Chapter 26

The Four Northwest Towns, from south to north, are Rye Town, Glimmerstone Town, Gold Rush Town, and Dragon Roar Town.

Rye Town is the only place in this region with vast stretches of fertile land untainted by negative energy. Agriculture is highly developed here, and all the high-end produce for the four towns originates from this area.

Glimmerstone Town has many low-to-mid-grade gemstone mines nearby, and the veins occasionally yield rare, precious stones. It is the easiest place among the four towns to strike it rich overnight, and it also concentrates the largest number of adventurers and outlaws. Or, to put it another way, it is essentially the core of the Four Northwest Towns.

Gold Rush Town has gold veins nearby. Although the grade is low and the yield is small, the charm of shiny gold is hard for people to resist. A large number of people hoping to make a fortune gather here; even though most of them are actually quite poor, they have made the town prosperous. In reality, however, the main output of Gold Rush Town is copper and iron ore.

Located at the northernmost end of the four towns is Dragon Roar Town. This town sits at the exit of a rather narrow mountain pass. Following the pass inward leads to a relatively less barren area within the Desolate Mountains, which teems with all sorts of Demonic Beasts, ranging from goblins to dragons. Therefore, the town's primary output consists of materials harvested from these Demonic Beasts. As for how many skeletons lie buried behind these materials—the ones who died in the bellies of the beasts—who would care?

Originally, according to the plan, Gerald—or rather, Sui Xiong—was to head to Dragon Roar Town, go to the dragon lair deep in the mountains, and have a cordial and friendly consultation with the evil dragon "Tyrant of Extreme Cold," who had been causing trouble for the residents for over fifty years, to convince it to move house. While he was at it, he would collect the five-thousand-gold-coin reward for this successful negotiation. But now, they had more important things to do.

Treasure hunting.

"On one side is driving away an evil dragon, and on the other is searching for treasure; both are quite interesting and full of that classic European-style RPG feel," Sui Xiong said happily. "The only problem is, which one is the main quest? And... does this game's quest system have a time limit?"

He was not worried about "quest failure." After ten days of adjustments, he had finished tuning his jellyfish shell. Now, this body was nearby and could unleash its maximum power at any moment.

When he went all out, he was fearless!

The new form of Sui Xiong's physical body resembled a massive, translucent balloon. Beneath a frame large enough to build a village on top, many powerful tentacles hung down. Dozens of sets of spiral blades were distributed across his body, providing propulsion in every direction. Dense, intricate magical runes covered his form, allowing this enormous body to float in the air with ease and change color at will, creating an effect akin to invisibility.

For instance, at this very moment, Gerald was handling business inside the Adventurers' Guild in Gold Rush Town, while Sui Xiong's massive body—which would level the entire town if it were to fall—floated two or three hundred meters above the ground. He squinted his eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze and warm sunshine, while simultaneously absorbing an endless stream of magical energy from the air and light to bolster his strength.

Yet, inside Gold Rush Town, not a single resident could see the great monster in the sky.

"To be a top-tier player, one must practice and level up every day without slacking. Even if you can't find suitable monsters to grind for the moment, you must at least persist in idling. One must remember that sailing against the current means you either forge ahead or drift backward. Even if you were once an expert, if you stop leveling for a period, people will catch up to you, or even leave you far behind. It's just like writing web novels; after taking a year off, you'll find your popularity has plummeted to a miserable state, with collections and clicks not even a fraction of what they used to be. The overturned cart ahead is a warning to those behind!"

In the cold current capable of freezing a mortal solid, the giant floating jellyfish let out a silent yawn, feeling drowsy.

He was not worried about Gerald encountering danger. Putting aside the fact that the big guy seemed, perhaps, maybe, actually quite capable of fighting, even if he ran into a situation Gerald couldn't handle himself, there was still the soul avatar he had left inside the Bone Bracelet that could intervene.

"Respected sir, this is the reward for the quest 'Eliminate the Orc Wolf Rider Band'." The half-elf waitress at the Adventurers' Guild handed over a metal plate shimmering with magical light with both hands, her face full of respect.

Being able to crush a bandit group that had ravaged the four towns for years single-handedly was, of course, worthy of respect. If their physiques weren't so vastly different, she might have even tried to seduce this young powerhouse. Even if she couldn't secure a long-term meal ticket, a brief encounter leading to a child with giant bloodline traits would be a very beneficial thing!

In this world, bloodline inheritance is a common occurrence. The descendants of powerhouses start at a higher point than those of ordinary people. As long as they work hard enough and have a bit of luck, they can pass it down through generations and become a family force that others look up to.

In the Four Northwest Towns, the most influential family is exactly such a lineage. Although they usually hide in the shadows and are unwilling to show their faces easily to avoid becoming a target, all major organizations treat them with great respect. Not only do they consult them on major matters, but sometimes when there is a situation with great benefits that they dare not swallow alone and must share with everyone, they will always bring them in first.

The young waitress naturally didn't expect to be the founder of such a great family, but that didn't stop her from daydreaming a little.

Gerald took the inscribed magical rune plate. After a quick check, he confirmed the information was correct and that he could use this plate to collect two thousand gold coins at the Temple of the God of Commerce. He couldn't help but smile.

Even though he already possessed a vast fortune, receiving such a large sum so easily couldn't help but put him in a good mood.

"I also want to post a quest to recruit two people," he said. "One is a rogue, requiring expertise in mechanisms and traps, and who is not a follower of the dark gods; the other is a cleric, requiring expertise in healing, with the same religious requirement."

The waitress's eyes darted, and she immediately understood a little, asking with a coy smile, "Are you looking for companions for treasure hunting? Why not look for an experienced mage?"

"As for a mage, we already have one here," Gerald said, pointing to Palin, who was reading a book not far away. "Although he isn't old, he's quite reliable."

The waitress looked at Palin carefully and shook her head slightly. She had worked in the Adventurers' Guild for several years and had long since honed an extraordinary eye. This young gnome mage might be talented and hardworking, but he clearly lacked significant strength.

Mages are divided into two categories: the academic school and the practical school. The former's advantage is knowing many spells and techniques, claiming to be able to crush any enemy if given sufficient preparation. The latter specializes in the practical application of spells, claiming their combat power leaves the academic school in the dust—and this is no boast; in some extreme, sudden situations, a dozen academic mages might not be able to defeat a single practical mage. Both have their own strengths, and there is no inherent superiority or inferiority.

There is no hierarchy in mage types, but there is a gap between spellcasters. That young gnome mage was clearly inexperienced and had limited reserves. Even if he wasn't a complete rookie, he was at least a long way from the title of "old hand" or "battle mage."

Counting on such a young lad to help out at a critical moment was not practical!

"To be honest, I think you should find another spellcaster," she whispered. "Just to be safe. Besides, you could let that young mage learn some useful experience from his seniors; he wouldn't lose anything by it."

Gerald pondered for a moment and accepted the suggestion.

"Then please wait a moment, I will organize the data for you and give you a list of candidates who meet the requirements."

"No need for so much trouble," a voice with a hint of a strained smile came over. An old man wearing light leather armor, his face weathered by the elements, walked over. "It's just treasure hunting, right? This big guy, that little mage, and me—the three of us are enough."

Gerald was stunned. He turned to look and felt the man was a bit too old, which made him doubt his strength. The waitress was startled and hurriedly lowered her head to avoid showing her surprise.

In reality, however, her expression had already been clearly seen by Sui Xiong's soul perception.

"Gerald, this old man is likely not an ordinary character. Be careful."

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

Seeing Gerald's scrutinizing gaze, the old man appeared very composed, without a hint of nervousness. "My name is Ryan, 'Quick Hand' Ryan. I assume this nickname is enough to prove my strength. In these four towns, you will absolutely not find a rogue more capable than me."

Gerald frowned. "The nickname 'Quick Hand' is impressive, but it's not related to traps or mechanisms. You're a pickpocket, right? I need an expert in traps and mechanisms."

This world is not a game, so naturally, there are no such things as levels. The strength and reputation of adventurers are often judged by their nicknames.

Nicknames are not self-chosen; they are selected by the guild based on the adventurer's past experiences and then confirmed by the individual. These nicknames are divided into several grades, and experienced adventurers can distinguish each other's strength just by the nickname.

The lowest-tier adventurers have no nicknames, like Palin at this moment. They are greenhorns who have neither awe-inspiring strength nor convincing achievements; they are pure rookies.

After passing the rookie stage, adventurers obtain the lowest level of nicknames. These nicknames describe features of their appearance or equipment; for example, "Baldy" Nien was like this back in the day. It means the adventurer has made a name for themselves and counts as someone, but it also means they have no notable achievements—they are just familiar faces.

A higher-tier title is marked by a convincing achievement. The captain of Gerald's former adventuring party was nicknamed "Tiger Shooter" because he had once killed a tiger alone with a bow and arrow, proving his strength. Similar ones include "Wolf Chaser," "Bear Slayer," and so on, all of which are proofs of battle records.

Going higher, the nicknames summarize the adventurer's specialty. Adventurers who can possess such nicknames are outstanding in certain aspects and can be called the best among their peers. For example, someone called "Quick Blade" must have a very fast blade; an ordinary rookie might only see a flash of light before their head is already cut off. Someone called "Fleet Foot" must be able to run extremely fast; escaping his pursuit is almost impossible.

The old man nicknamed "Quick Hand" was just like this. His nickname proved he possessed a pair of very flexible and agile hands and was a first-class pickpocket. However, Gerald needed someone who could help him spot traps and crack mechanisms; no matter how good a pickpocket he was, it wouldn't help.

Facing Gerald's questioning, Ryan raised his eyebrows, a look of pride appearing on his face. "Young man, it seems you only have a partial understanding of the situation in our four towns! The reason I am called 'Quick Hand' is not because I only specialize in stealing things, but because there is no second person in the four towns whose hands are faster or more dexterous than mine—whether it's stealing, dismantling traps, or... combat."

As he spoke, a cold light flashed, and six or seven daggers were already stuck in the ground around them in a scattered mess. Not to mention the average-skilled waitress, even Gerald himself hadn't seen how he did it.

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