Noah placed a small pouch on the counter, letting her peek inside.

  There were about 10 Luminal Mushrooms left over after their deal with the blacksmith. “We might have more of these if you’re interested.”

  Her eyes sparkled at the sight. “Luminal Mushrooms? I’ll gladly buy whatever you have—at a fair price, of course. Hard to find this far from the river.”

  They agreed to sell her half of their remaining stash, keeping some for themselves “just in case.” The haggle was swift and polite; the apothecary clearly understood their value.

  She paid in the same local coins the blacksmith had mentioned, plus a small array of low-level potions in partial trade—things like a minor stamina draught or a basic antidote.

  Emma gazed at the potions curiously. “These could be handy if we run into venomous creatures.”

  The older merchant gave a knowing smile. “Exactly. You never know what lurks in these forests.”

  Daniel perked up. “Any chance you know something about Essence Cores? We’ve got a few spares.”

  The woman’s brow rose. “I dabble in alchemy, not forging or enchanting. Cores are more of an enchanter’s domain, dear. You could try your luck in bigger towns or keep them until an enchanter passes through. But I wouldn’t just sell them cheaply.” Her tone carried a grandmotherly warning. “They’re worth more than you might think.”

  Noah gave a polite nod in thanks. “We appreciate the advice.”

  …

  After meeting with a few more merchants, they managed to sell the majority of their lower-level materials. Letting go of all that extra luggage made the group feel significantly lighter—both literally and figuratively.

  They walked back to the inn happily as everyone had stored the coins and potions inside Noah’s inventory.

  [Inventory – Accessible Storage]

  Slot 1: Copper Coins (x767)

  Slot 2: Luminal Mushrooms (x5)

  Slot 3: E Rank Essence Core (x2)

  Slot 4: Minor Stamina Potions (x2)

  Slot 5: Basic Antidotes (x2)

  Slot 6: Healing Salve (x1)

  Slot 7: Energy Recovery Potion (x1)

  ‘Good shit, these will help us for a while. And since we are already in the tavern there is no need to keep the meat,’ Noah thought, looking inside his inventory.

  Inside the tavern, business was steady. The innkeeper spotted them, raising a brow. “You’re back quick. Managed to sell your loot?”

  Victor nodded, taking a seat by the fireplace. “Yep. Didn’t make a fortune, but it’s a start.”

  Leah joined him, setting her bow and quiver aside. “At least we know more about how trading works here. And we have enough coins to buy whatever we might need next.”

  Daniel flopped down at the table, drumming his fingers. “The question is: what is next?” He looked to Noah expectantly.

  Noah leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Well, we’ve got a few directions. We can keep hunting local beasts for more Soul Energy—especially if we want to push for higher levels or gather better materials. Or we can start looking beyond the village to see if there’s a place with better forging capabilities or even an enchanter who can handle those Essence Cores.”

  Emma spoke up shyly. “If we go beyond the village, we’ll need to be prepared. Stronger beasts, possibly bandits, and who knows what else.”

  Leah nodded. “Agreed. We’re making progress, but stepping into unknown territory isn’t something we should do lightly.”

  Noah’s eyes flickered with a hint of excitement as he recalled the system’s new hint about legacy weapons. “There’s also the question of exploring ruins or dungeons that might hold interesting gear. Darrick mentioned the presence of old keeps or abandoned settlements where we might find more than just beasts. Could be dangerous, though.”

  Daniel grinned. “Danger’s my middle name. Let’s do it.”

  Victor rolled his eyes. “Easy, hotshot. We still need to gauge our own limits.”

  Noah took a seat with them, resting his forearms on the table. “Before we do anything too risky, let’s rest up another day or two, gather info, see if Garrick or the blacksmith has leads on old ruins or rumored dungeons nearby.”

  “In the meantime, we can keep picking off local beasts to increase our Soul Energy. We still have a lot of leveling to do before tackling anything big.”

  The group shared determined looks, their minds already buzzing with possibilities.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Though they were still newcomers to this harsh world, they were no longer the clueless, under-equipped novices who’d arrived in a panic.

  Each step forward—be it selling hides or discovering new classes—strengthened their resolve to carve a place for themselves.

  Noah took a deep breath, offering a small smile. “One thing’s for sure: we’re in this together. No matter what we face, we’ll make it work—just like we’ve done from the start.”

  Daniel chuckled, “Enough prep talk. We still have the entire day left, and from the looks of it, we ain’t going back to the forest. Why don’t we go and look for the village’s trainer, Eliza Reed?”

  Leah’s eyes lit up as she nodded her head. “That’s a good choice. We were in a hurry, but I heard she teaches newcomers here the basic survival tips as well as combat.”

  Noah leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, as Daniel and Leah brought up the village trainer. “Eliza Reed, huh? We’ve been so busy surviving and hunting that we never really had any formal training.”

  Leah nodded, setting her quiver aside. “It’s obvious our basics are all over the place. We’ve improved a lot, sure, but we’re still swinging swords and arrows like goblins.”

  Emma glanced around the table. “I-I think I speak for all of us when I say a little proper guidance would help us a lot at this time. Even if we have awakened classes, that doesn’t fix our sloppy fundamentals.”

  Victor tapped his fingers thoughtfully. “I hate to admit it, but we could use a real mentor. We’re basically winging everything—our sword swings, shield blocks, archery. It’s worked so far, but only barely.”

  Daniel rolled his shoulders in a dramatic shrug. “Alright then, let’s do it. What do we have to lose by meeting her?”

  Noah let out a small chuckle, rising from his seat. “I’ll check with the innkeeper or maybe the blacksmith. They should know where to find Eliza. If she’s as good as people say, we can sign up for a few days of training before we tackle anything bigger.”

  …

  The group exited the tavern and stepped into the bustling village square. The morning sun was high in the sky now, illuminating stalls where merchants hawked goods ranging from fresh produce to basic herbal tonics.

  From afar, they spotted the blacksmith’s apprentices lugging crates across the forge yard. Noah made his way over with his group.

  “Morning,” he greeted one of the apprentices. “We’re looking for Eliza Reed, the village trainer. Any idea where we can find her?”

  The apprentice, a lanky young man with soot smudging his cheeks, nodded. “She has a training yard behind the old barn at the village’s west edge. You’ll hear the clang of wooden swords around that area; just follow that sound.”

  Noah thanked him, and they left the forge area, walking through a few narrow alleys until they reached a quieter part of the village.

  Sure enough, the faint sound of clacking wood reached their ears. Around a corner, they spotted a small, fenced training ground—little more than packed dirt with a few straw dummies scattered about.

  A woman in her mid-thirties stood at the center, her short, practical hair tied back. She wore a sleeveless tunic, revealing toned arms that spoke to a lifetime of physical work.

  Right now, she was correcting the stance of two teenagers—likely new Earthlings or villagers wanting to learn how to defend themselves.

  “That must be Eliza,” Leah whispered.

  They waited until Eliza finished instructing the teens, who then shuffled off to practice on the dummies. Turning, Eliza spotted the newcomers and raised an eyebrow.

  Eliza crossed her arms over her chest, her voice friendly yet sharp. “Hmm? You lot look like you have already been to the outskirts and fought with the beasts. What do you need from me?”

  Noah stepped forward and said respectfully, “We’ve heard you’re the local trainer—someone who teaches survival and combat to newcomers and villagers.”

  A small smirk formed on Eliza’s lips. “Well, aren’t you a bit late? Usually, I get you fresh off the Seraph’s drop, wide-eyed and clueless. By the time people come to me after the forest, they’ve usually figured it out or… they didn’t make it back.”

  Daniel shrugged, trying not to sound too boastful. “We survived, but we realized we’re basically amateurs who got lucky. Our basics are messy, and we need proper training.”

  Eliza’s eyes flitted from Daniel’s daggers to Victor’s shield and sword, then to the bows slung over Leah and Emma’s shoulders. “You’re not the first cocky group I’ve met. But you are the first to admit you need help. That’s a good sign.”

  Victor cleared his throat. “We can pay—we’ve done enough hunts to gather coin.”

  She glanced at their gear and new clothes, nodding in approval. “You do look better equipped than most. Alright, I’ll hear you out. How many days are you looking at?”

  Noah exchanged looks with the others. “At least a few—two or three to get the fundamentals down, then we’ll see if we need more.”

  “Fine.” Eliza motioned toward a small bench by the fence. “Let’s talk fees.”

  They gathered near the bench. Daniel lowered himself onto the rough wood, while Leah and Emma stood close by, arms folded in anticipation. Victor rested against the fence, shield strapped to his back.

  Eliza leaned back against the bench’s armrest. “I normally charge a few bronze coins per day for basics—stances, footwork, survival tips per person. But you five look past the ‘just learning to swing a blade’ stage. You want more advanced drills?”

  Leah nodded. “If you can teach us more refined techniques—like advanced footwork, parrying, better ways to coordinate, maybe some archery fundamentals—we’d appreciate it. We picked up everything on the fly, and it shows in our group fights.”

  Eliza let out a breath. “Alright. My advanced lessons cost more. Let’s say half a silver coin each, per day. Or the equivalent in materials. We can figure out the trade if you’re strapped for coin.”

  Noah considered it, glancing at his team. “That’s doable. We sold a fair bit of loot this morning, so we have coins, plus we can just go out to hunt if we’re short. We’d prefer to pay in coins—less hassle.”

  Eliza’s eyes flicked to the new clothes the group wore, a clear sign they had purchased them today. “Good. I also expect you to train hard. I don’t babysit slackers.”

  Daniel smirked. “Oh, don’t worry. We can handle whatever you throw at us.”

  One corner of Eliza’s lips tugged upward. “We’ll see.” She stood, dusting off her hands. “If you’re set on it, we’ll start today. Might as well put that whole day to use.”

  They wasted no time. Eliza led them to a row of wooden training dummies placed at varying intervals. Each dummy was topped with a tattered sack as a makeshift “head” and strapped with strips of hide for “armor.”

  Eliza demonstrated a balanced stance—feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and weight evenly distributed.

  She corrected each of them in turn, adjusting Victor’s shield angle, shifting Emma’s hips for a better arrow draw, and repositioning Leah’s shoulders to avoid strain.

  Victor found himself re-learning how to brace behind a shield without locking his knees—something Eliza insisted made him an easier target.

  Emma discovered subtle posture changes that allowed her to draw her bow more smoothly, improving accuracy.

  Daniel grumbled about “boring basics,” but Eliza forced him to practice pivoting on the balls of his feet, enabling quicker dagger strikes and improved evasion.

  Once they settled into stances, Eliza had them repeat slow, deliberate strikes against the dummies—sword slashes, shield bashes, dagger stabs, and arrow shots—focusing on technique, not power. Every sloppy movement got a sharp critique.