Preparations to train, because we train to train better

Liora was sitting at the local tavern ordering dinner with Sir Braedon, Selene, and Thalia. I however had a different assignment I was being sent on. To double check my task I reread the beginning part of the Accel Spearmanship book

Accel spearmanship is built on the foundation of extreme speed and precision. You will not have the force to break down a tree in a single blow, but you will have the fitness and prowess to cut a tree in half with several well placed strikes. There are 3 foundational skills that must be learned before one can begin to learn Accel spearmanship. 

Basic Spearmanship(E)

Combo star(E)

Accel thought(E)

This school of spearmanship has 8 total techniques. Each requiring a different level of mastery of the above skills to preform and learn. 

I closed the book as I looked up to read the signs. 

"I'm assuming basic spearmanship is just making you better at using a spear, but I wonder about combo star and accel thought."

A horrifying image of Will being supercharged by the accel thought skill flashed trough my mind before a spike of pain hit me.

"Wow asshole, I save your ass and act as your therapist and this is the thanks I get?"

Well you try having your train of thoughts try to fight you 24/7! I thought as loudly as I could.

"Bitch your lucky I don't make you moon a noble!"

Will yelled as we started fighting. He made flashes of pain shoot trough my head, as I forced myself to remember every embarrassing thing I did growing up. We walked until we arrived at Tomas's skill stone emporium. 

I stepped inside to find a younger dwarven man, no older than 19 watering a nearby plant as to my surprise, the plant seemed to be moving as if happy to be watered. He turned as we walked in.

"Hello there."

"General Kenobi!"

Will yelled as I flashed memories of potioneer the bold forcing him to wince and cry out in pain. 

"Hello, I'm here looking for some prices on skills."

The man nodded as he put down his watering pail and made his way behind the counter. 

"Are you here to sell or buy?"

I glanced down at the skillbook in my hand and quickly put it in my cloak. 

"I'm looking to buy, plus the book isn't even mine, I'm borrowing it because it has a list I need."

The man nodded as he grabbed a large book like catalog and flipped it open. 

"We have a total of 33 E rank skills for sale and 7 D rank skills, do you have one in particular your looking for?"

"I'm looking for 3 E rank skills, basic spearmanship, Combo star, and Accel thought."

The man nodded as he flipped through his catalog before he stepped away to a nearby drawer. Opening the drawer, I expected to see skill books placed in rows, but instead small sections no larger than my hand held what seemed to me some kind of rocks with strange blue runes on them. He walked back over holding two stones as he placed them on the counter.

"I have basic spearmanship and Combo star, but accel thought and other skills like that go quick due to how useful they are."

I nodded as I looked over the rocks on the counter with a confused look as the owner waved a hand in front of my face as if trying to get my attention.

"Never seen a skill stone before?"

I shook my head as the man chuckled. 

"Its something I can make, I'm a gardener, and one of my abilities lets me extract skills from people as a skill gardener. They appear as these stones, and by breaking it in your hand you learn the skill."

I nodded, a bit surprised to see another production class, especially one themed around developing skills. I looked to the stones in front of me as the man looked to his book again. 

"Basic spearmanship will cost you around 600 gold, but Combo star is a popular one, that will cost 1200."

I stood silently for a moment as I glanced down to my gold pouch with exactly 1801 gold in it. Just like back on the mountain I could feel the angel and devil on my shoulders.

"You should get them both, you can make the money back trough quests."

The demon whispered into my ear.

"Bitch please, we both know your party members are going to blow through their gold doing stupid shit, so you need to be responsible."

Demon and I both silently turned to angel as they pulled out a cigarette and a lighter and took a drag glancing at us.

"What, this gets your attention more than earnest pleading."

Angel said as they seemed to shift back to the soft spoken, hopeful and kind voice as they said earnest pleading.

I shook my head, worried my ethics were being affected by Will as I grabbed the combo star skill.

"I'll just take this one for now."

I said handing over the gold, my money bag feeling so much lighter it hurt. Taking the stone in my hand I looked back to the store owner as they mimicked a motion of squeezing my hand. I expected the rock to just be squeezed but not move, and yet to my surprise it crumbled like snow. Dissolving into sparks, they flowed into my chest as the system window appeared.

You have learned a new skill: Combo Star(E)

Combo Star(E)

Passive

For every successful attack you land your body can move faster in followup attacks. This increase ends early and must be built back up if you miss an attack. This increase maxes out at two attacks landed successfully. 

I read the skill over as I nodded and waved to the owner as I headed out. Making my way out to the street I saw Jax and Kaelen making their way up the road. Both looking drained. I however couldn't help but smile as I ran over to the two of them, excited to give them the news of who was joining us for the next leg of our trip.