Lee Sungmin knew his limits.
He wasn't a genius possessing great skill and he wasn't a lucky kid. He didn't even have much experience from his past life. He only remembered big events, while small matters were negligible.
However, it was true that his current situation was far better than his previous one..
When morning approached, he exited the hotel. It was early in the morning and the owner was not present yet. Instead, in his place was a huge basket loaded with dry bread.
He ate a few in the hotel. The bread was dry and the taste was poor, but it was better than having an empty stomach. He ate a lot of it before leaving the hotel.
As soon as he went outside, he used the One Thunder. He had practiced the Genuine Heavens yesterday, but it still wasn't strong enough.
"...Phew!"
After using the skill for around five minutes, he reached his limit. He stopped running and took a deep breath. He could only maintain the skill for approximately five minutes and maybe ten if he slowed down his pace.
'So unfair.'
The prejudice that bothered him in the previous life held him captive again. Even with the low class Martial Skeleton and the fast growth of No Classes... that was his limit. He would improve if he practiced and studied hard for a year while hunting monsters, but how much could he actually achieve?
Sungmin knew the extent of this continent's partiality. It was especially evident in the city otherworlders first arrived at, Genavis.
During his stay in Genavis, there was a super rookie who took Genavis by storm in his past life.
The head of a small demonic cult.
No one knew why that amazing person was summoned to Genavis. He had enough power and skill to surpass Genavis even before his arrival. To him, power was easy to obtain and the Cultivation Methods that he used turned him into a super rookie.
It took Sungmin 3 years to graduate from Genavis. It took barely a week for the small head of the demonic cult to graduate.
Sungmin had never seen that person with his own eyes. However, in the course of his past life, he heard many things about him through the rumors. Well, there wasn't only one otherworlder that was similar like him.
Small Pegasus Wijihoyun. He often heard that title and name in his past life.. From what he remembered... in one month, that person would be summoned to Genavis.
"What, do you have something you want?"
He had arrived at a store located in an alley. It was still early in the morning, but there were already many stores that were open for business, especially street vendors. A street vendor with a lot of weapons placed on the ground caught his attention.
"You're up and about so early in the morning and you're my first customer today. I'll sell them to you cheaply as good service, how's that?"
The owner smiled and said. Sungmin didn't answer and inspected the weapons meticulously.
"Are they used goods?"
"Of course. There are new weapons, but the used ones are cheap, obviously."
He answered. Sungmin raised his hands and asked.
"I can touch them, right?"
"As long as you don't run away with them."
The owner laughed loudly. Sungmin sat down and put his hands on the weapons. The one that he held up was a throwing dagger. The edge was sharp, but there was a bit of grime on the handle.
"An otherworlder used this. The owner... died. I got it from a goblin nest yesterday."
Recovering weapons from dead otherworlders was a common occurrence. In his past life, he remembered looting items from others' corpses.
"How much is it?"
"I'll sell it for 3000 Erie. Well, a throwing dagger is just a consumable. Plus, I found it from the ground."
It's not that expensive for a throwing knife. Maybe he could bargain. He raised his head and looked up at the owner.
"Can't you do it for 2000?"
"Hahahah! Are you gonna get rid of a third of the price?"
"I don't have much money..."
"Kid... you're a No Class, right? You look young... so, you're expecting me to pity you and give it to you for an even cheaper price?"
"I'd be glad if that was true."
"You shameless kid!"
The owner laughed loudly again. However, he didn't look like he was mad.
"I like people who are self-aware about their own situation. What I mean is that I like people who do their best to survive by fighting."
The owner said smilingly. He outstretched his hand and closed 3 fingers.
"I'll do it for 2000. Then... there are 3 more of those. If you buy them all, I'll sell for 5000."
"I'll buy it."
Lee Sungmin smiled and said as he heard the owner speak. The owner laughed as he saw Lee Sungmin opening his wallet.
"You're a strange kid. You're putting your age and innocent-looking face to good use, you know that?"
"I don't understand."
"Well, it doesn't matter. I think ... you're gonna become a regular here. If you come again, I'll lower the price considering your situation."
Was this an act of kindness? Lee Sungmin thanked him and bowed while wondering what the store owner was thinking. Was it to guarantee another regular or was it purely out of goodwill? He didn't know.
"How much is that spear?"
He was pleased with getting three throwing knives that were originally 3000 Erie each for a total of 5000 Erie, but he needed weapons other than just throwing knives. He pointed at the spear that was lying on one corner of the floor.
"30,000."
The owner said. Sungmin reached out and touched the handle. It was made of wood... and the end was a sharp piece of metal. It was 2 meters long; too long for his current height.
His age was 14. He wasn't 160cm yet. If he grew like his past self, he was going to be 180 before 20 years.
'2 meters... is a bit too long...'
He didn't have the strength to properly wield it, either. It was a bodily restriction. If he had experience, it would fine, but he didn't have that much experience either.
But, if it was long, he could just cut it.
"... can't it be cheaper?"
"I don't think you can use it with your size? How about a sword. Well, martial artists say that swords are the best. I don't know whether that is the truth."
"I don't know how to use it..."
"Well, does that mean you know how to use the spear?"
"You can just stab things with it."
Even with that answer, he knew how difficult it was to wield a spear from his past life.
"Hahaha! I like that you're simple-minded. Well, I'll sell it for 20,000."
He laughed loudly. 3 daggers, one spear, a belt for potions, and 5 potion bottles. He bought all of that for 30,000.
It was a really cheap price. Even if it was once used by dead people, there was no harm in using it right now. The belt would be especially useful. He adjusted the length of the belt to fit him as he bowed to the owner.
"Thank you."
"No, it's fine. I think you're gonna become a regular here. The hardy ones live the longest."
If only that was true... Lee Sungmin thought and bitterly laughed.
The world wasn't that easy. He knew.
He knew the limits of experience. It might change by getting the Intelligence Potion, but it would be a year before he had a chance of getting it. He wasn't even sure if he would win it.
It would take 2 hours to get to the hunting grounds. He needed to strengthen his body. The more he used the skills, the stronger they would become. The process was the same as forming muscles.
There were a lot of people on the door of the north side of the city. They were mostly otherworlders or merchants who sold them various items.
There was a reason why he didn't buy from that place. The merchants there tried to take advantage of people. As it was close to the hunting grounds, the otherworlders had no choice but to buy from there for the sake of convenience.
"People who want to go to the Goblin nest; come with me!"
"I'm looking for a companion from the volcano faction!"
"No one from the Reureu faction?! Someone with fire magic!"
Everyone was shouting out their own thoughts. People who looked for companions. People who looked for similar factions. People who looked for similar magic factions.
He didn't spare any of them a glance and went straight through the door. The first time he went to the grounds, he was in a party with other companions.
It wasn't the best experience. They were all No Classes with similar status. They had no experience with fighting monsters and its brutality. There were many casualties and he barely survived. It became a traumatic experience, and he had trouble going there for a week.
'It would be... nice to go with a companion.'
But, it was Genavis. And there were little companions that weren't No Class. If they went together, he would have to protect them.
That was something difficult for him to execute. Even with his past skills and experience, he only had level one skills. It was nothing.
How about a martial artist or a magical companion? He had thought about it, but there really was no chance of achieving that bearing fruit. They had no use for someone like Sungmin who couldn't even carry out one person's worth of help.
"Name?"
A guard asked him as he looked at Sungmin.
"Lee Sungmin."
"You have your ID?"
"I don't..."
"Well, that's fine. It doesn't matter too much in this city... don't die, kid."
Ignoring the guard's words, Lee Sungmin went outside.
He was met with an immense forest that covered the land as far as the eye could see.