Carl sighed, standing amidst a field of carnage.

On one hand, he had just earned 260 gold and 3 Scrolls of Danger, but on the other … there was now a tiny chip on the Black Fang. He even perceived it, as the blade no longer cut as smoothly as before. It was minute, but it was also a harbinger of an untimely demise. Quite unfortunate, since he really liked it, and such niche items were not available on the open market.

One option was to buy a bunch of fine daggers, which were usually pretty cheap because of their low level materials, and burn through them. This posed an obvious risk – what if they broke during a key moment? With the forces involved, between Last Hurrah and Ripping Claw, it was quite probable.

Another would be to buy a couple higher quality knives and cycle them according to repair time, but the issue still stood – aside from costs, there was a real chance of breaking or at least damaging the blade mid-battle.

Weaving Fate had put it accurately – the ranks of quality were very misleading. They were just one side of the coin, referring to the quality of finish. Meanwhile, there was also the quality of materials to consider, and their substandard properties were a serious inconvenience to a professional combatant. Moreover – what good was a supreme level 10 item against a mediocre level 100 one?

“Should I look into other dungeons? But what can I really do? Boars won't work, bears are out of the question, so are giant crabs. Those require a completely different fighting style of tanking, ranged attacks, and kiting. Giant lizards are so aggressive and lethal that everyone gives them a wide berth. Avians are a nuisance, for they avoid melee and opt for guerrilla tactics. Spiders are a joke, since they're all in hiding, and fighting bosses in caves is just bad, not to mention paralyzing poison. Ghosts are even worse. Everything else either doesn't exceed rank 4, or is locked until the requirements are met. It's no wonder wolves are so big right now. They seem like the only viable option …”

Requesting Amaranthine Bushido to scour the market and forums for high level knuckle daggers of appropriate length and hoping for the best, Carl returned to the expedition hall, where 60-odd sheepish NPCs awaited their beneficiary, and took the four daredevils from yesterday under his wing.

“Erm, Sir Lionheart?” A illustrious group of representatives approached Carl while he resupplied.

“What troubles you?”

“Well … we've all come here putting our important duties on hold, coins in hand, intending to at least battle it out. And now it turns out, that the next 5 runs, aside from the 5 you reserved for the locals, are already bought out by those who were lucky to procure a Scroll of Danger. We understand that you absolutely need those, but …”

“Are you guys really this impatient? 10 runs is merely a few hours, you can do your thing in the meantime.”

“That's only if no more buyouts are made …”

“I've given my word, the buyouts have irrevocable priority. If you are so intent on exploring Camp Redmont as soon as possible, talk to those who hold the queue. If they're willing to cede their spot and move to the end, then you can bid on it.”

Carl was aware this was a bad idea under normal circumstances. Any cost the bidders incurred by negotiating the concession of queue would be transferred onto him, as they would simply offer less for the auctioned party slots to recoup their losses. He would thus be the one paying the scroll holders to delay the queue so that those with big pockets could have a chance of getting in on the action early. And yet, somehow … the mood felt right.

Soon, a couple spots got ceded for a Gold Crown each, to be compensated by auction winners. It represented around four hours of waiting time, which some scroll holders were apparently fine with. Maybe they were the speculative type? And maybe the eager cash whales were afraid Carl would close up shop before long, after finding even better business opportunities, then resell the scrolls he gained for profit? Either way, Carl's mighty proclamation had made a lasting impression on everyone, and his transparency was reassuring.

“Brother Lionheart, the 2 slots got sold … for 51 and 50 gold!”

“Heh, well done, Bushido.”

Carl was deeply satisfied. 50 gold for a slot! And he offered 50 gold for a whole party to Skyborne Lions, which they converted into mostly non-liquid capital … Blood Brothers had made him a huge, immense favor indeed!

“Haha, it was all your instinct, brother Lionheart! Now a few more scroll holders joined the queue, and I'm predicting a further increase in number, because with a steady buyout of 20 gold, they're getting 30 gold of value. Many speculators will likely try to take advantage of the queue to make some deals on the side, and the more extended it gets, the more desperate the bidders will become. And the more they bid … the more scroll holders will arrive!”

“That's … a vicious cycle … I mean … is it really worth it for them? Camp Redmont is a perilous place, many gatherers will die there on the job. Just how much money can they make there? They would need 3-4 gold a day to break even by the end of the tutorial, considering interest and necessities …”

“Oh, you shouldn't worry about them, brother Lionheart, they are extremely proficient at looking after themselves. They may be lousy combatants, but they are skilled at survival and fleeing. There's many cheap tools to irritate mobs and create openings, like gas bombs, sprays, caltrops, poisoned darts, traps, you name it. And like you've noticed, wolves are easy to scare away due to their high intelligence. Besides, don't forget that all these large associations that enter your auction have already conquered the black wolves' den with their top teams. They are only here after thoroughly investigating the pros and cons. And the 3-4 gold a day you've mentioned is mere 30-40 notes, which they should obtain easily. Any diary and ledger they discover on top of that as well as any wolves they kill will be a bonus.”

“Huh, go figure. Good for them. But seriously, if this price stabilizes, then once I'm done with the NPCs and reach expert level with Last Hurrah, going at full speed and barring any accidents, I'll be generating a net profit of close to 500 gold per hour.”

“Please! Say no more, brother Lionheart! My mind reels back when I think of that, haha! You really are a one man army!”

“Mhm, though this is an ideal scenario, and in practice there will undoubtedly be many unexpected costs and time-consuming obstacles, so I should realistically end up averaging in the 300-400 range. We need to fully appreciate that fact and prepare ample contingencies. For one, I'll have to carry backup knives on my belt from now on. Get me at least a masterwork, you know what designs I prefer. Two, something of those repellents, top of the line, that could give me a chance of recovering from fatal mistakes. Three, something for Toothy to hold back a horrid wolf from up a tree if I fail to kill it, like a potent poison – or magical arrows maybe? I haven't seen anyone use those, are there any?”

“Of course there are, but they're disposable and much more expensive than your typical bounty. As strategic tools, however, they're excellent for archers. I'll get him a proper compact bow he can more comfortably use from a tree, and several arrows so powerful he should be able to kill the beast if he has good aim, or at least disable it until you come back for him.”

“Excellent. We will also need better rations and beverages for more stamina, and higher quality perception potions for shortening the runs.”

“Oh, one more thing I remembered, brother Lionheart! Fate messaged me about a supreme quality lifesaving tool she recommends you get for yourself as soon as you can afford it. Since it is disposable as well, it only costs around 200 gold. It's a necklace with an artificial mana-saturated crystal, which will break on your command, enveloping you in an energetic shroud that will absorb kinetic impacts and transform them into heat, while massively boosting your mana and health regeneration, until it dissipates within up to 15 seconds.”

“Sweet! sounds exactly like the kind of toy for me!”

“I knew you would like it. There's also another thing she found – mana and health capsules! They're small and expensive, but if you get them of high enough quality, they'll supply you just enough juice to make a difference in a pickle. You just keep them safe in your mouth during tough battles, then crush them with your teeth once you need them.”

“Amazing. So what other conveniences can money buy?”

“Oh, there's plenty, haha! You have no idea, brother Lionheart! If you're willing to lavish 30 gold per run, I can even get you something that will either kill the horrid wolf outright or put it out of commission!”

“Nah, that's not my style. Get one for Toothy, if he can use it. I'd rather make a statement with every kill.”

“That's what I like to hear!”

…

“Alright, guys, up you go!”

“Master Lionheart, could you stay close to the tree so I can heal you if you get injured?”

“Sure, why not. Do the lot of you have offensive capabilities?”

“Our magic might not be the strongest, Master Lionheart, but we will do our best to contribute to the fight!”

“Mhm, just don't hit me and I'll be happy with that.”

“…”

“I'm joking, haha!”

…

“They're back!”

“Woah … look at those backpacks!”

“These guys are so lucky …”

“Effie, hey, over here! Did the Beast Slayer kill all these?”

“Wow, sis, it was so terrifying! But the Beast Slayer left them with no chances! And he even let us fell a few from a tree!”

“Are all those … ?”

“Yep! Prowlers! We couldn't even skin them all, there were so many!”

“Wooow …”

While the envious NPCs stirred and the ecstatic returnees recounted the exciting events, the players were likewise shocked. Carl was back on great mana and good stamina potions, reaping lives like a blood-crazed maniac. This extended the run by some four minutes, which he used to recover his severely depleted energy reserves, joining his wards in looting as many pelts as they were able. He didn't really mind it, as it was an investment in Last Hurrah and in reputation. To those poor natives, the bounties were enormous, and combined with the rank 5 rewards would allow them to stand on their feet somewhat. Not to mention, that it was fun watching them rejoice.

The players, however, were mortified.

“What the … hell?!”

“It hasn't even been 25 minutes!”

“Is this staged?!”

They had no insight into the battles, after all. The consensus was that Carl killed the horrid wolf and a few prowlers before the rest scattered. But now it appeared that he massacred them in a barbarous way, never bothering with the spoils …

“Just how fast are they at skinning?!”

“Forget that – just how fast is he at killing?!”

“I thought assassins were only good for burst damage, for taking down bosses and running away! But this dude … he's going through mobs like a combine harvester!”

It was now painfully apparent that there was more to Carl than met the eye. He wasn't merely a money-making machine, or an assassin that found the perfect niche, or even a fearless warrior with suicidal tendencies and unquenchable bloodthirst.

He was a bonafide – world-class level – powerhouse!