Chapter 13: The Town

Mun awoke to a rough tongue lick his right cheek and a soft pushing of his left side.

“are you okay?” a wearied voice of a child calls for him.

“Worry not child, I still feel his soul burning strongly.” Aura looks at the wolf tilting her head, she is sure he is trying to say something, but she can’t possibly understand.

Mun lifts himself like a man out of a grave, startling the two, Aura screams, falling backwards getting her clothing dirtied with leaves and pebbles.

“you have awakened master.” Mun turn his head to the wolf.

“You nearly killed me.” The wolf bashfully lowers his head in apology.

“Forgive me, I didn’t know my injuries would be transferred to you.” Mun places his hand on the wolf’s head, softly petting the creatures soft fur. Perhaps due to the contract, or a natural instinct. But the wolf can’t help but feel satisfied with the wooden hand on his head, his master was approving of him.

“ahhh!!!” Aura rose her voice, pointing to Mun finally understanding why the wolf had not eaten her. When she awoke, she was completely terrified to find herself resting her head on fur.

She attacked him, he dodged and tackled her to the ground and licked her cheeks as message to her that he not an enemy.

“You tamed a wolf!!”

“I have not been tamed, I made the most logical decision ” His words went unheard, a language barrier between the two kept her from understanding.

“it just turned out that way, don’t think to much about it.” Aura stared at Mun, for the unsatisfactory explanation.

“For now let’s go back to that town.” Aura nods her head, three get up and start their journey once more.

………………..

I think it’s about time to look at my stats again, mun think as he walks down dirt path. A wolf and demon on each side.

Mun(Cursed) Level: 16 Rank: (8) Species: Mimic Title:Lower devil Soul: Strong Skill: 38 Mp: 522-0 Hp: 848-0 Sp: 423-0 Strength: 1+(4) Agility:1+(5) Intelligence :2+(5) wisdom:2+(6) Stamina:2+(4) Vitality:2+(4) Skills: Shapeshift(eater), transfer, exp+, skewer, evolution, darkvision, lowlight, status, Foolish, Familiar contract. Cursed

Mun makes a strange noise in surprise, his two companions look at him for a couple seconds before returning to their senses, ignoring his surprise.

Okay, the skills I could see before are there now!! Ah, my new skill is there too.

But I’ve also been cursed? Mun concentrates on the word cursed inscribed next to his name. when that doesn’t work he focuses on the bottom one, a blue transparent panel quickly pops into his field of view.

curse:Dammed at birth Level: 1

Damned at birth is a curse that occasionally affects newborns. The curse prevents leveling up beyond a certain point, in rare cases crippling attributes as well. The way to cure it is still unknown.

1: leveling beyond level 20 is now impossible. 2: ??? 3: ???

Mun couldn’t help but become angry at the information, he has now been cursed for something that he didn’t have before. Damned at birth? Could it have been that the wolf was afflicted by the curse, Does transfer exchange more than just wounds?

Transfer Type: Other World Level 1 There are people in this world that were once not from here, those are the summoned and the reincarnated, both often have special other worldly skills unlike any other. Transfer is an other world skill that allows the user to transfer all damage from one person onto themselves. The only known skill with similar attributes is the Empathy skill 1: the user can transfer all damage from another if a certain threshold of empathy is met, familiars are automatically protected. Wounds that can kill the user will not be healed no matter the level of empathy. Sp/mp: none

That explains why I could do that with the wolf, even though I didn’t completely empathize with him. It still feels odd to know that there are others like me out there. I wonder if I even want to meet them. But that curse is seriously going to become problem. For now I guess its not a problem, it isn’t that easy to level up anyways.

Alright onto the next skill, Mun concentrates on his next skill.

Exp+ Type: Other world Level: 1 There are people in this world that were once not from here, those are the summoned and the reincarnated, both often have special other worldly skills unlike any other. This skill increases the amount of exp a monster gives at one time, effectively speeding up the level up rate. 1: experience increased by 12.5% Sp/Mp: none

All right, this is a good skill to have.

“we’re almost there Mr, I mean Mun” Aura softly spoke, her body trembling. She was returning to place she didn’t ever want to see again. Mun took his wooden hand in placed it on her head.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them take you” Aura tries to give a forced nod.

“Wolf, please stay close to Aura.” Mun sends a telepathic message to his new familiar.

“As you wish master” the wolf, who was on Muns left side, walked to aura’s side, to keep her safe from anyone who might try to harass her.

Aura felt safer, she had one of the most fearsome creature in the animal kingdom by her side, an animal feared like a monster.

Mun decides to check his remaining skills before they reach the town.

Familar Contract Type: Su(supernatrual) Level: 1 The familiar contact is a skill very easily obtained, the skill is earned by anyone who wishes to help an animal, after that point the user can make contracts with animals, though not many animals are willing to make contracts with humanoids. When a contract is signed, the familiar obtains a crest, the crest gives certain advantages to the familiar The stronger the bond between the master and familiar the larger the familiars crest grows, if the crest breaks, the contract ends. 1: can make 1 contract with any animal. Telepathy between the familiar and master is possible. Contracts: (1) Initial Mp: 10/level

Interesting, so I can only make 1 contract per level of this skill, probably. Not only that but this skill doesn’t make the familiar my slave, we need to have a bond, otherwise the contract will end. I’ll check his stats later, for now I’m a bit curious about my foolish skill:

Foolish Type: Su(Super natrual) Level: (Na) When a contract is made with a god, advantages over there users peers is immediate, they must earn the Gods respect and only then will they be granted powers unlike any other. 1: this skill works similar to skill points, use a point to enhance a skill. In essence it allows the God you’ve chosen to personally alter the ability of one of your skills, in their image, be wise on how you use this ability because Gods don’t give these blessing out like candy.

2: skill enhanced are leveled to their max potential.

Available blessings: (1)

This is a skill personally handed to me by him huh, this one and the status skill no doubt. Maybe if I use this skill on my status ability, I can see new information on my curse? Before Mun can make a decision.

Mun can feel Aura cling to him.

“We’re here” The town of Birden, stapled across on a wooden sign, written in a strange language. Yet Mun could read every word of it.

“Crap.” Mun says aloud.

“what.” Aura says, trembling, trying to hide behind mun, the closer they approach the sign.

“I forgot I don’t have any money.” Though I can probably sell that ruby to someone. I wonder how valuable it is, does my status skill work on it?

Ruby Type: gemstone Rarity: rare Demand: low The ruby is a rare gemstone often bought by nobles as a sign of wealth. Often the easiest way to obtain one is to defeat a boss monster.

The so I can see how rare the gemstone is and the demand, but it doesn’t tell me the value, I suppose that make sense, this isn’t a game, there isn’t a predestined value to items. Maybe I can sell the animal bones I got.

“ah, don’t worry to much, I’ll find a way to get your friend.” Aura’s eyes were filled with sadness, for a moment she thought that they came all this way for nothing.

Mun looked at the town, it was bustling full of people, there were clucking hens all around some other types of animals walking around too, buildings made of wood, some rotting away and others still brand new. The entrance was filled with stalls, from merchants selling the wares, most only sold one type of item or food.

“Um, hello sir” Mun walked towards an old man selling shoes.

“You came to the right place, I make the best and cheapest shoe in the kingdom..” Th man begin to give his sales pitch for his product, mun quickly broke the old mans wish for a sale.

“I’m looking for a place to sell animal bones, is there any place I can do that? specifically monsters parts.”

Mun had also remembered that he collected some monster bones too.

“a yes” the old man spoke more like a grandfather, now that he knew that Mun was not a customer, a bad habit for a merchant like him, but nonetheless he can’t shed his heart like many other merchants.

“There are a couple guilds that are willing to buy those products, the Adventure guild buys monsters parts and the merchant guild often buys animal parts.” The old man explains in detail on how to get to each guild. Mun patiently waits for the old man to finish.

“Thank you sir.” Mun had grown used to his social habits of putting on face, asking calmly, never getting angry, perhaps that is why he broke on that last day of his life.

“Wait sir!!” The old man yelled, he coughed from the strain he put on himself, but he really wished to tell Mun one last thing.

“yes.” Polite and precise, Mun’s policy when in front of people.

“Keep the little missy close ya here, slavers been known to kidnap children and sell em off to the town’s lord.”

Aura tighten her grip around Mun’s leg, afraid of what might happen.

The old man flinches, for a brief moment Mun terrifies him, behind the wooden mask are the eyes of a creature who is not man. The old man gulps.

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you” every word out of muns mouth feels like a threat to the old man, he couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling, but it was almost as if a terrifyingly dark aura surrounded Mun.

Mun and aura along with the wolf took their leave.

“I think it might be the slavers who regret it this time” the old man mutters under his breathe.

“don’t worry Aura, ”Both me and the wolf are here with you. Mun takes his hand and pats aura, in an attempt to ease her anxiety. Yet, Aura couldn’t help but feel afraid of what might be.

The three found themselves in front of a moderately sized building, the size a little larger than a school. The front door was adorned with a crest, it had the shape of a lion in a fighting stance ferociously attacking something that wasn’t there.

Once past the door, the world seemed to change, unlike the outside where most of the buildings were made of wood and were very small and clustered so closely together that there was not much room for even a person to squeeze between the homes spaces; this building had a high ceiling and many tables adorned with metal, the front desks stood in several rows where many adventures were selling and buying items.

Mun, by instinct tried to find a man to talk too, but there were only women in the stalls, Aura felt confused when Mun suddenly stopped, but before she could ask why, Mun was already walking toward one of the clerks.

Its not as if Mun had never interacted with women, and its not as if he doesn’t understand that not all women are terrible people, his dear friend is a testament to that, yet he still can’t get rid of the painful feeling in the center of his chest when he faces a women. A pain that grows and grows, anger or fear, perhaps sadness, or is it combination of the three, Mun doesn’t know. Most women elicit his fears, everyone reminds him of his mother.

Mun takes a deep breath before bracing himself.

“Hello.” While aura doesn’t sense anything wrong, The wolf hears the subtle change in Muns voice. But it wasn’t the blood lust he felt when the old man spoke of the slavers, this was different, and also similar. The bitter anger was there, but the blood lust was being suppressed, at least that is what the wolf thought. He worried for his master who seemed to be fueled by an endless blood lust.

“ahh!!” The woman screamed, startled, she jumped from her desk and flung a couple feet backwards, barely sticking the landing. The entire guild halls eyes turn towards the four, before quickly returning to their own activities.

“I’m very sorry!!!” The women in front of Mun bowed her head in apology, she had been startled by a customer, her boss always told her to be prepared for the most frightening of people to appear, but her heart wasn’t prepared to meet one so soon after starting her job.

But a man with a creepy wooden mask is too much, she complained internally.

“its alright, just do your job.” As if the wooden mask had become a person in of itself, Muns demeanor changed, he was no longer the normal polite man, he wanted to get this conversation done as quickly as possible. Perhaps if this woman was younger he could more easily tolerate her. The woman had long brown hair and bright blue eyes, her skin was fare but had clearly seen sun. A shining beauty of the guild hall, only surpassed by Serra from two stalls down. She appeared to be 25. His mother was only 4 years older then this woman, when he saw her last a little over a decade ago. Her brown hair and blue eyes, her face was too similar to hers.

“to close.” Her face is too similar to hers, he muttered.

Mun looked to one side and then the other, his eyes were searching for someone else who could attend to him, but all the women had long become his mother, all of them. They turned to him, glaring at him, trying to hurt him.

“to close” they all look like her!!! NO!! calm yourself, you just haven’t seen a woman in a long time, she is dead, she is dead, not everyone is her. Mun looped these thought over and over. Muttering aloud, in his delirium, many of the people in the hall began to stare. A strange mist began to surround Mun, the wolf pushed his body into Mun’s legs trying to shake him back into reality.

Meanwhile the woman just stared at Mun not knowing what to do.

“ahh” She screams again, feeling the strange hand grab her shoulder.

“Boss!!, I very sorry about this.” The new girl, apologized, lowering her head incessantly.

“its not your fault Eny” The boss, an older woman in her fifties, though she looked no older than forty. Aged like a fine wine, at least that’s what the older men tell her. Mun is finally able to collect himself and faces the two.

“Boy, I don’t appreciate your scaring my employees. I could feel your blood lust from my study room.”

The wolf had learned the human language after his contract so he could now understand the conversation clearly. He was surprised that the woman could feel it from such a far distance.

“Forgive me, I’ve had my troubles with women you see, and this one in particular remined me if someone.” The woman eyed the mask not knowing what kind of man lied underneath it. The man’s blood lust was gone, when she arrived he certainly did not look like he was going to attack.

“I’ll attend to this man Eny, you take a break.”

“Sorry madam.” The woman named Eny lowered her head once more before heading to the back rooms.

“Who are you.” Aura wanted to scream a hero, but she was too confused of the whole situation to utter those words in time.

“A monster trying to pass as human, or maybe the other way around.” Mun told her the truth, or at least a truth of who he was.

“funny man. What do you want.” The woman was annoyed, she always attended to the rowdy customers, but this one seemed different than the rest.

“I want to sell some monster bones, do you buy?”

“Depends on the quality and type. Right now good quality bones from the undead are selling high.” Surly this man has undead bones if he has a demon by his side. Nobody noticed but her. She had been an adventure for many years, they always told her humans and demons look essentially the same and its true, but if you are good observer, you can see some subtle differences. the eyes gleam under some lights and shine in the darkness. Their breathing is often more frequent, there chest can often be seen going up down, though only those who look closely can tell the difference. The girl also hadn’t spoken, it was odd, the girl was in tattered clothing and the man was in dark blue cloak, yet the girl was not a slave. The guild master did not know what to think of the man before her.

“I do not but I have bones from several monstrous rabbits and some from a couple goblins.” Using the cloak as cover, Mun spits out several bones from himself and presents it to the boss.

She looks at the bones, they are in good condition, almost as if they were cleaned by a weak acid. The shined bright and seemed to be slightly reinforced with magic.

“for all of it I can give you one silver coin” is that a lot? Mun thought.

“Forgive me but if I may be so rude to ask what type of currency do you have in this country.” The woman stared at him wondering if he was serious. she Lowers her head and sighs.

“The common currency is copper, silver, and gold though there are variants of that. A copper can often get you a pound of vegetables, a silver coin can get you a night’s stay at almost any inn, a gold coin can often get you a personal carriage from one town to another. Any questions?”

Mun bothered the woman with many more questions, she sighed before and after each question, on how the economy worked and some safer roads to travel on. After taking an hour of the woman’s time, Mun finally thanked her and left the building.

“What a troublesome customer”

After the long boring talk Aura was drooping from side from sleepiness. Mun couldn’t help to think it was cute to watch aura nod her head back and forth struggling to stay awake.

“we have a long day ahead of us.”