Chapter 4 - Vision of Eros
Even though he didn't like the taste of the bread very much, Willow took another bite to show Aria that he was eating. Then he leaned back in the rough wooden chair and thought:
'Open Skill Tree.'
Immediately, a semi-transparent window appeared with a series of icons and branches. It was as if a transparent screen had been projected directly into his mind, and only for him, detailing his skill options. The Skill Tree was vast, with countless branches expanding in different directions that even went beyond the field of vision. This was good, very good in fact, because it meant that the class he had obtained, the Divine Seducer, was a very comprehensive class.
At the top of the Skill Tree was a list of categories: Combat, Magic, Exploration and Special Attributes.
Willow glanced quickly through the options and was not surprised. It was normal for these categories to be displayed, as it was a feature of the system to be able to filter the content of the Skill Tree. So, if he chose Combat, only combat skills would be displayed.
However, most of his skills were still blocked and also hidden. Willow could only see one or two skills beyond the central point on the Skill Tree, which was his starting skill and the only one he had for the time being. Willow had a suspicion about what this skill did, but confirmation for his suspicions came when he clicked on the icon of this starting skill and a screen expanded to detail and describe what this skill was and what it did.
+
[Skill: Vision of Eros.]
Description: Not everyone is able to understand what people feel, but Eros, better than anyone, knew how to read other gods and living creatures.
Effect: This skill will allow you to understand people's intentions, feelings and essence, such as names and origins.
Rating: Divine.
Consumption: None.
Cooldown: None
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'As I imagined, this ability is what has allowed me to see what Aria is "thinking". However, it doesn't seem to allow me to literally read thoughts, but rather to get a deeper sense of what people are feeling. Willow deduced and then looked at Aria once more in order to use the ability purposefully this time.
-:|:-
Name: Aria Valenwood
Race: Elf
Level: 108
Description: She's very hungry, ravenous.
Emotions: Satisfaction, Hunger, Happiness
-:|:-
Willow looked around to make sure that the people looking in his direction weren't seeing what he was seeing. At the table to his right, there was a small group, three men, who were chatting without looking too closely at Aria now. Many seemed to have lost interest when they saw her eating like an ogre. They didn't seem to notice the window and Willow laughed softly to himself and thought:
'Almost predictable...'
As Willow watched these men out of the corner of his eye, he thought about using the
The men at the neighboring table had low levels, somewhere between 4 and 10, as far as Willow could tell from a quick glance. Not surprising for a group of ordinary people from that small village.
'Apparently, that Rank-C adventurer only closed the place to those who would arrive after him, not those who were already here. Willow deduced and took another bite of bread. 'By the way, that man told me about the Rank-C adventurer, only I didn't see any men here who stood out from the others when we entered. I think I'll have a look around to see if I can find him with my skill, after all he must be at a higher level than the others.'
As Willow's eyes traveled around the tavern, scanning the room around him in search of someone, he found the new skill difficult. This skill, although passive, had a limitation of not being able to show many windows of information at the same time and therefore only worked when Willow had between one and four 'targets' in his field of vision. If there were more people, the information about the other people out of focus didn't appear. This made the process of locating the C-Rank difficult, but then, at the back of the tavern, almost blending into the dark wall, Willow saw him.
The man was sitting with a group of five people. He wasn't very tall, nor very strong, nor did he carry a sword. In fact, he was dressed in simple clothes that somewhat helped to mask him, clothes that consisted only of a tunic and a long green cloak. He would have gone unnoticed by anyone, but Willow found him.
-:|:-
Name: Petgeon
Race: Human
Level: 35
Description: He's having fun, he's comfortable
Emotions: Attentive and Cheerful
-:|:-
"There he is..." Willow murmured. 'How strange that his emotions are contradicting his thoughts right now.'
While Willow had his eyes on him, the man seemed to notice. Like an animal that senses a predatory gaze, Petgeon raised his eyes and, for a brief moment, his eyes and Willow's crossed.
Willow's heart raced. Of course it would. It wasn't as if he was on an equal footing with someone of that level. He was still a mere level 1, and the difference in power between them was abysmal. Immediately, Willow turned forward, trying to act naturally. However, with his peripheral vision, Willow could see the green-clad man get up from where he was and start walking towards him.
'Confusions like this always happen at the beginning of stories. Of course I wouldn't be left out of it, would I?' Willow thought with bitter irony. 'He doesn't have an incredible physique and he's not carrying a weapon. He must be a wizard. If I punch him in the jaw, can I get away with it? Would Aria defend me or reveal that she didn't even know me?'
When Petgeon stopped beside the table, Willow was prepared for the worst. However, to Willow's surprise, the man didn't so much as glance at him. Instead, he turned directly to Aria, who was still munching on her food.
"I see your taste for the local cuisine pleases even the most... peculiar visitors." Petgeon commented with his hands behind his back.
Aria looked up, still chewing on a large piece of meat, and frowned. "If this is an attempt at flirting, you're going to have to improve a lot." Aria replied seriously, swallowed the piece of meat and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Petgeon laughed briefly.
"Don't get me wrong, miss, it was just a joke... You must be very powerful to be venturing into these parts. Only really strong elves leave Sylvanor, and from your clothes I can tell you're on a journey... You must have an appointment in mind, a mission. Am I right in assuming that you are a Slayer from Sylvanor?"
Aria leaned back slightly in her chair and her expression hardened even more. "It wasn't by creating a train of thought that you came to that conclusion, was it?"
Petgeon arched his eyebrows, feigning innocence. "Oh? What do you mean?"
"The badge..." Aria pointed with her chin to the small silver badge on the table, almost hidden under a cloth napkin. "... of the Slayer of Sylvanor. You've seen it since you showed it to the tavern keeper."
Petgeon's smile faded. "Very well, you caught me. I confess, it wasn't exactly a deduction." He held up his hands in a sign of peace. "But that doesn't change the fact that if you must be on an important mission to venture into human territory, you'll need money to keep you fed and perhaps a ride to get you through the journey."
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Aria asked.
"There's a small town called Pavagar just a day's journey from here that's being troubled by an evil spirit that often attracts monsters. At first, the town's adventurers tried to solve it, but they never returned from the forests. When I saw you, I immediately remembered the stories my grandmother used to tell me about how elves were not only good at magic, but also at dealing with spirits. My friends and I will set off for Pavagar at dawn to try to resolve this situation, because the locals have gathered and will pay a good sum in Drakis to whoever solves the problem. If you want, you can join us."
"How much are we talking about? And how would it be divided?"
"The reward is 5,000 Drakis and, counting me, my group has four adventurers. The fair split would be a thousand each."
"No. I want 50%."
Petgeon laughed nervously for the first time. "50% is too much. What do you think of 30%?"
"No, I'll keep the 50%. Paving was already on my mind, so I'll end up going there to sort it out anyway. You can keep 50% so that I can repay you for the information, the ride and... this dinner." She looked at the table, which was plentifully served. "What do you humans really say? Take it or leave it."
Petgeon was biting his nails in anger at his thoughts, but he had to agree to this deal, which had turned out very badly for him. However, he couldn't go against Aria, because getting 50% of 5,000 Drakis was better than going to Pavagar without a spirit expert and ending up dead by an evil spirit like the other adventurers who had gone before him.
For his part, Willow had an idea while watching Petgeon and Aria negotiate and, coincidentally or not, the system seemed to have the same idea.
[You've been given a new Mission of Opportunity!]
[Mission of Opportunity: Hitchhiking.
Description: The elf named Aria Valenwood was invited by a Rank-C adventurer named Petgeon to take part in a monster hunt in a large city in the region called Pavagar. Going to a place like Pavagar seems like a better idea than staying in Ravepal as a country bumpkin.
Objective: Convince Aria or Petgeon and their group to let you go with them or find another way to get to Pavagar.
Difficulty: E.
Rewards:
+200 XP+1 Skill Point.]