Change of Outfit

"Tsk~ Why can't I ever control these hands of mine?"

As he walked through an alley in the city district, Xuan Ye, hidden beneath his black robe, involuntarily slapped his own hand. At the time, he had casually lashed out at that eyesore of a man, and as a result, what could have been handled relatively smoothly had become complicated.

Originally, all he had needed to do was reveal a little of his professional-rank strength. Wouldn't that guy have eagerly gone and retrieved the goods? Although it might have left a bad taste in his mouth, and the man would have escaped a beating, at least there would have been no real loss.

Instead, now that Thorn Monkey had probably realized what was going on, a thorough investigation would ensure that the bastard who had taken advantage of the chaos could not escape. Moreover, because they needed to give the public an explanation, things would probably be handled more cleanly than if he had taken action himself.

But behind all these benefits was a price that made Xuan Ye feel rather awkward. Well, the Kende Family was no problem; they had no idea he had joined Luo Luoji's Scavenger Squad. However, the Shadow of Feralas lurking in the dark, as well as the people behind those dead students from Dream Island, would definitely notice him!

Although one person had escaped and returned earlier, judging from the city's defenses and other factors, the information he brought back clearly had not attracted much attention. They had probably only paid a little more attention to the deaths of Luo Luoji and the others from Dream Island.

After all, he had still been too insignificant, and there had only been one survivor. But now that he had shown himself and returned, his professional-rank strength would probably give him far more influence. After making that reminder with his loose mouth, he could not help feeling speechless at himself. Wasn't I just asking for trouble? Who knew how many people the Shadow of Feralas still had hidden in the dark?

They had even infiltrated Dream Island, so they definitely had informants in Stanrose as well. Besides the Shadow of Feralas, the instructor leading the group from Dream Island might also come knocking because of the students' deaths. What a mess.

All right, although his mouth was rather vicious, Xuan Ye himself still leaned toward the positive side. When it was within his power, he simply could not always control himself. At the very least, that was fairly rare in the current environment of this world...

Precisely because he was wary of those unsavory figures lurking in the shadows, Xuan Ye slipped away before the arrival of the second professional-rank expert. For now, it was better to keep a low profile, finish what he needed to do as quickly as possible, and then leave this troublesome place.

The Shadow of Feralas was indeed detestable, but that colossus was not something he could shake or influence at present. At most, he could give them a warning.

But before that, what he needed to do was...

"Phew~, I'm really exhausted."

After climbing over a wall and emerging from a residential house, Xuan Ye nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was the second house—and Jack's home. He truly did not dare face the gaze of Jack's old mother, so he could only sneak in and leave the money and a note behind.

Besides, once Thorn Monkey finished handling the uncle's inheritance and distributed his share, his material life would already be more than comfortable. It was just that...

In a somewhat foul mood, Xuan Ye walked down the street with his head lowered, feeling as though something was stuck in his chest.

Before he knew it, he found himself in the commercial district. He then patted his cheeks to lift his spirits.

Well, it would not be convenient to post any more missions with the mercenaries for the time being. In that case, he might as well come to the commercial district and hunt for some things. The most important items were pure earth-element Magic Cores. Dean had the surrounding materials, but he needed to replace his bow, and he could not neglect close-combat weapons either. It would be best to add some armor and potions, too. If he could find magic scrolls or magical items, that would be even better...

Once he began considering the things he needed to buy, he could not stop. Er, although Dean and the other two were all rich, that was only relative. After all, the Spatial Bag was only so large, and their supplies were limited.

Dean had even cast spells on the way, using nearly half of their most expensive spellcasting materials. They had also given away most of their cash to the families of the fallen. Xuan Ye had no idea whether they had enough left.

Passing an extravagantly decorated weapon shop, Xuan Ye glanced at the sign reading "House of Treasures." After hesitating for a moment, he still walked in. He could buy a few things and inquire about Magic Cores while he was at it.

As long as you had money, you could become stronger!

Upon entering and seeing that imposing banner, Xuan Ye was jolted by the declaration. The floor was covered in animal-skin carpets, while the weapon racks were exquisitely crafted from wood. The entire shop instantly seemed to rise several levels in quality.

He would never have guessed that this was actually a place selling weapons.

After slowly correcting his preconceived notions, Xuan Ye instead found it quite normal. After all, Reizel had no famous cars or watches. Here, high-end consumer goods were undoubtedly dominated by weapons and armor.

Weapons of all kinds gleamed with sharp metallic light. They were arranged by type across various counters in a dazzling display that overwhelmed the eyes. There were also two or three other people in the shop who seemed to be choosing equipment.

Each person had an attractive saleswoman with a graceful figure accompanying them.

Just as Xuan Ye was wondering why no beauty had come to him, a sweet greeting reached his ears.

"Sir, how may I help you?"

When he turned around, he saw a saleswoman with an innocent and captivating face, though her breasts were rather indecently exposed. She stood before him with a professional smile.

She did not show any disdain toward his outfit.

That was fine. Fortunately, his memories had been influenced by Potion Bitch's appearance, and he had also spent some time with Aitiya in the desert. That was enough to keep him from immediately making a fool of himself. He merely swept his eyes harshly over the deep cleavage from time to time while pretending to be perfectly serious.

"I need a longbow, a shortsword, and a dagger."

He had long since made plans for the weapons he currently needed. Regardless of how he handled magic, and regardless of how dissatisfied he was, he was a genuine Ranger right now. In every respect, he had excellent synergy with a bow.

Using a longbow as his main weapon for the time being was naturally unquestionable. Well, he would never admit that he had chosen a ranged weapon in such a cowardly manner because he was afraid of being injured in close combat.

As for the shortsword and dagger, they were naturally for close-range defense. No matter what, most threats appeared at close range. Moreover, whether he wanted to finish off enemies or absorb Essence, he had to get close to maximize their usefulness. He still had a shortsword left over from his time with the Scavenger Squad.

However, that thing had become covered in cracks after stabbing a few Azure Wolves. Clearly, it could only be used for appearances now. His final attack against Ye Man had even involved using his bow like a club.

When it came to things related to his life, he naturally could not be careless in the slightest.

"All right. Please follow me. The bows are inside."

In the face of those occasionally greasy glances wandering over her body, the saleswoman had clearly noticed what was happening. Having grown accustomed to such looks, she found this clumsy, unsophisticated attempt almost laughable when it suddenly appeared before her.

She no longer held out any hope for a commission from this sale. This was not some shabby street stall that casually handcrafted hunting bows for sale. This was a truly high-end shop. Even the cheapest standard bow cost dozens of Silver, so this young boy, who could barely manage to sneak glances at her, clearly could not afford one.

After walking past two rows of weapon racks, they arrived before a row of neat longbows. The various types were displayed on specialized racks in the most pleasing arrangements.

There was one sample of each type. A rough estimate showed that there were at least forty kinds of bows alone, demonstrating the depth of the shop's resources.

"The front half contains standard bows, which you may try freely. The precious custom-made heavy bows in the back require a deposit of a certain amount before you can try them. If you ultimately do not purchase one, only part of the deposit will be refunded after the depreciation fee is deducted."

As she gestured for Xuan Ye to proceed and explained, the saleswoman's chest was squeezed into a somewhat distorted shape. The stimulating sight gave Xuan Ye a jolt. Don't look at it. Think about what happened when the original owner was tricked by Potion Bitch.

After focusing his Spiritual Power for a moment, he dispelled the feverish sensation of his adolescent body and regained his clarity, entering sage mode as if he had just fired one off.

If other mages knew that someone was wasting active Spiritual Power in such a way, who knew what they would think?

Putting his thoughts back on the row of bows, Xuan Ye began examining them carefully. Hmm, standard bows. Given his abilities, a slightly better standard bow would actually be enough for daily use. Among the last few standard bows, he spotted the model he had used before.

It was priced at seven hundred and eighty-eight Silver, making it an outstanding standard bow. After all, it had been the bow Luo Luoji used to lure monsters before lending it to him.

"Er, sir, these few bows are already sufficient for a professional-rank expert."

Seeing Xuan Ye walk straight toward the middle section, the saleswoman hesitated before speaking. Even her choice of words showed that she was considering how to phrase it tactfully without hurting the customer's pride.

"Huh~? These in the middle are enough for a professional-rank user? Then who are the twenty-odd custom bows in the back for?"

Clearly, Xuan Ye's thick nerves kept him from understanding what she meant. Instead, he grew curious about the bows farther back.

There were fewer than fifty professional-rank experts in all of Stanrose. Of course, saying that a bow could meet the needs of a professional-rank user did not mean its user had to be professional-rank. Before breaking through, he had used one happily enough. But surely there would not be so many grades beyond this point, right?

"No, that's not what I meant. Quite a few of the custom bows are suitable for low-level Apprentice Rangers. Er, they're generally used by noble young masters. They can shoot stronger arrows with less force."

Although Xuan Ye had already reached the strength of a professional Ranger, his knowledge and judgment regarding bows were truly terrible. Only after hearing the explanation did he roughly understand. It was probably like the difference between an economical car and a luxury car.

He casually picked up the last standard bow on the rack. After drawing it to full tension and testing its strength, Xuan Ye was quite satisfied. It was a little better than the one he had used before and was sufficient for now.

Having made up his mind, he released the taut bowstring.

"Vmm~"

The vibration sent a gust of wind rippling through the shop. The saleswoman, who had been about to raise her hand to stop and dissuade him, froze. Her little mouth opened wide, revealing neat pearly teeth, and she immediately raised both hands to cover her red lips, as though terrified she might cry out.

Unfortunately, Xuan Ye was currently considering whether to buy this bow or spend lavishly and indulge himself with an even better one. He had no chance to enjoy this ice cream, nor did he realize that he had unconsciously shown off. Otherwise, he probably would have been quite pleased...

Well, when it comes to men and women, the protagonist is probably just a normal man at the moment. He is interested in beautiful women, but because of the previous owner's experiences, he has some unusual psychological shadows and is highly guarded. He is always thinking, I don't believe you. You're trying to harm me.

As for strategy, during the first thirty chapters of Volume One, he was still a novice, below average in Reizel. However, because he had the Database, his experience accumulated very quickly. After a series of events, he is now above average in Volume Two. Given the conditions, he can deduce the outcome and see through the beginning and end of events relatively quickly, although his nature occasionally leads him to do strange things. After the events of Volume Two end, it will be his turn to scheme against others. I won't spoil anything more; that is roughly the idea.

Thanks to Shang Liujinglou and reader Someone-or-Other for the rewards.

The word-count speed went overboard... There will only be this one chapter today. Blame me for not knowing how to calculate at the beginning and posting too much. I'll make it up to everyone properly later♂...