Various things lay on the table.
The man held a pipe between his teeth and picked up a dagger.
"This is a Tactical Disguise Dagger."
"What does it do?" Shen Ye asked.
"It's coated with a special poison. Just give it a lick, and you'll fall into a deathlike state."
The man blew a smoke ring. "That makes it especially suitable for Assassins on the battlefield."
He tossed the dagger over.
Shen Ye caught it and saw two lines of small print engraved on its handle:
"Production date: May 15, 978;"
"Expiration date: May 16, 980."
"The poison was freshly produced and lasts a full two years. If you have trouble sleeping at night, you can give it a lick too. Guaranteed deep sleep, and you'll wake up refreshed the next day," the man said.
Shen Ye put down the dagger and shrugged. "Got anything else?"
"Not enough to handle battlefield conditions? Then take a look at this-"
The man whistled.
Neigh!
A horse's whinny came from outside.
A gray warhorse ran into the tent and stood beside the man, snorting.
The man slapped the horse on the rump.
The horse let out a miserable cry, quickly dropped to the ground, and lay motionless with its eyes wide open.
"A horse that can play dead."
The man introduced it.
"The horse and dagger come as a set?" Shen Ye asked.
"Good eye!" The man gave him a surprised look and praised him.
Enough. Did that really take a good eye?
Shen Ye sighed. "Do you have any Nightmare Crystals? I'd like to learn some skills."
"Don't rush. Take a look at this good stuff first," the man said.
A pair of black sunglasses lay on the table.
Shen Ye raised his eyebrows.
There are even sunglasses? This is clearly a fantasy world.
"What's this? How do you use it?"
He asked.
The man picked up the sunglasses as if showing off and lowered his voice.
"Light passes through the glasses, which are set with two pieces of shadow crystal. Anyone wearing them can see through clothing to the money and treasures hidden on someone's body."
"Wouldn't that mean you could see right through their clothes?" Shen Ye asked.
"What are you thinking? The current version only lets you see where treasures are," the man said.
He handed the sunglasses to Shen Ye.
Shen Ye put them on and looked around. Sure enough, faint glimmers shone from many places inside the tent.
A line of small print was engraved beneath the lenses:
"-Seeing everything will only hurt you."
Beneath that line was another, even smaller line:
"Pay two extra gold coins for more."
Shen Ye asked directly, "What do I get for two extra gold coins?"
The man said:
"I'll activate the VIP Version for you. You'll be able to see more things, like the other person's basic attributes and class, as well as their age, hobbies, gossip, and so on."
"Where did you get all that information?" Shen Ye asked.
"The Brotherhood has always been dedicated to gathering intelligence."
"Not bad."
"Do you want it?"
"No, I still want a Nightmare Crystal. I'll trade for this next time."
"All right, then."
The man took two Nightmare Crystals from the small sheepskin pouch at his waist and gently placed them on the table.
"The fighting's been intense lately, and supplies are tight. These are the only two skills I have right now. Take your pick."
The man pointed at the crystal on the left.
"Basic 'Bloodletting.' It's a move that makes your opponent bleed continuously. You can use it with all kinds of weapons, including sabers, swords, and daggers."
"I only provide knowledge of its basic techniques."
He pointed at the crystal on the right.
"Basic 'Frostwind.' A kicking technique, a knockback move. It can send enemies and their weapons flying."
"-Have you learned either of these? Which one are you missing?"
I'm missing both.
Shen Ye silently muttered to himself, his gaze moving between the two crystals as he pondered for a moment.
Suddenly.
A voice quietly rang out:
"Choose 'Frostwind.'"
Something stirred in Shen Ye's heart.
That voice-
It was the very voice that had guided him before and given him the short sword Nightfall!
It had said it needed him to become strong, then free it from the depths of the Nightmare World.
In any case-
At least it's helping me now.
"I choose 'Frostwind.'"
Shen Ye said.
"Good. Take it. It's yours," the man said.
Shen Ye grabbed the crystal from the table and squeezed hard.
The crystal shattered at once.
A faint, moon-white mist enveloped him, lingering for a few seconds before quickly vanishing completely.
Countless memories of arduous training in kicking techniques surfaced in Shen Ye's mind.
He was like an expert fighter who had practiced kicking techniques since childhood, able to send targets flying with a sweeping kick in all sorts of situations.
"Thank you," Shen Ye said.
"You're welcome to turn in missions here anytime," the man said.
He tossed Shen Ye a small bag of gold.
"'Frostwind' is only a basic kicking technique, while your mission reward is worth more. This piece of gold makes up the difference."
"Ah, thanks-actually, I've never had much education in languages or writing. Could you teach me something about speaking and writing?" Shen Ye asked.
"That's easy."
Another small Nightmare Crystal was placed on the table.
"Four Races' Languages and Scripts. Just one gold coin."
"Thank you, thank you."
Shen Ye paid immediately and crushed the language and writing crystal. Once the memories had finished settling in, he walked out of the tent.
Just then.
The voice from the void sounded in his ears again:
"Next, you need to find a way to obtain the Undead Race's 'Shadow' technique and the Beast King Race's 'Thunder Palm.'"
Shen Ye looked around, found a secluded grove, and asked softly:
"Why do I need those two techniques?"
"Because neither of them is a move from this world," the voice said. "I can't tell you anything deeper, but if you really obtain them and combine them with your 'Deer Walk Beneath the Moon' and 'Frostwind,' you'll understand."
"Are you watching me all the time?" Shen Ye asked.
"No-I spend most of my time asleep. You need to work hard and gather them quickly... you'll uncover the real... se... cret..."
The voice broke in and out, then disappeared after saying this.
Shen Ye stood in silence for a long time.
-Learning skills can reveal a secret?
He had never heard of anything so absurd in his previous life.
"Hey, Big Skeleton, did you hear that just now?"
Shen Ye asked.
"Hear what?" Big Skeleton asked in confusion.
"You didn't hear anything?"
"All I saw was you talking to yourself here like an idiot."
"...Can you get your hands on Undead Race skills?" Shen Ye asked.
Big Skeleton said impatiently, "I told you, our Undead Race skills require soulfire to use. You-"
"Shadow Clone Technique," Shen Ye interrupted him directly.
"Huh? How do you know about that technique?" Big Skeleton asked in surprise.
"Just tell me whether you have it. I need that technique now," Shen Ye said.
"I do, but it's the most basic illusion spellcraft. It's not much use. You only need enough agility and mental power to cast it," Big Skeleton said.
The ring stirred.
A Pale Nightmare Crystal appeared in Shen Ye's hand.
Crack.
Shen Ye crushed it outright. A mist immediately rose from the crystal and sank into his body.
"Shadow Clone Technique." "Requires 3 mental power and 5 agility." "Description: Releases a shadowy figure to confuse your opponent."
Shen Ye currently had 7 attribute points. He put 3 points into mental power, bringing it to 3.9, then put the remaining 4 into agility, bringing that to 6.9 as well.
Requirements met!
He pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly shook his whole body-
A shadowy figure rose from him and lunged forward as though alive.
This was the Shadow Clone Technique.
It seems... aside from giving someone a fright, it doesn't serve any other purpose.
"You like this kind of trash spellcraft?"
Big Skeleton asked mockingly.
"Stay out of my business," Shen Ye said.
"I couldn't be bothered. I just thought you'd have some taste in choosing spellcraft. Turns out I was wrong," Big Skeleton sneered.
"Yeah, and I wonder who chipped his teeth eating turtle and still has air leaking out of his mouth," Shen Ye said.
Big Skeleton fell silent.
Feeling refreshed in body and mind, Shen Ye continued thinking.
First of all, that voice probably wouldn't lie to him about something like this.
-Tricking him into learning a useless technique would serve no purpose in itself.
Now I've mastered 'Deer Walk Beneath the Moon,' 'Frostwind,' and 'Shadow Clone Technique.' All I'm missing is 'Thunder Palm'!
Let's see what happens once I've gathered all these skills.
Shen Ye left the grove and headed toward the military camp.
After he had walked some distance, two mounted knights spotted him from afar, immediately galloped over, and called out:
"We finally found you!"
"That's right, Boy Who Survived!"
The corner of Shen Ye's mouth twitched.
Is there any way to get rid of this entry that's about to form?
As though his thoughts had taken effect, a hazy glow gathered on his retinas and turned into a notification:
"An unformed entry requires continued public appearances, allowing it to be spread throughout the world, before it can fully form." "If you wish to reject this entry, there are two methods:" "First, become a hermit. As time passes and people forget you, the unformed entry will dissipate along with their memories;" "Second, do something completely contrary to the meaning of the entry. People will naturally stop viewing you as they once did, and the entry will change accordingly."
Shen Ye nodded to himself.
Good!
Once things here are over, I just need to disappear for a while!
The two knights dismounted, one holding a palm-sized box and the other an envelope.
"Congratulations. In recognition of your heroic performance, His Highness Prince Norton has decided to award you a Medal of Valor."
"And this letter of recommendation."
Shen Ye accepted the box and letter with a bewildered expression.
How did I just-
Get a Medal of Valor?