Chapter 27

There was no doubt that the proud old thief, Quick Hand, had the skill to match his pride.

But Gerald didn't simply accept his offer and agree to work with him.

Experienced adventurers knew that when choosing companions, character mattered more than ability.

Adventuring companions often had to help one another, and sometimes even entrust each other with their lives. If a companion was a little weak, they could just be more cautious and take jobs with lower rewards and lower risks. But if a companion had a rotten character, that was a recipe for disaster!

It was like when Sui Xiong used to play games before crossing over and form groups to run dungeons. It was fine if a teammate wasn't very good; the real problem was getting a deadweight. The saying "Once the brotherhood sword comes out, there are no brothers left" had even become a famous cautionary tale.

Gerald had never heard of things like "stealing loot," but as an experienced adventurer, he would never make a rookie's mistake. If he didn't know a companion's character, he'd rather go without one!

"Please look up the mission record for Mr. Ryan, known as 'Quick Hand,'" he said to the female clerk at the Adventurers Guild. "Check how many jobs he's taken, how many teams he's joined, how he got along with his companions, and how well he completed his missions."

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of coldness flashing through them.

This giant, who looked young and guileless at first glance, wasn't nearly as simple as he seemed. He was surprisingly seasoned, and Ryan sensed that he might be trouble.

Ryan had prepared in advance and wouldn't let anything slip over a matter like this. But could his plan still go smoothly against such a cautious opponent? He was a little worried.

The young clerk quickly returned from the records room with a worn file.

It stated clearly: Ryan, nickname Quick Hand, exceptionally skilled. Not only was he one of the finest pickpockets, he was also adept at mechanisms, traps, stealth, and combat. He had joined several well-known adventuring parties and helped his companions complete their missions. His outstanding performance made him the most formidable thief in the Four Towns region. He had retired about twenty years ago, then returned for reasons unknown six months ago. His combat ability had declined somewhat, but his hands were still as deft as ever.

Gerald studied the file carefully. This was a special service provided by the Adventurers Guild: every adventurer who registered and took jobs through the guild had a file like this. When needed, it served as the most reliable proof.

According to the file, Ryan seemed trustworthy. Yet Gerald was still a little uneasy, for no reason other than instinct.

"Senior Ryan, you'd earned enough to retire twenty years ago. Why have you come back to this life at your age?" he asked.

Ryan fell silent for a while, lowered his head, and let out a deep sigh. But he said nothing.

At a nearby table, a group of middle-aged adventurers were drinking. One of them, a man who couldn't keep his mouth shut, explained, "It's all for his son! The little brat got into trouble with someone powerful and ended up with a nasty curse. To get it lifted, Ryan used up all the favors he'd built up back then, and even went into debt. There's nothing for it—he has to earn a little more while his hands are still steady."

Gerald was startled and turned to look. Ryan didn't deny it. His expression was bitter, carrying the desolation of a hero in his twilight years.

To have earned the title of "the strongest" in the Adventurers Guild's records, he must have been a formidable figure who once shook the region. In his prime, who would have dared lay a hand on his family? But now he could only spend his entire fortune to save his son, and had even fallen into debt. He had no choice but to return to the perilous life of an adventurer in his aging body. This was more than just bleak—it was utter ruin.

Gerald also noticed that Ryan's mission record over the past six months was almost not worth mentioning. In other words, although he had returned to his old trade, he still hadn't found any decent work.

One could only imagine the pressure he'd been under lately!

Thinking of this, Gerald, who had once been down on his luck himself, let out a deep sigh and patted the old thief on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. Things will get better!"

Ryan nodded and managed a couple of weak laughs. "I'm usually here waiting for work. When you're ready, come find me. I can leave whenever you are."

"You don't look like a novice, so I don't need to tell you what to bring for a trip, do I?"

With that, he walked over to an empty table and sat down without moving. He didn't even order a drink.

Gerald was silent for a long while, then turned and left.

He already had his companions. All he needed was to prepare the things they'd need for the trip.

"Be careful," Sui Xiong's voice sounded in his mind. "Although I can tell that none of these people are lying, don't you think something feels off?"

Gerald was startled. This was the first time he'd seen even His Majesty Oscar hesitate. It was like traveling all the way to a Korean internet café to watch a professional esports player he admired practice, only to see his idol get beaten bloody by a Chinese game commentator.

For a moment, he felt completely lost.

"Your Majesty... I'll be extra careful..."

Sui Xiong nodded and yawned, not pursuing the matter any further.

The breeze in the sky was so gentle, and the sunlight so bright, that he was terribly sleepy and already half-asleep.

Gerald went to prepare the supplies for the adventure: mostly camping gear, along with things they might need underground and various consumables.

The three spatial pouches they'd seized from the Orc Wolf Rider Band came in handy. He bought enough provisions for ten people to last two months, filling all three pouches to the brim.

As for common potions for healing and curing poison, as well as low-level spell scrolls, he didn't buy many because of their price. Though he'd made a fortune, he was still a poor man at heart and didn't like spending money lavishly.

After buying the supplies, he went to the blacksmith's shop. The dwarf Duantie was staying there. The dwarf who had promised to make him a weapon was working on some simple iron goods to regain his feel for the craft. When Gerald visited, Duantie said he hadn't quite gotten his touch back yet and couldn't make a weapon he'd be satisfied with. For now, he could only put together a shoddy one.

Gerald had no objection. Even a dwarf's shoddy work made a decent weapon—certainly good enough for everyday use.

Dwarves weren't naturally better at smithing. They simply tended to be strong and were more accustomed to high temperatures. Those qualities gave them a solid foundation for the craft. In addition, dwarves lived nearly twice as long as humans on average. Young dwarves had more time to hone their skills, while elderly master smiths could train more apprentices over the course of their lives.

Together, these factors had forged the famous reputation that "dwarven smithwork was always top quality."

Duantie wasn't very old. At less than fifty, he was still considered young by dwarf standards. His smithing skills were decent, but compared to an ordinary human smith, his only real advantage was greater strength. He could hammer red-hot iron into a denser form and make sturdier weapons. He hadn't yet mastered the finer techniques that required years of experience.

The weapon he made for Gerald was a huge battle-axe. Its haft was fashioned from a whole tree trunk, stripped of its bark, charred, and carefully smoothed. It was then wrapped in hide to ensure a firm grip. The axehead was made of wrought iron, with steel cladding along the edge, making it exceptionally sharp.

"Really, I should've made the axe core from steel first and then wrapped it in iron. That would transmit force better," Duantie said regretfully. "But making an axe like that would take quite a while. You looked like you were in a hurry, so this will have to do for now."

Gerald paid 1,300 gold coins for the axe: 400 for the wrought iron, 600 for the steel, 100 for the tree trunk, 100 for consumables like charcoal, and the final 100 as payment to the craftsmen who helped.

As for Duantie himself, he didn't take a single coin. He only told Gerald to use the axe to chop up plenty of bad things.

"Count me in when it's time to fight," he said.

By the time Gerald left the blacksmith's shop, he was wearing a sturdy canvas coat. A specially made, reinforced belt formed a hook across his back, letting him carry the ridiculously huge battle-axe there with ease without hindering his movements.

The battle-axe weighed nearly four thousand pounds—a terrifying weight that made people shudder. Once swung, it could make even dragons give way. Few giants, renowned for their immense strength, could wield such a heavy weapon. Yet in Gerald's hands, it felt just right: not so heavy that it cost him agility, nor so light that he couldn't put his strength into it. It was perfect.

When Gerald returned to the Adventurers Guild with the enormous battle-axe on his back, everyone inside was stunned. Some of the younger adventurers even came over to talk to him, just to get a closer look at the unheard-of weapon.

"With that thing, you could fight a dragon!"

"Are you kidding? What do you mean, 'fight a dragon'? One hit from that axe would take half a dragon's life!"

"If you brought the back of that axe down, you could smash a huge section of the city wall... No wonder giants are called 'living siege engines.' They're unbelievably strong!"

"If only I had that kind of strength!"

"Keep dreaming. If you were as strong as him, all your savings wouldn't be enough to feed you for a few days..."

Amid the laughter, Gerald handed a few gold coins to the bartender and called out, "Drinks for everyone! Wish me luck!"

Amid cheers and laughter, he left the Adventurers Guild with Palin, who looked a little dizzy from reading, and Ryan, whose antisocial air kept everyone at a distance. Following the location Sui Xiong had found in Blood Hand Luer's memories, they headed for the Orc Wolf Rider Band's secret stash.