Days turned into weeks as Leon settled into a rigorous training routine. Each morning, after completing his chores with newfound efficiency, he would slip away to his forest clearing to practice swordsmanship, archery with a crude bow he had fashioned, and physical conditioning.
His progress was remarkable. Skills that would take others months to develop came to him in days. After just three weeks, his status window showed:
Name: Leon Farrow
Age: 12
Level: 2
System Points: 27
SKILLS:
Sword Proficiency [F-896/1000]
Archery [F-650/1000]
Herbalism [F-221/1000]
Physical Endurance [F-789/1000]
He had earned system points gradually through small monster encounters in the forest—more forest hares, a couple of mischievous sprites that had tried to steal his possessions, and even a venomous snake with rudimentary magic capabilities. None were truly dangerous, but each victory added to his growing collection of points.
Today, Leon had decided to focus on herbalism. The forests around Greendale were rich with medicinal plants, and knowledge of herbs would be invaluable for an adventurer who couldn't always count on access to healers.
"Lady's Breath," Leon muttered, carefully cutting the blue-tinged leaves from a low-growing plant. "Good for reducing fevers."
He placed the herbs in his system inventory—a convenient space where items were preserved perfectly until needed. Unlike his physical possessions, anything in his inventory couldn't be discovered by his parents or other villagers.
As Leon moved deeper into the forest searching for more herbs, he heard a soft, melodic humming. Curious and cautious, he crept toward the sound, wooden sword at the ready.
In a sunlit clearing not unlike his own training ground, a girl about his age was gathering plants and placing them in a woven basket. Her copper-colored hair was tied back in a practical braid, and she wore clothing of finer quality than most villagers—a simple but well-made blue dress with protective leather patches at the knees and elbows.
Leon recognized her immediately. Sera Brightwood, the apothecary's daughter. The Brightwoods lived on the outskirts of Greendale and were among the few villagers with formal education. Old man Brightwood was the closest thing Greendale had to a physician, mixing remedies and treating ailments with his herbal concoctions.
Leon was about to slip away unnoticed when he stepped on a dry branch. The sharp crack echoed through the clearing.
Sera's head snapped up, her hands instinctively reaching for a small knife at her belt. "Who's there?"
"Just me," Leon said, stepping into view. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Her posture relaxed slightly, but wariness remained in her eyes. "Leon Farrow, isn't it? What are you doing so deep in the forest?"
"The same as you, I think," he replied, gesturing to the herbs in his hand. "Gathering medicinal plants."
Sera's expression shifted from suspicion to curiosity. "You know about herbs? I didn't think any of the village boys cared about such things."
There was a hint of condescension in her tone that annoyed Leon, but he kept his expression neutral. "I've been learning. Lady's Breath for fevers, Thornroot for infections, Silverweed for purifying water."
"Impressed," Sera admitted, her eyebrows rising slightly. "But you're holding that Lady's Breath wrong. You'll bruise the leaves and reduce its potency."
Leon looked down at the herbs in his hand and realized she was right. Despite his enhanced learning, there were still nuances that came only with proper instruction.
"Could you show me the correct way?" he asked, swallowing his pride.
Something in his genuine interest seemed to win her over. Sera hesitated only briefly before nodding.
"Come here," she said, kneeling beside another Lady's Breath plant. "You hold it at the base, like this, and cut at an angle with a sharp blade. Then place it immediately in your basket with the leaves facing upward."
Leon watched carefully and then mimicked her actions with the next plant. His system notification chimed softly in his mind:
Herbalism skill increased! [F-241/1000]
For the next hour, Sera guided Leon through proper herb-gathering techniques, showing him plants he hadn't recognized and explaining their properties. She was knowledgeable beyond her years—clearly the product of growing up with an apothecary father.
"How do you know which mushrooms are safe?" Leon asked, pointing to a cluster of fungi growing on a fallen log.
"Colors, gill patterns, bruising reactions," Sera explained. "See these white ones? They look innocent, but notice the red flecks on the stem? Death Caps. They could kill a grown man in half a day."
Leon memorized the distinctive features, his hundredfold learning capturing every detail.
"There's a whole cluster of Silverroot behind those rocks," Sera said, pointing to a rocky outcropping. "It's rare and valuable—useful for antidotes to common poisons."
Leon followed her to the rocks, where small silver-veined plants grew in the shade. As they knelt to harvest them, Sera's sleeve pulled back, revealing strange markings on her wrist—intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer faintly against her skin.
She noticed his gaze and quickly pulled her sleeve down, but not before Leon had memorized the design. It looked like a magical sigil of some kind, though he had no reference for what it might mean.
"What was—" he began.
"Nothing," she interrupted sharply. "Just a birthmark. Let's finish gathering these roots before midday. The sun diminishes their properties."
Leon nodded, choosing not to press the issue, but filing the information away. There was more to Sera Brightwood than met the eye.
As they finished their gathering, Leon's status showed remarkable progress:
Herbalism [F-456/1000]
A single afternoon with proper instruction had doubled his knowledge. If he could continue learning from Sera, he could master basic herbalism in a fraction of the time he'd planned.
"You're a quick study," Sera remarked as they walked back toward the village, each carrying their harvests. "Most people take weeks to learn what you picked up today."
Leon shrugged modestly. "I pay attention."
"My father could use an assistant," she said suddenly. "Someone to help gather ingredients and learn the trade. The village boys he's tried before either got bored or were too clumsy with the delicate work."
Leon's heart raced at the opportunity. Training with an actual apothecary would advance his skills exponentially faster than learning on his own.
"I'd be interested," he said carefully, "but my father expects me to help in the fields most days."
Sera considered this. "It wouldn't be every day. Three afternoons a week, perhaps? And my father pays in both coin and knowledge."
"I'll speak with my parents tonight," Leon promised.
As they reached the edge of the village, Sera hesitated. "One more thing, Leon. If my father agrees to teach you... you must be trustworthy. Some of what we work with—some of what we know—isn't for everyone."
There was weight behind her words, a seriousness that seemed beyond her years. Leon nodded solemnly.
"I can keep secrets," he assured her.
Little did she know just how significant his own secrets were.
That evening, after a lengthy discussion with his reluctant father and supportive mother, Leon gained permission to apprentice with Apothecary Brightwood three afternoons a week. His father had only relented when the prospect of additional income was mentioned—the Farrow family, like most in Greendale, lived season to season with little to spare.
As Leon lay in his bed that night, watching his status window hovering in the darkness above him, he smiled. His three-year plan was progressing faster than anticipated. With formal training in herbalism added to his self-directed combat practice, he was well on his way to building the foundation he would need.
Tomorrow, he would begin his apprenticeship with the mysterious Brightwoods, and perhaps learn what the strange markings on Sera's wrist signified. But first, he had an item to enhance—one of the rare Silverroot plants he had carefully hidden away from the day's gathering.
"Enhance," he whispered, focusing on the silver-veined root in his palm.
The now-familiar warmth flowed through him, and the Silverroot glowed briefly before transforming. Its veins shifted from silver to a bright, almost luminous gold, and the root itself seemed more vibrant.
F-Rank Silverroot has been enhanced to E-Rank Golden Silverroot.
Leon carefully placed the enhanced root in his system inventory. Tomorrow, he would present it to Apothecary Brightwood as a gift—a way to demonstrate his seriousness about the apprenticeship.
Outside his window, a full moon hung heavy in the sky, casting the sleeping village in pale light. Somewhere beyond the horizon lay the Northern Mountains with their crystal waterfalls, the vast deserts of the east, and countless other wonders he had only heard about in stories.
Three years. Each day of training brought him closer to seeing them all.