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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 59: Ann’s
🕑 Added 2024-07-24 17:01:01 +0000 UTCFive minutes later, Edge found himself standing in the shadow of his destination, looking up at a sign running along the top of the sprawling wooden building. A hand painted shovel and pickaxe were crossed over the name of the shop, which was written out in bright red letters.
The store’s full name was ‘Ann’s General Goods,’ although everyone called the place Ann’s for short. Everyone in town shopped at Ann’s from time to time. There were dozens of other stores in the commercial district, along with the weekly Night Sky market. But Ann’s boasted the widest range of basic supplies and had a reputation for fair prices without the need to negotiate.
She also provided several services that helped make Puppet Town run, one of which Edge wanted to take advantage of sometime within the next few days.
He stopped by the scraper to wipe the mud off his boots as best he could, then stepped through the door. He gave his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the lower level of light, then made his way toward the long wooden counter running along the back wall. He passed by several people along the way, who were browsing the isles full of tools, supplies, and sundries, ignoring the disgusted stares that he collected along the way.
As Edge had been hoping, the proprietor of the establishment was working the register, instead of one of the store’s other employees. He ran his eyes across her as he continued walking toward the back.
Ann appeared to be somewhere in her late-twenties, thanks to the power core smoldering in her chest. He knew that she was at least two decades older, making her one of the town’s longest surviving residents.
In addition to granting attribute points and extra skill slots, binding a core extended a puppet’s natural lifespan, making them look younger than they actually were. Not that it mattered much in the end, since dying of old age was practically unheard of for jailbirds and tourists alike.
Ann’s face was framed with flowing hair the color of honey, drawn up in a thick ponytail. She had baby blue eyes, a button nose, and round features. Right now, she was wearing a yellow sundress with a floral print and a thick leather apron tied to the front.
Although she wasn’t a hunter, Ann was remarkably fit. Edge had the sense that she was more than capable of holding her own in a fight. She must have put at least a few points into power and control to look that athletic, but I suspect that most of her figure is the result of diligent daily exercise.
Ann had probably smelled him coming the moment that he’d walked in the door, and definitely had by now. She raised one golden eyebrow at his disheveled appearance but didn’t voice a complaint. She just kept humming to herself while tallying her receipts, not saying a word until he came to a stop in front of her.
“Good day, Edge. Wasn’t sure that we’d be seeing you again. At least not in one piece… more or less. Glad to know that you’re still kicking.”
“Hello Ann. It’s nice to see you too.”
“What can I do for you today? Some new clothes perhaps? Maybe a bar of soap or two?”
“Actually, both of those sound great, although I’ll have to sell before I can buy. Before we get to that, do you think we could get a little privacy?”
“Sure thing, hun. Give me just a second.” Ann’s face scrunched in concentration, and a bubble of mana spread out from her location. When it was big enough to engulf Edge, all the sound in the room abruptly cut off.
Ann had several unusual skills that were useful for running this place, and her privacy bubble was famous on the feed. It blocked light in one direction and sound in both, letting her mind the store while she dealt with customers whose transactions required discretion.
When it was ready, she broke into a broad grin, reaching out to give his shoulder a playful punch.
“Holy shit, Edge. You look good. I mean, you look like shit, but your presence has some real weight to it that wasn’t there before. You did it, didn’t you, you mad bastard? You actually found a core out there. Unless I’m mistaken, and I rarely am, you’ve already cycled-up enough to evolve it to stage-one.”
Since he wasn’t going to be able to keep that much a secret after fighting alongside Trapper’s crew, he saw no reason to lie. Besides, Edge liked Ann and wanted to stay on her good side. “I did. I really did. I almost died more times than I can count, but I’m finally cored. Hit stage-one less than an hour ago.”
“I already heard about your fight with the monster and its spawn. Trapper’s crew owes you big time. I never thought that you had an ounce of heroism in you, but you have my thanks as well. Puppet Town wouldn’t be the same without them. Now, what are you really here for? Although that bit about the soap wasn’t a joke. You smell like rancid vomit, and that’s being generous.”
“Sorry Ann. The worst of it is the reavers’ blood, but it’s been rough living out there all-around. Everything has changed so much since the disaster, and I have the sense that this is only the beginning. I don’t have a credit to my name, so I haven’t been able to get a room and shower yet. Which is why I’m standing here, stinking up your lovely establishment. I have some monster parts that I want to sell, and I’m in dire need of a change of clothes.”
“Show me what you’re packing. I’ll give you the best price that I can. But just so you know, the planet-wide trade grid went down with the rest. Supply and demand are changing by the day, and I can’t pay as much as I normally would.” Ann reached below the counter and pulled out a large metal tray, so that he could spread out his items without making a mess.
“I understand. Just do the best you can.” With that, Edge sat his backpack down on the tray and opened the flap. Then he pulled out the reavers’ claws, talons, and beaks, along with the items he’d retrieved from the ruins. The necklace that he’d found on the corpse, and the pair of lanterns he had taken from the convicts.
Ann’s eyes went wide as she took in his haul. She began sorting everything into different piles, muttering to herself as she went about her work. “How many monsters did you kill? And I’ve never seen these parts before. You really did fight something that was brought here from the frontier. Wait, judging by the number of those big claws… you didn’t. But how else could you have acquired them?”
At that point, Ann stopped to look Edge straight in the eyes. “Some of those parts are too large to have been harvested from a stage-one monster, and there are too many to have collected them all from the ones you fought today.
“You killed another stage-two monster, which must have happened before you evolved to stage-one. A stage-zero puppet took on a stage-two monster… and won. That shouldn’t be possible. Not without years of hunting experience or gear lightyears better than what you’re wearing.”
A shiver went down his spine as Ann finished her analysis with an air of finality. “Not to mention, two more blood-spattered lanterns than you had before you left. It simply doesn’t add up, Edge. You must be hiding something big.”
Oh shit. He let out a sigh. I didn’t think about it like it.
