Henry's shop had a similar feel to his home. Worn shelves were lined with thick tomes that covered every conceivable topic, and when the shelf space ran out, he had piled books on the floor.
"What profession did you have in mind?" Henry asked.
"I need armor, and a weapon. Jade mentioned that a profession might help with that but I'm not sure which one is best." The man was clearly a professional, and she had come to accept that there were some areas in this world that she knew nothing about. Her gut said blacksmithing for a weapon, but Rogues couldn't wear plate armor.
Henry scratched his chin. "Well, for armor the clear choice is Skinning. There are plenty of leatherworkers in town that will craft you items for near at cost if you supply the materials."
That sounded good, but she really needed a weapon. None of her new skills were usable without one.
"What about a weapon? That's my biggest priority."
Henry frowned, then walked over to a large supply closet that stood awkwardly in the back of the room.
He returned holding a knife. The blade was roughly five inches in length, curving upward to a sharp point. A large gut hook was carved into the top of the blade. The handle was a simple wood, maybe oak.
"This is a bit unorthodox, but you could get away with using a Skinning Knife until you find a proper weapon. You'll need one to skin with anyways."
She could work with that, as long as the System accepted it. She'd certainly killed with less.
"Can I try and equip it, just to make sure the System accepts it?"
Henry opened a trade window with her,
Item: [Skinning Knife]
Rarity: Common
Equipment Slot: Main Hand or Off Hand
+1% Power
Description: A basic skinning knife, great for beginners in the craft. While the blade is slightly dull, it's large enough to apply force while maintaining a semblance of control.
She tried equipping it and her Vicious Stab skill lost its red hue, the System accepting the knife as a weapon.
"Looks like it passes. How much for the knife and to learn the profession?"
Henry counted off on his fingers as he thought. "I can let the Skinning Knife go for twenty-five silver. The standard profession fee is one gold."
That left her with just under three gold. She'd need to find some cash tomorrow, but she'd have time. Worst case she delayed finding a leatherworker to craft the armor and sold the leathers for some quick gold. Hopefully gold, she wasn't sure how much they went for.
"That sounds great. Once I learn Skinning where should I go to find beasts?"
Her back straightened ever so slightly as Henry's eyes evaluated her. "I'd start with the northern forest."
She shrunk at the word, forest. Henry laughed, slapping a hand against her shoulder, the gesture far too familiar to feel comfortable. "Don't worry, there's no spiders in the northern forest," he said with a wink. "Only wolves. But I'm sure even a girl like you can handle 'em."
Ren bristled at the comment.
What's wrong?
Even a girl like you. Ren repeated mockingly. He just did it too, did you even notice?
The comment had rubbed her the wrong way, but it didn't seem like that big of an offense.
He called you weak. Judged you inferior just because you're a girl. But don't worry, he wrapped it in a nice compliment so you can't be mad.
She looked at Henry, reevaluating. He'd seemed nice, nothing like Gilmour.
They always do. Now say something or he'll think you're rude for blowing off his compliment
I'm not doing that.
Henry stared at her, a look of annoyance spreading across his face.
Just do it.
Her laugh came out a bit more forced than she was hoping for. "Good to know. Definitely don't want to face a spider again."
Henry's face shifted into a knowing grin as he pulled a leather bound tome from a shelf and placed it on a nearby table.
"Now, the first step is to unlearn your current profession. Once you've done that, pick up the profession tome and activate it through your interface."
Dread filled Lorena's stomach as she pulled up the current profession page, a quiet sobbing echoing in her mind.
Ren had been an expert in Agriculture, with rank 4/5 in Gourd Husbandry. Over one hundred profession talents invested. A life time of work.
My father taught me. Brought me to Skarl the day I turned six to see the profession trainer.
Lorena bit her lip.
Is there another way? Can I make enough gold with farming to get what I need?
Ren was silent. She waited for an answer, taking in the last of Ren's life broken down into numbers and skill points. The "Unlearn Skill" button hovered in the corner.
Just do it already. You've taken everything else. Ren's voice was flat, distant.
She let out a heavy sigh, and pressed the button.
Warning: Unlearning Agriculture will remove all knowledge gained by the profession, including sub specialization in Gourd Husbandry. Are you sure you want to proceed?
She confirmed the action and for a moment nothing changed. Then she felt it, the knowledge draining from her like water slipping through her fingers. The texture of fertile soil between her fingers. The right time to harvest and how to coax a struggling plant back to health. Her father's calloused hands over hers, showing her how to prune. The pride in his eyes the first time she brought in a full harvest on her own.
Gone. All of it. Not forgotten—Erased.
She picked up the Skinning tome and felt nothing. No loss, just emptiness.
In the back of her mind something cracked. Not a scream. Worse. Silence.
Ren?
Nothing.
Her interface prompted her about the tome,
Item: [A Skinner's Beginner Guide to Beasts]
Beasts of many types, some expected and others surprising, can be skinned for their leather and hides. This book contains an introduction to the profession of Skinning. This item will be consumed upon learning the skill.
Would you like to learn Skinning, Beginner 1?
She selected yes without hesitation. The damage had already been done; warmth washed over her as she absorbed the knowledge. She held the Skinning Knife in her hand and felt an instinctual level of knowledge on how to use it.
"Congratulations! Skinning is a great profession," Henry said with a cheery expression.
Lorena swallowed her guilt and plastered on a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She thanked Henry and made her way into the market, stopping to get some wolf jerky and a canister of water. Supplies for a hunt.
You're really doing this? Ren said flatly.
I need the leather.
You need a lot of things. You needed my body. You needed my class choice. You needed my profession. A pause. What's left for me when you're done?
She didn't have an answer for that.
After an hour of walking Ren was still silent, but Lorena could feel the woman lingering deep below the surface. She focused on her spellbook, refreshing herself on her new Rogue skills.
First up was Stealth, which claimed to allow her to harness the power of the shadows and sneak past most enemies and people undetected. But it also reduced her movement speed by 30% while active, which was not ideal. She had been pretty good at utilizing cover, and now with this considerably smaller frame it would be a breeze, maybe she wouldn't need Stealth all that much.
Along with the new skills she had gotten two new resources, Energy, and Combo Points.
Stealth didn't cost any resources, but Vicious Stab, Precision Strike, and Gouge all cost varying amounts of Energy. Vicious Stab built Combo Points, and Precision Strike spent them, dealing increasing damage based on the number of Combo Points available.
Gouge was interesting and seemed great defensively. It allowed her to blind a target, incapacitating them for five seconds. Though any damage inflicted would break the blind, and it had a sixty second cooldown.
She reached the northern forest and instantly felt better about the idea, the forest felt nothing like the one she had wandered into that first night. This one had a scattering of spread out trees, each large enough for her to hide behind. They also smelt different; it reminded her of pine and left the whole forest smelling fresh and woody.
Lorena quickly found her first wolf standing alone in a clearing. It was a standard size, unlike the spider she'd encountered. It had sharp teeth and large paws, roughly the size of Lorena's own hands, but meatier. The System provided minimal details about the beast when she used Identify.
Juvenile Wolf, level 8
She activated Stealth and took a moment to readjust to the change. The contrast of the world shifted, dark areas becoming murky, light areas becoming nearly unbearably bright, the border between stealth and danger perfectly clear.
Breath held, she stepped out from behind the tree into direct line of sight of the wolf. It stared right past her, unflinching. Lorena finally exhaled and crept toward the wolf. It felt like walking under water, her whole body slowed. Her Skinning Knife felt balanced in her hand.
10 Experience Rewarded for utilizing Stealth against Juvenile Wolf
She glanced at the notification in the corner of her interface then dismissed it. Getting experience from utilizing Stealth was nice, but the 30% movement speed reduction was already frustrating.
Lorena took another step closer to the wolf, in her old body she would have reached but this one's arms were shorter. She took a moment to think over her plan of attack. Obviously the teeth were the biggest danger, but the wolf would also be agile. Speed and rhythm would be paramount, darting in and out for attacks only when there was a clear shot. The wolf's claws would probably hurt, and if she got pinned down she was screwed.
She circled around the unsuspecting wolf and inhaled a deep breath. As she let it out, she sank her Skinning Knife into the tender underside of the wolf and activated Vicious Stab.
Combo Points (1/5)
At the same time her knife made a mess of the wolf's stomach, Lorena's foot slammed down on the side of its leg. It gave a satisfying snap as bone was forced to bend the wrong way beneath her heel. The satisfaction was quickly swept away as she teetered off balance. She expected her weight to ground her, but it wasn't there in this new body.
Ren resurfaced for the first time since the market. Satisfying? You find the crunch of bone satisfying?
Lorena drove with her legs to leap back, anticipating the wolf's next move.
She flew, then kept flying, her weight considerably lighter than she was used to. She landed on the backs of her heels, her lower center of gravity pulling her backward. Her arms windmilled in an effort to keep her upright.
The wolf howled in pain and lunged, a jaw of jagged teeth rushing toward her face. She took advantage of the teetering momentum and rolled backward, hearing the vicious chomp just above her head.
She jumped up and pushed her hair out of her face. It would need to be cut.
Don't you dare.
It's practical.
I don't care. It's mine.
The wolf lunged and snapped again, she didn't have time to argue. She rolled left and spun, this time accounting for her smaller frame and applying less torque to the move. Her legs drove, sending her vaulting over the side of the wolf. All her weight channeled into her next Vicious Stab as she came crashing down, blade punching directly into the center of the wolf's spine.
Combo Points (2/5)
The wolf was at 60% health and foaming at the mouth. It let out a growl and limped backward, creating space. Lorena let it, circling to the right, keeping its shattered leg between them.
She glanced at her Energy bar as it crept upwards. Her mind was clear for the first time in days. Adrenaline sang through her veins. This she understood. She let out a focusing breath and bent her knees.
The wolf lunged and Lorena spun, flipping the grip on her knife and sank it into the wolf's ribs. The blade halted when it met bone and she had to turn and lean into the strike with both hands to move the blade past the bone into the soft organs beneath, then activated Vicious Stab.
Combo Points (3/5)
The wolf spun despite the knife protruding from its midsection and Lorena used considerable strength to twist the dagger, allowing the gut hook to tear through the wolf's flesh as the beast moved. The wolf threw its front paws up and slashed at her shoulder. White hot pain burned as her skin split open from its claws. She yanked her dagger but it caught on the tough skin, her strength not quite enough to pull it free at this awkward angle.
She saw a maw of teeth open, drool and blood dripping from the wolf's mouth as it went to clamp down on her shoulder.
Her instincts told her to drop the knife but she refused. She kicked her feet back and dropped to her knees, dragging her chest to the ground. Her shoulder strained at the awkward angle but nothing popped. The wolf's mouth missed the bulk of her shoulder, teeth sinking into the edge of her flesh. Pain flared as the teeth sank deep into the muscle, deeper than she expected. She thought the wolf had caught the edge of her shoulder, but there was simply less flesh for its fangs to travel through.
Stop! Stop, make it stop! Ren cried as the pain rippled through to her.
I know. I'm sorry. It'll be over soon.
Lorena threw her right hand around and grabbed the Skinning Knife from the opposite angle and pulled, the knife slid out with ease.
The wolf began to shake, its teeth now firmly in the meat of her shoulder. She winced at the pain.
Lorena brought the knife over head and stabbed wildly at the wolf's eye.
Debuff: Gouge. Target is incapacitated for 5 seconds
The wolf unclenched its jaw and Lorena's shoulder slipped free from its fangs. She rolled over backwards, shifting her weight to her uninjured shoulder as it made contact with the ground.
She jumped up and assessed. She was at 80% health, her shoulder hurt but it still functioned. The wolf was at 30%.
40% Energy. Was that enough? She did some quick math. It was close.
Lorena repositioned herself to the right of the wolf. At the last second of the Gouge debuff she sank her knife into the wolf's neck for a Vicious Stab. It went deep, a spurt of blood flying out of the wound and splattering her chest.
Combo Points (4/5)
She needed 3 seconds. She dodged left as the wolf tried to kick with its ruined leg. It was getting desperate. It growled as it stalked after her. Five steps. Then six. Three more to go.
After her ninth step her Energy had regenerated. She spun and ran hard. The sound of the wolf's paws digging in the dirt as it bolted after her filled her ears.
She jumped and ran up the tree, her light frame carrying her higher than expected; six feet before gravity caught up to her. She pushed off with her feet and spun, arcing above the wolf as it stuttered to a stop.
She landed in a crouch several feet away. She didn't hesitate and sprinted toward the wolf as it struggled to turn. She roared and the wolf gave her one final challenge, a leap. It flew toward her, teeth and claws and rage. She slid, one leg extended in front, leaning back so her shoulder blades just grazed the forest floor.
The wolf looked down, fear in its eyes as it realized its miscalculation. Lorena dug her heels in and pushed, launching up with her knife raised upward. The blade sank into the wolf's sternum and she felt all four combo points surge through her and into the knife for a Precision Strike, the power exquisite.
The blade continued to travel, slicing its way down the wolf until it emerged on the other side.
Combo Points (0/5)
She turned, covered in a bright splatter of crimson as she stalked toward the wolf. It let out a final whimper, then went still. Her whole body jittered with energy, excitement, satisfaction.
Ren's voice was small, scared. Goddess Tevra abhorred violence. She always said it was the worst sin.
Lorena wanted to shoot back with a sarcastic comment, but she bit back the words. She'd let Ren keep her faith. It was the least she could do.
A notification drew her attention, followed by a prompt to loot the wolf.
Achievement! First Blood - This was your first time killing a Juvenile Wolf. Bonus experience rewarded.
40 Experience rewarded for killing Juvenile Wolf.
20 Experience rewarded for First Blood Achievement.
Loot Juvenile Wolf?
Wolf's Fang (1)
Tough Wolf Meat (1)
Her interface cataloged the items, putting them into her inventory.
Lorena knelt down next to the dead wolf, not bothering to even try and wipe the blood and gore off. She hesitated for a moment, unsure where to start, then her Skinning Knife hummed, an instinctual knowledge flowing through her. She made the first cut, the tough skin of the wolf fighting the dull blade. Lorena gritted her teeth and focused on controlling the movement, listening to her instincts. After five long minutes of fighting, she had carved away a single piece of leather. She cracked her neck, letting out a deep sigh, and kept going.
After an hour of meticulous work, she had what the System deemed four worthy pieces of light leather.
She sat and ate some tough wolf jerky she had bought from a vendor back in town. Her health slowly rose from 80% to 95%. That was good enough.
Her mind clouded as Ren's attention fell on her, the anger and disgust mixing in a thick haze.
Congratulations. You proved what we already knew. You're a killer.
Yes, she was. And right now, that felt like the only useful thing about her.
She stood and walked through the forest until she found the next wolf.
How many are you going to kill?
As many as it takes to make a suit of leather armor, and then some.
Whatever, Ren said, her voice almost bored as she descended back to the recesses of their shared mind.
Lorena focused on the wolf, her body humming with excitement. It felt good to be doing something she knew. The shadows, a familiar friend even on another world, welcomed her as she stalked her next target.