Tutorial Day 7
The group had wanted to show me other Hunting grounds, but I’d convinced them that we’d make more money by becoming more efficient by staying in one area. An argument had ensued between the members, but once I pointed out that there was a higher chance of Maelstrom ‘taxing’ this road one of the days—they’d eventually agreed.
Part of me was glad that I hadn’t had to use the take-it-or-leave-it approach. While I figured it would certainly work, I didn’t want to strain what seemed to be a burgeoning friendship.
And yet, I thought while studying the group from the back as we slowly walked back into town. I just couldn’t bring myself to trusting them fully. I wanted to—truly I did, but they had something to gain from me joining them. So, it strained my ability to look at them as friends.
Still, I guess I was getting something out of this relationship as well. The only question I had was, would it be worth me farming longer or starting on Alchemy?
In my hands, I turned over my best attempt at harvesting a Borker Mane yet.
Well-Skinned Borker Mane
Rank: High-E
Quality: Great
From the angle of the cut, it was clear to me that the trick was to remove the Mane with a tapering forty-five degree angle. I had two problems accomplishing that currently. One was that the Skinning Knife, while in vastly better condition, wasn’t sharp enough. Or at least it felt like it wasn’t, because it kept getting caught and jerking in my hands.
I pulled said knife out and realized it had reached the same point that my Pick had before I’d fought the Golem. So, it needed something to cause it to evolve? I sighed starting to think about how impossible that would be—before I realized that I actually was in a slightly better position if that opportunity arrived.
Why?
I was already studying the backs of London, Gavin, Jacky and Sarah. So, if a Monster popped out of some other creature we killed and I skinned, surely we could handle it, right?
Thankfully I’d made the realization about the Skinning Knife sometime ago, and had been using others I’d stockpiled in my Necklace for general Skinning. It would be better to have a bunch at ‘peak’ level if I got out of here.
When I got out of here! I corrected firmly.
Today we hadn’t found any Rock Lavenders, which was disappointing, but made me wonder if that was because I’d ‘over’ farmed this area of them?
Just like with the Skinning Knife, I’d switched out my Gardening Kits for general collections getting two so far to what would be called their best possible quality—before they too would need an evolution.
And just like my Skinning Knife with Borker Mane’s, I hadn’t yet mastered the removal of the infuriatingly small Fruit.
Juicy Rock Lavender Pearl
Rank: Mid-E
Quality: Great
At first, I had thought it had something to do with the Fruit’s stem, but I couldn’t see how I could improve on the attempt I made yesterday. I’d clearly managed to get the entirety of the stem—
“Ahh, it’s our rag-tag crew from Maelstrom,” Andron’s unmistakeable voice crowed. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. How had the idiot been here all six days so far? Was it just that the groups had decided to post up for a set number of days this time?
Surely not, right? That would defeat the purpose of what London’s group had described to me. People gossiped about who they ran into all the time, and despite not specifically looking for news, the other areas had been changing daily. I could also swear I heard someone say that they’d run into Andron, but I had somewhat assumed it was on this route…
I now wished I had paid more attention to the gossip over breakfast at the Alchemy School.
“This is more like it,” Andron continued. “Even Sarah’s recently repaired gear is starting to look sloppy again.” The only good news with Andron being here everyday since the group upgraded armor and weapons, was that they’d only been given grief over it the first day.
That scrutiny had cost them an extra skin and butchered Boar, but in the grand scheme of things that wasn’t much. Today was no different and London handed over three portions of our ‘total’ haul on Borkers. He must have looked too casual as he did so because the dense neanderthal that was Andron did a double take. Dark eyes narrowing Andron asked, “‘ey, why do you look so ‘appy about this.”
London paused mid step to continue away from Andron and frowned. Only then did I realize he had been smiling broadly as he approached. With a cough London answered, “We’re getting more money for these better Skins too, Andron.”
“He’s making shit up!” One of the forty behind Andron shouted. I scanned for the shouter but didn’t find anything but hostile stares. I realized I’d husked up too. In my hand was the Borker Mane. Thankfully the tiny Rock Lavender Fruit was easy to vanish into my Necklace.
“We’re going to have to search yer bag, LondAn,” Andron crowed excitedly. My heartbeat leaped from an anxiety filled drumbeat to a hummingbird’s wings in flight in an instant. Thinking fast, I moved to Gavin and held out my hand for the bag he had on him. The second Bag of Holding the group had. The one with far more capacity.
Gavin raised and eyebrow before hesitantly offering me the Bag. I specifically didn’t pause as I spun and started walking toward Andron. Even as I took my first step I sent a mental string into the Bag and cataloged what we’d collected today. No plaque or inventory came up but my mind helpfully made one.
Bag of Holding
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12 Tons of Boar Meat
7 Boar Manes
5 Boar Skins
5 Boar Heart Cores
120 Witch Hazel Flowers
3 Earth Roots
4 Angry Fruit
6 Moon Stalks
As I had been hoping, I felt that I could summon them directly out of the Bag of Holding to my Necklace. Thankfully I’d left the previous days Herbs and Fruit in a chest in my room in the Alchemy School. That and my single Sapling filled with grafted Witch Hazel and Tiger Fronds.
Even with that consideration, there was absolutely no way I could take the massive amount of Borker meat. All the Herbs and Fruits transferred over instantly. So did the seven boar Manes. I probably could have fit the Boar Heart Cores and a single Skin into the Necklace if I tried, but on rushed consideration I chose not to.
The why in that moment seemed simple, and was probably in large part due to Mental Fortitude keeping my brain calm. If I took the Skins, and Cores but left the Meat, even a Neanderthal like Andron would get suspicious.
I figured it was probably better to get caught with a small fib, than have the true depth of my deceit even hinted at. I handed the bag over to Andron and he snatched it, before eyeing what I was holding. With narrowed eyes Andron pointed to the Borker Mane, “What’s that?”
“I’ve been trying to get the entire Skin off the Boars for a while,” I said. “This part here has been giving me trouble—I finally removed it better today but as you can see it’s just a scrap.”
London who had our other Bag of Holding, twitched minutely because he knew I was lying, but I had been very careful with my wording. In no way had I lied, not really. Not that I expected someone in this group of thugs to have Truth Seeking or a lie detector-esque ability, but you never knew.
“Your Skins sell pretty well,” Andron said, scratching his head. “You saying you could do better?”
“Not yet,” I answered. Andron grimaced and then looked at the Bag he was holding. I could see the moment he checked out so he could ‘focus’ on what was inside. I wanted to groan, but held back.
How the husk were we being ‘robbed’ by a husking moron?
“Ha! They’ve held out on us boys,” Andron crowed. “They got eight Boars today!” As if he was some great detective who had solved a case, Andron pulled a Skin, and another ton and a half of meat from the Bag of Holding. “Lookie here boys!” He said. Then he pulled the Heart Core out and I fought my reaction to want to wince.
“No wonder you can’t do the skin whole,” Andron said scornfully, before pulling out a belt knife that looked ready to break, and prying the Core from the Heart. “You can’t even separate the Core from the Heart with yours. Idiot.”
He dropped the Heart on the ground, like it was trash, and my internal struggle became one not to sigh in relief. Andron shoved the second Bag into London’s arms and checked his empty one with another long pause to ‘focus.’
After he was done he threateningly stated, “You pull this shit again kid, and I’m going to take everything you’ve got—you ‘ear me?”
London went pale and nodded, which was either a true fearful reaction or the level of acting he should have maintained on approach. I unfortunately wasn’t able to pale in fear of a man that I found utterly stupid.
But I didn’t have to because when Andron turned to me he surprised me by saying, “With the right equipment, kid, you could be pretty decent. Next time me and da Boyz go out, we’ll take you along. I’ll let’cha borrow my belt knife.”
He proffered the thing like it was some sort of Epic weapon, and I fought desperately to keep my face neutral. I succeeded well enough, and managed to nod to Andron, not trusting myself to keep it together I opened my mouth.
“Get the Husk out of here, another bigger group usually comes right behind ya!”
The group couldn’t speed walk any faster as they double timed it out of there. No words were exchanged, until we got into the Maelstrom District. Gavin spoke first, “Holy shit, what just happened?”
“Where’d all the Herbs and Mane’s go?” Sarah asked, clearly having some ‘suspicions’ because she was looking at me.
I held out a hand for the Bag of Holding from London, and he passed it over slowly, clearly also suspicious. I replaced all the things I’d taken out, and then handed it back.
London stared back at me, clearly having checked the insides after Andron handed it to him, and again now when I did. “Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s a neat trick. What did you do?”
My eyebrows raised, and I regarded him with a cool look. Currently no one in the group had ever asked for my secrets, or even where I had come from. I’d taken that to mean one of two things. Either they were being respectful of each-others privacy. Or they knew each-others already and were just waiting for me to open up.
Now’s the first true test, I thought. Truly wondering if they’d press me for information. It wasn’t like my Necklace of Holding was something extremely rare—and revealing it should be fine. Theoretically it could even help us as a Hunting Group, especially if we kept running into Andros.
But, I needed to be able to trust them.
London slowly started nodding his head, clearly seeing that I had no intention of answering, thanks to the long drawn out pause. After perhaps ten seconds of waiting he announced, “Okay, I get it.”
Turning to the group, he continued, “Who cares why we get to keep the Points, right? Let’s just be happy that Brodie figured out how to pull one over on Andros.”
“You’re going to trust him,” Jacky exclaimed. “Just like that. He’s been taking all the herbs and promising to pay us back in Points and perhaps Potions. If he wants our trust, he’s got to show some of his own!”
Here it was again. One of those moments where Jacky spoke and the group would tell her to shut up—except this time Sarah didn’t call her out. Nor did Gavin. I looked to London who swallowed hard, as he began to sweat.
“Jacky, he’s the reason we’ve been doing so much better,” he scolded, but I could tell it was half hearted.
It had been six days since I met them. Six days since I joined them and by all counts brought them nothing but benefits. Now, we were here—at a juncture I didn’t feel ready to meet.
My Mental Fortitude calmed me down and let my brain ask why that was? And admittedly I couldn’t put my finger on one specific reason. If I had to quantify the feeling, it was because they were too naïve, to have survived. They were too weak, and pathetic when I’d first met them.
Too accommodating. Too helpful?
‘Or are you just overthinking this?’ My brain questioned. I had to nod at my own thought, but sometimes you have to go with your gut. Since silence had descended on our group for over a minute now, I stepped forward toward London. With a clear voice filled with confidence I didn’t feel I asked, “Don’t worry about it. How much are the herbs worth to you?”
“What?” London asked, seeming startled by my words and what the question hinted at. I noticed he didn’t answer, and that Sarah stepped forward toward Jacky.
“You idiot,” Sarah scolded. “Look what your words have done. Now he’s definitely going to leave!”
“Brodie, I’m sorry for what Jacky said,” London stammered even as Sarah and Jacky got into somewhat of a humorous slapping contest. “It’s just we all know each other pretty well, and you haven’t offered us anything about yourself yet.”
“I know,” I answered, before repeating my question. “How much are the herbs worth do you think?”
“Just tell him! We’ve been keeping a tally—since we’ve got the thirty percent deal,” Jacky managed to get out as she dodged Sarah’s slaps.
“I—told—you—that you’re a—bad—teacher,” Sarah was shouting, with each slap attempt. I could tell that neither was being serious, having seen Sarah fight.
London looked between Jacky and myself but it was Gavin who coughed up the answer. “Just about thirty-three hundred points total. But only another twelve hundred since you’ve let us keep the money from Skins, and Meat.”
London transferred his shocked expression to Gavin, who returned the look with a shrug. “What? It isn’t like he said he was leaving.”
I held out my hand and London reluctantly took it. I sent over twelve hundred tutorial points, and saw London’s face fall. “Brodie, this isn’t what we wanted…”
“Gavin’s right, I’m not saying I’m leaving, I just don’t want to feel like I owe you anything. Keep the Skins, Hearts and Manes today, but please make sure I get a portion of meals at the Alchemy Academy, okay?”
“So, if you’re not leaving, we’ll see you tomorrow?” London asked, and even the slap fight between Sarah and Jacky stopped as the group waited for my answer.
“I think it’s time for me to try my hand at Alchemy for a bit,” I answered, wanting to give myself a bit of separation from them for now. The more we talked the more I felt that my gut feeling was wrong and unfounded, but giving myself some time surely couldn’t hurt.
“Okay,” Gavin said slowly, clearly intending to continue.
To no ones surprise Jacky interjected, “When will you be back?!”
“A week, maybe more,” I answered, before walking the increasing familiar main thoroughfare towards my room at the Academy.