Chapter 84: [Ghoul Dogs] Illustrated Guide
Lance mentally estimated the maintenance cost. It would be around twenty-something Copper Coins, but that was in a best-case scenario.
The real big-ticket item was his ravaged Shield.
After two full days of high-intensity, frequent impacts, the once-flat face of the Shield now had several noticeable dents. The straps on the back, used for gripping, were also severely torn at the connection points.
When Lance walked into the armor shop with these two items, he estimated the repair cost would be around thirty-something Copper Coins.
But reality was a bit harsher than his budget.
"This will have to be reheated in the forge and hammered flat."
The beefy-faced Blacksmith looked at it as if it were a piece of scrap metal and gave his professional assessment.
"And this strap is completely shot. I’ll have to rivet on two new high-Resilience Demon Skin Belts. Otherwise, this Shield is going to fly right out of your hand in the next fight."
After factoring in the whole process, the repair cost for the Shield alone came to a steep 50 Copper Coins.
Adding up these miscellaneous expenses, plus the cost of restocking on food, the total maintenance cost for the day was about 95 Copper Coins.
Although it stung a little, considering his huge earnings over the past two days, this loss ratio was still well within a reasonable range.
While his gear was left at the shop for repairs, Lance didn’t stay idle.
He turned and ducked into the smoked meat workshop next door, called "Old Hank’s."
It was the most popular shop in the Artisan District among manual laborers, famous for its large, filling portions.
Lance bought five steaming hot wild boar meat pies in one go.
This food—minced meat and aspic wrapped in a flaky crust made with thick lard—had a rough texture but an astonishingly high calorie count, making it perfect for replenishing the immense Energy consumed by the [Dragon Hunting Breathing Combat Technique].
Bolstered by the ample nutritional intake, Lance activated his Breathing Technique while he walked.
This way, he could constantly grind Skill Proficiency to get that much-anticipated Specialty sooner, and also gradually expand the Ethereal Energy Pool within his body.
After this period of adaptation, as long as he didn’t engage in strenuous activities like a hundred-meter dash and simply maintained a low-power output, he would no longer spew white vapor from his mouth and nose like a human steam engine.
Lance took a bite of the meat pie in his hand as he walked.
CRUNCH.
The crispy crust shattered, and scalding, savory juices exploded in his mouth, the rich, meaty aroma instantly filling his senses.
However, just as he swallowed that mouthful, his Perception of nearly 10—active due to his Breathing Technique—made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
It felt as if he were being watched by some cold, reptilian creature.
Someone was tailing him.
Lance’s chewing didn’t pause for a second, and he didn’t even break his stride.
He just casually tilted his head, his gaze nonchalantly sweeping over the reflection in a shop window.
A furtive figure was using the cover of a roadside stall to tail him from a distance.
A cold smile touched Lance’s lips.
He quickly stuffed the remaining half of the pie into his mouth, brushed the crumbs from his hands, and pivoted, heading in the complete opposite direction of the armor shop.
Not far ahead, there was a narrow alley cluttered with junk.
The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the alley was dimly lit—a perfect place to make a move.
Seeing his target turn the corner, the tracker who had been tailing him grew anxious and quickened his pace to follow.
But when he rushed into the alley, he found it empty, with only mottled shadows cast by the walls on either side.
’Where’d he go?’
The tracker subconsciously assumed his target had already passed through the alley and was about to hurry after him.
Just as he passed a corner piled high with discarded wooden barrels...
A large hand shot out from the shadows without warning, clamping onto the back of his head like an iron vise.
He was given no chance to react.
An immense force slammed his head directly and viciously into the rough stone wall beside them.
BANG!
A dull thud echoed in the narrow alleyway.
The tracker saw stars, and a wave of intense dizziness caused him to instantly lose his balance.
’So strong!’
That was the only thought that flashed through his mind.
Acting on instinct, he tried to struggle and resist, his right hand subconsciously reaching for the dagger at his waist.
But Lance gave him no opportunity to draw the blade.
Pivoting his body, Lance drove his right elbow, like a sledgehammer, precisely and ruthlessly into the man’s lower left ribs.
CRACK.
A sharp crack of breaking bone rang out.
The tracker, who had been trying to resist just a moment ago, let out a miserable grunt and collapsed to the ground like a sack of mud, curling up into a ball in agony like a shrimp.
Lance stepped out of the shadows, looking down at the man on the ground.
Although this place was secluded, the mouth of the alley opened onto a bustling main street.
If he killed someone here, dealing with the body and handling the constable’s questioning would be a huge hassle.
He didn’t want to get his hands dirty over this kind of trash.
"Don’t... don’t kill me!"
The tracker on the ground clutched his broken ribs, sweating coldly from the pain.
Looking at Lance’s icy gaze, he immediately realized he had picked on the wrong person.
"I... I’m just a thief!"
He explained rapidly, afraid that if he were a second too slow, his neck would be snapped.
"I just saw you wandering around alone, buying so many things, and I thought you were a... a rich guy. I just wanted to nab some cash."
Seeing he’d messed with the wrong guy, he endured the sharp pain of his broken ribs and skillfully pulled a heavy coin pouch from his robes, sliding it across the ground to Lance’s feet.
"This... this is all the money I have on me! It’s all here! Let me go!"
This was an unwritten rule of Gray Rock Town’s underworld.
For those who made their living through "no-cost businesses" like him, if they failed and were caught, their only option was to proactively hand over all their possessions to buy their life.
As long as no one was killed, most Adventurers would choose to take the money and leave, saving themselves the trouble that comes after a killing.
Petty thieves like this were a dime a dozen in town; kill one and another would just take his place.
Lance had originally intended to interrogate the man about his background, as he didn’t quite believe he was just a simple thief.
The man’s tracking had clearly been very Skilled.
But just as he was about to speak, a pale Blue box suddenly popped up in his vision, and he swallowed the words he was about to say.
[The group to which the opponent you defeated belongs has a certain degree of local renown. Added to Illustrated Guide.]
[Organization Added: Ghoul Dogs]
[Individual Added: Jeff (Camp Rat)]
’Did I trigger a new feature?’
’So it’s not just individuals; the organizations behind them get added to the Illustrated Guide too.’
’This is way more convenient than a direct interrogation, and it saves me the trouble of trying to sort out lies.’
’No need to waste any more time here, then.’