Chapter 12: Teach me

Chapter 12: Teach me

“Well, I…” I had to think about it. How had I gained that level? It had something to do with my skill Analyze but it didn’t work every time. I never got the message when the skill told me who someone was. It only happened when-

“I know!” I practically screamed the words. “It happens when I act on my skill. If I can fix something or make it better and I do, I get experience.”

“So, nothing at all for killing things?” Leslie asked, clearly wanting to drag me on another rat hunt.

I shook my head. “Nope, sorry. Only fixing things. No killing.”

“Alright, fine,” she said, heaving a defeated sigh. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll help you level and you help me. Like it or not, I have to use my bow to level. That means I have to hunt monsters. Maybe there’s a way you can use your skill to help me do that. I’ll start my end by helping you deliver all these packages.”

“Thanks,” I replied, still frustrated that she’d get half the reward. “We need to check on my friend first.”

“What friend?” She asked as we headed back to the reception desk carrying a stack of packages each.

“He’s a friend from the orphanage,” I replied. “You’ll like him.”

“From the orphanage?” She spoke the word like she was eating something she thought would taste bad.

Even with the two of us, it was difficult to carry them all. Some were bigger and they were a lot heavier than the one I’d got the first day. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw Sam waiting for us at the front desk.

“Sam!” I called out to him. “Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “They asked a bunch of questions. You didn’t explain anything about this place, so they thought I was playing dumb. Then they made me sign a contract. If I squeal, I’m done.”

“Done?” I asked, having a feeling I knew what he meant.

“They said if I spill the beans, I’ll forget all about everything that happens after today,” he explained. “They don’t even have to track me down. They said it will happen automatically if I say anything.”

“Oh,” I replied, not sure what else to say.

“So whatcha got there?” He asked, ignoring his problems and picking up one of the packages from the top of my stack. “And who’s that?”

“This is Leslie,” I replied. “She gave me a tour yesterday.”

“I’m his partner,” she replied, beaming at Sam.

“P-partner?” He asked, giving me an incredulous look. “What does that mean?”

“It means we work together as a team,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “What else would it mean?”

Sam wasn’t having it. He looked back and forth between us and grabbed my shoulders with both hands. “I don’t get it. How do you do that?”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to say,” I said, opening up the catfish sandwich and offering half to Sam. “Are you ready to work today? If we do this right, we can bring home dinner for everyone tonight.”

He took a bite of the sandwich and his eyes lit up. I could tell he forgot his argument about Leslie. “Yeah, just tell me what I have to do.”

Leslie was right. Delivery quests were a nightmare. The twelve quests were spread all over Manhattan.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” she grumbled, taking three packages that had addresses to the north. “At least consider other kinds of quests.”

“I’ll think about it,” I replied. “But what I really want to do is try working for Miss Spencer and Miss Aries. I think I can get experience that way.”

“What kind of work can you do for the restaurant?” Leslie asked, looking perplexed.

“She told me to get Slime ooze,” I replied. “I’m going to try to kill one.”

Leslie grimaced. “Those are so disgusting. They explode when they die. Slime gets everywhere and even stains magic clothing.”

“What’s a slime?” Sam asked, holding most of the packages.

“They’re nasty monsters that are everywhere,” Leslie whined.

Sam continued to stare at me. “What is she talking about? Monsters aren’t real.”

“Can we get him Monster Vision?” I asked.

Vicky, who had been helping another guild member, replied. “He can’t get any buffs as an unawakened. He shouldn’t be helping you with deliveries. He’s not supposed to do quests. I won’t say anything since they are just deliveries but anything more and I’ll put my foot down.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” we all said at once, realizing we were having our conversation too close to the reception desk.

We scooped up the remainder of the packages and headed outside. Several slimes slithered on the sidewalk a little way down the street and I pointed them out.

“Can we kill those?” I asked, looking to Leslie for confirmation.

She shook her head, doing her best to not drop the three parcels she was carrying. “Not now since we have all these packages. I’ll show you how to do it later.”

And with that, we split up.

I took five of the packages while Sam took four. To his credit, his were heavier than mine. We divvied them up by direction. I chose West because I wanted it to be close to Miss Spencer’s shop so I could visit her once I was done. Just as with the previous day, deliveries were easy. I popped into various businesses and handed off my packages for the five copper reward.

The different businesses I delivered to didn’t look special. Each of them were open to the public and had mundane-looking products and services. They must have been awakened because they paid me in standard currency. That was proof.

At the last stop, I asked. “Um, excuse me. Do you have a special section for awakened to shop in?”

The shopkeeper laughed. “If you have to ask then you have no business back there.”

Analyze was no help, other than telling me how to fix a divot in the hardwood floor. I decided not to tell the shopkeeper about it since he was secretive about what his shop sold.

When all of my deliveries were done, I’d earned a whopping twenty-five copper. I hoped Sam and Leslie finished theirs okay.

It was just before dinner and I was hungry again when I arrived at Miss Spencer’s shop. Leslie was right, delivery quests were a waste of time. They only made sense if they were all in the same immediate area. Not spread out all over the city.

“It’s about time,” Miss Spencer said as the bells on the door announced my arrival. “I was beginning to think you’d stood me up. So, tell me, how did you enjoy the outfit?”

“Magic clothes are amazing,” I reported. “I’ve never worn anything so comfortable.”

She smiled. “That’s not even my best work.”

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked, wondering if she was going to make me clean her shop.

Miss Spencer set a bundle on the table and slowly unwrapped it. “I’d like you to use your skill on this, please.”

Silk Robe of Swiftcasting

Grade: B

Defense: 5

Swift Cast: +5

Created by: Spencer

Suggestions:

Intelligence: Embroider with Mindflayer beads or stitch an arcane circle into the inseam and infuse with mana.

Constitution: Apply Mammoth Tusk cufflinks or imbue mana through a solidification filter.

“It’s a robe,” was all I managed to say.

Miss Spencer sighed. “Is that all you can see?”

“No,” I admitted, debating how much detail to give away.

“Tell me everything,” she replied.

So I did. I began with the rank and then I told her about the suggestions. Her eyes widened when I got to the part about the arcane circle.

She scribbled something in a notebook and showed it to me. “Like this?”

Flawed Diagram

Made by: Spencer

Suggestion: Adjust the line from a ninety-degree angle to eighty-five.

You have gained 100 experience points.

“You need to adjust it,” I began, trying to tell her what the words said. “No, like this. Do you mind if I try?”

She watched in stunned silence as I drew the ritual diagram and confirmed it with Analyze.

You have gained 100 experience points.

“Are you sure this is right?” She asked, holding the diagram up to the light. “I mean are you absolutely positive?”

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “I even got experience for it.”

She frowned. “What do you mean you got experience?”

“Can’t you see the messages?” I asked, wondering if I was the only one. Leslie couldn’t either.

“No,” she replied, sounding out of breath. “Nobody I know can.”

Once she was satisfied with the circle, she cleared out space on her table and started threading the design into the inseam of the robe. When she finished, she held it up and looked at it. “What does your skill tell you about this?”

You have gained 100 experience points.

I examined it.

Woven Arcane Circle

Rank C

Made by: Spencer

Suggestion: Additional rituals will provide various effects.

“It says you can perform other rituals to make even more effects,” I explained.

“Do I need to correct anything?” She asked, looking hopeful.

“Nope,” I replied. “I got experience again.”

“Good,” she replied, cracking her knuckles.

Miss Spencer draped the robe over a mannequin and got on her knees in front of it. Then she placed both hands flat against the ground and closed her eyes.

The robe began to glow a brilliant blue and energy flooded the room. I shielded myself for a moment, worried it might somehow harm me. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I realized the power was contained within the robe. The Arcane Circle focused the mana straight into the mannequin too. While the robe only glowed, the mannequin started to blacken and wither.

It ended quickly. The robe stopped glowing and the only evidence of the ritual was the rotted mannequin that looked like it had been through a house fire. The Arcane Circle had vanished with the magic.

Miss Spencer glanced over at me and asked, “Did it work?”

I was going to ask, “How should I know?” but Analyze told me.

Greater Silk Robe of Swiftcasting

Grade: A

Defense: 7

Swift Cast: +5

Intellect: +5

Created by: Spencer and Evans

You have gained 500 experience points.

Congratulations, you are now level 3.

I let out a whoop. “Wow, I made it to level three!”

Miss Spencer reached out and shook me to get my attention. “Tell me, what does your skill tell you?”

“Oh,” I replied, snapping out of my reverie. “It’s a Greater Silk Robe of Swiftcasting now. It also added my name to the creator list.”

She sighed. “I suppose that’s to be expected. You did help, after all. Very good job.”

I smiled, pleased to be praised. Miss Spencer wasn’t satisfied, she took the robe off of the mannequin and put it on. After a while, she took it off and hung it on one of her racks.

“I can never tell the difference,” she admitted with a sigh. “A skill like yours is invaluable. Otherwise, I have to wait and have it appraised at the guild.”

“Did I mention it also went up a grade?” I asked, remembering it used to be B grade.

“It did?” She asked, her eyes widening. “The value goes up exponentially with rank. At B that was worth a couple gold. Now it might fetch hundreds.”

“Did I just pay off my debt?” I asked hopefully.

Miss Spencer snickered. “Not quite, Mister. You agreed to work for a week. Don’t worry, I’ll make you some amazing clothes as my part of the deal. You can even help me upgrade them.”

“That sounds great,” I replied. “I want you to add one more thing to the deal though.”

“What’s that?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I want you to teach me how to sew.”