After the meal, the party was ready for more, but before anything, they headed toward Luke to sell some crappy items they obtained and buy a few things as well.
"Did you enjoy the gentle breeze of summer in the icy mountains?" Luke asked.
"Raise your hands. Who is stupid enough to think that being sarcastic is also being smart," Jake said.
"Ouch, champ, you need to learn how to take a joke," Luke said. "Let me guess what you guys want, some items that have thick animal fur. What are the standard things people ask me after exploring that map for the first time."
"I want a new sword with a decent offensive skill, and what kind of items do I need to buy to obtain a crafting class?" Jake asked.
"I want the item that will grant me the buff to increase willpower like the other skills temporarily," Lana said.
"A spell that will grant some resistance against cold would be nice," Louise added.
Luke frowned when he heard all that. It wasn't usually the kind of thing his customers wanted to buy in that situation, but in the end, and he only smiled in satisfaction. That party, despite being small, it sure was above the others.
"Well, let's see, let's see… ladies first," Luke said. "For the cute, little priest here, I can sell Artermis' Ring for thirty thousand coins. It will grant you Artemis' Blessing, and that will increase for five minutes your willpower by three points per level. As for the astonishing beautiful sorcerer, you can buy this staff that will grant you Fire Barrier for twenty thousand coins."
Somehow, the girls had enough money to pay for their gear this time. It wasn't that surprising now that Jake thought about it since they shared the money of the sold items amongst themselves, and after the last hunt, they obtained thirty coins from the items that they didn't need. Still, Jake thought that the whole group should increase their firing power, not their defense against cold. That being said, just like he could do whatever he wanted with his money and build, they also could do the same.
"As for the boring swordsman, I can sell you for one hundred thousand coins a claymore that will grant you strength plus 10 and the skill Concentrated Strike," Luke said.
"So, you were that kind of guy… what Concentrated Strike can do?" Jake asked.
"It is the melee version of Power Shot. You can't move or do anything else, but at the cost of some stamina, you increase the power of your next attack for each second you spend charging," Luke explained. "As for the crafting classes you mentioned, their items are pretty rare to find, so they are above your paygrade."
Jake didn't like that someone decided that for him. Still, it made sense since those skills would be the same as taking away the jobs of NPCs and even the system that could grant players weapons and potions.
After thinking for a while, Jake realized that throwing away his katana would be too much of a waste. Besides, it was easier to handle than a claymore. So, he decided not to sell it since one of the rewards of clearing the next dungeon was a magic box, an item that could grant them the power to store multiple items. Jake thought he would never have a proper inventory, but it seems that his days where he had to carry several pieces of gear to sell them were finally over.
"All right, I will buy it," Jake said.
,m Claymore
Strength + 10, Concentrated Strike (0%), master this weapon to obtain the skill and the status points permanently.
Durability: 20/20
Concentrated Strike: It temporarily increases your strength by one point per level and per second to increase the power of the next attack.
Cost: 01 stamina per level and per second.
As expected, it was a skill that had a lot of potential but, at low levels, was almost useless. Fortunately, the cost was also low at level one, so Jake he will be able to make it level up pretty fast. In any case, while he wanted to buy, Jake hesitated in giving one hundred thousand coins for a single weapon. He was stingier than he thought… even though that money was fake. After strolling for a while, Jake paid for the sword. A claymore was a pretty big weapon. It was almost as tall was Jake, but while that gave him some reach, it also made him slower, and that was a problem since Jake was focusing on increasing his strength.
"Using that sword alongside your shield is probably impossible… you will be too slow," Luke said.
"It is fine. I just have to slice up the heads of the monsters before they can cause any real damage," Jake said, and then he put his sword on his back.
"See you guys out there," Luke said when Jake and the others began to move.
Without wasting any more time, the party walked toward the crystal server. Still, those words began to echo in Jake's head. Something felt weird after he stopped to think about it… still, Jake decided that it was time to focus on the second mission instead of Luke.
As soon as they appeared in the Icy Mountains, Jake noticed that they had spawned in a place close to some mountains and very far away from the ones behind him. So, once again, they headed backward.
When the first group of Snow Wolves appeared, Jake immediately put his new skill to use. He didn't move, rather, he couldn't move while he was charging the attack, but in the end, when one of the target's got close enough, Jake swung his sword with all his might and created a big wound on the monster's face. The pain made the creature flinch and bleed like a fountain…
Jake got surprised since he didn't expect the attack would be so effective… he just swung his sword downward with all his might, after all. Still, he learned that the simple is the best in some situations.