Second Chance

Chapter: 4

Rick walked through the upper merchant district. The roads were made of cobblestone and the sidewalks, large split rocks.

An apprentice could do this.

There was some drainage, and the buildings were better at least. Built of stone, more for stability than anyone understanding load bearing walls and supporting structures.

They’re at lease journeyman grade. The ones around Valoria were a higher quality.

He reached the square depicted in the advert. There were cafes for nobility, stores selling the latest fashions, canes, hats, shoes, jackets and pants.

His eyes stopped on the store with guards infront of it. Above the shop door was a black sign with the letters cut into it and painted in gold reading; ‘Olwell’s, Chemical Formulations’.

Two Guards were at the door, while two others pushed people back with long clubs.

“We can pay in two weeks!” One of the people being pushed back yelled.

“Either you have the coin or you don’t,” One of the guards growled. “Now get out of here.” Rick moved around them and towards the doors.

The guards on watch checked his uniform and one pushed the door open. “Have a good day sir.”

“Thank you.” Rick nodded and walked inside.

There were display cases showing off artful glass containers filled with liquid. A counter ran around the back third of the store, in a U shape facing the door.

The back wall was covered in various bottles and concoctions, all of them relatively fresh.

Only five different kinds of concoctions by the color. Rick slowed his walk, a group of nobles doing their business at the counter.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you today?" A woman from the side of the wrapped counter asked. She was just a bit older than his body showed now with a winning almost innocent smile.

Dangerous saleswoman!

Rick turned to her and stepped up to the counter. “I’m Rick and you are?”

“Melody,” Her smile deepened.

“What concoctions do you have for sale?”

“We have a manner of different and revolutionary new pharmaceuticals.” She waved to the wall behind her. There was a red potion, a cream, a green potion and then a yellow and brown potion, each in stylized and ornate glassware. “Our best sellers are our healing concoctions, stamina concoctions, even hair dying concoctions," she said with a bright smile.

"Awesome. How much for your healing concoctions?" Rick said.

Melody looked confused but quickly recovered. Medical ability isn’t that high, infections and broken bones are survivable if you have access to a doctor or drugs. Though nothing can do what alchemical concoctions or spells will be able to do.

"Have you bought health or stamina potions before?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've had a few in my time," Rick said. "How potent are these ones?"

She nodded in understanding. "Well, sir, we have two varieties of health potions and a single stamina potion. A single stamina potion can remove the need to eat for an entire day.” She pointed to the green potion.

Save you from eating an entire day? What a waste. Stamina potions could suppress one's appetite, yes, but most of the time it was used because the energy required by a cultivator's body was so more than what they could get from normal food that after battle they could quickly take one, becoming alert and satiated and ready to fight again afresh, essentially replenishing the body's energy supply.

“And the health potion?" he asked.

"Well, with our health potion, we have two varieties, the topical application and the consumable variant.” She pointed at the cream and the red potion.

Both are consumable if you're wiping it on yourself or drinking it. He nodded.

"The topical application is something you can apply to any wound you receive. It will immediately heal the wound. In just a matter of minutes. It also works if anyone has scars or other kinds of blemishes they wish to remove. Very popular among the ladies," she said, giving him a wink.

Rick gave her a tight smile. Scars and blemishes. They’d also be great if one was hit with aerolized acids, or hit with hot and cold attacks, or were bleeding the hell out.

They haven’t gone through the apocalypse, or the civil war, scars and blemishes are the worst some of the nobles might have suffered.

He nodded for her to continue.

"The consumable potion has been known to help with stronger and hidden injuries that have persisted for a long period of time,” she assured him. “Broken bones, consistent coughing, even maladies of the mind." She leaned back, as if expecting a reaction.

"Very interesting," Rick said, buying himself time to think.

Topical is useful, but low-grade, probably common, I would think. The actual healing potion might be uncommon grade, so dealing with minor injuries and ailments. Possibly used the potion with some kind of other ingredients to make the cream? Dilute it.

He could have made these potions. Need equipment, ingredients and time.

"How much for the healing potions?" Rick asked.

"For the healing potions, that will be two gold each, and for the cream, that will be one gold each," Melody said.

Rick tried not to show his frustration, as he mentally went through his acquired coinage.

“Is it cheaper if I just get it in a basic glass bottle?”

“Its forty silver less.”

“I'll take a healing potion and two of the ungents.” He started pulling out the coins and putting them on the counter.

===

Skill: Trading

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Level: Novice (1/60)

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Been a long time since I saw that. Just need to do another fifty-nine trades under a gold piece to reach Apprentice.

===

You have earned 10 EXP for reaching novice

===

That’s much more useful. Could increase my body, cultivation or skills.

"Right away," Melody said, hurrying to complete his order. "Would you like those wrapped up in a box or a bag?"

"I'll take a bag," Rick said, sorting through the coins.

The door to the store opened with a bell, Rick glanced over, spotting three boys from Valoria Academy entering.

Rick turned back to sorting out his coins.

Figure out what to do with the experience later.

"Well look who we have here," the boy leading the two others said as he moved up behind Rick, all confident swagger.

Aiming for a fight? Rick looked them over, they were children playing soldier. Their weapons covered in gold filigree and complex carvings.

Crests of houses he didn’t know were on the two boy’s blazers. Small houses? No idea wh—Crenda.

The leading boy had the Crenda family crest upon his breast.

Rick studied the man’s face, similarities to Ivan, brothers perhaps?

And I was in need of some coin too. Ah their children… I’ll give them one shot to fuck off.

Melody put the unguent in the bag. Rick turned back to it. There wasn’t any threat showing his back to these idiots. No mana, young and strong, minimal training. He had a lifetime of fighting under his belt and he was younger and strong.

Might not have trained with weapons much, but I trained my body up just fine.

“Dunno who you are, don’t care, doing some business here.” Rick put the last of his coins on the table, in three piles that equalled a gold coin each. "Don’t know you lads, nor do I care to."

Melody’s eyes tracked to the boy’s behind him, a flash of recognition running through them as she quickly moved away to get healing potions from further down the counter.

Nobody wants to get in the middle of a noble spat.

His heart beat faster, picking out where all three were. Its hard to not start grinning, come here little piggy banks. He sent out a pulse of mana, seeing how they were all positioned. He shifted his own positioning slightly.

"Who do you think you are? Isendia? You knight's mongrel. Don't you know when to bow to true nobility?" The man swaggered forward, his steps more forcible.

“Nobility, the idea that because our ancestors did something that we’re somehow better than others? Basically shitty dog or horse stock.” Rick shook his head. “At least a good horse breed means it’ll be faster and better than it was. Doesn’t seem to apply to nobles though.”

“You fuckin—” One of the boys from a smaller house stepped forward.

“Backwater trash doesn’t even know his place. You’re right about one thing, you’re no better than a dog breed!”

“Wow, really? Uncouth dog? That's the best you got? My grandmother could curse you out worse if you woke her up accidentally," Rick said. His memories turned fond. “She’s a fucking terror in the morning.” He snorted, a smile sneaking out.

"Your grandmother? You mean that ailing witch? I hear she's nearly on her death's door." The man laughed, turning to his friends.

He pushed Rick to the side with his shoulder, and swiped his hand through the coins, sending them across the counter.

“Fucking silvers and coppers.” He turned back to his two friends, their laughter cruel and eager.

Stupid.

Rick’s grin flared to life, he swung his elbow into the smug prick’s neck, he crumpled like a shitty paper bag hit by a train going full steam, grasping at his throat.

Rick grabbed his head and bounced it off the counter, releasing him as one of the boys lunged at him, grabbing for his armor.

Rick, grabbed the boy’s arm, pulled it forward and the boy off balance as he drove his fist into the boy’s throat and kicked him right between the legs. He punched him again as he went down, moving around him to the last, boxed in by the displays.

He tried to pull out his blade, it wasn’t coming out easy. Probably never drawn it except to admire it.

Rick clocked him in the face, pushing him back, sweeping his legs and dropping him to the floor before Rick kicked him in the stomach, hard enough to push him back half a meter.

Two were spluttering on the floor, the kind that hurt but wouldn’t kill.

Rick dropped to a crouch at the one he’d kicked, taking his dagger and cutting free his sword, cracking off the gold filigree and tossing the blade away before he took the boy’s coin purse.

So confident he just left it out in the open.

He patted down the boy, lifting a few more valuables, he moved to the second boy repeating the process as two guards rushed into the store.

“What’s going on?” They demanded as Rick tossed the Crenda boy’s sword, onto the other two.

“Slipped, I guess?” Rick grabbed the Crenda boy by his lapels to sit him against the counter, his eyes wide. “You’re not going to die.” Rick shook his head and took the kid’s valuables and stood up, grabbing his purse and moving towards Melody, swiping the ungent and putting it into his pocket absently as he inspected the contents of the purses.

Rick rolled his shoulders, setting his jacket. “Feels good getting the blood pumping.” He took in a deep breath and grinned at Melody.

She looked around with wild eyes.

“Just a little morning violence,” Rick winked and dropped his voice. “Extra gold in it for you if you can get me three more health potions and two unguents as fast as possible, don’t need the wrapping," Rick took out gold coins and put them on the counter.

Her eyes darted between the uniform crests. Opened up a drawer and quickly added the potions and unguents to the bag she’d made up for him.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” she said.

He grinned deeper giving her another wink as he moved around the boys and towards the door.

“Seems that they’ll need some medical help,” He told the guards and continued walking. They looked at the boys, at Rick and the others in the store. Rick was out the door before they said anything or put together a plan of their own.

He glanced back at the three boys struggling on the floor. And that's the best that the Valoria Academy can come up with? He shook his head.

"That's Duke. Crenda's son," someone said.

Time to get the fuck out of here. Rick quickened his pace out of the Hunter's Bureau. Duke sounded important.

Thanks for the money! Hope they don’t procreate.

Fighting—real fighting—took more than just knowing about tactics, or whose family knew whose family, and which lands they owned. Fighting required an understanding of violence, a dedication to action, and the removal of hesitation. That boy hadn't even been able to get his sword out of his scabbard.

How the hell do they think they're ready for the apocalypse?

The short answer was, they didn't. Plynthia had been peaceful for so long, many had forgotten what war was, what fighting was.

The most fighting they did was in duels, regulated affairs where it mattered where you could poke someone. Not in the ungentlemanly and survivally sport of throat punches and dick kicks, Rick mused.

Rick stepped out of the bureau and headed for the lower market district. His feet guided him through the city, as he checked the marked signs for where he was going.

As he walked he pulled up the skill.

===

Skill: Trading

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Level: Novice (2/60)

===

He’d just completed a single sale, enough to get him the skill. He’d need to have ten transactions to increase the overall level up to apprentice, then he could get enlightenment and grind apprentice too.

Or I go for a bigger trade and hit apprentice, getting all the novice grade experience remaining in one shot.

The lower trade district was filled with the sounds of hard work. None of the peaceful quiet of the upper business district. Horses drew forward their carts laden with goods. Farriers worked on some’s hooves. Blacksmiths toiled on various tools and parts.

Tailors and clothiers greeted customers and toured them through their goods.

Everything and anything was on sale here.

Rick’s steps slowed just seeing how much was available.

Even in the later stages of the apocalypse where things got a bit more stable. Mining could lead to running into elementals, creatures from the dark and all kinds of nasty shit. Farming was done with the aide of enchantments to meet needs and not put people in the danger of farming beyond a city’s protection.

His pace slowed, his heart swelling as he hummed to himself. All that gold out there to be made.

He navigated through the streets carefully and take wide berths from people walking the sidewalks, turning confused heads.

Their attention was focused on his uniform. Officer trainees from the academy were rare this far from its grounds. If they needed anything they’d send out a servant to get what they needed from these areas.

Only nobles went to the school, people trying to figure out which family he was from.

He continued on his journey, keeping the bag close to his body.

Eleven gold of health potions and paste protected by a paper bag.

He wasn’t going to take the chance with a bag snatcher or pickpocket.

He asked people for directions, it took him a half hour to reach his destination; a store with a globe speared on a pole above its door.

He stepped through the door into a building of polished wood and fine maps.

“Hello, sir, can I help you?” A woman turned from where she was working at the sound of the door’s bell.

“Looking for a map of the forests and Stained Mountain Range to the north. Also a map of the world if you have it.” There were fine globes of all kinds, maps with incredible detail. His eyes darted around, these were true treasures in the future. To dungeoneers, maps were as valuable as gold.“I’m looking for maps with the greatest amount of accuracy, if they’re waxed or waterproofed that would be for the best.”

“Very well.” She moved between counters covered in glass, showing various maps beneath, and opened large drawers that lined the walls of the store, revealing more maps inside. Rick followed her, studying them.

“Do you have compasses too? Again something for general use and hardy,” Rick asked as he moved between the open drawers. The level of detail was incredible, showing all of Plynthia, the rises and depressions, waterways and roads, territories of different families.

Those for the Stained Mountain Range had claims marked out among the heights as well as accurate elevation lines.

He quickly moved through the drawers she’d opened.

The terrain and world changes so much. There were familiar features in parts, but it was hard to match what would become and what was the state of the world now.

He took out several maps and laid them on a nearby counter, getting doubles of everything. The lady had put out several compasses as well.

Rick picked them up, checking the metal they were made from. He went with two simple ones with a cover that flipped over to protect the needles. “Would you have a waterproof carrying case?”

“Just a few.” She opened up a closet and pulled out stiff treated hide tubes with a strap. Straps with cinches kept the lid closed and a hole at the bottom to drain water if any got in.

“Perfect, two of those too then. How much do I owe you?” He waved at everything.

She flipped through the maps on the table, then looked over everything. “That will be fifty-seven silver and forty coppers.”

“Right.” Rick put his damned alchemy bag off to the side and took out the coins. Debating if he should buy more, their value in the coming months or years would skyrocket.

Still need to get other supplies first and can copy these later with a lawyer or scribe.

She started counting the coins as Rick took one of each map, organized them from those that were the most detailed about the forests and mountain range, to those that went further out to the world map.

That way I just reach in and the first map should be the one that is the most useful.

It was a system he and Len had used for decades. He glanced at the world map. “Do you have pencils as well?”

“We have normal pencils and wax pencils.” She said.

“Dozen of each?” Rick asked.

“Thirty-two copper.”

He added more coins to the pile she hadn’t gone through.

She moved around the store, pulling out boxes of colored wax pencils and regular pencils, handing them to Rick.

“Oh, uhh could I get that as well? Don’t need it as ornate.” He pointed to a geometry set, including a ruler, drawing compass, protractor and other tools.

“That will be thirty three coppers,” she said.

Rick nodded. It was specialized and abnormal compared to most tools. He handed over more coins, checking around. Think that’s everything!

She brought over a set for him.

Rick nodded in thanks and took one of the pencils, using the tools to start marking up the world map, showing where mountain ranges would fall, where others would rise, phenomena settled. Deserts sprouted and oasis’ cropped up.

Dungeons, tears as well. There were some islands here right? Guess the land there fell away.

The woman that had been serving him finished her counting. “That’s everything, sir, do you need anything else?”

“No, that should be good. I’ll be a few minutes if that’s okay?” Rick didn’t look up from his markings and drawing.

Len was right, the sooner he could get this down the better.

“Of course, take all the time you need.” She cleaned up the store, closing drawers as he worked feverishly.

He used different colors for different dungeons and levels of complexity. Then there were the locations that the Arrival’s showed up. Cities that rose and fell, different regions that had come to be. “Could I get two more world maps?”

“Certainly, that’ll be nine silver.”

He took out the coins with the hand that wasn’t holding the pencil and put them on the counter.

She grabbed the maps and put them down, taking the coin.

That makes it three trades now. Need to have a sale of at least a gold to push up to apprentice.

He split information between the maps so they wouldn’t become too confusing. It took him over an hour before he was left with three different maps.

That looks more like what I remember.

He turned the map over and started writing on the back, adding in information that had cropped up as he’d been working on the map.

Finally with his brain wrung out on the page Rick put his pencils away.

He tucked the maps and his newly bought items away, closing up his map tubes before slinging them over one shoulder.

His sound talisman started vibrating in his pocket as he took it out.

“Rick?” Len asked on the other side.

“Guess you got a sound talisman?”

“Not yet, just rented time with one, I’m heading to a smithy in the lower district called the Coiled Serpent, bring your money,” Len said.

“Alright be there soon.” Rick put his sound talisman away and turned to the map store lady. “Do you happen to know where the Coiled Serpent Smithy is?”