Soul of the Warrior

Chapter 281: The Local Economy

Being able to turn off Divine Sense and not have to worry about anything plus a very comfortable bed led to the best sleep Reivyn had experienced in as long as he could remember. Even the bed in the house he shared with his parents in the Imperial Palace didn’t lead to such restful slumber. He awoke fully refreshed and ready to go.

After stretching and taking care of his ablutions, Reivyn met with the other members of his Party for a quick breakfast in the common room of the inn. Reivyn left his Divine Sense off to continue relaxing with his friends and parents until after the meal was over. He turned it back on once they stepped out onto the street.

“Alright, so we know what natural treasures we’re looking for, and we know the general environments we can find them in, but I’m sure the Adventurer’s Guild branch here has some guides we can purchase to find the exact locations we can find them,” Refix said.

“Why don’t we just check the stalls to see if they’re selling the treasures directly?” Teilon asked.

“Sure, we could,” Refix shrugged, “but that would negate any Life Experience we would gain from the act of going out and acquiring them ourselves. Then again it’s pretty high on our priority list to get these treasures as soon as possible for Kefira.”

“Yeah, it would make sense to secure the necessary items for Kefira right away to solve her issue, then we can go out and find some more for everyone else,” Ameliyn said.

Reivyn glanced at his best friend.

“Do you even need these treasures?” He asked. “You and Kimberly don’t have a Bloodline…”

“It works differently for those reaching Tier 4 without a Bloodline,” Refix answered. “Sure, they didn’t get a boost from a Bloodline, but reaching Tier 4 creates a Bloodline. Their bonuses work a bit differently as their Bloodline isn’t set. Advancing more Tiers and consuming natural treasures will both increase the potency of their Bloodlines.”

“Yeah, just reaching Tier 4 has activated a Bloodline in our status,” Teilon said. “It’s the barest it could possibly be with only adding half a point per Level into one Stat based on our Classes. Kimberly and I - and by that I mean mostly Kimberly - took some time to do some research on original Bloodlines. Consuming the same treasures to advance to Level 1, which we already did, changed the bonus to a full point per Level.

“Consuming the next Tier of treasures for Level 2 will add another full point plus an additional point in another Stat. Advancing additional Tiers will give exponential gains as we advance in Tiers. Tier 5 will add another full point and an additional Stat. Tier 6 will unlock Charisma plus some additional points. Tier 7 unlocks Luck plus additional Stats, and Tier 8 will double everything we’ve acquired up to that point.”

“Hmm, so being born without a Bloodline is a double-edged sword,” Reivyn said, rubbing his chin. “You won’t receive a boost in the beginning or a guaranteed bonus, but you won’t be stuck with a weak Bloodline and have the potential to reach the highest grade possible.”

“Yeah, and there’s also the issue with descendents,” Teilon added. “Obviously it’s not retroactive to any children we have, so if I had a child right now, they would be stuck with the lowest grade Bloodline regardless of how much I improve in the future, and then it degrades with each generation that doesn’t reach the same Tier before having kids. If I wait until maxing out my Bloodline to have kids and those kids also don’t reach the same Tier and Bloodline Level before having their own children, it will degrade.”

“That makes a lot of sense with what I’ve seen,” Reivyn nodded. “Even in Tier 1 Regions Bloodlines weren’t so rare as to be unheard of, but they were all relatively weak.”

“Most people don’t consider maximum gains and losses in their childrens’ Bloodlines when thinking about starting a family,” Refix said. “You got extremely lucky with your mother and I both being atavisms of our respective Bloodlines, and as you know, the ancestor on your mother’s side Ascended which means they reached Tier 8.

“Ancient history is obscured, but we do know for a fact that your mother’s side is descended from children the Vynn patriarch had after achieving Tier 8. There’s some speculation on his wife’s part, but as far as we know, she was Tier 6 or 7. We don’t know for sure. It was a long time ago.”

“How long ago?” Reivyn asked. He had never really dug into the ancient history of his family’s lineage.

“The Vynn line goes back a million years, though the Vynndinn Empire was founded about a hundred thousand years ago.”

“Wait, considering what we know about elders traveling to the Upper Regions from Tier 4 empires, wouldn’t there be powerful family members in the Tier 5 and 6 Regions near where the Vyndinn Region is?” Reivyn asked.

“Oh, certainly,” Refix nodded his head. “At the time, though, we were too weak and vulnerable to travel to the Wilderness, and we had enemies seeking to exploit Ameliyn in the local Regions right after. After fleeing and building up our strength, we’ve just been too busy living our own lives to head back.

“It’s always been the plan to go back eventually, but we’ve been raising you and the girls’ in peace. Once you’re all grown and out on your own, your mother and I will travel back to Vyndinn to reclaim her birthright.”

Reivyn shared a look with Kefira. She nodded back to him.

“Well, we’re going with you when you do,” Reivyn declared.

Refix and Ameliyn smiled at him.

“Of course,” Ameliyn said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “It’s not something we would force you to do, but we also hoped you would.”

“How could I not?” Reivyn asked.

Ameliyn glanced at Kefira. She noticed and smiled back at her future mother-in-law.

“I’ll be part of the family soon, so of course it’s my duty to go with you,” Kefira said. “I couldn’t in good conscience ignore your plight. I’ll always be a member of the Wispan Imperial Family, but I’m going to be Reivyn’s wife.”

“Good girl,” Ameliyn beamed brighter than when Reivyn said he would go. She pulled Kefira into a quick side hug. “I knew I had a good feeling about you from the moment I first saw you.”

“Really?” Kefira cocked an eyebrow with a suspicious expression. “I seem to recall two certain mothers shouting about who’s child wasn’t worthy of the other.”

“Nonsense! That was all for show. I had to stand up for my little boy. Your mother wouldn’t have respected me if I hadn’t, just like I wouldn’t have respected her.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that the two of you have become quite close recently.”

“Joining our two families together is quite a task, haha.”

“Ok, ok, let’s get back on topic then, shall we?” Refix rolled his eyes. “We need six thorns from a Blood Rose, the root of a Burning Echinacea, and a Star-Body Ginseng. From what I can see, there’s an open market just a ways further down the road, and I’m sure there are some pharmacies or general stores we can peruse.”

“I don’t know the market prices of these treasures, so if they’re available, we should find more than one source to compare prices,” Ameliyn added. “I would say we should split up to take advantage of our numbers, but with Reivyn’s Divine Sense, it makes more sense to just follow him.”

Reivyn shrugged.

“I got no problem with that,” he said.

“Lead the way, then,” Kefira said, smiling as she held his arm.

“I’ll go to the Adventurer’s Guild and secure the guides,” Refix volunteered. “I’ll come find you in the market, and if we don’t run into each other, meet back up at the inn for lunch?”

“Sounds good,” Reivyn nodded his head. “Though I thought we weren’t going to eat all of our meals at the inn.”

“It’s just a staging ground,” Refix replied, nudging his son in the shoulder. Reivyn just chuckled at his dad.

Reivyn turned towards where he could see the biggest crowd walking among open tents a little ways off in the distance. Kefira stuck to his side, hanging on his arm, as he led the way. The streets weren’t as crowded as typical cities in the Lower Regions, but they weren’t empty by any means. It also got more congested and busy the closer they got to the open market.

Reivyn could hear it perfectly with his Divine Sense, but he still felt like he ran into a wall of sound as he walked into the open space where all the tents in the makeshift open market were located. Dozens of stalls, tents, and just people with their wares on a rug met his sight. With a casual glance, he could see a huge array of different items being bartered in the open. Every single person had the look of a seasoned veteran about them, regardless of which side of the transaction they were on.

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It was apparent that some of the Classers had invested time and effort into mercantile Skills more than others. Reivyn actually wasn’t sure if his own Social Skills would translate in merchant exchanges or not. If he had to guess, it would help, but it would only work towards building a positive rapport with whoever he transacted with.

People called out wares and prices in an attempt to attract passersby to their stalls. Others sat silently and waited for anyone to show interest. Haggling was present in every direction Reivyn scanned.

Reivyn led his Party along the stalls, letting his Divine Sense expand around him. The open market was large enough that there wasn’t a convenient location he could stand that would center him and allow him to scan everything at once. He let his mind focus on the wares all around him as he slowly walked along the path.

For the most part, the things being sold were weapons, armor, and enchanted trinkets. Most of the natural treasures on display were metals and monster parts used in manufacturing gear. The Mana density of array of different Affinities contained within the various treasures intrigued him, but he kept his mind focused on the task at hand. Most of the Affinities he saw were pretty basic, anyway.

A small percentage of the wares on display were medicinal natural treasures. He knew the properties of the three things he was looking for, but he didn’t see any right away. The open market was quite large, though, so he wasn’t undeterred. He would need to walk the full length multiple times on different paths to be able to see everything.

He got a hit relatively quickly after only traversing about half-way down the first path. The main path they were on was just the main road through the open area. The other paths were temporary paths created by the presence of the various sellers themselves.

On one of these man-made paths, off to the right, Reivyn saw a couple sitting behind a stall with an assortment of herbs and flowers displayed on a short table. None of the natural treasures on display were what he was looking for, but the couple had many other wares sitting in containers underneath their table out of view of the general public.

Reivyn sidled through an opening leading to the separate path and walked right up to the couple. There were no other people inspecting their treasures at the moment. Most of the people looking for things were inspecting the various Adventuring gear or treasures, so it made sense to Reivyn that most of the wares catered to that need.

The couple smiled at Reivyn and his group as they walked up.

“Ahh, fresh faces,” the woman declared with a bright smile. She held up a finger with a knowing look. “I know just what you’re looking for.”

She reached under the table and grabbed a clear container containing exactly the portions of the three treasures Reivyn was in search of. She placed it on the table for the others to see.

“Primary ingredients for the Second Level Bloodline advancement,” she said with a flourish.

Reivyn was momentarily stunned. He could see from his Divine Sense the others were as well - except Serilla, who maintained a stoic expression no matter the circumstances.

“That’s exactly what we’re looking for,” Reivyn nodded, looking down at the container. “How did you know?”

The man guffawed.

“Look around, son,” he swept his arm around the open market. “While everyone who advances in their Tiers extends their lifespan and maintains a youthful look, none of the others are actual youths. One glance at you and your companions, and anyone can see plain as day that you’re young.

“That means two things: You just got here, and you probably haven’t had time to seek out the Bloodline advancement treasures. Coupled with you making a beeline to one of the only stalls dabbling in medicinal treasures, it’s not hard to put two and two together.”

Kefira hid a smile behind her hand as Reivyn scratched his head.

“Huh, I’d never thought about it like that,” he admitted. “I guess we do kind of look soft, huh?”

The couple shared a look before snorting. The man shook his head.

“It’s the opposite, actually,” he replied. “It’s kind of scary when you think about it. Your entire group is made up of people who look like they’re between twenty and thirty years old.” Reivyn gave him a skeptical look. “When you’re around old Classers for as long as we are, there are ways to see whether someone is young or just looks young. There are always signs.

“Anyway, none of you have those signs, which means you’re all probably actually the age you look. You’re in a Tier 5 Region, on the other side of the Wilderness. The only way to get here is under your own power unless some people are grossly violating the unspoken rules, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. That means each of you has a scary-strong Class.

“The vast majority of people, something like 95%, have the bare minimum Rarity necessary in order to advance to the next Tier. I’m guessing none of you have an Uncommon Tier 3 and Rare Tier 4 Class?”

“I don’t even have a Tier 4 Class,” Reivyn snorted.

The couple froze and stared at Reivyn for several seconds. The man finally coughed into his hand.

“Don’t ever say those words aloud again while in the Upper Regions,” he said with a dead-serious expression. “That’ll put a target on your back.”

“Why would that put a target on my back?” Reivyn asked, confusion evident on his face.

“It doesn’t matter here on the outskirts of the Tier 5 Regions, but competition is fierce the deeper one goes. You’ve basically just said that in a few years you’re going to be at the top of that competition ladder. Now would be an ideal time for your trajectory to halt.”

“Hmm, I see. I’ve never been in the habit of hiding things before. Haven’t really had the need, honestly. I guess I need to get in the habit.”

“Definitely,” the couple nodded seriously.

“Thanks for the warning. Anyway…”

“Right! Back to business,” the woman said, a smile returning to her face. “These materials aren’t exactly rare in the Tier 5 Regions, but we offer convenience. It’ll save you weeks of travelling time, there and back, to just purchase them from a stall.

“I’ll sell you each portion at the minimum price: One Skill Shard each, so three Skill Shards.”

Reivyn stopped with his hand half-way to his pouch. He looked up at the two smiling people and quirked an eyebrow.

“What’s a Skill Shard?” He asked.

The woman’s smile froze on her face and the man smacked his palm on his forehead.

“Wow, you are fresh,” he said. He lowered his hand and returned to a business-like demeanor. “Listen, most things out here of a mundane nature can be paid for with mundane currency: A room at an inn, meals, use of various facilities; however, anything involving natural treasures of any kind, be it the raw natural treasures themselves or the gear made from them, mundane currency doesn’t cut it.

“Skill Shards are mandatory.”

“Ok~ay, but that doesn’t explain what a Skill Shard is, or how we acquire them,” Reivyn said.

“I’m getting to it,” the man chuckled. “Skill Shards are just what we call them, but they’re technically Pure Energy Shards. Crystals containing pure energy. They can be found in the wild alongside other natural treasures. They can be found next to metals in mines and caves as well as among the roots of large plants or large fields of smaller plants.”

“So, theoretically, we could go to that forest infested with goblins and search among the roots of the trees to find some of these Skill Shards.”

“Unlikely,” the woman answered. “This outpost has been here for many, many years, and that forest is right there. The easy pickings have most likely been plucked already. These shards are a renewable resource, though, so you might get lucky and find a newly formed shard before it gets snagged. I wouldn’t put much hope in that, though. You’d be better off going further afield and look for them during your regular excursions.”

“I see. That’s unfortunate, then,” Reivyn said, putting his hand back down by his side. Kefira frowned next to him. “I guess we’ll have to forego that convenience.”

“Now hold on a moment,” the man chuckled. “This is a common problem, and it was solved a long time ago. Just go to the Adventurer’s Guild. They’ll let you pawn something of value for a ‘starter pack’ of Skill Shards. Ten to be exact. It only takes eleven Skill Shards to retrieve your pawned items. It’s a good deal with no compound interest.”

Reivyn shared a look with his companions. They each nodded their heads in turn. He turned back to the couple.

“That does sound like a good deal,” he said. “My friends and I will make our way to the Adventurer’s Guild like you said and come back at a later time.”

“Excellent,” the woman said. She grabbed the case and stored it back under the table. “You know where to find us.”

“One last thing, if you don’t mind,” Reivyn called out to the couple, halting their movement of sitting back down. They stood back up and looked at him expectantly. “You never explained why they’re called Skill Shards and what their use is…”

“Oh, right,” the man nodded his head. “People don’t really think about it in the Lower Regions, especially considering Skill Shards don’t naturally form below Tier 5 Regions, but everything involving one’s advancement takes energy.

“You gain Levels through Experience. That’s a form of energy. You improve your affinities through manipulating your Mana, a form of energy. You practice Martial Skills and abilities using Stamina, another form of energy. Your Bloodlines advance through usage of very specific energies found in natural treasures.

“What most people don’t realize, though, is that Skills gain ‘experience,’ too. When you use them, you accumulate Skill Experience until it reaches a threshold, and then you gain a Skill Level.

“Skill Shards are called Skill Shards instead of Pure Energy Shards because we can harness the energy inside them to boost our Skill Experience. As I’ve just told you, most of us are the bare minimum Rarity to advance to the next Tier. Boosting our Skills is the best way to ensure a higher Rarity Class on our next Tier-Up.

“Now I see that look in your eye, so let me clear some things up for you right now. We can’t just absorb the energy straight to any Skill we want and Level it to the moon. It doesn’t work that way. The only way to direct the energy to our Skills is while training said Skill, so it’s a multiplier, not just an experience dump. You can’t just accumulate a thousand Skill Shards and Level a Skill to Transcendence. You still have to put the work in, but it cuts the time down significantly if you have a steady supply of Skill Shards.”

“Fascinating,” Kefira whispered. “Why hasn’t anyone transported these Skill Shards to the Lower Realms to trade? There are plenty of other Tier 5 materials that make their way down.”

The couple laughed at the prospect.

“Who would want to?” The woman asked back. “Skill Shards are a Tier 5 treasure. Who would trade a Skill Shard for gold? Or Tier 4 treasures?

“Plus they’re not just a currency, they’re the number one commodity that everyone is seeking. Everyone. Skill Shards can be used forever, no matter how high your Skill Level is. Every natural treasure that a person picks up after they’ve advanced their Bloodline and forged their gear is just a placeholder for Skill Shards they can trade for.”

“I see,” Kefira nodded. “That makes sense. Thank you for the information. We’ll be sure to return for the Bloodline treasures, probably in the afternoon.”

“We’ll be here,” the couple waved as Reivyn and the others made their way back to the main path.

“Well…” Reivyn said, looking at each of his companions. “I guess we have another goal.”

“Yeah, it’s time to get rich!” Teilon threw his fists in the air as he exclaimed.

Kimberly poked him in the side, causing Teilon to quickly lower his arms.

“In Skill Levels,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Of course,” Teilon said, rubbing his side. “Rich in Skill Levels.”

Reivyn chuckled as he turned to the other side.

“We might as well check out some of these other stalls while we wait for dad,” he said.