Chapter 8: Kangha Kumdo

xxxx

Author's note: Mostly exposition. I tried considering cutting parts of it out, but then the conversations felt really weird. As always, please tell me what you think I'm doing right, or wrong. No author enjoys criticism, but any author worth his/her words appreciates constructive criticism from an objective reader. So, let me have it!

xxxx

Naruto hesitated at the door of the dojang. What he remembered of his time in school was sleeping and fooling around, because studying was boring. He had good instincts and could tell whether someone was telling the truth or not, but he couldn't look deeper. He couldn't figure out what other people were thinking, what they planned on doing, and why. Because he'd hardly studied at the Academy and because he lacked sufficient people skills, he knew almost nothing about how to read others.

No one could ever say that he wasn't a person that inspired others through his actions and engendered friendships. He got by with his roguish charm and sincerity. But Naruto knew that he was severely lacking in his ability to control his words and use them to convince others. It was now that his unique situation highlighted the severity his inadequacies, that he began an effort to improve himself, but without a proper mentor to guide him along, Naruto's progress could at best be considered minimal.

Because he couldn't grasp Kim Chung-hee's intentions, he was unsure of whether or not he could be trusted, which was why he was standing outside the dojang but not entering.

Lies and truth do not create trust. This, he knew from experience. A person can always tell the truth, and perhaps they could be trusted to tell the truth, but could they be trusted to do anything other than that? The nature of a soul does not reveal itself in telling truths or lies. Good people can tell lies to protect, and bad people can tell truths to harm. To give an example, Madara spoke what he believed were truths, yet one could hardly trust a man who would easily use and sacrifice others for his own purposes.

"You'll never find out a being's nature without first speaking to them."

I know that, Kurama.

"Then go in the damn building. You even made an appointment. Stop standing out here like some nitwit and grow some balls."

I don't need to hear that from you, considering you're safe and sound in your oversized cage and don't need to do anything. This is easier said than done. Like, what if he turns out to be some pervert that enjoys sodomy?

"..."

Alright, alright, I'll go in. Just don't look at me like that. It creeps me out.

He reached out for the handle when the door swung open by itself. A fair, bespectacled woman stopped before she collided with him. She looked him up and down, taking in his nearly two meter height and Western complexion.

[You must be... Uzuki Naoto-ssi?]

Naruto nodded upon hearing his name. She ushered him in and then left on what was presumably a lunch break. The building was as spacious on the inside as it was on the outside, with wide, open spaces suitable for training. Naruto could see his mark, Kim Chung-hee, at the front of the dojang, directing several hundred would-be martial artists on several kata. Each of them wielded a wooden sword with both hands.

So it's a two-handed style. I guess he does run his own dojo after all. That's one worry put to rest.

"Sometimes you worry about the most inane things, kid."

The chastity of my behind is NOT inane!

Naruto watched silently, taking in how the old man swung as he positioned his body. It seemed to focus more on steadiness over speed, although that could be because he was teaching and not using the style in combat. Well, the claim of being a battle-worthy sword style would be one that he'd have to test personally.

During one particular motion which involved a short spin, he could see Chung-hee spot him, his eyes visibly brightening. The aging instructor finished the lesson vigorously in the next twenty minutes before hurrying up to the blond without a moment's rest.

"You've come. I've been expecting you. So, your name is Uzuki Naoto?"

"Uh, yeah, I thought I said it was over the phone."

"Interesting name. The Uzu's kanji means to swirl, symbolizing gaining strength. Even your name belies your potential."

[Master Kim, who is this?] Several disciples came up to the two as the rest of the trainees cleaned up and prepared to go home. [And why are you speaking Japanese to the man?]

[I speak Japanese because he speaks Japanese. There is nothing to hide from you, my disciples. He is another whose talent and potential I have identified, and I've seen him fit to learn our style.]

The ten disciples all bowed. Naruto looked them over.

They're fit, confident, and respectful. They walk and stand with sureness, and their bodies are tense and ready to react. Or maybe they're tense because I'm tense. I really should learn to be more subtle, shouldn't I?

"Easy for you to say, mister Loudest and Most Unpredictable Ninja since the age of thirteen."

[Master Kim, if I may be so impertinent?] The young man's voice was soft spoken, but his gaze was so sharp that Naruto thought he might be cut.

[What is it, Ji-hoon?]

[I would respectfully ask to spar with your next disciple-to-be, Master Kim. To gauge his skills as a senior and an equal.] Ji-hoon bowed shortly. [I'm sure my fellow disciples would also like the same, to assuage our pride.]

[A hazing? Hah! I'll leave it to the man to decide.] Chung-hee turned to Naruto and relayed what'd been asked of him.

A spar? Why? I thought I was only here to observe training? Confused but certain he wouldn't lose, Naruto agreed to the request. Well, this will be my opportunity to gauge this so-called eighth ranked sword style and see if it's worth learning.

The rules were announced to be 'anything goes', within reasonable limits. No strikes that would cause long-term disablement and no striking the vital areas. Protective equipment was declared by Chung-hee to be 'for pussies, and my disciples are surely not pussies?' and so were omitted. One of the other disciples gave him their wooden sword, which he swung a few times.

Pretty heavy, actually. Getting hit by one of these could hurt like a bitch.

Ji-hoon stood about four meters away, in a relaxed stance. Naruto made sure to watch very carefully at the swordsman in front of him as he moved into a fighting stance. Ji-hoon brought the sword up above his head in a sword stance that reminded Naruto of a samurai. Well, there were a limited number of viable positions a swordsman could take before a battle. Like with taijutsu, you could take an offensive, defensive, or even stance. This one, with the sword raised and poised to fall and strike, was obviously an offensive one.

Naruto used what he knew, stepping into the style that he'd learned by watching Weed. As he did so, an audible gasp escaped those watching the spar.

[That's the basic stance of the Daewang Kumdo!]

[What's a rival dojang's member doing here?]

[Beat his ass into the ground, Ji-hoon!]

He paid the murmurs of a language he couldn't understand no mind, although the immediate hardening of Ji-hoon's expression on top of that tipped him off that something was wrong. Still, they were in the middle of something, and he couldn't afford to be distracted. Naruto knew that he was a newbie at sword fighting, and while he had an advantage in every physical aspect, he lacked experience, skill, and technique. He possessed frightening strength, but Kakashi had proven time and time again that proper and intelligent use of force could put a lesser man on his footing.

As soon as Chung-hee dropped his hand as the signal to start, Ji-hoon closed the gap quickly in three long strides. Naruto raised his sword sideways, blocking his opponent's crushing overhead slash. The unexpected strength behind the attack caused his sword to tremble and nearly give way, but Naruto steadied himself. Although he knew nothing of swordsmanship, he'd fought his fair share of sword users, so he imitated them.

Using his superior strength, Naruto knocked the sword away with his own, then curved it back for a chest-high swing. Ji-hoon calmly hopped back just out of reach of the blade and came back in as it passed by. Copying Naruto's strike, Ji-hoon swung at chest height. He blocked the attack using his sword and arm, wincing at the force behind it.

That one hit even harder than the first. I didn't even know normal people could hit this hard! Though... this guy, is he making fun of me by showing that what I can do, he can do better?

Both fighters backed off and began circling each other slowly, looking for an opening to attack decisively.

Waiting this long really isn't my style, ugh... Still, Naruto waited for his opponent to move first. Being impatient had proven to him for the umpteenth time, not only in this world but back home, that it was a dangerous and foolish thing to do. That still didn't make it easy to restrain himself.

Ji-hoon advanced again, wooden sword raised. He swung down just like his first attack, but when Naruto raised his guard, he shifted the sword to pass by the raised hilt and angle back for the side. Naruto reversed his grip and pointed his sword straight down to block, lessening the damage he took. He fell back to regroup, but his foe dogged his footsteps, fiercely bearing down on him with strong, fast strikes. He was stronger and faster, but Naruto cursed his lack of knowing how to properly block or deflect with a sword. And it wasn't like he could suddenly break out the acrobatics like he did in Royal Road, or else he'd suddenly have a lot of attention he didn't want or need.

Fuck this.

Finally fed up, Naruto dropped his sword completely, much to the disbelief of those around him, as Ji-hoon performed another overhead attack. Spreading his legs wide, he smashed the side of the descending sword with his open palm. With Ji-hoon's sword hand flying to the side, Naruto used the opening to step forward into a gut-wrenching knee strike, the force of the blow lifting the young man up several centimeters and expelling all of the air in his lungs. As Ji-hoon landed unsteadily, he then shifted into a stable stance side punch, ending the fight by sending his opponent sprawling head over heels across the floor.

Everyone but Chung-hee remained silent, the sword master clapping appreciatively. "Your swordsmanship was horrendous, but your martial arts, on the other hand, were very impressive. Very few have the courage, timing, or reflexes to knock aside a blade as you just did." He turned to his disciples, who each had mutinous expressions. [And the rules did say that anything went.] "So, did you manage to grasp a bit of our Kangha style?"

"... I think so, a little. The entire fight, my opponent didn't even once go on the defensive. He only attacked and dodged. He used really obvious attacks with a lot of strength and speed behind it."

"Correct. Our Kangha Kumdo revolves around offense. Our only defense is in not getting hit back. By focusing exclusively on the speed and strength of our style, and using a variety of stances and kata to maximize them, practitioners of our style overpower their enemies with ease. Some ask why we are are so confident when we are only the eighth strongest style. I ask, what is wrong with being eighth? There are hundreds of sword styles in Korea, and just as many in neighboring China and Japan. To be eighth among many is a distinction, not a failing. And no sword style is perfect. The rankings for sword forms are determined through tournament brackets. No matter how superior a sword form is, if the practitioner cannot wield it to its fullest potential, it will be the equal of lesser styles. That is how we came to occupy the eighth rank."

"So... you had the potential to be ranked higher, but you weren't skilled enough, strong enough, or fast enough to use this Kangha style ideally?"

"Sadly, yes. Even more so as this body continues to age." Chung-hee again turned to his disciples. [You see? The advantage of one who is strong, fast, and flexible, of one who can think out of the box. No amateur could have pulled off that final move, not in a million years. They would lack the training, experience, and fortitude to pull off such a risky and dangerous technique that is a bare-handed sword deflection. Empty your mind of your prejudices and accept this young man's skills for what they are.]

[But his initial stance...]

[Was obviously all he knew of the Daewang Dojang's style.] He gave them each a stern look. [He probably saw the stance somewhere and imitated it. As you saw, he is woefully lacking of skill with the sword.]

[That's true.]

[He didn't even know how to block or parry.]

[His footwork was atrocious as well.]

[But Master, even if we leave our prejudices behind, how do we train with someone who doesn't speak our language?] The speaker was female, one of two in the group of nine. [How can we be expected to communicate with him when we do not know Japanese?]

[That... is something I'll figure out later, Ha-eun.]

[Haa... so irresponsible...] Ha-eun put her hands on her hips. [Also, how will you explain making someone a disciple before they've even been a trainee and learned the basics of both the sword and of our style? The trainees won't appreciate this special treatment.]

[He may have no experienced with the sword, but his experience in martial arts and his fit body will make it vastly easier to adapt to the sword. I treat him specially because he's a special person. When I say that I see potential, it means he has amazing potential. Won't you trust this old man?]

She sighed. [Well, alright. Anyways, Ji-hoon was the best among the disciples, so I doubt we'd stand a chance. With that out of the way, I'll be going home then, Master.]

[Mm, get home safely.]

She bowed and left, at which point the others also said their goodbyes, bowed, and left. It took Ji-hoon a little longer to recover. When he did, he bowed slightly to Naruto, accepting his defeat graciously, and thanked him for the spar. With Chung-hee acting as a temporary translator, he complemented the disciple on his skills and thanked him back for the spar. The fierce gaze of the defeated disciple was undisguised, and it didn't take a master to know what it meant: that he fully intended to become stronger and defeat this blond newcomer.

Looks like martial artists have about as much pride and honor as the samurai do at home.

"So." Chung-hee sidled up to him as Ji-hoon left. "It didn't look like you were completely new to the way of the sword. Where did you learn it?"

"Royal Road."

"Ohh, that newfangled video game? From where?"

Naruto scratched his head. Explaining virtual reality to this geezer would be about as troublesome as explaining to Kyuubi. "Application, I guess." He went on to explain what he knew about virtual reality and the 99% reality factor of Royal Road. "So, since your brain is sending signals to the machine instead of your body, it factors that in so that you can move within the game. So, strength inside Royal Road is dependent on reflexes, skill, and experience, since that's all you can bring from the real world into the virtual world."

"Interesting. And your stance?"

"Speaking of that stance, it seemed your disciples had a bit of a problem with it."

Chung-hee chuckled. "Yes, they would. That stance is one used by practitioners of the Daewang Kumdo. The leader of the Daewang Kumdo Dojang is a longtime acquaintance of mine, Ahn Hyundo. He is the current ranked first among swordsmen in Korea and is one of the best in the world. He once held the top global position for four years straight."

Naruto whistled appreciatively. "So I guess you've got a bit of a rivalry going, then?"

"Haha, all of the best dojangs have a rivalry with one another. Without some healthy competition, we are all liable to fall into complacency, you see."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Naruto reappraised the old man, who seemed really down-to-earth. "You know, at first I thought you were some crazy, but you're not all that bad. Well, I guess it's not wrong to be eccentric, especially at your age."

"And it's rather refreshing to be spoken to with such an insolent tone by a youngster like yourself."

"Insolent?"

"Here in Korea, as well as Japan, we place a great degree of importance in expressing the proper amount of respect to one's elders, family, and superiors. To the point of having a bunch of sycophantic suck-ups, sometimes."

"Blech."

"Yes, it can get tiring at times." Chung-hee turned and met his gaze. "So, tell me more about this Royal Road."

xxxx

Now that he was at a level where he could simply break through every mob in his way, the trip back to Serabourg was leisurely. His increased agility also meant that the distance could be traveled in less time than before. It'd been several days since he completed the final quest. Actually, he'd stayed to watch the coronation ceremony of Velyn. While it seemed all elves were handsome and beautiful, Velyn, dressed in the finest silks, had been a sight to behold. She'd been a little red-faced, unused to showing off the amount of skin the dress revealed and causing her to seem very demure.

Even though he'd seen his fair share of nude bodies as a kid, seeing women after puberty was an entirely different monster. Veritas just hoped that he'd done the right thing. He felt a little bad that he'd had to keep the previous priestess' ultimate fate secret. But, as with many of the secrets involving his own life, they'd served to protect him until he was ready for them.

Call me a coward, but... I think I understand what Saru-jiji was feeling when he kept the secret of the Uchiha clan's massacre from Sasuke. If the wood elves started fighting Rosenheim Kingdom, they wouldn't last long. It was something I had to do, for everyone's sake. One day, they'll understand why I kept this secret from them.

Veritas passed by several other people, and even managed to spy a merchant caravan near the horizon. He smiled, enjoying how much like a real world Royal Road was. It was a world full of vibrant life, with players and NPCs alike populating an ever-changing landscape. The continent was massive, scaled to real-world size, and so travel between locations often took days, if not weeks depending on the route. Safe routes tended to take longer, winding around geographical features like mountains and also avoiding areas where monsters spawned, while dangerous routes took less time but barreled through every obstacle. Very few players had access to teleport magics, being both high-level and very costly to use. So, for the vast majority of players, they took to walking or using horses to travel across the continent.

Veritas reached Serabourg in just under two days, since Ahrah Forest wasn't too far from the capital of Rosenheim. When he reached the eastern gate, Veritas waited for Kirhi and Gunter. They knew he was coming, having messaged them once before leaving Ahrah Forest and again when Serabourg came into view, and promised to meet him at the gate. Thirty minutes later, he he could be found at the gate, tapping his feet in impatience. If he could just be doing something, the wait would be easier, like when he was swinging that accursed sword for four weeks straight. Just waiting with nothing to do, though, made him fidgety and agitated. Finally, Veritas opened up the message window to send a whisper.

Veritas: Where are you?

Gunter: Sorry, we're almost there! Just hang tight.

True to his word, the pair appeared a few minutes later.

"Sorry for being so late, Veritas-nim, we got caught up selling our loot by some guy who wouldn't stop trying to haggle."

"Yeah," chimed Kirhi, "I had to offer some encouragement to get him to leave." She smiled wickedly while conjuring up a small fireball.

"So what've you two been doing all this time?"

"Oh, this and that," Gunter replied airily. "Mainly, I was-"

"Nearly killed himself out of boredom at the Training Hall." Kirhi chortled. "I've been dabbling a bit there myself, if only to gain some Health and Stamina."

"Ah... How was it, Gunter-nim?"

"Terrifying." He shivered, fingers twitching and breaking out into a cold sweat at the mere thought of going back to finish the training. "I don't know how anyone could finish that hellish course in just a month."

"Well, trying to do it in a month might be overdoing it. That's pretty much the fastest you can complete it, and unless you're an idiot like me, it'd probably be too much for anyone."

"Speaking of what we were doing, how about you?" asked Kirhi. "Gunter told me that you were in Ahrah Forest."

"Ah, oh, well, you know, doing some quests." Veritas scratched his head, unsure of what to say or how to say it.

"That's the thing isn't it, Gunter?"

"Indeed, Kirhi, there shouldn't be any quests in Ahrah Forest."

"At least, not that the public is aware of. So, do tell us, Veritas-nim."

He laughed feebly. "Oh, well, I was helping out the wood elves living there."

"Ah, I see, wood elves... what wood elves?" Kirhi demanded, getting in Veritas' face. "Don't tell me you were off doing secret, rare, awesome quests without us?!"

"Ah, no, not really. I wouldn't describe quests as secret or awesome. I just kind of stumbled onto them and helped them out a little, but it wasn't anything too serious."

"Hnnn, nothing too serious, huh? Then why did it take so long?" she continued to hound.

"Y'know, the Hearthwoods are a high level danger zone, and I spent a while there to train, using the wood elf village as a jumping-off base. I was pretty under-leveled to do the quests, you see."

Kirhi stared at him for a moment, before laughing. "Well, it's not all that important. Gunter did say that we were too weak to go to the Hearthwoods." She jabbed Veritas with her elbow. "I bet you got a bunch of rare items, didn'cha?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I'll show them to you later, after we figure out where to go."

"Ah, I hope you don't mind if we meet someone before we do that?" Gunter pointed back at Serabourg.

"Oh!" she clapped her hands together. "Thanks Gunter, I nearly forgot about that. Come on, Veritas-nim, there's someone we'd like you to meet."

"Sure, I don't mind. Lead the way."

They chatted idly as they walked, though they lacked conversational topics outside of Royal Road.

When they reached Serabourg Square, Gunter pointed to the distance. "There she is."

Veritas followed the finger at a sea of people. How was he supposed to figure out who out of the number of people Gunter was pointing at? When he focused his vision, he saw what had stood out to his party-mate. The only person standing still and obviously waiting for someone. That had to be the one. Now that he could see her, he wondered how he didn't notice her before.

While she wasn't a stunning beauty, she stood a cut above the rest of the average female player. Her long, stunning red hair reminded him of his mother's, and her sharp, emerald eyes gave off a dignified, strong-willed feeling. Veritas wondered how she'd come to meet Gunter and Kirhi.

Maybe they offered her help like they did with me. That'd make the most sense.

As they moved closer, they could see that she was being bothered by a number of male fellows. From this distance, all he could hear were snippets, but he seemed to hear mentions of 'party' and 'benefits'. It seemed beauty could work against women when it came to the often chauvinistic and disgraceful behavior of men, especially when veiled by anonymity.

"Sigrun-ssi, over here!" Gunter called, waving and showing that she had plans with other people already. Seeing the trio of higher-leveled – which one could usually tell by a person's armor – approaching, they knew that new players like themselves wouldn't stand a chance in a confrontation and left.

"Gunter-nim, Kirhi-nim," she greeted as she came over. "And who may this be?"

"Veritas." He held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Sigrun-nim."

She took his hand, shaking it. "Please, no need to be so formal, Veritas-nim. Any friend of Kirhi-nim and Gunter-nim is a friend of mine."

"Then I'll insist likewise, you don't need to be formal to me either. And on the topic of those two, I'm guessing they helped you out of a tight spot?"

"Yes, they were passing by as I was being harangued by several males. Being new to virtual reality, they tried to take advantage of me when I was timely... 'rescued'. They taught me what I needed to know to succeed at this stage in Royal Road."

"Mhm. They also helped me out of a bind. Kept my equipment when I died like a complete fool and helped me level."

"That sounds just like them."

"Like I said, we're kind of a pair of goody two-shoes." Kirhi rummaged through her pack, looking for something. "Sigrun-ssi, I brought what you asked for. It was pretty hard, even for us, so I hope you'll put it to good use." She withdrew a small gem and handed it to the redhead.

"Thank you so much, Kirhi-nim, Gunter-nim. It was just what I needed to complete the requirements to class change into an Acolyte."

"Acolyte?"

"Veritas-nim, you haven't heard? It's a secret class that eventually leads to the Paladin class," Gunter explained helpfully. "It was recently discovered but the people who've changed classes are being awfully tight-lipped about the conditions."

"Ah, right, I think I read up a little about secret classes before."

"Yeah, you normally can't change classes unless it's to a secret class or your class advancement."

"Thanks, Gunter-nim."

"It's bothering me a little, but why are the two of you so formal to Veritas-ssi?" Sigrun looked him up and down. "He said you helped him, but you're the ones being so respectful instead."

Kirhi grinned, recalling memories of how they met. "Oh, that. Well, we helped him out, yes, but then he impressed us with his awesome martial arts. The guy's like a master or something, or at least a black belt. Veritas-nim's superb skill helped us out of a lot of pinches so we really respect him."

"I see."

He knew she was appraising him. Veritas knew that he looked kind of laid back and upbeat most of the time, so it was understandable for a person of this world to not be able to immediately see the various nuances that set apart a shinobi from a civilian. Still, she was pretty and polite, so he understood why Gunter and Kirhi had wanted him to meet her. Speaking of things to do on the side...

Oh man, I forgot about going to the market! I need to sell and identify my loot. Well, I think I can fit it in when we're shopping for supplies.

"My apologies, I'm afraid I should be going now."

"Oh, no need to apologize, Sigrun-ssi."

"Yeah, we were the one striking up conversation anyway." Kirhi nudged Veritas out of his thoughts.

"Oh, uh... it was nice meeting you."

Sigrun bowed before leaving, leaving Gunter and Kirhi to snicker at Veritas' awkward sending off.

"S-Shut it! I've always been bad at saying goodbyes. Anyways, let's go to the market, I have some things I need to do."

Leaving the two to shop for supplies, Veritas made for the Identification Shoppe. It was very crowded, full of users who wanted to identify unidentified items. Identifying items could be compared to a lottery. One could hit or miss, get something absolutely valuable or completely worthless. Still, you couldn't help but identify on the off chance that an item would be worth it. The Item Identification skill was limited to craftsman and magic classes, and even among those classes the skill wasn't leveled up often. So when shops like this aggregated a number of skilled identifiers, it immediately became a point of interest for many people.

He stood in line in the first floor, reserved for basic checks. The second floor was set aside for uncommon items that couldn't be identified with just the basic skill level, while the third and highest floor was dedicated to the rarest identifications that would require a high mastery of the Item Identification skill. While he waited, Veritas occupied himself with listening in to the cries of anguish and joy among various people as they determined the worth of their items. More often than not, it was that of anguish that he heard, given the abysmally low rate at which uncommon and unique items popped up.

After a little under two hours, it was his turn. He paid a premium of five silvers per identification, which totaled out to just over two gold. As he'd feared, one by one, the items that were checked turned out to be common and hardly worth much. All but five of his items were revealed to be common. The remaining ones were unable to be identified, so he was referred upstairs to have someone with a higher skill proficiency have a look at it.

These are the items I got off the Spider Queen. Hoo, I'm a bit nervous, after all. Getting common trash after all the trouble I went through would be a horrible feeling.

The second floor was quieter by some, being less crowded. It was still full of users, but not unbearably so. Again, he stood in line, which passed by a lot quicker. This time he paid twenty-five silvers for each identification, and he handed over the gold and silver while despairing inside. He'd made quite a bit in Ahrah, but expenses tended to rack up significantly and quickly. Still, he paid the price since he didn't have the skill. Three of the items turned out to be uncommons for different classes that he could sell for a reasonable amount, and the last two were referred to the top floor.

Here, there were no open spaces. Every identifier had their own room for their customer's privacy. Here would be where the highest rate of rare and unique items would show up, and it would be important for the customer to find out the nature of an item while not screaming it out to the world like in the lower levels. Veritas picked one of the unoccupied rooms at random. A blond male wizard greeted him, commenting that he didn't seem the type to come up to this floor often.

"My first time, actually."

"I see, I see. Well, I hope you're prepared to spend a little, because the identification costs for the third floor are fifty silvers per."

F-fifty... After this, what do my costs come out to? Four or so, plus one or so, plus one... Around seven gold? Ugh...

"Well, it's always a gamble, but we users can't really afford to not check, can we?" He handed over the money.

"That's right, it's really tough without the skill. The first time here is what compels a lot of players to get the skill and level it up, but it's not quite so easy. Lots of mindless identifying involved, you see, and people lack the patience to go through with it."

"I understand how they feel. I really, really do. I'm trying to level my Repair skill, but it's going so damn slow."

"Yes, that's pretty much one of the major reasons why the craftsman classes are so disliked. Now, let's take a gander at your items and hope for the best, shall we? Item Identification. Item Identification."

The information of both items hovered in real-time. One was an uncommon, but the other...

::::

Claws of the Spider Queen

Durability: 110/110

Damage: 44-50

The Spider Queen once used this weapon to great effect against the Wood Elves of Ahrah. Made of her strong, yet light carapace, it possesses excellent damage and durability. However, its brittleness causes durability to decrease faster with prolonged use.

Restrictions:

Combat classes only.

Level 100.

Attributes:

Strength +25, Agility +25.

Attack Speed +15%.

Enchantment 'Piercing Claws'

Piercing Claws

Negates the armor rating of cloth and leather armor. Reduces armor rating of metal armor by 20%.

::::

Veritas whistled. It was an impressive weapon, for sure, even if it was for claw users. Without Claw Mastery, a skill set belonging primarily to the Thief class and its subclasses, and the innate bonuses to claw weaponry granted by the proper classes, he'd never be able to wield it to its maximum potential like he could with a sword.

Maybe I could sell it, but... that description... Would it tip people off that there are wood elves in Ahrah? … Probably. That'd most likely cause trouble for them. Maybe I'll just hold onto it for a while, since it's the best weapon I have and probably will have for a long time... Yeah, I'll do that.

Veritas thanked the identifier before leaving to find his party at the market. Not long after entering the marketplace, several Merchants came up to him, attracted by the large pack he carried on his back, asking whether he had loot to sell, each trying to cut above the other in the prices they offered. He stayed silent as the merchants continued to outbid one another until finally only one remained.

"Sir, I can offer 20% of the store value for all of your loot, rather than the 2% you'd get by pawning them off to an NPC."

"But wouldn't you have a negative margin?" asked Gunter, appearing at Veritas' side. "What do you get out of that?"

"Yes, I'd lose money, but it's important to level up the Item Trading skill, even if I have to suffer losses, otherwise my profit margin will never be high enough for me to become a successful merchant."

"Hm, makes sense. I did accrue a bit of loot over the last month, but do you have enough money to buy it all?" Veritas opened up his pack and upended it, allowing a large amount of loot to fall out. Skins, meats, raw materials, and common equipments fell out in spades. At the sight of the arachnid carapaces, the look on the merchant's face faltered.

"I'm afraid I don't have the resources to relieve you of those higher level items, but everything else, I can take in. The total for those should come up to... 27 gold."

"Deal." Veritas took the gold and packed up the items that hadn't managed to sell. Knowingly, he left a few of them in a small pile. "On the house," he offered with a grin, before leaving. He knew how tough poverty was. Technically, he was already riding the line by constantly resupplying, lacking the skills to provide for himself.

"That was pretty nice of you, to leave a bit to minimize that guy's losses," chirped Kirhi. "I guess you're one of us, a goody two-shoes, after all."

"Eheh, I wouldn't go that far. I've done some questionable things before, like vandalizing a monument."

"Whuaaah? I'd never have guessed!" Gunter exclaimed, mouth wide open. "That'd seriously take a lot of guts to do, defacing a public memorial like that."

"Yeah well, I was kind of an idiot when I was younger. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. So, any suggestions on where we should head?"

"Mm, not particularly. What about you, Kirhi?"

"I'm feeling up for a bit of a brighter environment. Wherever is fine, but the area around Serabourg is starting to get pretty dull and same-y."

"I've had enough of forests for a while, myself. How about heading somewhere northwards?"

"Ooh, I'd like to see some snow. Oh, don't look at me like that, Gunter!"

"I don't like the cold..."

"It might get a bit chilly, probably, but I don't think we're prepared to go far enough north to be freezing. We don't have the right clothing for that either."

"Yeah Gunter, it'll just be chilly. Just buy some insulating leather armor and you'll be fine!"

"Easy for you to say, considering you have fire magic and Veritas-nim has more layers on."

"Ehh, I think wearing metal in the cold wouldn't be all too helpful."

Gunter sighed. "I see that I'm the minority here, so I guess I have no choice. Should we go west or east?"

"West. I have a good feeling about west. There's a lot more space west as well, since Rosenheim is close to the eastern edge of the continent."

"Let's go with what Veritas-nim says, then."

"Right, northwest it is. Kirhi, you get some cold weather supplies. I'll go find some wood."

"Wood?! Why!"

"What if it gets cold and there aren't any trees around? What then?"

Veritas smiled to himself, watching the two friends banter with each other. Ah, friendship. Isn't it so beautiful? Laughing, they set off for a new adventure.

xxxx