Melvin wasn't expecting any precious information either, so he didn't react at how uninformative that was and just approached the counter and waited. The woman behind was busy writing on a piece of paper to the side, and after a while, she raised her head and approached.
A weird silence then ensued, Melvin was waiting for the lady to ask so that he could begin, and she, in turn, was waiting for him to speak.
"Hello, Do..."
"What do.."
Both of them spoke at the same time, and then when they realized the other person was speaking they stopped.
Melvin smiled in his mind, finding the situation quite amusing. Just as he was about to say, "Please go on..." The exact same thing repeated itself, much to his amusement.
However, he quickly noticed how the woman's expression turned chilly as she glared at him. 'Does she think I am doing it on purpose?' He thought, puzzled as to why she would be mad from such a harmless situation.
This time, he didn't say anything and just gestured for her to speak with his head, still smiling.
In an emotionless cold voice, the attendant uttered, "What do you want?"
Hearing such an unfriendly tone, Melvin's face couldn't help but mirror hers. 'What's wrong with this woman?' He thought in frustration. "Do you have any Stone Classes?" He muttered, following her eyes.
The woman threw out a simple, "No", and without even waiting for him to ask something else, she retreated to her chair and began writing once again, leaving Melvin stupefied.
'What the fuck just happened?' He questioned, unable to make sense of this crazy woman. Fortunately, there was another woman at the other side of the counter and he quickly made his way there.
After a while, he finished the task as he walked back towards the stairs with an astonished expression on his face. '80 Gold Coins? Shit,' He cursed, 'Too expensive.'
Fortunately, the other woman was friendlier and he learned that they indeed had Class Stones, but there were only those of Warriors, Thieves, Archers, and Rogues. They were all at the same price, but this made him realize another important issue. He didn't know which Class he should go for when he got enough money. 'Seems like a trip to a library or something is necessary.' He pondered deeply.
His first thought was to just pay an adventurer some silver, and have them answer all of his questions. But he changed his mind, he wanted something more comprehensive and precise because he had a lot of other questions.
As he was mindlessly walking, eyes glued to the ground, he suddenly bumped into something hard and strong, to the point that he almost fell back. Glancing up, he immediately caught sight of a tall man clad in an exquisite red armor with a sword at his side. When he saw the man's face, he was shocked.
"Karl?" He mumbled unsure, because the man in front of him seemed rather too different from the friendly stranger he encountered previously.
A pair of eyes immediately connected with his, then the armored man said, "Oh hey! Melvin, what are you doing here?" Sounding clearly surprised by seeing this interesting fella who he knew was Classless in the Adventurer's Association.
Finding someone who he knew here, Melvin was beyond happy, even though he had no idea why exactly. His smile widened and answered, "I was here looking for Class Stones."
Hearing that, Karl's eyebrows quirked up, "Ohh?" He questioned with a smile, "You're looking for an interesting class or what?"
Melvin had no idea what Karl meant by saying interesting, "I don't know, I still have no idea what Class to go for. I just came to see the price."
"Ah I see," Karl said, and then explained to him how the Church's crystal offered only limited Classes. Mainly Warrior, Archer, Monk, Thief, Cleric, and Priest. If he wanted others like Druid, Rogue, Mage, or the other Uncommon Classes, he would have to get a Class Stone.
"If you're looking for just something basic, why didn't you go to the church? It's just 10 Gold Coins." Karl asked confusion evident on his face. He understood from Melvin that he just wanted some normal to begin with, so he didn't get why he would go around looking for Class stones.
Melvin naturally wouldn't start rambling about how a Godly being told him not to go about it that way, and so he just said, "Ehh, Gods and the Church aren't really my thing."
Although what he had just said was very risky, and if he said it to anyone he would be deemed an offensive Heretic. Karl was different, and although they had very little interaction other than his first day, Melvin had a general idea about his personality.
True to his expectations, Karl was at first shocked by the brazen words as he started turning around making sure no one was eavesdropping before he chuckled and said, "You'll get us stoned. Anyway, I have to go finish up some business. If you need anything, you know where I live."
Melvin quickly waved him off, delighted by the last news. Karl clearly seemed strong, if he could count on him in a moment of need it would be great.
Still mulling over that, he quickly reached one of the rooms by the stairs and hesitated. 'Should I go in?' He knew that this was where the information was sold, and though he could describe the uniform they were wearing to someone and ask him, he wanted something more specific and one hundred percent correct, not some passerby's guess..
Gritting his teeth, he mumbled, "Fuck it," and entered. He knew that this was going to cost him quite a bit, but after he learned how much adventurers were getting paid he became emboldened in his decision. If he could rob those people, he would make a killing!
The moment he set food inside, the door behind him was slammed shut, seemingly on its own. If the attendant hadn't told him about the process, he would have attempted to break it open.
The room before him was quite small but tasteful. It had two long windows covered by a beige curtain that allowed the light to enter, and two red cushioned chairs facing each other.
He sat in one of the chairs, and waited, slightly anxious as his legs moved up and down and his palms grabbed the edge of his seat.
Soon, a mature woman with dark hair wearing a robe of sorts, emerged out of a black curtain at the other side of the room. She smiled at him and sat down in the chair before him.
"What can I help you with?" She asked, her voice seemingly both amused and playful.
Hearing the tone of voice, Melvin's face momentarily stiffened as he thought, 'Oh boy.' Hiding his feelings deep in his heart, he got directly to the point, afraid that they might be charging by the minute. "I am looking for three people, they were wearing a dark blue uniform with a wave as an emblem."
He continued describing how the three of them looked in perfect detail, and once he was done he sighed in relief satisfied by his explanation. But his smile soon froze on his face, he had quickly noticed that the woman kept quiet for an oddly long time.
After a while, her mouth twitched in both amusement and disbelief, "Sir...This isn't that type of establishment."
"What do you mean?" Melvin asked innocently, unable to grasp her point.
"We aren't some underground broker of information, we can't sell you information about people. We only appraise items, dungeon information, territories, possible quests, and so on..." She muttered, unable to hide her smile any longer.
Realization dawned upon Melvin, and he immediately felt like hiding in a hole, especially as he looked at her amused expression, clearly reveling in his stupidity. Unaware of how to proceed, he just kept looking. 'Well, that is rather awkward...'
Still smiling to herself, the woman stood up. She could tell that he had nothing more to say, and she didn't want to cause him any further embarrassment, "We can conclude this session. Free of charge. Things like this happen, don't worry"
With graceful steps, she retreated to where she came from. However, just as she was about to push the curtain and disappear into what lay ahead, she gave him one last look and hinted with a wink, "Maybe the Black Rose tavern will be lively in this fine evening."
When Melvin heard her words, he smiled back in gratitude and stood up and left. The door had already opened the moment she pushed the curtains aside.
He got down from the stairs and quickly left the association behind as well. His goal was to go back to the Inn and attempt to write some Runes so that he could further strengthen himself.
However, the moment he stepped foot on the edge of the Western main road, he noticed something quite intriguing. The usually empty sidewalk in front of the news board was now filled with people.
'Huh?! They must've put something new', He thought with a slight curiosity. Reading the news was a very good way to learn about the world, and he wouldn't let go of an opportunity like that, so he slowly approached the small crowd to his left.
Legs still moving, slowly approaching the news board, his ears caught something peculiar.
"They piled the bodies? Oh, how terrible."
Quickly brushing his worries thinking that he was just still nervous, and more so maybe imagining things he continued.
"They fed them to the beasts? That is dangerous..."
'Oh no.' His steps paused, and his eyebrows furrowed. 'Could it be?' Unwilling to wait any longer, he pulled his hood even lower to cover his face and quickened his pace.
The moment his gaze caught the picture of his own face, he was shocked. His mind paused, unwilling to continue its course for a considerable while as his eyes widened in fear.
His palms began to sweat, and he reflexively brushed them against his cloak as he began to read the piece of news under the drawing of his face.
- Tragedy Strikes: Four Lives Lost in Grisly Slaying
In a harrowing tale that sends shivers through the city, four souls met their untimely demise at the hands of young perpetrators. The sordid affair unfolded in the shadows of the slums, where innocence gave way to unspeakable brutality and carnage.
Reports indicate that four unfortunate victims whose identities are under investigation, and two of them were fed to the ravenous beasts along the Beasts' Road, their screams lost amidst the eerie silence of the night. Meanwhile, the others faced a fate even more macabre, their bodies gruesomely mutilated and put on grotesque sadistic display.
Authorities now turn their gaze to the eldest among the accused as being the most likely instigator, a figure known as Jacob The Snake. Wanted for peddling the illicit substance known as "Sunburst", his name evokes fear and apprehension in equal measure in his own neighborhood. With a reward of ten gold coins offered for any information leading to his whereabouts, the city remains on edge, yearning for justice in the wake of such senseless violence.
'What in the world?!' He thought, absolutely gripped by fear, 'I am done for, I am fucked...'
Although he was previously wanted, he was still just a small drug dealer, out of the other hundreds that didn't evoke any fear. However, now that he was given a whole page on the news board, and it was written in such a way that he was painted as this gruesome killer, he began to despair.
He knew that the guards' efforts would be even more serious now that he was portrayed as such, and he was still very much ignorant about the world. He had no idea how skills could be incorporated into looking for him, that was what terrified him the most.
The fact that his face was on display for tens of thousands of people across the city only added to that already terribly complex situation.
"What a sick bastard, do you think he did something to the other boys as well?"
"Probably, from what we've heard there were originally three small boys, but now there are only two. And, no one knows where they are."
Hearing such words, he was immediately woken up from his reverie. He pulled down his hood even further as his face became glued to the ground, afraid someone might catch a view of his features.
'What should I do? What should I do?' He worried as his teeth frantically bit into his nails in anxiety, 'I need to get out of here first.' Reaching that conclusion, he moved behind the crowd and continued on the west main road, the inn as his destination.
He wanted to know if something strange happened in his absence, and as he glanced up, he noticed that the sun seemed perched on the western walls. 'Night is just around the corner.' He observed, momentarily captivated by the view of the bustling street, people's laughs and shouts, and the fantastical view before his fears and worries caught on to him.
Melvin wasn't expecting any precious information either, so he didn't react at how uninformative that was and just approached the counter and waited. The woman behind was busy writing on a piece of paper to the side, and after a while, she raised her head and approached.
A weird silence then ensued, Melvin was waiting for the lady to ask so that he could begin, and she, in turn, was waiting for him to speak.
"Hello, Do..."
"What do.."
Both of them spoke at the same time, and then when they realized the other person was speaking they stopped.
Melvin smiled in his mind, finding the situation quite amusing. Just as he was about to say, "Please go on..." The exact same thing repeated itself, much to his amusement.
However, he quickly noticed how the woman's expression turned chilly as she glared at him. 'Does she think I am doing it on purpose?' He thought, puzzled as to why she would be mad from such a harmless situation.
This time, he didn't say anything and just gestured for her to speak with his head, still smiling.
In an emotionless cold voice, the attendant uttered, "What do you want?"
Hearing such an unfriendly tone, Melvin's face couldn't help but mirror hers. 'What's wrong with this woman?' He thought in frustration. "Do you have any Stone Classes?" He muttered, following her eyes.
The woman threw out a simple, "No", and without even waiting for him to ask something else, she retreated to her chair and began writing once again, leaving Melvin stupefied.
'What the fuck just happened?' He questioned, unable to make sense of this crazy woman. Fortunately, there was another woman at the other side of the counter and he quickly made his way there.
After a while, he finished the task as he walked back towards the stairs with an astonished expression on his face. '80 Gold Coins? Shit,' He cursed, 'Too expensive.'
Fortunately, the other woman was friendlier and he learned that they indeed had Class Stones, but there were only those of Warriors, Thieves, Archers, and Rogues. They were all at the same price, but this made him realize another important issue. He didn't know which Class he should go for when he got enough money. 'Seems like a trip to a library or something is necessary.' He pondered deeply.
His first thought was to just pay an adventurer some silver, and have them answer all of his questions. But he changed his mind, he wanted something more comprehensive and precise because he had a lot of other questions.
As he was mindlessly walking, eyes glued to the ground, he suddenly bumped into something hard and strong, to the point that he almost fell back. Glancing up, he immediately caught sight of a tall man clad in an exquisite red armor with a sword at his side. When he saw the man's face, he was shocked.
"Karl?" He mumbled unsure, because the man in front of him seemed rather too different from the friendly stranger he encountered previously.
A pair of eyes immediately connected with his, then the armored man said, "Oh hey! Melvin, what are you doing here?" Sounding clearly surprised by seeing this interesting fella who he knew was Classless in the Adventurer's Association.
Finding someone who he knew here, Melvin was beyond happy, even though he had no idea why exactly. His smile widened and answered, "I was here looking for Class Stones."
Hearing that, Karl's eyebrows quirked up, "Ohh?" He questioned with a smile, "You're looking for an interesting class or what?"
Melvin had no idea what Karl meant by saying interesting, "I don't know, I still have no idea what Class to go for. I just came to see the price."
"Ah I see," Karl said, and then explained to him how the Church's crystal offered only limited Classes. Mainly Warrior, Archer, Monk, Thief, Cleric, and Priest. If he wanted others like Druid, Rogue, Mage, or the other Uncommon Classes, he would have to get a Class Stone.
"If you're looking for just something basic, why didn't you go to the church? It's just 10 Gold Coins." Karl asked confusion evident on his face. He understood from Melvin that he just wanted some normal to begin with, so he didn't get why he would go around looking for Class stones.
Melvin naturally wouldn't start rambling about how a Godly being told him not to go about it that way, and so he just said, "Ehh, Gods and the Church aren't really my thing."
Although what he had just said was very risky, and if he said it to anyone he would be deemed an offensive Heretic. Karl was different, and although they had very little interaction other than his first day, Melvin had a general idea about his personality.
True to his expectations, Karl was at first shocked by the brazen words as he started turning around making sure no one was eavesdropping before he chuckled and said, "You'll get us stoned. Anyway, I have to go finish up some business. If you need anything, you know where I live."
Melvin quickly waved him off, delighted by the last news. Karl clearly seemed strong, if he could count on him in a moment of need it would be great.
Still mulling over that, he quickly reached one of the rooms by the stairs and hesitated. 'Should I go in?' He knew that this was where the information was sold, and though he could describe the uniform they were wearing to someone and ask him, he wanted something more specific and one hundred percent correct, not some passerby's guess..
Gritting his teeth, he mumbled, "Fuck it," and entered. He knew that this was going to cost him quite a bit, but after he learned how much adventurers were getting paid he became emboldened in his decision. If he could rob those people, he would make a killing!
The moment he set food inside, the door behind him was slammed shut, seemingly on its own. If the attendant hadn't told him about the process, he would have attempted to break it open.
The room before him was quite small but tasteful. It had two long windows covered by a beige curtain that allowed the light to enter, and two red cushioned chairs facing each other.
He sat in one of the chairs, and waited, slightly anxious as his legs moved up and down and his palms grabbed the edge of his seat.
Soon, a mature woman with dark hair wearing a robe of sorts, emerged out of a black curtain at the other side of the room. She smiled at him and sat down in the chair before him.
"What can I help you with?" She asked, her voice seemingly both amused and playful.
Hearing the tone of voice, Melvin's face momentarily stiffened as he thought, 'Oh boy.' Hiding his feelings deep in his heart, he got directly to the point, afraid that they might be charging by the minute. "I am looking for three people, they were wearing a dark blue uniform with a wave as an emblem."
He continued describing how the three of them looked in perfect detail, and once he was done he sighed in relief satisfied by his explanation. But his smile soon froze on his face, he had quickly noticed that the woman kept quiet for an oddly long time.
After a while, her mouth twitched in both amusement and disbelief, "Sir...This isn't that type of establishment."
"What do you mean?" Melvin asked innocently, unable to grasp her point.
"We aren't some underground broker of information, we can't sell you information about people. We only appraise items, dungeon information, territories, possible quests, and so on..." She muttered, unable to hide her smile any longer.
Realization dawned upon Melvin, and he immediately felt like hiding in a hole, especially as he looked at her amused expression, clearly reveling in his stupidity. Unaware of how to proceed, he just kept looking. 'Well, that is rather awkward...'
Still smiling to herself, the woman stood up. She could tell that he had nothing more to say, and she didn't want to cause him any further embarrassment, "We can conclude this session. Free of charge. Things like this happen, don't worry"
With graceful steps, she retreated to where she came from. However, just as she was about to push the curtain and disappear into what lay ahead, she gave him one last look and hinted with a wink, "Maybe the Black Rose tavern will be lively in this fine evening."
When Melvin heard her words, he smiled back in gratitude and stood up and left. The door had already opened the moment she pushed the curtains aside.
He got down from the stairs and quickly left the association behind as well. His goal was to go back to the Inn and attempt to write some Runes so that he could further strengthen himself.
However, the moment he stepped foot on the edge of the Western main road, he noticed something quite intriguing. The usually empty sidewalk in front of the news board was now filled with people.
'Huh?! They must've put something new', He thought with a slight curiosity. Reading the news was a very good way to learn about the world, and he wouldn't let go of an opportunity like that, so he slowly approached the small crowd to his left.
Legs still moving, slowly approaching the news board, his ears caught something peculiar.
"They piled the bodies? Oh, how terrible."
Quickly brushing his worries thinking that he was just still nervous, and more so maybe imagining things he continued.
"They fed them to the beasts? That is dangerous..."
'Oh no.' His steps paused, and his eyebrows furrowed. 'Could it be?' Unwilling to wait any longer, he pulled his hood even lower to cover his face and quickened his pace.
The moment his gaze caught the picture of his own face, he was shocked. His mind paused, unwilling to continue its course for a considerable while as his eyes widened in fear.
His palms began to sweat, and he reflexively brushed them against his cloak as he began to read the piece of news under the drawing of his face.
- Tragedy Strikes: Four Lives Lost in Grisly Slaying
In a harrowing tale that sends shivers through the city, four souls met their untimely demise at the hands of young perpetrators. The sordid affair unfolded in the shadows of the slums, where innocence gave way to unspeakable brutality and carnage.
Reports indicate that four unfortunate victims whose identities are under investigation, and two of them were fed to the ravenous beasts along the Beasts' Road, their screams lost amidst the eerie silence of the night. Meanwhile, the others faced a fate even more macabre, their bodies gruesomely mutilated and put on grotesque sadistic display.
Authorities now turn their gaze to the eldest among the accused as being the most likely instigator, a figure known as Jacob The Snake. Wanted for peddling the illicit substance known as "Sunburst", his name evokes fear and apprehension in equal measure in his own neighborhood. With a reward of ten gold coins offered for any information leading to his whereabouts, the city remains on edge, yearning for justice in the wake of such senseless violence.
'What in the world?!' He thought, absolutely gripped by fear, 'I am done for, I am fucked...'
Although he was previously wanted, he was still just a small drug dealer, out of the other hundreds that didn't evoke any fear. However, now that he was given a whole page on the news board, and it was written in such a way that he was painted as this gruesome killer, he began to despair.
He knew that the guards' efforts would be even more serious now that he was portrayed as such, and he was still very much ignorant about the world. He had no idea how skills could be incorporated into looking for him, that was what terrified him the most.
The fact that his face was on display for tens of thousands of people across the city only added to that already terribly complex situation.
"What a sick bastard, do you think he did something to the other boys as well?"
"Probably, from what we've heard there were originally three small boys, but now there are only two. And, no one knows where they are."
Hearing such words, he was immediately woken up from his reverie. He pulled down his hood even further as his face became glued to the ground, afraid someone might catch a view of his features.
'What should I do? What should I do?' He worried as his teeth frantically bit into his nails in anxiety, 'I need to get out of here first.' Reaching that conclusion, he moved behind the crowd and continued on the west main road, the inn as his destination.
He wanted to know if something strange happened in his absence, and as he glanced up, he noticed that the sun seemed perched on the western walls. 'Night is just around the corner.' He observed, momentarily captivated by the view of the bustling street, people's laughs and shouts, and the fantastical view before his fears and worries caught on to him.
