Part 3
Only when Eden starts walking away from the scene of blood and the pile of jarred bones on the sidewalk, that reality of what he’s done begins to hit him like a tidal wave. His hands start shaking as if they were dipped into ice cold water.
“Calm down, Eden, calm down.” He monologues. “You have done nothing wrong, you were defending yourself. Killing them is just like killing the monsters, you and teacher have done it many times.” Eden continues to comfort himself as his hands shake less and less. “This is perfectly normal, this your first kill, they attacked you first, you are doing this to protect the people...”
Eden continues walking until sunset and slowly calms down when he spots a small town, just like how his father’s map showed him. Eden is in no rush to get to Ella, perhaps he should stay here for a few days, maybe find some works to spread his name around this area.
[I will decide tomorrow. I need a place to stay for the night first, though.] Eden thinks to himself. The money he earned through past jobs and the money he looted from the bandits gives him enough to not worry about food and shelter for a while.
After finding himself a place to stay, Eden heads to the local tavern to have a drink, and perhaps the bartender knows someone who needs his help, that would be a bonus. Today, the tavern seems relatively empty, just him, the bartender, and another farmer drinking by the table. Eden asks for a beer, and after delivering it, the bartender looks at his outfits and asks.
“You’re not from around here, aren’t you? A blade for hire, perchance?”
“It depends on the work they want to hire me for.” Eden is tired from the fight today, but he still tries his best to put up a smile. “Do you know any work that I can do?”
“You’re still young, kid, so I’ll give you this piece of advice.” The bartender leans to him and speaks in a hush tone. “Don’t try to find work here if you value your life. This is Lela’s territory, and she’s not known to be merciful towards her competitor. I would hate to see a bright young man like you throwing your life away.”
“Lela, huh? What is she like? Is she a bandit or something?” Eden is a curious fellow, and he’s intrigued by this news.
“No, nothing of the sort, please don’t say that to her face if you value your life!” The bartender waves his hands in a panic. “She’s also a mercenary like you, not a friendly lady, but she keeps this place safe, as long as we pay her well. She doesn’t like competition though.”
“More importantly, she’s the only person around here who is Talented, a high Level one at that. Normal folks like us have no chance of doing anything against her.” The bartender then looks at Eden for a second and asks. “Are you a Talented, perchance?”
Talented? Level? This is the first time Eden has ever heard of these words. His confusion is clearly shown on his face. “Yeah, I know, I’m asking the impossible. Talented people are one among thousands, it’s ridiculous to ask you this. Just drink up, buddy, and forget about finding this type of job in town.” The bartender pats his shoulder, he can clearly see Eden’s expression.
“I’m sorry but what is Talented? And what is Level?” Eden asks.
It’s now the bartender’s turn to look confused. Then his confusion turns to laughter. “Hahahaha...sorry, I overestimated you. I like you, kid, so I'm going to explain it, don’t expect this generosity from others, though.” The bartender talks in between his laughter. This also catches the attention of the farmer drinking nearby.
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“Level is a blessing that God gave to every single creation of his, including their descendants, so that means every single living being in the world. Everyone starts off with Level 1, and you can raise your Level through training, but it’s very slow. Another way is by killing/assisting killing someone else in combat, humans, monsters, animals, those kinds. Killing something in their sleep, for example, doesn’t count though; and the higher the Level difference between you and your enemies, the more Level you can gain. I don’t know how much though, but it’s risky enough to kill someone in combat with a similar level.” The bartender patiently explains while Eden listens to him intently. “That’s why people who are used to combat like you tend to have higher Levels. Levels give you a lot of benefits, especially in your specialties. Like for you, kid, you would get faster reactions, become stronger, can take a few fatal hits before actually dying, and the likes.”
“But you're still young and inexperienced so your level is probably not that high.” The bartender shrugs. “Talented people though, they’re in a different league from the rest of us. They were born with higher Levels than the rest of us, can Level up much faster, gain more benefits from Levels, and most importantly...” Eden holds his breath in anticipation of the rest of the sentence. “...they have a maximum Level of 100, while it’s 60 for us plebs.”
“Wow…” Eden is amazed at these new pieces of information, they change everything. Now he needs to spend days, perhaps weeks, to come up with a long term goal for himself that avoids messing with Talented people. “How important would Levels affect the outcome of a fight though?” Eden asks.
“Very.” The bartender answers without hesitations, “Major difference in Levels can let you handle several men at once, which isn’t a rare occurrence. I heard that a man can take on 2 monsters 10 Levels lower than him, but it’s highly dependent on many factors like skills and matchups, so don’t take it seriously, kid.”
“That is so interesting to know...” Eden looks at the bartender in amazement. “Thank you for telling me this.”
“Don’t mention it, kid.” The bartender smiles at him. “I wouldn't want you to die out there out of ignorance. Though a word of advice, your enemies can very often exploit your ignorance. Not many people out there are as nice as I am, so don’t go around asking obvious questions, alright? At least show them that you’re still somewhat informed. Obvious questions like this can always be found in books.”
“Got it, my good man.” Eden says as he gulps the last beer in his cup and says farewell to the bartender.
“Excuse me, sir.” The farmer inside approaches Eden as he is walking towards the door. “I can’t help but overhear that you’re looking for work, and you look like a capable fighter. I have a message that I need to send to my brother, but he lives deep inside the woods nearby, so it might be dangerous. Can you help me deliver this message tomorrow? I’ll pay you well.”
“Sure, I can do that.” Eden turns to the farmer, who looks 10 years older than him but half a head shorter. Suddenly, Eden remembers the bartender’s warning and turns to him. The bartender understands what Eden is thinking and nods his head. “It’s fine if the work is a simple delivery.” Eden smiles happily and turns to the farmer. “So, where does your brother live?”
*****
The next morning
*****
Eden wakes up early today, excited to complete the delivery, his first job ever on his own, a real adventure that doesn’t involve wheat. A delivery will bring him no glory nor fame, yet it’s still worthwhile given the current position he’s in. The pay is good for his standard, and Lela is currently out of town, he wants to meet her before leaving, so this job will let him kill some time.
See everyone? That’s what I’m talking about. It’s me, Third by the way, miss me? This Eden guy thought that a simple message delivery for 10 copper coins is worth his time, plus risking his life going deep into the forest. There is something seriously wrong with his head...Yet somehow he still seems fun. I guess I’ll continue following him, at least until he dies soon enough anyway.
Eden arrives at his destination without much trouble. According to the farmer, his brother’s name is Stratta, and he’s a lumberjack, hence why he lives so far away.
As Eden approaches the house, he sees the door is unlocked, in it are a few words written in red: “If you want to see Stratta again, go to the cave in the Northwest alone and bring 20 silver coins. No tricks.” Eden is shocked to see this change of event, and he immediately runs towards the cave.