Primordial Awakening: I Breathe Skill Points!-Chapter 38: Shopping. (2)

The axe skills section was overwhelming.

Zeph stood at the entrance to an aisle lined with glowing tomes, each one representing a different way to kill or maim or destroy, and felt analysis paralysis trying to set in.

There were hundreds of them!

Combat skills, utility skills, passive enhancements, active abilities. Some with straightforward names like "Power Strike" and others with esoteric titles like "Moonless Night Severance." Ranks from F to D, organized in careful subcategories that suggested the Union took their inventory management very seriously.

He pulled his hood lower and started reading.

The tomes themselves were standardized—leather-bound books about the size of a hardcover novel, with formation arrays worked into the covers that made them glow faintly with System energy. Each one had a small display card showing the skill name, rank, cost, and a brief description.

Zeph moved through the aisles methodically, his Enhanced Hearing picking up snippets of other shoppers’ conversations:

"—don’t waste time on Rank E skills, they’re basically useless past Level 30—"

"—that one has good synergy with sword builds but for axes you want—"

"—overpriced, you can get the same effect for half the cost at—"

He tuned them out and focused on his own analysis.

[Devastating Blow - Rank D]

Cost: 8,500 credits

[Armor Breaker - Rank D]

Cost: 9,200 credits

[Whirlwind Assault - Rank D]

Cost: 11,000 credits

[Skull Crusher - Rank E]

Cost: 6,000 credits

[Bleeding Edge - Rank D]

Cost: 7,800 credits

Each one had potential. Each one would make him more dangerous. But credits were limited, and he needed to choose carefully.

An hour passed. Zeph worked through the entire axe section with the systematic efficiency of someone who’d spent three years calculating risk-reward ratios for survival. Other shoppers came and went.

He stayed, reading descriptions, comparing costs, building a mental framework of what he actually needed versus what just looked cool.

Finally, he narrowed it down to four finalists:

[Cleaving Momentum - Rank D]

Cost: 8,000 credits

Effect: Each consecutive strike on the same target increases damage by 10%, stacking up to 5 times for a maximum 50% damage increase. Stacks reset if you switch targets or miss. Duration: Until combat ends or 10 seconds pass without landing a hit.

The description continued in smaller text: "A fundamental technique for sustained assault specialists. Rewards commitment and precision. Popular among adventurers who favor overwhelming single targets rather than spreading damage across groups. Note: Stack tracking is automatic via System interface."

Zeph stared at the tome, his analytical mind running combat simulations.

’First hit: normal damage. Second hit: 110% damage. Third hit: 120%. Fourth: 130%. Fifth: 140%. By the time I land that fifth strike, I’m hitting with effectively 1.5 times my normal output. Against a single high-value target, that’s...’

’That’s exactly what I need!’

His entire combat philosophy centered on killing important threats as quickly as possible. This skill rewarded that approach directly. Land five consecutive hits—which with his AGI 156 would take maybe three seconds—and suddenly his damage output spiked into genuinely dangerous territory.

[Gravity Cleave - Rank D]

Cost: 15,000 credits

Effect: Channel gravitational force into your weapon for 3 seconds. Your next strike delivers 200% impact force and creates a shockwave in a 5-meter cone. Cooldown: 45 seconds. Cost: 40 MP.

The description was more dramatic: "Signature technique of the Mountain Cleaver School. Users report that successfully landing this strike feels like dropping a building on the target. Shockwave can stagger multiple enemies even if it doesn’t deal direct damage. Warning: Extended use may cause temporary arm numbness."

’Big wind-up, massive payoff, area denial through shockwave...’

It was flashy. Powerful. The kind of technique that would make enemies reconsider their life choices.

But it was also 15,000 credits—nearly a third of his remaining money for a single skill. And the 45-second cooldown meant it was a once-per-fight ability at best.

’Effective but expensive. Maybe later.’

[Execution Arc - Rank D]

Cost: 12,000 credits

Effect: If target is below 15% HP, this strike deals 200% damage and ignores 50% of enemy defenses. Successful kills refresh half the cooldown. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Cost: 30 MP.

"The Hunter’s Mercy—though there’s nothing merciful about it. Designed specifically to finish wounded prey before they can escape or retaliate. The cooldown refresh on kill allows skilled users to chain executions across multiple weakened enemies. Popular among dungeon clearers and monster exterminators."

Zeph could see himself using this. He already targeted vitals and went for quick kills. This just made that approach more efficient, turning wounded enemies into guaranteed corpses.

The 50% defense ignore was particularly valuable—high-level enemies often had enough defensive stats to turn killing blows into merely damaging ones. This bypassed that problem.

’Strong finisher. Rewards my existing tactics. But 12,000 credits...’

[Precision Strike - Rank D]

Cost: 9,500 credits

Effect: Target a specific body part (eyes, joints, tendons, arteries) with perfect accuracy. Strike deals normal damage but inflicts location-specific debuff. Examples: Eye strike causes blindness, joint strike reduces mobility, artery strike causes rapid bleeding. Cooldown: 20 seconds. Requires anatomical knowledge for optimal effect.

"Used by assassins, surgeons, and those who understand that placement matters more than power. Less about raw damage, more about tactical dismantling. Warning: Ineffective against enemies with non-standard anatomy or heavy armor covering targeted areas."

’Surgical. Efficient. Turns fights into chess matches where I remove enemy capabilities piece by piece.’

It fit his analytical combat style perfectly. Why kill someone in five hits when you could blind them in one, cripple their movement in the second, and finish them in the third?

But it required knowledge he wasn’t sure he had—anatomy of dozens of potential enemy types, understanding of where vital points were located. It was a skill that would get more powerful as he learned, which meant front-loaded investment for delayed payoff.

Zeph stood there holding four skill tomes that represented four different paths to greater lethality, and made his decision with the cold pragmatism of someone who’d spent years optimizing limited resources.

He scanned [Cleaving Momentum] into his digital cart.

8,000 credits disappeared from his available balance.

’Immediate value. Works with my existing style. Scales naturally with my stats. Done.’

He carefully placed the other three back on their shelves. Maybe later, when he had more credits. When he could afford the luxury of flashy abilities or surgical precision.

For now, he needed fundamentals that would keep him alive and help him get stronger faster.

The cart display updated:

[CURRENT CART:]

[Cleaving Momentum - Rank D] - 8,000 credits

’Alright. Skills are covered. Now for techniques.’

The technique and manual section was organized differently from skills. Instead of glowing tomes, these were bound books—some leather, some cloth, some materials Zeph didn’t recognize—arranged on shelves that stretched toward the distant ceiling.

Where skills were instant knowledge downloads that the System integrated directly into your capabilities, techniques were instruction manuals. You had to actually practice them, build muscle memory, understand the principles.

Although the process could be accelerated with skill points, there was a hard weekly cap of 5% imposed by the system itself. Thus they took time and effort.

They were also significantly cheaper for that exact reason.

Zeph browsed with the same methodical patience, pulling books down to read their descriptions, comparing approaches and philosophies.

[Iron Woodsman’s Foundation - Basic Manual]

Cost: 3,000 credits

Content: Fundamental axe forms, proper grip, weight distribution, edge alignment, basic strikes and guards. 12 foundational forms, 8 defensive positions, 6 footwork patterns.

The introduction read: "Every master was once a student who learned the basics correctly. This manual covers the foundational techniques that 90% of axe users learn improperly or skip entirely. If you’re self-taught or learned in combat rather than formal training, this book will identify and correct the gaps in your technique. Estimated time to Master level: 3-6 months with daily practice."

Zeph stared at the description, feeling personally attacked.

’Self-taught. Combat experience. No formal training. Gaps in technique.’

’This book was written specifically for me, wasn’t it?’

He scanned it into his cart without hesitation.

[Ghost Axe Style - Specialized Manual]

Cost: 40,000 credits

Style: Deceptive angles, feints, misdirection. Uses opponent’s expectations against them. 12 deceptive forms, 6 feint patterns, 4 ambush strikes.

The description was almost poetic: "The axe is heavy. The axe is slow. The axe is predictable. These are truths your enemies believe. Ghost Axe Style makes you a liar. Designed for awakened with high AGI stats who want to use a heavy weapon with a light weapon’s unpredictability. Warning: Requires AGI 100+ to execute properly. Estimated mastery: 8-12 months."

’AGI 120. I meet the requirement. And fighting style that turns my weapon’s perceived weakness into advantage...’

But 40,000 credits. That was nearly everything he had left.

He held the manual for a long moment, then reluctantly placed it back on the shelf.

’Later. When I’m not gambling my entire financial safety on one purchase.’

[Executioner’s Doctrine - Dark Manual]

Cost: 60,000 credits

Style: Designed explicitly for killing. Targets vitals exclusively. 20 killing strikes, 8 crippling techniques, 5 execution forms.

The description was blunt: "This manual teaches you how to end lives efficiently. Not wound. Not disable. Kill. It covers the anatomy of seventeen common species, optimal striking angles for maximum lethality, and the psychological framework for executing kills without hesitation.

Warning: This style is recognized by law enforcement and certain guilds. Public use may result in legal scrutiny. Not recommended for Academy students or guild members concerned with reputation. Estimated mastery: 6-9 months."

Zeph read the warning three times.

’Recognized by law enforcement. Legal scrutiny. Not recommended for...’

’In other words, this is the "I’m definitely a murderer" technique manual.’

He wanted it. Badly. It was exactly his approach to combat systematized and refined by people who’d spent decades perfecting the art of killing.

But 60,000 credits. More than he had in total. And the social cost—being marked as someone who studied assassination techniques—that was a price he couldn’t afford right now.

’Not yet. Maybe never, if I want to pretend to be a normal citizen.’

He returned it to the shelf and grabbed one more option:

[Berserker’s Descent - Advanced Manual]

Cost: 25,000 credits

Style: Aggressive overwhelming offense. Sacrifices defense for speed and momentum. 15 offensive forms, 3 finishing moves.

"Every moment not attacking is wasted. This philosophy drives Berserker’s Descent, a style that turns practitioners into relentless assault engines. Warning: Leaves user vulnerable if assault fails. Not recommended for solo delvers without strong defensive capabilities or backup. Estimated mastery: 4-7 months."

’Glass cannon style for glass cannon fighter. Perfect match. But 25,000 credits means I can’t buy much else...’

-----

Zeph stood in the technique section, three books in his hands representing three different investment levels, and made his second pragmatic decision of the day.

He scanned [Iron Woodsman’s Foundation] into his cart.

3,000 credits. The cheapest option. The "boring fundamentals" that every part of his survivor’s brain screamed at him to skip in favor of cool advanced techniques.

But he’d seen what proper training did. Marcus moved with the efficiency of someone who’d mastered basics so thoroughly they were instinctive. The bug brothers had fought with practiced combinations that came from formal instruction.

Zeph had survived through improvisation and raw talent. Now it was time to actually learn how to fight instead of just killing effectively through trial and error.

’Foundation first. Flashy shit later. Stay alive long enough to make the money for Ghost Axe Style.’

The cart updated:

[CURRENT CART:]

[Cleaving Momentum - Rank D] - 8,000 credits

[Iron Woodsman’s Foundation] - 3,000 credits

He looked at his remaining balance and felt a mix of relief and frustration;

REMAINING BALANCE: 37,460 credits

’I’m actually broke. Like, properly broke. 37,000 credits sounds like a lot until you realize a single advanced manual costs more than that.’

’Welcome to civilization, where power has a price tag and I can’t just take what I need from corpses anymore.’