“Ughhhh, I forgot that was a thing,” I groaned.

“You technically don’t have to get one, but think about the stats,” Faron advertised.

“I guess you’re right, and there are only three classes.”

“You gonna choose what I think you are?”

“Mana Weaver?”

“That’s the thing.”

“Yup,” I nodded, choosing Mana Weaver from the window.

[-Initiate Mana Weaver: You’ve gotten the basics down now it’s time to advance.]

[-You may choose one skill]

[-Lesser Simulation: Let’s you simulate how your mana will interact and form what you want.]

[-Lesser Template: Gives access to a few basic templates of how to move mana to create items.]

Does this system I work by the book, of course, I’m choosing simulation.

With a quick thought, the window disappeared and lesser simulation entered my growing list of skills.

New skill means I gotta test it, so thinking about the skill a little bit of white fog floated up from my palms. Imagining it as my mana it moved however I wished. Moving it up and down, side to side, condensing or expanding it all did exactly as my mana. Happy with the likeness, it's time for the real test.

Splitting it into three threads, I weaved them in and out like always, forming a little mana rope. Once it got to about arm's length I stopped pleased. Stopping the skill the fog dispersed into the air.

“Hey is anyone home,” Faron yelled from right next to me.

Groaning, covering my ears I yelled back, “Why are you yelling!”

“Because someone decided to stare off into space.”

“Did I now?”

“Yeah, so what the hell, if you’re dying we don’t have a healer.”

“Don’t worry it was only a new skill.”

“FINALLY, a skill to make you shut up,” He laughed and smirked.

“Oh haha, but really it’s a skill that let me simulate my mana moving.”

“Wait WHAT!?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. When I was thinking about the skill a white fog formed and it worked exactly as my mana.”

“That’s so cool, and RARE. Mr. Tann never said anything like that, AND no one else in the village has that type of skill.”

“Really,” I doubted.

“Yeah, this means you can even train your skills without wasting any energy!”

“I guess that is true.”

His eyes widened a bit before yelling, “DO YOU KNOW HOW GOOD THAT IS!?”

“Not really but I can take a guess.”

“Well get to guessing.”

“Well I’m guessing that I can practice more now since I won’t have to stop because of my mana running low, AND if I were to suddenly be attacked after training I could still defend myself.”

“I hate when you’re right.”

“Everyone does, so join the fan club,” I chuckled.

“The only fan club I care about is getting my fist in your face.”

“One, that wasn’t even funny. Two, why are you so violent these days.”

“I don’t care, and because you deserve a beating for your stupidity,” Faron said smugly.

Standing up, grabbing a pebble on the way, I launched that thing straight at his chest.

Faron wasn’t paying attention, still trapped in his delusion of being funny that the pebble hit him square in the chest.

Glaring he said, “Oh look who’s being violent now!”

“You’re literally a swordsman, a pebble ain’t doing shit.”

“But still it’s violence.”

“Nope,” I glared.

“Yes,” He glared back.

Both of us stood there glaring unwilling to be the first to break.

I was quickly growing tired of this game so letting my mana out, forming a small ball and letting it float up in front of his face. With a quick action of condensing the mana, a small burst of light was made.

“Whoa,” Surprised, Faron stepped back, losing the contest.

“I win,” I gloated, smiling like an ass.

“Not fair, and when’d you learn that?”

“Yes fair, and just a little tricked I picked up over the past few months.”

“So you’re finally keeping secrets, huh.”

“Everyone needs a trump card, don’t they.”

Faron just laughed in response saying, “Looks like you’re starting to shape up into a threat.”

“Only a threat to the easily spooked,” I laughed too.

“Shut it,” Faron glared, “But since you have that new class you wanna go test it out?”

“How?”

“Well the forest of course, we gotta hunt to raise up those skills!”

“But Big Bertha?”

“Oh don’t you worry she was only spotted once and even then it was far north. So we should be safe going south,” Faron cheered, probably happy to just leave the village.

“Uh...actually you know what? Let's FUCKING do it!”

“THAT’S MY BOY! Let me go get a few basics.”

“Aye aye, Captain.”

“Hey, we were having fun don’t ruin it by being stupid.”

“Me stupid, oh never.”

Faron didn’t even try to retort and just walked into the house.

Left alone and tired I started meditating, refilling my mana reserves.

A few odd minutes passed before Faron came back with two bags. One each was a bedroll, a waterskin, and a sword, this time the real deal.

Throwing them at my feet he said, “Pick it up and let's get moving.”

With excitement, I strapped the bag to my back, sword to my left, and water skin to the right.

I cheered, “I’m starting to feel like an adventurer!”

“Well maybe if you shut up and trained more you could become one.”

“Nah, if I shut up how am I going to be the comedic effect of the group?”

“You sure have a lot of faith in yourself now don’t you.”

“Lot’s!”

Sighing Faron responded, “Whatever you gotta tell yourself but let’s get going.”

Quickly grabbing Tiny, letting him into his normal spot, our little trio made our way to the south gate.

Without many people around we slipped to the gate without being seen. Faron went ahead to talk to the guard on duty.

Now I couldn’t hear much as they were talking softly but I definitely saw Faron slip him something from his bag. Not even a few seconds later after peeking into the bag the guard let us through.

Faron waved me forward and after catching up I asked, “What’d you bribe him with?”

“Oh, just some Trickster bird eggs.”

“What the fuck is a Trickster bird and why the fuck can their eggs be used for bribes?”

“A trickster bird is just this feather bastard that mimics the calls of other birds, and their nest looks the same as other birds so it’s so hard to find their eggs. But damn are they good,” Faron said practically drooling.

“Damn, you really are bribing people with eggs here.”

“Well I was gonna use some honey but this wasn’t worth that much.”

“I’m done asking questions,” I stated, not wanting to try and dig into why honey is more expensive than eggs.

After leaving the gate there weren’t many words exchanged as we tried moving briskly but still stayed hidden.

After an hour we still didn’t see anything.

“Where are all the bastards,” Faron yelled!

“Well, how am I supposed to know,” I yelled back!

“I blame that fucking bear!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot that there’s a fucking DEATH MACHINE IN THESE WOODS!”

“Calm that attitude down!”

“Never, it’s all I got,” I glared at him.

“Ugh, let’s just go down to the stream, there should be something to kill there.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“And stop calling me sir,” Faron scolded.

“Never!”

Walking deeper into the woods the sound of flowing water slowly got louder. Moving towards it we finally saw it from behind some trees.

Faron carefully peeked out scanning the surroundings, before he said I could come out.

Taking my own look around I noticed it was a relatively small stream. Couldn’t have been more than a few meters long, with an older bridge that looked barely big enough for a carriage.

“Be careful of that bridge, it’s mostly used by a few traders but there’s a nasty turtle living underneath it,” Faron informed.

“Mean turtle you say,” I said, giving him the side-eye.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because this is perfect for me testing my new talents.”

“Oh yeah, you can do that can’t you. Good luck.”

“I don’t need luck, I got this,” I boasted, walking closer to the bridge.

Once I got within a meter of the bridge I heard a hiss, and finally saw a small turtle come from underneath the bridge.

“When you said mean, I kinda expected something a little bigger,” I sighed disappointedly.

“I said mean not scary...ok he’s a little scary.”

“How,” I asked, approaching the tiny lad, getting down low. Holding out my finger I went to pet his little head.

As my finger almost reached his head I’m pretty sure I saw a glare before he just lunged snapping down on my finger.

At first, I didn’t feel it that much, just a small pinch, but soon the pain radiated up getting worse. It felt akin to a fucking door slamming on it.

“AAAAA,” I screamed in pain, swinging around my hand trying to get the tiny bastard off.

No matter how much I swung my arm he just wouldn’t get off.

Done with this shit I pinched his neck a little, finally getting him to unlock his jaws.

In the background, Faron was just dying of laughter as I sat there holding the bastard by the neck.

“Haha,” A soft voice sounded out from the back of my mind.

“What the fuck,” I mumbled looking around because it wasn’t any voice I heard before. It sounded way too young to be out here. After a few minutes, I remembered a special, new skill.

Looking down at the tiny snake on my wrist I said, “Was that you buddy?”

“Yes,” I heard the faint voice say again.

“Oh, sweet we can finally talk. After I deal with him we’ll talk more.”

Setting the turtle down I let out my mana forming it into a grape-sized ball. Making it float in front of his face he looked at it wearily.

It didn’t take long for him to look at it annoyed, snapping at it, taking a chunk out of it.

After he swallowed he stopped dead still, while I just watched what was going to happen.

Taking almost five minutes he started to move again this time without as much animosity. He still glared but honestly, that could just be his face.

With a smile, I said, “I think I’ll call you Bastard.”

[-Would you like to accept Bastard as your familiar. [Y/N]]

[-You have accepted Bastard as your familiar. You may now see all stats and skills of Bastard. ]

[-Through repeating action the skill [Monster Taming] levels up]

[-Reward, gaining 1 Attunement stat point and 15% exp]

[Name- Bastard Gender- Male Race-River Tortoise Level- 3 (10%)

Stamina 70/70

Strength- 4 Dexterity-1 Constitution-7

Skills-

Bite level 3/10 Shell 2/10 Mean Face 1/10]

“Ha what kind of skill is mean face,” I laughed but quickly stopped after Bastard gave me a glare.