"It's not like I cannot teach you but I don't have time. I need to gather enough herbs to dry them for the winter."
The only way to preserve the plants was to dry them up. The winter was a dangerous time, it was time when people ate even less than they usually do. The bodies became weaker and it was easy to fall sick. Village chief as only one person skilled in herbalism was taking care of securing some supplies for winter.
"If I help you, will you teach me?" It was a win-win situation if the chief refused it meant that it's no problem of time, yet another case.
"I can agree on, however, why do you want to learn how to write and read?"
"Let's get straight to the point. You know, this village doesn't accept me, and I am planning to leave it someday."
"You are wrong. Many villagers started complimenting you." Village chief hastily said.
"It's only temporary as I have a conflict with the family of the blacksmith and none would ever choose me over him."
The expression of village chief changed to grim and said.
"You are right! I won't argue on that with you. I accept your proposition, so If you help me gather necessary herbs I will teach you."
They talked and village head explained to him, what herbs are crucial and where can he find them. The biggest issue was going to the forest, he needs to convince the hunter to let him go with him.
'I cannot avoid Rose's father anymore. His opinion of me is very low, it won't be easy.'
'Although, it's a shame that herbs inside the village's chief garden are not herbs that he is looking for'
The boy took some planks inside space and built there a threshing board. He had around 10 tonnes of wheat now.
[Wheat straw.]
He didn't need a straw, and he could actually sow more wheat if he needed. The idea was to get rid of useless things.
[Do you want to convert all wheat straw into WE?]
'Yes'
The straw before him disappeared and his WE rose by 234 points.
[World Energy: 673]
'I have flax stored inside storage, I need to create some machines to process it into linen.'
He separated the area from space and started to build machines to process flax.
The first was a flax's ripple, flax break, and flax hatchel. The process wasn't easy and it was mostly physical labor. Aron planned to automize most of the parts by wheels but not right now. The labor was good, it gave him experience in farming.
[Farming lv.5(8000/50000)]
[Farmer level up]
[+1 Stat point +1 Skill point]
'OHhh my god! Can you explain to me, requirements of getting these points?'
[Most jobs will give 1 stat/skill point every 5 levels.]
[Skill point forcibly raises the level of skill. All proficiency points will be gone.]
[Stat point raises the chosen stat by 1. The effect will won't be instant, some changes will happen to the host's body in a few hours of time.]
'Strength and agility will be increased with time. I don't care much about my appearance right now. The intelligence stat would let me use more of my potential but I think it won't improve my performance by much. Art stat is weird, as it raises my artistic sense becoming better. I could actually go with it as I will improve dexterity with carpenter profession.'
He added a point into the art and felt decided to continue working on flax. After two days of hard work, the flax was turned into linen.
'I could trade with people using linen. Linen could be weaved into fine clothes and people wouldn't ask about the origin of this linen.'
The boy approached the hut of one of the widows of the village. She was a middleaged woman that lost her husband because of sickness. The middle ages weren't scary because of wars but of mortality of diseases. Simple flu could kill you, it was only because of the level of medicine.
'I will slowly take care of this. I will build my empire foundation on future's knowledge and power of the system. HAHA'
He smiled and knocked into the door.
"Good morning. Wow, where did you get so much linen?"
The cultivation of this plant wasn't popular yet, so bigger quantity was something weird.
"I found some at plains. You see I have more at my hut, and I need a few clothes for myself and I can give you the rest. I think villagers would trade with you."
"It's too much!" He stopped her in the middle of the sentence.
"I don't give this to you for free. I want you to weave me the best clothes you can." He said and sighed.
"You have two sons to feed. You won't feed them with dignity or pride."
It was the truth, the villagers might help her a little but they had their own families to feed too. The woman lacked wood and food for winter. There was time but she couldn't leave her children for too long.
"Ok, I will repay this favor someday. If I don't my children will!" She said with sincerity and determination.
There were two more families like this and Aron proposed the same deal to them. Some rumors will be spread in the village but he didn't care. If anyone will try anything stupid, he will just beat them.
A few days later.
He thought that it was another day, after his training, he visited the Rose.
"Hello. I am sorry, I promised that I will visit, but I was purposely avoiding it." Said Aron with a sad expression.
"Hello, Aron. You have gotten bigger and stronger. Don't be sorry. I know you recently worked hard."
"Rumors spread faster than I thought"
"It's ok. I am happy for you." She said this with a smile on her face.
"My capabilities are still too low but I promise you. Someday I will change the world for better!"
"Hahaha. Besides of your muscles, your ability to brag improved too!"
They were talking about many things. Rose was a really smart girl for her status. Actually, Aron liked her. Their conversation was interrupted.
"Look, what we have here. Isn't that famous white-haired trash?"
It was actually a group of thugs that killed the previous owner of Aron's body.
"What do you want?" Asked Rose, she didn't actually like them. Most of them, wasn't reliable and they did the only mischief to the village and all of their crimes were covered because of the family's relations blacksmith.
"You see, I came personally to propose to you. Is your father home?" It was their leader, nephew of a blacksmith.
"He isn't here, leave!"
Aron couldn't stand this anymore. Those group of trash needed beating so much.
"Idiot!" He shouted at the thug's leader.
"What did you say little shit?"
"I said you needed so many people to beat me last time. I want you to fight me, one on one. You can refuse, cowards like you probably have no honor anyway." Aron mocked him, the man was trying to court the Rose, and he wouldn't back down in her presence.
"Ok, come at me. This time you won't survive!" The man was already red from anger.
"Rose, I will come back later. I need to clean some trash." He said it and left with a group of thugs.
"HAHAHAHA. YOU ARE MORE RETARDED THAN WE THOUGHT. WE ARE FAR FROM VILLAGE NOW. IT'S YOUR DEATH DAY!"
They started fighting, one of the thugs tried to punch him. He grabbed his fist and knocked him to the ground in one motion. The person tried to get up, yet the boy sent him to dream world in one kick.
There were still four of them, they decided to attack at the same time.
"That's all you got? Do you still remember, when you taught me 'the pain'?"
He was basically dodging all of their attack with ease.
'Flow like water and swift like the wind. Time to end this circus.'
"I learned it well. I want to show you all!"
He began to trash them with his fists and legs. The JKD was martial arts created were created by combining street fighting experience with physics. It was simple but effective.
"You see, I imagined this scene over and over. The feeling isn't right. Do you still remember that night?" Aron's voice became creepy when they heard that they were scared shitless.
"Leave us, alone. My uncle won't let you go. If you do anything to us!" Said leader of thugs with confidence.
"Your uncle, you say? There won't be a problem with him. Before, I left with you. I made sure that none knew that I left with you."
"Even if they know. I will say, that you went to the forest. After beating me up." At this moment, he punched himself into the face.
"Ok, talking is over! What time is it?" He asked the question while approaching them.
"IT"S KILLING TIME!" He said and started to kill them one by one. He left their leader for the end.
"Before, I send you to another world. I want to ask you one more thing." He lifted him and while looking straight into his eyes.
"I didn't do anything to you. Tell me, why did you fucking make my life worse than hell?"
"bbbbbeeeacause...of Rose..." He mumbled something but Aron shouted at him.
"Where are you might and strength now? TELL ME FUCKIN WHY?" It wasn't simple anger anymore, it was the rage.
"You won't understand... YOU FUCKIN TRASH! YOU DON"T DESERVE TO LIVE! MY FATHER WILL AVENGE MY!"
At this moment, Aron broke his neck. He sat on the ground and though.
'Hah... I thought it will bring satisfaction to me. There was little satisfaction for the moment. Although, the only thing left is emptiness.'
'I felt your anger! I got revenge for you! From this moment, I don't owe you anything !'
He killed people in his previous life but it wasn't with his bare hands. The guns and other future weapons were different. This time, he slaughtered five people with his own hands. Little trace of guilt appeared on this face, but he couldn't waste any more time.
'I will put them inside space and go back to my hut.'
[Quest Complete.]