Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: A Common Setup?
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Having a baseline level of skill beyond the basics was definitely necessary, no matter how The Mission world unfolded. Most of the items for sale started with weapons and armor, and there was magic and martial arts too, so it clearly wasn't some peaceful game of rock-paper-scissors or red light, green light.
But what intrigued him was the relationship between Lowest Martial Arts and martial arts techniques.
Anyone who'd read a decent amount of wuxia novels would know the Three Materials Sword Technique. It was treated as third-rate among third-rates, the basics of basics. And yet, that Three Materials Sword Technique cost 100 guild, and Lowest Swordsmanship also cost 100 guild.
"What's the difference between Lowest Swordsmanship and the Three Materials Sword Technique? Is the Three Materials stronger?"
"Sorry, I can't tell you that. But if you buy it directly, I can give you a brief explanation of the item."
In other words, if he wanted to know, he had to pay up. If he had barely any guild left or if these manuals were expensive, he might have agonized over it. But for him right now, it was practically pocket change.
He bought Lowest Swordsmanship and the Three Materials Sword Technique.
"Now, can you tell me?"
"Since you've bought the items, it's only proper to explain the products."
Something felt off about the process, but he wasn't going to complain.
"Swordsmanship and sword techniques are different. You said you've read wuxia novels, right? That makes it easier to explain. What people commonly call 'such-and-such sword technique' is a collection of formalized moves. What you'd call finishers. Swordsmanship, on the other hand, refers to the experience you can apply in real combat."
"...I'm not quite following."
"Hm. You've learned Lowest Swordsmanship, right? Why not buy a sword and try holding it?"
He opened his inventory and clicked. A longsword of decent length appeared, its blade gleaming sharply. Jerry's eyes lit up again at the sight, but Sung-hoon ignored him, gripped the sword, and immediately sensed something off.
"Huh?"
Sung-hoon had never held a sword in his life. Well, if he had to nitpick, he'd held a kitchen knife a few times, but that hardly counted. He was a complete novice with swords. Yet now, holding the sword, his stance looked somewhat proper.
He swung it a few times, and that's when he grasped the difference between swordsmanship and sword techniques.
Sword techniques were skills; swordsmanship was control.
Skills without control were like a castle in the sand, and great control without skills meant no powerful finishing blows. Realizing that sent chills down Sung-hoon's spine.
A completely ordinary person who'd never held a sword in his life suddenly gained an intuitive sense and experience for swinging one just by learning a skill. Experiencing this inexplicable phenomenon in his own body made him realize anew that this world was anything but normal.
"Do you get the difference now?"
"More or less."
He'd been worried since he'd never had any interest in martial arts, but with this existing, he could breathe a sigh of relief. If you just amassed enough money, even a shut-in or someone with two left feet could become a martial arts master overnight.
Having realized that much, Sung-hoon rubbed his eyes and let out a small sigh.
"Jerry. Selecting items is going to take a while. That okay?"
"As long as it's not too long. You just need time for basic combat training and rest."
"Then I won't hold back."
He figured it'd take at most a few dozen minutes. But as one hour, two, three passed, Jerry started looking at Sung-hoon with growing fatigue. Meanwhile, Sung-hoon was deep in thought.
He wasn't someone who'd jokingly call himself smart. But he didn't think he was dumb either. Everything in this shop was at least useful once The Mission truly began. Meaning, there were no completely useless items. Using that as a clue, he spent a long time checking every item and drew a few conclusions.
'There are combat rations, firewood, water, and flint for sale. If these cost guild, they're clearly necessary somewhere. And the prices are subtly high. Assuming price reflects value, it means you can starve to death out there without scavenging food.'
At minimum, no harm in stocking up.
With that thought, Sung-hoon unhesitatingly bought basic necessities. He filled four inventory slots with a sleeping bag, combat rations and water, and firewood. Filling those four slots cost 500 guild. Once done, he fell into thought again. This time, he chose a skill book.
It cost a whopping 1,000 guild, but he didn't hesitate.
After buying and learning the Shock spellbook, a message appeared about his Magic Power rising by 1, and he felt a slight tingle in his lower abdomen.
"Just as the name implies. This'll be useful."
"Magic is pretty expensive. But as a trump card, it's more than enough."
"How do I activate it?"
"Just vocalize the skill name. Once proficiency reaches B or higher, you can activate it intuitively without saying the name."
"Shock."
He thrust his arm forward and shouted "Shock," but instead of what he expected, a blue window popped up.
Mana Insufficient
Shock failed.
"Oh right, I didn't mention. Advanced skills and magic require high Magic Power stats. Learn a great skill, but without the stats, it's like pearls before swine. Heh heh."
"...How do you raise Magic Power stats?"
"Sorry, can't tell you that."
Gritting his teeth as he recalled the Betrayer's Hidden Dagger in Laughter effect again, Sung-hoon was glad he'd started small. If he'd blindly bought advanced skills without knowing, he might have blown most of his guild and still couldn't use them due to low Magic Power. Of course, buying advanced skills wasn't bad long-term.
But this was reality. Surviving right now mattered more than leisurely long-term planning.
Better to buy and learn the 1,000-guild Low Swordsmanship next to you than buy a 10,000-guild Lightning Sword Technique and die to a knife because you couldn't use it.
Better to buy antidote potions than learn advanced magic and die poisoned.
Sung-hoon's selections finally ended after another long stretch.
He looked quite different now. Still in beginner clothes, but with a longsword at his waist and a gray coat draped over.
"Impressive."
"What is?"
"Didn't expect you'd buy all that with so much guild. Thought you'd focus on one skill."
"I've got my own ideas."
"Hmph. Anyway, purchases done means practical training next."
Snap!
Having learned some skills, Sung-hoon grew curious about Jerry's abilities. Just a finger snap, and all sorts of things happened?
Suddenly, a cute dog appeared—one you could see anywhere. Panting with its tongue out, and at the word "practical," Sung-hoon's expression hardened. Jerry smiled brightly at him.
"Now, please kill it."
"...Pardon?"
"Didn't you hear? Kill the dog in front of you."
"Woof! Woof!"
"Don't worry. The dog can't move a bit. Not asking anything fancy of you, Sung-hoon. Just kill this dog, complete practical training, and rest."
"W-What..."
Suddenly told to kill a dog, Sung-hoon tried to refuse.
"If you really don't want to, no need. But personally, I recommend doing it. I guarantee once The Mission starts in earnest, you'll face far worse. And then, hesitating like now won't let you survive. Better to take the first hit, right? And above all..."
Jerry paused, then whispered softly in Sung-hoon's ear.
"Haven't you already done it once?"
That one sentence.
Sung-hoon's trembling stopped as if by magic.
'Yeah, I definitely killed people.'
No excuses.
The moment the quest window appeared with three choices, he'd unhesitatingly picked the highest-probability, fastest-completion method. Before faith, betrayal, cowardice, murder, guilt—he'd adapted and acted without hesitation.
He'd already killed three people. Killing one more dog wouldn't change that. Thinking that far, Sung-hoon raised his sword as if possessed.
Stab!
One strike.
The immobile dog couldn't withstand Sung-hoon's Low Swordsmanship and lost its life. The splattered blood and the squishy sensation piercing flesh made Sung-hoon retch uncontrollably.
"Urk! Blegh! ...Guh!"
With nothing in his stomach, only the tea he'd just drunk and stomach acid came up.
It was different. Killing the first three had been too rushed, unconsciously. Before he could process it, he'd been whisked to some unknown space, heard shocking stories, shopped, and the memory faded.
But even if it was a dog, swinging the sword by his own will made everything feel real.
The squishy feel in his hand, hot steam from the blood, exposed organs in the gash. It all crashed into him.
"Cough! Guh!"
"You're really unpredictable. Anyway, you killed the dog, so practical training complete. Rest for the remaining time..."
Thud!
Jerry looked down at his ankle. Sung-hoon gripped his pant leg, retching nonstop. He seemed to want to say something, but with stomach acid surging, tears welled up, words impossible.
'Sigh. Time to throw a fit and demand to be sent back? Things were going too smoothly.'
But Sung-hoon's next words were 180 degrees from Jerry's expectation.
"O-One more, urk!"