WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

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◈ Surviving as a Warrior in a TRPG World ◈

Chapter 37: Second Skill (1)

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A weapon’s weight was undeniably a means of attack in itself, so using solid Red Iron would normally be impractical. However, Gerik had Slash, a skill that could offset the penalty.

That was why Grimdal advised him to invest in his weapon to overcome his physical limits.

'Weight can be a means of attack too...?'

For some reason, Grimdal’s mention of weight gave Gerik an idea.

If he could Charge forward quickly and use the weight of his armor to attack, he might be able to unleash a devastating blow.

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

Grimdal looked puzzled as Gerik stood there, absorbed in an idea for a skill. Gerik gathered his thoughts and focused on the conversation again.

"For twenty gold coins, I can combine Red Iron with the hide of a Grizzly Owl caught in the Demonwild Forest and make you a brigandine. It’ll offer better protection than a standard full set of chain mail, while weighing no more than studded leather armor. It’s the perfect setup for you."

"But... what’s a Grizzly Owl?"

Gerik was curious about the unfamiliar monster’s name.

Lost in thoughts of the masterpiece he would create, Grimdal had briefly forgotten that the customer before him was still a novice. He explained it to Gerik.

"It’s a monster with the body of a grizzly bear and the hands and head of an owl. It stands around three meters tall and weighs roughly four hundred kilograms. Its hide is broadly divided into owl and bear sections. Each has different traits, but both are exceptional."

Grimdal warned Gerik that the Grizzly Owl was such a fearsome monster that it was nicknamed a hunter of adventurers. If Gerik ever planned to explore the depths of the Demonwild Forest, he needed to learn all he could about it. Otherwise, he would surely meet his death.

Gerik said he understood. Rather than hand over the bill of exchange, he gave Grimdal the five gold coins he had received from the mage some time ago as an advance payment.

"When I come to collect it later, could I give you this bill of exchange and receive the advance payment back?"

"Of course! When it’s finished, I’ll take the bill and return your five gold coins."

Since Gerik was a customer investing a large sum, Grimdal readily accepted his request. He also assured Gerik that he had never disappointed a client and told him to look forward to it.

"I’ll trust you."

"Haha! I’m truly grateful! Come over here. I need to take your measurements."

Once the deal was settled, Grimdal let out a hearty laugh and carefully measured Gerik with a tape measure.

At the same time, he had an assistant bring over the payment for Gerik’s used equipment and handed him seventeen silver coins.

"Making the armor, including acquiring the materials, should take about two weeks."

"That fast?"

Gerik was surprised by the quicker-than-expected production time. Pleased by his reaction, Grimdal grinned and showed off an arm as thick as a log.

"I’ll show you why Dwarves are the finest blacksmiths of all races!"

Gerik nodded at Grimdal’s confident declaration.

Still, he asked Grimdal to prioritize quality over the delivery date. Gerik was willing to wait longer if needed.

"Quality over delivery dates! Now that’s something I like to hear! The more I see of you, the more I like you!"

Having concluded matters with Grimdal on good terms, Gerik left the smithy and headed for the Adventurers’ Guild.

"Hello, Gerik."

The receptionist had apparently been impressed by what Gerik had accomplished in such a short time. She had abandoned her previous cold, businesslike attitude and greeted him by name.

Gerik felt a strange thrill at the change in her attitude. After returning the greeting, he explained why he was there.

"Ah, you’d like to meet with Ruben."

The receptionist asked him to wait a moment before heading upstairs. Not long after, she returned and told Gerik to go to the second floor.

"Have you decided which Skillbook you’ll study?"

Ruben greeted Gerik as soon as he came upstairs. Gerik returned the greeting and said he had ultimately decided to study the Charge Skillbook.

"Whew... I can let you study it, but..."

Ruben asked whether Gerik truly intended to study the Skillbook without gaining more experience first. He emphasized one last time that if Gerik failed to learn the skill during the one-month study period, he would lose a precious opportunity.

Gerik, confident from his experience learning Slash, did not waver despite Ruben’s warning.

"It’s fine. Even if I lose the opportunity, please let me study it."

"Whew... You’re stubborn, aren’t you? Fine. Follow me."

Sighing at Gerik’s refusal to change his mind, Ruben led him toward a locked door.

'Finally...!!'

Gerik felt goosebumps rise as he gained entry to a place frequented mostly by Silver Plates.

When he stepped inside, he felt as though he had entered a museum. All sorts of items were displayed in glass cases.

Small placards stood in front of them, carefully detailing each item’s effects.

"Yours is over here."

Ruben called out to Gerik, who was too busy looking around the room in fascination, and led him to a corner.

Following Ruben, Gerik found bookshelves filled with books.

"Let’s see... Charge... Charge... Here it is!"

Ruben pulled out a book bound in striking red leather. It was thin, about the thickness of a magazine.

"Here. You can study it for thirty minutes a day."

"Hm? I thought it could be borrowed...?"

Gerik had once seen Lugos carrying a Manifestation Page, so the thirty-minute limit caught him off guard. Ruben gave him an odd look.

"How do you know it can be borrowed? Well, never mind that. Only people with sufficient experience and established backgrounds can borrow them. And even then, only the Manifestation Page can be borrowed."

Unlike high-ranking adventurers whose identities had been confirmed through years of activity, Gerik was a newcomer who had only just begun working as an adventurer.

Ruben said that the Guild could not yet trust Gerik enough to lend him a Manifestation Page.

'Well... what does it matter if I can’t borrow it? With the status window’s help, I should be able to learn it right away.'

With that thought, he opened the Skillbook and examined its contents. It was filled with strange writing he had never seen before.

"What is this?"

"Runic script. I’ve heard it’s magical writing passed down from ancient times. Put your hand on it."

Gerik obediently placed his hand on the runic writing as Ruben instructed. Nothing happened, and Ruben sighed at the sight.

"See? I told you that you lacked experience."

"...What changes once I have enough experience?"

Ruben said that if Gerik had sufficient relevant experience, the runic writing would react and show him a powerful vision.

Based on that vision, he would have to learn the basics before acquiring the skill through the Manifestation Page at the end.

'So that’s how it works.'

Gerik actually felt relieved after hearing Ruben’s explanation. What he needed was the Manifestation Page, not the supplementary pages.

He ignored the earlier pages, opened the last one, and placed his hand on it.

『Skill Name: Charge』

『Grade: Common』

『Effect: Leap toward the enemy ahead at explosive speed.』

『Note: Force is the product of mass and acceleration. The heavier and faster you are, the greater your force. A simple yet beautiful truth, isn’t it? - Sage Niton』

『Would you like to learn the skill? Y/N』

'Just as I thought!!'

Gerik was delighted that the status window had not betrayed his expectations and would allow him to learn the skill.

『Lower your center of gravity! Then gather your strength through the soles of your feet, as though crushing the earth beneath you! Finally, unleash that strength all at once and leap forward!』

The moment he touched the Manifestation Page, Gerik realized that, just as when he had learned Slash, he had entered some kind of illusory space.

A monk-like figure stood before him, firmly teaching him the proper posture, how to shift his center of gravity, and how to leap.

『Well done. This is a basic Charge using karma. If you apply it...』

The monk then explained how to adjust the force of his leap depending on the distance, along with the flow of attacks that could follow after landing.

Though Gerik had only seen and heard it once, the vision before him settled perfectly into his mind, just as it had before.

'Karma...?'

Unlike with Slash, an unfamiliar word had appeared. Still, he needed to put on the act he had prepared for Ruben and dispel his suspicions.

Gerik decided to resolve that question later and spoke to Ruben.

"When I touched the Manifestation Page, I felt something related to learning the skill."

"...What?!"

Ruben was shocked that Gerik had felt information from the skill despite not fulfilling the prerequisites. Gerik smiled faintly and gave the excuse he had prepared.

"Learning the training method written in the Skillbook isn’t the only prerequisite for learning a skill. There are other training methods too."

Gerik spoke as if he knew other training methods and had practiced them. Ruben’s expression changed strangely.

He seemed to suspect that Gerik had a hidden identity, just as he had before.

'It’s better if he misunderstands and thinks I have a hidden identity than if he discovers that I have a cheat like the status window.'

After bluffing, Gerik lied that he would probably need to keep coming into contact with the Skillbook for a while longer before learning the skill. He wanted to hide the fact that he was special, even though he had already learned it through the status window.

Even adventurers who fulfilled the prerequisites generally needed considerable time to learn a skill. Ruben said he would arrange for Gerik to visit the Guild and interact with the Skillbook whenever he wanted during the month.

'Since my equipment is being made anyway... should I rest for two weeks?'

Having learned the skill, Gerik left the Adventurers’ Guild. To avoid suspicion, he decided to pretend to be learning the skill and rest in Stonecreek until his equipment was finished.

A few months after being reincarnated in this world, Gerik had finally reached a point where he could rest without pressure.

For the first time in a long while, he lived at ease, training and visiting the Guild repeatedly until his equipment was complete.

"Hey. Did you manage to learn the skill today?"

"I think I’ll learn it if I can study it a little longer."

"Oh, I hope so."

More than two weeks had already passed, and Ruben greeted Gerik, who always came at the same time.

Perhaps because they had seen each other almost every day for quite some time, Ruben seemed to have grown fairly close to him.

"Ruben, I’d like to learn about the geography, history, and ecology of the eastern frontier. Is there anywhere I could find materials on that?"

"You’re a strange one, aren’t you?"

When Gerik unexpectedly asked for materials containing information about the east after studying the Skillbook, Ruben chuckled.

Confused by his reaction, Gerik asked why he thought so, and Ruben answered.

"Every adventurer acts like an ignorant rube, without exception. Most of them really are of that station too. Ordinary adventurers usually pay the price of ignorance with their bodies and blood, then either die or grow stronger."

"...I suppose there aren’t many people who act like me?"

Footnotes:

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