The faint sound of teeth and bone necklaces clinking came from beside me.
A cold and robust figure appeared in view.
Still showing the same silent, Ice Rock-like demeanor, the barbarian Frogon approached slowly.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.
If my guess was correct, the recent battle must have been some kind of "preliminary test" by the other party to gauge my abilities.
Now that the battle was over, the "results" were in.
I should have a conclusion on which Battle Skill from the previous ones would suit me.
"I’ve changed my mind."
The thick Northern Territory-accented voice came through the air,
"[Iron Wall Rotation], [Fryland Spear Thrust], [Heavy Shield Strike], [Broken Blade Guard]."
"None of them suit you."
Xia Nan couldn’t help but show a surprised expression.
He mouthed silently, unable to speak a word.
The barbarian in front of him remained characteristically silent, offering no further explanation, simply shifting his gaze from Xia Nan to the blood-soaked corpses on the ground around them.
In fact, what Frogon was trying to express was not what Xia Nan had understood as "not suitable," "unable to learn," or "eliminated."
Instead, it was a deviation in expression caused by the Universal Language being colloquialized in the Northern Territory tribe.
In fact, the options the barbarian offered were all basic Battle Skills for warriors, suitable for close combat.
As long as a person is normal, even if they have poor talent, they can bridge the gap with time and effort.
These are simple types that most adventurers in this world can learn.
Frogon had important matters to attend to.
He came to River Valley Town for a brief rest and would not stay long.
For the skills to be taught, naturally, he chose those that are easy to grasp and quickly master without needing others’ guidance after entry.
However, after watching Xia Nan’s entire battle performance,
Not out of "talent appreciation,"
nor was it any form of "recognition."
Frogon had only known Xia Nan for two days; they weren’t even familiar with each other’s names, so how could such unnecessary thoughts occur?
It was simply because he owed an old friend a favor that he accepted this commission...
He had to complete it with dedication, of course.
It must be from a wild background,
from his perspective, Xia Nan’s combat style didn’t follow the "routine" common to ordinary adventurers.
Many times, his actions and reactions were purely based on physical instincts.
Adapting on the fly, sometimes even using his weapon as a throwing tool to buy time.
In such circumstances, those with specific release requirements needing fixed body movements and posture coordination, like [Iron Wall Rotation], were eliminated.
although wearing two armors, he only equipped a small Arm Shield in his hand.
Even when using the Arm Shield to fend off an enemy’s attack, he thought of further suppressing the opponent, countering with the sharp edge of the shield, rather than slowing down to give himself time to breathe and adjust.
Therefore, defense-focused and counterattack-based, suitable for positional warfare, controlling combat pace, and best paired with a large shield [Heavy Shield Strike] was eliminated.
As for [Fryland Spear Thrust] and [Broken Blade Guard],
the former evidently didn’t suit Xia Nan’s habit of mainly chopping, and the latter didn’t fit his aggressive fighting style often accompanied by mobile footwork.
Summing up, it was "none suited you."
However, it wasn’t without a solution.
Given Frogon’s personality, being able to make that statement in front of Xia Nan after accepting the old acquaintance’s commission,
he naturally already had an answer in his heart.
He casually raised his hand, touching a bone tooth pendant on the necklace around his neck.
Although the learning difficulty is higher and requires a lot of energy, considering the opponent’s performance in the battle and that moment of spiritual enlightenment,
"Perhaps there’s another Battle Skill more suitable for you."
Upon hearing this, Xia Nan, who thought something had gone wrong, felt a weight lifted from his tense mind.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
As long as there’s a Battle Skill to learn, it’s fine.
He had neither the channel nor the money.
The seemingly genuine yet fake Battle Skill Books in the general store had almost driven him crazy during this period.
As long as he could learn the real deal, anything would work.
Xia Nan licked his slightly dry lips with his tongue, just about to further inquire about related information from the other party.
Suddenly, a rush of footsteps, accompanied by cackling laughter and strange shouts, came from the corridor at the cave entrance.
His gaze followed the sound.
What filled his vision was a stout Bear Goblin with coarse red-brown fur!