The Box: Fate
Chapter 12 — Skills and Preparation
The village streets were calm compared to the dangerous mountain road behind them Wooden houses stood on both sides and small shops were open where villagers were selling food tools and supplies
The seventeen players walked together while observing everything carefully
Axel Hatanaki stopped in front of a small shop
"We should buy some things before going to the hotel
Akira nodded
"Food supplies and maybe equipment
Several players agreed and they walked inside the shop
The shopkeeper looked surprised seeing such a large group of unfamiliar travelers
"What can I help you with
Before anyone spoke Zanaki looked at the coins in his hand and laughed
"Good thing we actually have money
That reminded several players of what had happened earlier
A flashback returned to their minds
When the monsters had been defeated on the mountain road their bodies had turned into glowing particles
But something else had appeared as well
Small shining stones monster cores and several strange coins had dropped onto the ground just like rewards in many fantasy games
The players had collected them while examining the strange items
The old cart driver had watched them carefully
"These things are valuable he had said
"Monster cores and rare materials are useful in villages
The old man had offered to purchase the items from them
After a short discussion he had bought several of the materials giving the players a good amount of coins in return
The flashback faded
Back in the shop the players began purchasing supplies
Food dried meat bread and water
Some also bought simple equipment
Mikochi looked excited while examining everything in the store
Sharky Bee carefully checked a few small tools
Aaron Moses bought supplies that could help during travel
After finishing their purchases Axel asked the shopkeeper another question
"Is there a hotel or an inn nearby where travelers can stay
The shopkeeper nodded
"Yes there is an inn at the end of this street
He pointed down the road
"It is the main place where travelers usually stay
Akira thanked him and the group left the shop
Soon they reached the inn
The building was larger than the surrounding houses and had a wooden sign hanging above the entrance
Inside the inn several wooden tables stood in the main room while a few travelers were quietly eating
Axel spoke with the inn keeper and arranged rooms for the group
After finally sitting down everyone began checking their status again
Blue screens appeared before their eyes
Now their skills had clear names
Akira discovered a skill called Sword Pulse which allowed his attacks to release powerful shock waves
Axel Hatanaki gained Titan Strike a skill that increased the power of his punches with explosive force
Murasaki magic became Shadow Violet a skill that controlled powerful purple energy attacks
Aaron Moses unlocked Iron Guard which strengthened his body like armor during battle
Sharky Bee gained Silent Tracker allowing him to move quietly and detect enemies from far away
Mikochi unlocked Flash Step which increased his movement speed during combat
Kuro gained Dark Fang a skill focused on precise lethal strikes
Kyoshiki discovered Spirit Balance allowing him to control both speed and defense during fights
Joel unlocked Stone Breaker a skill that could destroy heavy defenses
Monk Fish gained Flow Combat a fighting style that used balance and timing to overwhelm enemies
Anastasia awakened Frost Veil a skill capable of freezing enemies with cold magic
Julius gained Royal Blade a powerful sword technique that focused on clean decisive attacks
Each player studied their skills carefully while understanding their role in battle
Kataki sat quietly at a table slightly away from the others
When he opened his status two skills appeared
Shadow Step
A movement skill that allowed him to disappear and reappear quickly during combat
This was the skill he had already used during battles
But there was another skill below it
A skill that he had not shown to anyone yet
Kataki looked at the name silently before closing his status screen
For now
That power would remain hidden