Chapter 4: Chapter 004 Demon Hunter
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"Basic Herbalism."
"What is this thing?"
Seeing the book in his hands, Roger couldn't help but frown as he suppressed the curiosity in his heart and opened the book.
Realistic herb patterns and detailed characteristics of the herbs caught his eye, and he patiently continued to flip through it, quickly recognizing some familiar terms.
White Gomphrena, Dandelion, Moon Rose Petals, Buckthorn, Blood Moss, Horn Moss, Mandala.
Roger's eyelids twitched as he read; he was all too familiar with these herbs' names, having once collected them madly in the game.
A thought crossed his mind, and holding back the ecstasy in his heart, he pulled out another book.
"Monster Manual"
The cover of the book bore the familiar Demon Hunter insignia, but upon opening the book, the hefty volume was completely blank, not a single picture or word found from beginning to end, despite Roger's thorough search.
Does it mean that those legendary monsters don't exist in this world, or is it simply because I haven't encountered them?
A worry rose in Roger's heart, but was quickly replaced by a strong sense of curiosity.
He pulled out another book.
"Basic Alchemy Notes"
The content on the cover filled him with elation; in the game world, the powerful alchemy was practically an official bug—if this could be used in reality...
But flipping through the thick book, he found that only the beginning portion had text, and the rest was just blank pages.
"Does it need to be unlocked?"
Roger seemed to understand something, but he wasn't disappointed. Even if all the formulas were told to him now, without materials, the most powerful formulas wouldn't work.
And even if, by some stroke of luck, he did make a powerful potion,
would he dare to drink it?
Alchemy potions are all toxic.
Having confirmed his suspicions, a surge of elation filled Roger's heart. The few books in the study opened up a whole new door for him; by following this path, he was certain he could obtain strength far beyond that of ordinary people!
Demon Hunter.
"Hmm..."
Roger nodded thoughtfully.
While pondering, he opened the last book on the bookshelf.
This book was thinner than the others, and on opening it, the title page bore a line of clear, large print: Nivagard's Basic Body Strengthening Technique!
Roger eagerly flipped through it, looking to improve his strength and survival abilities—this was precisely what he urgently needed now.
"A powerful empire cannot exist without a strong army. This is the basic training that Nivagard soldiers must practice before enlisting. Only by completing this training and acquiring a strong physique can one become a qualified soldier of the empire."
The book detailed a breathing technique that, when combined with special physical techniques, could significantly enhance a person's physical condition in a very short time.
Beyond the Body Strengthening Technique, there was also a description of a Basic Combat Technique. Flipping further and not finding swordsmanship was a huge disappointment for Roger.
A steel sword and a silver sword.
One for slaying people, the other for banishing demons—a Demon Hunter's standard gear. But after giving it some thought, even if he mastered swordsmanship, it didn't seem very useful in this peaceful era.
He couldn't possibly carry around two swords everywhere he went; he would likely be stopped by the police for a chat before he walked far on the street.
This was all he had gained from opening up the study.
"What am I now?"
"A reservist Demon Hunter?"
"Will there be stronger training methods in the future, or even information related to the Green Grass Trial?"
"The Demon Hunter's powerful perception ability, superhuman physique and agility, healing abilities, and mystical Dharma Seal."
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Roger began to feel anticipation.
But, after the excitement, he quickly became calm.
Demon Hunters could be said to be a non-human existence created for the purpose of battling demons, their entire set of abilities geared towards combat.
The Monster Manual on the desk made Roger vigilant, and now upon further thought, he suddenly realized that the world he was currently in might not be as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.
Perhaps in the darkness of the night, in the shadowy corners, there lurked monsters unknown to ordinary people!
"Is acquiring this kind of ability a stroke of luck or misfortune?"
He couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration.
Roger started to become greedy again—In the novels he had read in his previous life, many protagonists hardly needed to put in any effort; with a system-dad, they naturally rocketed to the top.
But for him, it was a tough journey. It wasn't him that had a bug, but his house.
He could only train hard himself.
"Forget it, a man's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."
"Just work hard and be honest."
Roger was quite pragmatic. He calmed down and casually flipped through the books in his hands. This time, he found a usable recipe in the Alchemy Notes.
Concentration Potion:
Toxicity: None.
After use, it greatly enhances the mental concentration and control over the body, allowing the user to achieve learning and training effects several times or even tens of times greater than usual in a very short period.
Duration: Depends on the user's mental and physical fatigue. After the effects wear off, the user will enter a long state of mental dispersion.
Cannot be used when energy is low. Forced use will result in vomiting, dizziness, and mild hallucinations.
"This is practically tailor-made for me!"
Roger slapped his thigh in excitement.
A person, when highly focused, has perception control over their body and knowledge absorption speed far exceeding normal circumstances.
And this Concentration Potion might be even more potent in effect.
Of course, its side effects are also sure to be strong.
But these were no issue for Roger.
His only piece of furniture, the wooden bed, possessed a miraculous effect of restoring energy. Just use the potion and then take a nap in the bed, and upon waking up, he would be completely rejuvenated.
With these two things and the aid of Nivagard's Body Strengthening Technique, Roger's progress would definitely far exceed expectations!
"However, I need to find the herbs for the Concentration Potion first."
Roger frowned.
The ingredients for the Concentration Potion weren't the few herbs he was familiar with, but instead names he had never encountered. Though, one of the herbs was entirely green, with leaves spread out like petals.
Looking at the pattern in the book, Roger felt he might have seen it when he was looking for a water source.
Next, he committed to memory the characteristics and shapes of the other herbs required to synthesize the Concentration Potion.
Then he placed all the books back on the bookshelf.
Armed with a ragged bag and a shovel, he left the house and entered the woods behind it.
Roger wasn't worried about the secrets of his cottage being discovered by others, for all the anomalies in the room and the items, were effective only for him.
To others, it was just a shabby wooden bed, and the books on the bookshelf didn't exist at all.
Three hours later, after having scoured the small woods behind him, Roger finally gathered all the necessary herbs.
Only one of them seemed somewhat different from the description in the Herbal Manual, and he didn't know if it would affect the final result.
Without the appropriate Alchemy Vessels, he could only set up a pot and give it a try.