Hammer and Hanover was a single story building that sat on a corner across from a strip of similar armor and weapon outlets. Vendors boasted of insane discounts on shoddy equipment as we ignored their pitches. Numbness lingered on my tongue as we entered the building, which was only occupied by a handful of customers. My eyes swept across a variety of wares occupying a countless array of racks and shelves.

  The shopkeeper shouted at a man dressed in golden robes. “Hanover is my god given name! And how is the word ‘hammer’ copyrighted? I was here before those bastards opened shop.”

  “The magistrate has already ruled on this matter. Either you change your shop's name, or you'll be subjected to daily fines.” The messenger twisted the corner of his mustache.

  “Just get out!” The shopkeeper tossed the papers at the man's feet.

  Target: Hanover

  Level: 4

  Karma: +215

  Additional Data: Renowned blacksmith and owner of Hammer and Hanover (name change pending). Age 52. Male. Six foot three. Favorite drinks include grape nectar and white leaf tea.

  What's with these strange factoids? Are they always random?

  Hanover shooed the magistrate's representative out of his store and turned his attention to us. “Friends, welcome to Hammer and Hanover. What can I help you with today?”

  “I'd like to browse your daggers, armor, and cloaks.”

  “What's your budget?”

  “Five gold,” I said.

  Hanover's eyes lit up. “Sir, right this way.”

  Viessa and I followed him into the back, where he kept a wall of stocked weapon racks. Hanover pulled down a crescent-shaped dagger with obsidian rippling through the blade’s center.

  “This one is tempered with sacred moonwater. Nobody's tried, but I'd bet it could slice through a dragon's hide,” Hanover boasted, cradling the dagger in his hand before setting it down on the table. “You're a dual wielder?”

  “That's correct,” I said.

  “Then you'll like this stiletto,” Hanover said as he presented another dagger. “Its straight edge is perfect for piercing gaps in armor or exploiting weak points. The blade's longer, which allows for better parrying and intercepting attacks from swords and axes.”

  The stilleto’s handle was wrapped in dark leather, precisely stitched with silver threads. Elegant and deadly. “How much for both?”

  “Five gold.” Hanover showed off his pearly white grin.

  “That's a bit much. I saw a mirror out front.” I pointed at the daggers. “Do you mind?”

  “They're not fashion accessories but go ahead. Think of a counteroffer while you take a look around.”

  I walked down an aisle in the armor section until I stood before a mirror and held up the curved dagger first.

  Equipment: Crescent Blade

  Quality: Uncommon

  Equipped Bonus: Amplifies bleed damage.

  Next I checked out the stiletto.

  Equipment: Pointed Stiletto

  Quality: Uncommon

  Equipped Bonus: Increases parry and deflection chances.

  Hidden Bonus Effect: Unknown. Discover via combat.

  A hidden effect? That's a thing?

  Intrigued by the mystery effect and impressed by the weapon’s quality to price ratio, I decided on buying them.

  “They look good on him. Don't you think so, friend?” Hanover addressed Viessa, who obliviously stared past him.

  “I'm interested in the daggers, but I need something more for five gold,” I said, rummaging through a crate of discounted weapons.

  My fingertips swept across a sleek tonfa wedged at the bottom of the crate. I jostled the weapon loose and lifted it, noting its excessive weight.

  “What's this made of?” I asked, as I squeezed the handle, feeling the icy material extend along my forearm.

  “Obsidian Glass. It's the result of molten rock cooled under magical conditions. It's heavier and more durable than normal obsidian. Sadly, the magic gem in its core amplified its weight in addition to its durability. It's too unwieldy for practical use,” Hanover said. “The handle is wrapped in scalehide leather, too. Shame it turned out like this.”

  “I'll take it with the daggers for five gold,” I said.

  Hanover scowled. “Ah, don't ruin my mood. At five gold, those daggers are already an unmatched bargain.”

  I held the tonfa up and glanced down the aisle at the mirror.

  Equipment: Gloomgem Tonfa

  Quality: Rare

  Equipped Bonus: Unbreakable, this weapon cannot be destroyed.

  Rare Gem Passive: “Damn That's Heavy” - As the wielder tenaciously maintains their grip, the weapon grows more potent, adding 1% physical damage every minute.

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  With a passive that incredible, I had to have it. “This tonfa is useless. If anything, you're losing money from it taking up floor space.”

  “Are ya gonna tear my soul out through my anus, too? It's a beautiful piece! A nobleman would surely love to hang it on one of the many walls in their quarters.”

  “I bet the noblemen all shop at Hammer and Hand.” I handed him the tonfa, and he struggled to hold it in both arms. “What if I conduct more business here? There's more on my shopping list.”

  Hanover mumbled something under his breath. “I thought you only had a budget of five gold?”

  “For the weapons.” I smirked.

  The blacksmith grinned once again, clenching his teeth as he lugged the tonfa over to the front counter. “Aren't you a sly one? I'll throw in the tonfa with a shoulder holster for free if you spend enough.”

  Unsure of what Hanover's definition of “enough” was, Viessa and I perused the armor department. She communicated through improvised sign language, doing a surprisingly solid job of conveying her thoughts. She settled on a bulky plate armor set and an olive surcoat. The set came with a tempered steel helmet that made her look like a Rock'em Sock'em Robot. The armor’s quality was also uncommon and offered bonus defense stats.

  I chose a second set of dark leather armor for her, along with a simple jet-black poncho. It was a simple, yet low profile disguise. For myself, I settled on a set of reinforced scalehide leather armor. The material was flexible, and each scale was perfectly stitched together.

  Equipment: Serpent Scalehide Armor Set

  Quality: Uncommon

  Equipped Bonus: While wearing the complete set, gain slightly increased stamina recovery.

  Along with the armor, I grabbed a few more common quality hooded cloaks and several pairs of clean socks and underwear. Each time I picked out a product, Hanover rushed it over to the counter with a little too much enthusiasm.

  “Do you carry compact mirrors?” I asked.

  “We stock the finest pocket glass. It's crafted from high-quality crystals and encased in ornate protective frames. They fit within the palm of your hand and can be easily concealed in a pouch or in your cloak.”

  “I'll take one,” I said.

  “Yes, sir.” Hanover ran around the counter and grabbed one from a desk drawer. “Can I interest you in anything else?”

  I shook my head, bracing myself for the incoming damage. “How much?”

  Hanover held up both hands, palms facing outward. “Just a mere ten gold.”

  Wincing through clenched teeth, I muttered, “That's too much. I still need to buy healing potions.”

  The blacksmith opened another drawer and produced four vials filled with a pink liquid. “Ten gold and I'll toss these in.”

  I counted out ten gold coins and placed them on the counter, realizing Hanover was truly the one ripping souls out through anuses.

  “Are those real? I've never seen a healing potion with that color before.”

  “Like everything else in my shop, these are excellent. Trust me, I can't afford to have a big spender like you die. Come back soon and spend more gold.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, somehow feeling fleeced despite walking out with enough goods that Hanover included an oversized traveler's pack.

  I concealed the new daggers beneath my clean wraparound cloak, which came with hidden pockets for potions and other essentials. The burdensome tonfa rested under my arm in a holster whose straps were pinching my shoulder from its weight. I assigned Viessa with the responsibility of carrying the rest of the goods in the over-sized backpack, hoping she'd gain additional stamina stat points.

  As we trekked toward The Gilded Boar, I examined the pocket glass in my palm. It displayed the system in my reflection. Although it scrolled through the talent trees excruciatingly slow, it would prove useful in a pinch. I tucked it away in my left breast pocket.

  This could've saved lives if I had thought of it earlier.

  Had I been able to gain new abilities in The Emerald Dungeon, would those Pearl Banner kids still have died?

  ***

  Duskblade anxiously tapped his foot as he waited for me at a table across from the front counter in The Gilded Boar. I wondered how long he'd been there. It was late morning since traveling by foot took forever. Viessa and I joined him at his table.

  “You never introduced your shy friend,” Duskblade said between sips of beer.

  “That's my disciple.”

  “He doesn't have a name?”

  I rolled my shoulders back, ignoring the question. “How's Grace?”

  Duskblade drained his beer and motioned for the staff to bring him another round. “She's recovering... Listen, Cyprus, I already gave the guild my report. I know you're the only reason we made it out alive, but I couldn't lie about the loot.”

  A waiter in a cloth tunic dropped off a pitcher and two more mugs. I washed away the lingering capsaicin with the hoppy brew.

  “I figured as much. It's best you don't stray from your path of redemption.”

  “You're not going to turn me in to the Royal Guard?”

  I dismissed his concern with a wave of my hand. “I've already reached my good Samaritan quota for the year. What about Pearl Banner? Won't they be upset about Tobias and Oakley?”

  Duskblade wiped the foam from his beard with the back of his hand. “That contingency was already baked into our contract. They'll be compensated with another 20% of the loot.”

  “It's that simple?”

  “Pearl Banner has another hundred trainees like that. They buy orphans and slaves when they're young, train them and lease them out to different groups. Five percent survive and become powerful enough to join one of their many raid teams.”

  The beer suddenly tasted sour. I set the mug down and leaned back. “Child labor and slavery, huh?”

  “It's common practice in large adventurer organizations. At least they're given a chance at a life.”

  I bit my tongue. The more I learned about the workings of this country, the less I liked it. If this type of practice was condoned in broad daylight, no wonder Justice was shitting bricks over corruption.

  Duskblade must have sensed my disgust. “I don't like it either. But that's how it is.”

  “So that's how it has to be?”

  “The Healers Association has a stranglehold on talented healers and proprietary spells in their archive. Unless your group has a nobleman, you'll never afford their services. Thus, many organizations started raising their own healers.” Duskblade grimaced.

  “Well, since it’s for the sake of profits, it's fine.” I finished my beer as Duskblade digested my sarcasm.

  “What's really bothering me is the double cross.” Duskblade glanced over his shoulder, lowering his voice. “I think someone in Pearl Banner sanctioned it.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “Now that's a dangerous joke. The coachman confessed to everything. He had familial connections to that mercenary group. I confirmed it myself before I eliminated him.”

  “I knew Callum for five years, and Joel longer than that. I owe it to them to investigate this. One of their officers will meet with me here soon,” he said.

  I leaned across the table. “Leighland, drop it. Revenge doesn't suit the righteous.”

  With that, I stood up. “Thanks for the beer.”

  Viessa followed me as I approached the front counter, recognizing Kora, the level two attendant, by her curly blonde hair. She forced a smile.

  “Duskblade's report was quite something. Would you like to pay the taxes on your chaos shard now?”

  “How much?”

  “50 gold,” Kora said. “Did you bring it with you? If you can't afford the fee, we'll secure it in our vault. If you intend on selling it, we'll hold an auction and only take a 5% fee of the final sell price.”

  As I retrieved the chaos shard from my inner pocket, I noticed the guild hall had gone completely silent. Everyone watched as I gently set the shard down on the counter.

  “It's not for sale. Put it in the vault until I settle the tax,” I said.

  What a racket.

  Kora disappeared into an office, but didn't return. Instead, a man with gray, slicked back hair walked out of the office with a piece of parchment in hand.

  Target: Eamon

  Level: 13

  Karma: +5675

  Additional Data: Retired A-rank adventurer. Age 62. Male. Also known as The Battle Butcher. Enjoys long walks through eerie forests.

  A suffocating aura of strength emanated from his casual stride. Even at 5'9” he exuded the confidence of an eight-foot gorilla.

  What an intimidating bastard. I never expected to see a human at this level.

  “Hello, Cyprus, I'm Eamon, the vice-captain of The Gilded Boar. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

  He clamped my hand like a blacksmith's vise, forcefully shaking it.

  “Your accomplishments supersede your rank. How would you feel about taking a promotion test? I'll conduct it, of course,” he said.

  I reluctantly agreed, feeling hopelessly outmatched for the first time since I had arrived in Ingcaster.