The Barbarian Adventurer

After settling down in Scorched Stone City, Talia took Sylutia to visit the residence of her older sister, Winnie.

"Grandpa said I should have my sister help me find a job here in Scorched Stone City, otherwise, I'll just end up as foolish as the village idiots from playing with them every day," Talia complained in a low voice as they walked. This was the very reason she had followed Sylutia to the city.

Hearing this, Sylutia couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"What kind of work does your sister Winnie do in the city currently?"

"Her? I'm not sure, but I do know about my brother-in-law. He works at the 'Oak Barrel' trading firm, specifically in bookkeeping, I think."

"People in the village consider it a great success to earn 3 silver coins a month, but my brother-in-law makes 6 silver coins at the trading firm. The pay is quite good."

"My sister changes jobs often; sometimes she works as a tutor for young children, other times as a front-desk waitress."

"A front-desk waitress makes about 3.5 silver coins a month, while a tutor earns quite a bit more, up to 5 silver coins at most."

Talia introduced the situation in Scorched Stone City to Sylutia. Ordinary manual laborers here could earn about 3 silver coins a month, but the work was grueling and far less leisurely than life in the village. Slightly better jobs, such as waiters, receptionists, or shop clerks, paid 3.5 to 4 silver coins, though they generally required the applicant to be young, literate, and presentable.

The two walked along the main thoroughfare of the East District. The streets here were relatively clean, and the roadside was lined with numerous shops. One could see tailor shops, utensil stores, furniture shops, oil presses, and even places selling weapons and armor—the latter located right next to the Adventurers Guild.

Compared to the other shops, the Adventurers Guild clearly had a much higher volume of foot traffic. Many people were entering and exiting, and one could see numerous individuals carrying weapons and gear. Among them, a few were physically robust, and Sylutia could sense the power of their Aspect Power radiating from them.

Name: Unknown

Race: Human (Mortal Body)

Status: Healthy (Minor hidden injuries)

Talent:

Sturdy [Good Grade]: You easily develop solid muscles, provided your nutrition is sufficient. This talent will increase your appetite.

Fate Card: [Brute Force Person] (First Order - Blood Law); within a light red border, a sturdily built person stands tall with chest out, showing off well-defined muscles.

"Under the training of a Breathing Technique and the stimulation of the Blood Law Aspect Power, your physique grows increasingly sturdy. The brute force brought by these muscles is the real deal."

Effects:

[Brute Force Lv.2]: Increases your base strength. Even without using any secret arts, you possess more than twice the strength of an ordinary person, allowing you to wield heavier weapons and wear thicker armor.

Ability Cards:

[Breathing Technique Lv.2] (Blood Law): Relies on breathing to regulate the flow rate of blood, driving and enhancing the strength and reaction speed of the entire body. This ability places a load on the heart and body and cannot be used for long periods (recommended not to exceed 3 minutes/day).

[Blood Muscle Lv.1] (Blood Law): Activates the characteristics of the "Blood Law" Aspect Power, causing your muscles to expand rapidly and granting a temporary boost in strength. (Recommended not to exceed 2 times/day).

A sturdy man passing by laughed and joked with his companions as he walked into the adventurers' hall. The power of the "Blood Law" Aspect Power radiating from him was so conspicuous that Sylutia found it hard not to notice.

Seeing Sylutia's gaze fixed on the sturdy man in the distance, Talia shifted her eyes as well.

"That's a badge-holding adventurer," she said, noticing the Crossed Swords Bronze Badge pinned to the man's armor.

"They are adventurers whose strength has been recognized by the Adventurers Guild. Certain missions can only be accepted by them."

The young girl nodded, and the two continued on their way.

After they left, the sturdy adventurer and his companions walked into the guild hall, and a youth behind him spoke up excitedly.

"Big Brother Jero, how much of a bounty can we get this time?"

"Hahaha, at least 60 silver. Don't worry, you'll get your share," he said, patting the youth with a large palm.

"Mick, you performed remarkably well this time. Keep learning, and one day you'll be just like me, haha." He offered hearty encouragement, and his other companions laughed along. Some teased the youth, who was new to the trade, while others offered quiet words of support.

"Of course, I'm going to make a fortune," the youth, Mick, said, rubbing his nose with ambition.

"I'm a once-in-a-century genius from our village. I mastered the Breathing Technique at sixteen, and my swordsmanship is unrivaled." Indeed, with such strength, it was no wonder he had such high aspirations.

"I didn't suddenly grasp the Breathing Technique until I was in my twenties," Jero said with a touch of nostalgia, recalling some old memories.

"Forget it, no use dwelling on the past. Let's have a good drink and get some meat today." The group walked toward the guild's front desk and pulled out the cloth bags from their backs. Inside were several wolf heads, including one massive head with crimson fur and a broken lower jaw.

This action immediately drew the attention of others in the guild.

"Wow, a Red Wolf's head! That's a First Order Blazing Sun Red Wolf!" someone immediately recognized the origin of the head.

"The others are high-quality Ti Wolf heads, too. They should fetch quite a few silver coins."

"The Red Wolf's pelt is even more valuable; many nobles buy them. I wonder where they stashed it—doesn't look like they brought it out."

"They're veteran adventurers; they wouldn't just pull it out so easily."

"Who's that leader? He looks very robust, and the blood energy radiating from him is quite heavy."

"That's Jero. You don't know him? He's a very famous adventurer in Scorched Stone City. They say few people can best him."

"Is he that strong? How does he compare to Lord Solang?"

"No comparison there. Lord Solang is the Captain of the Guard appointed by Viscount Xuefeng, and his strength is at the Second Order of the 'Castle' Aspect Power," the person who answered shook his head.

"If he weren't appointed, Lord Solang's strength would drop to the First Order, and Jero might have a chance."

"The foundation of the nobility is not something ordinary people can contend with."

As these people discussed, Jero's companions smiled proudly, striking poses for some of the young girls in the hall.

"Heh, tonight is going to be a blast." One of them hooked his arm around his companion's shoulder and spoke with a grin.

"Of course. We went through all that trouble to complete the bounty just to live it up for a few days, haha."

Ten minutes later, after the calculations and registration were finished, the receptionist brought out 64 silver coins and placed them on the counter.

"The bounty for a First Order Crimson Wolf head is 50 silver, and the other 31 Ti Wolves are worth 14 silver based on their condition. If you happened to obtain the Crimson Wolf's pelt as well, the guild would be happy to purchase it at a high price."

"How high is 'high'?" Jero rubbed his chin.

"About 60 silver," the receptionist replied after a brief moment of thought.

Flicking his fingertips, Jero gave a slight nod. "That's fair enough, but you asked too late. That pelt has already been reserved; the other party offered 80 silver."

"I won't say exactly who it is, and I don't think there's any need for you to ask, right?"

"That is truly a pity. Please do consider the guild next time you hunt a Crimson Wolf," the receptionist replied politely, not pressing the matter further.

To this, Jero merely nodded with a teasing smile, winking at the attractive receptionist. "How about we grab a drink tonight?"

Faced with such an invitation, the receptionist, dressed in her brown and white uniform, waved her hand with a professional smile.

"Sorry, sorry, I don't go out casually at night."

"How dreadfully boring." The man mimicked the melancholic tone of a bard.

He then picked up his coin purse, turned around, and called out to his long-waiting companions: "Alright boys, tonight we head to the Blood Pig Tavern! Drink deep, make some noise, hahaha!"

"Oh~"

"Jero, you really are the best leader I've ever seen!"

"Big Brother Jero!"

"I'm sticking with you from now on."

"Good brothers."

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

The group left the Adventurers Guild under the envious gazes of those around them. Only then did many people crowd toward the counter to carefully examine the wolf head submitted as the bounty.

"It's a Crimson Wolf. One eye was slashed out, and there's an injury on the lower jaw, but it doesn't look fatal..."

The crowd analyzed it slowly, and the bustle inside the Adventurers Guild continued until late into the night.