[EIGHT RINGS…]

  [EIGHT HEARTS…]

  [SEEK THEM OUT…]

  [BRING THEM TO THE BREACH…]

  [OR YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT …]

  …

  “Ugh… What a nightmare.”

  Lukey finally managed to wake up after a long, restless sleep. This dream was something that had plagued him the last three nights, ever since he began trying to identify his Aethereal Brand. After waking up, however, he had no idea what the dream meant; in fact, he couldn’t even remember the main details.

  He could only remember a single detail: the fact that the dream kept mentioning ‘Eight Rings.’

  After shaking off the sleep, Lukey then felt a slight pain in his chest. In response, he proceeded to rub the area in question, right over his heart. Lukey furrowed his brow but eventually decided not to worry about it.

  I’ll ask Roman about it later… For now, I have preparations to make.

  …

  Quest 2: Attack of the Killer Snails

  I took a mission from a person name Bohdi, asking me to eliminate a snail invasion on Bum’s Break. I should head there first and investigate.

  Personal Quests

  -Upgrade Fishing Rod

  -Make New Traps and Equipment

  -Take a mission

  -Create or modify one of my arts

  -Reach Lv. 80

  Lukey finished updating his quest log and placed the journal within his waterproof leather backpack. Right now, he was in his room, just finishing writing on top of his workbench. Three days have passed since the lecture from Roman, and with his newfound wealth he went on a spending spree.

  Much of his time was spent getting everything ready and training his manual use of [Insight]. Lukey would’ve practiced [Fisherman’s Stance] instead, but with the lack of monsters in town it wouldn’t have been productive, and he wanted to conserve energy. Instead, there were many shops already open in Tranquil Waters with plenty of items to sell, so it was far more efficient to use [Insight] on everything he could.

  It took a long time to get anything more substantial, but eventually he managed to do it. Instead of just glancing over the aether imbued in an item, he began to look closer, dissecting the strings of aether for all the information it could give him. Right now, however, all he could understand were a few keywords imbued within the items.

  Maybe if I understood what aether was, I could do some more substantial probing. I’ll have to ask Roman about it when I get back.

  Besides practicing [Insight] and looking for his Aethereal Brand, Lukey also managed to get some more fishing done along the harbor. Besides the Shellcrackers, he also caught Shiners, a type of small, shiny fish that swam in large groups, and even some Blue Seafarers, a fish that sticks its forehead to the bottoms of boats and travels with them for migration. Identifying different varieties of fish also helped Lukey practice [insight], especially because identifying living creatures was so much different than items.

  Now wasn’t the time to dwell on those thoughts, however, because today he would be leaving his village for Bum’s Break. Lukey turned his gaze over to the clothing and armor that sat in the corner of the room.

  It’s time.

  He carefully picked up the pile, set it on his bed, and began putting on each article, one at a time.

  First was the full-body wetsuit; Lukey removed it from the pile and rolled it out, then unzipped the back. One leg went into the right hole, and one went into the left. After his lower body was gripped by the suit, he then put each of his arms through the sleeves, and finally, zipped up the back.

  Lukey stopped to admire his outfit before putting on the other pieces. Looking at his front, his chest and stomach were a dark shroud, lit up with shimmering red rings. Looking over his shoulder, his back was a solid wall of shimmering blue. The materials used to create the wetsuit were a pain to get, but in the end, the suit was a spectacle to behold.

  Next up was his newly acquired armor: a set of armor pieces primarily composed of the shell of a Guardian Aquaclaw. According to Ki’ida, he didn’t have enough materials in the guardian alone, so he supplemented it with other aquaclaw shells. The set consisted of a rounded helmet, a chest plate, protectors for each segment of his arms and legs, and a set of black leather gloves with wrist guards attached.

  Lukey once asked Ki’ida to show him how it was made, and the process both fascinated and disgusted him. Basically, the way traditional chitin-shaping worked among his people involved vomiting up acid, which is then applied to a cutting tool. The tool is then used to literally cut out various segments of the chitin, which are then pieced and melded together with alchemical glue and straps.

  Despite the strangeness of the process, Lukey couldn’t deny the results. Each piece shone a brilliant red, with the sharp thorns of the guardian’s armor sticking out and making the entire piece that much more menacing. Of course, Ki’ida also made sure to waterproof the entire ensemble as well, just to make sure it held up well underwater.

  Lukey quickly began equipping each piece onto his body; he started with the chest plate, then moved onto the arm and leg guards, before finally putting on his boots and gloves. After tightening each of the leather straps, the armor hugged his body nicely. There wasn’t a single piece that would catch the water to create drag, making it perfect for him.

  The last piece was the helmet, a rounded article with slight angles that jut out in places to cut through the water and reduce drag. The eyeholes were two slanted rectangles, and a mouth guard containing numerous vents was just below them. Lukey didn’t put this on, since he wouldn’t need a helmet yet, but placed it in his bag instead.

  Now that the armor is on, it's time for the weapons.

  Lukey wanted to travel light, so he would only bring three things. First, his pole spear was going to be his standard weapon, so he would always be carrying it with him.

  Next was the new and improved crab lure, which consisted of a metal barb that sat at the end of a long rope. Lukey didn’t expect to need it, but he put it in his backpack just in case he found a use for it.

  Finally, there were the two boleadoras. They remained largely the same as before, except instead of three rocks tied to a rope, it was three marrow-steel balls. Lukey tied both traps around his waist for easy access.

  At long last, his ensemble was complete. He finally felt like the class holders he envied for so long. Lukey glanced at his armor and weapons and then did a few basic stretches and movements. Unsurprisingly, the weight of everything was basically next to nothing; there wasn’t even anything to impede Lukeys movement, which he was immensely grateful for.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  Okay, I’m ready to meet up with Saphina.

  Lukey walked out of his room and turned into the main living area. Sitting near the table was his mother, who did a double take at Lukey when she saw him.

  “Who… oh sorry, it’s just you, Lukey.” His mother said somewhat unsteadily. “Do you want anything to eat before you leave?”

  “Sure, speaking of which, there’s something I need to get outside.” Lukey said, then made his way out the back. Shortly after, he arrived with a set of crispy smoked fish around his waist, tied up by their heads and attached with ropes to a leather belt.

  “What is that?” His mother questioned, with no small amount of surprise.

  “Rations. Before being forced to eat raw crab meat, I’d rather have prepared for a long journey beforehand. Lukey explained. “What do you think?”

  “It’s… certainly a choice that you have made.” His mother replied, looking downtrodden.

  Lukey began to take notice of her behavior and started to feel a gnawing worry for her.

  “Is something wrong?” Lukey asked. “C’mon, tell me before I leave.”

  “It’s… It’s nothing.” A moment of silence. “It’s just that you look so grown up in that armor, despite still being a babyface.”

  Lukey gave a slight chuckle and sheepishly scratched his neck.

  “Oh please, I haven’t grown up as much as you think I have.” Lukey said. “The only difference between now and a month ago is the fact that I have some new toys to play with.”

  “Then maybe it’s your class that’s changed you, or…” Leah hesitated. “Maybe your class brings out the best in you, like mine does for me.”

  “What, you’re saying I was always meant to be a fisherman? I would have thought you’d have bigger dreams for me than that.” He joked.

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Leah laughed. “I mean that sometimes people have… unique qualities to them. Qualities that are uniquely suited for certain classes. Sometimes you get exactly what you need to harness your full potential, but other times…”

  “You get stuck with what’s available to you?” Lukey interrupted.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Leah confirmed. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m glad that you found something that can harness your uniqueness… And that I’m going to miss you now that you’re starting to become independent.”

  A stretch of silence dragged on between them, and neither one was willing to cross it for a long while.

  “I’ll get started on breakfast,” Leah interrupted.

  “Thanks…” Lukey suddenly said. “…for everything. I appreciate all the support you’ve given me so far, and that won’t change anytime in the future.”

  “Don’t worry.” Lukey chuckled. “Just because I have a class doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being your son.”

  After that, the two continued to chat about mundane things, letting the joy and the sadness intermingle between them up until it was time for Lukey to leave.

  …

  Great… Where is she? It shouldn’t take this long for someone to get ready.

  Currently, Lukey was leaning on a sign in front of a crossroads on the island. To his right, the path led to Tranquil Waters; to his left, the path led to Coconut Shores, the name of the village where Lukey lived. Behind Lukey, there was a third path, one that would take you further into the island and along the coast, passing Bum’s Break along the way.

  I didn’t give her bad directions, did I? Just leave Tranquil Waters from the eastern side and follow the trail. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

  Lukey spent a long time waiting, but eventually he heard footsteps coming from the trail leading to Tranquil Waters.

  “Finally! It took you long enough…”

  Lukey froze.

  Coming down the trail was indeed Saphina, lugging her club behind her as always. He had already grown accustomed to her aloof yet direct nature, and he had already seen her club enough times to feel more at ease around her.

  What shocked him wasn’t any of that.

  It was her clothing, or rather, lack thereof.

  “What are you wearing!” Lukey exclaimed with some embarrassment, quickly turning away. “You’re dressed like a pervert, not a warrior!”

  “Armor for a Primalist is a formality, not a necessity. If I’m wearing too much, it’s just going to get in the way. The less, the better!” she explained.

  “Maybe, but do you have to wear that?” Lukey questioned. “Even the luxe would blush at that.”

  The outfit in question really couldn’t be called such. It was made up of two smooth, red crab shells, likely taken from Caretaker Aquaclaws, that covered her breasts. They were held up by thin, elastic strings, likely Ginny’s work, that wrapped around her neck and back, respectively. The crotch area was the same, except the strings wrapped around her hips, making it look more like underwear than armor.

  No… Not even underwear leaves that little to the imagination.

  Lukey would be embarrassed walking around in such an outfit, but apparently Zaurians had a completely different idea of what was considered normal.

  “Whatever…” Lukey relented. “Let’s just get a move on; we’re already burning daylight here.”

  Lukey then started down the path, and Saphina fell in stride next to him.

  “What’s the big rush?” Saphina asked, boredom in her voice. “No offense, but I don’t think those snails are going to be running off anywhere anytime soon.”

  “It’s not the snails I’m worried about. Don’t you remember what Triton talked about? The Bandit Terraclaws?” Lukey shuddered.

  “So, there’s a bunch of crabs that sometimes attack people, big deal. If you’re so weak that you need to worry about a bunch of dumb crabs, you can just use me as a shield.” Saphina proudly stated in a somewhat cocky fashion.

  “That cockiness is going to be the death of you,” Lukey replied in an irritated tone. “Let’s just keep our eyes on the road and watch the trees.”

  Thus, the two adopted a steady pace as they strode deeper down the jungle path.

  …

  Considerable time had passed since they left the crossroads, and the sky was already turning a shade of orange to announce the oncoming evening.

  Currently, Lukey and Saphina were taking an easy pace while walking along a cliffside path. To their left was the dense jungle that they were both very familiar with, while to their right was a long drop down the cliff that stretched down to the beach.

  Saphina was catching glimpses of the horizon while they walked, whereas Lukey had his head stuck in some reading material assigned to him by Roman.

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it was far. How far across the island have we walked?” Saphina asked.

  “Honestly? We haven’t even made it halfway yet.” Lukey replied, not even bothering to look up from the notes. “But Bum’s Break is close.”

  “Look,” Lukey said, pointing to a mountain that rose up along the beach. “Bum’s Break is just past that mountain, sandwiched between two giant rocks. There are some people there who live there permanently, so we should be able to stop there for the night.”

  “That’s good,” Saphina breathed, visibly relaxing. “By the way, what’s in those notes that’s so interesting?”

  “These?” Lukey said, gesturing to the papers. “It’s just some information about how attributes work. Roman gave them to me before we left.”

  “Attributes? What’s there to understand?” Saphina questioned. “Fight things, get levels, numbers go up. Bigger numbers are better than smaller numbers. Simple.”

  “Not quite,” Lukey rejected. “Apparently attributes function more like an upper limit, rather than a flat increase. You still need to exercise regularly to make sure your body keeps up, but fortunately your body will develop quickly to keep up with your attributes.”

  Lukey continued.

  “That’s not all either. Apparently, your muscles and body fat will concentrate on certain places depending on how you fight. In other words, two different people with the same strength attribute will look very different depending on if the focus is on their arms or legs. The same goes for the other body attributes as well.”

  “Body attributes? I didn’t know they had different names.” Saphina asked.

  “’Body attributes’ are just a term that refers to vitality, strength, agility, and dexterity. Conversely, “mind attributes” refers to intelligence, focus, charisma, and luck, Lukey elaborated.

  “Luck.” Saphina spat, as if she had a piece of food stuck in her mouth. “Never understood that one. What does it even do?”

  “Not what I thought it did,” Lukey said with some surprise. “Apparently ‘luck’ is more of a mindset than a special power. By retaining a positive attitude and being open to opportunity, luck helps a person recognize certain special opportunities that might go unseen by ordinary people.”

  “Sounds useless,” Saphina said plainly.

  “Apparently, some merchants with high luck can find business opportunities that go unseen by the competition.” Lukey read. “Miners use luck when planning where to dig. Even some combat classes, like swordsmen, use luck to recognize opportunities in combat.”

  “Swordsmen? Seriously?” Saphina gawked. “Huh, I guess there’s a use for everything if you can find it.”

  Lukey and Saphina continued to chat about attributes and classes, exchanging everything they knew from their respective cultures. As they did, the path they were on went beneath a group of trees, with brown trunks and green canopies that hung over the trail. Beside the trail were some boulders that were nestled beneath some of the trees.

  At one point, Lukey looked up to see a bunch of coconuts nestled in the branches of one of the nearby trees.

  “Maybe we can have a break, since we’re almost there. We can sit on those rocks and drink some coconut milk.” Lukey told her.

  “Good idea! I’ll smack the tree.” Saphina said, then readied her club to hit the tree in question.

  Lukey watched her, then took another look at the bark of the tree and finally realized something was off.

  Wait a second… these aren’t coconut palms.

  That was when Lukey looked up, staring intensely at the ‘coconuts’ in question with the help of a slightly stronger [Insight].

  [Bandit Terraclaw Lv. 18]

  “SAPHINA, STOP! IT’S A TRAP!” Lukey called out.

  “What?” Saphina asked, halting her club.

  Unfortunately, even without the force of her club, the ‘coconuts’ were more than capable of dropping to the ground of their own volition. In the next second, three brown spheres dropped to the ground with heavy thuds, kicking up the dust around them as they did.

  Then, the ‘coconuts’ unfolded their bodies, revealing the figures of three massive arthropods.