Ghost Reins

The third chest was made of black obsidian, its surface covered in intricate runes etched with Truesilver dust. It was inlaid with sapphires, rubies, moonstones, and lapis lazuli, and secured with a huge alloy rune lock.

Obviously, Shawn couldn't smash the rune lock open with a hammer, and his meager knowledge of runes made it impossible for him to decipher the symbols carved into it.

So this was a chest he couldn't open, containing a reward he couldn't claim for the time being.

Although he couldn't open the rune lock and get the treasure he'd been eagerly anticipating, Shawn's enthusiasm hadn't waned.

That was because an even greater reward was waiting for him next: the completion reward for Murloc Shoal.

As a dungeon with a clearly higher difficulty rating than Kobold Den, Murloc Shoal also offered a more generous and valuable completion reward.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Commander! You have successfully slain Murloc Guard Skoda and completed [Murloc Shoal]. Overall rating: A. Would you like to claim your completion reward?"

Of course he chose yes.

This time, his rating was much higher than before—not a C, but an A. The completion reward was bound to be much better, too.

"Completion Reward 1: 4 free attribute points."

First came the free attribute points, of course.

This time he'd earned four free attribute points, twice as many as before. Where should he put them?

First, he checked his attributes.

Strength 5, Agility 7, Stamina 10, Intelligence 12, Spirit 19.

Five points in Strength was extremely, extremely, extremely weak. He was practically weaker than other human boys his age. Strength determined your physical attack power and how much you could carry. All equipment had weight, after all. Shawn's staff, for example, weighed several pounds. If his Strength was too low, how could he even lift it?

Seven points in Agility wasn't high, but for someone Shawn's age, it was fairly normal. Agility determined a person's reaction speed and running speed, and was important, too. When push came to shove, being able to run fast was what mattered! Reaction speed was also vital in battle and could often decide whether you lived or died.

Ten points in Stamina was higher than average for someone his age, putting him on par with an adult human. Stamina determined endurance, staying power, recovery, and immunity, among other things. You could say it determined the strength of your life force. It couldn't possibly be more important.

Twelve points in Intelligence was above average. Intelligence didn't mean how clever you were; it represented your maximum mana. The higher your Intelligence, the more mana you could store. This attribute was crucial for spellcasters. If your Intelligence was too low, you might not even have enough mana to cast a high-level spell. What good would all your knowledge do then?

Nineteen points in Spirit was an exceptionally high attribute. Spirit represented your mana recovery speed and your ability to control magic. The higher your Spirit, the faster your mana recovered and the better your control over magic. Its importance went without saying.

There wasn't a single one of the five attributes he didn't need.

After some thought, Shawn decided to increase his Intelligence first.

Strength, Agility, and Stamina could all be improved quickly through eating well and exercising. Starting today, Shawn decided, he would work out more and eat meat at every meal, switching between pork, lamb, and beef.

As for Spirit, it was already high enough at this stage. He didn't need any more, so he'd leave it alone for now.

After adding four points to Intelligence, Shawn's score rose to 16, and his mana capacity increased by a third.

"Completion Reward 2: Lucky Roulette."

It was the Lucky Roulette again, but this time the available rewards were a much higher tier.

First was 300 random Garrison Resources, three times the amount he'd received the first time and still the least valuable of the roulette's six options. Shawn had money now. He was loaded. What was a mere 300 Garrison Resources? He could get that with just a little spending money.

Next was a scroll glowing blue, with a note beneath it: Random Alchemy Recipe. Shawn wasn't an alchemist, so he didn't have much use for it.

The third slot held a random blueprint for a medium-sized garrison building. Shawn's standards had risen now that he had money and could get Garrison Resources in no time. He'd be able to build the Town Hall soon, and then he could start constructing all kinds of buildings. So building blueprints were something he really needed, too.

The fourth slot held a blue bridle called Ghost Reins. It could be used on any creature with a challenge rating of 10 or lower to tame it as his mount. And because it was possessed by a ghost, the mount's strength would increase to varying degrees.

The fifth slot contained something shaped like an eyeball. Its name and attributes were unknown.

The sixth slot held a spellbook.

"A spellbook!"

Shawn was beside himself with excitement once again.

He hadn't won a spellbook the last time, and had spent a full three minutes heartbroken. If he failed to get one again this time, he reckoned he'd be heartbroken for five minutes!

That was unacceptable!

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, Queen Mother of the West, God, Allah, Holy Buddha... Please bless me!"

Shawn had completely forgotten that this wasn't Earth. Praying to immortals, saints, gods, and Buddhas was nowhere near as effective as praying to the Titans.

Then he spun the Lucky Roulette.

As he waited with bated breath, the pointer landed on...

Ghost Reins!

Argus Blacksmith Shop.

Oh, right. Argus was the middle-aged blacksmith who had sold the Truesilver Champion and Lightforge set to Gryan Stoutmantle. He was also the owner of the Argus Blacksmith Shop.

From what Shawn had heard from Old Saldean, Argus was a master blacksmith with master-level forging skills. He'd crafted countless fine suits of armor and weapons, and was still one of the best blacksmiths in Stormwind City.

Shawn had come here because he wanted to squeeze some money out of Argus... Ahem, he meant that he had a big deal to discuss with him.

"Hello, Master Argus! It's wonderful to see you again. Your bearing and presence from yesterday are still fresh in my mind. You're so kind, generous, and magnanimous. You practically gave the Lightforge set and Truesilver Champion to Sir Gryan Stoutmantle for half price to support law and order in Westfall. I was so moved I could've wept—and anyone who heard about it would've been, too!"

The moment Shawn entered the Argus Blacksmith Shop, he showered the master blacksmith with flattery. He had only one goal: to get a better deal when they discussed business.

But who was Argus?

He'd spent ten years making his way in Goldshire and another ten wandering the Eastern Kingdoms. One glance was all it took for him to see right through your schemes. Even a wily old soldier like Gryan Stoutmantle couldn't get the better of him. Shawn actually thought he could get a bargain? As if!

The blacksmith Argus raised his eyelids, immediately understood what Shawn was after, and continued hammering without looking up. Then he snapped, "Spit it out. What do you want?"

Argus's sharp words made Shawn deeply uncomfortable, and his perfectly natural smile froze. It took him half a minute to recover before he said with an awkward chuckle, "Well... Master Argus, I have a business proposition for you."

Argus shot Shawn a sidelong glance and said haughtily, "Take it to my apprentice. I'm not interested in small-time business."

A blacksmith's apprentice set down his hammer and walked toward Shawn.

Shawn quickly waved the apprentice off and smiled ingratiatingly. "Um, Master Argus, this is a big deal."