"Extraordinary Talent"

Berg said that everyone helping Land guard the pass was either a believer or an adventurer or resident with a sense of justice, and none of them were being paid.

Anse wasn't surprised. The church had always wielded considerable influence.

Tyr, the God of Justice, belonged to the War Domain. His followers were famous for their fighting prowess, even if they weren't Professionals.

Berg asked about their plans indirectly, trying to find out whether they intended to stay.

After discussing it, Anse and Brat decided to stay for the time being. Finn also said there was no rush to leave.

This was a great opportunity to gain experience, and with the Paladins backing them up, they'd be reasonably safe. Besides, Flying Dragon Bridge was right behind them, so they could retreat at any time. Surely the Flaming Fist wouldn't go so far as to block the gates.

The Old Cleric was delighted. He immediately arranged lodgings for the three of them on the second floor of the church and provided food and drinking water free of charge.

The three shared a room. Judging by its layout, it was a clergy dormitory. It was simple, but at least clean.

The food consisted of hard, dry whole-wheat bread and strips of smoked pork. It wasn't exactly good, but there was plenty of it—more than enough for the three of them to eat for a day.

It seemed the church had also collected or seized quite a bit of food while evacuating people yesterday. Paladins had principles and limits, but they weren't stubborn fools.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Berg had only just left when someone knocked at the door again.

Brat went to answer it. Zahir stood outside, covered in blood and evidently not yet having had a chance to wash up.

"Sorry, I've only just finished. Thanks for your help. These are your spoils."

Zahir set down the two bundles he was carrying. The burlap fell open, revealing a pile of bloodstained odds and ends. The most eye-catching item was a black war hammer.

"Thanks." Anse smiled and didn't refuse.

In this world, adventuring and fighting were common, and many unwritten rules had arisen as a result. The distribution of spoils was one of them.

For instance, if a Paladin killed a Gray Dwarf, he could return the wealth the Gray Dwarf had plundered to its original owners or their relatives. But he had no right to dispose of the belongings carried by monsters Anse had killed.

That is, unless they were all part of the same team or had made an agreement beforehand.

Brat had been injured, Finn hadn't been there, and Anse had been lost in his "grief over his parents' deaths." That left Zahir's team to collect the spoils.

They were followers of the God of Justice, so the odds that they'd kept anything for themselves were slim.

"If you need anything, just come find me. I'm usually on the third floor or in the main hall." Zahir had a neat mustache and a warm, unhurried voice, like a gentleman's.

"Uncle Zahir, do you have any diamonds? I'll trade spoils for one." Anse didn't bother with pleasantries. He was short on spellcasting materials.

Zahir considered it. "We should have some. I'll have someone look for one in a little while. Anything else?"

"No." Anse looked at Brat and Finn. They both shook their heads.

"Then get some rest. Underdark Creatures dislike light, so they probably won't come back during the day." With that, Zahir hurried off. He had too much to do.

Anse and the others exchanged glances, pulled over the bundles, and eagerly began sorting through the spoils.

Anse and Brat's spoils were mixed together. There seemed to be quite a lot, but none of it was worth much. That made sense. They had killed slaves, and any good stuff would surely have been confiscated already.

A few crude scimitars, morningstars and iron-rimmed bucklers; foul-smelling fur bracers, boots and belts; unidentifiable food and assorted odds and ends... It was all fit only to be sold as junk.

There were quite a few coin purses, but most were battered and held worthless glass, Copper Coins, and a small number of Silver Coins.

The best find was an elven-style golden-thread purse containing several pieces of Azurite, some Eye Agate, over a dozen Gold Coins, and a Healing Potion.

"This must have belonged to that Bugbear. And this, too." Brat pointed to the Half Plate on the floor.

Finn got the three Javelins. Land must have kept the greatsword. Anse got the purse and the most valuable item, the Half Plate, so he'd come out ahead.

The Half Plate was incomplete, with only a helmet and breastplate, but it was still in decent condition.

"You can have the Half Plate for now. Adjust the clasps and you should be able to wear it." Anse was a Spellcaster and had no relevant training; wearing armor would interfere with his spellcasting.

"Okay." Brat nodded. In times like these, there was no need to be fussy.

Anse put all the Gold Coins, Silver Coins, and gems into the elven purse and tucked it into his clothes. He left the heavy Copper Coins for Brat to carry.

The black war hammer had belonged to the Duergar Warlord. It was a Magic Weapon, but none of them could use it, so they'd have to find a chance to get rid of it later.

"Let's toss the junk. We won't find buyers for it now, and it'll just get in the way." Anse smiled.

"Got it." Brat fiddled with the Half Plate, grinning without a trace of restraint.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. A young cleric brought Anse a small box containing a silver necklace with a diamond pendant. The diamond looked uncut and was about as large as Anse's index fingernail.

After confirming it would do, the young cleric turned and left, saying only, "Captain Land asked me to give this to you."

Anse had undoubtedly played a key role in today's battle. Everyone had seen it. The church was expressing its gratitude with a piece of jewelry.

Anse was silent for a moment, but eventually put on the necklace.

"It's worth at least two hundred Gold Coins," Brat estimated. "Keep it. It'll be more useful in your hands."

"Mm. Let's rest for a while." Anse waved a hand. Since he'd decided to accept it, there was no point agonizing over it.

He chose a bed in the farthest corner, took off his backpack, and lay down, relaxing all over. Even his tense mind eased a little.

Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he'd felt safe.

Brat felt the same way. Three berries weren't enough to heal his wounds completely, so rest was the best remedy.

Finn looked at the two of them, then silently sat down at the dining table and began nibbling at the bread.

Anse closed his eyes and focused on his mind. A silver D20 slowly turned in the depths of his consciousness.

To his delight, the second symbol on it had fully lit up!

Just as I thought!

He lightly tapped the Dice, and memories surfaced one after another: camping, leveling up, fighting, spellcasting, using Magic Items...

"Adventures, significant events, or achievements?" He couldn't tell, but at least he had a rough idea.

It seemed he couldn't just stay cooped up forever. It couldn't hurt to experience more things.

A moment later, the symbol transformed into a Small Tree and floated above the Dice, swaying gently.

Ding—

[You gained an Adventure Trait: Extraordinary Talent.]

"Extraordinary Talent": You have a learning ability and aptitude far beyond those of ordinary people. Every 2 levels, you gain one additional Feat, with no restrictions on its source or type.

Anse was stunned. "It directly changes the rules for classes?"

Under DND class rules, every 4 levels, you gained an Attribute Score Increase Feat or another Feat you qualified for. Each one had a major impact on your strength.

He tapped the Small Tree, and a Feat selection screen appeared. There were many options, but most of them were grayed out.

There were four kinds of Feats: Origin Feats, General Feats, Fighting Style Feats, and Epic Feats.

Origin Feats were related to your background and race. For instance, the Tough Feat for a farmer had no prerequisites.

Other Feats had prerequisites. You could only learn one if you met them. For example, Epic Feats required level 19, while Fighting Style Feats required the relevant class feature.

Although "Extraordinary Talent" didn't say he had to meet the prerequisites, Epic Feats and Fighting Style Feats were still unavailable.

After looking through the options, Anse focused on War Caster, Spell Sniper, and Gift of the Metallic Dragon.

War Caster would make his spellcasting steadier and faster, Spell Sniper would extend his spell range and improve his aim, and Gift of the Metallic Dragon would improve his chances of survival.

Of course, he could also choose two points to increase his attributes, but that wouldn't be as beneficial as a Feat.