Chapter 24: Skillbook
The moment the shaman fell, the effect was instant. The three remaining Spear-Guards faltered mid-step, as if the strings of their puppeteer had suddenly snapped.
They still moved fast, faster than any goblin Arthur had fought. But without that flawless coordination from before, they were just strong, quick goblins.
And John was on the nearest two before they could reset their stances.
His log came down on them like a battering ram, smashing the first one into the dirt hard enough to leave a crater. The backswing that followed next hit the second Spear-Guard in the ribs, sending it flying before both of them burst into motes of white light.
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +15 EXP]
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +15 EXP]
[Level Up!]
A series of notifications flashed through Arthur’s eyes as he closed in on the third goblin, his fang meeting its hasty spear thrust and knocking it sideways.
With a single step, he got past the armored imp’s guard, before he drove the fang straight into the creature’s chest. A wet crunch echoed through the camp before the last of the Spear-Guards finally collapsed.
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +15 EXP]
A moment later, silence fell over the camp.
John just stood there, a wide grin already spreading across his face as he looked at Arthur,
"Now that... was worth the trip."
The corners of Arthur’s mouth curved up. He couldn’t deny it.
He looked around, at the more than a dozen items that littered the ground. Even from a distance, Arthur could make out a handful of [Goblin Fangs] and a few more [Threadbare Jerkins]. It made sense, he supposed.
He had no idea how many goblins the two of them had killed during the fight.
"Well, would you look at this..." John’s voice sounded behind him. The burly man was crouched by the remains of a level 5 Spear-Guard, plucking something from the dirt.
It was a long black spear, heavier than the crude bone-tipped ones they’d seen before.
It resembled the [Fang-tipped Spearhead] Arthur had sold to the insectoid shopkeeper, but this one was also clearly different. Its shaft was made from polished dark wood and reinforced near the base with a band of blackened metal, and even the fang at its tip gleamed faintly with a white sheen.
Was the spear special because it came from one of the level 5 Spear-Guards protecting the shaman? Arthur wasn’t sure, but that was the only answer he could think of.
"Not bad," John muttered, testing the spear’s balance with a few spins before resting it against his shoulder. "It’s a bit light, but I could make this work."
But Arthur only spared the black spear a brief glance before his gaze drifted past John and to the ground behind him.
Half-buried in the dirt he spotted something small and rectangular, one of its sharp edges just poking out.
Arthur stepped forward and crouched on the spot he’d killed the shaman, brushing the dust away to reveal a slim book covered in dark leather.
He already had an idea of what this was, and the thought alone... was enough to make his heart race.
As expected, the moment his fingers touched it, a system notification flared into view.
[Skillbook: Water Arrow]
[Type: Magic—Water Element]
[Description: "Condenses water mana into a concentrated arrow, dealing moderate piercing damage."]
[Requirements: Elemental affinity of Water (Minor)]
[Class: Mage, Enchanter, Summoner.]
[User compatibility detected! Would you like to absorb it? Yes / No]
Arthur’s eyes lingered on the system message, reading the line again and again. He hadn’t expected to find one of these, and yet here it was, a skillbook, right in his hands.
Footsteps crunched behind him a moment later.
"No way!"
John walked up beside him, crouched, and reached for the book as if he couldn’t help himself. His fingers brushed the leather cover, and the same description seemed to appear in his eyes. Then, the burly man froze and ran both hands over his head.
"Damn it! We got our first skillbook and this is what we get? Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I was really hoping we’d get a skill for Warriors!"
John plopped on his butt right next to Arthur, and let out a sigh of disappointment as he continued,
"You know how jealous I was when I read that thread about the guy who got a ’Roar’ skill or whatever? And our first skillbook is for a Mage? Ah, no offense, I mean!"
Arthur almost laughed out loud at John’s exaggerated antics. He really looked like someone who was going through all five stages of grief at once.
Luckily, the big guy quickly shrugged it off before turning his gaze back to his spear.
"Well, whatever. At least I got this thing, so I’m still satisfied. I guess it’s just down to luck in the end."
Arthur glanced at the weapon in John’s hand, then back to the book in his own. No matter what, he could tell this wasn’t exactly a fair trade. A spear from a level 5 Spear-Guard was nice, sure, but could it really compare to a skillbook? How rare were skills at this point of the game anyway? And this one had dropped from a rare monster, no less.
But John seemed to be able to tell what Arthur was thinking and waved a hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry about it. If it was a Warrior skillbook, I’d take it without a second thought, too. I wouldn’t even think about selling it. So since this one’s good for you, it makes sense you keep it."
He grinned and went on. "Just to be fair, though, I’m keeping all the Warrior skillbooks we find, and you keep all the Mage ones. Whatever we can’t use, we just sell and split the money down the middle, yeah?"
Arthur shook his head and a grin of his own found its way to his face as he looked at John.
"So what you are saying is, ’don’t ask for my Warrior skills when they drop’, huh?"
John’s grin widened.
"So I take it that’s a yes?"
Arthur looked at the big guy and nodded,
"Alright, I’m keeping this one, then."
