. While he knew that he could trust the companions from his gift, he didn't know the motives of others.

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"It's at times like this where people's true colors really show, I'm not a hero either. My current goal is to get stronger, at least to the point where I'm comparable to Mira."

Out of the ten techniques he learned from the book, only two were accessible to him at the moment. [Thundercloud thrust] and [Thundercloud slash], these two techniques cover the blade with internal energy that manifests in the form of lightning. Where the minimum requirement for their use would be a total of 1,000 internal energy. Grossly expensive compared to more basic techniques in other books but their results were far more potent.

While he didn't have other techniques to compare them to he could still deduce that their heavy costs come from the fact that the book he found was an advanced one. 'If I get the same item next time, then I'll find a basic book on sword techniques.'

The movements in the book played in his head while he practiced the motions of the sword. His form was sloppy, but he felt like he's practiced these motions for a long time. The effects of the book was not lost on him. He was in a sort of trance as he followed the moves that he envisioned in his mind.

Mira would return at around 11, just an hour before noon. She watched as Travis focused single-mindedly on his training.

Electricity covered his blade as he sent out a thrust towards a wall.

Bzzztt. CLANG!

[Your mercenary has slain an Intermediate Iron-Grade Frogman, 15 merit points have been awarded.]

Multiple notifications finally caught up to him as he finished his training for the day. His merit points went from 385 to 430, Mira's mission was to get supplies she didn't need to hunt while she traveled.

"Mira, how long does it usually take for internal energy to recover?" She wasn't a walking encyclopedia but she did have enough knowledge to satiate his curiosity.

"It normally depends on a person's natural aptitude for recovery, pills and tonics can help but the main way is through meditation. I can give you guidance when it comes to this Master Travis."

Travis spent the better half of his first day training. Learning meditation to quickly recover internal energy and honing his sword skills to prepare himself for the battles that will inevitably come in the future. The supplies that Mira brought provided him with confidence that they would survive for the months that followed, the time to seek out the rewards from the rankings was coming soon.

"Mira do the corpses of the monsters in the area count as trade items?" He asked his companion, the mounds of dead bodies outside their camp were beginning to add to the stench of the dumpsite.

"Certain hides can be sold or traded for resources master."

"I see, we'll do that before nightfall. Trading them for food or even the most basic of resources doesn't sound too bad."

"Might I suggest trading them for credits? Credits can be used to buy certain resources from my home realm." Mira was a helpful companion in a multitude of ways.

"It says here that they trade for 5 to 10 credits each, is that good?"

"Not at all, but I assure you credits are a valuable resource for weaponry that you might want in the future, Master Travis."

She hasn't led him astray so far, which is why he had no reason to dispute her claims.