“The system said I can use these points to absorb the abilities of the entities I killed, but I have yet to encounter a beast with E Rank skills from which I can absorb them,” Noah said aloud, looking at the skill.

  “If it continues at this rate, I won’t be able to buy any skill.” He rubbed his temples after thinking for a while.

  [Ding!]

  [Host can learn the skills of past weapon bearers if the host can acquire the weapon used by the said person.]

  Noah’s eyes widened at the unexpected notification from the system.

  “What? Learn skills from past weapon bearers? Haha, fuck yes. This is the cheat I wanted.” His lips curled into an excited smile.

  He sat straighter on the bed, his interest piqued. “So, if I can find weapons used by powerful individuals, I could potentially inherit their skills?”

  His gaze drifted toward his sword leaning against the wall. It didn’t have any history, as Noah himself had it forged by the blacksmith. But now, the thought of finding a weapon with a storied past—one wielded by a true master—sparked a flicker of excitement.

  Noah opened the system menu again, focusing on the entire prompt.

  [System Notification]

  [Host can learn skills associated with specific weapons by acquiring the said weapons. The weapons must have a previous host who used them. Host can learn the skills using the Points, a Common grade E rank skill will cost 10 points if the Host is also on E-Grade.]

  Noah leaned back against the bed, staring at the system prompt with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

  “So, not only do I need to find weapons with a legacy, but I also need enough points to unlock the skills tied to them. Ten points for a Common-grade E-rank skill… that’s steep, considering I’ve only accumulated 30 points so far. And that’s for the lowest grade.”

  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll need to prioritize finding these weapons and farming points. It seems the system is pushing me to fight stronger beasts or explore ruins for better rewards. The faster I grow, the better chance I have at surviving.”

  Noah glanced at his sword again, sighing softly. “I haven’t even used you properly yet, and here I am, already looking for a replacement.”

  His focus returned to the system interface. He navigated to the skills section and noted the following prompt:

  [Skill Unlock Details]

  [Common Grade E Rank Skill: 10 Points]

  [Uncommon Grade E Rank Skill: 20 Points]

  [Rare Grade E Rank Skill: 40 Points]

  Noah took a deep breath, letting the implications sink in. “So, the higher the skill grade, the more points it takes, basically doubling at each grade. This isn’t going to be easy. I’ll need to farm like crazy.”

  He changed the system screen and looked at his Soul Energy.

  [Soul Energy: 59 / 1,000]

  “Fifty-nine, huh. Sounds about right—eleven from before, and around 220 from the beasts killed, divided by five. Why am I even doing math here? I’ll need to kill more beasts if I want to level up anyway.”

  He closed the system interface and leaned back on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling. “If I want to make the best use of this system, I need to be more strategic. Gathering resources, finding legacy weapons, and building my points will be key.”

  “I should become a mage instead. I can learn more large-area spells to farm points more effectively,” he continued thinking as his eyelids became heavy before he fell asleep.

  …

  Noah woke up the next morning to the sound of muffled chatter and clinking dishware from the tavern below.

  The first rays of sunlight filtered through the small window, casting a soft glow across the wooden floor.

  He pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and sat quietly for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

  “Looks like I need to polish my plans a bit more in the coming days if I want to exploit this system as much as I can.”

  His mental to-do list was a long one: consult the blacksmith about these extra materials, figure out what to do with Essence Cores, and learn more about those potential “legacy weapons.” But before anything else, he needed to gather his team.

  …

  Downstairs, the inn’s main room was already bustling. Victor, Leah, Emma, and Daniel were seated at their usual table near the corner, sharing a simple breakfast of bread, stew, and freshly poured mugs of water. The warm, savory smell of the stew reminded Noah just how hungry he was.

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  He sat on an empty chair, nodding a greeting to everyone. They looked better-rested compared to the previous days—clean clothes, fuller cheeks, and most importantly, a noticeable increase in their confidence that wasn’t there before their awakenings.

  Daniel smirked, swirling a chunk of bread in his bowl. “Look who finally decided to wake up. You sleep like a rock, man.”

  Noah rolled his eyes playfully. “I needed it after cleaning up all those wolf carcasses yesterday.”

  Leah lifted her mug. “We all needed rest, but we’ve got work to do. Right, Noah?”

  He gave her a nod. “Definitely. Let’s outline the plan. First, we’ll stop by the blacksmith and give him some of the Luminal Mushrooms he requested. Then we figure out how much of our leftover materials he actually needs. Anything else we don’t need, we’ll sell to the merchant.”

  Victor tore off a piece of bread. “We also have those Essence Cores. Any clue what they’re for?”

  Noah tapped the table with two fingers. “We’ll ask. They might be valuable for crafting or enchantments. If they’re too advanced for the blacksmith here, we might hold onto them for when we reach a bigger city… if we ever decide to leave.”

  Emma, quietly sipping her water, spoke up with uncharacteristic determination. “We should keep at least one or two for ourselves. We don’t know what they do, but they might come in handy for forging stronger gear later.”

  Daniel sighed, slumping back in his chair. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll keep some. But I’m hoping they’re worth a fortune. Speaking of fortune—how about we hurry up? I’m itching to see how much our haul is actually worth.”

  Noah chuckled. “Eat up. We’ll head out soon.”

  They quickly finished their breakfast before leaving the inn.

  Walking through the village in the bright morning sun felt strangely pleasant.

  The villagers were already up and about—merchants setting up stalls with local produce, children running errands, and the rhythmic pounding of the blacksmith’s hammer echoing through the crisp air.

  They arrived at the forge to find the blacksmith, arms caked with soot, already at work shaping a glowing piece of metal on the anvil.

  Sparks flew with each strike, and the heat radiating from the furnace enveloped them even from several feet away. A pair of apprentices were sorting through different kinds of hides and scraps, taking quick glances at the new arrivals.

  The blacksmith looked up, pausing mid-swing. “Ah, you’re back. I was wondering when I’d see you lot again.” He set the hammer aside and mopped his brow with the back of his hand. “Hope you brought what I asked for.”

  Noah motioned for Emma to hand over a small pouch, which contained several Luminal Mushrooms, before taking out a sack from his back and placing it in front of the blacksmith. “Here. We kept a few for ourselves, but these should be enough for your forging needs.”

  The blacksmith opened the pouch and pulled out a single, softly glowing mushroom. He held it up to the light, nodding in satisfaction before opening the sack to see the wolf materials.

  “These’ll do nicely. I’ll use the mushrooms in the quenching process for certain high-grade alloys, while the wolf parts can be used as secondary components in higher-grade equipment. Good work.” He tucked them away and turned to the rest of the group.

  “So, that covers part of your debt, but we’re not done, are we?”

  Victor stepped forward. “Actually, we’ve got more materials than we know what to do with. Wanna buy them off us?”

  Noah reached into a side pouch—making it look as if he were just pulling items from a bag, rather than from his system’s [Inventory]—and pulled out a small stack of hides. “Vinestrike Wolf, Razorback Boar, even Thornclaw Deer. Good quality, freshly gathered.”

  The blacksmith’s apprentices exchanged looks of surprise at the quantity. One apprentice carefully lifted a wolf hide to examine the thickness of the fur and the cut.

  The blacksmith grunted in approval. “Not bad at all. Most of this is definitely workable. But I can’t buy all of it—got limited coins. I might take some of the Wolf Hides and Boar Tusks. I’ve got an order for tough leather armor from a group of local hunters.”

  Leah glanced at Noah, then asked, “What about these?” She held up one of the Essence Cores they’d found—specifically the Shadowfang Essence Core. Its faint purple glow pulsed like a heartbeat.

  The blacksmith’s eyes narrowed in curiosity. “Essence Core, huh? Rare to see them in the E rank, but it’s not unheard of. Usually used by enchanters or advanced blacksmiths for specialized gear.”

  “I don’t have the skill or the tools to fully utilize them, so you might wanna sell ’em to a traveling merchant or keep ’em for someone more skilled.” His gaze lingered on it, clearly tempted, but he shook his head. “Wouldn’t do you justice to buy it off you for a pittance.”

  Noah exhaled in relief. The blacksmith’s honesty was refreshing. “Alright, we’ll hold onto them for now. We do want to sell a chunk of the lower-grade stuff though—fangs, hides, and some of the meat.”

  The blacksmith scratched his beard. “I can give you a decent price on those items. Or, if you prefer, a partial trade for forging or repairs on your gear. Up to you.”

  Daniel glanced at Noah and the others. “We might need some repairs eventually, but the blacksmith has already made us decent gears. Let’s go for coin or trade equivalents for now, so we can handle other expenses.”

  Noah nodded in agreement, then turned to the blacksmith. “We’ll sell you some hides and tusks. The rest we’ll try to pawn off at the merchant stalls. Sound fair?”

  “Fair enough,” the blacksmith agreed. “Let’s see what we got.”

  Over the next half hour, they haggled—an almost friendly exchange of barbs and counteroffers. In the end, they settled on handing over:

  -10 Vinestrike Wolf Hides

  -5 Razorback Boar Tusks

  -12 Vinestrike Wolf Claws

  In return, the group received a modest stack of 27 bronze coins (apparently minted from some nearby town, though rarely used) and a promise from the blacksmith for discounted repairs or minor enhancements in the future.

  Leah eyed the coins once the trade was done. “So there is currency in this area. It’s not just barter.”

  The blacksmith shrugged. “We do a lot of trading, but some lords further out started circulating these coins. Most folks here still stick to teeth and claws, but merchants passing through accept coin, so it’s useful if you plan to travel.”

  Victor pocketed the coins, glancing at Noah. “Looks like we’re diversifying our assets.”

  Noah smirked. “Indeed. Now, let’s see if the merchant stalls can take some of the other stuff off our hands, especially the meat. No point in carrying it all around.”

  Leaving the forge, the group crossed the village square to a series of wooden stalls.

  Several merchants displayed bundles of herbs, dried meats, and even simple potions. The air buzzed with chatter—locals exchanging gossip, travelers haggling for supplies, and the occasional child chasing a stray cat.

  Spotting a stall that advertised “Apothecary & Alchemical Goods,” Noah led the team there. An older woman with sharp eyes stood behind the makeshift counter, carefully measuring herbs on a small scale.

  She greeted them with a polite nod. “Looking for potions, or do you have wares to sell?”