Chapter 9: Farming

Standing on a ridge north of the farm, Theo had a smile as he looked upon what could only be described as a bunny fest. Dozens upon dozens of the critters littered the fields. He couldn’t wait to get started, but being reckless could get him killed.

He decided to study the rabbits first to see what skills they could produce. He'd already met one with [Charge] and a few groups with [Jump] so he was confident he could deal with them, but a new skill catching him off guard was always a possibility. He didn’t want to get hurt from overlooking something’s power.

A few people were already fighting with the rabbits and some were using what Theo could only call magic. The hunters were launching big ice shards or had flames dancing around their fists when they attacked. Theo sat down on the ridge and made himself comfortable. From this spot he could see all of the action happening below him.

I can look at all the skills these guys are using while I’m at it.

A small wooden cottage rested along the treeline of the nearby woods. It seemed to watch over the destroyed cabbage fields. A pathetic post fence was laid around the perimeter, truly useless in deterring the rabbits.

It’s the only farm on this side of town, so it makes sense if the rabbits are all here…

Theo turned his attention to the sporadic fighting. A boy dressed in bright red raised his glowing sword and brought it down in a flash of light. The sword beam seemed to extend a few inches further than the actual blade.

Was that [Cleave] just now?

His partner raised her hand and a ball of water the size of a baseball hit a rabbit in the forehead, killing it instantly.

Woah... crazy velocity for such a simple-looking water spell…

For the next twenty minutes, Theo watched for any sign of foreign skills coming from the creatures or the people. He was about to stop after being confident the rabbits had nothing up their ears when he noticed one using a new skill. As a large man in armor swung down his sword, a rabbit ran under his guard and bit his metal boot. It’s teeth had a faint light that even Theo could see from his spot, though the glow quickly faded when the rabbit was brutally beheaded.

The only reason that skill could be dangerous is if I tripped and fell. Really, what was I expecting…?

Satisfied that no bunny could kill him on this farm, he made his way down the ridge. He always had his staff in his hand and he wanted to fight with it again. Theo wanted to prove to himself he wasn’t just carrying it around to look like an overgrown hobbit. None of the rabbits saw him coming, which conveniently gave him ample time to casually brain three of them without a squeak.

The fourth rabbit noticed him though. It tried to [Charge] at him but Theo easily sidestepped and hit it on the head. He didn't want to risk hitting it before it reached him, for fear of his staff breaking to pieces with the monstrous "momentum". The fifth rabbit was oblivious to his presence so he got another easy instant kill.

The power of a rabbit was its skill and its greatest weakness was its frail body. One strong enough hit was enough to fracture all of its bones, which was exactly what Theo had been doing. Add in the location factor, like the head or spine, and it was game over. His only concern was confronting a rabbit that had a powerful skill that he couldn’t deal with quickly enough. [Charge] was an attack that went straight at the enemy, so Theo could sidestep and kill the rabbit. [Jump] was a move that left the bunny exposed in mid-air, ready for whacking. Not to mention: [Bite] was a close range attack that really only worked if the rabbit sneaked up on him. None of these skills could touch him, especially when Theo was in the thrill of the fight like he was right now.

In ten minutes, he had a catch of fifteen. His kill count could have been a lot higher, but Theo was in no hurry. Killing took him a sliver of the time it took him to process the rabbit into materials. He had to make two trips to the ledge to carry all of the rabbits. It was still early afternoon so he went to work.

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While Theo managed to declawed all fifteen rabbits, skinning one without a knife was impossible for him. He counted 270 claws in all, which summed up to 6 silver and 15 copper. He also chopped off their left ears and realized that the 15 copper coins from the request was just an incentive to start hunting. The spoils were the real gain.

Wait... I know I’m more efficient than most hunters here, but isn’t seven silver a bit too much for an hours’ work?

He dismissed it as a worry for another time. The bodies of the rabbits that he didn’t want all went onto a cart conveniently prepared by Gulliver so he didn’t have to dig a hole like his party had been doing on its way here. Theo headed back to Rocholn with a nearly full bag and a single rabbit on his shoulder. He stopped by the hall first to turn in the ears because it seemed like the most urgent thing to take care of.

The smiling man welcomed him cheerfully.

“I’m here to turn in rabbit ears for Gulliver’s request,” said Theo.

“Of course, of course,” the clerk said. “Just take them out.”

Theo took all fifteen ears out of his bag and put them on the administration desk.

“Fantastic! Good job hunting, young man. Here’s 15 copper for your help,” said the clerk.

Theo thanked the man and visited George next. His sense of direction in this town had gone up a bit so it didn’t take very long to find his way.

“Are you still buying rabbit claws for half a copper?” asked Theo.

“Definitely. Claws are a good business nowadays,” replied George.

“Can I sell you 270 of them?”

George quickly counted them in twos and confirmed the count. Theo walked out of the shop with 7 more silver coins in his bag.

Once he had the time to think, Theo decided it was stupid not to get a room, if only for the bath. He didn’t know of another way of properly cleaning himself and after making easy money with the claws, he felt a tad bit safer with spending a few coins. He made his way to the Blueboar Inn, taking his time to remember the layout of this part of town. The blue sign outside was indeed depicting a boar. The building was very old, with the gables the only part of it still in good condition.

Theo entered through the simple oak door. The inside was full of tables and benches. A bar was tucked at the back and a staircase ran up the right side of the room. Behind the counter, a bartender and a few waitresses were cleaning cups in preparation for the evening drinking that hadn’t started yet.

Theo walked up to the man at the counter that looked in charge.

“Hello, sir. I’d like to get a room?” he asked.

“Food and a bed are 1 silver each,” he replied, looking up but still cleaning his glass.

“I have the coins here.” Theo pulled out two silver coins and showed them to the man.

“Alright, young man. Give me one and get settled in room... “ he looked somewhere off to the side “...13. You pay me for the food in the morning. Washroom and baths are on the second floor.”

Theo nodded. He paid the man, who he made sure to recognize as the owner, took his key and went upstairs to his room. It was quite cozy but it lacked a lot of things Theo took for granted in a hotel room. Regardless, the smell and the crusty carpet were somewhat of an improvement considering he had slept on the cold wet ground the past few days.

Theo sat down on the bed. It looked decent enough, but the blanket was a patchwork of bunny furs. Theo approved with a nod.

The small table next to the bed held a thick candle. The room actually had a decent-sized window, which made Theo wonder if this world had an easy way of making glass.

Oh, right... I smell like hell...

Theo left the room without his bag and locked the door. He only had his room key and a few silver coins in his pocket, in case something came up. He looked around the second floor until he came across the baths. There was a door for the ladies and one for the men.

Inside were a few benches and a large metal tub in the ground filled with steaming water. Towels were neatly folded on a table next to the door. There was no soap in sight so Theo wasn’t sure how well he could clean himself, but he figured a warm bath was a better bet than a cold river anyways.

He had the chance to finish his bath without anyone else coming in. He dried off and reluctantly put his clothes back on.

I should have found another set of clothes before taking a bath…

The awful smell of the clothes would rub off on him. Still early afternoon, Theo had nothing better to do so he grabbed his bag and went to visit the town tailor. A woman in her forties was behind the counter and looked up at him when he entered the shop. Looking around at her wares, he approached her.

“What can I do for ya?” she asked him.

“I’d like some daily clothes. I’m travelling and I ended up with only this set.” Theo indicated himself.

“Well, look around for something or ask me and I’ll find something your size,” she said with a smile. “Over there’s the simple clothes, though.”

Theo ended up grabbing two white shirts, a pair of brown pants, a pair of soft underwear and some dark leather boots so he wouldn’t draw too much attention to himself in his sneakers.

Why aren’t people questioning my clothes…?

He couldn’t help but notice how most of the clothes in the shop were dull in color and rough in texture. It felt like he was browsing through secondhand goods. In the end, everything came up to four silver.

I just hope I’m the first to wear these boxers…

Theo thanked the woman and, bored, decided to go back to the farm. He had leveled up earlier that day, and he was excited to level up again.