Chương 27: Gear Up

Evan and Oliver returned to the boarding house so Evan could activate his new skill gem. When they arrived in their room, Luca and Kai were already back, looking exhausted. Evan greeted them with a wave.

"How did your entrance exams go?"

"Not bad," Lucas said.

"It was only the first day. Only the written exam. Everyone says days two and three with the practical exams are much harder."

"Can't be too hard if Crispin made the cut," Oliver muttered.

"You really don't like this Crispin, do you?" Evan said.

"You'd understand if you met him." Luca jumped off the bunk bed and came closer to inspect the badges pinned to their chests. He looked intrigued.

"Nice and shiny. I bet the ladies love it." Kai had their backs to them, trying to light a fire in the small fireplace, but he did glance over his shoulder to look at Oliver's guild badge.

"So they just let you join? No requirements whatsoever?"

"They seemed happy to take us in," Evan explained.

"There was an admission fee, though, plus a yearly fee that increases with rank." Oliver made a sad face.

"Thanks to that fee, we're still strapped for cash, despite selling all our loot."

"Well, you're monster hunters now," Lucas said, giving Oliver an encouraging clap on the shoulder.

"Just hunt some monsters, sell the loot, and count your riches."

"I'm not sure it's going to be as easy as you make it sound," Evan said, sinking down on his bed.

"I skimmed through the monster encyclopedia they gave us, and most of the things in there look nasty." Evan had thought it couldn't get worse after the Scrapmaw queen, but the tablet listed many more monsters that not only looked creepier but also came with a whole bunch of dangerous special abilities.

"Good thing you'll soon have a brand new skill to use against them," Oliver said, a grin flashing across his face. Luca looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You got a new skill gem?" Evan conjured it from his inventory and held it up for everyone in the room to see. The green gem reflected the soft afternoon light streaming in through the small window.

"Gem of Projectile."

"Sweet," Luca exclaimed.

"I bet that'll give you a really cool mage skill. Are you going for a mage skill set?"

"I was thinking battlemage," Evan said, feeling a little silly saying it out loud. Battlemage? He was a nurse, not a battlemage. Was that really his life now? Part of his brain still expected to wake up in an ICU, realizing that all this was just a drug-induced hallucination. Luca didn't seem to find his statement peculiar at all, though.

"Good choice for a monster hunter. Versatile."

"Are you going to use the gem right now?" Kai asked. He'd finally succeeded in igniting a fire and crossed the room to take a look at Evan's gem up close.

"Can we watch?"

"Uh… sure. Why not? But don't laugh if I get something stupid, okay?"

"Can't make any promises," Lucas said, laughing.

"My sister's boyfriend used a Gem of Haste with his water affinity and he ended up with a really skilly skill. Technically, he was supposed to be sliding, but the ground under his feet just became really wet and he kept slipping and falling on his ass. The whole village was laughing at him. My sister broke up with him a week later."

"That's… not very encouraging," Evan said, eyeing the gem in his palm with caution. At least he had no girlfriend who could dump him over a stupid skill.

"I remember that," Kai said.

"Your sister's boyfriend was a huge tool though. He deserved it. I won't laugh at you, Evan." Evan gave him a smile, thankful for the emotional support. With a deep breath, he held up the gem in his palm. He focused his eyes on it, and his interface responded. [Do you want to activate Gem of the Projectile? Y/N] Heart thumping, he mentally selected yes and immediately felt warmth spread from his palm to his arm to the rest of his body.

He wasn't sure why it felt different than the last time, maybe it had something to do with his new rank, but he could almost feel the magic flowing from the crystal into his body, into his very soul. [You have bound Gem of Projectile to your Crystal] [You have received a new skill: Comet Shot] [Comet Shot - Tied to your Dexterity attribute Launches a magical comet at your enemy. Explodes into a shower of sparks upon impact, dealing celestial damage to nearby enemies. Mana Cost: 38 Cooldown: 10 seconds Range: 10 feet AoE: 3 feet Increase your Dexterity attribute to improve this ability.]"And?" Oliver asked, sounding excited.

"What did you get?" Evan rolled his shoulders as the tension that had built there in anticipation faded.

"It's called Comet Shot. I think it's not a total dud." He read the description his interface was showing him out loud and earned a lot of impressed looks and approving nods.

"That sounds really powerful," Luca said.

"Congratulations, man." Kai quietly studied Evan, thoughtfully tilting his head.

"Comet Shot it's called? What affinity gives star themed skills? Moon, maybe? Or Night? It must be pretty rare?" Evan tensed at the question, Oliver's warning still fresh in his memory. Luca and Kai didn't strike him as the kill-someone-for-loot type of guys, but on the other hand, he'd just met them, so he should be cautious around them.

"Uh, no, not that rare. I guess I just lucked out with the combination." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Oliver wrapped his arm around Evan's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

"What do you say? Should we head out right away so you can try it out?" Evan wasn't sure if it was a deliberate attempt to steer the conversation away from the topic of Evan's affinity or if Oliver really was just that excited to start his new job, but either way it worked.

"The area around Stormhaven is crawling with monsters," Luca said.

"Big crowds attract them because of the high mana levels so many people in one place generate. Plenty of opportunities for two newly minted monster hunters like the two of you." Evan thought about it for a moment. He wasn't totally sure how late it was, but all the back and forth between the boarding house, the guild, and the auction house had used up most of the day. The sun was already pretty low in the sky, and they still hadn't bought any new gear.

He was itching to try out his [Comet Shot], but he would feel safer outside Stormhaven's city walls with some proper armor.

"Tomorrow," he said, letting reason win over impatience.

"We still have to buy some armor and gear, and it's getting late. If what Luca says is true and the woods around Stormhaven are crawling with monsters, I don't want to be caught out there in the dark." Luca and Kai wanted to stay in their room to rest and prepare for the Academy's practical exams the following day, so Evan and Oliver asked Maya to join them on their shopping tour.

Evan noticed the way Luca's eyes followed her when she picked them up at the door, and he felt a pang of jealousy deep down in his stomach. He pushed the feeling down. Dating was very, very low on his priority list, no matter how pretty her black hair shone in the afternoon light and how cute the dusting of freckles on her nose looked. Besides, she was his friend's sister, and sisters were off limits.

He might have only known Oliver for a few days, but there were certain things you couldn't do together without becoming friends, and killing a ten feet tall Mud Golem was certainly one of them. The fact that they both had… complicated relationships with their fathers further strengthened their quickly forming bond. The three of them headed out, following Maya's lead.

"I'm going to take you to the smith that hired me. Gregory. He's a decent guy. Good wares, fair prices."

"You already found a job?" Evan asked, impressed.

"It wasn't that hard. This is a very busy city. Most craftsmen here are looking to hire. And I already have a year of experience under my belt, so I'm ahead of all the other country bumkins streaming into the city to make some money." She led them through the maze of streets, alleys, stairs, and parks until they reached a rather small shop, nestled between a tailor and a shoemaker.

"The tailor belongs to Gregory's brother-in-law, and the shoemaker is his uncle," Maya explained before entering the shop. The smithy itself was in the backyard, while the front of the shop housed the sales counter and several wooden mannequins showing off all kinds of armor and weapons. Oliver looked like a kid in a toy shop. Eyes full of desire, he stopped in front of an impressive set of plate armor made from silvery metal, with golden trim. Evan gave him a little nudge.

"We're on a tight budget, remember?"

"Yeah, forget it, Olly," Maya said, looking amused by the way his brother was completely enthralled by the armor set, "This armor is made from Moonsteel. It costs an absolute fortune." A broad-shouldered man with shaggy blond hair entered the shop from the back. His calloused hands and heavy leather apron told Evan he was a smith; the way he played with a blob of metal in his hand like it was play-doh told him he was also a mana user.

"Good day, gentlemen. Hello, Maya. From the family resemblance I assume this is your brother?"

"Yeah, that's Olly, my baby brother. And our friend Evan."

"What can I do for you?" Evan stepped forward.

"We need some armor suitable for monster hunting." Gregory the smith glanced at their copper guild badges and nodded.

"You're in luck. I offer a discount to guild members. What are you looking for? Leather? Scale? Plate?"

"My brother is aiming for a defensive specialization," Maya said before either of them had a chance to open their mouths.

"So I would say plate for him. Maybe not a full suit. He doesn't have the physical stats to pull that off yet." Gregory looked at Oliver with a tilted head, taking him in.

"I think I have some cuirass I can adjust to his size. They'll protect his vital organs without limiting mobility too much. Maybe paired with some vambraces for the arms and greaves for the legs… yes, I think that will work." He turned to Evan.

"What about you, young man? Plate as well?" Evan opened his mouth to answer, but Maya cut in again.

"Evan definitely does not have the physical stats for plate armor—""Hey! I'm not that weak, okay?" Maya wordlessly looked at him, one eyebrow raised, before returning to her discussion with Gregory.

"He wants to be a battlemage, and he has this pretty cool teleport skill, so I was thinking chain mail and leather? Something that doesn't limit his mobility too much." Gregory nodded.

"I have the perfect set in mind."

"I don't need bracers," Evan said quickly, before Maya had the chance to talk over him again.

"I got a pair of leather bracers from a quest and I'd like to keep them."

"Can I take a look?" Gregory grabbed Evan's arm without waiting for a response and inspected the bracers he had still on.

"Sturdy, but nothing fancy. Are you sure you want to keep them?"

"Sentimental reasons," Evan explained.

"I see. It's up to you, but once you have the funds, you might want to consider enhancing them magically. I'm a rank 6 mana crafter, so I can help you with that once you're ready."

"Thank you for the offer. I might come back to it."

"Let's take your measurements then," Gregory said.

"The adjustments won't take long. You can pick up your new armor tomorrow morning." Gregory kept true to his promise. Evan and Oliver wished Luca and Kai good luck with their exams and headed back to the smithy with the first rays of sunlight. When they arrived, Gregory was putting the last finishing touches on their new armor. They paid 320 mana stones for Evan's armor and 400 mana stones for Oliver's.

A significant chunk of their savings, but after Evan had seen the prices for affinity crystals, this armor felt like an outright bargain. Gregory was kind enough to help them put it on and explained to them which straps to tighten to adjust it to their bodies.

"Oil the leather parts regularly," he instructed them.

"You can come back any time you need something repaired." Decked out in their new gear, Evan and Oliver walked out of the shop.

"Look at us," Oliver said with a grin.

"We look like proper monster hunters now."

"Then let's go hunt some monsters," Evan said. He still felt a little awkward in his new armor, but damn, he looked cool. Fancy armor, a magical sword, and a brand new magical skill to try out. He was ready for some action. They left the city via the northern gate, together with a lot of other people going about their business, but as they followed the sandy road north, the crowd dissipated in different directions and soon they were completely alone on the road.

Evan watched the forest on either side, one hand on the hilt of his sword. Oliver noticed his watchful gaze and shook his head with a chuckle.

"The monsters are not going to cross the road in front of us, mate." Evan took his hand from his sword with a sheepish smile.

"They're not?"

"No, major roads like this have ward stones protecting against monster attacks." Evan looked at the dirt path in front of them, barely wide enough to let two wagons pass each other.

"This is what counts as a major road? Where I'm from, we have paved roads with half a dozen lanes sometimes."

"Why would you need such huge roads?"

"For all the cars."

"The what?" Evan shrugged.

"Metal boxes with wheels. Like a smaller version of that tram, but without magic."

"And your world has a lot of them?"

"Almost everyone has one, yes."

"Even you?"

"I had one, but I had to sell it to pay…" His thoughts drifted back to his own world. To his dad, and Leah, and his hospital co-workers. For a moment he wondered what they were doing right now, but he pushed the intrusive thoughts aside. It wasn't important right now. That was a life he'd left behind. Not of his own accord, but still. He was here now, and he had enough on his plate without putting worrying-about-dad back on the menu.

"So where are we going to find some monsters to kill and loot? Do we just… head into the forest?" That's how he'd done it in the Rainwilds region. Just a few steps off the road, he'd found the exploding slugs that had helped him get a handle on [Teleport].

"We could. Or we go to one of the smaller villages and check the notice board. They usually post notices if someone spots a monster infestation somewhere, and if you kill them, you get an extra reward on top of the loot. And we can hand in the notice and improve our standing with the Monster Hunter Guild."

"Sounds good. I think the guild tablet had a map." Evan pulled the tablet from his inventory and flipped through the pages until he found the map again. It showed Stormhaven and its surrounding villages.

"I think the next village isn't too far away. Mistford." He studied the map closely, trying to figure out the shortest route to the village, when he spotted something that confused him.

"Hey Oliver, do you know what this gray splotch in the upper right corner of the map means?" Oliver leaned in to take a look at the tablet, and his expression darkened.

"Yeah, I know what that is. That's a Deadland."