Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Nicholas took out some meat from a container and sniffed it. It didn't smell bad. It was still good enough. He wiped his sweat and washed his hands before eating the meat. He lay on his bed to rest and recover from his training session.
He rested for an hour until the sun was perfectly overhead. Then he began his preparations. He picked up a thick, old and tattered book. Its title was barely readable - "Advanced Encyclopedia of Monsters, 2226 edition". It was the only book in his possession. He ruffled a few pages as if looking for something. Suddenly a folded yellowing page dropped out.
Nicholas kept the book aside and picked up the letter that his father wrote for him before his death. He already knew the contents well but still, he opened it to read it for one last time.
"Nicholas,
My son, I am sorry that I couldn't stay by your side longer. I have nothing but my weakness to blame for not being able to live longer, and for you to not even be able to see your mother after birth.
I hope you continue doing the harsh training that I made you do from a young age. For talentless, poor people like us, this is the only way we can hope to move forward. The ability crystal that you learned was given by the Violet Mage in his last moments. He gave me two crystals and asked me to deliver the other one to his daughter Kaia. He teleported me out of the dungeon and saved me, even as he was dying. I refuse to believe that he would make a joke at such a moment. Continue persevering and hopefully, you should be able to discover its powers later.
If you continue to train, then you should be able to get admission to one of the top hunter academies. Also, read the encyclopedia of monsters every day. Information is even more important than having strength.
Lastly, after you manage to enter the city, look for the daughter of the Violet Mage. The other ability crystal that he gave is meant for his daughter. You must find her and give it to her. I have hidden it near the tree where you learned your ability crystal.
I hope you have a better life than me, son."
Nicholas sighed as he folded the letter and threw it in a corner along with other items. Carrying the letter would be dangerous if the guards went through his belongings. There were very few items he could take along with him. He found a small backpack and put some meat and his bottle of water inside.
He folded his bedding removed a container about the size of a handbag, that was hidden below. It contained about 20 F-rank monster cores that he had collected over the time he had been staying here. He put that too inside the backpack. With these, he should be able to pass as a servant of some hunter household that had come out to hunt. But he would still find it difficult to answer if he was asked whose household he belonged to and why he was returning alone. So, the next part of his plan would ensure that he didn't have to face such a circumstance.
With his backpack ready, Nicholas dumped the rest of the items, including his tent and encyclopedia of monsters into a hole that he had prepared beforehand. He covered it with soil and foliage to make it look indistinguishable from the surrounding area.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone