Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

The moss-covered hut remained empty.

Under the dim light, even the owner, Marilyn, was nowhere to be seen.

Luke was curious about how the other party managed to keep operating.

It's important to know that opening a shop in Twilight Town requires far more money than in a regular town.

After being called several times, the petite woman finally came out impatiently.

Upon Luke's arrival, Marilyn tossed the parchment directly to him.

Luke looked at the text on the paper, which still resembled gibberish, and glanced at the other person with some confusion.

Marilyn had thick dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a mess.

It's clear how obsessed this fanatic of demonic energy is.

Could it be that he's so engrossed in his research that he's forgotten about this matter?

"Focus your attention on the parchment!"

Marilyn seemed to see through Luke's thoughts and spoke up to remind him.

She was true to her word and took the time to crack the seal on the scroll.

Luke obeyed and focused his attention on the scroll in his hands.

Soon, he caught a faint sense of something.

The text before my eyes seems to have changed:

"This is not a combat technique belonging to humans; the method of exerting force is not in line with human physical structure."

"But the subtle variations still compelled me to record them."

"If I can fully grasp the principles behind it, it might take me a step further on my path to becoming a legend."

Luke never imagined that the combat techniques recorded on this parchment would be even more valuable than he had thought.

It actually involves a legendary figure!

"How is it? Any problems?" Marilyn asked from the side.

Out of professional ethics, she only broke the seal on top without looking at the contents.

Seeing Luke's strange expression, she thought he had encountered some problem.

"No problem! Thanks!"

Luke was overjoyed and carefully tucked the parchment into his pocket.

The transaction was complete, and Marilyn returned to her room to continue her research on the demon.

Luke, equally eager, rushed back to the Old Oak Barrel Tavern. Without even having dinner, he went straight to his room and began reading the contents of the tavern intently.

"This is an ability possessed by a mysterious creature I encountered in a special space; I've temporarily named it 'Fallen Shadows'."

"After several years of improvements, I believe this combat technique is now more suitable for use by humanoid creatures."

The parchment wasn't large, but perhaps because it involved magic, Luke felt that it contained a great deal of information.

The above contains numerous conjectures and speculations about this legendary figure.

The various nouns and obscure characters gave him a headache.

"Although there have been improvements, this ability still places too much strain on the human body."

"In fact, as physical strength increases, the side effects of using this combat technique will become increasingly severe."

......

"I couldn't resist doing some more research today, and accidentally wiped off my arm. Itami yelled at me."

"It seems I've gone in the wrong direction in my research. Am I really not a genius?"

......

"Years of research have taught me one thing: the human body has its limits, so..."

"I've given up. While the ability to manipulate space is fascinating, it's not worth the effort for me right now."

"If anyone sees this record, I advise you not to try to learn from it, as it's only a work in progress."

"Of course, if you can make some improvements, we might become very good friends."

"—Life Pill: Howling Wind: Beatrice."

This concludes the written record.

At the very end of the parchment is a mysterious six-pointed star symbol.

Luke touched it instinctively.

Instantly, a flood of unknown images began to rush into his mind.

In a daze, he seemed to have entered a special space, surrounded by a pure white mist.

Before him stood a black, humanoid phantom, whose features and gender were indiscernible.

The figure moved, became blurry, and then instantly appeared dozens of meters away.

Disappearance!

Luke was certain that this was the complete stealth evasion technique he had been longing for!

The sudden, illusory figure confirmed to Luke that the goblin had used this ability.

However, the opponent can only teleport a few centimeters, which is obviously incomplete compared to the displacement distance of tens of meters.

Luke didn't pay much attention to the parchment's final warning not to study it lightly.

His physical strength is far from reaching the level of a legendary professional.

The side effects were certainly not as severe as the other party claimed.

Pay a certain price to avoid a fatal attack, or even turn the tide of battle.

Luke thought this deal was absolutely worthwhile.

However, although Luke really wanted to learn, he didn't know where to start.

All I could do was watch the shadowy figure disappear and reappear before my eyes, over and over again.

He finally succumbed to sleep when his temples began to throb violently and the feeling of mental exhaustion returned...

I woke up the next day.

Luca first glanced at his own panel.

There are no new additions to the combat skills section.

"Haste makes waste..."

Luke muttered to himself, trying to comfort himself.

Without much progress for the time being, he decided to improve his other abilities first.

The first thing is the use of new weapons.

Unlike double-edged axes, both hand-and-a-half swords and arm shields have certain learning curves.

Luke returned to the training ground and enrolled in related courses.

Tuition fees that don't involve combat skills are much more reasonable: one silver coin for three lessons, each lasting half a day.

In the following days, he spent his days practicing swordsmanship and shield blocking techniques at the training ground.

At night, he would watch the shadowy figure's combat skills demonstrations over and over again until he was exhausted and fell asleep.

The advantage of good physical fitness also becomes apparent at this time.

Luke maintained this relentless effort for half a month.

"Bang!"

After raising his left arm to block the incoming sword.

Luke braced himself against his waist, took a steady step forward, and flipped his longsword forward with his right hand, knocking the weapon from his mentor's hand.

This also means that he has already mastered the basics of swordsmanship and shield usage.

"Very well, there's nothing more I can teach you here. You'll have to figure out the rest of the way yourself."

The mentor was very satisfied; this apprentice was the most hardworking and fastest-improving student he had ever taught.

Luke nodded in thanks.

Luke remained noncommittal regarding the constant praise the other party had given him for his high talent.

He even began to doubt his own learning abilities.

The reason is that he has made no progress whatsoever in learning how to evade detection.

Unlike offensive combat skills, this evasion ability left him momentarily at a loss as to where to begin.

Luca even tried to imitate the eerie movements of the shadowy figure, attempting to find some inspiration from them.

Unfortunately, they still came up empty-handed.

"Am I really less intelligent than a goblin?"

Fortunately, Luke wasn't the type to engage in internal strife.

When one path is blocked, try other paths first.

These days he has been working hard to learn how to use the new equipment so that he can accept commissions as soon as possible and improve his proficiency in other combat skills.

Luca left the training ground and headed straight for the Adventurers' Guild.

Upon entering the association's lobby, he did not choose to go to the second floor.

Instead, he stood in front of the task board on the first floor and began searching for his target.

Goblin Slaughter Commission

[Reward: 10 Gold Coins]

[Quest Description: Located near the outskirts of Sunset Forest (please consult the receptionist for details). There are approximately 35 goblins. It is recommended that non-professional players accept the quest in a small team.]

Because of the large number of goblins and the high level of challenge, this quest was not immediately accepted by adventurers after it was posted.

Without hesitation, Luke tore down the commission report and went to the reception area.

He's very angry right now.