Another day after a Quest

I sat down by the fire, I rekindled the one that the goblins were using. Feeling hungry, I took out a bread from my inventory. It was rather hard to bite on, but it is rather cheap to eat out. Slowly, I managed to finish a piece. I huddled by a ruin column and rested, waiting for the night to end.

I don't have my shield, but I have my axe. It's going to be rough when I get back.

Looking at the moon, I feel myself getting rather comforted at its sight. My eyes feeling rather tired as I feel more at ease. It has been a long day for me, and perhaps I did push my body hard this time. Hiding myself behind the boxes and crates of those goblins, I closed my eyes.

Before I realized it, the void did not let me stay for long and I felt the warm sunshine on my cheek. Then the light passing through, blinded by it I woke up and covered my eyes with my palm.

It seems that I am still in one piece.

I thought to myself as I sit up and found my body is no longer fatigued. And while I did drink potions to keep my health up, it didn't exactly recovered the condition I was in before. Thankfully a good night's rest is all that I need.

I went back to the town, passing through the forest. It seems that the goblin camp was all there is at that direction, thankfully. While I can handle enemies with just a one handed axe, I can't say for sure I would have left without any arrows stuck to my chest.

"Hello Sir Karl! You look rather battered...would you like to take a rest at the lounge?"

I went straight back to the guild house, and I was greeted by Clara. However, I only kept our conversation short and talked about the request. I reported that the ruins was being used by goblins for a camp, but I managed to kill all goblins there. Satisfied, I was given a reward of a hundred gold, with the fangs and ears compensated with ten gold each and fifteen for the former.

Using this gold coins, I got another shield and refined it with the chunks that I have left. Now I'm back to what I had, but unsatisfied, I managed to replace my arm guards with iron and bought myself a set of iron greaves. Better protected from bites and slashes, however I feel myself heavier. This is one reason why I haven't replaced some of my leather armor as it kept me light, however since I was levelling up strength, I would eventually be able to carry myself better.

"Should I get lighter...?", I thought to myself, remembering the time I was fighting that knight and that I had to rely on speed to escape. However, I shrugged the thought off and remained to focus on the heavier side of armors.

It is rarely I would fight something that strong anyway, I just have to be careful from now on.

Going for another piece, I finally replaced my leather cap with a proper helm. An iron helm. And with that, I have completed the iron armor set, and a pop up appears stating that my completion of the set has given me twenty health points so long as the set is complete.

"Yo, it seems that you've been grinding hard. How have you've been Karl?", I turned to my front and saw the guy who was in the training field before. The one who talked about naming behaviour and the Instructor mystery one.

"Chilie, it's been a while. I see you've been rather busy.", I responded back. I look at his appearance, his leather armor before now replaced with a hauberk to which he proudly tapped on with a smug on his face.

"Well, I get enough gold coins to buy it off yesterday. I was about to invite you for a drink yesterday as well but I didn't see you. You're online so I thought you were on a quest so I just left a message, didn't you see it?"

Oh right, I do have a notification. I didn't really check it since I was on a rush.

"I had to run back here and finish the quest so I didn't open the mail. We can always have that drink now if you'd like."

"Nah, we got a quest going on with my party. Really don't want to join?", he asks. He's been inviting me to his party ever since we met back after that time with the training field.

"Still a solo player right now. Maybe someday. You would still keep it open right?"

"Yeah, why not? I'm always up for a quest with friends. Oh right, I got to get inside now. Repair this sword before we go."

"Alright man, have fun. I'll look more to my mails next time."

"Eh it's good. See you sometime again."

Chilie enters the weapons smith area which is just next to the armor smith. We've been in contact with each other, sometimes passing by each other. Had a drink at the tavern some days, after our quests. He's a fun guy.

Speaking of which, intoxication does work on this world. So getting drunk is possible, since I assume this device does have a connection to our brain, it's possible to simulate it I guess.

Since the appraisal shop is quite far from the main hub of the town, I had to walk a long way to get there while getting skewers for me to eat. After all the trouble I went through for the ring, it is time for me to find out what it holds for me. It would be nice if it does have a good stat for me.

I stare at the rather ordinary looking house. It is just like any other houses outside the town. A small house made of stone, with a good distance to the road. If it weren't for the map, I wouldn't have been able to tell if this is a shop at all. Or is it?

I knocked on the door three times and waited. Soon enough the wooden door moved and opened a bit.

"Is there anything I can do for you?", the door fully opens and reveals a man. He is around twenties, with height same as mine yet his physique looks rather sickly. 

"Is there a way for you to appraise this ring?", I handed out the ring and he looked at it closely. Upon getting curious, adjusted his glasses and waved his hand for me to go inside. Following his invitation, I went inside and we went to his desk, which is just in front of the door.

"Let me see it properly." he asks, his palm waiting for the ring to be put on. I obliged and handed the ring to him and as he received it, immediately went to the back of his desk and brought out a device with lenses and a lamp for better lighting. He switches the lens one by one, analyzing details the naked eye probably couldn't see.

"This...actually is rather preserved rather well. Where did you find it?"

"On a shrine of some sort, underground."

"Underground...still doesn't explain why it looks untouched. I can see that your print and mine is the only one in here."

"That's great! It means it's not used. So what does it have for me?", I ask, more interested in what upgrade it has for me.

"Nothing actually. At least, nothing my device could pick up. No enchantments, no runes, even the smallest trace of imbuement.", the appraiser gives the ring back and opened up his palm. I suppose this must be the fee this time. I handed a hundred coins to him.

"So this is just an ordinary ring?"

Jewelry can still fetch me a few gold coins I suppose, but not worth the risk.

"Oh it is, but if it could explain why the ring is not weathered by external factors. I would say that it might be once protected through magic. Wear it, maybe you could reactivate it's protection and cast it on yourself, since you are an extension of the ring now."

"Are you sure it's not cursed?", I stared at the ring 

"If it is, then it would have happened the moment you touched the ring. And I can see that you're still alive so it is unlikely."

Barely actually. But if it is true, then perhaps it is safe for me to wear this ring and hopefully bring out the protection spell on it. That would certainly help me explore more dangerous places. However, not that it is appraised, I might be able to inspect it now.

Using inspection, I managed to see the effects the ring has.

~~

Unnamed Ring

A ring veiled in protection spell. The user will be able to channel the spell unto themselves. Yet mystery lies, why was the ring shrouded with this spell?

Fabric of Protection (Passive) - Grants barrier equal to 10% of the user's max health. Effective against projectiles, granting 15% resistance to the barrier. Ineffective against melee attacks, the barrier takes 20% more damage.

~~

This is actually a good find, while it doesn't grant much effect on me now, I'll level up more and gain more health. Plus it helps if I can take on range attackers better with this. No more hesitation then.

I put on the ring and I see the ring release a veil of magic onto me, covering my whole body invisibly. That must be the protection magic.

"Great! Now if you would please...", he points at the door.

I nodded and headed out of the appraiser's house. Feeling confident at my equipment, I thought I should get another request. So I went ahead to the guild and took a look at the bulletin board.

"Still going solo today rookie?", a voice calls out to me from my side. Turning my head, I see a familiar slender woman talking to me. Her deerstalker, a cap is her most distinguishable feather, and I suppose her glasses.

She's been talking to me for a good three days now since I went back here. She introduces herself as Charlene, a casual player she said. And although her attire might imply she is a detective, one thing that really puts it off are the daggers on her waist.

"That's right. What brings you here, Charlene?" I answer, after confirming that it is her I went back to the bulletin board to search for a quest.

"Oh come on Karly, I told you to call me Lynn. And I'm just here to take a look at the bulletin board, so what's the deal about greeting a friend on the way?"

"Lynn, these are the side for lower level ones. I'm sure someone with your level can ask Clara for better paying ones."

She elbows me in response and hopped away.

"Told you, just greeting a friend on the way. And I see you got better equipment this time, it's always nice to see progression on rookies. Oh well, I'll just be sitting there in the upper level. See you!" she says before heading up while waving her hand.

And there she sits in the usual corner overlooking everything below. I didn't notice her at first during my first visits here, however an attire like that is rather noticeable once you see it. Doesn't do much, I always notice the lady there whenever I'm back here at any time of the day strangely. And that draws me to the conclusion that she has a hobby of watching people.

Maybe I should take on higher paying requests?

I notice the clerk at the entrance approaching. His eyes remain to be sharp while his mouth curls to a smile. He bows to me as he's gone close enough.

"Sir Karl, if you are still undecided we would like to request your assistance with the town's patrol. Word has come to us that there is a thief in the town, stolen a sum of the Lord's luxuries. The Adventurer's Guild would like to help with the town's effort to catch this thief before the sun rises."