"And you are?" Kael asked, his expression not shifting by so much as a hair.

  "Iron Wolf," the man said, pointing to himself and tilting his chin up with arrogant pride. "Every shop on this street has to pay me a 'Management Fee'."

  He called it a management fee, but in reality, it was just protection money for the local thugs. Kael had lived in Cloud Mist City long enough to know how this worked. As a border town, it was far from the empire's central authority and crawling with mercenaries. Organized crime followed such conditions like shadows following the light.

  However, his shop was not like the other "gaudy commoners" on this street.

  "So, you're here to start trouble?" Kael’s tone remained flat.

  "We never start trouble," Iron Wolf replied casually, as if talking to himself. "But if you don't pay the fee, you might wake up at midnight to find your shop being smashed to pieces."

  "In that case, I’ll be right here, eagerly awaiting your arrival," Kael said slowly.

  "Good. You’ve got spine," Iron Wolf gave him a thumbs-up and turned to leave without another word.

  Kael couldn't care less about these people. If anything, he was curious to see exactly what the System’s "Defense System" was capable of.

  "K-Kael? I just saw Iron Wolf leaving. Was he here for the protection money?" A balding, middle-aged man poked his head into the shop.

  Kael recognized him; it was Uncle Hai, the owner of the herbal medicine shop next door. When Kael first arrived in this world and needed to sell off the herbs left by his late parents, he had gone to this man. He’d probably been ripped off a bit in the deal, but Uncle Hai had also helped with the funeral arrangements and other chores.

  "That’s right, Uncle Hai," Kael nodded.

  "Sigh... those damn leeches. We barely make enough to survive, and they still want to suck us dry," Uncle Hai sighed, his face a mask of melancholy.

  "I didn't pay," Kael said nonchalantly.

  "What?! You didn't pay? Boy, you're in for it now! Those thugs will definitely come to wreck your shop tonight!" Uncle Hai stared at Kael in shock.

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  "Then I’d like to see what they’re going to use to wreck it," Kael smiled, completely unbothered.

  "Kael, listen to me. You young people are too impulsive. You don't know how ruthless Iron Wolf can be." Uncle Hai shook his head in a lecturing tone. "There were others around here who thought they could defy them. By morning, their shops were rubble. And even after that, thugs would harass them every single day until they were forced to sell their stock for pennies and flee the city."

  He sighed again, a look of "the youth are beyond help" on his face as he walked out.

  Kael knew the old man meant well, so he didn't argue. He sat behind his counter until closing time. It was hard to believe he hadn't made a single cent today. His only two regulars had headed back to the Academy.

  But at least he still had his Item Draw. He had been holding back his excitement all day.

  System, I’m ready! Give me the goods! Kael called out internally.

  A square lottery box plummeted from the ceiling, landing on the counter with a heavy THUD.

  [System: Host, please claim your reward.]

  After a few days of this, Kael was used to the System’s dramatic flair. He reached into the box, felt around for a moment, and pulled out a small orb.

  [Random Skill Stones x3]

  Skill Stones!

  Kael’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He knew instantly these were legendary items. Based on the System’s naming conventions, these were almost certainly Skill Crystals—items even rarer and more precious than Trial Crystals. He hit the jackpot.

  [System: Drawing complete. Commencing distribution.]

  The small orb in his hand transformed into three unremarkable-looking transparent stones.

  [Grasp of Frost] Skill Stone: Channels mana to form a frost claw, dealing Ice-element damage. Bonus: Small chance to freeze the target on hit. Requirement: Brave-rank.

  [Piercing Spear] Skill Stone: Channels Battle Qi or Mana to form a piercing spear, dealing non-elemental piercing damage. Bonus: Small chance to inflict a Bleeding effect. Requirement: Brave-rank.

  [Iron Body] Skill Stone: (Passive) Increases physical defense and creates magical resistance on the skin's surface. Requirement: Brave-rank.

  "They really are Skill Crystals!" Kael nearly burst into song. According to the rules, the System wouldn't take a commission from the sale of these stones. He was about to be filthy rich.

  The bonus effects like "Freeze" and "Bleeding" were empowered by the Laws of the World. Imagine a low-level Mage triggering a "Freeze" effect on a high-level opponent—it could be an instant kill.

  "Life is good. Time for sleep," Kael mused, basking in his joy. Unfortunately, his level was still too low to use them himself. He headed to bed, but in the dead of night, a commotion outside the shop jolted him awake.

  Wolf Three and Wolf Four were both Level 18 Warriors. They both carried solid iron sledgehammers—the standard equipment for "shop renovation" in the Iron Wolf Gang.

  While the power dynamics in Cloud Mist City were complex, the major factions had no interest in small, low-profit shops. This left plenty of room for mid-tier gangs like Iron Wolf.

  "I can't believe there's still someone brave enough to refuse the fee," Wolf Three said, resting his hammer on his shoulder.

  "Yeah," Wolf Four cracked his neck. "Our hammers haven't had a proper workout in years."