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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 69: Offer
🕑 Added 2024-07-31 17:01:02 +0000 UTC“Hello Blue,” Edge said in a soothing tone. “I’m here on invitation. Trapper asked me to stop by, so I’ll just head on over and say hello, if you don’t mind.”
The beast couldn’t understand his words, but she must have decided that Edge was a friend after their battle with the monsters. The azure dino licked his face and nuzzled his chest before walking back over to her pen to feed from a trough full of grass.
He had expected to see the crew hard at work, but no one seemed to be around today. He walked over to the front of the den, then knocked on the front door. After a voice told him to enter, Edge stepped inside the building.
He’d never seen the interior before, since the inner workings of tourists’ operations were censored on the feed. He took a long, lingering look as he crossed the room, heading for a table in the back where Trapper was making some adjustments to her massive magtech crossbow.
There were trophies lining most of the walls. Not the heads of actual beasts, as those were too valuable to waste on vanity. Instead, there were gorgeous hand-painted sculptures, fashioned from stone and clay. Edge took in the exquisite detail of what appeared to be a giant hedgehog with the head of a snake, a native beast called a ripper if he remembered correctly.
Trapper looked up from her work, smiling when she realized who had walked through the door. “Edge, just the man I was hoping to see. Come take a seat and have a beer on me. There’s something that I would like to discuss. I gave everyone the day off to recover from the fight, so we have the whole place to ourselves.”
“Thanks, Trapper. Don’t mind if I do. I haven’t been able to enjoy a cold one since my new life began.”
He crossed the room and sat at the table, while she walked over to the refrigeration unit in the kitchen and cracked open the door. She took out two bottles of beer and flicked the caps off with her thumb, then handed him one before taking a seat beside him.
“Cheers.” They clinked their bottles together. “To new friends and timely arrivals.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Edge brought the rim to his lips and took a long slug, sighing in contentment as the flavor broke over his palate. It was by far the best beer that he’d ever sampled. Rich notes of grain were dancing alongside hints of something he could almost, but not quite, identify. “Delicious.” He smiled, then took another sip.
“Isn’t it? It’s my own recipe. Each barrel gets a small piece of a mana-seed worked into it. It makes each batch taste different depending on what kind it was.” Then, for a long moment, they just sat there enjoying their drinks. It was a companionable silence, without the need for small talk or posturing.
When they finished the first bottle, she brought them a fresh round. Then she thanked him again for his help and asked him how he was doing. Edge found that he enjoyed Trapper’s company. She was direct, honest, and friendly, but not pushy at all.
Eventually, they reached the bottom of their beers and she turned to him and said, “I can guess why you’re here. You stopped by City Hall and had a chat with Emily or Dialla.”
“That’s right.” He set the bottle down after sucking out the final drops hiding in the crevice. “Since it seems like Puppet Town is my new home, I’m looking for a job. I heard that you might have one lined up for me.”
“I might indeed. Although we’ll have to train you and give you a trial run before we make it official. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for what you did, and you clearly have potential. But beast hunting takes more than luck and a few good skills.” She gestured toward the various creatures depicted along the walls.
“It takes dedication, teamwork, and attention to detail. Sitting in uncomfortable fucking places for hours at a time, without losing patience or lowering your guard. If I can’t rely on you in the field, then I can’t take you with us. No matter how much we all appreciate you risking your hide to save ours.”
“I understand. That’s more than fair. I’m game for any training or trials you have to offer. But I think that I have what it takes. After being out there alone and making it back by the skin of my teeth, I respect the danger and am eager to be part of a team.”
“That’s just what I wanted to hear. You should get as much rest as you can and come back at dawn the day after tomorrow. We’ll train you for ten days and then take you out on a big game hunt. If you pass, you can have a bunk in the barracks. But until you’re one of us, you’ll have to find another place to rest your head. If you’re free right now, I’ll feed you before you go. I have some ripper steaks that are simply to die for.”
Edge accepted her offer and they moved into the kitchen, enjoying a meal of grilled meat and several more rounds of beer. Eventually, he realized that hours had flown by while they were shooting the breeze and getting to know one another better.
“Shit. I need to take off. I still need to run by the Forge before they close for the day. Thanks again, Trapper. I’ll see you soon.”
“Likewise, Edge.” They shook hands, and she clapped him on the back. “I have a feeling that this is the right place for you, but no one gets a free pass.”
He left Trapper’s Den feeling better than he had all week.
Not only had he found a form of employment where he could cycle-up and steal skills on the sly, he genuinely liked the veteran tourist’s style. Both her personality and her hunting philosophy. A lot of people were too caught up in cores and skills, and undervalued knowledge and ability.
Edge needed to know how to hunt powerful beasts if he wanted to make the most out of his core, and this was a place where he could learn from the best. Hunting with Trapper and her crew, he could work his way up from smaller quarry to bigger game. Best of all, it would provide cover for any extracurricular activities he engaged in on his own, keeping trouble like Warren off his back.
Making some friends would be nice too. It made the prospect of being stranded on a lethal alien world feel a little less lonely. But that would have to wait another two days.
Now that he’d found a way to make some money and acquire training in the process, it was time for Edge to spend the credits he’d earned on something that made him giddy with anticipation.
It’s finally time to gear up. First on the list, turning that high-quality reaver claw into a useful weapon.
Comments
Bryan Dickerson
ty
Robert McCarter
Thank you! Another minor typo: "It made the prospect made being stranded"
Rylie Harris
tftc!
Bryan Dickerson
yea, thank you.
Alexander Belousov
"troth" --> "trough", presumably? "Troth" is something very different.
