Chapter 12

Beth's POV

Noah Sherlock had a very small frame for a High School Student.

His cute face and unassuming expression made him seem harmless and even fragile to his classmates.

As a result, he didn’t attract much attention in class.

However, he was also a smartass who was recognized as a teacher’s pet, so he wasn’t liked by many.

Since Noah was a smart student who always aced everything he set his heart to, he made a lot of people seem dumb in comparison.

All of this culminated in somewhat average Karma Points for him.

When it was time to choose his Skills and Class, he could only afford three Skills due to his limited resources.

Shadow Magic (B-Tier)

Phase (C-Tier)

Projection (C-Tier)

His Class on the other hand was pretty average as well. He ended up with the [Thief] Class, which focused on stealth and agility.

It was quite hilarious how he ended up following the path of his Class to the letter.

Thanks to this set of abilities, Noah could easily enter and exit the Royal Estate without being noticed, which made him appreciate his Skills and Class.

Not only did the [Thief] Class automatically improve the effects of any Stealth-Based Skill by 50%, but also provided a natural camouflage ability when remaining still for extended periods.

It perfectly suited his needs.

With [Projection], he could create convincing illusions. [Phase] allowed him to pass through objects, provided there was no interference.

And, while he hadn’t properly learned how to use his [Shadow Magic] Skill, he could make his shadow tangible and loosely control it to do his bidding.

All in all, these abilities were incredibly useful when Noah ventured into the outside world to learn more about the unfamiliar world he had been summoned into.

However, there was a secret he had kept close to his chest—one that no one else knew.

He was a coward!

‘I don’t want to fight any Dragons! I just want a normal, peaceful life!’

Unfortunately for him, he lacked the means and resources to be independent.

He was dependent on the Royal Council and the wealth of the United Human Alliance to survive.

That had to change!

Determined to gain autonomy, Noah used his [Shadow] ability to appear taller and more imposing. With this newfound confidence, he ventured into town to observe its commerce.

He was able to ask questions, and the people readily answered him thanks to his intimidating presence.

The information he could obtain was limited, since one needed money before they could learn the more intricate details of this world.

Recognizing the need for funds, Noah reluctantly began selling off his personal belongings to make ends meet and gather enough resources to learn more information.

But it wasn’t enough.

Noah needed more money.

As a result, he set his sights on his classmates and their possessions.

That was when he decided on his first target—Rey Skylar.

**********

‘Well, that was a mistake.’

Noah couldn't help but sigh as he observed Rey's smile while making his offer.

“What do you say, buddy?” Rey’s expression was friendly, but Noah could not tell what was going on in the boy’s head.

‘Is this really all he wants?’

Noah disliked confrontations to a fault, and he was also genuinely afraid of a lot of people.

The only reason he had made it this far was because his fear of Dragons surpassed his fear of people.

The mere thought of facing one sent shivers down his spine.

"Can I think about it?" Noah stammered.

“No,” Rey said with a narrowed gaze, causing Noah to shrink in fear.

“I’m already being very generous as it is. You know I could just read your mind and learn everything you know before disposing of you, right?”

“E-eh?!”

“I could also wipe away your memories so you don’t remember this conversation. Why else do you think I’m showing you so much of my hidden power?”

Noah found himself gulping hard.

‘H-how did he get so much power, though? Just how many Skills does he have? Does he have a Hidden Class as well?’

He had so many questions, but most of all… he was frightened.

‘For the sake of my survival, I have no reason to refuse.’

Defeated, he hung his head and gave in.

“I… I accept.”

********

After Noah reluctantly accepted, Rey sat him down and made him explain more about the details of his expeditions into town and the knowledge he had gathered.

This included the economic state of the capital, the transportation network, and distribution to the other cities, towns, and villages within the Nation.

The prices of various goods were also discussed thoroughly.

‘Now I see why he went to the town and asked these things instead of sticking to the library.’

The library lacked such detailed and practical information, especially regarding real-world economic dynamics and logistics.

Interestingly, Noah also frequented the library. However, since he was a night owl, he usually read very late in the night until morning.

That was probably why no one noticed him going.

“The Monster Cores sell for 2 Gold Pieces each—though that’s only because they’re Grade 6 Cores. Lower Grade Cores sell for less.”

Monster Cores were categorized into 9 Grades, based on their worth. The lowest Grade was 9, and the highest was 1.

Grade 6 Cores belonged to C-Tier Monsters, making them quite valuable.

Due to a scarcity of high-grade Monster Cores in the capital, their prices were expected to rise.

“Two Gold Coins, huh…?”

One of the first things Rey did in the library was to study the currency and economic system of this new world he found himself in.

From what he discovered, transactions were conducted using coins, with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Coins being the standard denominations.

One Bronze Coin was enough to buy a low-budget meal. Two or three would get you something nice, and five was bound to leave you with a full belly.

At least, for the common folks.

As a result, a person needed about Ten Bronze Coins to get by each day,

This was, of course, not accounting for accommodation and other equally important factors.

For most working adults, 100 Bronze Coins amounted to a Silver Coin, representing an average weekly wage in this world.