Chapter 30: Space slash
She lifted one of the tier 1 strength rings, turning it slowly in the dim light to examine every detail.
[Tier 1 Strength Ring – Carved from some kind of dense, dark wood and infused with raw mana, this ring provide a more modest boost of 3 points to body stat. The amateur craftsmanship was evident in the slightly uneven cuts and the way the magical energy pulsed irregularly through the grain.]
Mitch leaned closer, his trained eye scanning the ring’s surface for hidden properties he might have missed during his initial inspection of the assassin’s belongings. Nothing unusual caught his attention.
"This was my ring. Look here," Leya said softly, her voice carrying a note of bittersweet recognition. She turned the band inward, revealing the inner surface.
Mitch squinted and saw delicate script etched into the wood, Leya, carved in flowing letters no larger than a child’s fingernail. The inscription was so small and subtly worked into the grain that he had completely overlooked it during his hasty examination of the assassin’s spoils.
"Did you get mugged before?" Mitch asked, curiosity and concern mingling in his voice as he began to piece together her story.
"The man who left me to die in the Whispering Forest stripped me of everything I owned," she replied, her jaw tightening with old anger.
"The assassin you killed must have either taken care of him directly or purchased my belongings from whoever finished the job."
"That makes far more sense than what I was thinking," Mitch nodded, relieved that the coincidence had a logical explanation.
"Anyway, thank you so much for gifting me these. They would have fetched you considerable gold at any merchant’s stall," she said warmly, rising on her toes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"It’s better this way. If you’re strong, we both have a better chance of surviving whatever enemies we might face" Mitch replied pragmatically, though he felt a slight warmth spread across his face where she had kissed him.
"Do you know where I can go to practice some skills safely?" Mitch asked, eager to test abilities he hadn’t had a proper opportunity to explore.