Chapter 33: Packing Up

Chapter 33: Packing Up

In the end, it took about an hour for Lefi to successfully bungle his way through enough of the underground corridors to find where his gear had been kept. One he had found the pile of his belongings, though, it still took another ten minutes for him to actually gear up properly, putting on a seemingly endless array of pouches and accessories. There were even two magical objects that Edwin spotted among the pile, one a short sword whose hilt held a glowing ruby and the other a seemingly plain, ordinary golden necklace with a tooth of some sort strung up on it. While the tooth itself was nonmagical, the chain was most certainly not, and Edwin had to metaphorically squint at the jewelry to avoid being arcanoceptically blinded by it. He couldnt even feel the swords obvious magic simply because of how overwhelming the necklace was. Fortunately, as soon as Lefi had put it on, the aura faded away until he could only barely sense it when he was specifically looking for it. Edwin still wasnt able to feel the swords aura, but that was likely because Lefi was also wearing the blade, so whatever was concealing his necklaces mana must also be affecting the sword.

By the end of it all, Lefi looked like a proper adventurer. Bold and colorful, yet well-made, well-worn, and durable fabrics supporting a few metal plates of armor, all complimenting his array of weapons- sword at his left hip, quiver full of arrows on his right, a spear and unstrung longbow slung on his back, pouches all along his belt, two fairly large daggers, one with a black pommel, the other shining silver, strapped to his calves and a very full backpack with what looked to be a gray blanket rolled up underneath. Edwin also spotted a shield at some point in the process, though he couldnt tell where that had ended up.

Right then! Far better!

How can you move in all of that?

What, this? Lefi flexed and even did a set of jumping jacks, showing off, before returning to his neutral pose, dopey grin and all as his hair flickered in time with his breathing, This is hardly anything! And besides! I could never go anywhere without my kit!

Were going to be walking around a city?

And? We shall not always be in the bounds of civilization! And once we brave the untamed wilds, you need to have everything at hand!

Well sure, but-

Im glad you understand now! Come along now, friend Edwin! Let us equip you for the adventures ahead!

Wait, but I wasnt oh, why do I bother?

It took the rest of the day to track down everything Lefi apparently wanted to get Edwin. For his part, Edwin had no say in what he would be getting beyond some details like what color he wanted his cloak, and was for the most part just pulled along for the ride. Lefi also constantly deflected all of his questions about his Skills and Paths, much to Edwins annoyance, but he always accompanied the refusal with a promise to tell Edwin once they were on the road. It wasnt entirely satisfactory, but Edwin just didnt have the mental or social energy to try and combat Lefis decision.

It was interesting. From what he had seen, most places werent terribly inclined to sell to Lefi, and there were even a few which categorically refused to serve him. Nonetheless, the adventurer seemed to still wrangle all of the gear he wanted to get for Edwin, though it seemed like it was usually at exorbitant rates. Then again, maybe it did cost a silver piece for a loaf of bread. Who could say? He didnt have a grasp of the economics going on.

By the time the last item- a thick, deep green woolen cloak- had been found and purchased for a silver coin, it was starting to get late, and Lefi brought them to a fairly large building, spoke quite enthusiastically with whoever was there, and something something god of travel providing free beds to travelers, something something they qualified and so got a free bed for the night. Edwin was tired in more ways than one, though, and between the social and physical exhaustion that came from walking around a big city with an extrovert all day, he was out before he could even properly appreciate being on a mattress again.

Level Up!

Sleeping Level 2223

Polyglot Level 2628

Level Up!

Packing Level 57

Edwin couldnt help but feel awesome. While he wished that he had a mirror to properly see what he looked like, he was also slightly worried it would spoil the effect. He still had his clothes from the dwarves- they were apparently high enough quality they werent worth replacing, though he had acquired a spare set- but he now had a gambeson- cloth armor apparently reinforced by Skills, a proper backpack, with his cloak rolled up beneath it like a bedroll would be. He also had a bunch of pouches on his new belt, mostly empty but containing enough rations for ten days, a filled canteen, and a few clean cloths for bandages. In his backpack, he had carefully packed his remaining three heating stones, his lime pebble (though it no longer registered as made of lime and resembled the material making up a seashell), notebooks (including the dwarven dictionary), and his metal bowl (Lefi had questioned his insistence on keeping it, but Edwin wasnt about to give up one of the few things he actually had). Lastly, he had a fairly full coin pouch, with half a gold coin, 46 silver coins, and 17 copper, which was apparently the change for the mandated two gold minimum Tara had set for Lefi. Other than that, his only earthly- joriahly?- belongings were his knife, strapped as it was onto his left hip, and a walking stick.

Always more skills! If you wish to specialize, simply take all of your Skills such that they are all related and help one another! The more skills you have, the better you are at what you can do. The more times your skills have evolved? The more things you can do with those things! You know how else you can get an array of effects? More skills!

Edwin nodded, I think so. But evolving skills seem to be good, how does that work in all of this, then?

Simple! An evolution expands what you can do with a skill! However, it will not give you an effect you already have! Leaves behind the old effect- Running will never help you run farther, just let you go faster, thats what Walking does- but expands it into a new direction!

Wait, but couldnt you just get a Running skill on your own? Why is that an upgrade?

I knew one brave individual who achieved getting the Running skill as a base skill! I have attempted myself for quite some time! Not sure how, but he had both Walking and Running leveling all the time! Twas truly impressive. I think he became a Courier. They werent thrilled with his honestly better Skill set, but hes still one of their best messengers last I heard from him. Can run all day so fast you cant even blink if you want to see him, he paused for a breath at long last before continuing in his booming voice- Edwin was so glad there was nobody nearby, And that is why you must get more Skills! The more Skills you have, the more Skills you can evolve! If you have lots of Skills already, your evolution will always give you something exciting and new!

But what about being mediocre at everything?

Lefi shrugged, That is simply if you attempt to generalize! Specialists with lots of skills are masterful at their speciality, even better than the Empires Classes!

So then are the Empires Classes just awful, then? If having more Skills is always better?

Not entirely! They have their place! That place is very narrow, but you will never find a squadron of adventurers who fight together as well as a squadron of Empire Legionaries! The uniformity of their classes allow them to coordinate and benefit from Tacticians far more than any Adventurer! However! Any single one of them is almost useless outside of that narrow area! Attempting to mimic them will only fail you! You must embrace what makes you unique to make it as! An! Adventurer!

And if I dont know what that is?

That! Is what my aid is for! I have aided countless poor, lost children, outcast from their home for not having the right Skills to fit into the Empires instructions. Many have gone on to do marvelous things!

I see Well, I suppose before we begin, what are Attributes, anyway?

Attributes are where we adventurers truly shine! Some Paths, such as Mage, Scout, and Athlete, grant you Attributes! They enhance you in ways which Skills cannot quite manage! Or not much, regardless. Mage will grant you Mana and improve how much you have! Scout will grant Perception, which benefits your awareness of your surroundings! Athlete provides Stamina, which makes all physical exertion easier! They work with many Skills and can be vital to improve your overall capabilities! The most useful of all is Health, which improves your resilience to all injuries! It is a staple of combat forces across the Empire! Also the only one they usually have!

Wait, why is that? They sound really useful.

Because they dont have the Skill Points to spare, my young pupil! Oh come on, if anything he was older than Lefi. The guy had to have been like eighteen at the most, When you ration every last skill level to evolve your Skills as soon as you can, what use is a Path which does not aid you in evolving a Skill?

So should I try to get Attributes?

Indeed! More skills, more Paths, more Attributes! However! You must follow your heart! Only you can know what is most effective for your capabilities! As the conversation continued, Lefi gesticulated more and more. At this point, he was practically putting on a full theater performance for the wheat field on the side of the road.

So just do whatever feels right? And get lots and lots of Skills? Lefi nodded, and Edwin took a breath to steady himself, Right then, I suppose I should at least hear what you have to say.

Lefi grinned, his hair blowing in a faint breeze.