[fieldbox=Rumeus, olive, solid]
"Huh?"
Rumeus wasn't sure if Tsukikage was referring to him with the Aquarius comment, and when he was about to ask, she ran off. Soren put in his own remarks before departing as well. Finally, Keter merely gave a silent nod and left, leaving Rumeus by himself. He stood a bit in place, rubbing the back of his head, a half-hearted grin on his face.
("Well I expected as much.")
He had mixed feelings. On one hand it was a bit disappointing that none of them wanted to shop together. On the other, from checking his party, none of them had left. Rumeus was expecting at least one of them to immediately leave the party after they went to shop. It was a pleasant surprise to see that wasn't the case, though they might just do it later after they were done with shopping. He thought about his next moves. Remembering something, he checked SBO's in-game manual.
"Oh? So Skills and Arts can be grinded to an extent even in non-combat scenarios? Huh."
His thoughts then turned to getting some Arts or Skills that used Focus. After all, with such a high Focus score, it was a waste to not utilize it. Also, he thought about selling his horn and using the mysterious stones he had.
With those objectives in mind, he headed west.
[Smithy]
The first shop he entered was the Smithy, as it was the closest to him. He had no idea where to find the relevant stores so he decided to go and ask the owner.
"Hey, where can I get…"
After consulting with the man, Rumeus thanked him and headed to the library.
[Library]
After he entered, he greeted the library's owner.
"Hi, do you happen to have any Arts or Skills that use Focus?"
The blonde haired girl who had a ponytail, a robe, and some glasses on her face looked up at Rumeus, adjusting her glasses for a moment.
"We do have both Art and Skill Books that utilize the Focus Sense. Are you looking for Mystical or are you going for more physical and / or mental abilities?"
Whether or not she was an NPC was uncertain, but she seemed to be asking him questions nonetheless.
"Umm…"
Rumeus hesitated to answer as he thought about her question, still thinking that she was nothing but an NPC.
"Well let's see the Mystical and mental abilities first. I'm interested in the physical side, but only if it involves speed or dodging stuff… Though I doubt that something that uses Focus would involve those attributes…"
Rumeus trailed off and waited for her response.
"Alright, for Mystical... if you are an Ether user then we do have the Focus Ether Art, which augments your Ether Abilities. As for mental..."
She began to think for a moment, before pulling out a thick tone from behind her counter, opening it up, and swiping her finger through the air, most likely scrolling through some windows.
"All I can see is the Focus Mind Art in stock, which temporarily gives a small Cunning boost at the expense of draining your Endurance. Are any of those what you had in mind, or were you looking for something else in particular? Like if you are a Magic User perhaps?"
"Hmm…"
Rumeus was a little disappointed in the lack of selection. Though he assumed it was because he was just a new player and as such certain Skills and Arts were unavailable to him.
"Well, can I see the Focus Ether Art? I'm interested to see how that works. I'm not a Magic User, more of an Ether Art one. I assume they are different from the way you've phrased things."
"Yes they are different".
She pulled out another heavy book and flipped it open, finding just the spot in the window she needed, before sliding her finger along the air towards Rumeus, a window now appearing before him.
[fieldbox= Focus Ether, blue, solid]
Focus Ether (Rank 9)
Requirements: Focus, Ether Affinity, Attunement 10
Cost: 10 Soul + 5 Endurance + 5 Endurance/Minute
Arts DL: 68
You focus on your connection to your type of Ether, focusing your mind on that and channeling your willpower into pouring more power from this connection. This extremely stressful Art allows you to strengthen your Ether abilities using your Focus. While this Art is active, your Ether Affinity Scores are increased by 2 + 20% SR. [/fieldbox]
"Is this Art to your satisfaction?"
"Ugh."
The biggest factor here was the Endurance cost. With his pitifully low Endurance this Art was pretty worthless. And he had no intention on increasing it, unless this game proved to be impossible to do with a low Endurance build.
"Not really. Do you happen to have anything else or is this all?"
Rumeus hoped there was something more; if not, he would head towards the next location, the Mystic's Shop.
The shopkeeper had no idea that Rumeus had such pitiful Endurance. If she knew, she would have recommended Endurance Boost or investing EXP into Endurance. But she didn't know that, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to recommend more Endurance anyway. While Rumeus didn't know this, almost every player in the game recommended raising Endurance. All the time.
"Hmmm... well I do have others, but it depends upon what your levels in Soul and Endurance are. Focus Arts/Skills are stressful on the mind and body, so they do consume Endurance and, if they are mystical, Soul. If you are low on either, perhaps investing in those may be beneficial before you use your EXP in any other way, Endurance is especially and most incredibly vital given how fast and hard hitting some enemies can be".
She seemed a bit apologetic and was curious as to the reason why this one didn't work.
"Hmm…"
Rumeus felt a bit conflicted. It seemed that Endurance was a vital stat, more so than what he expected if what the NPC saying was true.
"I see. Well my Endurance is low, so I'd prefer a Focus Art or Skill that uses only Soul. Do you have that?"
"How low is your Endurance?" She asked, before looking him over for a moment. "Wow... that's really low..." She spoke, in a hushed, yet surprised tone.
"How long have you been playing? You do realize that with Endurance that low there is no way you can last that long right?"
So... she wasn't an NPC apparently? Since she said 'how long have you been playing', using words that game AI would not say.
"I am sorry to say that there are no Focus Arts or Skills though that use just Soul, at least not at a beginner level anyway. I definitely recommend putting some EXP into Endurance though as soon as you can... or you won't survive for much longer".
"Hmm…"
Rumeus missed the obvious clue that the woman wasn't an NPC, his thoughts elsewhere.
"I understand. Well, thank you. I might be back later after I think about it some more."
With that, Rumeus headed towards the Mystic's Shop.
[Mystic's Shop]
The Mystic's Shop was back at the Market District, since he had to go a bit away from the Market District to get to the Library.
The Mystic's Shop seemed to have dimmed lights and was filled with glows in a myriad of colors. There was a few shelves that lined the walls, some parts filled with books others with a few scrolls. Display cases also filled the floors and lined the walls. Vials, gems, shards, and stones of various colors and sizes, a couple of weapons here and there hung on the walls.
The shopkeeper here was not a man... well... it was a man. But he had silverish hair, a fair, long slightly pointed face, deep green eyes, was quite tall and... had long, pointed ears. They definitely weren't human ears that was for sure.
As he saw Rumeus walk in, he gave a friendly hello from behind his counter across the store. "Welcome friend, to the Mystic's Getaway. How may I help you?" Asked the obviously elfin man.
As Rumeus was walking towards the shop, he reflected on the conversation and felt something was off. But before that could be realized, he was already at the Mystic's Shop.
"Ah, hello. I was told this was where I could get Ether-related stuff. Can I see what you've got for Brown Ether?"
A thought came to his head.
"Oh yeah, what can I get for these items? Do these stones do anything or…?"
Rumeus took out everything from his inventory but the key.
("Huh, there are elf races in the game. Well, I've heard The New Gate had races too, so it's not that surprising.")
When Rumeus took out everything, apparently willing to sell these things, the man looked over them. He sort of just glanced at the vials and horn for a moment, his eyes lingering more on the Anti-Shadow Ore and the Blank Runestone.
"Hmm... unfortunately Runestones is not my area of expertise. I would recommend asking the proprietor of the Magic Shop first. As for this," he now gestured to the Anti-Shadow Ore, "is... Anti-Shadow Ore if I am not mistaken. Quite a rare find. I would recommend taking this to a Blacksmith, for they would have more use for it than I. As for these Soul restorative potions... I can give you 2,500 Essence a piece for them, but I would recommend hanging onto them. As for..."
The elf had a somewhat more dismissive look on the horn that Rumeus had presented, not much caring for it apparently.
"This... I would recommend taking it to the Apothecary or the Magic Emporium. It has little use here".
He then moved to one of the shelves with a bit of stride and swiftness to his step. He was a rather graceful individual.
"Now for your purpose on Ether, it is a pleasure to see a user of Brown Ether. Not too many of them these days. I should have a couple of Tomes to suit your skills".
He eventually grabbed three books, bringing them to the counter and gesturing Rumeus over. "I have these for you, these should suit you as an up and rising Ether user. Feel free to examine them at your leisure".
Of course, examining them really just meant picking them up and touching their covers.
[fieldbox= Earthen Hand, brown, dashed]
Earthen Hand (Rank 9)
Requirements: 13 Attunement, Ability to learn Rank 9 Brown Ether Arts.
Cost: 20 Soul
You utilize Brown Ether to make a connection to the ground beneath you, making it pull up a stony hand to grab an opponent and hold them in place by their ankles.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox= Stone Skin, brown, dashed]
Stone Skin (Rank 10)
Requirements: 10 Attunement, 8 Might, Brown Ether Affinity
Cost: 15 Soul + 10 Soul/Minute
You utilize your connection to Brown Ether and flow it into your skin, making it as hard as stone. This protects you from harm, but slows you down as your body becomes heavier.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox= Brown Ether Increase, brown, dashed]
Brown Ether Increase (Rank 10) (EXP Cost: 3)
Requirements: Attunement 20, Brown Ether Affinity 5
This special Skill increases your connection to Brown Ether, strengthening your abilities, at the cost of your Soul as you pour more of your Soul into this connection.
Passive: +1 Brown Ether Affinity
Active (Passive): Your Brown Ether Abilities cost 5 Soul more, but are 10% stronger
[/fieldbox]
"Are these satisfactory? I can keep looking if you like, or you are free to purusing our selection of Ether related abilities yourself".
"I see…"
He was a bit disappointed that the rare items couldn't be utilized here, as it would cut down his shopping time if he could get it all done in one go. But he guessed that Sagittarius would have told him if it were possible to do at other locations in the first place.
He was surprised that some items couldn't be sold. Would he get a different price depending on the place too? How intriguing.
"Ah, thank you."
Rumeus took a look at the tomes. Once again, he was a bit disappointed at the selection. Still, he supposed it was asking a bit too much to have a bunch of cool spells right from the start.
"I am interested in this 'Brown Ether Increase'. It mentions that it costs Soul, but doesn't have any specifics. Does it permanently decrease my Soul or is it temporary? And yes, I apologize but I suppose I will have to trouble you with finding other tomes. If it helps any, I'm looking for things that fit a speedy mage sort of playstyle. This 'Stone Skin' is quite appealing except for the speed drop… Anyways, I'm a new character that just cleared the Forest of Souls. My stats are basically all low except for my Quick and Attunement, which are at 20. So if you have something like that it would be a great help."
"It just means that your Brown Ether Arts will use 5 more Soul than normal, not that you will lose 5 Soul upon using them. If you do not have a lot already, then I do recommend increasing it".
Then came Rumeus' talk about his preferred playstyle.
"Well if it is Magic you are looking for, then you will have to go to the Magic Emporium. Of course" he chuckled, "I assume by Mage you just mean Mystic, or one who uses Ether. I am sure you'll get used to the difference eventually".
"Unfortunately..." He scratched his chin for a moment as he looked Rumeus over for a few moments, "If you are trying to put more emphasis on your speed, then I am afraid you have chosen the wrong Ether type. Brown Ether is the Ether of Earth. The element of stability, protection, and defense. If you are trying to emphasize speed, then you should have gone for Silver".
He grabbed the two that Rumeus was disinterested in and returned them back to the shelf. "While there is nothing wrong with emphasizing a single ability, I would like to mention that is is incredibly unlikely that you can go through an entire life without getting hit once. AOE Attacks, opponents who are faster, and other such things will most likely be things you come across and with your Endurance so low... You will not last too long".
Sagitarius had said the same thing basically. That with such a low Endurance that he was basically jumping right into death's arms.
"This game isn't like other RPGs" again, saying the word 'game', showing that he was a player. "While you don't have to focus purely on Endurance, it will only be advantageous to increase it. After all, while 20 Quick is certainly impressive, it can't protect you from everything you encounter. I do recommend investing in both Endurance and, if you don't want to a lot of EXP into it, abilities that can protect you."
He now began to scan the shelves once again, soon those pointy ears of his perking up slightly as he removed yet another book from the shelf.
"Ah, here we are". He walked back over, placing the tome on the counter in front of Rumeus again next to the Brown Ether Increase book. If Rumeus examined this one, he would see the following window appear.
[fieldbox= Stone Shards, brown, dashed]
Stone Shards (Rank 10)
Requirements: Brown Ether Affinity 5, Attunement 10
Cost: 15 Soul + 10/Minute
You utilize the power of Brown Ether to make shards of Brown Ether float around you. Your Defense is increased for each shard you have and for the size of the shards.
[/fieldbox]
"This is the only one I can find that would fit your aimed for style while also boosting your defensive capabilities, but I still recommend that you invest in more Endurance and boosts to your Defense through other means as well".
"I see…"
Was all Rumeus said when Claus clarified the Art's ability. Then, Claus mentioned the difference between Mystic and Magic.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Heheh… 'Mystic,' I'll keep that in mind."
Then came the part about where Earth was not meant for speed, but Silver.
"Oh, is that so? Ah, that's a shame…"
Rumeus was trying to imitate a character from a manga he enjoyed. He was about to explain it to the elf, but realized it would be a bit strange to talk about such things when he probably wouldn't get it. Then came the lengthy explanation.
"Hoh…?"
He was a bit startled that with just the info he gave the elf, he was able to come up with an insightful response.
"Ahah, I was just planning on having maybe one defensive ability while prioritizing Quick. I doubt I'll raise my Attunement any longer. Though my damage might end up a bit lacking, I'm trying to be a spammy low damage consistent damage dealer, not a burst mage with flashy spells. As for opponents that will be faster than me, I wasn't planning on going to any high level areas just yet. Probably just spam Skills and Senses and such in the Forest till I feel comfortable enough. I didn't even realize you had to say Skills out loud to activate them! I missed many an opportunity back there to use my Dodge skill... "
Though Rumeus should have realized it by now, it seemed like there was something like an inviolable rule in his head. A shopkeeper in a town like this could not be anything but an NPC. All the RPGs he played so far had NPCs running the shops in towns while there was a free market area for players to buy and sell.
When the elf found something and gave it to him, Rumeus grinned in delight.
"Wow, this is perfect! Let me just check something…"
He opened up his status window and examined his Arts.
"Oh, this 'Dirt Cloud'..."
Rumeus wondered if he could trade one Art for another, but discarded the thought soon after. This might be useful in a pinch, and along with this new Art he was going to get, it should help him survive the first few levels.
"Nevermind. Anyways, you've been a great help. I'd like to buy the 'Stone Shards', and I'd like to hear your name. I'm Rumeus."
Rumeus extended his hand for a handshake as he smiled. He had no idea of what customs elves had, but he hoped that they weren't offended by a handshake.
"My name is Claus. Its nice to meet you too." He shook Rumeus' hand, before grabbing the two books that Rumeus had been interested in and stacking the two up.
"Are you still interested in Brown Ether Increase as well, or just Stone Shards?" Claus would have probably said something if he knew that this player thought that he was an NPC, but Claus had no idea that Rumeus thought of him as just an NPC, so nothing was said.
"If its just Stone Shards, then that will be 3,500 Essence. Otherwise both books will come to a total of 8,000 Essence. Will that be all, or would you like some other Items perhaps?"
"Ah, just the Stone Shards please. Here you go."
Rumeus handed over the Essence and received the book in return.
"Other items huh…?"
Rumeus thought about that for a few moments.
"Well it wouldn't hurt I guess."
As Rumeus saw the various items the shopkeeper had to offer, he asked the man a few questions.
"Can you give me the specifics on this 'Large Ether Shard'? What would happen if I used it on my Skill 'Dodge'? And this Ether Gem as well…"
"A Large Ether Shard, depending on the Color, will enhance a Skill with that form of Ether if held in hand. Naturally some abilities are more compatible with others. So for Dodge... I would probably recommend a Silver Shard. A Large Ether Shard, since it has a good number of uses, is priced around 50,000 Essence".
He then looked at the Ether Gem.
"An Ether Gem is like an Ether Stone, which enhances your Ether Abilities of that kind of Ether, while also enhancing any compatible Skills utilizing Ether. As I mentioned before, Skills involving movement or speed are better off with Silver Ether. I do have the Sense Book for Silver Ether Affinity if you are interested, although again..." He scratched the back of his head.
"I am not trying to tell you how to play, but take it from me, as I have been a Player in this game since its inception, there is no way you can go without getting hit, as all it takes is one slip up. Even weaker enemies will knock you out in one hit with your level of Endurance and Resilience, and if they manage to deal enough damage to knock you to -9 Endurance, then you are dead. So, and I am sure a good number of other people may have told you this already, but increasing Endurance is something I immensely recommend."
At this point, with the man explicitly saying he has been a player in this game, there had to be no way that Rumeus would be unable to recognize the fact that the Elf was a player. Unless AI had recently become self-aware, then this man was definitely a player, who was trying to advise Rumeus on how to survive longer in this game.
"Hmm…"
Rumeus slowly digested the information. Though the elf recommended a Silver Shard, Rumeus desired to be an Earth Ether user in order to keep up the imitation. Water would be fine as well, but Silver… He hesitated. On one hand he was already stretching it by going for a speedy mage type. If he recalled correctly, the character in question wasn't speedy. But in order for him to be satisfied playing SBO as a bullet hell/shoot 'em up game, that compromise had to be made. One more exception wouldn't hurt would it?
The man then explained the capabilities of the Ether Gem. Rumeus listened to it while trying to come to a decision. Then the man told Rumeus some tips on the game.
"I see, you're the third person to tell me to raise my Endurance…"
Rumeus sighed.
"It's really impossible to play SBO as a bullet hell sort of game huh? How disappointing… Maybe I should have invested into Endurance instead if Quick wasn't going to be useful… This isn't Dark Souls huh…? Ahhhhhh, how frustrating..."
Rumeus reflected on the man's words while scratching his head in irritation, then finally noticed. A look of realization dawned on his face, then was replaced with a quizzical look.
"Waitwaitwaitwait, did you say you were a player? You're not an NPC? How are you running a shop in the town and not in some market place bazaar area? How are you an elf? There was no option for races in character selection? Is it something that you can change later with the Reincarnation system? Are all the shopkeepers in this town players? How do you even own a shop here, can you buy one? How-"
Rumeus stopped himself. He didn't want to come across as too annoying, though it may have been too late for that. He couldn't help himself though, this revelation was too surprising.
Claus' face seemed to have an expression of surprise on it as Rumeus thought that he was an NPC. He then gave off a laugh, having to take a few moments to compose himself before he took in a few breaths, trying to catch it after laughing for about five seconds.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just... been awhile since someone asked that". He breathed out, then in, giving Rumeus a patient smile. "Well it's understandable how you thought I was an NPC. But SBO is in a somewhat newer genre of RPGs, aside from it being Virtual. It's known as a Player Built World. We, the players, can change and affect the world in various ways. There are no '500 chosen ones' or '213 people who match the description of the prophecy'. Once it happens, it happens."
He then thought for a few moments. "As for how I am running this store. Well... I own it actually. Most of the stores, except for the Bakery perhaps, are owned by Players. I don't run it all of the time, but I do run the store whenever I decide to grind my less combative and more crafting based abilities."
He then pointed to his ears. "As for these. Yes, I am an Elf. There are five Races in this game and you do gain the ability to reincarnate as one of them. You even get a Racial Trait based on your Race that gives you some abilities. Humans have one as well, but you don't get it unless you Reincarnate as a Human a second time." So there was more to the Reincarnation system, apparently, then just rebuilding your character. There was also the option to become a different one of the five Races as well.
"As for Quick. Quick is immensely useful. The problem is, you are only putting your abilities into two categories. There is nothing wrong with this, but you have to balance your character and find ways to compensate for your weaknesses. Right now, your weakness is that it will take one hit to kill you. If that is the case, right now, put any EXP you have into Endurance and Resilience to boost them up. Then you can start focusing on your main abilities." It was a bit of a long explanation, but the way Claus said it made it sound like he was used to teaching people these types of things.
"Essentially, in SBO, you have to learn how to balance yourself. Nothing wrong with focusing on a main style, after all Quick is very useful as is dodging, but you always need to take into account that you won't always be able to dodge everything. Nothing wrong with focusing on Quick so you will be less likely to get hit and Earth Ether, but put some points into Endurance and Resilience so that you can boost your survival chances in the event that you do get hit as right now... it really would only take one hit to defeat you".
"Does that make sense?"
Rumeus wasn't miffed about Claus' laughing, as it was an understandable response.
"Hoooh… Give me some time to process this, sorry."
Rumeus kept quiet as he thought about the various things Claus said. Clear-water could actually be a player-made town and not an already made one? The players could have created the buildings, the water… The ramifications of this were entertaining, to say the least.
("Maybe I would have gone for some non-combat skills if I knew it could be like this…")
Claus didn't mention how much it cost to own a store, but Rumeus wasn't that bothered about it. For one, he probably didn't have the skills nor the Essence necessary. Second, he just hit Claus with a barrage of questions; it wouldn't have been surprising to have missed a few by accident. The tidbit about the Bakery was a bit interesting, but not enough for Rumeus to inquire about the finer details.
The Races though, caught his attention. Five races… Rumeus guessed two were the Elves and Human races, but what about the other three? Orcs, goblins, and kobolds?
("No, definitely has to be a dragon race, isn't there…?")
Still, it seemed to be a bit low. Didn't The New Gate have more races? He wasn't entirely sure. All Rumeus knew about The New Gate was the basics. He had never played it, but looked through it out of curiosity because of the death game.
Then, Claus brought up his stats. The weakness brought upon his build was one that Rumeus knew from the start. He just assumed that the combat in SBO was similar to one of his old games, Dark Souls, where it was possible to clear the game on a min-max build. All of the attacks in the game were able to be dodged with good timing on a roll or prediction.
("Well, I should address him now…")
Rumeus cleared his throat before speaking.
"I appreciate all the words you have given me. It was very useful information. Though, I am curious about what the other races are, let's leave that aside for now. I would like to talk about the stat part of your talk. I see your perspective, but I disagree with the part about balance. If you try to be a jack-of-all-trades, you will be a master of none. I don't know if this holds true for SBO, but in most of the RPGS I've played, it was better to focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. A warrior with high INT stat was pretty worthless, and a mage with high STR stat was as well. A mage who is going to be in the back having a high HP stat is pointless too, since it's the frontline's job on taking hits. Likewise, a tank having low HP is pointless for that same reason. I understand the need for some Endurance, since dying is pretty troublesome for this game. However, I have heard from various sources that this game only grants EXP through challenging tasks. If I want to quickly gain EXP, I would think it's better for me to carry such a risk of dying in one shot. And I'm not in so much danger as a melee combatant, as I can attack from a range."
Rumeus rubbed his nose.
"And there's also the fact that it is more useful to spend EXP on the Main Stats than the Special ones, since the main ones cost more after character creation. That is, if I read the manual correctly. So it's better for me to invest in Endurance later. Again, if I remember what the manual said. Though as you might be able to tell, I really don't want to put points in Endurance. As I'm trying to do SBO like a bullet hell/shoot 'em up style game. Unrealistic I know, but isn't gaming about unrealistic expectations? Hah. Well, I'm not eloquent as others, so I apologize if I sound like I'm rambling. I just want to give you my perspective on things so you don't think I'm just some guy that did my build with no thought behind it."
Rumeus then smiled.
"Well, thanks for listening. I hope you're not too offended, I wasn't trying to be. I may have misunderstood what you said, so I'll apologize in advance."
"Right now one EXP gives 3 points in Endurance or Soul right now, so even five points could give you 15 and give you a slight cushion, but I do get what you mean about challenge. Being able to be killed in one hit is a challenge" he just chuckled lightly.
"And you did not offend me, as I should also not be telling you how to build your character since your character should indeed be something you enjoy. And while I do agree with your deal on balance, increasing one's Survival chances is different than increasing abilities you do not need, but enough on this".
He decided to move on to what the Races were. "The five main Races are Humans, Elves, Fae, Beastkin, and Siphons. Elves are particularly skilled with Ether while Fae are good at Magic. Beastkin are quite strong, Siphons' while very hard to become and thus rare; have strong souls. Humans are all around balanced".
Then he looked to the wall. "And if you want to do more of a shooter type game, have you considered potentially investing in an Ether Gun?"
"Thank you Claus. I understand your view though. I'll probably put some points in Endurance as a buffer anyways since so many veterans have advised me, though it's a shame... And an 'Ether Gun'...? May I ask about the details?"
"Ether Guns draw the Ether from Ether Stones, Gems, and Crystals and are capable of firing it out as concentrated shots. They are rather useful for those who have abilities that involve passively manipulating Ether, or those who have a lot of passive bonuses towards handling Ether".
He gestured towards the wall now, where what appeared to be two flintlock pistols was hanging on the wall, only instead on the back of them was an empty square shaped protrusion, most likely meant to fit an Ether Stone or something along those lines.
"Of course, you do have to maintain them like regular Firearms and they do have Cooldowns. They are able to somewhat scale with your abilities unlike regular firearms, but Ether and Magic Guns are not as hard to dodge as regular Firearms. You will need to learn how to wield Firearms and grow more proficient in Ether first before you learn how to use it. This will also involve boosting your Finesse and Cunning a bit, since both of those are needed for Firearms".
So they seemed rather useful, being able to fire Ether projectiles. They did seem to have their disadvantages of course and would take a while to get, but it was still something to consider for the future perhaps for Rumeus' desire to be a shooter.
"Hmm, but what's the difference between using this and firing off a typical Earth Bullet? And what's this cooldown you mentioned?"
Rumeus was a bit skeptical of the firearm. One thing that most RPGs taught him was that firearms were bad. It was better to be a mage or an archer if one wanted to go the ranged route. And from hearing what Claus said, he would have to invest in Finesse and Cunning, two stats that seemed inefficient to invest in.
"Well Ranged Attacks fall into four categories. The first is Throwing. These involve throwing weapons and some mystical attacks that need to be thrown. More accurate from slightly close up, not from point blank. Then you have Missile attacks. Bows, crossbows, and most mystical projectile Art/Skills fall into this category. These are quite accurate from close and mid range distances, not apt for point blank though". Most of what he was saying was in the guide in the beginning, but it was nice hearing it explained from a veteran player anyway.
"Firearms, even though they do have a plethora of problems, are extremely hard to dodge due to how fast they are. Mystic Firearms, however; aren't as hard to dodge as Firearms, but are a bit harder to dodge than Missile attacks. So essentially they are a bit easier to hit with and can somewhat scale with your Ether abilities". So essentially, judging from this, Mystic Firearms seemed a small bit better than regular Firearms in some categories.
"Of course Mystic Firearms, while you don't have to worry about reloading after every shot and risks of jamming, you still need to worry about Malfunctions and Cooldown. After every shot the gun needs some time to Cool Down. You can still fire it during its Cooldown, but each shot you fire during the Cooldown gives it a higher chance of malfunctioning until you let it completely cool down. If it Malfunctions then the gun becomes unusable until you can properly repair it outside of combat. So from this, Mystic Firearms can be better of a main strategy than regular, but with Mystic Firearms you want to have some backup means. Still, they are rather useful".
That seemed to be a rather lengthy explanation, but again Claus seemed to be used to giving these explanations.
"Any questions?"
"Hmm…"
Once again, Rumeus took some time to think. He came to a conclusion.
"Thank you for the explanation. It's a bit unfortunate, since you gave such a detailed explanation, but I think I will pass on the Ether Gun for now. Though I may be a bit more inaccurate without it, I'm aiming for quantity not quality after all. And I would have to put points into Cunning and Finesse. Well, I guess I will take my leave here. I might come back if I have enough Essence after my other shopping stops... Ah, that's right."
Rumeus opened up his menu and sent a friend request to Claus. With a smile, Rumeus bid Claus farewell and headed towards the Magic Shop.
[Magic Emporium]
He would show the shopkeeper his items, and ask, just like he did with Claus, what he could get for them. He was interested to see if the prices he could get for the items differed from shop to shop.
Grimrock currently was reading his book, flipping through the pages as she at first idly glanced at what Rumeus had placed on the counter. "The Horn I'll give you 3,000 for, the Soul Potions 2,500 for, and..." He then saw the Anti-Shadow Ore and the Blank Stone that Rumeus took out and raised his eyebrow. "So that guy was right after all..." Muttered the androgynous mage as she gazed at the two apparently rare items.
"Well that Anti-Shadow Ore can be forged into a special item that can help bump up the areas you are weak in, one that will grow stronger as you do. The other," he now gestured towards the Runestone, "Is a blank Soul Rune. Something that, if it's like the one your other friends have brought me, has something a bit more special to it that I can't identify. Basically," Grimrock began, almost as if he has had to explain this multiple times and has grown a small bit tired of it and was almost dumbfounded at how these rare items were just in the hands of multiple new players.
"Soul Runes are special Items that, when engraved with a Rune, can give you a special Skill that can be equipped or held in your inventory when you don't want it equipped. When Equipped, it can never be stolen. The Skill will usually have multiple functions... so while weak at first, it can become pretty powerful". She just idly examined the Rune now, having seen more than one already apparently.
"For those two, the Ore and the Rune, i'll give 450,000 Essence to you, if you are up for that offer".
An incredible offer for those last two items, which were supposedly very rare and very powerful, or could become very powerful at the least. He could either take the large bit of cash, and potentially never see those rare items again, or have some rare items that could become rather powerful.
"...?"
Rumeus was curious what the shopkeeper meant by "that guy", but not enough to ask. The air was cleared when Grimrock explained further.
("Ah, one of them then huh…?")
"I see… Unfortunately, I will have to decline on that offer. Though I will sell you the horn."
Though the Essence was tempting, these items were probably hard to come by; he figured it was better to use the items. After selling the horn and receiving the Essence, Rumeus asked a question.
"So how can I get a Rune engraving? And for the Anti-Shadow Ore I have to go to the Blacksmith, correct?"
Though Rumeus didn't distrust Claus, he wanted to verify what Claus said was correct. After all, these characters weren't NPCs, but fallible humans.
("Now that I think about it, isn't it a bit stupid to hold onto this item that a woman who almost killed me gave to me? It could have some sort of curse on it, couldn't it? This person couldn't identify what was up with it either…")
With that new perspective in mind, Rumeus thought again about the offer.
("Ehh.")
He shrugged his shoulders. If it were cursed, he would find out when the time came.
"Yes. You need to take the Ore to the Smithy. Gemkil should be able to make you something nice with it. As for the Rune. First take it to the Soul Temple. There speak with a man with a gem in his forehead named Calios, and he should be able to assist you in the first step". She then looked at the potions and horn now, gesturing to them with one of his fingers. "Are you still interested in selling any of these other items?"
"Ok. As for the other items, I will hold onto them."
With that, Rumeus headed to the Soul Temple.
[Soul Temple]
With at least the horn being sold, it was time to head to the Soul Temple.
Calios noticed Rumeus enter, his glowing blue eyes looking over the young adventurer as he entered. His silver hair, which shimmered with a soft, blue light, seemed to either be obscuring his ears or hiding the fact that he had none. He had a light blue gem upon his forehead which was the center point for the intricate tattoos upon his face.
When he spoke, the man's mouth would move, but Rumeus would hear no words. Instead a window appeared in front of him.
"Hello, welcome to the Soul Temple. I am Calios, Head Priest here. How may I help you?"
"Woah? Are you an NPC? What's with this textbox window?!"
Rumeus shook his head.
"Uhh, sorry that was a bit rude wasn't it? I'm Rumeus, and I'm guessing you are Calios. I was told to come here for you to work on this Rune…"
Rumeus took out the Rune and showed it to Calios.
"No I am not an NPC. I am a player, as are most of the shopkeepers in Clear-Water. As for the Rune, yes, I can prepare it to be engraved here, if you would hand it to me".
That text box appeared once again as Calios held out his hand.
Once Rumeus said whatever and handed him the Rune, Calios would walk Rumeus through the entryway that had the words Soul Binding above it. He would then ask Rumeus a rather simple question.
"When preparing this Rune you must make a choice, to determine the general category of this Skill. Will you choose Body, Mind, Ether, or Magic".
"Huh…"
Rumeus just assumed that Calios was roleplaying as a character instead of the textbox being a characteristic of a race.
"For the Skill I'm guessing the specific details are unknown until it happens? It's not possible to choose a Skill that utilizes Quick? And what does 'Mind' mean?"
The textbox appeared again as Calios once again spoke.
"Grimrock, when you return the Rune to him, will give you more specifics upon the symobls you can engrave, but Quick is one of them. Mind means abilities that utilize your will, focus,knowledge, and/or concentration in some way. Essentially, as the word implies, your Mind".
"I see… Well, I'll choose Quick then. And what does this place do? Like it's called the 'Soul Temple' so I'm guessing stuff about Soul? What do you sell here?"
"We sell services. You can set up a Siphon Point at our Grand Siphon Stone, which serves as a Teleportation, Revival, and Reincarnation point. You can also Soul Bind Items so that they will come after death or Reincarnation. Finally, we can prepare you for a much better Reincarnation, but that third option will not be available until you acquire 100 EXP".
He then thought for a moment.
"Oh, and we also can give you more Soul, for the exchange of goods and services on your part as well. So we do sell Soul technically".
As he explained this, Calios took the Runestone that Rumeus had given to him and walked into the Soul Binding Room, gesturing for Rumeus to follow. Upon entering this room one would see a very large stone table at the center of it, the wall to the north having a bookshelf upon it and the walls to the east and west being completely bare and smooth.
That was, until he went to the western wall and touched a spot on it, the gem on his head shimmering for just a moment before a compartment opened, from which he pulled out a small satchel of powder. He took that back to the table and placed the rune on the center of it.
Now the gem on Calios' head shimmered as he sprinkled the powder on the Rune, both it and the table shining with a blue light for a few moments before it dimmed. The once grey Runestone was now a sky blue color.
He then procured the Runestone from the table, walked back to the wall, and pulled a small phial with a tiny bit of powder in it from a different compartment, handing both it and the now blue Runestone to him.
"This is a gift. Take this Phial to the Spring in the next room, fill it with the water, swish it around for several long seconds, and then drink its contents. It shall give you a temporary blessing when you do".
With that said and done, he decided to ask one more thing.
"Is there any other way I can help you?"
"No, I think I'm fine for now. Thank you for the assistance and the vial."
With that Rumeus took the vial and followed Calios' directions, but did not drink it. Instead he put it in his knapsack.
("If this is a temporary buff, I should use it during a boss fight or something and not waste it in a town area.")
Then, Rumeus headed towards the Magic Emporium where Grimrock was, Runestone and vial in his knapsack.
[Magic Emporium]
"Hey I'm back. Calios told me you would work on this Rune…"
Grimrock looked at the Rune, before she then put a large tome upon the table. "Choose a Runic Symbol from this book that is a single word. This shall determine the more specific aspects of the Skill that the Rune has. Once you have chosen, I will go through what the final steps are."
"Ah, I'll choose Quick."
Then, just like what happened with Tsukikage, Grimrock informed Rumeus of what he had to do and that the final price was 25,000 Essence which he didn't need to pay right away.
"Well I'll be off to the blacksmith then. Thanks for the help."
Rumeus then went to the Smithy, the place he had already stopped by first to ask for directions.
[Smithy]
"Hey again. I heard this Anti-Shadow Ore could be made into something… Also do you happen to know or sell robes? I noticed that there's armor and stuff but haven't noticed any robes anywhere..."
"Ah, another one eh". Gemkil looked up from his anvil as yet another bearer of Anti-Shadow showed up. Gemkil would explain to Rumeus the properties of Anti-Shadow ore and that the amount he had could be made into a small weapon, a pendant that he could enhance once, or a ring that he could enhance twice. The final price, if Gemkil was allowed to keep a small bit, was 32,000 Essence.
"Well I do have Padded Armor laddie, but indeed Robes aren't actually armor. You may be able to get robes with Runes or other such mystical stuffs woven into them that can grant protection, or some other such mystical garments, but there are no robes that grant actual armor, at least not that can be easily acquired anyway. The closest thing I can give ya is Padded Armor. It isn't too great, but its Armor Penalty is really low. I did have a Leather Jerkin that was enhanced to have no Armor Penalty, but someone came before ya and bought it, unfortunately. I believe it was one of yer other party members."
Rumeus was unphased as Gemkil mentioned that one of his other party members stopped by. It wasn't anything surprising after all.
"Well, I figured as much. Do you know any places that have robes? As for the Anti-Shadow ore… Well I guess I'll get a ring that increases Endurance if it's useful for things I'm weak in."
"Aye. If you're weak in Endurance, then it'll probably increase your Endurance laddy. Its exact abilities depend upon you when you first equip the Item. I just make the Item, it's you who determines what it does in the end laddy".
Rumeus handed him the Ore, and Gemkil pocketed it along with the other Anti-Shadow ores he has received so far.
"Unfortunately I do not laddy. If you are just looking for a fashion statement, you can go to the town's Tailor to get ya some nice Robes, but they won't do anything. If you want Robes that actually do something well... I doubt yer wallet could even put a dent in the price of something like that".
At this he gave a joking chuckle. This meant that, unfortunately, robes that gave protection were a bit far away.
"Any other questions laddy?"
"Ah, darn. Guess I'll make do with these shabby robes for now then."
His aspiration to look and imitate that character were still far off it seemed. Well, it wasn't like the character was like that from the beginning either, so in a way it was a bit quaint.
Rumeus thought about the ring after that brief disappointment.
"Wait, would a locket be better for that then? It seems like the ring is better since you said it could be enhanced twice over the locket's one, so is there any benefit to the locket? Or is it only possible to wear one locket at a time?"
"Amulets are generally stronger since ya can only wear one of them and their effects are usually better. Downside is that they are a bit harder to Enhance than rings are. So if ya want something that is stronger, but will take a longer time to develop and you can only wear one of, you should get the pendant. If ya want something that you can wear multiples of and enhance a little more easily, then you should get the ring laddie".
"I see. Does this necklace count as an amulet?"
Rumeus pointed to the necklace around his neck.
"If so then I'll take the ring. It's a shame but if I already have an amulet a ring would be more suitable."
"Aye laddie. Necklaces, pendants, lockets, and other such things fall into the amulet category, so you can only wear one of them. If you want a ring though, then I'll happily make ya one laddie. It should be done in a couple of hours. I do have other orders to take care of after all". The man gave a hearty laugh.
"Is there anything else I can do for ya?"
"No sir. I'll leave it in your care then. Ah, I would like to pay upfront. I hate delayed payments, and you never know if something bad might happen. I have nothing else to use this Essence for anyhow, and you're going to be working on it without pay first so here is the Essence. I am Rumeus. And you are… Gemkil, correct? Grimrock told me."
Rumeus was willing to pay for it right now unlike the case with Grimrock since the actual work in Grimrock's case wouldn't be started till after Rumeus completed a dungeon. After handing over the Essence, Rumeus extended his hand for a handshake. It hurt him a bit, as his Might stat was low. Gemkil adjusted his strength though, fortunately enough; otherwise Rumeus may have needed another green potion. He thanked Gemkil and took his leave. He headed towards the Storage Office.
[Storage Office]
When he arrived there, it went mostly the same as Tsukikage, but before squeezing the crystal, he asked the pirate-teller for more explanation.
"Wait, is this free or is there some sort of monthly cost?"
There was one RPG where such a thing had a monthly cost, so Rumeus wondered if it was the same here. When the teller replied in the affirmative, Rumeus nodded his head.
"Alright. Then I won't set this up right now. I'll come back later to take on Sagittarius' offer. Don't want to waste my two weeks you see."
With that, Rumeus thanked the teller for his time and explanation, then left. He headed towards the Forest but a certain shop caught his eye. He entered and asked the shopkeeper.
[Adventurer Shop Supply]
"Hello, I noticed you have empty flasks. How many flasks stack in one inventory slot? And how much is a flask?"
Rumeus wanted to know because he could potentially make some profit by bottling spring water with these flasks.
Flasks, according to the Adventurer Shop Supply keeper are 150 Essence apiece and they stack five per inventory slot. The shopkeeper, out of curiosity and for the sake of conversation, would ask if Rumeus was an alchemist, botanist, or something along those lines.
"I see. And no, I'm not an alchemist or anything like that, just a guy that thought of a small way to make profit with these things. Not sure if it's been done before but I was planning on using some flasks to bottle the spring water in the Forest of Souls and sell it to NPCs or whoever."
The shopkeeper nodded, scratching his chin. "I mean, you can do that, but not in those flasks, and you aren't certainly the first one to try it, so let me tell you before you learn the hard way". He just chuckled now, this clearly not being his first time explaining it.
"You need a special Spirit Water Flask, which you won't find in this town. They are rather rare. In any other container, Spirit Spring Water expires after 12 hours after which it turns into regular water." Furthermore, judging from his tone, it was as if he had to explain this several times before considering how methodological and straight to the point he was with his explanation.
"So unless someone is looking for it at that moment for a quick bit of fast alchemy, or you want a neat healing Item to use in the next 12 hours, you aren't going to be able to get much benefit of bottling that water. Even then... if you are carrying several bottles of it, you'll find that the Springs won't like you too much, they just won't be usable to you. So if you want to sell it, see if that Fae woman at the Apothecary would buy it if she needs some at this moment. Otherwise, you are best just saving it for now if you need a quick heal."
So the game had a way of countering a very nice exploit. That seemed simple enough. It was rather unfortunate as this meant that Rumeus tossed out that Potion for an item that wasn't going to last for too much longer. For now it would suffice if he needed a good healing potion, but otherwise perhaps it was a better idea to consider bottling the Spirit Spring Water as a latter resort.
"Ah, how unfortunate. Well thank you for the helpful information. I will be sure to repay the favor later."
With that Rumeus headed towards the Apothecary to see if he could sell it. On the way, a thought occurred to him as he almost bumped into another person.
"I should test out this 'Dodge' Skill at least once."
A few moments later, the perfect test subject appeared. The man wasn't paying attention to where he was going; it seemed like he was looking at his status. At this rate it seemed that he would bump into Rumeus.
"Dodge."
Rumeus said the skill out loud and attempted to utilize the skill. As Rumeus chanted the Dodge Skill's name to activate it, he would see a small icon appear next to his health bar that had a +2 next to it. Furthermore, he would see his Soul bar going down a small bit. It would also continue to tick down slowly. A bit of yellow light appeared over his body for a moment as he felt more agile in terms of dodging ability.
He was able to dodge the person from bumping into him by a small margin. It had been a somewhat slightly more experienced player, judging from their somewhat better looking, but still beginner level gear.
So the Skill did have some merit, even if it apparently drained 30 Soul a minute. So that was about 4 Soul every few seconds, but with his 10 Recovery that amount would only be 20 Soul per minute. So there was a benefit to having higher Recovery, that benefit being one could potentially keep some skills active for a long period of time if they just had their Recovery high enough.
But still, the Skill did seem to actively improve his ability to dodge, and he could either continue to train it on his way to the Apothecary or give it a rest for now.
"Neat."
Rumeus felt a distinct change in his body as the Skill was utilized. He kept it active till his Soul was around 1 before turning it off. Apparently he just had to think to deactivate it. He garnered some looks while he was using the Skill, but most players probably realized he was just using a Skill to dodge, so nobody confronted him about it. The Skill would eventually hit Level 2 after keeping it on until he ran out of Soul. It didn't give much of a boost to its abilities, but at least it was a level higher now. It wasn't a bad way to grind, but it just seemed like it would take a while to grind it this way. Actually utilizing the Skill for its intended purpose was most likely the fastest way to grind it.
[Apothecary]
He arrived at the Apothecary, taking in the sights of the store before asking the shopkeeper whether or not he could sell his spring water vial. Unlike the others, Rumeus didn't have the tact to wait for the shopkeeper to finish her work before asking.
"I got it about… I'd say an hour or so ago? So it should be good for another 11."
The shopkeeper seemed to not even notice Rumeus enter despite the bell that was mounted to the top of the shop door, more interested in mixing some sort of potion at her desk using various alchemical looking devices, already having one potion mixed apparently as it was just sitting next to her, glowing softly.
When he approached her about the Spring Water phial she picked it up and examined it for a few moments, her rather mellow looking expression scanning it closely. "Well..." she began to say as she swished around its contents. Giving a small shrug, she placed a small Essence Crystal on the counter worth 2,500 Essence.
"Sure, I guess I do have something I can use this stuff for. I wouldn't recommend trying to sell this stuff to anyone in the future though, you will just be wasting your time if you don't have a Spirit Water Flask. You are better off saving your Inventory space for actual potions".
Again, that item was mentioned. The proprietor of the Adventuring Supplies shop did mention that as well, and also mentioned that it was an incredibly rare item. Whether or not this woman had one was a different story.
"Is there anything else I can get for you?" She looked him over now for a few moments with those silver eyes of hers. "Perhaps an Endurance Mutagen? You are looking rather low in that regard."
"Yeah, I learned my lesson. Hahaha. As you can probably tell I'm a newbie in this game. And what's an Endurance Mutagen?"
"Mutagens are special potions that temporarily boost your abilities. They do have side effects though. I can give you one that, while it boosts your Endurance by a good amount, will unfortunately make it easier for you to sustain Wounds. Still," she just looked Rumeus over for a few moments, letting out a small chuckle in her mellow tone.
"It's better than getting killed in one hit if you ask me, since that is where you are right now with that level of Endurance and that low of a Resilience Score."
"I see."
Rumeus spent a few moments thinking about it.
"For now I think I'll turn it down. I'm not planning on going to any high level areas, but grind it up in the Forest of Souls-which reminds me… Does the game scale with the character? Like let's say a high level player goes to the Forest of Souls, will they encounter different enemies than a newbie? Or does it do a little bit of that and then caps it off? Like the strongest enemy in the forest is a dragon and the game won't make you face that till you reach a certain amount of strength?"
Things could be troublesome if that were the case. Even with his new Stone Shards Art, it would be a problem if the game saw his high Quick stat and churned out speedy enemies in exchange. It would mean that focusing on Quick would be detrimental. But then again, that would mean the game would favor rounded builds, which Rumeus didn't like to think it was the case. While Rumeus didn't particularly dislike jack-of-all-trades builds, it was an issue if they were the best, since it killed diversity.
"Nah. The Forest of Souls is... special. It likes to mess with people, but usually when you encounter enemies there they will be scaled to your strength, and right now you are weak, so you will only get weak enemies. After all... power attracts power, and weak power won't attract strong enemies". She fiddled with the concoction she was making, taking a few moments to adjust the flame before she went back to speaking.
"Still, from how you mention that you don't plan on going anywhere 'high leveled', it sounds like you are going under the assumption that the weaker enemies can't deal more than six damage at a time. I take it you were in the Forest of Souls. Did you see any undead like enemies in there, ones that wield rusty swords? Move really slowly?" She seemed to be telling things straight as they were.
"I used to go to the Forest of Souls to farm Soul Poffs. Neat flowers, great for Botany and Alchemy. Those enemies can deal up to 20 Damage per hit. With only 6 Endurance and 3 Resilience, two of which is from that ring on your finger, to your name, a full hit from those things will most likely kill you, and even a half hit would leave you unconscious." She continued to idly speak as she mixed whatever sort of potion she was making.
"Wolves also can deal good damage as well. If anything does 9 Damage to you at once, you are unconscious, and wolves are more than capable of dealing more than 9 damage to you in one single hit. Once you pass out then the enemies are free to tear into you all they like. Not saying you need to focus on defense if you just want to min/max, but even though your Quick is impressive, nothing wrong with acquiring some form of way to increase your Resilience, Endurance, or something along those lines. This can either be done with EXP or..." She held up a small flask filled with a rather thick, red liquid that looked more like blood than a potion, "Items and gear."
"A good min/maxer in this game uses his points to boost his strengths, and then gets some nice items to cover any glaring weaknesses he has that would cause his death if not addressed like that Sagitarius from the Explorers' Oasis. Ask him how he deals with Melee fighters when he is so focused on using his bow". So Sagitarius was somewhat of a min/maxer too... In a way apparently.
"So focus on Speed all you want, but the matter is right now you are a glass cannon who most likely fires somewhat weak shots and will shatter if a breeze hits you the wrong way". While that may have sounded more insulting than one would intend, it was more of her mellow voice speaking matter of factly than anything.
"So if you are so adamant about keeping your points away from your Endurance and Resilience, use Items to cover for that weakness instead. Armor, Mystic Armor, special Potions, Artifacts, Runic Items, and other such things can all give you ways to protect you from damage or even raise your Endurance. This... is where things like Endurance Mutagens comes in for you". She gave a small, but still mellow as if she was either tired, bored, stoned, or just naturally mellow; smile now, pushing the phial of blood red liquid towards him.
"3,000 Essence. It's a 70% discount. This is a recipe I have been practicing. Not as strong as my other lower level Endurance Mutagens, but its side effects are incredibly weak. So it's a lot safer than my other Mutagens. Your Endurance will go up by 25 for an hour and it only gives you a -5 to Resilience when resisting Wounds. Overall... not a bad deal, especially since with how quick you are, it will be hard for enemies to get Full Hits, but that doesn't mean they will never be able to hit you. If you don't like it... then i'll give you your money back, but if it ends up saving your hide... then make sure you come back here".
It seemed like a good deal, especially since he did manage to sell that Spring Water for 2,500, so Rumeus would only need to come out of pocket 500 to get this Mutagen.
"If you want to still live, but don't want to invest any EXP in Endurance then you need to use Items to cover your weaknesses. After all, doesn't matter how strong your strengths are. If your enemies can hone in on your weaknesses, which right now yours are incredibly obvious and people don't even need to know what they are to hone in on them since getting a good hit on you will exploit them, then you are a dead man".
Rumeus listened quietly while she explained, not taking offense from her diction. Mild surprise was had when she revealed she knew of Sagittarius. He grinned when she finished and spoke.
"You're a good talker. I'm almost tempted to buy it. However, I think I'll be fine. I have a gift from Calios. If my suspicions are on the mark, it should be something that will give me a buff to my Endurance. And even if it isn't, I'm in a party so I should have a sufficient front line to distract and peel for me. Still, it seems like everyone is sayin' something about my Endurance. Haha, I guess it's pretty concerning seeing a guy with only 6. I thank you for your concern. Though from what you said, the Forest of Souls has no upper limit on how powerful monsters can get? Is it like that for other areas in this world as well?"
She just sighed softly as he mentioned Calios, putting the Mutagen back beneath the counter. "Well of course it is concerning. After all, everything you can encounter around these parts can knock you out in just one hit". It seemed like she really wanted him to buy the Mutagen. Well, there hardly is a merchant who wouldn't be disappointed when a sale was turned down, even one as mellow as this one.
"The other areas of the world are much more varied. After all, it just depends on what is there at the time. This world is changing all of the time, so one day weak creatures might be in a place and the next they have all been wiped out by something strong that resides there. It just depends really. It's sort of an ecosystem style thing".
So essentially, the world was always changing.
"Anyway, is there anything else I can get you or help you with? Soul Potions? Ether Mutagens? Magic Mutagens?"
The proprietor just went back to her alchemy now, idly staring at the vial on the flame of the alchemic device.
"I see. For now, I only want your name. I'm Rumeus."
Rumeus extended his hand for a handshake. After that, he headed towards the Forest but was distracted by private messages. It seemed that Tsukikage and Keter had finished up. Surprisingly and happily to Rumeus' fortune, nobody had left the party. After closing the messages, he stood in place, thinking about what else that needed to be done.
"Hmm, maybe I should use my EXP on stats…? Nah. Ah! Maybe I should have bought that mutagen anyways...!"
Rumeus thought that if the mutagen was at a 70% discount, there was a high chance he could sell it other players at a higher cost than what he paid for. However, he immediately realized that it would be a bit rude to do that to her goodwill. It was akin to a friend giving him a car at a steep discount and then selling it off for a higher price: scumbaggery. He shrugged his shoulders, then headed towards the entrance.
[Clearwater, Southern Entrance]
"Sorry I'm late! I got no excuse!"
Rumeus was the last to arrive. Though he wasn't sure if he was truly late compared to the others, the three had already arrived. And it didn't hurt to apologize in advance. Not soon after, Sagittarius and two others arrived. He silently listened as Sagittarius went to explain, but made eye contact with and gave a friendly wave to the two new arrivals. When Sagittarius gave him the satchel, Rumeus smiled.
"Oooh, thanks!"
He distributed the Shards and gave the empty satchel back to Sagittarius. Then he responded to Sagittarius.
"Well, more or less. Shopping was less beneficial than what I would have liked-oh, yeah. How do you deal with melee enemies when using your bow? Do you have some Skill or Art that knocks back close enemies? Or do you do something more basic that most newbies just don't realize? Just want to know because my playstyle should have some similarities to yours, according to the Apothecary lady, so I would like a veteran's insight."[/fieldbox]
