Osric received a small pouch from one of the arena organizers.
Inside were his winnings.
1 silver and 50 copper.
The weight of the coins felt satisfying in his hand.
For a moment, he simply looked at them before tying the pouch to his belt.
It wasn't a fortune.
But it was good money for a single fight.
Especially in a place like Ashbrook.
Without saying anything, Osric stepped down from the ring.
Many eyes followed him immediately.
The entire arena had seen what happened.
Whispers spread through the crowd as he walked past.
"That's him…"
"The kid who beat one of the elites."
"He did it after fighting four people already."
Some spectators looked impressed.
Others looked skeptical.
A few fighters watched him with narrow eyes.
Osric ignored all of it.
He had already achieved what he came here for tonight.
Attention.
A reputation.
Now the fighters here knew his face.
Tomorrow he would fight again.
But for tonight, it was enough.
Osric quietly made his way toward the exit of the underground arena.
The loud voices and cheers slowly faded behind him as he stepped outside into the cold night air.
The streets of Lowbrook were almost empty at this hour.
Only a few distant lanterns illuminated the narrow road.
Osric had taken only a few steps away from the building when something appeared before his eyes.
{ New Skill Acquired }
Close Combat (F)
Osric stopped walking.
For a moment he simply stared at the message.
Then he slowly exhaled.
"…Close Combat."
His gaze hardened slightly.
That explained something.
Throughout the fights tonight, his body had started reacting differently.
Movements had become smoother.
Distances easier to judge.
Openings easier to see.
At the time he thought it was simply experience.
But the System had been observing.
And now it had acknowledged the result.
Osric closed the message after a moment.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Tonight had been worth it.
—
The next morning arrived quietly.
Cold winter light slowly spread across the town of Ashbrook.
It was the 1st day of the 2nd month, Year 313 of the Common Reckoning.
Osric arrived at the Adventurers' Guild shortly after it opened.
The hall was still relatively calm compared to the usual afternoon crowds.
He walked to the counter and received his monthly stipend.
350 copper.
It wasn't much.
But combined with his arena earnings from last night, his finances were steadily improving.
After leaving the guild, Osric went to meet William.
They met on the training ground behind the guild building in the yard.
William immediately noticed something different.
"You look satisfied."
Osric shrugged slightly.
"The arena went well."
William raised an eyebrow.
"How well?"
Osric simply answered.
"I fought an elite fighter."
William stared at him.
"You what?"
Osric tied his dagger sheath more securely to his belt.
"And won."
William let out a short laugh.
"Of course you did."
He shook his head.
"Alright then."
"Show me."
They stepped into the training area and faced each other.
This time neither of them used weapons.
Just close combat.
William attacked first.
A quick punch toward Osric's head.
Osric slipped the strike easily and answered with a light push against William's shoulder, breaking his balance.
William recovered and attacked again.
Kick.
Punch.
Osric avoided both.
Then stepped inside William's guard and tapped his chest.
William stopped.
"…What?"
They reset.
William attacked again.
But the result was the same.
Every time William tried to create pressure, Osric moved just slightly faster and slightly more efficiently.
Within moments Osric slipped another attack and locked William's arm.
William sighed.
"Okay, okay."
"I get it."
He stepped back and rubbed his shoulder.
"You've gotten better again."
Osric thought about the System message from last night.
"Probably."
Of course Osric couldn't tell William about the system, no matter how much he grew to trust him.
They sat down for a short rest.
William leaned back on his hands.
"Oh, by the way."
"I might have found someone."
Osric glanced at him.
"For our party?"
William nodded.
"He's a very skilled archer."
"Not an apprentice knight or something, but he's capable and an experienced hunter. An archer would be very useful to us."
"I just need to convince him."
Osric didn't ask further questions.
"Bring him in a few days."
"I'll evaluate him."
William grinned.
"Fair enough."
After a bit more conversation, the two eventually parted ways.
Osric spent the rest of the day quietly.
He read through several books he had borrowed and thought about his future plans.
Money.
Strength.
Connections.
All three would become increasingly important.
Especially if he wanted to survive long enough to grow stronger.
That night Osric returned to Lowbrook.
Cold wind moved through the narrow streets.
Winter had firmly taken hold of Ashbrook.
When Osric stepped into the underground arena again, the difference was immediate.
Warm air filled the room.
The heat from nearly two hundred people packed together made the place almost uncomfortable compared to the freezing night outside.
The familiar smells of sweat, dust and old blood filled the stone chamber.
Osric quietly found a place among the spectators.
Several people recognized him immediately.
"The kid is back."
"Already?"
"Looks like he wants another elite fight."
Osric ignored the comments and focused on the ring.
He watched the fights carefully.
Just like the night before.
Studying movements.
Studying habits.
Eventually the regular fights came to an end.
The referee stepped into the middle of the ring.
The next phase of the night was about to begin.
Once again, fighters began standing up.
This time there were twelve volunteers.
Osric was among them.
As he walked toward the ring, he noticed something familiar.
Among the fighters waiting nearby stood the same woman from yesterday.
Arms crossed.
Silent.
Watching.
Osric briefly glanced at her.
Then he looked back at the ring.
Tonight would be interesting.