Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

Luke did not choose to unleash the Ash Lord's fireballs until he was exhausted in order to increase his proficiency.

That feeling of overworking your brain is really annoying.

And he still has things to do next.

...

Magic Shop.

Even in Twilight Town, where adventurers congregate, it is still a high-end place.

Logically speaking, Luke wouldn't go anytime soon.

After all, things related to magic seem to have prices that don't belong to this world's monetary system.

After winding through the town's streets, Luca finally stopped in a secluded alley.

In front of us was a strangely shaped building.

It resembles a treehouse, adorned with giant green trees and unidentified white flowers, with lush vines hanging down gently.

At the top of the treehouse, there is a sign of a magic wand, with the shop's name written next to it.

This is the magic shop that the Adventurer's Handbook recommends for novice spellcasters.

"Moss Hut".

Luke pushed open the door and entered; the space inside was not large.

The surrounding shelves were filled with books, scrolls, and unidentified props.

On the wall directly opposite, several wands of different materials are hanging.

"Excuse me, is anyone home?"

Luke looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Kid, if you take two more steps forward, you're going to step on me."

A young female voice came from below Luke.

Looking down, I saw a woman with an adult face, wearing a gray silk robe, arranging the goods under the shelf.

Even now that the other person has changed from a squatting position to a standing position, he is still less than half the height of Luke.

"A halfling? Or a dwarf?"

Anyway, she's definitely not a dwarf; female dwarves have beards, Luke thought to himself.

"I'm Marilyn, the owner of this shop. What would you like to buy?"

Upon hearing this, Luke took out a parchment and handed it to the other party, explaining the purpose of his visit.

Marilyn took the parchment and looked at it; there seemed to be a faint glimmer in her hand.

Seeing the fine down on the other person's hands, Luke confirmed the boss's race; he appeared to be a halfling.

After a long pause, Marilyn looked up and asked Luke for confirmation:

"That's right, this is an encrypted combat skill magic scroll. The encryption method isn't very sophisticated, so the price for decryption isn't high either; one hundred gold coins will suffice."

"Take away the young master?"

Luke knew that anything related to magic was expensive, but he didn't expect it to be this expensive.

"If you don't plan to decipher it, you can try carrying this with you all the time."

"After all, as I just said, the encryption method of this scroll is not very sophisticated. Long-term contact may cause some resonance with it, and you may be able to understand some of the contents inside."

Marilyn glanced at Luke, whose expression had relaxed and who thought he could save some money, and continued:

"However, the insights gained may be incomplete, resulting in the learned combat techniques being less powerful, or leaving side effects such as aftereffects."

Luke immediately recalled the sight of the great goblin covered in blood.

Perhaps the opponent learned an incomplete version of this combat technique?

Seeing that Luke didn't seem to be able to afford it, Marilyn returned the parchment to him.

"Hey, you must be a professional, right?"

Luke nodded.

"I happen to have a commission here. Would you like to give it a try? If you complete it, I might be able to do the appraisal for you for free, or I might pay you a certain fee."

"What request?"

Luke did not readily agree.

"Help me gather some materials," Marilyn said.

"You've heard about the demons being discovered deep in Sunset Forest, haven't you?"

"I would like to ask you to get me something with a demonic aura, such as the remains of a demonic creature, or contaminated items."

"If you can bring back the corpse of a demonic creature, such as a demonic larva, I will pay you an extra hundred gold coins."

Marilyn's tone carried a hint of seduction: "Think about it. I can offer more money if it's a live animal!"

Luke did not answer; he was still thinking:

What are demon larvae?

Seeing Marilyn's excited expression, Luke asked her curiously why she didn't go to the Adventurers' Guild to post a request.

"Researching demonic creatures is strictly prohibited in most areas."

Marilyn shook her head. "The reason is that some incompetent guys messed around, causing some minor accidents."

Luke understood that the other party wanted him to help with "smuggling".

"Don't worry, at least here, matters concerning demon research aren't strictly controlled, and they definitely won't bring you any trouble."

Luke remained noncommittal.

For him, facing demonic creatures was already a disaster.

Seeing that Luke still hadn't agreed, Marilyn wasn't in a hurry and winked at him:

"This commission is long-term. If you can get it, just come to me directly."

As Luke left the moss-covered hut, he sighed.

The more you earn, the more you spend.

The feeling of having a seemingly powerful combat technique in his pocket but being unable to learn it made him itchy.

The next goal is clear: make money!

Luke certainly wouldn't do what Marilyn asked of him.

People should have self-awareness; anything involving the word "devil" is unlikely to be a simple task.

Are there any simple jobs that allow you to earn money safely?

Luke thought it over and over, and decided that he should kill a few goblins first...

...

The next morning, Luke arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.

I was planning to head straight to the first floor's quest log and find a few goblin extermination commissions.

However, the thought of deciphering the parchment and needing a hundred gold coins was a sum that would require five hundred goblin left ears to collect.

Luke hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the stairs leading to the second floor of the association.

Now that I've become a professional, it's time to go out and see the world.

Upon arriving on the second floor, you will be greeted by the registration desk.

Adventurers must prove they are professionals here before they can enter.

The verification process is very simple: just touch the columnar crystal next to the registration desk, and if it lights up, it means the verification is successful.

Luke nervously placed his palm on it.

My profession seems rather unusual, and I wonder if the crystal pillar will react.

Fortunately, a faint light shimmered on the crystal.

Upon seeing this, the receptionist at the registration desk asked Luca for the adventurer's nameplate that represented his identity.

A few minutes later, she handed him a brand new, more exquisite metal card.

This is a symbol of identity created by the association for professionals. When you go to the second floor again, you can simply display the nameplate.

There were significantly fewer people in the second-floor lobby.

Occasionally, one or two adventurers would walk past Luca, their magnificent armor reflecting light, which made Luca feel envious.

Luca walked up to the task board, which was filled with tasks for gathering materials he had never heard of before, or for investigating and exploring mysterious areas.

The latest commissioned quests also include those related to demonic creatures:

[Investigation into the whereabouts of the demon swarm]

[Investigation into the whereabouts of the fearsome banshee]

In the column for the principal, it read "Light of the Cross," and Luke felt as if he had heard of it somewhere before.

These commissions, both in terms of task descriptions and reward amounts, are completely different from those on the commission board downstairs.

Luke pondered for a long time.

Hmm... let's explore the road ahead later.

Some of the monsters listed here were ones he had never even heard of before, and he would have to go back and look them up in his adventure manual.

Suddenly, Luke noticed a monster he recognized stuck to the bottom corner of the task board:

[Gnoll Slaughter Commission]