!Attention!
Due to his new skill Swear, I`m not censoring swearing, so be warned.
Like always *thoughts*
~sound effects~
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Chapter 07: Preparation
*Now where to start*
Thought Neuron, while looking at the map Brairan gave him, marking all the wealthy households that could be found inside town with a red circle, but he pointed out to Neuron, that he had to train so he marked other houses with a green color.
*Ok, now to start with the green ones*
He didn`t even wonder, how he chose those houses, but it was most likely that Brairan had some grudges with the owners.
Now Neuron stood behind a house using a tree that grew in the yard to hide.
Standing before him was building complex which gave lodgings for approximately 5 families; it had two stories with the target living in the attic, but he could also live on the moon, because Neuron had no possibilities of going up there.
So now Neuron was standing before that house and wondering what to do, he actually never had broken in a house, or even stolen something.
*Well first I have to gain stealth, it is needed for everything, that the public eye shouldn’t see*
“Hey Kyle you there?”
“Hmmm yeah”
“Can you help me out?”
“Ask, right away”
“How do I gain the skill stealth?”
*What, why has a archer to use stealth?*
“Well you just have to stalk a person some time and never let him find out, that he`s been followed”
“Thanks, later”
“Later”
*Ok, now I need to find a pedestrian*
He walked around town, but it was completely devoid of live
*Damn, then I have to find another way*
Thus he went around town, jumping between each shadow to practice, until he saw a person walking out a shady bar.
*There it is my little prey*
He stalked the man, but this was a hard task, because he was nervous and looking around, sometimes Neuron had to lay on the ground, pretending to be garbage. Luckily the Mantle which was made out of scraps had the bonus stealth, without that he would have been spotted right away. Fortunately it actually looked like garbage!
He followed the guy, until he arrived at a house, took out a lock pick and used it on the door.
*Good, now let’s see a thief in action*
Neuron followed him inside and saw him sneaking around, while he positioned himself near a clothes tree. The only thing he saw from that position was a dark hallway, activating the special option of the Hawk eyes he now saw the hall as if the sun was shining from outside through the window, but he couldn`t see the thief anymore.
Then finally the message came:
* Stealth: Beginner Lv1 0%
It is harder for people to notice you while this skill is active.
Stamina consumption is doubled
Quick movement and combat cancels the skill.
When the thief finally left the house, he took a quick glance at the clothe tree, “what’s that, damn the rich and their taste in fashion” he mumbled while going off, leaving Neuron standing there his heart pounding all the way to his throat.
*Whew, luckily he didn`t notice me*
He exited through the now open door, and kept his stealth skill activated, while checking the houses marked with a red circle.
None of them where an easy target, having a high fence around their yard, and some even had guardsmen stationed in front who would patrol around.
*Ok, I`m leaving the guarded houses alone for now*
After the last house he decided, that it was fruitless to try to break in without any preparation, even those houses that didn`t belong to any Nobleman, he couldn`t find a way to break in, so Neuron decided to head back to the archery.
There he made himself a makeshift bed out of all the clothes and slept till daybreak. After daybreak he started to sew, till he finally finished with those clothes around midday. But something was amiss
* Completed:
199/200
While swearing loudly he searched all the clothes and even the socks, but couldn`t find anything, then he remembered.
*Its missing, the dirty underwear is missing!! I don`t want to even touch it, and now I have to patch it! Oh, I’m so gonna enjoy my revenge*
But he was interrupted in his visions of revenge by
* Your satiety is low,
Eat something or you will die of hunger
At this he pulled out his last barley bread and chewed on it.
When he finished eating, Neuron got up, and went to Wanton’s shop, there he went in. His shop had a small sales section, but the most part of the room was occupied by a large forge.
Behind the forge Neuron could spot two doors.
“Ah I see your ogling my collection” said Warnton coming over to where Neuron stood, “what do you need from me?”
“Well I have a favor to ask”
“Alright, tell me and I’ll see what I can do”
As Warnton did feel somewhat guilty about his involvement in the training, he wanted to do Neuron a favor.
“Could you make me some barbed arrow heads?”
“Well yeah, but do you know how to attach them on the arrows?”
“No” was the meekly answer
“Alright, so how many arrows do you need?”
“About 15, I think, but I can`t pay you right now”
“That doesn`t matter, their on me”, but some tip would surely be appreciated when you’re not short of the ready anymore.”
“Thanks, will they be ready?”
“They should be ready about nightfall”
“I`m sorry to ask this, but I need one right at the moment”
“No prob, wait here, I’ll make you one soon enough”
Warnton went to the smithy, turned up the heat, and put a small iron rod inside, then he asked Neuron “which purpose shall the arrow be for?”
“Purpose? , ah yeah, it should get stuck in wood, “
“Alright” was the only reply, when it was heated up enough, Warnton t grabbed it with a huge tong and brought it to the anvil, where he hammered a part of the rod flat, and formed it into a triangular form, he then took out a chisel and brought it near the tip of that triangle and swung his hammer down to cut that part, thus making a gash, he repeated the same process at the other part of the triangle. He then put it back in the forge, and when it was glowing red he took it out again, and cut off some parts of the rod and fastened the part with the tip inside a vice, then Warnton picked up a nail, and hammering on its head, binging it deep inside the cut part of the rod, making a hole. When he was satisfied with its width he loosened the arrowhead, held it again with a tong, this time a small one, then he took an arrow and brought both to the anvil, where he REPLACEed it inside the hole, then hammered down on it, to fasten the iron around the wood of the arrow, after that he placed the arrow tip in a water bucket.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“There a well made arrow, when I may say so myself”
Neuron took it, but didn`t know what to do with it
Noticing that Neuron was insecure, he shouted identify, and showed the appearing window to him
* Barbed Arrow
Durability 5/5 Damage 4-6
If the arrow is forced out of the target it causes bleeding, and some damage
Bleeding: -10Hp/min
20 Damage
“Can I learn that too, of course I’m gonna pay you back”
“Yeah with interest” was the playful answer he got
Warnton then explained, how it was done, when
* New skill: Identify Beginner Lv1
Enables you to identify Items
Thanking Warnton many times he left the shop
*Whew, now to make some more arrows.*
Warnton was actually really grateful for the task he had gotten, because he rarely had something to do, and thus he would have made anything free of charge (for Neuron only of course), just so that he had something to do.
As soon as Neuron was near his edge he began to identify all the clothes he had gotten for his quest, it was enough, to level the skill up once.
*Ok now to training*
He took out the barbed arrow, connected with the tip, because it was the only part of the arrow that could support his weight, and then shot it towards the ceiling, aiming at a beam, of which he had confidence, that it could hold his weight; it struck the wood with a low thunk near the wall.
*that was rather loud*
After he put the bow away he materialized the Mana thread, grabbed it with both hands and put his feet against the wall trying to climb, when he was halfway up, the thread snapped
*Uh oh*
And Neuron then got to know the ground better than he ever wanted to.
* You have fallen from low altitude: -20hp
Groaning he looked at the ceiling and saw that the arrow was firmly stuck in it
*Damn, I have to go to Warnton again and ask him, if he has finished some of the arrows*
When he came back with another arrow, the instructor was standing right under the arrow examining it.
“Was that your doing?” he asked Neuron when he noticed him
“Well yeah, sorry”
At that exclamation Brairan began to have a fierce look in his eyes
*Well shit, I should have done that outside, now I`m screwed*
Before Brairan could say a word Neuron dashed out a lot of excuses, how he is sorry, didn`t think it trough, and that he would give him compensation, when he actually gets his hands on money.
But the only reaction he received was laughter.
“Ha?” was the only reaction Neuron could make, because he thought, that if this archery was his property he would be furious, enough to kick the one out who did it. But what he didn`t knew was, that in another part of the archery’s ceiling where a bunch of holes, mainly because Brairan was bored, because he had nothing to do. Well his job was tending to players needs, and teaching them how to handle bows, but because the Town was discovered quite recently, he never had something to do, it was the same for Warnton, his shop selling weapons and the likes.
Before Brairan became the archery instructor, he actually had gotten himself a name outside this city, but now his times of glory where over, he settled down in this town called Gaber, doing something he was good at. But soon boredom struck and the he laid on the ground tossing darts in the air, and making bets with Warnton when it would fall down, while doing this and other stupid things their time flew by till Neuron came into their life, and finally they weren`t bored anymore, it being like that they would have forgiven Neuron for many things.
“It’s alright, it’s alright, I don’t mind, but I wonder why you did that”
“Well, it’s for training, so I can climb houses, and enter through the windows”
“Go ahead, show me”
Neuron wondered why he was so understanding, but the only thing he could do is repeat the process, only this time he made two threads and so he climbed the wall, reaching the arrow he shot previously and trying to pull it out.
* Climbing: Beginner1
Less stamina is used to climb
Falling will hurt less
“I`m sorry but its stuck, if I remove it, there`s going to be a hole left”
“Do it, “came the reply, “and while you’re at it, remove the other arrow too”
“What, that’s like cutting the branch on where I`m sitting”
“Do it, and then try to land on your feet” he said, while watching closely
*It’s like a show for him, I bet if he had some Popcorn, he would have taken it out by now*
And really, Brairan took out some dried meat and began chewing
*Are you kidding me!?*
Neuron carefully removed the first arrow and then pondered, how he should remove the second
*Ok, nothing goes*
With that he grabbed the arrow and moved it from one side to another widening the hole, till he heard a crunch, and met the floor again.
“Tss, you should always land on your feet”
Although his voice sounded disappointed, Brairan`s eyes had a glint in them showing, that he enjoyed the show of Neuron getting up swearing and massaging his behind.
“Do that again, till you are able to land on your feet”
“Again!?”
“Yes”
Neuron was reluctant, but had to do it nonetheless, because he feared the possible revenge when the training is going to be resumed.
He repeated the process many times, but still couldn`t land on his feet, if this weren`t a game, his back would have looked like one giant bruise, but while climbing he learned something new.
One time, he couldn`t lift up his arms due to fatigue, but he was already midway up, so Neuron tried to pull himself up through willpower, well basically he imagined the mana thread being rolled up inside himself, and so climbing up the wall, like that he had both of his hands free. Thus being able to control his posture, managing to land on his feet for the first time. He repeated that action, till Neuron had confidence that he could always land on his feet.
End chapter 07
Before you guys begin pestering me how the window for those clothes he upgraded looks like^^
* Patched Shirt
Defense: 1 Durability: 5/5
This shirt was patched up by an inexperienced tailor with different colors
The patches are all over the place adding a little bit to Defense, but reducing durability
No one in their right mind would wear this, because it looks like a fool gown
I hope you like it :D