With Liams inital question answered for the most part, he talked to a few other people around the village that were willing to answer his questions, not finding any new information different from the other villagers.
Deciding to try one last person he stopped as a signboard caught his attention. He was stood outside a two story building. Walls made from wattle and daub with timber frames wrapping the borders of the building. Picture perfect of a large medieval English house. A sign hanging from above the front door spelling out 'Scarlett Inn' in cursive, the inn Gardenia had pointed him too.
"Maybe the innkeeper can tell me something different" Opening the door.
The creak of the door announcing his arrival, Liam was assaulted by the smell of mildew and ale. Being on the 0th floor of the Tower and in a small village no less, there was little in the way of luxury or sanitation.
"Welcome, what can I get you?" A raspy voice carried through the inn. Scarlett, the red-haired proprietress, looked in her 40s, wearing the familiar rags and apron that dominated the villages fashion trend.
"I'm Liam, 'was pointed this way by Gardenia, hoping to get some answers or tips about this place"
"Another climber" she groaned, obviously not the first time today she's dealt with the interrogations from panicked climbers.
"Well, if Gardenia sent you my way then she probably told you most of what I could. The only thing I'll recommend is that you need to learn how to hunt, cook and camp before diving in. You lot are the second generation of climbers in my lifetime, the successful ones learnt this early on. From here till the next major zone you will be able to return here to Onset whenever you need, but you'll have to start clearing the Tower all over again. The majority of you lot figure this out eventually or die in the process"
"Is there someone in the village who can teach me?" Liam followed while nodding.
She grinned "No need to be that longwinded, most shops will sell a skill book for that, you can also help the people in the village if you don't have cash yet. How bout this, you do a couple waiting shifts for me and I'll give you what you need"
Unsurprisingly, Liam immediately agreed.
---
A week of spilling ale later...
Scarlett handed over two grey tomes and bid Liam goodbye. The tower gave only a week before the first forced entry.
Liam helped Scarlett until the end of the week where according to Scarlett he 'barely' managed to do enough to get both tomes. Likely that Scarlett just wanted someone to do the work for her as long as she could milk it for, though Laim wouldn't say that to her face.
[A week has passed. Those who have not entered the tower will be forced to enter in 10 minutes time]
With little time left Liam used the the tomes Scarlett gave him and got himself ready.
[Used Beginners Tome: Survival Basics - Gained Passive Skill: Outdoorsman]
[Outdoorsman: A classless skill that gives the user basic knowledge of making camps and gathering supplies in the wild]
[Used Beginners Tome: Basic Traps - Gained Active Skill: Create Trap]
[Create Trap: Use materials to create a basic trap for small game. Traps available - Pitfall, Snare]
With these skills learned and a second-hand rucksack given to him by Gardenia, Liam entered the Tower.