Chapter 173 Other Rewards

In those slightly cloudy eyes reflected the blurred, curved horns of the [Sheep-Deer Figurine], their surfaces etched with fine textures as if fading into the deep darkness.

Eight-Fingers's face first showed a moment of stun, which quickly melted into visible delight, bunching up the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Realizing his subordinate was still standing in front of him and watching, the boss of the Gray Badger Gang hastily suppressed his joy. Forcing his face taut, he gave two dry coughs.

"Ahem. Are you sure this statue's origins are clean?"

"Tell me straight. Don't lie to me!" His tone suddenly turned exceedingly stern. "This thing isn't simple... Whether it's those two Class Holders from earlier or some other bigshot, if you provoke them, the entire Gray Badger Gang will have to wipe your ass for you!"

Hearing this, Ironhead dropped his usual goofy expression and grew serious.

Not daring to hide anything, he recounted exactly what had happened in the Iron Bucket Toad.

"That drunk was named Walker. He used to be a laborer at the relay station."

"His wife died from drinking tainted water, his son sells newspapers to support the family, and his youngest daughter is sick in bed."

"He borrowed so much money from his old work buddies that he scared them off. He doesn't have any backing."

At this, Ironhead couldn't help but step forward, lowering his voice as he drew closer. "Don't worry, Boss. I handled it cleanly. There won't be any loose ends. I've already had a chat with the brothers who were with me; their lips are sealed tight.

"Drunks like him die by the handful every day in this city. No one will care."

Eight-Fingers's expression softened considerably at that.

After pondering for a moment, he still felt uneasy. Pulling Ironhead closer, he carefully instructed, "Do this. Tonight, grab two brothers, catch a few stray gray-skinned rats, and take them up there.

"These rodents have been starving lately. They'll eat anything.

"Dispose of the body. Do you understand?"

Having clawed his way up to become a minor leader, Ironhead was no fool.

He understood what Eight-Fingers meant before the boss had even finished his sentence.

He nodded knowingly.

"No problem, Boss. I'll definitely clean it up for you!"

It wasn't that Eight-Fingers was being overly cautious; it was just that the [Sheep-Deer Figurine] in his hands was too much of a hot potato.

His earlier words were no exaggeration. Given the dangerous undercurrents currently surging among the city's higher-ups, if this statue really involved some major figure, the entire Gray Badger Gang would be buried alongside him.

If his own appearance wasn't so recognizable, he would have gone up to handle it personally for fear they would botch the job.

He carefully untied the soft cloth wrapped around the statue and gently lifted it out.

Resting it on his left palm, he gripped it with his right hand, not daring to hold it too tightly.

By the bright light of the torches on either side, he closely examined the carving in his grasp.

His eyes swept over it from top to bottom, back and forth several times.

A rather peculiar expression settled on his face.

He had started as an Adventurer before returning to Nym by some stroke of fate to establish the Gray Badger Gang, leading a bunch of uneducated street thugs.

Naturally, he couldn't appreciate this small, ordinary-looking, gloomy statue.

To Eight-Fingers, it didn't even look as nice as the cheap decorations hung on tavern walls.

If he didn't know how wildly sought-after it was right now among the city's elite, he wouldn't have taken it even if it were given to him for free.

But since he knew that this style of statue was highly coveted by those noble lords and bigshots who possessed a Class Level...

Eight-Fingers's mind began to race with possibilities.

It just so happened to be the time of the annual Feast of the Moon. The West District, home to the Moon Goddess Church of Selune, the [Maiden of the Moon], would be hosting many high-end banquets in the name of celebrating the festival.

When the time came, everyone would be at those banquets—from the Clerics of the Church to the gold-and-silver-clad noble lords, and even the pot-bellied wealthy merchants.

To that end, he had pulled strings through various channels, spent an untold number of gold coins, and prepared for nearly half a year before finally riding the coattails of a destitute noble to secure an admission ticket to one of the banquets.

He had originally planned to pool some money from the gang's brothers, add it to the gift funds he had specially prepared, and see if he could latch onto one of those bigshots.

Now, with the statue in his hands, things seemed to have become much simpler.

If he could use this opportunity to offer the statue to a major figure and play his cards right, never mind how much money he could make—the influence of the Gray Badger Gang he had founded could expand outward a bit more.

Perhaps they could even snatch up some fast-cash businesses like casinos.

When that time came, he wouldn't have to lead his brothers in cowering like rats in these pitch-black, sunless sewers anymore.

At that thought, no matter how hard he tried to maintain his majesty as a gang boss, a hint of joy couldn't help but seep onto his face.

Smiling, he reached out to pat Ironhead on the shoulder and praised him.

"Yeah, you did well this time.

"We won't talk about anything else for now. Once the Feast of the Moon passes, I'll give you a few gold coins to go have fun for a few days."

Ironhead, who didn't know the wood carving's actual value and had only kept it in mind because the boss had mentioned it before, couldn't help scratching his head with a foolish grin when he heard the usually strict Eight-Fingers say this.

"Ah, I'm getting old. I can't even chop down a few little rats anymore," Eight-Fingers said, rubbing his shoulder rather deliberately as he spoke with pointed meaning.

"When I retire in the future, I'll only have peace of mind if I hand the Gray Badger Gang over to capable young men like you."

Having lived in the Slums since he was a kid and never having held more than a few honest jobs, how could Ironhead withstand such words?

He immediately straightened his back and thumped his chest, spouting a mouthful of guarantees.

It was as if the Gray Badger Gang would be handed over to him tomorrow.

To this, Eight-Fingers just squinted, offered a few words of encouragement, affectionately patted him on the shoulder again, and sent him off to do his task.

Even though this kid claimed he had nothing to do with those two Class Holders from earlier and had just bumped into them by chance...

...they had spent a lot of time on the road together. Who knew what they had talked about or if they had struck up some sort of friendship?

Treating him a little better might even pave the way to a connection with those two.

Pondering this, Eight-Fingers withdrew his gaze.

His fingertips gently stroked the textures on the statue's surface, feeling the icy-cold sensation transmitting through the pads of his fingers.

For some reason, the wood carving that had seemed incredibly ugly to him earlier was suddenly becoming pleasing to the eye, even though he'd only held it for a short while.

Its blurred silhouette, its smooth and natural lines, its simple yet textured craftsmanship...

It genuinely made Eight-Fingers feel an indescribable, mystical beauty that he had never encountered before.

Roar—

A distorted, low-pitched, bizarre roar echoing from deep within the pipe corridor interrupted his growing trance.

He subconsciously glanced up in the direction of the sound, but only saw a stretch of deep, long darkness.

He muttered a complaint, "This damn place..."

...

...

By the time Xia Nan and Wood followed the young thug named Crooked Neck through a winding path, climbed out of the sewers, and left the Slums to return to the city proper, evening had already fallen.

The sky was gloomy. Purplish-red clouds drifted lazily across the horizon, and wisps of twilight flickered faintly among the eaves of distant buildings.

Wood still wore his stiff, stern expression, but his words revealed a touch of concern.

"I have to head back to the young master. Be careful on your own tomorrow, and don't be careless," he said.

"Although the environment in the Slums isn't necessarily as dangerous as the sewers, dangerous individuals with bounties posted by the Association often hide there.

"With your current strength... as long as you're careful, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Xia Nan nodded earnestly in understanding.

In truth, even without the reminder, he would be doubly vigilant.

To some extent, ever since he had arrived in Nym City, even on the relatively safe streets where Jeff lived, he had fully armed himself whenever he went out, not even leaving behind the small dagger at his waist.

He hadn't become careless just because he had obtained a Class Level. On the contrary, his enhanced Perception after the breakthrough made him even more careful.

"If you run into any trouble that's truly hard to solve, you can seek help at the Moon Goddess Church,"

Wood added in the last moments before parting. Their time together had been brief, and he was afraid that Xia Nan might suffer losses while completing his quest due to his unfamiliarity with the city.

"The believers of the Moon Goddess are not stingy with lending a hand to those trapped in the mire. And with the Feast of the Moon approaching and the Goddess watching over them, they also possess quite reliable combat strength."

As he spoke, a peculiar and rather amused expression suddenly crossed his stern face.

"If necessary, even if you don't know the enemy's exact identity or their goal, when seeking help from the Church, you can vaguely steer their background and identity toward 'cultists' or 'people plotting a conspiracy that could endanger all the townsfolk.'"

"That will make those robe-wearers in the Church pay much closer attention."

Xia Nan committed these points firmly to memory.

These were clearly rules of thumb summarized from someone with a solid understanding of the Church who had dealt with them quite a bit.

Whether he ended up using them or not, remembering them couldn't hurt.

"If the trouble is simply too massive, or if it relates to the Church itself..." Wood's expression grew a bit hesitant and his words slowed, as if he were weighing whether what he was about to say was appropriate.

"You can come find me and the young master.

"At the very least, your safety can be guaranteed.

"But... for your own sake, unless absolutely necessary, it's better to minimize contact with us, at least for now."

Right now, the Lord was gravely ill, and countless pairs of eyes were fixed on the position of the next City Lord.

Under these circumstances, the City Lord's heir suddenly meeting with an unfamiliar Class Holder could easily stir up a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Understood. I'll pay a formal visit when there's an opportunity in the future," Xia Nan replied.

Having a rough idea of what was happening in Nym City from newspapers and gossip, and knowing that Wood's advice was for his own safety, Xia Nan didn't mind.

With his current strength, he was more than capable of hacking down a few Goblins or cleaving a couple of gray-skinned rats, but getting involved in that level of political struggle would stretch him far too thin.

He had no intention of getting swept up in that kind of conflict, either.

Of course, even as he thought this, Hai'an and Wood had helped him immensely.

Seeing that they probably wouldn't cross paths again anytime soon, he had to express his gratitude somehow, so he added, "We'll let it be for now. But regardless, if there's anything you need within my capabilities in the future, you can come find me in Rivervale Town."

It was originally just a parting pleasantry, a mix of genuine sentiment and politeness.

Xia Nan didn't actually think that a City Lord's young master, who could enlist the help of a high-level Class Holder like the Barbarian Forgan, would have any difficulties that required his intervention to solve.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Wood genuinely hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, "Well... although it might seem a bit forward to say this, after some time passes, there really might be a small favor we'll have to trouble you with."

Had it been earlier, before Wood ran into Xia Nan at the tavern, he certainly wouldn't have entertained such a thought.

After all, in his eyes, the young man was still just a rookie Adventurer who had only recently grown Proficient in a single combat technique.

But now, in just a few short months, the other party had acquired a Class Level at an almost absurd speed.

It had wildly exceeded his expectations.

And if Xia Nan continued to improve at the pace he was showing now, in another few months, he might very well establish a firm foothold on the path of a Class Holder and march toward the Transcendent Tier.

Having said that, worried that Xia Nan might misunderstand, Wood hastily waved his hand and added, "Of course, even if we really do need to trouble you, it will definitely be a while from now. You don't need to think too much about it just yet.

"And when that time comes, we will certainly commission it as a quest through the Association. We won't take advantage of you."

As an Adventurer who made a living off quest bounties, Xia Nan wasn't too concerned about taking on a commission.

What really caught his attention, or rather, confused him, was the information Wood had inadvertently revealed in his words.

"Take advantage?" Xia Nan asked.

"If you commission the quest through the Association, won't they take a processing fee? If you really need my help, wouldn't it save more money to just communicate privately?"

Hearing Xia Nan's confusion, Wood froze for a second before a look of realization dawned on him.

"I almost forgot. This is your Advancement Quest. You have to complete it before you can go to the second floor, right?

"I've spoken out of turn. I should let the Association explain it to you.

"Don't worry about it. You'll know once you finish the quest and head back."

Hearing him say this, Xia Nan's expression grew even more bewildered.

He merely pondered it in his heart.

Based on what Wood had implied, for Adventurers who had already obtained a Class Level, the Association provided other rewards beyond the standard commission bounties.

'Perhaps...'

Xia Nan shook his head, tossing these complicated thoughts to the back of his mind.

It was pointless to think so much about it now. Everything would become clear once he finished this quest and returned to Rivervale Town.

Walking side by side down the street, keeping the precautions Wood had stressed along the way in mind, the two officially parted ways at a crossroad.

Xia Nan also returned to Jeff's house, where he was temporarily boarding, waiting only for tomorrow morning when someone from the Gray Badger Gang would arrive to guide him to "Colander" Big Ben's residence.