Gratified

[Avery Rose Combo]

[Heavy Dance Flash Step Slash]

[Royal Cross]

[...]

Xia Nan stared at the combat skill books in his hands, his widened eyes seeming as though they could discern flowers from the dust-covered covers.

"Where's my Golden Finger?"

"Do something!"

He focused with all his might, gathering every bit of his attention.

Yet the familiar translucent characters did not appear before his eyes as they had in the past.

After so many days in this world, he had more or less confirmed that his Attribute Panel Golden Finger only responded to changes in weapons, equipment, and his own feat attributes.

But now that he had come to the General Store hoping to pick up some bargains and use his Golden Finger to find a few usable combat skills, only to come up empty-handed...

He could not help but feel disappointed.

"Maybe it's because these are all knockoffs, so I can't see their attributes?"

Trying to console himself, Xia Nan muttered inwardly.

The air inside the General Store fell silent.

Beside him, Kukunur had thoughtfully pretended to mind his own business while secretly observing Xia Nan from the corner of his eye for quite some time.

A trace of hesitation appeared on his neatly groomed face.

His emerald green eyes glanced toward the empty entrance of the General Store. Seeing that no one was around and that what he was about to say should not offend the Black-haired Youth before him,

he organized his words once more before slowly speaking.

"Customer, judging by your attire, you must be a respected adventurer."

"I mean no offense, but... from the price I offered, I'm sure you can tell that the quality of these cheap goods is rather uneven."

"If you're merely taking a few back for reference or entertainment, buying some is perfectly fine."

"But if you truly want to find the kind of combat skill required as a prerequisite for becoming a Professional, then even with the best luck, that would be quite difficult."

As he spoke, he seemed to feel that he had been too blunt.

The Gnome Kukunur anxiously touched a button on his vest and added,

"I'm mainly worried that you might get hurt. After all, many of the training methods in these combat skill books are far from proper."

"If you don't mind, I can give you a few. But please, don't treat them as real combat skills and practice them."

Xia Nan naturally felt no displeasure at the Shopkeeper's warning.

He merely smiled and shook his head, politely declining while indicating that he would be fine.

A few days ago, he had already learned some things about combat skills in this world from Wood and the Half-Elf.

Without a way to accurately distinguish genuine ones from fakes, ninety-nine point nine-nine percent of the countless so-called combat skills circulating on the market were traps that wasted adventurers' time and energy for nothing.

The cost of trial and error was simply too high.

A careless mistake could waste months, even half a year.

Without other opportunities or the help of a relevant Professional, relying on a Skill Book bought from a roadside General Store to learn an official combat skill was nothing more than a fantasy.

One reason Xia Nan had asked Kukunur for the prices was to test whether his Golden Finger would work. Another was to see if he might get lucky.

Now, he had his answer.

Still, it seemed a little regrettable to leave without buying even one.

After giving it some thought, Xia Nan crouched down and picked out two thin combat skill books from the cardboard box.

Pinching their spines, he shook them in the air and flicked off the dust.

"I'll take these two. How much?"

"There's no need, customer. Consider them gifts from me."

"It's fine."

He did not intend to owe such a favor, nor did he want to take advantage of a few Copper Coins.

Xia Nan stuffed the coins into Kukunur's arms and walked straight out of the General Store.

Drawing on the experience of countless protagonists picking up bargains in the novels he had read in his Previous Life, he instinctively avoided combat skill books with flashy names or those thicker than half a finger.

He chose the two thinnest and most straightforward-looking ones instead:

[Forward Thrust] and [Block Upward Slash].

He casually stacked them and stuffed them into his Backpack.

Xia Nan looked at the bustling, prosperous street ahead, crowded with passing people, and mused inwardly,

"Hmm, next..."

"I should make a trip to the Blacksmith Shop."

As a highly regarded Blacksmith Shop in River Valley Town that had even made it into the [Adventurer's Manual], Rock Hammer naturally never lacked Business Deals.

When Xia Nan arrived at its entrance with his Backpack on his back, the owner, Barn Steel Beard, was serving a plainly dressed, honest-looking middle-aged man.

The man held a two-handed long-shafted spear, his gaze moving from the end of its grip to the spearhead at the very top as he carefully inspected it.

From time to time, he swung it twice, seemingly testing whether its feel and weight suited him.

After haggling with Barn for a while longer, he reluctantly counted out four Gold Coins and some scattered Silver Coins and Copper Coins from his money pouch, then presented them to him with both hands.

Of course, judging by the faint joy mixed in with his pained expression after completing the transaction, the honest-looking middle-aged man was clearly very satisfied with the spear in his hands.

As he passed Xia Nan, he even nodded at him apologetically, seemingly sorry for having delayed him.

Treating him as merely a passerby, Xia Nan returned the nod without paying him further attention, then walked directly toward Barn, the owner of Rock Hammer.

"Huh?"

With just one glance, this burly man—who claimed to possess Dwarf blood despite being a head taller than even a Bear Goblin—recognized Xia Nan.

However, compared to the changes Xia Nan had undergone, Barn's attention was focused elsewhere.

"This mission of yours was pretty dangerous, huh!"

Barn looked over the battered Leather Armor still stained with blood on Xia Nan's body and remarked meaningfully.

After all, he had personally sold that Leather Armor to Xia Nan not long ago. How could he not care when something of fine quality sold for ten Gold Coins had ended up like this?

"I did run into a troublesome fellow. It was thanks to your Leather Armor that I made it back alive."

Xia Nan did not reveal any specifics, merely giving a vague reply while praising him.

As though the words had struck exactly where it itched, Barn's hearty laughter immediately echoed through the Blacksmith Shop.

"Hahaha, that's good!"

"You probably can't wear it anymore. Take it off—I'll give you three Silver Coins for it!"

His expression was filled with gratification and a Sense of Accomplishment.

As a blacksmith with aspirations, having equipment forged by his own hands sell for high prices might prove that others recognized his craftsmanship.

But what moved him most was feedback like this, from a buyer after the equipment had been tested in actual combat.

Even if the equipment he had once painstakingly forged had become nothing more than scrap metal, as long as it had fulfilled its mission and allowed its owner to stand safely before him,

Barn was happier than he would have been from selling goods worth hundreds, or even thousands, of Gold Coins.